)D 
 
NOTES ON THE BOOK OF EXODUS. 
 
NOTES, 
 
 CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY, 
 
 ON THE BOOK OF 
 
 EXODUS 
 
 FROM EGYPT TO SINAI. 
 
 MELANCTHON ¥. JACOBUS, 
 
 PROFESSOR OP BIBLICAL LITERATURE AND EXEGESIS IN THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AT 
 ALLEGHENY, PA. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 ROBERT CARTER & BROTHERS, 
 
 530 BROADWAY. 
 1874. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by 
 
 MELANCTHON W. JACOBUS, 
 in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 
 

 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 THE BOOK OF EXODUS. 
 
 After the Genesis comes the Exodus. After the Book of the Creation 
 comes the Book of the Redemption. Glancing back at the heads of his- 
 tory, we have the Creation and the Fall of man followed by the Deluge, 
 in which there was the saved remnant, and this succeeded by the Disper- 
 sion and Population of the Globe, with the national differences at length 
 limited by the Divine plan to bring forward a chosen nation for God 
 Himself. 
 
 Abraham, called from among the Chaldees, enters Canaan as a strange 
 land, and is led by the Divine Providence to Egypt, where his household, 
 at first honored, becomes enslaved, but grows under the special favor of 
 God into a nation, and is miraculously redeemed from the bondage, as 
 His own chosen people. 
 
 The kingdom of God on earth is thus brought into strong contrast with 
 the kingdom of Satan, and the issue is fairly joined. The powers of dark- 
 ness are always found rallying against the powers of light. God inter- 
 poses, and achieves the victory for His Church over His foes and theirs. 
 
 In all this, the principles of the Divine administration for all the ages 
 are plainly set forth. And this signal Deliverance becomes a pledge for 
 all the future, a historico-prophetical transaction, referred to by the 
 prophets, and the Psalmists, as the impressive type of the greater Deliver- 
 ance to come in the last time by Jesus Christ. 
 
 The Church, in bondage to the world-kingdom of successive ages, is to 
 be led forth in the future as it has been led forth in the past, and by a 
 series of splendid interpositions of Divine power and grace, opening the 
 sea for her, overwhelming her enemies, leading her through the wilder- 
 ness by the Angel of His Presence, giving her water out of the Rock, 
 spreading her table with manna, and with meat, and vanquishing the foe. 
 Step by step, the Jordan is finally to be crossed, and the Land of Promise 
 is to be entered. 
 
 The christian reader finds also his own religious history shadowed 
 forth by the same wonderful narrative, involving the same great princi- 
 ples of the Divine administration. So that " these things, which were 
 written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through 
 
xii INTRODUCTION. 
 
 patience, and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." This, there- 
 fore, is history pregnant with religious truth. Some will read these won- 
 drous chapters of the Pentateuch as a parable, because they are so redo- 
 lent of instruction for all time. But it is history, gleaming all over with 
 pictorial teaching for all men, and for all the ages. 
 
 This Book sets forth God's Redemptive dealing on the lower plane of 
 temporal events, according to the Divine plan of working out in the 
 lower department His illustrations of the higher, and thus, as with Jesus 
 in His miracles, through the avenues of the bodily transaction reaching 
 to the affairs of the soul. 
 
 But for the very reason that this Book of Redemption stands so at the 
 gateway of inspired History in reference to the Salvation of men, it has 
 been most persistently assaulted as most absurdly incorrect in detail, and 
 unhistorical. This is done mainly by begging the whole question. It is 
 first assumed by such that a miracle is impossible, and then the record is 
 pronounced upon in the light of a mere natural development and is 
 denied. But the supernatural is not impossible if once it be admitted 
 that there is a God. For God is supernatural. And then at once it is 
 plain that the supernatural act is only natural to a supernatural Being. 
 On the other hand, to work out reconciliations of science with Scripture, 
 by finding the miracle to be only some exaggeration of the natural work- 
 ing, or the natural forces only extraordinarily operated, in a way to tone 
 down the miracle and to bring it within the scope of the natural law. is 
 most absurd, because if once the possibility of miracle be admitted, we 
 may safely follow the narrative, and not be treating the miracle as " too 
 liard for the Lord." Nay, if the probability of miracle in God's dealings 
 with men be admitted, as we must admit as surely as there is a God, then 
 we have only to receive these glimpses of the Infinite as God's own methods 
 of revealing Himself and the higher world to men. It would seem as if 
 precisely to confront such scepticism as that of our day, which finds no 
 God in the world, and puts the laws of nature so called, in the place of 
 God, that these Egyptian miracles were wrought in such close connection 
 with natural law, God here will show Himself to the unbelievers to be 
 the God of nature — working in the domain of nature so as to manifestly 
 control the forces of nature and to sway them at His bidding — ordering 
 the natural phenomena in a way to show a supernatural personal power 
 behind the phenomena, and directing the laws of nature so as to show 
 the lawgiver in them all. This close and convincing relation of the 
 miracle to the natural phenomenon, has encouraged those who strive to 
 find in the operation only an exaggerated account of the common physical 
 order of things. But if this could be accepted as only a poetic account 
 of common events, how then can we account for the history as to mo- 
 mentous results brought about by these events? It was the effect of 
 these miracles upon Pharaoh which led to the Deliverance of the Israel- 
 
INTRODUCTION. xiii 
 
 ites from Iiis oppressive bondage. And it would be idle to say that after 
 all, there was nothing in these mighty operations in nature, beyond the 
 working of natural law. Even De Wette has admitted the impossibility 
 of thus explaining away these miracles as they are related in the narra- 
 tive. The only alternative must be to deny the history, because it is the 
 history of miracle. Though faith must be founded on testimony, yet here 
 would be an arbitrary limitation of testimony and of history, so as to 
 dictate and choose the things to be believed however amply attested. 
 Jehovah was here showing Himself to be the Personal power in Egypt 
 and in all its affairs, and thus He was propounding His supreme claims 
 as against their idol deities. It was the Personal will displayed through 
 out — forewarning and executing accordingly — bidding the natural forces 
 to come and go at His pleasure — and discriminating in the results between 
 the Israelites and the Egyptians — this proved the Personal God. The 
 magicians were put to shame. " They did so with their enchantments " — 
 They wrought some resemblances to the miracles, " they did so " — thus — 
 after the same fashion — imitating as to the appearance — " with their en- 
 ehitntments " — by their jugglery and tricks of magic — and only so far 
 as to embolden those who would not believe in God, but would believe in 
 imposture. Pharaoh is a representative unbeliever — lured on by shams 
 and deceits of magicians and their experiments, until overwhelmed by 
 the great miracle of the Judgment Day. As Professor Henry has well 
 said, The more Law, the more Law-giver. The more proof we find of 
 Law, the more proof we have of a Law-giver. And these magicians of 
 Moses' time are referred to by name as types of their successors in every 
 age, and in our day, " ever learning and never able to come to the knowl- 
 edge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do 
 these also resist the truth. Men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning 
 the faith. But they shall proceed no further, for their folly shall be man- 
 ifest unto all men as theirs also was." — 2 Tim. 3 : 8. 
 
 To what shameless puerility are men of learning left who maintain 
 that the most we can legitimately gather from these records is " the not 
 ourselves which makes for righteousness " — and that this abstraction is the 
 explanation of the name Jehovah. And Strauss at length declares that 
 " the choice only lies between the Miracle — the Divine Artificer — and Dar- 
 win." It has been well said, that in proof of the possibility of miracle, the 
 christian man may put forward the miracle of his own regeneration. 
 This is a convincing proof to himself and may become so to others also. 
 This is in the domain of "the greater works," than these of the physical 
 phenomena. If "■ the Christian is the world's Bible and the only Bible 
 that it reads," let not that be unhistorical, as the written revelation is 
 not. But the denial of miracles has led Strauss and his school to the 
 denial of Immortality and of a Personal God. The standing miracle of 
 the ages and most essentially historical, is the Jewish nation itself. A 
 
xiv INTRODUCTION. 
 
 m 
 
 chaplain of Frederic William I. of Prussia was ordered to give the briefest 
 possible proof of tbe truth of Christianity, and he replied—" The Jews, 
 your Majesty." 
 
 TITLE. 
 
 The name of the book, "Exodus," means Departure — going out— 
 and refers to the leading fact recorded — the Departure of the children 
 of Israel out of Egypt. It forms an important chapter in the -National 
 Annals of the Hebrew people which are also Ecclesiastical records in the 
 history of God's ancient Church. 
 
 AITTHOB. 
 
 The arguments for the Mosaic authorship of Genesis are valid for this 
 Book also — {See Notes on Genesis — Introduction). The New Testament is 
 explicit to this effect. Our Lord calls it " the Book of Moses," Mark 12 : 
 26. " Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush," 
 Luke 20 : 37, etc. 
 
 HISTORICAL CREDIBILITY. 
 
 The history itself is amply attested by the use of it in the National 
 songs — reciting the leading particulars. As in Psalm G6. " Come and 
 see the works of Jehovah. He is terrible in His doing toward the chil- 
 dren of men. * He turned the sea into dry land. They went through the 
 flood on foot. There did we rejoice in Him." So in Ps. 68, most express- 
 ly in sublime passages referring to the Exodus, Also in Ps. 74. " Thou 
 didst divide the Sea by thy strength," etc. In Ps. 77. " Thou leddest 
 thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron." And then the 
 leading events are recited in detail in Ps. 78. And how could this Psalm 
 have been composed, or how could it have been sung by generations of 
 the people as a National song if there had been no such history ? Ps. 
 81 mentions the proving at Meribah. So Ps. 86, Ps. 89: 10, Ps. 103. 
 " He made known His ways unto Moses," etc. The history is sung in 
 course, in Psalms 105 and 106. 
 
 The Prophets also refer to the history of the Exodus in a way to show 
 that this stupendous Deliverance was at the basis of Israel's religious his- 
 tory, and the pledge of the more glorious deliverance that was yet to 
 come. "Art thou not it (He) that hath cut Rahab (Egypt) and wounded 
 the Dragon ? Art thou not it that hath dried the sea, the waters of the 
 great deep, that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed 
 to pass over?" (Isa. 51 : 10.) " Where is He that brought them up out of 
 the Sea with the Shepherd of His flock ? that led them by the right hand 
 
INTRODUCTION. xv 
 
 of Moses with His glorious arm, dividing the water before them to make 
 Himself an everlasting name, that led them through the deep as a horse 
 through the wilderness that they should not stumble ?" (Isa. 63 : 13 ; Isa. 
 43 : 9.) So in Jeremiah " Neither said they where is the Lord that brought 
 us up out of the land of Egypt," etc. (Jer. 2 : 6 ; 16 : 14 ; 23 : 7.) See In- 
 troduction to " Notes or Qejiesis," pp. xi., etc. 
 
 MOSES. 
 
 As surely as the Jewish people exists, so surely does its peculiar his- 
 tory point back to Moses at the Exodus. Great as were the Pharaohs, 
 Moses was greater than they. And the occupation of Judea by this peo- 
 ple came to pass only in consequence of their deliverance from the bond- 
 age of Pharaoh and the destruction of the haughty and godless oppressor. 
 All history must be denied, and its foundations subverted, if we attempt 
 to demolish these records upon which the Jewish history stands. How 
 then did Moses, impotent as he was by himself, and unaided by any 
 world-power, accomplish this wonderful deliverance in the face of the 
 world's proudest and most powerful kingdom ? Without battle or blood, 
 and without human intervention, what was the secret of his success, if 
 we do not find it here written in the wonder-working power of God ? It 
 would be far more difficult to believe in the Exodus itself, apart from 
 the Divine interposition, than it would be to credit that interposition as 
 here narrated. The history is natural in the midst of the supernatural. 
 All occurring in strict conformity with the known peculiarities of the 
 respective people, and with the usages and physical features of Egypt 
 itself, so as to furntsh the ample internal evidence of veracity on the 
 part of the narrator, who must also have been an eye-witness of the 
 events. And at this day it would be as idle to deny the existence of 
 the Jewish people, in their strong peculiarities of race and usage, as to 
 deny these early chapters in their national annals, on which their his- 
 tory is founded, or to deny the facts of Moses' Leadership as their Cham- 
 pion under God before Pharaoh. " Hoses in whom ye trust" said the 
 Saviour to the Jews of His day (John 5 : 45). " Not all that came out of 
 Egypt by Moses," said Paul to the Hebrews (Heb. 3: 16). "All were 
 baptized to Moses in the cloud and in the sea" (1 Cor. 10 : 2). " Jannes 
 and Jambres withstood Moses " (2' Tim. 3 : 8). And the history, includ- 
 ing all that is supernatural about it, must be received as surely as we 
 believe that there is to-day this Jewish people upon earth who sing of 
 this Exodus as a leading chapter in their national annals. There is no 
 accounting for their history, nor even for their existence, if these events 
 of the Exodus be denied. It is only a strange infatuated zeal to get rid 
 of the idea of a Personal God that brands the record as unhistorical, 
 when the history is as much the history of the supernatural as it is of 
 
xvi INTRODUCTION. 
 
 the natural, aud you cannot dissever the two without destroying the 
 history. 
 
 THE PASSOVEK. 
 
 And how can this religious festival of the Jewish Church be accounted 
 for, celebrated by a whole nation during three thousand years, unless 
 these records of the Exodus be true? It has not more real connection 
 with the harvest " first fruits," than it has with these " first fruits" of 
 Israel's Redemption, Can we suppose that the sacred and devout wor- 
 ship of the Jewish Church, and of the Christian Church as grafted upon 
 it, could have proceeded during three thousand years upon a sheer fic- 
 tion, or on a mere mythology ? That grand Redemptive act in history, 
 as typical and foreshadowy of the Redemption by Christ Jesus, was 
 planned by the Divine mind, and the fact was given to be celebrated as 
 revealing God's purposes of grace for His Church and people in all the 
 ages. Just as the Messianic idea is the golden thread upon which all the 
 events of history are strung. As well could we think of a " Fourth of 
 July" being celebrated by our own nation during nearly one hundred 
 years, and yet disbelieve and deny any such event as the Declaration of 
 our National Independence. 
 
 THE DECALOGUE. 
 
 The Mosaic code of Ten Commandments has impressed itself upon 
 the history of the civilized world. And whence could it have originated 
 if not as recorded in this Book of Exodus ? As the acknowledged stand- 
 ard of morality, and as the true basis of moral legislation, whence was it 
 derived if not from God, and where was it given if not at Sinai ? Is it 
 not grossly absurd to account for it only " as the product of a necessity 
 in human society, gradually taught by experience, and finding in this 
 fact the reason of its unalterable obligation ? " Will Strauss, as the 
 prince of disbelievers, accept the Sabbath law as thus originated, and 
 will his followers so agree to admit its unalterable obligation ? But that 
 law refers to the fact of Creation, and bases itself upon the resting of 
 God from His works at the end of the creative week. And then if this 
 Moral Code grew only gradually out of the public necessity, who tabu- 
 lated it in its present form of ten commands ? Why ten and no more ? 
 But is it not more easy to credit the record for any intelligible origin of 
 such a code, and for its necessary sanction of Divine authority ? True 
 indeed, it had its roots in the public necessity, and has proved itself in 
 utmost accord with it through all the ages. But it originated not with 
 that people in the wilderness, recent from the degradation of Egyptian 
 bondage. It had its origin in God, who in connection with the Redemp- 
 
INTRODUCTION. xvii 
 
 tive act, there grouped the fundamental principles of morality into a 
 Code for all nations and for all ages, and of universal application. But 
 wherever the Decalogue is read, there is read the Preface to the Com- 
 mandments in those significant words which assert the historical verity 
 of the Exodus records — " I am Jehovah thy God, which have brought 
 thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." The 
 Law of Ten Commands stands thus distinctly prefaced by the history of 
 this Deliverance from Egypt ; and you can as well deny the Decalogue 
 and its Divine obligation as deny the Exodus itself as here recorded. 
 
 CHKONOLOGY. 
 
 The Chronology cannot be positively determined, but may be regarded 
 as an open question. 
 
 The Period of the Patriarchs from the Covenant to the Exodus is com- 
 puted at 430 years (A. M. 2086-2516), though some high authorities reckon 
 400 years as belonging to the sojourn in Egypt. Gen. 15 : 13, Exod. 12 : 40, and 
 Acts 7 : 6, with Galat. 3 : 17, are the passages which need to be compared. 
 In Galatians the period from the Promise to the Exodus is stated as being 
 430 years. And the other passages do not necessarily conflict with this. 
 For Palestine is noted in several passages as being to them a strange 
 land, and so answering to the description in Gen. 15 : 13. And their so- 
 journ there is to be reckoned with the dwelling in Egypt as part of the 
 entire time. So the Sept. and the Samar Pent add the words " And in 
 the land of Canaan," to define the sojourn. So counted, the half of the 
 whole period would fall to each locality. We may be tempted to concede the 
 entire time for Egypt because of a seeming relief in working out the large 
 increase of the people during their abode there. But see Notes Ch. 12 . 
 40, where the passage reads " Now the sojourning of the children of Is- 
 rael, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years." The en- 
 tire sojourning (not in Egypt, but) of the people w7w dwelt in Egypt, is given 
 in the same terms as we find in Galatians, more explicitly set for the period 
 from the promise to the law — " The Jaw, which was four hundred and 
 thirty years after " the promise. This exactly defines the time, and puts 
 it within most express limits, and must therefore be followed. See also 
 Ellicott on Galat. 3 : 17, Notes. 
 
ANALYSIS. 
 
 The History divides itself into five special topics. 
 
 I. Moses' commission to Israel in Egypt. — (Six chapters) chs. 1-6. 
 
 II. The ten plagues and the Passover — (Six chapters) chs. 7-12. 
 
 III. The Exodus and onward to Sinai — (Six chapters) chs. 13-18. 
 
 IV. The Law given — (Six chapters) chs. 19-24. 
 
 V. The Tabernacle — (Sixteen chapters) chs. 25-40. 
 
 SYNOPSIS OF THE HISTORY. 
 
 BOOK I. 
 
 ISRAEL IN PREPARATION FOR GOD'S SALVATION. 
 
 Chaps. I to XI. 
 
 § 1. Israel in Egypt. — Jacob's Family. 
 
 § 2. House of Bondage 
 
 § 3. The male children doomed to death. 
 
 § 4. The Birth of Moses. . 
 
 § 5. Moses' Patriotism and his flight. . 
 
 § 6. Call of Moses 
 
 § 7. Moses' objections and God's answer. 
 
 § 8. Doubts removed. . 
 
 § 9. Moses' further objection, etc. 
 
 §10. Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh. . 
 
 § 11. Jehovah' s promise. 
 
 § 12. Moses' discouragement, God's order. 
 
 § 13. Miracles according their mission. 
 
 § 14. The First Plague (Blood). 
 
 § 15. The Second Plague (Frogs). 
 
 § 16. The Third Plague (I Ace). 
 
 § 17. The Fourth Plague (Flies). . 
 
 § 18. The Fifth Plague (Rinderpest). 
 
 § 19. The Sixth Plague (Boils, etc). J. 
 
 Ch. 1 
 
 : 1-6. 
 
 . Ch. 1: 
 
 7-14. 
 
 Ch. 1 
 
 15-22. 
 
 . Ch. 2 
 
 : 1-10. 
 
 Ch. 2 
 
 11-25. 
 
 . Ch. 3 
 
 : 1-10. 
 
 Ch. 3 
 
 11-22. 
 
 . Ch. 4 
 
 : 1-9. 
 
 Ch. 4 
 
 10-31. 
 
 . Ch. 5 
 
 1-23. 
 
 Ch. G 
 
 : 1-8. 
 
 . Ch. 6 
 
 9-30. 
 
 Ch. 7 
 
 1-13. 
 
 . Ch. 7 
 
 14-25. 
 
 Ch. 8 
 
 1-15. 
 
 . Ch. 8 
 
 16-19. 
 
 Ch. 8 
 
 20-32. 
 
 . Ch. { 
 
 ): 1-7 
 
 Ch. 9 
 
 8-12 
 
SYNOPSIS OF THE HISTORY. 
 
 xix 
 
 §20. 
 
 The Seventh Plague (Hail) 
 
 Ch. 9: 
 
 13-35. 
 
 §21. 
 
 The Eighth Plague (Locusts) 
 
 Ch. 10 
 
 1-20. 
 
 § 22. 
 
 The Ninth Plague (Darkness). .... 
 
 Ch. 10 : 
 
 21-29. 
 
 §23. 
 
 The Tenth Plague (threatened death of the 1st born 
 
 ) Ch. 11 
 
 1-10. 
 
 
 BOOK II. 
 
 
 THE COVENANT CONSECRATION AND SEAL.- 
 
 -EXODUS TO 
 
 
 SINAI. 
 
 
 
 
 Chaps. XII to XVIII. 
 
 
 
 §24. 
 
 Institution of the Passover. .... 
 
 Ch. 12 : 
 
 1-14. 
 
 
 And of Feast of Unleavened Bread. . 
 
 Ch. 12 : 
 
 15-20. 
 
 § 25. 
 
 Jehovah's Passover "* 
 
 Ch. 12 : 
 
 21-28. 
 
 § 26. 
 
 The Tenth Plague executed. . . 
 
 Ch. 12 : 
 
 29-36. 
 
 § 27. 
 
 The Exodus {begun) 
 
 Ch. 12 : 
 
 37-42. 
 
 § 28. 
 
 Ordinances of the Passover. 
 
 Ch. 12 : 
 
 43-51. 
 
 §29. 
 
 Sanctifi cation of First Born, etc. 
 
 Ch. 13 : 
 
 1-16. 
 
 § 30. 
 
 The Exodus {continued). 
 
 Ch. 13 : 
 
 17-22. 
 
 § 81. 
 
 God's marching orders and the pursuit. 
 
 Ch. 14 : 
 
 1-18. 
 
 § 32. 
 
 The Bed Sea crossed 
 
 Ch. 14 : 
 
 19-31. 
 
 § 33. 
 
 Review. Triumphal song. .... 
 
 Ch. 15 
 
 1-21. 
 
 § 34. 
 
 The Bitter Waters sweetened. .... 
 
 Ch. 15 : 
 
 22-27. 
 
 § 35. 
 
 The Bread from Heaven. .... 
 
 Ch. 16 : 
 
 1-35. 
 
 § 36. 
 
 Murmuring for lack of water. Horeb. 
 
 Ch. 17 
 
 : 1-7. 
 
 § 37. 
 
 Defeat of Amalek 
 
 Ch. 17 : 
 
 8-16. 
 
 §38. 
 
 Jethro's visit to Moses. . . . 
 
 Ch. 18 : 
 
 1-27. 
 
 
 BOOK III. 
 
 
 
 SINAI.-THE LAW GIVEN. 
 
 
 
 § 39. 
 
 The Moral Law introduced. .... 
 
 Ch. 19 
 
 
 §-40. 
 
 The Ten Commandments. 
 
 Ch. 20 
 
 : 1-17. 
 
 §41. 
 
 The Civil Law 
 
 Chs. 21-23. 
 
 BOOK IV. 
 
 GOD'S PUBLIC WORSHIP PROVIDED FOR. 
 
 NACLE. 
 
 THE TABER- 
 
 Chaps. XXIV to XL. 
 
 § 42. Divine directions for the building and arrangement 
 
 of Jehovah's Dwelling-place Chs. 24-31. 
 
xx SYNOPSIS OF THE HISTORY. 
 
 § 43. The Golden Calf. Ch. 32. 
 
 §44. The People forgiven Ch. 33: 1-20. Ch. 34. 
 
 § 45. The Preparation of the Tabernacle and furniture. Chs. 35-39. 
 
 § 46. The Tabernacle set up. ..... Ch. 40 : 1-3S. 
 
 There are many and strong reasons for supposing that the Book of 
 Job was written during Moses' sojourn in the wilderness with Jethro 
 and was brought with him to Egypt for the instruction and consolation 
 of the people in their bondage, and to work in them a spirit of patience 
 and confidence under the Divine dealing. It would sufficiently set forth 
 the justice of God in men's afflictions, and the impossibility of self -justi- 
 fication while it would impress upon them the need of a mediator with 
 God, and would exhibit in very striking passages the great leading truths 
 of Salvation by a Redeemer, Job 19 : 25-27 ; 33 : 23-28. This was possi- 
 bly the first and only written revelation as yet existing. But now there 
 was to be given a new and more complete revelation for the training of 
 the covenant people in the fundamental ideas of sin and of expiation. 
 There was now to be announced a law and a system of ordinances, as the 
 basis of religious living : and herein also the church was to receive a well 
 defined and Divinely appointed polity for its own visible establishment 
 and for the conservation of the truth, in preparation for the Advent of 
 the Messiah. At the same time the Covenant Angel — the Jehovah re- 
 vealed to Moses in Midian as the glorious Personage in the Burning 
 Bush presiding over the interests of His suffering church and securing 
 her Deliverance was to appear as the living Head and guide of His people 
 through the wilderness. 
 
 The Passover was given to be the top and crown of the ordinances, 
 the first idea being that of Release. And so Pilate, at the trial of the 
 Messiah, found the custom grown up, along with the Paschal celebra- 
 tion, to release a prisoner at the feast (John 18 : 30). So that all through 
 the Scripture, the Messianic idea is the fine gold-thread that glistens in 
 the whole fabric of revelation, and is at length wrought into the glowing 
 portrait of Jesus Christ — " That it might be fulfilled which was spoken 
 by the Prophet, Out of Egypt have I called my Son." 
 
A SUMMARY VIEW OF THE TRANSACTIONS ATTESTED BY EGYP- 
 TIAN MONUMENTS, AND OF THEIR CONNECTION WITH 
 HEBREW HISTORY. 
 
 DYNASTIES. 
 
 Xllth Dynasty : 
 seven Pha- 
 raohs, from 
 Amenemha I. 
 to Amenenaha 
 Fv . , and a 
 queen regnant. 
 
 XIIIthtoXYIIth 
 Dynasty : 
 
 XYTIIth Dynas- 
 ty: 
 
 Aahmesl. (Amo- 
 sis). 
 
 Nefertari. 
 
 Amenotep I., or 
 Amenophis. 
 
 Transactions kxowx from Con- 
 
 TE3IPORARY MONUilENTS. 
 
 A period of great prosperity ; for- 
 eigners, especially from Western 
 Asia, received and promoted un- 
 der the early kings; and under 
 the later kings works of extraor- 
 dinary magnitude executed to se- 
 cure the irrigation of Egypt, and 
 to guard against the recurrence 
 of famine. 
 
 The early Pharaohs still masters of 
 Egypt. Invasion of the Hyksos. 
 Salatis master of Avaris, i. e., 
 Tanis, or Zoan. Egypt divided ; 
 the worship of Set, Sutech, or 
 Baal, established by the Hyksos 
 in the north ; wars between the 
 Theban dynasty and Apepi, or 
 Apophis, the last king of the 
 Hyksos. 
 
 Aahmes I., or Amosis, captures 
 Avaris and expels the Hyksos. 
 Buildings of great extent under- 
 taken or completed with the aid 
 of forced laborers or mercenaries. 
 The worship of the Theban deities 
 re-established. 
 
 The Egyptian Queen, a Nubian by 
 birth, possessed of great influ- 
 ence, both before and after the 
 death of Aahmes. 
 
 Expeditions into Ethiopia: the 
 Queen-sistei in power ; succeed- 
 ing as Regent. 
 
 Connection- with Scriptural 
 History. 
 
 According to 
 
 Speakers Com. 
 
 and others. 
 
 Abraham re- 
 ceived and 
 favored. 
 
 Joseph saves 
 Egypt from 
 famine ; the 
 P h a r a oh 
 master of the 
 resources of 
 Egypt. 
 
 The Israelites 
 in Goshen ra- 
 pidly increas- 
 ing and occu- 
 pying the 
 whole dis- 
 trict, but in a 
 condition of 
 dependence, 
 or partial ser- 
 vitude. 
 
 Beginning of 
 a systematic 
 persecut ion 
 of the Israel- 
 ites, who are 
 employed as 
 forced labor- 
 ers in restor- 
 ing or build- 
 ing forts and 
 magazines in 
 their own 
 district. 
 
 Moses saved 
 and adopted 
 by an Egypt- 
 ian princess. 
 
 Flight of Mo- 
 ses into Mid- 
 ian. 
 
 According to 
 
 Bragsch and 
 
 others, as here 
 
 adopted. 
 
 Abraham in 
 Egypt under 
 the Hyksos. 
 Joseph minis- 
 ter of Apo- 
 phis. 
 
 The Israelites 
 are supposed 
 to remain dur- 
 ing the whole 
 period of the 
 18th dynasty 
 in undisturb- 
 ed possession 
 of the district 
 of Goshen. 
 
SUMMARY VIEW OF TRANSACTIONS 
 
 Dynasties. 
 
 Transactions known from Con- 
 temporary Monuments. 
 
 Connection with Scriptural 
 
 UlSTORY. 
 
 According to 
 
 Speakers ( lom. 
 and others. 
 
 According to 
 Brugsch and 
 
 others, as here 
 adopted. 
 
 Thotmes I. 
 
 Thotmes II. and 
 Hatasou. 
 
 Thotmes III. 
 
 Amenotep (Am- 
 enophis) II. 
 
 Thotmes IV. 
 
 Amenotep III. 
 
 Amenotep IV. or 
 Khu-en-Aten. 
 
 Princes not con- 
 sidered legiti- 
 mate. 
 
 Horemhelb. 
 
 XlXth Dynasty : 
 Eameses I. 
 
 Expeditions into Nubia and Meso- 
 potamia ; immense increase of 
 the Eg3T?tian power. 
 
 First part of the reign prosperous ; 
 no indication of foreign or intes- 
 tine war ; latter part of the reign 
 a blank, followed by a general re- 
 volt of the confederates in Syria. 
 Hatasou, queen regnant, and re- 
 taining power for seventeen or 
 twenty-two years. 
 
 First attempt to recover the ascend- 
 ancy in Syria in the 22d year. 
 Wars : repeated incursions into 
 Palestine, Phoenicia, Syria, and 
 Mesopotamia, terminating in the 
 fortieth year of this reign. 
 
 Expedition into Syria by sea ; over- 
 throw of the confederated nations 
 to the north of Palestine. 
 
 A reign without notable occur- 
 rences. 
 
 A prosperous reign ; supremacy 
 maintained in Syria and Mesopo- 
 tamia ; no intimations of warfare 
 in Palestine ; the Queen Tei, of 
 foreign origin, favors a new and 
 purer form of religion. 
 
 The religious revolution completed: 
 followed by a period of disturb- 
 ance and exhaustion. 
 
 End of eighteenth dynasty. 
 
 No considerable events ; notices of 
 war with the Cheta, who from this 
 time are dominant in Syria. 
 
 Return of Mo- 
 ses ; the Ex- 
 o d u s ; de- 
 struction of 
 Pharaoh and 
 his army. 
 
 The Israelites 
 in the wilder- 
 ness ; en- 
 trance into 
 Palestine of 
 Joshua in the 
 fortieth year 
 affer the Ex- 
 odus. 
 
 Progress of 
 the Israel- 
 ites in Pales- 
 tine. 
 
 CushanRisha- 
 thaim in Pa- 
 lestine. 
 
 The interval between Cushan 
 Rishathaim, and Jabin, ex- 
 tends to the later reigns in 
 this dynasty. Palestine re- 
 mains, to a great extent, in 
 the possession of the Amor- 
 ites and other people of Ca- 
 naan : sometimes overrun by 
 neighboring people, and to- 
 wards the close of the period 
 subject to the Philistines in 
 the south, and the Cheta, or 
 Hittites. in the north. 
 
ATTESTED BY EGYPTIAN MONUMENTS. 
 
 Dynasties. 
 
 Seti I. 
 
 Merneptah. 
 
 Seti II., Siptah; 
 is close of the 
 XlXth Dynas- 
 ty. 
 
 XXth Dynasty : 
 Rameses III. 
 
 Transactions known from Con- 
 temporary Monuments. 
 
 The Shasous or Nomads from Egypt 
 to Syria, and the Cheta and na- 
 tions of Mesopotamia, broken 
 and subdued by a series of inva- 
 sions. The empire reaches its 
 highest point of civilization and 
 power. 
 
 During many years Rameses n. is 
 co-regent with his father with 
 royal dignity. On his accession 
 as sole monarch, he invades Syria, 
 defeats the Cheta, with whose 
 king, however, he afterwards con- 
 tracts an alliance on equal terms, 
 marrying his daughter. Captives 
 are employed in great numbers in 
 building, restoring, or enlarging 
 fortresses, cities, and temples ; 
 among them Aperu at Pa-Rameses 
 and Memphis. The reign lasts 
 sixty-seven years, but the date of 
 its commencement, whether from 
 his father's death, or his admis- 
 sion to royalty, is uncertain. 
 
 Beginning of reign signalized by 
 victory over Libyan and Mediter- 
 ranean invaders: no expeditions 
 into Asia : general state of amity 
 with the Cheta : eastern frontier 
 of Egypt carefully guarded : indi- 
 cations of unbroken peace and 
 prosperity in the district about 
 Pa-Rameses. 
 
 A period not distinguished by for- 
 eign wars : letters, however, flour- 
 ish, and the nation appears to be 
 peaceful and contented. 
 
 A long series of successful wars in 
 Africa and Asia: Palestine tra- 
 versed, Syria invaded, and the 
 Cheta overthrown. The reign 
 lasts at least twenty-seven years. 
 Aperu employed on the royal do- 
 mains. 
 
 Connection with Scriptural 
 History. 
 
 According to 
 
 Speakers Com. 
 
 and others. 
 
 Palestine in a 
 state of de- 
 pression, 
 Philistines in 
 the south, 
 Jabin in the 
 north ; revolt 
 against Ja- 
 bm, over- 
 throw of Sis- 
 era; war 
 against Ja- 
 bm contin- 
 ued for some 
 years. 
 
 Israelites re- 
 cover posses- 
 sion of Pales- 
 tine after the 
 overthrow of 
 Jabin. 
 
 According to 
 
 Brugsch and 
 
 others, as here 
 
 adopted. 
 
 F i r 1 1 begin- 
 ning of the 
 persecution 
 of the Israel- 
 i t e s ; the 
 birth, early 
 life, and ex- 
 ile of Moses. 
 
 The plagues of 
 Egypt, fol- 
 lowed by the 
 Exodus. 
 
 The Israelites 
 in the wilder- 
 ness. 
 
 The conquest 
 of Palestine 
 begun under 
 Joshua. 
 
SUMMARY VIEW OF TRANSACTIONS, ETC. 
 
 Dynasties. 
 
 Rainesee IV. 
 
 Barneses V. 
 XI. 
 
 to 
 
 Barneses XII. 
 
 Rameses XHI. 
 
 Transactions known from Con- 
 temporary Monuments. 
 
 A peaceful reign, occupied chiefly in 
 great buildings. Aperu, captives 
 of war, employed in the quar- 
 ries. 
 
 A period of uncertain duration, the 
 reigns generally short and undis- 
 tinguished. 
 
 In this reign the Egyptians retain 
 an acknowledged pre-eminence in 
 Syria and Mesopotamia. 
 
 Close of the twentieth dj r nasty. 
 
 Connection with Scriptural 
 History. 
 
 According to 
 Speakers Com. 
 
 and others. 
 
 The events 
 recorded in 
 the book of 
 Judges af- 
 ter the time 
 of Deborah 
 and Barak. 
 
 According to 
 Brugech and 
 
 other;-. 
 
 adopted. 
 
 The entire se- 
 ries Of events 
 from the p«s- 
 sage over the 
 Jordan to the 
 close of the 
 1) o o k of 
 Judges. 
 
THE BOOK OF EXODUS, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 "IVTOW these are the names of the children of Israel, which 
 1\ came into a Egypt ; every man and his household eame 
 with Jacob. 
 
 a Ge. 46 : 8. 
 
 BOOK I. 
 
 ISRAEL IE PREPARATION FOR GOD'S SALVA- 
 TION. Chs. I-XI. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 § 1. Israel in Egypt. Jacob's 
 Family. Ck. 1 : 1-6. 
 
 The family of Jacob are now to 
 become the people of Israel. They 
 were led by God to a Gentile land 
 to have their development into a na- 
 tion, under the oppressions of a hea- 
 then power. For already the cove- 
 nant God of Israel makes it appar- 
 ent that He does not confine His 
 manifestations to the Holy Land. 
 (Acts, ch 7.) From a family the 
 children of Jacob (Israel) are (1) to 
 be enlarged into national dimen- 
 sions under the signal Providence 
 of God. They are (2) to attain their 
 independence by the agency of Mo- 
 ses. They are (3) to receive a Di- 
 vine Law and Constitution, by a 
 solemn act of consecration as a holy 
 people — and (4) they are to be in- 
 troduced to their own land, where 
 they shall be placed in training as 
 the covenant people of God. And 
 
 VOL. I. 2. 
 
 thus God's promises to Abraham 
 are here to be traced to their signal 
 fulfilments. (Gen. 15 : 5, 13, 15, 16, 
 and 46 : 3, 4). 
 
 1-5. Now these are the names. 
 Literally — And these — showing the 
 connection of the narrative. The 
 sacred historian begins, here, the 
 narrative of Israel in Egypt. He 
 reverts to the entrance of Jacob and 
 his family into the land, in order to 
 relate the Exodus of the people 
 from the bondage of Pharaoh. It 
 will be shown how the family de- 
 veloped into a nation, by the won- 
 derful Providence of God, — and 
 how they were prepared, by such 
 amazing increase and enlargement to 
 go forth, in God's time, as an inde- 
 pendent people. The fact is to be 
 noted that it was the entire family 
 of Jacob, but small at utmost, 
 which came down into Egypt first 
 or last, for this is the covenant fact. 
 They are therefore called — the chil- 
 dren of Israel — the names are given 
 for exactness — Israel being the new 
 
26 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Juclah, 
 
 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 
 
 4 Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 
 
 5 And all these souls that came out of the loins of Jacob 
 were seventy b souls : for Joseph was in Egypt already. 
 
 6 And Joseph died, and all his brethren, 
 eration. 
 
 and all that gen- 
 
 b De. 10; 22. c Gen. 50: 26. 
 
 name and the covenant name, re- 
 minding of God's promise, which is 
 here traced to its fulfilment. (1) As 
 to the increase (Gen. 15 : 5,) and (2) 
 as to the oppression (Gen. 15 : 1 3,) 
 and (3) as to the Deliverance (Gen. 
 15 : 14). Which came into Egypt. 
 (See on Gen. 46 : 27.) The catalogue 
 here is different. Eleven sons of 
 Jacob are named, and Joseph is 
 added with explanations. These 
 were the recognized heads of houses 
 at the time — and it is said — Every 
 man and his household came loith 
 Jacob — that is, these sons with their 
 families — their wives and children. 
 The entire family is now reckoned, 
 who came out of the loins of Jacob, 
 (66) as seventy souls. This would 
 exclude the sons' wives. But as Jo- 
 seph was in Egypt already, it is prop- 
 er to include him and his two sons, 
 and besides these Jacob himself is 
 counted, for the object is to make 
 up the entire family, in order to 
 show the increase. This reckoning 
 yields the number seventy. There 
 was an intended significance in this. 
 (See Deut. 32 : 8.) It had a refer- 
 ence to the nations of mankind, 
 whose number was seventy as given 
 in the ethnological table. (Gen. 
 ch. 10.) So there were seventy el- 
 ders of Israel. (Exod. 24 : 1, etc.) 
 Seventy members of the Sanhedrim, 
 — and seventy disciples sent out to 
 the missionary work — all along 
 looking to a special relation of Is- 
 rael to the nations of the earth. So 
 says the Jewish book Zohar, (see 
 Lightfoot, Luke 3 : 36,) " Seventy 
 souls went down with Jacob into 
 Egypt that they might restore the 
 seventy families dispersed by the 
 
 confusion of tongues." Stephen 
 (Acts 7 : 14) cites from the Septua- 
 gint the number seventy-Jive, which 
 was made by including more of Jo- 
 seph's descendants. But as speak- 
 ing to those who used the Septua- 
 gint, he quoted from their Bible, the 
 different enumerations. " Jacob was 
 included because the natural head 
 (says Murphy) is essential to the 
 unity and integrity of the family." 
 (See on Gen. 46 : 27, my notes.) But 
 the figures in Acts 7, may be ex- 
 plained by noticing that there were 
 probably two sons' wives dead — Ju- 
 dah's (Gen. 38 : 12) and Simeon's 
 (Gen. 46: 10; Comp. Gen. 28: 1) 
 leaving only nine. Adding these 
 nine to sixty-six, there would be 
 seventy-five. And these were reck- 
 oned by Stephen in * all 7iis (Jacob's) 
 kindred," as being Joseph's kin- 
 dred — by blood, probably of Ketu- 
 rah, Ishmael and Esau. (See Hale's 
 Ghronol.) Besides Jacob's own fam- 
 ily, it is probable that many mi- 
 grated with him who were not of 
 his loins. A few are referred to by 
 Joseph where he distinguishes his 
 brethren from his father's house, or 
 servants. (Gen. 46 : 31 ; Comp. Gen. 
 30: 43; 32: 5, 7, 16; see Gen. 12: 
 16). 
 
 6. Joseph died. It was after the 
 death of Joseph and his house — 
 himself the secular strength of the 
 family in Egypt, the source of their 
 early prosperity there — that God so 
 wonderfully increased them. All 
 that generation — the entire migra- 
 ting company had passed away. 
 Some refer the term generation 
 here, to the ordinary sense of thirty- 
 three years, or a third of a century, 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 27 
 
 7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased 
 abundantly, d and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty ; 
 and the land was filled with them. 
 
 8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which 
 knew e not Joseph. 
 
 d Ge. 46: 3. e Ec. 2: 19. 
 
 — average life — others to a century. 
 Joseph lived 110 years. He died 
 about 70 years after the migration, 
 and he lived to see the fourth gen- 
 eration. (Gen. 50 : 23. See notes.) 
 
 §2. 
 
 House of Bondage. Ch. 1 
 7-14. 
 
 7. The great fact is here re- 
 corded of the large increase of the 
 covenant people — the children of 
 Israel — and there is a heaping up of 
 terms to express it — were fruitful 
 — brought forth young, as animals, 
 or fruit, as plants, and increased 
 abundantly, swarmed like fish and 
 multiplied, became numerous and 
 waxed, exceeding mighty, from a 
 verb based on a noun meaning a 
 bone qualified by the duplicated ad- 
 verb exceedingly , with the preposi- 
 tion in, or with, to denote the man- 
 ner — in exceedingly exceeding meas- 
 ure. And the land was filled with 
 them. Goshen, in particular where 
 they were located, though they 
 were also scattered in Lower Egypt, 
 through the Delta, as we after- 
 wards see. The land was favorable 
 to their large and rapid increase, 
 and the circumstances also at first 
 were highly favorable, kept mainly 
 distinct and living on the fat of the 
 land. (Gen. 47 : 11.) Besides all this, 
 the Divine promise had a signal 
 fulfilment to this effect. No miracle 
 needs to be supposed. Egypt was 
 a land extraordinarily fruitful in 
 people and cattle. Aristotle, Hist. 
 Animal and Bosenmuller Mor gen- 
 land 1. p. 252.) 
 
 8. Now there arose up. To show 
 that the growth of the people is 
 not to be explained by continued 
 favor of the government, nor by con- 
 
 tinued power of Joseph, but that it 
 came to pas3 in spite of opposition 
 and oppression, it is here stated 
 that another king came into power, 
 a new king, of new policy — prob- 
 ablv of a new dvnastv. See 1 Kings 
 3 : 12. 2 Kings 23 : 23. Who knew 
 not Joseph — who had no regard for 
 Joseph, and ignored his claims. 
 This is the scriptural sense of the 
 term. Joseph had been 40 years 
 dead, and it had been 100 years 
 since he was prime minister, and no 
 wonder that a new king should for- 
 get or disregard his services long 
 past. Acts 7 : 18. The Egyptian 
 chronology leaves us in some un- 
 certainty as to the dynasty which 
 now reigned. If the Shepherd kings 
 were they in whose time Joseph and 
 Jacob had come to Egypt, and they 
 were now expelled and supplanted 
 by the ancient Theban kings, then 
 we can see how Jacob's descendants, 
 as a shepherd race, would be held in 
 suspicion. But the chronology is 
 much disputed, as is all the Egyptian 
 chronology. Bunsen makes the king 
 under whom Joseph was ignored to 
 have been Thothmes, of the 18th 
 dynasty. Lepsius contends, and so 
 do most Egyptologists, for Rameses 
 II., (Sesostris) 19th dynasty. A 
 recent authority says : "The calm 
 judgment of history confirms the 
 stigma placed upon him by the 
 Bible (Exodus) as the oppressor of 
 the Hebrews." Lenormant and Che- 
 valier p. 257. Others think that this 
 change of dynasty was earlier and 
 an invasion of the shepherd rule 
 under which Joseph flourished, and 
 that it was an Assyrian conqueror, 
 now come to power. (Smith's Diet. 
 Pharaoh.) There were probably 
 different kings at this time at differ- 
 
EXODUS. 
 
 ent capitals of what is now known 
 as Egypt ; especially at Thebes and 
 Memphis ; and the shepherd kings 
 may have been located at Bubastis 
 or On, near Memphis and near to 
 Goshen. According to Osburn it 
 would seem that the era of Osor- 
 tasen I., (12th dynasty) was next 
 after the era of the Pyramids. He is 
 called "the sun of the world (mak- 
 ing) offerings." His successors held 
 their court at Abydos, in Upper 
 Egypt, while another race of mon- 
 archs had their seat at Memphis, 
 in Lower Egypt. The names of 
 two of these have been discovered 
 in tombs in the burial place of 
 Ancient Memphis. The tombs in- 
 dicate a high advance of art. The 
 Pharaoh to whom Joseph was prime 
 minister was according to Manetho 
 named Aphophis. The next era 
 was that of Amosis called "Aveng- 
 ing Lord of Upper and Lower 
 Egypt." And between his acces- 
 sion and that of Osortasen, a period 
 of 1 50 years or thereabouts, six 
 kings reigned. This Amosis ex- 
 pelled the shepherd kings and 
 gained the throne of all Egypt. It 
 was the golden age of Egyptian 
 history. This was after the death 
 of Joseph and his generation. Go- 
 shen, as it lay between Egypt and 
 Canaan, was open to alliances of the 
 neighboring nations from among 
 whom the Israelites had come. The 
 prosperity of this immigrant people 
 excited the jealousy of the native 
 kings even after they had subjected 
 them. Hence this policy of bondage 
 to reduce them and crush them out. 
 This Amosis or one of his imme- 
 diate successors was the new king 
 who knew not Joseph, which would 
 make the epoch that of the 18th 
 dynasty, or nearly so. Osburn, p. 9. 
 So Speaker's Commentary. — Osburn 
 says : There were 16 kings in the 
 18th dynasty who reigned for about 
 348 years And under the last of 
 these the Exodus took place, and 
 Egypt never recovered from the 
 blow which this event inflicted on 
 her prosperity. Osburn, p. 10. See 
 
 also the histories of Manetho pre 
 served by Josephus. See Essay in 
 Speak. Commentary, vol. i, p. 443. 
 But it is doubtful whether there 
 were foreign kings reigning in 
 Egypt during the Israelitish so- 
 journ, and Manetho's accounts are 
 very legendary. This Egyptian 
 historian Manetho has referred to 
 the Exodus, but in a distorted 
 narrative. The Hebrews are re- 
 presented as leprous and impious 
 Egyptians, who were under the 
 headship of a priest of Heliopolis, 
 named Osarsiph (Joseph), or Moses, 
 and who rebelled on account of op- 
 pression and occupied a city called 
 Avaris (Hebrew), and by the aid of 
 the people of Jerusalem, they sub- 
 dued Egypt and held it for 13 
 years, but were at last defeated by 
 the Egyptian" king and driven to 
 the borders of Syria. Moses is 
 here miscalled a priest of Helio- 
 polis, and then confounded with 
 Joseph, marrying a daughter of 
 Potipherah, priest of On. "Avaris" 
 is a disguise of the term "Hebrew." 
 Osarsiph is a corruption of Joseph, 
 and in this way of indistinct refer- 
 ence, we have as much as we 
 might expect from the Egyptian 
 historian in recording such a shame- 
 ful chapter of their history. This 
 city Avaris which was assigned by 
 the king to these leprous persons is 
 said by Manetho to have been aban- 
 doned by the shepherds. It was after 
 these offcasts had been sent to the 
 mines for a long time. They took 
 an oath to obey their leader, Moses, 
 in all things, and not to worship 
 the gods. The narrative confirms 
 the leading facts. (See Appendix 
 A, p. 168). Osburn seems to under- 
 stand this of the Era of Decline, 
 and a second invasion of the shep- 
 herds, whereby the infant son of 
 the Exodus Pharaoh was driven into 
 Ethiopia. 
 
 9. The crafty policy of the new 
 king is here detailed. It was his 
 aim to crush them out by oppres- 
 sion, or at least to control them. 
 The people of Israel are represented 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 29 
 
 9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the 
 children of Israel are more and mightier than we : 
 
 10 Come on, let us deal wisely f with them ; lest they 
 multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any 
 war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and 
 so get them up out of the land. 
 
 11 Therefore they did set over them task-masters, to afflict 
 them s with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treas- 
 ure-cities, Pi thorn and h Raamses. 
 
 f Ps. 83: 3, 4. g ch. 37. h Ge. 47: 11. 
 
 as more and mightier than the 
 Egyptians, though they had been 
 only a little more than a century in 
 the land. If this king was Rameses 
 II., (Sesostris) of the 19th dynasty, 
 it is held that the kingdom of 
 Lower Egypt had become greatly re- 
 duced by the internal disorders of 
 immigrating tribes from Canaan, 
 Moabites and Israelites, and that 
 this king sought to reduce the 
 whole land under one rule, and 
 having succeeded at length, he 
 sought to crush the prosperous Is- 
 raelites by forced labors on the 
 public works. Their domain was 
 the narrow Delta of the Nile, and 
 they were more and mightier not 
 than the whole people of Egypt, 
 but than the people of this king at 
 this time, or than the native popu- 
 lation in that district, or more in 
 proportion to the space occupied, or 
 it is an exaggerated statement of 
 this king as a pretext for the op- 
 pression. 
 
 10. Let us deal wisely. Heb. 
 Deal adroitly with him — the people 
 Israel. The word means to deal 
 with deep device of worldly wisdom, 
 political craft, diplomacy. It is 
 plain that the monarch was in cir- 
 cumstances to dread an outbreak of 
 tear from one or other quarter. He 
 was probably subject to annoyance 
 from surrounding enemies, and 
 from such as made him fear espe- 
 cially, that this people of Israel 
 would form alliance with them, and 
 thus would make common cause 
 against the monarch, and would 
 
 then quit the land for Canaan. The 
 term "go up" here used, is the term 
 for going up to Canaan. Gen. 13 : 1. 
 He seems thus to have known of 
 the land whence they came. He 
 was fearful that they would achieve 
 their independence. 
 
 11. The policy adopted to meet 
 such case was to set over them task- 
 masters — (lit) masters of burdens — 
 bailiffs over the serfs — (Delitzsch) 
 chiefs of tributes, Sp. Com. (Gr.) 
 masters of works, or labors — over- 
 seers-in-chief. These were common 
 in Eastern lands — overseers, armed 
 with a whip or stick, to bastinado 
 the lazy workmen who were driven 
 in gangs of tens and hundreds. 
 Thus the Hebrews were made to be 
 serfs, and degraded to the lowest, 
 most menial condition, so as to 
 break their spirit by the bondage, 
 and check their increase and thrift. 
 Captives were employed on the 
 public works of Egypt, and on 
 some of the monuments are inscrip- 
 tions that no free citizen had been 
 employed upon the building. To 
 afflict them, lit., to bend them down 
 — wear out their strength — by hard 
 feudal labor, according to the policy 
 of oppressors. *|f And they built. 
 And so (Israel) built — was compelled 
 to build— for Pharaoh, treasure cities 
 — storage cities, supply cities, for 
 storing up the harvests for the de- 
 mands of trade and for time of 
 war. The Gr. has fortified cities, 
 and it is probable that they were 
 such. The context implies that it 
 would be in the immediate vicinity 
 
30 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multi- 
 plied and grew. And they were grieved because of the chil- 
 dren of Israel. 
 
 13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve 
 with rigour: 
 
 14 And they made their lives * bitter with hard bondage, 
 in mortar, and in brick, k and in all manner of service in tiie 
 field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was 
 with rigour. 1 
 
 i ch. 2: 23. k Na. 3: 14. 1 Lev. 25: 43; Is. 5S: 6; Jc. 50: 33. 
 
 of Goshen, where they abode, and 
 the fact that Goshen lay along the 
 eastern frontier, where warlike 
 operations were constantly required 
 by the aggressions of the Canaan- 
 ites strengthens the conclusion. Os- 
 burn. •[[ Pithom. This is held by 
 Wilkinson to be Thoum, on the E. 
 bank of the Nile, about 12 Roman 
 miles from Heliopolis. Osburn finds 
 the Hieroglyph of Uamietta to be 
 the same with Pithom, and thinks 
 the locality favors the supposition. 
 But it is probably too far to the 
 north. Raamses answers to an in- 
 scription found on such a city, a 
 compound word of Hebrew mean- 
 ing, " the stronghold, the fortified 
 city of Raamses.'' (Migdol-raamses.) 
 It may be that they were compelled 
 to name it in Hebrew as a mem- 
 orial of their degradation. Migdol 
 is referred to in ch. 14 : 2, "between 
 Migdol and the Sea" — the Red Sea, 
 or Gulf of Suez. Osbum thinks it 
 probable that this Migdol is the 
 same with Raamses, and then Pit- 
 hom (if Damietta) would be at the 
 northern extremity of the eastern 
 frontier of Egypt, and Raamses 
 at the southern extremity. They 
 were built for the supply and de- 
 fence of Egypt against the inva- 
 sions of the Canaanites. Hengsten- 
 berg thinks that Raamses was not 
 near Heliopolis, but that it is on the 
 site of Aboo-Keisheid, which is on 
 the Canal about 13 French leagues 
 from the Red Sea. (Egypt and Mo- 
 ses). And this is the more probable 
 opinion, and that Pithom is the 
 
 same as the Patumos of Herodotus 
 near Bubastis on the Canal connect- 
 ing the Nile with the Red Sea. The 
 scholars who accompanied the 
 French Expedition placed Pithom 
 on the site of the present village of 
 Abasseh, at the entrance of the 
 Wady Sumilat, where there was at 
 all times a strong military post. 
 " Raamses then lay N. W. of the 
 Bitter Lakes, and Pithom a few 
 miles farther west, both in the land 
 of Goshen, or of Raamses." So 
 Speakers' Com. says, " Both cities 
 were on the Canal which had been 
 dug or enlarged long before under 
 Osortasen of the 12th dynasty. Pi- 
 thom means ' House, or Temple of 
 Thum (or Turn) the Sun-God of He- 
 liopolis." p. 251. 
 
 12. But — The signal failure of 
 this scheme is here noted. Lit. — As 
 they afflicted them, so they multiplied. 
 In very proportion to the oppres- 
 sion was their multiplication. This 
 seemed only to advance those whom 
 they sought to check and control. 
 This was vexatious to the Egyptian 
 authorities. And they icere grieved 
 — dismayed — alarmed, because of 
 the children of Israel. There was 
 something in all this, which gave 
 evidence of a higher power work- 
 ing in their behalf. 
 
 13, 14. Instead of ceasing their 
 oppressions, they were goaded on by 
 a relentless passion to press these 
 measures to the full. And they 
 made the children of Israel to serve 
 with rigor — lit. — with crushing se- 
 verity — And they embittered their 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 31 
 
 lives with hard servitude. Their very 
 chagrin at ill-success made them 
 more severe. And this was only the 
 means by which the people were to 
 be driven to revolt. w ~ In mortar, 
 in brick, etc. The remains of brick 
 structures in Egypt have silenced 
 the cavil against this record ; and 
 they who have alleged that brick- 
 making was not practised in Egypt 
 have been met by the ample proof 
 of this history. In 1851, I visited 
 the Pyramids at Sakhara, which are 
 of brick. And specimens of pottery 
 (of mortar — potter's clay) I saw and 
 handled — especially the earthen jars 
 in which the Em — the sacred bird of 
 the Egyptians — is sealed up and de- 
 posited in the tombs. Piles of these 
 by the thousand unbroken — and 
 heaps of the broken jars lie at the 
 entrance of these tombs — show, 
 at least, how extensively this earth- 
 en ware was manufactured, as is 
 here indicated. In a painting found 
 in the tomb of Roschere at Thebes, 
 foreigners are represented engaged 
 at this servile work in mortar and 
 brick ; some busy upon the clay 
 and some upon the finished brick. 
 Moseliini says of the figures : " Some 
 laborers are employed in transport- 
 ing the clay, and some in intermin- 
 gling it with straw — others in taking 
 the bricks out of the form and plac- 
 ing them in rows. Still others with 
 a piece of wood upon their backs, 
 and ropes on each side, carrying 
 away the bricks already burned or 
 dried." Native overseers (taskmas- 
 ters) are standing beside them with 
 sticks uplifted in hand. Professor 
 Onger, of Vienna, has examined the 
 bricks of the pyramid at Dashour, 
 and he has found chopped straw in 
 the texture of the bricks. Herodo- 
 tus also mentions such a mode of 
 brick-making with straw. Wilkin- 
 son says : " Brick-making was fol- 
 lowed by only the meanest in the 
 community, who had not even the 
 satisfaction of working for them- 
 selves, for it was a government mo- 
 nopoly, and the pay for a tale of 
 them was a small remuneration for 
 
 this laborious drudgery in mud. 
 They had the recommendation of 
 cheapness, and also of durability, in 
 that dry climate ; and those made 
 3,000 years ago, whether with or 
 without straw, are even now as firm 
 and fit for use as in the reigns of 
 the Amunophs and Thotmes, whose 
 names they bear. When made of 
 the Nile mud, or of alluvial deposit, 
 they required straw to prevent their 
 cracking. Slaves and captives were 
 set at this work. The Jews were 
 employed in erecting granaries, trea- 
 sure cities, and many public monu- 
 ments for the Egyptian monarch. 
 To meet with Hebrews in the sculp- 
 tures cannot reasonably be expect- 
 ed (he says), since the remains of 
 that part of Egypt where they lived 
 have not been preserved. But it is 
 curious to observe other foreign 
 captives occupied in like manner, 
 and overseen by similar taskmasters, 
 and performing the same labors, as 
 the Israelites described in the Bible ; 
 and no one can look at the paint- 
 ings of Thebes, representing brick- 
 makers, without feelings of the 
 highest interest." Vol. II., Chap, 
 viii., pp. 195-6-7. " There is no in- 
 timation that the Israelites were 
 employed in building pyramids, 
 which were erected by kings of 
 Lower Egypt, with few exceptions, 
 long before this period." Sp. Com. 
 Their features mark them as He- 
 brews. Such historians as Heeren 
 admit the striking confirmation of 
 this history here found, " proving 
 the great antiquity of the Mosaic 
 writings, and especially of this Book 
 of Exodus." 
 
 14. Service in the field. — This was 
 especially in irrigation — digging 
 canals in all directions, and drawing 
 and carrying the water, besides 
 planting, ploughing, etc. We have 
 seen this work extensively going 
 on there. Hengstenberg remarks : 
 "There is scarcely a country in winch 
 the cultivation of the land requires so 
 much peculiarly servile labor as in 
 Egypt. Irrigation especially is there 
 very laborious." — Egypt, etc., p. 86. 
 
32 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew mid wives ; 
 of which the name of the one icas Shiphrah, and the name of 
 the other Puah ; 
 
 16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the 
 Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools, if it be a son, 
 then ye shall kill him : but if it be a daughter, then she shall 
 live. 
 
 17 But the midwives feared m God, and did not as the king 
 of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men-children alive. 
 
 18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and 
 said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved 
 the men-children alive ? 
 
 19 And the midwives said unto n Pharaoh, Because the 
 Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women ; for they are 
 lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. 
 
 ni Ne. 5: 15. n Jos. 2: 4. 
 
 With rigor. — Every service was 
 exacted with rigor, forcibly, and 
 -with severity. 
 
 Lessons. — The kingdom of dark- 
 ness arrays itself against the king- 
 dom of light. We see the early 
 and violent opposition of the world 
 to the Church. The wicked have 
 often oppressed the good. The in- 
 crease and prosperity of God's peo- 
 ple often stir up relentless persecu- 
 tion. The presence of the good is 
 an offence to the profligate wicked. 
 God is on the side of His people. 
 Powers of the world and gates of 
 hell cannot prevail against the 
 Church. 
 
 § 3. The Male Children Doom- 
 ed to Death. Ch. 1 : 15-22. 
 
 15. The monarch, failing in his 
 policy of oppression to check the 
 growth of the people, resorts to an- 
 other and still more infamous plan 
 — to command the nurses to destroy 
 the male children at their birth, 
 sparing only the female babes alive. 
 The midwives were those who assist- 
 ed, as a sort of female physicians, 
 at the birth of a child. The plan 
 was to have them take their oppor- 
 tunity in the time of delivery to kill 
 the child, as could easily be done by 
 
 suffocation or strangling. Upon the 
 stools. (Lit.) Upon the pair oj 
 stones. This was, perhaps, an ar- 
 rangement of some stone table (two 
 leaved) for receiving the new-born 
 child — or perhaps of a stone seat or 
 a trough for washing the child. 
 When ye see them (the babes, not 
 the mothers), etc., in such condi- 
 tion, at the very delivery, as to al- 
 low of this act of violence without 
 arresting attention. It was the 
 males whom the king dreaded as 
 allies of the enemy. The word 
 midwives in Hebrew means those 
 bringing forth, or giving delivery. 
 
 17. The obstacle in the way of 
 this infamous plan was, that the 
 midwives, being Hebrews, feared 
 God — (Elohim, the Creator, and the 
 true God of the Hebrews) — and such 
 reverential fear led them to disobey 
 the king's command. " So did not 
 I, because of the fear of God." 
 (Neh. 5 : 15.) So sound a principle 
 is worthy of universal adoption. 
 No matter who commands us to do 
 evil, we must obey God rather than 
 men. (Acts 5 : 29.) A true piety 
 will so affect our conduct as to make 
 us shun iniquity at whatever cost. 
 
 18, 19. The king found that his 
 command was not executed, and he 
 sent for the midwives to ascertain 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 33 
 
 20 Therefore God dealt well ° with the midwives : and the 
 people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. 
 
 21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, 
 that he p made them houses. 
 
 22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son 
 that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter 
 ye shall save alive. 
 
 Pr. li: 18; Ec. 
 
 12; Is. 3: 10; He. 6: 10. p ISa. 2: 35; 2Sa. 7: 11; IKi. 2: 24; Ps. 127 :1. 
 
 the reason. They replied that the 
 Hebrew women were unlike the 
 Egyptians, and gave birth so readily 
 as not to require the service of the 
 midwives. It is very probable that 
 this was more especially the case 
 at this time, in the providence of 
 God, for this very baffling of the 
 monarch's plan. We cannot think 
 the reply a mere pretext, or that it 
 would have been justifiable to so 
 deceive. Besides the women would 
 delay to send for the midwives, or 
 decline to do it altogether, so soon 
 as they knew of Pharaoh's order, 
 so that the birth would take place 
 before their arrival. ®f Lively—full 
 of life — strong, vigorous. This is 
 characteristic of the Orientals. 
 
 20. God did good to the mid- 
 wives — prospered and rewarded them 
 for their fidelity against the king's 
 command, and the result was the 
 great increase of the people and 
 their growing power. 
 
 21. The fidelity and. piety of the 
 midwives led to the signal building 
 up of the people, and of themselves 
 specially — though the pronoun here 
 is in the masculine — he made them 
 houses. It is, therefore, to the honor 
 of the midwives, and their firm and 
 pious principle, that the building 
 up of the Hebrew households went 
 forward. This is the specific form, 
 so important for the history, in 
 which God signalized His favor — as 
 the God of the households of His 
 people. 2 Sam. 7:11. 
 
 22. The king, even more incensed 
 at being thus baffled, made a still 
 more desperate resort. He com- 
 manded all his people to cast into 
 the river (Nile) every Hebrew son 
 
 that was new-born. This command 
 may have been specially given to 
 certain officers, but it was also pub- 
 lished in that district. They were 
 already so strong and numeTous as 
 to make the king anxious thus to 
 check and curb them, so as to pre- 
 vent their rebellion and removal, or 
 their alliance with his enemies. He 
 valued them as slaves, but he feared 
 lest they might become masters. 
 And so the king issued his cruel 
 edict, which, to the Old Testament 
 Church in its infancy, was like that 
 of Herod against the New Testa- 
 ment Church in its beginning.for the 
 slaughter of the Bethlehem babes. 
 
 Lessons. — No device formed 
 against the people of God shall per- 
 manently prosper, (b.) " Wrath 
 is cruel and anger is outrageous, 
 (a torrent) but who is able to stand 
 before envy ? " {Prov. 27 : 4.) (c.) A 
 pious woman may defeat a power- 
 ful king by faith and faithfulness. 
 (d.) God will bless those who fear 
 and. serve Him ; will protect the 
 weak in dangers, and will prosper 
 the nation by their means, (e.) 
 " Evil men and seducers shall wax 
 worse and worse." (/.) Affliction 
 becomes, under God, a means of 
 growth and strength, (g.) Trust in 
 our covenant God is rewarded with 
 deliverance. " None of them that 
 trust in Him shall be desolate." 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 § 4. Birth of Moses. Ch. 2 : 1- 
 10. 
 
 While God was developing the 
 strength of the people by affliction, 
 
34 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 AND there went a man a of the house of Levi, and took to 
 wife a daughter of Levi. 
 
 2 And the woman conceived and bare a son ; and when she 
 saw him that he icas a goodly child, she hid him b three months. 
 
 3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him 
 an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, 
 and put the child therein ; and she laid it in the flags by the 
 river's brink. 
 
 ach. 
 
 •20. 
 
 b Ac. 7: 20; He. 11: 23. 
 
 He was, at the same time, preparing 
 out of the affliction, to bring forth 
 a Deliverer. While Pharaoh was 
 seeking to cripple and check them, 
 God was working to baffle Pharaoh, 
 and to free them from his oppression, 
 and this in the most unexpected 
 manner. God also makes the wick- 
 ed court of Pharaoh to aid indirectly 
 in the preparation of Moses for the 
 work of deliverance. Bunsen says, 
 that " History herself was born on 
 that night when Moses led forth 
 his countrymen from the land of 
 Goshen." Strabo gives a faithful 
 outline of the Mission of Moses, in 
 very brief terms, xvi : 760. So He- 
 cate us and Diodorus Siculus. 
 
 1-4. The parentage of Moses 
 is here given to show his purely 
 Hebraic origin — of a Levitical fam- 
 ily. Aaron and Miriam had already 
 been born before Moses. Aaron 
 was about 3 years old at Moses' 
 birth, and as we do not read of his 
 encountering any peril, we infer 
 that the bloody edict was issued 
 very shortly before Moses' birth. 
 Murphy solves the chronological 
 difficulty thus ; Le ,r i was 44 years 
 old when he came down to Egypt, 
 Jochebed was born to him say at 
 100, or 66 years after the immigra- 
 tion. Amram perhaps a little ear- 
 lier. For his father, Kohath, (Exod. 
 6: 18,) may have been 20 when he 
 came to Egypt, and hence 86 when 
 Jochebed was born. Probably 
 about 50 years after that, the nephew 
 and aunt were married. There was, 
 
 as yet, no law against such mar- 
 riages. About 14 years after their 
 marriage Moses was born, and he 
 was 80 years old at the Exodus. 
 These numbers (66 + 50 + 14 + 80 
 = 210.) make the period of the so- 
 journ in Egypt, (p. 18.) 
 
 2. A goodly (Heb. good.) So Gen. 
 6 : 2. Sept. aareioq. Stephen has 
 it aoTetog to deco, fair (or beautiful) 
 to God, or before God — a phrase for 
 exceeding fair — divinely beautiful 
 —Acts 7 : 20. Heb. 11 : 23, There 
 was probably a charm about his fea- 
 tures which excited high hopes of 
 the child from the beginning. Be- 
 litzsch says, that the very beauty of 
 the child was to her a peculiar to- 
 ken of Divine approval, and a sign 
 that God had some special design 
 concerning him, Heb. 11 : 23. % She 
 hid Jiim. This was her instinctive 
 impulse — to conceal the child from 
 the oppressor. She succeeded in 
 this for the space of three months. 
 This is here attributed to the moth- 
 er, but was the work of both pa- 
 rents " because they saw that he 
 was a proper child "—(or beautiful) 
 Heb. 11 : 23. This act is ascribed 
 to faith, and it was faith in God's 
 covenant promise. 
 
 3. An end was put to this suc- 
 cessful concealment, probably by 
 the vigilant search of the officers ; 
 and w/ten she could not longer hide 
 him, she took for him an ark (chest) 
 of bulrushes. It was a small box, or 
 basket, made of the papyrus, or 
 reed, which grew on the banks of 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 35 
 
 4 And his sister stood afar off to wit what would be done 
 to him. 
 
 5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash her- 
 self 'at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river 
 side, and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her 
 maid to fetch it. 
 
 6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child : and be- 
 hold, the babe wept. And she had compassion c on him, and 
 said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. 
 
 c Ps. 106: 43. 
 
 the Nile, to the height of ten feet, 
 thick and strong. It was applied 
 to various uses, chiefly of paper and 
 boats. It is scarcely to be found, at 
 this day. The word for ' ark ' is the 
 same as in Gen. 6 : 14. And here 
 again, it is an ark of salvation. The 
 mention of this article of bulrushes, 
 is an evidence of the truth of the 
 history. For in Egypt alone was it 
 used in such manufacture. Daubed 
 it, smeared it with asphaltum, or 
 elime, the bitumen such as that of 
 the Dead Sea — or perhaps, the mud 
 of the Nile, which becomes hard 
 and tough. This was used to ce- 
 ment it and fasten the reeds togeth- 
 er compactly and fill up the crevices. 
 The pitch was used to make it wa- 
 ter-tight. The ark of Noah was also 
 coated with pitch. She put the child 
 therein, and she laid (it) in the flags 
 (weeds) by the river's brink. This 
 was her desperate resort — as the 
 last and only hope — and yet, as it 
 was done in faith it was owned and 
 blessed of God. The basket was 
 laid not in the water, but among the 
 reeds, " by the side of one of the ca- 
 nals of the Nile, whence it floated 
 down the stream," Stanley. The 
 believing parent was led to place 
 the child just where and how was 
 best calculated to secure the issue. 
 (The spot is marked by tradition as 
 the Isle of Rodah, near old Cairo.) 
 She knew perhaps that the King's 
 daughter was accustomed to bathe 
 there. Accordingly his sister (Miri- 
 am) stationed herself {stood) afar off 
 (out of sight) to witness what loould 
 be done to him. The plan was laid 
 
 with this end in view and in the 
 hope to have the child taken in 
 charge by the King's daughter. 
 It was a true faith that used the 
 means diligently while firmly trust- 
 ing the issue to God. 
 
 5-10. Now occurs the anxiously 
 awaited event, which proved the 
 plan to be a success. The daughter 
 of Pharaoh, came down to the river 
 Nile to bathe. This is the meaning 
 of the word here used, and not to 
 wash clothes, as Adam Clarke sup- 
 poses. We have here some clue to 
 the residence of the Pharaohs and of 
 Moses' family. The place must 
 have been near the Nile — but not 
 where crocodiles were found. 
 Hence not at On, or Heliopolis, 
 which is too far off, and not near 
 Memphis, but — according to the tra- 
 ditions recorded by Eutychius — at 
 the ancient Avaris — which name is 
 traced to the name for Hebrew — 
 avar — and which is the same with 
 TiOan, on the Tanitic branch of the 
 river near the sea, where crocodiles 
 are never found, and which was 
 probably the western boundary of 
 the district occupied by the Israel- 
 ites. The field o f Zoan is the place 
 associated by the Hebrews with the 
 wonders which preceded the Exo- 
 dus. Ps. 78 : 43." Quatremeres. 
 The Nile was regarded as sacred, 
 and this female bathing in the river 
 was the custom as appears from 
 pictures on the monuments. Wilkin- 
 son III. p. 389. Ladies of high rank 
 with their female attendants are rep- 
 resented as bathing in the sacred 
 river, and it was regarded as an act 
 
36 EXODUS. 
 
 7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and 
 call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse 
 the child for thee? 
 
 8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid 
 went and called the child's mother. 
 
 9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child 
 away and nurse it for me, d and I will give thee thy wages, and 
 the woman took the child, and nursed it. 
 
 d Ps 27: 10. 
 
 of special sanctity and a religious 
 solemnity ; — sometimes an introduc- 
 tion of a sacred festival (as of the 
 new moon). It was also supposed 
 to impart health and vigor and to 
 prolong life. This daughter's name 
 (according to Josephus) was Ther- 
 tnutis. If Sesostris Rameses II) 
 was the new king his daughter was 
 Thuoris, " Thermutis was married 
 to the infant heir of the throne of 
 Lower Egypt, and thus became vir- 
 tually regent over the Delta. She 
 adopted a son in lack of any of her 
 own. (Israel in Egypt, p. 285). Her 
 maidens walked along (as attendants) 
 upon the river bank awaiting her 
 orders. And she saw the ark (box) 
 in the midst of the weeds (or flags) 
 and she sent her body servant (the 
 word is different from the previous 
 and means her special attendant) 
 and took it up. 
 
 6. And she opened (it) - (uncov- 
 ered the box) and saw him, the child, 
 — and lo ! a male child, weeping. 
 She discovered it to be the child, 
 and lo, a boy weeping ! This vivid- 
 ly describes the scene in briefest 
 terms. She saw that it was a He- 
 brew babe by the mark of circum- 
 cision, and she was sparing of it — 
 carefully treated it — cared for it — 
 and said of the children of the He- 
 brews is this." " No tale of romance 
 ever described a plot more skilfully 
 laid or more full of interest in the de- 
 velopment." " She is aware of the 
 royal edict, and comprehends the 
 whole affair at a glance," Murphy. 
 We may suppose the scheme to have 
 been due to a Divine suggestion, as 
 
 the success was due to divine Provi- 
 dence, and the actuating principle 
 was faith — the faith in the Divine 
 Promise. Heb. 11 : 23. 
 
 7. Then, upon hearing the ex- 
 clamation of the King's daughter — 
 his sister said unto her, Shall I go 
 etc. A most natural and timely 
 suggestion, to procure a nurse from 
 the Hebrew women for this Hebrew 
 child. The suggestion was ap- 
 proved. She said go! And the 
 maid went and called the child's 
 mother. This plan seems, at least, 
 worthy of a Divine origin. The 
 babe is thus restored to its natural 
 nourisher and protector. And the 
 glad mother rejoices in the welcome 
 task. And God's purpose is accom- 
 plished by these various and com- 
 plicated agencies ; weaving the net- 
 work of His eternal counsels by so 
 many threads and bringing out so 
 beauteous a picture. Murphy sup- 
 poses that the sister Miriam was 
 about 13 years old at this time. 
 
 9. Pharaoh's daughter, at once, 
 engages this Hebrew woman to 
 nurse the child, not knowing, how- 
 ever, of the relation between them, 
 — Take this child away and nurse it 
 for me, and I will give thee thy wages. 
 The glad mother is only too happy 
 to do this, and her wages already 
 will be found in the welcome ma- 
 ternal service. The dear doomed 
 boy is in her arms again — rescued 
 from a watery grave. " A literary 
 education was the prime condition 
 for admission to the public service," 
 Sp. Com. 
 
 10. The woman was the best 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 37 
 
 10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pha- 
 raoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his 
 name Moses ; and she said, Because I drew him out of the 
 water. 
 
 nurse that could have been found — 
 and no wonder that the child grew — 
 and she brought him, in course of 
 time, unto Pharaoh's daughter. The 
 verb is used in Gen. 21 : 8, of being 
 weaned. But it would seem that he 
 was early trained in the divine relig- 
 ion, and was old enough to receive 
 such impressions as were never lost 
 in all his Egyptian living. And he 
 became her son, was adopted by the 
 King's daughter. The mother, 
 doubtless, brought him to her with 
 a lawful pride, and with faith also 
 in his high calling — though, she 
 must have grieved to let him go 
 from her side to become an heir of 
 the heathen court. And she called 
 his name Moses, etc. The Hebrew 
 word bears this meaning from the 
 verb to draw out. Gesenius says it 
 means drawing out, not drawn out. 
 Sp. Com. says the exact meaning 
 is " Son " but the verbal root 
 means ' draw forth.' He was named 
 by his mother at his circumcision, 
 but by what name is not stated. 
 Tradition has it Joachim. This 
 name — Moses — would naturally be 
 Egyptian, and the reason for giving 
 this name is stated, because 1 drew 
 him out of the icater. Josephus 
 states that the word for drawn out 
 of the water is Mouses, in Egyptian 
 they call water Mo ; and one drawn 
 out Uses. And so the Coptic, 
 where Oushe means to save. The 
 Sept. has it Mouses. But the He- 
 brews lived so long in Egypt, that 
 there would be some mingling of 
 terms ; and the languages are cog- 
 nate, and would easily have the 
 same root in both Heb. and Egyp- 
 tian. Some think that a Hebrew 
 name was designedly given to the 
 child. Hartz says in the transfor- 
 mation of the name from Egyptian 
 Mouje to the Heb. Moshe, " there 
 was an unintentional prophecy ; for 
 the person drawn, out did become, 
 
 in fact, tlie drawer out " — that is 
 the deliverer of his people, or " The 
 Israelites afterwards formed out of 
 the Egyptian word the name Mo- 
 scheh which signifies a leader out." 
 Von Oerlach. He was educated in 
 all the wisdom of the Egyptians 
 (Acts 7 : 22) and so " the wisdom of 
 Egypt was employed by the wisdom 
 of God for the establishment of the 
 kingdom of God," Del. Brugsch 
 (hist. d'Egypte) renders the name 
 Mes, or Messon "child " as borne by 
 one of the Princes of Ethiopia un- 
 der Rameses II, as also in the names 
 Amosis and Thuth mosis. — Stanley. 
 
 At a recent convention of Phil- 
 ologists at Wurzburg, Dr. Lanth, 
 of Munich, read a paper upon 
 some discoveries which he had 
 made in translating Egyptian papy- 
 rus rolls — an account of a personage 
 whom he believed to be Moses. He 
 finds, for instance, that the writer, 
 Hui, accuses a person of some con- 
 sequence, whose name is Mesu, of 
 haviDg taken a sea-bath, eaten fish, 
 and done other acts forbidden to the 
 priesthood. It is further related 
 that Mesu had made a secret journey 
 to Syria ; that he had studied in 
 On (Heliopolis), and had commanded 
 five thousand men during a miltary 
 campaign ; but that he was too 
 much given to say new things upon 
 religious matters. He is described as 
 handsome, and of irascible temper- 
 ament. In addition to his name of 
 Mesu, which means " child," he has 
 another which may be translated 
 " basket of rushes." The date of the 
 report is the fifty-second year of Ra- 
 meses, corresponding to 1525 b. c. 
 
 § 5. Moses' Patriotism and 
 His Flight. Ch. 2 : 11-25. 
 
 11. In those days, etc. The his- 
 torian passes at once to a great crisis 
 
cs 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was 
 grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their 
 burdens : e and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one 
 of his brethren. 
 
 12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw 
 that there teas no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in 
 the sand. 
 
 ech.1: 11; Ac. 7: 23-24; He. 11: 24-26. 
 
 in the life of Moses, when his love 
 of country and people broke out. 
 An interval is here passed over 
 which is filled up by the narrative 
 of Stephen (Acts 7.). More than 
 forty years had elapsed, and he was 
 grown. The Sept has it — In those 
 many days — Heb. And Moses grew 
 (to maturity). Stephen says, " He 
 was mighty both in word and deed." 
 He was moved — as probably for 
 many years past — to go out unto his 
 brethren and look on their burdens. 
 His maturity and position at Court 
 were such, now, as to make this a 
 most natural and most important 
 step. And it was the free prompt- 
 ing of his patriotism which he 
 drew in with his mother's milk, and 
 of the strong faith by which he was 
 moved to great thoughts and deeds. 
 (Heb. 11: 24-26.). He would also 
 be drawn toward his oppressed 
 brethren, hearing of their burdens, 
 and would be prompted to examine 
 into their case and commiserate it. 
 It so occurred, in the Providence of 
 God, that he was witness to a per- 
 sonal conflict which represented the 
 whole matter. He spied an Egyp- 
 tian smiting an Hebrew. It was an 
 Egyptian taskmaster scourging one 
 of his Hebrew brethren without just 
 cause, and so cruelly that he seems 
 to have died under the treatment 
 (Acts 7 : 24.). It may indeed have 
 been a private individual undertak- 
 ing arrogantly to chastise (bastinado) 
 a Hebrew, as they felt bold to do 
 after Pharaoh's oppressive com- 
 mands. At any rate Moses felt 
 called upon to. interfere in the 
 defence of his brother. (1.) This 
 was the well-established usage 
 
 among the people of his time. 
 Avenging the blood of nearest 
 of kin and so, of one's own people 
 or tribe, against one of another 
 tribe, was held to be a sacred duty. 
 (2.) He was conscious of acting 
 under a prospective commission as 
 Deliverer of his people. This we 
 learn from Stephen's narrative (Acts 
 7 : 23-25.). " For he supposed his 
 brethren would have understood 
 how that God, by his hand, would 
 deliver them." He was not " im- 
 pelled by a carnal ambition " — but 
 lie had high aims, full of patriotic 
 ardor, and in the impulse of a lofty 
 faith. Stephen cites the fact not to 
 condemn Moses, but to condemn the 
 Jews who understood not Moses' ac- 
 tion and relation as coming Deliv- 
 erer (Acts 7 : 25, 26.). He is there- 
 fore not to be judged as an assassin, 
 as though this had been done in our 
 time, or without strong extenuation, 
 and something of a Divine call. 
 Augustin says, that " the Egyptian 
 though criminal and the offender in 
 the case, ought not to have been 
 slain by Moses without lawful au- 
 thority." Yet it was the Spirit of 
 the Coming Deliverer rising within 
 him, and only needing the formal 
 Commission to go forth to his work. 
 Moses was a high personage at 
 Court, and may have claimed au- 
 thority to interfere in a case of 
 grievous oppression and wrong. 
 But his patriotic ardor and warm 
 fraternal sympathy " were precip- 
 itated into action " by a flagrant 
 case before his eyes, suddenly 
 sprung upon him. We cannot know 
 all the palliating facts. But Ste- 
 phen refers to the act without con- 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 39 
 
 13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men 
 of the Hebrews strove together ; and he said unto him that did 
 the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow ? 
 
 14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over 
 us ? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian ? 
 And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. 
 
 15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay 
 Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt 
 in the land of Midian : and he sat down by a well. 
 
 demnation of it, and rather ranking 
 it as an act of faith, in the Divine 
 Promise of Deliverance to the cove- 
 nant people. This act is compared 
 by some with that of Peter, whose 
 hot impulse drew his sword upon a 
 servant of the High Priest, in de- 
 fence of Jesus, but was rebuked 
 by the Master. Diodorus Siculus 
 quotes an Egyptian law which made 
 it a capital crime not to interfere 
 for rescue in case of assault, or not 
 to apprehend the murderer. The 
 Law provided (afterward) the Cities 
 of Refuge for cases of manslaughter 
 (Lev. 35 : 9.). The person slain, in 
 this case, being probably a govern- 
 ment officer, Moses was liable to 
 punishment. Biod. Sic. He sought 
 to escape detection by concealing 
 the corpse. Some have objected 
 that there was not sand enough in 
 this quarter to bury a body. But 
 we took a carriage and two horses 
 to drive out from Cairo to Heliopo- 
 lis — a few miles — and we found the 
 sand so deep that we were forced to 
 leave the carriage on the road, and 
 mount the horses. Besides at Mem- 
 phis, near by, we saw an immense 
 Sphinx, almost entirely buried in 
 the sand. We found the French 
 Engineers excavating some 40 feet 
 in the sand, to discover the lost Tem- 
 ple of the Serapion, in that vicinity 
 — the loose sand being carried on 
 their heads in baskets by a train of 
 little girls, and emptied at the brink 
 of the excavation. He looked this 
 way and that way, perhaps to see if 
 any one would come to his help, or, 
 taking every precaution against de- 
 tection. If he was acting in mere 
 
 anger, this would have shown the 
 foul spirit of an assassin. But he 
 was a meek man and a man of faith. 
 Mohammed, in the Koran, follows 
 a Jewish tradition that Moses re- 
 pented of this wrong and was for- 
 given. 
 
 13, 14. TJie second day, etc. Mo- 
 ses was fairly committed now to 
 this great undertaking. His soul 
 was fired with this passion for his 
 people's deliverance in which he 
 was to find his life work. Two He- 
 brews were now seen by him in a 
 personal conflict — He interfered by 
 a fair and firm expostulation with 
 the wrong-doer. But he was an- 
 swered sharply and in a way to 
 show that this Hebrew had no idea 
 of him as their future Deliverer, but 
 was rather prejudiced against him. 
 Besides, his bloody interference on 
 the previous day was thrown in his 
 teeth by this enraged Hebrew : 
 showing that the people were not 
 ready for the idea of deliverance. 
 The reply of the wrong-doer to Mo- 
 ses betrays a violent spirit — Who 
 made thee or (Heb) Who put thee for 
 a man, a prince and a judge over us ? 
 Prince implies the power, and 
 Judge, the right of judging. Mo- 
 ses saw, by his further questions, 
 that his deed of yesterday was 
 known, and he was alarmed for his 
 life. The Hebrews themselves, had 
 now betrayed him. Still he had faith 
 in their covenant relations to God. 
 Tf Thy fellow, more exactly, thy 
 neighbor. " The reproof was that 
 of a legislator who established mor- 
 al obligation on a recognized princi- 
 ple," tip. Com. 
 
40 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters : and 
 they came and f drew icater, and filled the troughs to water 
 their father's flock. 
 
 17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but 
 Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. 
 
 18 And when they came to Reuel their father, lie said, How 
 is it that ye are come so soon to-day ? 
 
 19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the 
 hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and 
 watered the flock. 
 
 20 And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? Why 
 is it that ye have left the man ? call him that he may s eat 
 bread. 
 
 f Ge. 24: 11; 29: 10; ISa. 9: 11. g Ge. 31: 54. 
 
 15. Pharaoh, on hearing of Mo- 
 ses' bloody deed, sought to slay him, 
 Accordingly he fled for his life. He 
 had cut loose from the Court, and 
 had been rejected and betrayed by 
 his own people, and what can he do ? 
 He found his way to Midian. It 
 was on the W. shore of the Elanitic 
 Gulf of the Red Sea, and was the 
 land of Moses' kindred — as Midian 
 was the son of Abraham (Gen. 25 : 
 2-4.). Midian lay S. W. of Moab, 
 and extended far across the Penin- 
 sula of Sinai. He sat down — lonely 
 and disheartened — by the well — the 
 well-known resort of travellers, as 
 well as natives. 
 
 16-20. This was a pastoral coun- 
 try — flocks were kept — and, as in 
 Syria, the females were wont to 
 take them out to water, Gen. 29 : 6. 
 The Priest of Midian. He seems 
 to have been the religious head of 
 the tribe, or branch of the Midian- 
 ites there located. In v. 18 he is 
 called Beuel (Eaguel), Num. 10 : 29, 
 but in ch. 3 : 1 the priest is called 
 Jethro. Delitzsch thinks it the same 
 person, as seems plain from Num. 
 10 : 29. He may have been also an 
 Elder in the civil government, com- 
 bining the two functions in one, 
 as the word means both prince and 
 priest. He retained the true faith 
 and the worship of God. Some 
 wrongly suppose that Jethro was 
 the official name. Gerlach suggests 
 
 that Jethro and Hobab were the 
 same person. Sp. Com. supposes 
 Hobab to have been a young broth- 
 er of Jethro, and that Jethro was 
 brother-in-law of Moses. The seven 
 daughters of Jethro, or Reuel, were 
 tending the flock, and bringing them 
 to water. And the shepherds came 
 and drove them away. This was a 
 grievance to which the female shep- 
 herds were liable — the stronger par- 
 ty driving away the weaker. Moses 
 interfered, on their behalf, against 
 the shepherds, and watered their 
 flocks. They returned to their fa- 
 ther, and explained to him their 
 early arrival by reporting this ser- 
 vice rendered them by Moses, in 
 their need. They called him an 
 Egyptian, because he probably wore 
 their dress, and spoke their tongue, 
 or dialect. Moses seems to have 
 had a strong passion for delivering 
 the oppressed, though he was the 
 meekest man. The father naturally 
 inquired after this benefactor of his 
 helpless and exposed daughters, and 
 is eager to show him favor in return. 
 He complains of them for having 
 left their helper behind. But they 
 may have been restrained by a natu- 
 ral and becoming modesty from in- 
 viting him to their home. Call him 
 that he may eat bread. He will have 
 them invite him to take a meal, and 
 be provided for. So Jacob was the 
 gainer by a like service. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 41 
 
 21 And Moses was content h to dwell with the man ; and 
 he gave Moses i Zipporah his daughter. 
 
 22 And she bare him a son, and he called his name Ger- 
 shora ; for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land. 
 
 23 And it came to pass, in process of time, that the king of 
 Egypt died j» and the children of Israel k sighed by reason of 
 the bondage, and they cried ; and their cry came up unto God, * 
 by reason of the bondage. 
 
 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his 
 covenant m with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 
 
 25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God 
 had respect unto them. 
 
 h Ph. 4" 11. i ch. 18: 2. k Nu. 20: 16; De. 26: 7; Ps. 12: 5. 1 Ge. 18: 20; ch.3: 9; 
 22: 23-27; De. 24: 15; Is. 5: 7. m Ge. 15: 14; 46: 4; Lu. 1: 72-74. 
 
 21. Moses was so well treated as 
 to be satisfied to abide with Reuel. 
 Was content — was willing, or pleas- 
 ed, to dwell with the man. And he 
 gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter. 
 The name means birdie — a littlebird. 
 He probably acquired her by service 
 as Jacob gained Rachel and Leah. 
 
 22. Gershom, one of Moses's sons 
 by this Zipporah, means banish- 
 ment, or a sir anger there. This ex- 
 pressed his fixed feeling of exile, 
 for he said, " i have been a stranger 
 in a stra,nge land." 
 
 23-25. The condition of the peo- 
 ple immediately prior to the deliver- 
 ance is here recorded. In process 
 of time (Heb.). A nd it came to pass 
 (in) after those many days. The in- 
 terval is the forty years' period of 
 Moses' residence in Midian ; in the 
 course of which time the king died. 
 This may have occurred soon after 
 Moses left the country, but his pol- 
 icy of oppression was sharply fol- 
 lowed up by his successors ; and 
 as their bondage began before 
 Moses' birth, so it lasted during 
 more than eighty years. They 
 sighed and cried by reason of the 
 bondage, or hard slave-labor. This 
 king who died was the same proba- 
 bly as in verse 15 ; but whether the 
 same with the new king (Ch. 1 : 8) 
 or not, does not appear ; but it was 
 most likely a successor. The Israel- 
 ites may have hoped for some relief 
 
 in the change of kings, and when 
 disappointed in this they cried in 
 despair of such help, and their cry 
 came up unto God, Deut. 26 : 7. It is 
 thought that when Moses declined 
 the honors of the court, the king's 
 daughter (Thuoris) having come to 
 the throne, withdrew in disappoint- 
 ment to Upper Egypt, and reigned 
 as guardian of her infant nephew 
 Sethos, whom she now made her 
 heir. Seven years afterwards she 
 died, and Sethos took the throne of 
 Upper Egypt, and on the death of 
 Si-phtha several years later (v. 23) 
 he succeeded to the sovereignty of 
 Lower Egypt also. He was a 
 shameless tyrant, who increased the 
 burdens of the Hebrews, " their 
 wages being chiefly paid by the bas- 
 tinado." — Grit. Gom. 
 
 25. God heard . . . remembered 
 His covenant. This was a covenant 
 people, and they were beloved for 
 the fathers' sake. Promises made 
 to faithful Abraham were to be ful- 
 filled in them. The Messianic hope 
 was the ever abiding foundation of 
 trust and solace to them in their 
 bondage. Accordingly God looked 
 upon them and had respect unto 
 them. (Heb.) He saw them and 
 knew them — approved them — recog- 
 nized them approvingly. Luther — 
 He accepted them. 
 
 Prayer is mighty. God is al- 
 mighty to save. God never forgets 
 
43 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 IVTOW Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the 
 1\ priest of Midi an ; and he led the flock to the back side of 
 the desert, and came to the mountain of God, a even to Horeb. 
 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame 
 of fire, out of the midst of a bush ; b and he looked, and, behold, 
 the bush burned with fire, and the bush teas not consumed. 
 
 a ch. 18: 5; IKi. 19: 8. b De. 33: 16; Is. 63: 9; Ac. 7: 30. 
 
 His covenant. The prayer that 
 pleads God's covenant finds Him a 
 covenant God. God's covenant is a 
 household covenant, and the baptis- 
 mal sacrament is precious. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 § 6. Call and Commission 
 Moses. Ch. 3 : 1-10. 
 
 of 
 
 The proverb is " When the tale 
 of bricks is doubled then comes Mo- 
 ses." Moses, who had been so mar- 
 vellously preserved and led forward 
 by Providence as a deliverer of his 
 people, now receives a Divine call 
 and commission to this work. He 
 became a shepherd in the employ 
 of his father-in law as Jacob had 
 been under Laban (Gen. 30 : 28), see 
 ch. 2 : 21. Jethro was priest of 
 Midian (ch. 2 : 18 ) and was the 
 same probably as Raguel or Reuel. 
 See Numb. 10 : 29. Moses led {was 
 feeding, or shepherding) the flock to 
 the back-side of the desert — lit. — after 
 the desert or beyond it — (after pass- 
 ing through the desert) — west of the 
 desert. — Gesenius. Tradition points 
 to a valley N. of Jebel Musa as Jeth- 
 ro's Valley — (Wady Shuweib or Sho- 
 aib-Hobab). Jethro's home was 
 east of the wilderness and of Horeb. 
 ' The mountain of God' is the name 
 given to Mt. Horeb, by the historian 
 Moses because it was known by 
 that name at the time of his writing, 
 late in life, and after these events, 
 here recorded. . It may, indeed, have 
 already received this name. It 
 means, dryness, from the barren, 
 
 rocky region where it is — the re- 
 gion of Sinai. Sp. Com. reads, " the 
 mountain of God, towards Horeb." 
 
 2. The Angel of the Lord — an 
 angel of Jehovah — is the covenant 
 angel, see Gen. 16 : 7. God now be- 
 gan to appear, not as heretofore, in 
 human form, to the patriarchs, but in 
 symbols, as here — in a flame of fire, 
 see Ps. 104 : 4. " It was in that won- 
 derful region of the earth where 
 the grandeur of mountains is com- 
 bined, as hardly anywhere else, 
 with the grandeur of the desert" 
 —Stanley. ^ A bush, lit.—The 
 bush, well-known and often spoken 
 of by Moses. " A flame of fire like 
 that which seemed to consume and 
 waste away His people in the fur- 
 nace of affliction, shone forth amidst 
 the dry branches of the thorny tree, 
 and behold ! the bush, the massive 
 thicket, burned with fire and the 
 bush was not consumed." This 
 was the thorn bush, the wild acacia, 
 like that, we suppose, which we 
 have seen growing in the neighbor- 
 hood of the Dead Sea, only of great- 
 er height. The meaning intended 
 was that God's presence in the midst 
 of their fiery afflictions preserved 
 them from being consumed. " He 
 chastens His people by sore judg- 
 ments but does not give them over 
 to death." Others, as Kurtz, think 
 it symbolical of the future history 
 of Israel, in which God, as a holy 
 God, would be consuming to them 
 in their sins, but for a constant mir- 
 acle. JWot consumed, meaning not 
 burned, not at all injured by the 
 fire. Fire had done its utmost upon 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 43 
 
 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great 
 sight, why the bush is not burned. 
 
 4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God 
 called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, c Moses, 
 Moses. And he said, Here am I. 
 
 5 And he said, draw not nigh hither ; put off thy shoes d 
 from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy 
 ground. 
 
 6 Moreover he said, e I am the God of* thy father, the God 
 of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And 
 Moses hid his face ; for he was afraid to look upon God. 
 
 c Ge. 22: 1-11; 46; 
 Matt. 22: 32. 
 
 2. dch. 19: 12; Jos. 5: 15; Ec. 5: 1. e Ge 28: 13; IKi. 18: 
 
 it ; the bush blazed with fire ; was 
 wrapped in flame ; but was not dam- 
 aged by the fire. Delitzsch says, It 
 also served as a prelude to God's 
 manifestation on Sinai for the es- 
 tablishment of the covenant (ch. 19 
 and 20) and therefore was on that 
 spot. 
 
 3. Moses' attention was fixed on 
 this strange sight. It was to him, 
 indeed, " this great sight — why the 
 bush is not burned." What made 
 the sight so great and notable was 
 the mystery why the bush was not 
 consumed — destroyed by the flame. 
 
 4. The Lord Jehovah is here the 
 same as " the Angel of Jehovah," 
 v. 2. " Jehovah " is the name of 
 God used to denote God in redemp- 
 tion ; while Eloliim, rendered "God," 
 is the term to denote God in crea- 
 tion. The divine names are here 
 interchanged with a significance in 
 the mind of the writer. Delitzsch 
 remarks that this precludes the idea 
 of Jehovah being merely a national 
 God. See ch. 6 : 2. 3. God appears 
 here in nature as controlling nature. 
 Law implies a lawgiver, who is 
 higher than the law. 
 
 It was God in nature— the Crea- 
 tor — in the midst of the bush. 
 
 5. This was the direct personal 
 call to Moses, out of the midst of 
 this miraculous manifestation. 
 Moses responded as ready to obey 
 the call. 
 
 5. Draw not nigh, etc. At the 
 
 East, among Mohammedans, no one 
 is allowed to enter a mosque with- 
 out removing his shoes or sandals. 
 In Egypt we found this much in- 
 sisted on — even at the College of the 
 Howling Dervishes at Cairo. We 
 were obliged to put off our boots or 
 shoes at the door of the mosques, 
 but were commonly furnished with 
 straw slippers, to protect the feet 
 from the cold stone pavement. 
 Sometimes it is allowed to slip these 
 over the shoes, but not commonly, 
 as the shoes or sandals in that dry 
 country are supposed to be filthy 
 with dirt. Even in Grecian tern 
 pies the priests and priestesses were 
 barefooted in their services. So the 
 Arabs and Samaritans, and even the 
 Yezidis of Mesopotamia take off 
 their shoes on entering the sacred 
 places. See Delitzsch for citation. 
 This removal of the shoes is a con- 
 fession of personal defilement in the 
 presence of the Holy Being dwell- 
 ing there. The place was made 
 holy by the Divine Presence. 
 
 6. God now announces Himself 
 as the covenant God of his fathers, 
 and thus reminds him of the prom- 
 ises made to the patriarchs, now 
 about to be fulfilled. According to 
 the term fixed (Gen. 15 : 13) [400 
 years], it was now in the last year 
 of the predicted exile and oppres- 
 sion. All this was most deeply im- 
 pressive to Moses, and he hid his 
 face, awe-struck by the presence of 
 
44 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 7 And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my 
 people f which are in Egypt, and have heard their s cry by rea- 
 son of their task-masters ; for I know their sorrows; 
 
 8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of 
 the Egyptians, h and to bring them up out of that land unto a 
 good land i and a large, unto a land k flowing with milk and 
 honey ; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and 
 the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebu- 
 sites. 
 
 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is 
 come unto me : and I have also seen the oppression wherewith 
 the Egyptians oppress them. 
 
 10 Come now, therefore, and I will send * thee unto Pha- 
 raoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people, the children of 
 Israel, out of Egypt. 
 
 f Ne. 9: 9; Ps. 106: 44: Is. 63: 9. g Ex. 22: 23; Ps. 145: 19. h ch. 6: 6-8; 12: 51. 
 i Nu. 23: 19; De. 1: 25. k De. 26: 9; Je. 11: 5; Eze. 20: 6. 1 Ps. 105: 26; Mi. 6: 4- 
 
 God, and afraid to look up. 1 Kings 
 19 : 12 ; Gen. 16 : 13 ; Isa. 6:1, 5 ; 
 Rev. 1 : 16. No man hath seen, nor 
 can see God ; and any visible mani- 
 festation of Himself, as in the^glory 
 of the bush, he was afraid to gaze 
 upon, now that he heard the voice, 
 and knew the fact of the Divine 
 Presence. 
 
 7. I have surely seen. Heb., 
 Seeing 1 have seen. I have closely, 
 carefully noticed and watched. God 
 assures Moses that He has all along 
 attentively considered the case of 
 His people, and has heard their cry 
 under the oppressive task-masters ; 
 and the proof of this is, for 1 know 
 their sorrows, as having taken ex- 
 act account of them. 
 
 8. And this is given'as a reason 
 for the Divine interposition. The 
 case was known to call for such. 
 God has a plan of salvation which 
 includes deliverance from bondage 
 and introduction to the better land, 
 and comprehends all the interven- 
 ing particulars. The Land of Prom- 
 ise is described as superior to Go- 
 shen — a good land and a large — of 
 large extent as compared with Go- 
 shen— -flowing- with milk and honey 
 — abounding in pasturage for milk 
 and in flowers for honey. The 
 
 phrase is a proverbial one for lux- 
 uriant fertility and richness of pro- 
 duce, while these were articles 
 yielded in large abundance by the 
 land of Canaan, ch. 13 : 5 ; 16 : 14. 
 Deut. 8 ; 7-9. Isa. 7 : 15, 22. John 
 the Baptist fed on wild honey. I 
 have seen, at Heliopolis, the great 
 obelisk, covered, towards the sun, 
 with the honey of the bees, and it is 
 common to see this wild honey on 
 rocks and trees. ^[ Unto the place 
 of, etc. Six tribes inhabiting the 
 land, would give some idea of its 
 breadth. See Gen. 10 : 15-18 ; 15 : 
 18, 20. There were in Abraham's 
 time, ten tribes inhabiting the land. 
 The Canaanites sometimes include 
 the whole — though only five were 
 descended from Canaan. These 
 names are in the singular — the Ca~ 
 naanite, etc. 
 
 9, 10. God here repeats the fact 
 which impelled Him to this move- 
 ment of deliverance, and states the 
 plan for sending Moses to Pharaoh, 
 and the object in view. 
 
 § 7. Moses' Objections and God's 
 Answer. Ch. Ill: 11-22. 
 
 11. Moses demurs at this Divine 
 commission, though he had been 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 45 
 
 11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, m that I should 
 go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of 
 Israel, out of Egypt ? 
 
 12 And he said, Certainly I will be with n thee; and this 
 shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee : When thou 
 hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God 
 upon this mountain. 
 
 13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the 
 children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your 
 fathers hath sent me unto you ; and they shall say to me, What 
 is his name ? what shall I say unto them ? 
 
 m Je. 1: 
 
 n Ge. 31: 3; Jos. 1; 5; Ro. 
 
 31. 
 
 so ready to go at his own impulse. 
 He was awed by the Divine Majesty, 
 and could see no reason why he 
 should be chosen by God for such a 
 work. This may have been in part 
 owing to his humble condition as a 
 shepherd in Midian. But wben one 
 sees God, he shrinks at a sense of 
 his own insignificance. Who am If 
 This was most natural, considering 
 that he knew the haughtiness and 
 power of Pharaoh, and besides he 
 knew of his having been sought for 
 his life by the monarch for having 
 interfered on his brethren's behalf, 
 and of his having been rejected by 
 his own people, at his first attempt. 
 Going to Pharaoh and bringing 
 forth the people of Israel frorn his 
 power, would, of course, seem to 
 him a thing impossible. But this 
 was from the human side, and from 
 his own point of view. They who 
 are best fitted for God's work, com- 
 monly have the humblest estimate 
 of themselves and their fitness. 
 
 12. Another aspect is put upon 
 the commission by this pledge of 
 the Divine Presence to accompany 
 him. The same Apostle who said 
 he was not able to think anything 
 as of himself, said, also, " I can do 
 all things through Christ which 
 strengtheneth me," (Phil. 4 : 13). 
 God with us is our surest warrant 
 for all undertakings, and our purest 
 comfort in all affliction. God was 
 ready also to furnish to the timid 
 man a token— for his most ample 
 
 and positive assurance in the event 
 itself — the promised result of his 
 mission — that after he had achieved 
 the deliverance — ye (the Israel) 
 shall serve God upon this mountain. 
 For the present, he had the miracu- 
 lous token in the burning bush — 
 and for the future, he should be 
 sustained and strengthened by the 
 fulfilled prophecy now uttered. So 
 that both by prodigy and by proph- 
 ecy God's hand should be made 
 known. So surely as God appeared 
 to him at Horeb so surely should 
 Israel serve Him there, on their way 
 from Egypt to Canaan. (See ch. 24.) 
 They entered into covenant with 
 God there, and gave proof of their 
 obedience, ch. 36 : 1-7, Numb. 7. 
 
 13. Moses begins to contemplate 
 the work so far as to anticipate the 
 practical difficulties. They would 
 probably ask him for the name of 
 Him who sent him. By this he 
 means, that they would ask, not for 
 His common title, but for His plan 
 of manifestation, or the mode of 
 His action or dispensation towards 
 them. A name is that whereby 
 one makes himself known — and 
 here the question likely to be asked 
 is — How will God display Himself 
 or make Himself known? What 
 does He propose to do ? 
 
 14, 15. I AM that lam— Heb.— 
 I will be what I will be. Sept. — I am 
 He who is — or the Existing One- 
 Essential Being not only, but with 
 reference to further revelation, the 
 
46 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM ; ° and he 
 said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath 
 sent me unto you. 
 
 15 And God said, moreover, unto Moses, Thns shalt thou 
 say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, 
 the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, 
 hath sent me unto you ; this is my name for ever, and this is 
 my memorial p unto all generations. 
 
 16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say un- 
 to them, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, 
 of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely 
 visited <i you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt. 
 
 17 And I have said, I will bring r you up out of the afflic- 
 tion of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hit- 
 tites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites and the Hivites, and 
 the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey: 
 
 18 And they shall hearken to thy voice ; and thou shalt 
 come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt ; 
 and ye shall say unto him, the Lord God of the Hebrews hath 8 
 met with us ; and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' 
 journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord 
 our God. 
 
 och. 6: 3; Jno. 8: 58; He/ 13: 8. p Ps. 102: 12; 135: 13; Ho. 12: 5. q Ge. 50:24: 
 Lu. 1 : 68. r Ge. 15: 13-20; 46: 4. s Nu. 23: 3, etc. 
 
 Supreme Being as about to display 
 Himself in Redemption — So that 
 Eloliim and Jehovah are combined, 
 as in Gen. 2. The Lord God, who 
 in Gen. 2, moved to Redemption, 
 here moves in another grand stage 
 of the Redeeming work as a Cove- 
 nant God. In the Apocalypse it is 
 " I am He which is, and was, and is 
 to come — the Almighty (Rev. 1 : 8). 
 And on the veil which overhung 
 the Temple of the Egyptian Sais 
 was written " I am that which has 
 been, and which is, and which is to 
 be, and my veil no mortal hath yet 
 drawn aside." It was not merely 
 God's self-existence which was ex- 
 pressed in the wonderful name, but 
 His Redeeming Providence and 
 Grace also. So it is further expand- 
 ed — This (is) my name forever, and 
 this (is) my memorial unto all gene- 
 rations — the principle and style of 
 His further manifestation as to be 
 
 recognized among men. (Ps. 185.) I 
 will make myself known in this 
 capacity of a covenant God and Re- 
 deemer to all future generations of 
 His people. Literally it reads — 
 " Jehovah, God of your fathers, 
 God of Abraham, God of Isaac and 
 God of Jacob." 
 
 16, 18. Moses is now directed to 
 the first step to be taken. He was 
 to go and assemble the Elders — So in 
 Joel, 2 : 16. They were the heads 
 of the people, and the office has 
 been preserved in the synagogue, 
 and handed down as the only per- 
 manent office in the Church, (Gen. 
 50: 7.) The Lord God — Jehovah 
 God — the two names comprising 
 the whole idea of a Supreme Cove- 
 nant God. Moses is to assure the 
 people of all that had been assured 
 to him. He is warranted that they 
 shall hearken to him, and not reject 
 him, as at first. Accompanied by 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 47 
 
 19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let yout 
 go, no, not by a mighty hand. 
 
 20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with 
 all my wonders, u which I will do in the midst thereof ; and after 
 that he will v let you go. 
 
 21 And I will give this people w favor in the sight of the 
 Egyptians ; and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye 
 shall not go empty ; 
 
 22 But every woman shall borrow x of her neighbor, and of 
 her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of 
 gold, and raiment ; and ye shall put them upon your sons, and 
 upon your daughters ; and ye shall y spoil the Egyptians. 
 
 tch. 5: 2. u ch. 7: 3; 11: 9; De. 6: 
 r ch. 12: 31. w ch. 11: 3. x ch. 12: 3 
 
 22; Ne. 9: 10; Ps. 105: 27; Je. 32 20; Ac. 7: 
 i. y Job 27: 17: Pr. 13: 22; Is. 33: 1. 
 
 these Elders as the official repre- 
 sentatives of the people — and not 
 alone as he had feared — they should 
 present the case to Pharaoh. The 
 Lord God of the Hebrews — So God 
 already encourages the people by a 
 title that insures His covenant rela- 
 tion and protection. They were to 
 assure the monarch of the Personal 
 Existence of their God, by mention- 
 ing His meeting with them, as had 
 been seen by Moses. Let us go — 
 This request is not at first for manu- 
 mission, which the monarch had 
 been so guarding against, but it was 
 a religious request for leave of a 
 three days' journey to sacrifice to 
 their God. It was no pretence (ch. 
 8 : 27). It was reasonable, moder- 
 ate, fair, that he might have no 
 good ground for refusing. God will 
 have it appear how utterly unyield- 
 ing and oppressive Pharaoh is. 
 What God purposes in the future 
 has nothing to do with Pharaoh's 
 action, for He does not disclose His 
 plans. God's eternal purposes are 
 hidden from us and therefore they 
 cannot be pleaded in extenuation 
 of our sin. It will be seen that 
 Pharaoh is free in his action, while 
 God accomplishes His own eternal 
 purposes of Redemption in perfect 
 consistency with the freedom of the 
 creature. Besides, it is only the 
 immediate duty that is provided 
 for, and the sequel shall be met in 
 
 its time. The three days' journey 
 would carry them quite outside of 
 Egypt. And as their sacrifice would 
 be of animals held sacred among 
 the Egyptians, it would be proper 
 to get out of the land for the pur- 
 pose. God will have us attend to 
 present duty and leave the sequel 
 to come upon us in its own time. 
 
 19. God at the same time knows 
 the end from the beginning, and is 
 sure of the result. But this does 
 not at all affect Pharaoh's responsi- 
 bility. Pharaoh shall be dealt with 
 so as to have his own free choice ; 
 and so as to show his wickedness 
 and to open the way for God's gra- 
 cious interposition. 
 
 20. God now reveals to Moses, 
 for his encouragement, the outline 
 of His plan for deliverance, and the 
 effect upon Pharaoh. ^ Not by — 
 Not even by means of a strong hand. 
 All the mighty works of God would 
 not induce him. He would resist to 
 the end, and thus his destruction 
 would be the fruit of his obduracy. 
 The ultimate release would be 
 against his will — by severe compul- 
 sion and perdition. See ch. 10 : 27. 
 See also ch. 12 : 31 and 14 : 5, etc., 
 or the other rendering of some, 
 " But by a mighty hand" is sustain- 
 ed by the reading ch. 6 : 1. And 
 after these things (the miracles) he 
 will let you go. 
 
 21-22. Favor from the Egyptians 
 
48 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 AND Moses answered and said, but, behold, they will not 
 believe me, nor hearken unto my voice : for they will say, 
 The Lord hath not appeared unto thee. 
 
 2 And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand ? 
 And he said, A rod. 
 
 is also promised to them for their 
 departure, securing a supply of trea- 
 sure for the journey. Shall borrow. 
 The word means, shall ask, or claim 
 as a right — shall demand. It was 
 their right. Some think it means 
 shall ask as a favor and it should he 
 granted as such. This was in ful- 
 filment of the promise (Gen. 15 : 14) 
 that they should come out with great 
 suhstance. The Egyptian people 
 should be well disposed towards 
 their Hebrew neighbors, and would 
 grant their request or demand of 
 jewels and raiment. This might be 
 from neighborly feeling, or from 
 joy at their departure on account of 
 fear of God's tokens. " Egypt was 
 glad when they departed — for the 
 fear of them fell upon them," (Ps. 
 105:38.) So the Israelites are di- 
 rected to ask, ch. 11 : 2, 3. So ch. 
 12 : 35, 36 it was done. Asking of 
 her that sojourneth in her house 
 would imply that they lived with 
 the Egyptians in some cases (see 
 ch. 11 : 2) as servants or otherwise. 
 The jewels and clothes they should 
 put upon their sons and daughters 
 — and so they should spoil the 
 Egyptians (Egypt). Objectors have 
 made this to be a borroicing and 
 stealing of treasure ; but the whole 
 connection here shows that the 
 sense in which it must have been 
 understood was that of asking and 
 of receiving, whether as a mere fa- 
 vor or as a right also, an amount 
 which would be a serious draught 
 upon the Egyptians, and which yet 
 would be conceded ; for it was to 
 come from the favor which God 
 would give them in the sight of the 
 Egyptians. The term torborrowing 
 in the Hebrew, is quite different 
 from this. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 § 8. Moses' Doubts Removed, 
 Further Objection met by 
 a Sign. Ch. IV : 1-9. 
 
 1. Moses now foresees the diffi- 
 culty which he must meet from the 
 unbelief of the people in his Divine 
 commission. Pharaoh's refusal had 
 already been provided for in the 
 plan of God, (ch. 3 : 19-22), yet, he 
 needs further confirmation of his 
 own faith on the spot, and further 
 provision for his probable repulse 
 by his own people (v. 5). God fur- 
 nishes to him the most satisfactory 
 signs, and his difficulties are thus 
 effectually removed. But, behold. 
 The Gr. , has — If. Moses may, 
 however, well be certain of his ill- 
 success, considering his recent ex- 
 perience with his brethren. The 
 last instance of the Divine appearing 
 to Israel was Gen. 46 : 2. And be- 
 sides Moses had now been an exile 
 in Midian forty years, and would be 
 a stranger to most of his people. 
 
 2. Moses' rod was the shepherd's 
 staff. Upon being thrown down, 
 it is turned into a serpent, and on 
 being taken up again it becomes a 
 rod, as at first. This miracle is sug- 
 gestive and full of meaning as to 
 the matter in hand. The throwing 
 down of his shepherd office was 
 repugnant to him and would involve 
 him in difficulties from which he 
 would desire to escape, — difficulties 
 especially in connection with Egypt's 
 wicked, Satanic power. But God 
 would enable him to seize this fear- 
 ful thing and it should turn to be in 
 his hands the rod of power where- 
 by he should smite the Egyptians. 
 For the serpent was the symbol of 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 49 
 
 3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on 
 the ground, and it became a serpent ; and Moses fled from be- 
 fore it. 
 
 4 And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and 
 take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, 
 and it became a rod in his hand : 
 
 5 That they may a believe that the Lord God of their fathers, 
 the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, 
 hath appeared unto thee. 
 
 6 And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put now thine 
 hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom ; 
 and when he took it out, behold, his hand teas leprous b as snow. 
 
 7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And 
 he put his hand into his bosom again, and plucked it out of his 
 bosom ; and, behold, it was c turned again as his other flesh. 
 
 8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, 
 neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will be- 
 lieve the voice of the latter sign. 
 
 ach.19: 9. b Nu. 12: 10:2 Ki. 5: 27. c Matt. 
 
 royal power. The Pharaohs wore 
 this on their diadem, as the sign 
 also of Divine authority — and the 
 coiled serpent forming a circle was 
 the token of eternity. This change 
 of the rod to a serpent was to him a 
 pledge of victory over the Kings 
 and gods of Egypt. This miracle 
 was given to him for his own assur- 
 ance, and also to be performed be- 
 fore the people, that they may believe 
 in his Divine commission (ch. 7 : 
 10). The working of a miracle was 
 understood and accepted among the 
 Israelites as a criterion of a Divine 
 call and authority, (John 3 : 2, 3.) A 
 miracle was a sign of the Divine 
 presence. " The shepherd's rod was 
 the symbol, of his simplicity, of his 
 exile, of his lowliness." — Stanley. 
 
 6. A second sign is given to Mo- 
 ses to add to the attestation of the 
 first. It was also full of signifi- 
 cance. The hand of Moses was the 
 symbol of action. As his efficiency 
 and power in Egypt had become 
 blighted by his exile, as by leprosy, 
 yet it should become perfectly re- 
 stored again. What seemed to him 
 at first to be utterly disabled, as if 
 smitten with "leprosy, should, at the 
 
 Divine bidding, become a restored 
 hand of power. And further, the 
 people should see by this sign, that 
 as God could make Moses' office 
 what He pleased, so He could make 
 Moses' hand what He chose, and 
 purge it of all defilement and dis- 
 ability. And so He could make 
 Pharaoh leprous and Moses whole. 
 And He could make Israel free from 
 defilement and exile by the cleansed 
 hand of Moses. The first sign had 
 reference to Moses' call — the second 
 to his power in executing the call. 
 If they icill not hearken, etc. If they 
 will not accredit Moses' office, they 
 will be forced to believe his work. 
 The sign has a voice — and speaks, 
 as a witness of God's presence and 
 power, (Ps. 105: 27, John 3: 3.) 
 ^f Leprous as snaw. White from 
 the color of the parts affected, in the 
 most malignant leprosy. I have 
 seen lepers in Palestine, with white, 
 scabby blotches on the face and 
 wrists. 
 
 9. Further provision is now 
 made for the persistent unbelief of 
 the people, if necessary. It has a 
 most significant reference to the 
 consequences of rejecting God's 
 
50 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also 
 these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou slialt 
 take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: 
 and the water, which thou takest out of the river shall become 
 d blood upon the dry land. 
 
 10 And Moses said unto the Loud, O my Lord, I am not 
 eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto 
 thy servant : but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. 
 
 11 And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's 
 mouth ? e or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or 
 the blind ? have not I the Lord ? 
 
 d cb. 7 : 
 
 e Ps. 94: 9; Je. 1: 6,! 
 
 messenger. The water of the sacred 
 river, the Nile, which was every- 
 thing to the Egyptians, was by the 
 hand of Moses to become blood. 
 One of the plagues with which God 
 afterward smote Egypt, was to be 
 enacted in miniature before the Is- 
 raelites to fortify his faith and cour- 
 age, and to satisfy their doubting 
 minds. It is an intimation to him 
 of the Divine power with which he 
 should be armed. The miracle 
 wrought before the Egyptians (ch. 
 7 : 20,) was on a larger scale, and 
 not by handful, but in mass. The 
 water on which they relied for 
 drink, and for watering the soil 
 (having no rain) was thus, in the 
 power of Moses to turn it into a 
 stream of blood. Moses was the 
 first God-sent Prophet, and the first 
 miracle-worker, and so he was a 
 type of the Apostle and High Priest 
 of our Profession Jesus Christ. (Heb. 
 3: 1.) 
 
 Lessons — (1) God can clearly 
 signify to His servants His will and 
 His warrant. (2) God uses His ab- 
 solute control of nature to serve His 
 purposes of grace. (3) The super- 
 natural act is natural to the Super- 
 natural Being, who is God over all. 
 (4) God suits His miracles to the 
 occasion so as to make the truth 
 most clear. 
 
 § 0. Moses' Further Objection 
 and God's Answer. Ch. IV : 
 10-31. 
 
 10. Moses finds yet another diffi- 
 culty in the way of his success. He 
 says, I am not eloquent — Heb. — a 
 man of words — of fluent speech — 
 (Gr. — not sufficient — fit) — even from 
 yesterday and from the third day 
 (or, the day before yesterday), that 
 is, from the very first — (Gen. 31 : 
 2.) — and even from the time of thy 
 speaking to thy servant. " I do not 
 possess the gift of speech, either by 
 nature, or since thou hast addressed 
 me." He could not summon courage 
 to plead his cause before Pharaoh, 
 but felt his incompetency as to free- 
 dom and facility of speech, and 
 strength of argument. He had 
 failed even before his oppressed 
 countrymen, to impress them with 
 his claim to their confidence. I am 
 heavy of month and heavy of tongue. 
 There may be a reference to his de- 
 ficiency in the Egyptian tongue 
 after his absence of forty years. 
 
 11. Who hath made — Heb. Who 
 hath put the mouth to man. God 
 here reminds Moses of His preroga- 
 tive, who created all man's organs 
 and powers. All the needed gifts 
 are at the Divine command, and will 
 be supplied as they are needed. He 
 can make the speech and the senses 
 or can take them away. 
 
 12. He is now bidden to go for- 
 ward, with the assurance / will be 
 with thy mouth. While he shall 
 speak, God will aid his natural 
 powers to the full extent of the 
 necessity. God is said to have 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 51 
 
 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and 
 teach thee what f thou shalt say. 
 
 13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand 
 of him whom thou wilt send. 
 
 14 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses; 
 and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother ? I know that 
 he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet 
 thee ; and when he seeth thee, s he will be glad in his heart. 
 
 15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words h in his 
 mouth : and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and 
 will teach you what ye shall do. 
 
 16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people : and 
 he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and 
 thou shalt be to him instead l of God. 
 
 17 And thou shalt take this rod k in thine hand, wherewith 
 thou shalt do signs. 
 
 f Is. 50 : 4; Matt. 10 : 19. g Ver. 27. h Xu. 22 : S 
 16; Je. 1 : 9; Lu. 21 : 15. i ch.7 : 1; 18 : 19. k Ver. 2. 
 
 : 5, etc.; De. 18: 18; Is. 51 
 
 spoken by the mouth, of David, etc. 
 This is the doctrine of inspiration 
 that the Scripture is the word of 
 God in the very words of men. 
 God would teach him what to say. 
 — So also the apostles. 
 
 1 3. Send, I -pray thee, by the hand 
 thou wilt send. That is, send by 
 whomsoever thou wilt, meaning 
 that he had rather any other should 
 be sent than he, and that if he must 
 go, he would, yet reluctantly, and 
 by constraint. — Do as you please. 
 
 14-17. No wonder that the anger 
 of Jehovah was kindled against Mo- 
 ses, when the man demurs so, and 
 objects to the last. Yet God had 
 been most patient and forbearing 
 towards him. It is only a misnamed 
 humility that declines to accept 
 God's provisions and promises, un- 
 der any deep sense of our deficiency 
 and ill-desert. Moses' objections 
 however, were not in any spirit of 
 opposition toward God, but only of 
 shrinking and of self-distrust. Ac- 
 cordingly God provides even for 
 this last difficulty by appointing 
 his brother Aaron as his colleague. 
 (Heb.) Is not Aaron thy brother, the 
 Levite. Delitzsch thinks there is 
 no reference here to the future call- 
 
 ing of the tribe of Levi, and that 
 it is intended, by these terms, merely 
 to designate Aaron more fully. He 
 is of the same tribe with Moses and 
 therefore most fit to be his associate. 
 Aaron is coming forth already will- 
 ingly to the work, and will be glad 
 to see thee, instead of shrinking, as 
 you have done. Although the el- 
 der brother he will gladly act under 
 Moses. In v. 27 God gives him the 
 direction as to the route. Moses 
 was to dictate, and Aaron was to 
 speak. And God was to guide and 
 guard the lips of both of them. 
 Aaron was to be the spokesman of 
 Moses unto the people, to serve in- 
 stead of a mouth to Moses, and Mo- 
 ses was to be to him instead of God. 
 " Aaron would stand to Moses in the 
 same relation as a prophet to God." 
 " What God is to Moses, that Moses 
 is to Aaron in regard to the matter 
 and authority of his message (ch. 
 7 : 1). This rod in thine hand. The 
 rod and the hand had both been mi- 
 raculously wrought upon, and now 
 Moses could understand the mean- 
 ing — wherewith thou shalt do signs. 
 
 18. Moses went and returned — 
 from the burning bush of Horeb, to 
 Jethro. (See ch. 3 :1.) Moses now 
 
EXODUS. 
 
 IS And Moses went, find returned to Jethro his father-in- 
 law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return un- 
 to my brethren which are in Egypt : and see whether they be 
 yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace. 
 
 19 And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return in- 
 to Egypt, for all the men i are dead, which sought thy life. 
 
 20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them up- 
 on an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt : and Moses 
 took the rod m of God in his hand. 
 
 21 And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to re- 
 turn iuto Egypt, see that thou do all those n wonders before Pha- 
 raoh, which I have put in thine hand : but I will harden ° his 
 heart, that, he shall not let the people go. 
 
 1 ch. 2 : 15, 23; Matt. 2 : 20. m. ch. 17 : 9; Nu. 20 : 8-9. n ch. 3 : 20. o ch. 7 : 3, etc : 
 De. 2: 30; Jos. 11: 20; Is. 6: 10; 63: 17; Jno. 12: 40; Ro. 9: 18; 2Th. 2: 10-12. 
 
 finds all his obj ections met, and he 
 takes preparative steps at once for 
 entering upon the work. As in 
 duty bound so he' asks leave of his 
 father-in-law, in whose service he 
 was employed. He states to him, 
 only in most general terms, the ob- 
 ject of his mission — to see whether 
 they be alive — and to look after their 
 interests under their crushing bond- 
 age, if, indeed, it has not crushed 
 them utterly. Jethro, understand- 
 ing the earnestness of Moses' re- 
 quest, consents. (Heb.) Go in [for] 
 peace. Moses makes no unfair con- 
 cealment. 
 
 19, 20. The Greek here inserts a 
 passage — " And after those many 
 days the King of Egypt died," — 
 which is not found in the Hebrew, 
 but is added by the LXX to accom- 
 modate the next sentence. While 
 he was in Midian, God directs him 
 to set out for Egypt now that the 
 hostile Pharaoh and others who had 
 sought his life were dead. This is 
 after he had obtained Jethro's con- 
 sent, and was in waiting perhaps 
 for such Divine direction as to the 
 fitting time for his departure. 
 
 20. He now sets out upon his 
 journey. His wife and his two sons 
 (ch. 18 : 4 tells us of the second) 
 are set upon an ass. I have seen 
 children swung in a pair of baskets 
 on an ass, and the parents walking 
 
 alongside, or one or the other riding 
 by turns. This is common in the 
 pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Moses 
 goes in the faith of all that he was 
 to accomplish under God— taking 
 the rod of God in his hand — the rod 
 which was transformed by God's 
 power so as to be the symbol of His 
 Omnipotence. 
 
 21. God now gives to Moses a 
 solemn charge to do all the mira- 
 cles as directed — Heb. — In thy going 
 to return to Egypt, see all the mira- 
 cles (wonders) which I have put (or- 
 dered) by thy hand, and do them be- 
 fore Pharaoh. He will have him 
 use all the Divinely appointed 
 means, all of them so eminently 
 calculated to impress Pharaoh and 
 constrain him to compliance. But 
 I will harden his heart that he shall 
 not release the people. The word 
 means, to make strong, firm, obdu- 
 rate — so that his heart will not 
 yield, nor relax for the release of 
 Israel. In ch. 7 : 3, it is another 
 word meaning I will make his heart 
 unfeeling. And in ch. 10: 1, it is 
 still another word, I have made his 
 heart heavy, stupid, insensible. h\ 
 these different forms the hardening 
 of Pharaoh's heart is ascribed to 
 God, ten times :— Ch. 9 : 12, 10 : 20, 
 27, 11: 10, 14: 8, 14: 4, 17. But 
 just as many times it is said that 
 Pharaoh hardened his own heart, or 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 53 
 
 22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Loed, 
 Israel is my son, p even my first-born : 
 
 23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve 
 me : and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay <1 thy 
 son, even thy first-born. 
 
 p De. 14: 1; Je. 31 : 9; Ho. 11: 1; Ko. 9: 4. q ch. 11 : 5; 12: 29. 
 
 what is the same, that it became 
 hard— ch. 7 : 13, 22, 8 : 15, 9 : 35, ch. 
 
 7 : 14 was (became) heavy, ch. 9 : 7, 
 
 8 : 11, 28, 9 : 34. In ch. 7 : 13, the 
 English version reads : " And he 
 hardened the heart of Pharaoh." 
 But it should read the same as in 
 verse 22, where the Hebrew phrase 
 is exactly the same. And in ch. 13 : 
 15 expressly — for Pharaoh made his 
 heart hard. So that it is represented 
 in the Scripture as quite as much the 
 work of Pharaoh as of God. In 
 different senses it may be under- 
 stood to be the work of one or the 
 other — of Pharaoh, as the free moral 
 agent, acting from motives and 
 without any sense of compulsion — 
 or of God, as acting in and by Pha- 
 raoh because the free acts of men 
 enter into His plan, and His decree 
 secures their freedom, while it or- 
 dains the means along with the 
 ends, and the ends in connection 
 with the means. This heart-har- 
 dening was neither unknown to God 
 from the beginning, nor indepen- 
 dent of God's working in the case, 
 much less was it any baffling of 
 God's plan ; but God's plan com- 
 prehended it, as the free act of the 
 man, no less than part of the all in 
 all of God's working — in all, through 
 all, and above all. In Josh. 11: 20, 
 the same term is applied to other 
 cases. God is not the author of sin, 
 but God works in a world of sinners 
 so as to weave every thread of hu- 
 man agency into the wondrous fab- 
 ric of His designs in the great 
 scheme of Redemption. It is re- 
 markable here that not only after 
 the first sign wrought before Pha- 
 raoh, ch. 7 : 13, 14, but after the first 
 five judicial miracles the heart-har- 
 dening is ascribed to Pharaoh. Af- 
 
 ter each of these miracles it is re- 
 corded that his heart was (or became) 
 hard, or stupid — unmoved by the 
 Divine wonders, ch. 7 : 22, 8 : 8, 15, 
 28, 9: 7. It is not till after the 
 sixth plague that it is said that Je- 
 hovah made the heart of Pharaoh 
 hard, or strong, firm, unyielding — 
 ch. 9 : 12. Then at the seventh it 
 is Pharaoh made his heart heavy, 
 ch. 9 : 34, 35, but after the eighth 
 and ninth his continued refusal, 
 and his resolution to follow the Is- 
 raelites and bring them back, are 
 ascribed to Jehovah's hardening his 
 heart — ch. 14 : 8, comp. vs. 4 and 17. 
 The Divine dealing affected Pha- 
 raoh in this way and so resulted — 
 and may be looked upon as working 
 this result. The Divine hardening 
 however was plainly a result of the 
 human self-hardening. God is look- 
 ed upon as giving up the man to 
 the hardening, obdurating influence 
 of this Providential dealing. It is 
 only as a necessity of the Divine 
 contact, with such increasing pride 
 and haughtiness and self-will, that 
 God can be said to produce the har- 
 dening — even as the sun hardens 
 some materials while he melts other 
 substances — " melts the wax and 
 dries the clay." It is the just curse 
 of sin and its necessary working 
 that it renders the heart harder, and 
 this is by a Divine law in which 
 God may be said to act. And Mo- 
 ses is here informed that not only 
 could not Pharaoh act independent- 
 ly of Him, but that even his very 
 heart-hardening should come with- 
 in the domain of the Divine action, 
 and therefore was most fully pro- 
 vided for in His plan (See Delitzsch). 
 Moses is now furnished with the 
 ultimatum which he was to lay be- 
 
54 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 24 And it came to pass, by the way in the inn, that the 
 Lord r met him, and sought to s kill him. 
 
 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and tcut off the fore- 
 skin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody 
 husband art thou to me. 
 
 r Nu. 22 : 22. s Ge. 17 : 14. t Jos. 5 : 2, 
 
 fore Pharaoh, in all his hardness 
 and obstinate refusal. He was to 
 declare to him the relation in which 
 this people stood to God, and the 
 Divine demand for their release, 
 and the penalty which the King 
 should incur by refusing to let the 
 people go. Israel is my son. The 
 covenant people are represented in 
 the Old Test, as the son and servant, 
 of Jehovah. And the Messiah is 
 also thus described. It is the com- 
 plex Person, of which Christ is the 
 Head, and His people are the mem 
 bers So that in the New Testa- 
 ment the return of the Infant Christ 
 from Egypt is referred to as a ful- 
 filment of this typical prophecy in 
 the Exodus. So in Hos. 11 : 1. 
 " Out of Egypt have I called my 
 Son."— Matt. 2 : 15. " Wherever 
 Jehovah is called the Father, Be- 
 getter, or Creator of Israel, even in 
 Deut. 32 : 18, Jer. 2 : 27, Isa. 64 ; 8, 
 Mai. 3 : G ; 2 : 10, the Fatherhood of 
 God relates to the election of Israel 
 as Jehovah's people of possession." 
 The choosing of Israel as the Son 
 of God was an adoption flowing 
 from the free grace of God, which 
 involved the loving, fatherly treat- 
 ment of the Son, and demanded 
 obedience, reverence and confidence 
 towards the Father. — Mai. 1 : 6. 
 Paternal discipline (Kaidsta) was also 
 involved in the covenant relation. 
 Israel was, however, not only Son, 
 but first-born Son of Jehovah. In 
 this title the calling of the Gentile 
 nations is implied. Israel's was the 
 first place among the nations, by 
 virtue of this election. So Israel 
 was the queen at the right hand of 
 the King, arrayed in gold of Ophir, 
 but accompanied by Kings' daugh- 
 ters as her honorable women, and 
 
 typically inferior brides. — Ps. 45. 
 So Ps. 89 : 2G, 27. This demand is 
 now to be made upon Pharaoh, and 
 the penalty of refusal is plainly to 
 be set forth. Release my son, if 
 not, I will slay thy son, even thy first- 
 born. This was the form of penalty 
 which would most vividly remind 
 Pharaoh of Israel's relation to God. 
 — Ch. 11 : 5 ; 12 : 29. Some think 
 that this is God's language to Mo- 
 ses, demanding the circumcision of 
 one of his sons, and thus connecting 
 with the next verse. 
 
 24. Moses is now to be taught 
 that he must first rule well his own 
 house, and obey in his own house 
 the Divine ordinance, before he can 
 enforce obedience upon others. 
 Their son, perhaps the younger, was 
 uncircumcised. It was by some 
 fault of the parents, and probably 
 of the wife, who here, at once, per- 
 forms the ceremony. By the way — 
 on the route to Egypt — in the inn — 
 or caravanserai, for lodging at night, 
 such as travellers at the East were 
 accustomed to — a walled enclosure 
 for protection from beasts. Jehovah 
 met him, literally — rushed upon him, 
 in a hostile attitude — to attack him 
 — and sought to kill him. This was 
 the aspect of the case. Whether it 
 was by some apparition threatening 
 death with drawn sword, as in the 
 case of Balaam's beast, we do not 
 know, but suppose it was a fearful 
 manifestation, as with a sword, or a 
 threatening voice, and not a mere 
 matter of sudden disease. He was 
 brought to see how dangerous it 
 must ever be to disobey the Divine 
 command, or to slight God's holy 
 ordinances. 
 
 25. Then Zipporah. How prompt- 
 ly his wife Zipporah understood the 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 55 
 
 26 So he let liira go : then she said, A bloody husband thou 
 art, because of the circumcision. 
 
 27 And the Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to 
 meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount u of 
 God, and kissed him. 
 
 u cb. 
 
 controversy which God had with 
 them and performed the sacred rite, 
 is here related. Only, by hastening 
 to obey can we avert the Divine 
 displeasure. And they who go in 
 God's name to preach obedience 
 ought to be, themselves, a pattern 
 of it to others. Some think that it 
 was the lad whose life was here 
 threatened, and that this brought 
 the fond mother so promptly to 
 obey. As they had two sons, the 
 one probably the older had already 
 been circumcised. This ordinance 
 had been commanded to Abraham 
 as a seal of the Divine Covenant and 
 the neglect of it was punishable 
 with death. — Gen. 17 : 14. A stone. 
 The sharp flint was sometimes used 
 as a knife, in the absence of metal- 
 lic ones, some suppose as being 
 safer, and others as being symboli- 
 cal, but probably as more available. 
 In some localities the flint imple- 
 ments preceded the metallic. But 
 see Gen. 4 : 22. As Zipporah was a 
 Midianitish woman, she was most 
 probably averse to this bloody and 
 painful duty. She said, a bridegroom 
 of blood thou art to me. Moses, as 
 a husband, was now associated in 
 her mind with blood, as the blood 
 was the price of his life, or as her 
 marital relation with a Hebrew 
 was now sealed with blood. But 
 others, (as Gesenius,) understand 
 this to be said of the lad, and sup- 
 pose that circumcision, as the sign 
 of the Divine covenant, is compared 
 with marriage. The term here used 
 for bridegroom is used of circum- 
 cision, as having some affinity. 
 Stanley understands it — " A bloody 
 husband thou art to cause the de.ath 
 of my son — fearing that her child 
 would die (as smitten of God). 
 
 Then when the recovery from the 
 illness took place (whether of her 
 son or her husband) she exclaims 
 again — "A bloody husband still 
 thou art, but not so as to cause the 
 child's death, but only to bring 
 about his circumcision." And it is 
 more natural to refer it to Moses 
 than to the boy. So he let him go. 
 As if God had arrested or seized 
 Moses, and now lets him go, be- 
 cause the required duty was per- 
 formed. Then she said — repeating 
 the significant language — because 
 of the circumcisions, because she 
 had been thus compelled to undergo 
 this painful duty of circumcising 
 the lad, casting a reproach upon 
 Moses, as having been the occasion 
 to her of this blood-shedding of her 
 boy. She uses the plural as refer- 
 ring to circumcisions, as enjoined in 
 all cases, or as in the case of both 
 her sons. This was probably on 
 the first night of their journey, as 
 they had not come to Horeb, v. 27. 
 And as the child was now unable to 
 travel, the mother and sons were 
 sent back to Jethro's house from 
 this point.— Ch. 18 : 2. 
 
 27. Aaron had already been an- 
 nounced to Moses as setting forth 
 to meet him, and here it would seem 
 to be God's direction as to where 
 Moses should be met. Go into the 
 wilderness. It was where God had 
 appeared to Moses in the bush — 
 (ch. 8:1.) Kissed him. This was 
 the token of that gladness which 
 had been predicted of him, in meet- 
 ing Moses (v. 14). They had been 
 now forty years separated, and what 
 wonder that both should be glad. 
 The kiss is still the salutation of 
 Arab friends meeting in the desert. 
 Often it is on both sides of the face. 
 
EXODUS. 
 
 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who 
 had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him. 
 
 29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all 
 the elders of the children of Israel : 
 
 30 And Aaron spake v all the words which the Lord had 
 spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 
 
 31 And the people believed ; w and when they heard that 
 the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had 
 looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads x and 
 worshipped. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 AND afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, 
 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that 
 they may hold a feast a unto me in the wilderness. 
 
 v Ver. 16 w ch. 3: 18; 
 2Ch. 20 : 18. a ch. 10 : 9. 
 
 ver. 8,9. x Ge. 17: 3; 24: 26; ch.12: 27; ICh. 29: 20; 
 
 (Gr. — They kissed each other.) Ob- 
 serve. The distance to Egypt was 
 about 200 miles. 
 
 28-31. Moses told Aaron all as 
 God had commanded him to do. (v. 
 15.) They assembled all the Elders 
 of the people of Israel in Egypt. 
 Aaron was now about 83 years old. 
 Everything goes forward according 
 to the Divine programme. And 
 Aaron spake (as directed in v. 16) 
 and did the signs, in the sight of the 
 people. These were such signs as 
 had been directed to secure the faith 
 of the people of Israel. — vs. 1-4. 
 And the people believed. The signs 
 were expressly given for this pur- 
 pose (v. 5). All this strong evi- 
 dence of God's interposition on their 
 behalf, and of His regard for His 
 people in their distress, filled them 
 with the spirit of devout worship. 
 
 Lessons. — (1) God's merciful vis- 
 itations should provoke our grateful 
 devotion. (2) Especially God's gra- 
 cious interposition through Jesus 
 Christ for our deliverance from the 
 bondage of Sin and Satan ought to 
 prompt our grateful praise. (3) 
 God's servants are to do duty fear- 
 lessly and faithfully, and to leave 
 results in His hands. (4) If the 
 people truly believe, it is by a 
 
 greater work than these miracles — 
 even the Spirit's miracle upon the 
 mind and heart. (5) How blessed 
 in trouble is it to mark God's 
 gracious presence and blessing. (6) 
 We ought reverently to adore and 
 worship our Great Deliverer and 
 Saviour. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 § 10. Moses and Aaron before 
 Pharaoh and the Sad Re- 
 sults. Ch. V. 1-23. 
 
 1. The first step has been taken. 
 The covenant people believe in God. 
 The Divinely commissioned broth- 
 ers appear before Pharaoh and make 
 their demand, according to the di- 
 rection given by God Himself (ch. 
 4 ). Thus saith the Lord God of Is- 
 rael. They had been told to speak 
 of God as the God of their fathers 
 (chs. 3, 4). It is probable that some 
 of the elders accompanied them (ch. 
 3 : 18). The immediate object only 
 is mentioned to Pharaoh. To de- 
 mand more, might have seemed ex- 
 travagant. If he will not consent 
 to the less, he will not consent to 
 the greater. If he will grant this 
 request, then, after that, they would 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 57 
 
 2 And Pharaoh said, b Who is the Lord, that I should obey 
 his voice to let Israel go ? I know not the Lord, neither will 
 I let Israel go. 
 
 3 And they said, the God of the c Hebrews hath met with 
 ns : let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, 
 and sacrifice unto the Lord our God ; lest he fall upon us with 
 pestilence, d or with the sword. 
 
 4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, 
 Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works ? get you 
 unto your burdens. 
 
 b 2Ki. IS: 35; Job 21 : 15; Pe. 12 : 4. c cli.3: 18. 
 
 d De. 
 
 11; Eze. 6: 11. 
 
 ask more, and would more fully 
 express their wishes. It is probable 
 that Pharaoh would understand 
 this as a simple request for religious 
 service to their God, since all na- 
 tions were wont to pay homage to 
 their deities in festivals and sacrifi- 
 ces and in special places. The wil- 
 derness — outside of Egypt towards 
 Canaan, as being retired and best 
 suited for religious ceremonies. 
 The King probably resided at Zoan, 
 called Avaris. A feast would in- 
 clude all the service of sacrifice, etc. 
 It is more fully explained in v. 3. 
 The request was perfectly reasona- 
 ble. 
 
 2. Pharaoh's reply is full of 
 stubbornness and bravado, and indi- 
 cates the hostility of his heart. 
 Who is Jehovah, etc. He denies any 
 relation or obligation to Jehovah ; 
 / knoio not Jehovah. Pharaoh de- 
 nies all knowledge of this name, as 
 though he had not heard of such a 
 Being. It was the peculiar Redemp- 
 tive name of God. He was a wor- 
 shipper of the gods of Egypt. But 
 his predecessors knew the God of 
 Israel (Gen. 12 : 17, 41 ; 43 : 23). 
 He may only not have known Him 
 by this peculiar name. He positive- 
 ly refuses their request. The poli- 
 cy of the Pharaohs had been to keep 
 this people in bondage. 
 
 3. These ambassadors reply in a 
 way to enlighten him, explaining 
 and adding particulars. '1 he God 
 of the Hebrews. This title he would 
 understand. Besides it would show 
 why they needed to go out of Egypt 
 
 to sacrifice. Hath met with vs. 
 Another form of the word in ch. 3 ■ 
 18, rendered the same in both places. 
 The Gr. and Vulg. render hath call- 
 ed us, hath revealed Himself to us. 
 The distance is now given as the 
 limit of this request (ch. 3 : 18). 
 And this is according to the Divine 
 direction, so that there is no wicked 
 dissembling. The request is made 
 moderate, anc Pharaoh knows of no 
 ultimate plans, so that he is not irri- 
 tated by any extravagant demand, 
 and has full opportunity to show 
 his wicked obstinacy and defiance. 
 They plead as humble petitioners. 
 We pray thee — Lest. They now de- 
 clare themselves moved to this wor- 
 ship by the fear of all that God 
 could do in punishing their neglect 
 of His command, intimating thus to 
 Pharaoh what he might expect if he 
 should resist God. With 'pestilence, 
 or with the sicord. Such resources 
 of penalty God has at command. 
 Therefore it is no light thing to 
 resist His claim. 
 
 4. Instead of granting them any- 
 thing, the wicked King treats them 
 with despotic severity — accuses 
 Moses and Aaron, God's messengers, 
 of letting — or hindering the people 
 from their works as bond-slaves — 
 and commands them and those who 
 were with them (the elders) to get 
 to their burdens — and go about their 
 business as slaves, instead of agitat- 
 ing such a question of withdraw- 
 ment from work for purposes of 
 worship, or on such pretence. 
 
 5. Pharaoh now rebukes the 
 
58 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now 
 are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. 
 
 6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the task-masters 
 of the people, and their officers, saying, 
 
 7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as 
 heretofore : let them go and gather straw for themselves. 
 
 8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make hereto- 
 fore, ye shall lay e upon them ; ye shall not diminish ought 
 thereof : for they be idle ; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go 
 and sacrifice to our God. 
 
 e Ps. 106: 41. 
 
 messengers, Moses and Aaron, as 
 stirring up idle schemes among the 
 numerous people of the land — of Go- 
 shen — or land-people — working peo- 
 ple — in distinction from the ruling 
 classes of the Egyptians (Ezek. 7 : 
 27). Cessation from work, among 
 so large a multitude, was, in the 
 King's view, dangerous to the state. 
 6-9. The King would now rebuke 
 the spirit of idleness and freedom 
 which he suspected at the bottom 
 of this movement. He will take 
 prompt measures for crushing out 
 the rising spirit of the people by in- 
 creasing their burdens. He com- 
 manded, the same day, the task-mas- 
 ters. No time was to be lost, and 
 his despotic passion, excited by the 
 dignified attitude of the messengers, 
 would be satisfied with no delay 
 and no half measures. The task- 
 masters were those Egyptian over- 
 seers who urged on the workmen 
 with the whip or club. And their 
 officers were the clerks of these 
 task-masters, or overseers, who kept 
 the accounts and gave out the allot- 
 ment of work — the tale of brick. 
 (See v. 14). These were Hebrews, 
 who were placed over their brethren 
 as foremen — like the Arab officers 
 set over the Arab fellahs — the poor 
 laborers in modern Egypt — as sub- 
 ordinates of Government officials 
 — and held responsible for the per- 
 formance of prescribed labor. — 
 Hengstenberg. (See Deut. 20 : 1 etc.) 
 Straw was no longer to be supplied 
 to the people to make brick. It was 
 
 chopped straw mixed with the clay, 
 which helped to make the brick and 
 gave it firmness. The brick was not 
 burnt, but dried in the sun. Such 
 fine straw is found in the composi- 
 tion of Egyptian brick. Rosellini 
 says, " The bricks which are now 
 found in Egypt belonging to that 
 period always have straw mingled 
 with them, although in some of 
 those that are most carefully made, 
 it is found in small quantities." 
 Prokcsch says, " The bricks of the 
 first Pyramid of Dashow, are of fine 
 clay from the Nile mingled with 
 chopped straw, which gives them an 
 astonishing durability." We have 
 handled these bricks, or such like 
 in Egypt. The people were now to 
 be compelled to gather their own 
 straw and thus their burdens would 
 be increased, while they were re- 
 quired to make the same tale (or 
 account) of brick, as before. This 
 was in order to oppress them more 
 severely, and to crush their spirits ; 
 so as to discourage any plans for re- 
 lease. Their application was judged 
 to be a mere pretence for getting 
 rid of work. Much idleness and li- 
 cense is pleaded for in the name of 
 religion. But irreligion also falsely 
 accuses God's people of hypocrisy 
 when they plead for their worship. 
 Let the work be heavy upon the men 
 — (more work be laid) and they shall 
 do in it (stick to their work) and 
 not give heed to lying words. So 
 tyrannical is the world-power to- 
 wards the people of God, willing to 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 59 
 
 9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may 
 labour therein ; and let them not regard vain f words. 
 
 10 And the task-masters of the people went out, and their 
 officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pha- 
 raoh, I will not give you straw. 
 
 11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it, : yet not 
 ought of your work shall be diminished. 
 
 12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the 
 land of Egypt, to gather stubble instead of straw. 
 
 13 And the task-masters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your 
 works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw. 
 
 14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pha- 
 raoh's task-masters had set over them, were beaten, and de- 
 manded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making 
 brick, both yesterday and to-day, as heretofore ? 
 
 15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried 
 unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy 
 servants ? 
 
 16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say 
 to us, Make brick : and, behold, thy servants are beaten, but 
 the fault is in thine own people. 
 
 17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle, therefore ye say, Let 
 us go and do sacrifice to the Lord. 
 
 f 2Ki. 18: 20. 
 
 crush out tlie Church, from the 
 earth. The " lying words " were 
 the statements of the messengers 
 which were pronounced false by 
 Pharaoh. So the Scripture is 
 charged with being unhistorical, or 
 fabulous, or a mere religious tra- 
 dition, by scoffers of our day. 
 
 10-14. The command of Pharaoh 
 was promptly made known to the 
 Israelites. Go ye, fetch to you straic 
 from where you shall find it— for it 
 is not diminished from your icork, a 
 thing — anything. So the people were 
 dispersed in all the land of Egypt to 
 gather stubble for the straic (for this 
 purpose) — the stubble left in the 
 cornfields. Not instead of straw, 
 but for this purpose. The taskmas- 
 ters were urgent saying, Fill up — 
 complete — your works — (Heb.) the 
 matter (or business) of a day in 
 his day — your daily task — like 
 as in there being the straw — the 
 
 same as when the straw was sup- 
 plied to you. The office ?-s — clerks, 
 accountants, foremen — of the chil- 
 dren of Israel, were beaten. These 
 were Israelites, whom the taskmas- 
 ters had set over the people as over- 
 seers, responsible for the full 
 amount of work. The beating was 
 by the bastinado, as is shown in 
 the pictures found upon the Egyp- 
 tian monuments. " Men and boys 
 are laid prostrate on the ground and 
 frequently held by the hands and 
 feet, while the punishment is ad- 
 ministered." — Wilkinson, Rosellini, 
 cited by Hengstenberg. The time 
 was in early spring — about April — 
 when the Ghamsin, or sand-wind, 
 blows over Egypt, which would in- 
 crease their suffering. 
 
 15-19. Complaint is now made 
 by the foremen, of this cruel treat- 
 ment, and the case is stated to the 
 King, that the refusal to supply 
 
EXODUS. 
 
 18 Go therefore now, and work ; for there shall no straw be 
 given yon, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks. 
 
 19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that 
 they icere in evil & case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish 
 aught from your bricks of your daily task. 
 
 20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, 
 as they came forth from Pharaoh ; 
 
 21 And they said unto them, The Loed look upon you, and 
 judge ; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred h in 
 the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a 
 sword in their hand to slay us. 
 
 22 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, 
 wherefore hast thou so evil-entreated * this people ? why is it 
 that thou hast sent me ? 
 
 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he 
 hath done evil to this people ; neither hast thou delivered thy 
 people at all. 
 
 g De. 32: 36; Ec. 4: 1; 5: 
 i Je. 20: 7; Ha. 2: 3. 
 
 h Ge. 34: 30; ISa. 13: 4; 27: 12; 2Sa. 10: 6; ICh. 19: 6. 
 
 straw, required their time and labor 
 to gather it, and they could not f ul- 
 fil the same task of brick as before. 
 The charge of idleness and hypoc- 
 risy was repeated, as the only reply ; 
 while the demand of work was to 
 be insisted on without any abate- 
 ment. The Israelitish officers (fore- 
 men) saw the evil (case) they were 
 in — (Heb) saiv them in evil, saying, 
 The King's unrelaxed order was the 
 bitter cup for them, cutting off all 
 hope from that quarter. 16. The 
 fault, lit. Thy people sin. This 
 was their complaint. 
 
 20, 21. They met— Heb.— fell upon 
 — implying severity or hostility — the 
 same verb as in v. 3. Moses and 
 Aaron seem to have been waiting 
 outside, to learn the result of their 
 mission. The blame of their new 
 hardships was cast upon Moses and 
 Aaron. Jehovah look upon you and 
 judge — condemn — because ye have 
 made the smell of us to stink before 
 Pharaoh. Their odor or repute was 
 made most disgusting and repulsive 
 to the King and his servants — the 
 task-masters— fa gvoe a sword into 
 their hand to kill us. This was de- 
 clared to be the fatal working of 
 
 Moses' and Aaron's mission. They 
 had prejudiced the King by this ap- 
 plication and had made him enraged 
 against them as idlers, agitators, 
 and vain pretenders, and so had only 
 armed him with a sword for their 
 ruin. 
 
 22, 23. Moses now brings the 
 matter before Jehovah for explana- 
 tion. Wherefore hast thou done 
 evil to this people. Ho sees all his 
 mission seemingly working damage 
 instead of deliverance to the Israel- 
 ites, and naturally he inquires why 
 God has sent him. Augustine says 
 " These are not words of contumacy 
 or indignation, but of inquiry and 
 prayer." The question and com- 
 plaint, says Delitzsch , proceeded from 
 faith which flies to God when it 
 cannot understand the dealings of 
 God. Trouble drives God's people 
 to prayer,-^-and prayer brings the re- 
 lief. Often God seems to work ad- 
 versely at first in order to make the 
 coming blessing more valued. The 
 darkest moment is immediately be- 
 fore the dawn. " In the mount the 
 Lord will be seen." We are prone 
 to be impatient, and to take delays 
 on God's part to be the evidences of 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 61 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 rpHEX the Lord said unto Moses, Xow shalt thou see what a 
 JL I will do to Pharaoh : for with a strong hand b shall he let 
 them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them c out of 
 his land. 
 
 2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the 
 Lord : 
 
 3- And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto 
 Jacob, by the name of God d Almighty ; but by my name e 
 JEHOVAH was I not known to them. 
 
 a 2Ch. 20: IT; Ps. 12: 5. b Ps. 89: 13. cch.ll: 1. 
 e ch. 3: 14; Ps. 03: 4; 83: 18; Is. 42: 8; Jno. 8: 58; Ee. 1; 4 
 
 d Ge. 17: 1; 35: 11; 48: 3. 
 
 His unfaithfulness. So Moses and 
 Aaron complain that all had worked 
 badly since their coming, and that 
 God had not delivered His people 
 at all. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 §11. Jehovah's Promise— Ch. VI, 
 1—8. 
 
 The time has now come for God 
 to work. Jehovah replies to Moses' 
 complaints, Now thou shalt see 
 what I will do to Pharaoh. This at 
 once answers the complaints and 
 shows that He has a plan for re- 
 quiting Pharaoh. God does not 
 move before the time to meet any 
 cavil, but at the proper time He 
 moves, and silences cavil and the 
 caviller. " Only with thine eyes 
 shalt thou behold and see the re- 
 ward of the wicked." — Ps. 91. 
 With, or by a strong 7iandh.e shall 
 let them go (ch. 3 : 19). The phrase 
 is repeated with emphasis and ap- 
 plied to Pharaoh's actually driv- 
 ing them out of the land for fear 
 of them. " Egypt was glad when 
 they departed, for the fear of them 
 fell upon them."— Ps. 105: 38. 
 
 2, 3. God deems it worth while 
 at this solemn crisis of His judgment 
 to announce Himself by His pecu- 
 liar redemptive name, i" Jehovah. 
 He further associates this dealing 
 with all the past covenant dealings, 
 
 as all along moving forward in the 
 sphere of Redemption. To the pa- 
 triarchs He had not so fully re- 
 vealed Himself as a personal Re- 
 deemer, but By the name of God 
 Almighty Heb. El Shaddai (Gen. 17: 
 1.) This is the name which reveals 
 God as Omnipotent. Eicald admits 
 this name to be the expression of 
 the thought of the Patriarchs, find- 
 ing in it the truth, that " He who is 
 alone rightly called the Almighty 
 God, can only be One before whom 
 all plurality and distinctions of Di- 
 vine natures disappear." He was 
 known to them as El Shaddai, the 
 Potent, but not as Jehovah, the 
 Agent. This peculiar name Jeho- 
 vah was surely in common use 
 before this time, (Genesis, ch. 2: 4,) 
 where it appears first in combina- 
 tion with Elohim, (Gen. 4 : 1) as 
 used by Eve. So Exod. 3: 14, 16; 
 4:1, shows it to have been familiar. 
 At the institution of the covenant 
 with Abraham, God said to him, 
 I am El Shaddai, God Almighty — 
 Omnipotent to perform. This in- 
 cited faith in the promise. And so 
 God wrought for him, to prove His 
 omnipotency. Xow there is a sec- 
 ond step to be taken in the covenant 
 working and in the development of 
 God's Redeeming Plan. God is 
 now and henceforth to show Him- 
 self as Jehovah, acting in the ca- 
 pacity of Redeemer in the first 
 
63 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 4 And I have also established my covenant f with them, to 
 give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, 
 wherein they were strangers. 
 
 5 And I have also heard the s groaning of the children of 
 Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage ; and I have h re- 
 membered my covenant. 
 
 6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, 
 and I will bring you out i from under the burdens of the Egyp- 
 tians, and I will rid you out of their bondage ; and I will J re- 
 deem you with a stretched-out arm, and with great judgments : 
 
 7 And I will take you to me k for a people, and I will be to 
 you a God : and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, 
 which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyp- 
 tians. 
 
 f Ge. 17:7,8. gch. 2: 24; Ps. 106:44. 
 j cb. 15 : 13; De. 7 : 8; lCh. 17: 21 ; Ne. 1 : 10. 
 1: 10; Re. 21: 3,7. 
 
 h Ps. 105: 8. i De. 26: 8; Ps. 81: 6. 
 
 k De. 4: 20; 2Sa. 7: 24; Je. 31 : 33; Ho. 
 
 great act of Redemption by means 
 of a Personal Leader (Moses) as the 
 type of the Personal Deliverer — 
 the Messiah. The meaning then is 
 not that this name Jehovah had not 
 been known, but that He was not 
 known to them in this capacity, or 
 with such Redeeming display as 
 was now to be manifest. They had 
 often used this name. Gen. 12 : 
 1,7, 8; 14: 22; 15: 2,6; 17 : 1 ; 
 18 : 27 ; 31 : 33 ; 22 : 14 ; 25 : 21 ; 
 28: 13,16,21. The name Jehovah 
 already known is now to be made 
 more fully and gloriously manifest. 
 4, 5. This name implies fidelity 
 to a covenant. This is fixed as the 
 basis of proceeding. He will act 
 according to it, and will act up to 
 it. And in making known His 
 name, He will deliver them from 
 bondage and will give to them the 
 Land of Canaan. This latter, 
 which is the result of the deliver- 
 ance, is put first, for that is the 
 great object and end in view. The 
 fulfilment of promises already 
 made would confirm their faith for 
 the future. 1 have established my 
 covenant with them (the fathers) 
 Gen. 15 ; 18 ; 17 : 4, 7, to give them 
 — this was the Divine territorial 
 grant — the Land of Canaan — to 
 them as a people — the land of their 
 
 pilgrimage — where they dwelt in 
 tents and had no inheritance (Heb. 
 11 :9 i) though heirs together of the 
 country. There was to be a display 
 of God's nature and purposes in the 
 sphere of grace and Redemption 
 more glorious than by any displays 
 of miraculous powers. Besides the 
 time had come for God to work and 
 fulfil his covenant promise — ' For I 
 have heard the groanings,' etc. 
 ' Man's extremity is God's oppor- 
 tunity.' Whom the Egyptians keep 
 in bondage — so persistently — and I 
 have remembered my covenant. It 
 had not passed from His mind. He 
 kept it in vivid remembrance both 
 as to the thing promised and as to 
 the time for the performance. — Gen. 
 15: 10, 11. 
 
 6, 7. Wherefore say — God now 
 authorizes the public announce- 
 ment of His purpose prefacing the 
 declaration by His Redemptive 
 Name. I am Jehovah — and in pur- 
 suance of this title, I will bring you 
 out, etc. — with a stretched out arm, 
 v. 1. This indicates the great 
 'judgment' which he undertakes to 
 execute. And I will take you to me 
 for a people. This is the covenant 
 relation which He now is to estab- 
 lish with them as a people. It had 
 been instituted with their fathers 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the 
 which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Ja- 
 cob; and I will give it you for an heritage : I am the Loed. 
 
 9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel : but they 
 hearkened not l unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel 
 bondage. 
 
 10 And the Loed spake unto Moses, saying, 
 
 11 Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let 
 the children of Israel go out of his land. 
 
 12 And Moses spake before the Loed, saying, Behold, the 
 children of Israel have m not hearkened unto me ; how then 
 shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of n uncircumcised lips ? 
 
 13 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and 
 
 lch.5: 21. mVer.9. n Ver. 30; Le . 26: 41; Je. 9 : 26; Ac. 7: 51. 
 
 enant and seals. (7) It is a high 
 privilege to be the believing chil- 
 dren of pious parents. It is a great 
 disgrace to disown or deny our fath- 
 ers' God. 
 
 § 12. Moses' Discouragement. 
 — God's Command. — Their 
 Genealogies.— Ch. VI, 9-30. 
 
 9. For anguish, (Heb.) for short- 
 ness of breath, or straitness of spirit 
 — depression. The severity of their 
 bondage crushed their hope and did 
 not allow any confidence. The dif- 
 ferent condition of the people led 
 to a different reception from that in 
 ch. 4 : 31. 
 
 10-1 2. Again Jehovah bids Moses 
 go in unto Pharaoh and make his 
 demand. Moses objects that al- 
 ready he has failed to impress the 
 people of Israel, and how then shall 
 Pharaoh hear me, icho (am) of un- 
 circumcised lips, (Chald.) of heavy 
 speech. (Gr.) a?uoyoc without speech, 
 the lips covered with a foreskin 
 hindering the words, is the first 
 idea — hesitating speech — without 
 fluency. So here. See v. 30. 
 (Then the lips unrenewed — as cir- 
 cumcision was a token of renewal 
 of nature.) (Syr.) Mine is a stam- 
 mering tongue. See ch. 4 : 10. See 
 also v. 30. There the objection is 
 more fully answered. No natural 
 defect is meant. 
 
 13. This repeated objection is 
 
 when they were only a family. 
 Now, since their development in 
 Egypt from a family to a Nation, 
 God will formally establish His cov- 
 enant relation to them in this new 
 light. See Deut, 29 : 13. The- for- 
 mal adoption of Israel as a nation 
 took place at Sinai (ch. 19 : 5.) 
 There He will make Himself known 
 to them as Jehovah, your (covenant) 
 God, which bringeth you out, etc. 
 — Exod. 30 : 2. 
 
 8. He will also bring them into 
 Canaan — which I have lifted up my 
 hand to give it, etc, — the gesture of 
 an oath, lifting the hand towards 
 heaven. Deut. 32 : 40. Comp. Gen. 
 14; 22. 1 1 the Lord {Jehovah) 
 will do it. 
 
 Lessons. — (1) God will have His 
 people see what He can do. (2) 
 God reveals Himself as Redeemer 
 by His gracious redemptive works. 
 In daily Providence He shows Him- 
 self to us as the God of grace. (3) 
 To the mere reason God shows Him- 
 self as Creator. But there is a time 
 when to each of His own people He 
 makes Himself known as Redeemer, 
 Saviour. (4) God's glory is to re- 
 veal Himself to us in grace as our 
 covenant Jehovah, (o) God claims 
 that He is ours, and we are His — 
 and blessed are they who see and 
 rejoice in this relation. (6) God 
 remembers His covenant with the 
 fathers, and blessed are they who 
 honor and prize the household cov- 
 
64 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 gave them a ° charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pha- 
 raoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the 
 land of Egypt. 
 
 14 These be the heads of their fathers' houses: p the sons of 
 Reuben, the first-born of Israel; Ilanoch, and Pallu, Ilezron, 
 and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben. 
 
 15 And <i the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and 
 Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shanl, the son of a Canaan- 
 itish woman : these are the families of Simeon. 
 
 16 And these are the names of the sons of r Levi, accord- 
 ing to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. 
 And the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and 
 seven years. 
 
 17 The sons of Gershon; Libni and Shimi, according to 
 their families. 
 
 18 And the sons of Kohath; s Amram, and Izhar, and Heb- 
 ron, and Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kohath were an 
 hundred thirty and three years. 
 
 o Nu. 27: 19,23; De. 31: 14. p Ge. 46: 9, etc.; ICh. 5:3. q ICh. 4: 24. r Nu. 3: 17; 
 1 Ch. 6 : 1. 
 
 met by a repeated charge to go for- 
 ward to the work of deliverance. 
 Before proceeding further in the 
 narrative, the record is here given 
 in brief of the genealogy of Moses 
 and Aaron. For these men stand 
 in special relation to the family and 
 nation of Israel, just as the deliver- 
 ance which they are charged to ef- 
 fect stands as the first great histori- 
 cal type of the redemption by Christ 
 Jesus, under a Personal Lawgiver, 
 Mediator, Prophet, and Leader, 
 Moses. Properly enough, there- 
 fore, the historian would here give 
 their genealogy in connection with 
 this eminent work to which they 
 are called. 
 
 14-17. These are the heads of 
 their fathers' houses. A question is 
 raised here whether these are the 
 genealogies of three tribes, or even 
 of the tribe of Levi for four gene- 
 rations, or only a genealogy of the 
 heads of Israelite families and of a 
 few names conspicuous in the his- 
 tory. It is plainly the latter. Ac- 
 cording to the methods of gene- 
 alogy in Israel there were subdivis- 
 ions into tribes, thence into the 
 
 families — mishpachoth — and these 
 into the larger divisions, the fathers' 
 houses. The names are given of 
 such of Reuben's and Simeon's 
 sons as were the founders of fami- 
 lies, and then Levi and his three 
 sons are given as he was the tribe- 
 father of Moses and Aaron. Am- 
 ram, the son of Kohath, was not 
 the same Amram as the father of 
 Moses, and an indefinitely long list 
 of generations has been omitted be- 
 tween the former and his descend- 
 ant of the same* name Colenso 
 claims that we have the entire list 
 here, and that there is only an in- 
 crease of one thousand in 38 years, 
 whereas it should have been an in- 
 crease of some 26,000, according to 
 the rates of English increase. All 
 this inference from English increase 
 is arbitrary and the assumption that 
 the whole list is given is the false 
 ground of his objection to this part 
 of the history. Besides, Colenso 
 claims that the Exodus was in the 
 fourth descent, or that of grandsons, 
 grandsons of the Patriarchs, which 
 is sheer mistake. This question is 
 treated at length by Birks on the 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 65 
 
 19 And the sons of Merari ; Mahali, and Mnshi ; these are 
 the families of Levi, according to their generations. 
 
 20 And Araram took him Jochebed, his father's sister, to 
 wife ; and she bare him Aaron and Moses. And the years of 
 the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years. 
 
 21 And the sons of Izhar; l Korah, and Nepheg, and 
 Zichri. 
 
 22 And the sons of Uzziel; u Mishael, and Elzaphan, and 
 Zithri. 
 
 23 And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of v Ammin- 
 adab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him w Nadab, 
 and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 
 
 24 And the sons of Korah ; Assir, and Elkanah, Abiasaph ; 
 these are the families of the Korhites. 
 
 25 And Eleazar, Aaron's son, took him one of the daugh- 
 ters of Putiel to wife: and she bare him Phinehas; x these are 
 the heads of the fathers of the Levites, according to their fam- 
 ilies. 
 
 26 These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the Lord 
 said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt 
 according to their armies. 
 
 27 These are they which spake to ? Pharaoh king of Egypt, 
 
 s Nu. 26 : 5"i 
 24: 33. 
 
 t Nu. 16: 1. u Le. 10: 4. v Ru. 4: 19. w lCh. 
 
 !; 24: 1. x Jos. 
 
 Exodus of Israel. See also Delitzsch 
 and Murphy. 
 
 20. We are brought down in the 
 list to the parentage of Moses and 
 Aaron. Amram married his aunt, 
 as wa'S allowed at that day, though 
 afterwards forbidden, (Lev. 18). 
 See ch 2 : 1. It is not to be sup- 
 posed that these were the only chil- 
 dren of Amram. He was, proba- 
 bly, about a hundred years old at 
 Moses' birth, and it is not likely 
 that these were all his children — 
 Moses, Aaron and Miriam — both the 
 latter elder than Moses. (Numb. 
 26 : 59.) The list is given so far as 
 any names of interest in the after 
 history are concerned, Korah (Num. 
 16.) Uzziel's sons (Lev. 10 : 4.) The 
 genealogy traces the descent of the 
 leading priestly families. Aaron's 
 and Eleazar's wives are given. 
 
 23. Elisheba. (Gr.) E?,uja3er— 
 Elizabeth. She was the fifth in de 
 scent from Judah, while Aaron was 
 
 only the fourth from Levi by his 
 father's side and the third by his 
 mother's. This shows the disparity 
 in the number of generations in 
 different lines. Aaron's sons occur 
 in the history hereafter. None of 
 the sons of Moses are mentioned in 
 this list, because his dignity did 
 not descend in any line as Aaron's. 
 
 24. The sons of Korah. See 
 Num.26: 11. 
 
 25. Phinehas — the sixth [inclu- 
 sive] from Levi and the seventh 
 from Judah. 
 
 Plainly these fragments from the 
 genealogical tables are inserted 
 here with an object to make clear 
 the position of these ambassadors 
 in their relation to the covenant 
 family and nation. 
 
 26. 27. These are that Aaron 
 and Moses. These are the men, 
 and this is their lineage. Aaron's 
 name is here given first, as the 
 elder and the representative of the 
 
C6 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 to bring out the children of Israel z from Egypt ; these are that 
 Moses and Aaron. 
 
 28 And it came to pass on the day when the Lord spake 
 unto Moses in the land of Egypt, 
 
 29 That the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I am the Lord; 
 speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all a that I say unto 
 thee. 
 
 30 And Moses said before the Lord, Behold, I am of b un- 
 circumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me ? 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 AND the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god a 
 to Pharaoh ; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. 
 2 Thou shalt speak all b that I command thee; and Aaron 
 thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children 
 of Israel out of his land. 
 
 z ch. 33: 1; Ps. 77: 20; Mi. 6: 4. a Je. 1; 7, 8, 17;23:28; 26: 2; Eze. 2: 
 Ma. 28: 20. b Ver. 12. a Ps. 82 : 6; Jno. 10: 35. b ch. 6: 29. 
 
 7; 3:11; 
 
 line of Levi. But in v. 27, where the 
 connection is with the subsequent 
 history, the order is reversed/ These, 
 are that Moses and Aaron,' as Mo- 
 ses was to take the leading part. 
 
 28. Here the history of the de- 
 liverance is resumed from v. 12. 
 
 29. 1 am Jehovah. Thus He is 
 making Himself known by His 
 name Jehovah — Covenant God and 
 Redeemer. This is the ample war- 
 rant for Moses to go forward, not 
 fearing the face of man. 
 
 80. Moses repeats his objection 
 from personal infirmity, as already 
 noticed, and God will most fully 
 meet it now. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 § 13. Miracle Accrediting their 
 Mission. Ch. VII : 1-13. 
 
 It is commonly admitted that 
 the deliverance of Israel must have 
 resulted not from an uprising of 
 the dependent and powerless peo- 
 ple, nor from a foreign invasion, 
 but from heavy calamities forcing 
 at length a surrender which the 
 government could no longer refuse 
 
 or prevent. Stanley says that, "In 
 all outward appearance, as the chief 
 of the Tribe of Levi, as the head of 
 the family of Arnram, as the spokes- 
 man and interpreter, as the first 
 who spake to the people and to 
 Pharaoh all the words which the 
 Lord had spoken to Moses and who 
 did the signs in the sight of the peo- 
 ple, as the permanent inheritor of the 
 sacred staff or rod, the emblem of 
 rule and power, Aaron, not Moses, 
 must have been the representative 
 and leader of Israel. But Moses 
 was the inspiring, informing soul 
 within and behind — and Moses the 
 dumb, backward, disinterested pro- 
 phet continues for all ages the fore- 
 most leader of the chosen People, 
 the witness that something more is 
 needed for man's guidance than the 
 high, hereditary office, or the gift of 
 fluent speech." — Jewish Hist. p. 127. 
 1, 2. See, 1 have made thee a god 
 to Pharaoh. He was appointed, 
 constituted God's representative in 
 dealing with Pharaoh, armed with 
 Divine judgments, etc. In ch. 4: 
 10, Moses was to be a god to Aaron, 
 and Aaron is here to be his prophet 
 to announce to Pharaoh the Divine 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 67 
 
 3 And I will c harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my 
 signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. 
 
 4 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay 
 my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my 
 people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great 
 judgments. 
 
 5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the d Lord, when 
 I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the chil- 
 dren of Israel from among them. 
 
 6 And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them, 
 bo did they. 
 
 7 And Moses teas fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore 
 and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh. 
 
 8 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 
 
 9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a mi- 
 racle e for you ; then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, 
 and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. 
 
 c ch. 11: 9. d ch. 14: 4, 18; Ps. 9 : 16. e Matt. 12: 39; Jno. 2: 18. 
 
 revelations given to Moses. Their 
 respective work is here laid down 
 — what part each of them is to act 
 in the great mission — that he send. 
 Rather — And so he will send. 
 
 3. Here the part of God in the 
 matter is revealed beforehand in 
 that awful process of heart-harden- 
 ing. Here the word means " I will 
 indurate" — make obstinate. God's 
 agency to this effect, as we have 
 seen, was no severity, but only the 
 natural working of the Divine deal- 
 ing upon a depraved heart, whereas 
 the effect would have been the very 
 opposite upon a virtuous nature. 
 God however, has his plans, and no 
 Pharaoh can baffle them. He propo- 
 ses in the same great programme, to 
 multiply His signs and His wonders 
 in the land of Egypt. These ought 
 to have broken down his opposition 
 and enlightened his mind in the 
 knowledge of God. But they were 
 the means of making him harder, 
 not the cause of the hardening. 
 
 4. But Pharaoh shall not heark- 
 en., lit., will not hear. There is 
 nothing imperative here. That I 
 may lay, etc., lit., and I will lay 
 my hand, etc. The nation of Egypt 
 was to be scourged for the sin of 
 
 the king, because they were repre- 
 sented by him and sympathized 
 with him, and were held righteously 
 answerable. My Jiosts, my armies. 
 This refers to them as going forth 
 in military array. — ch. 13 : 18 ; 12 : 
 51. Comp. Num. 1, 6. 
 
 5. The effect upon the Egyptians 
 is here stated. They shall know 
 that 1 am Jehovah. Not merely to 
 deliver Israel would He work these 
 miracles, but to destroy in Egypt 
 the system of their idolatry. 
 
 6. The venerable age of these 
 brother messengers is now given as 
 eighty and eighty-three — every way 
 calculated to command respect and 
 attention. This was their prime 
 — and not more than forty now, in 
 proportion to the average lifetime. 
 
 8, 9. Direction is now given for 
 satisfying Pharaoh's demand for 
 evidence of their Divine commis- 
 sions. Shew a miracle for you, Heb. 
 Give a miracle (omen) for you. This 
 was in the tone of challenge — not 
 pledging himself to be convinced — 
 but rather defying them to do any- 
 thing supernatural. A miracle was 
 recognized as the sufficient attesta- 
 tion of a Divine commission. It be- 
 longs to the very idea of God to infer 
 
GS 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they 
 did so as the Lord had commanded; and Aaron cast down his 
 rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a 
 serpent. 
 
 11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and f the sorcer- 
 ers; now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner 
 with their enchantments. 
 
 f Da. 2: 2; 2Ti. 
 
 that He will not put His Divine im- 
 press upon any imposture. Moses 
 was to give direction from God to 
 Aaron, and Aaron was to work the 
 supernatural sign. Aaron was to 
 cast down his rod (of power) before 
 Pharaoh and it would become a ser- 
 pent. Here the term is Tannin. 
 It is rendered a dragon, as in Mala- 
 chi. So the Sept. — a general term 
 for the snake. It may have been 
 the asp or basilisk, which was the 
 emblem of royalty in Egypt. It is 
 applied also to the crocodile, as a 
 symbol of Egypt. Aaron's rod was 
 the same as Moses' (ch. 4 : 2-4). 
 Comp. vs. 15, 17 with 19 and 20. 
 This sign was chosen because the 
 art of snake-charming was so preva- 
 lent in Egypt. These charmers 
 boasted that they could turn a stick 
 to a snake, and snakes into sticks. 
 Moses was to awe them by perform- 
 ing the reality. They were skilled 
 in making the snake to appear stiff 
 and lifeless as a stick, and then they 
 recovered it again. Bush thinks it 
 was a crocodile (Ps. 74 : 13). In v. 
 15 and in ch. 4 : 3 the animal is 
 called nahhash, a different kind of 
 snake or serpent as better suited to 
 the people of Israel before whom 
 the miracle was first performed. 
 
 11. The contest opens now be- 
 tween the gods of Egypt and the 
 God of the Hebrews. Pharaoh no vv 
 summons the magicians. They were 
 not the adroit and supple conjurers 
 and tricksters, like Simon Magus 
 at Samaria, whose profession was 
 by secret arts and incantations to 
 do wonders. But they were the 
 wise men, educated in Divine wis- 
 dom, and of the priestly caste. The 
 
 question whether they really 
 wrought miracles involves the 
 question how far God may allow to 
 Satanic agencies any supernatural 
 work for a purpose. The theory 
 of Arnold and others, that a miracle 
 can be wrought by Satan, and that 
 you must first learn whether the 
 miracle before you is wrought in 
 the interest of good or evil, before 
 you can decide what it attests, is 
 fallacious, for precisely what we 
 want to know by the miracle is 
 whether the cause that is served by 
 it, is good or evil. Paul refers to 
 these magicians and names two of 
 them, Jannes and Jambres (2 Tim. 
 3 : 8). And as these professional 
 magicians — magi — CJiartummim — 
 were of the priestly caste, the power 
 of their gods was represented in 
 their machinations. And their de- 
 feat by the messengers of Jehovah, 
 was a defeat of Egypt's gods (ch. 
 12 : 12). They did in like manner 
 with their enchantments — also they 
 — so ; means 1st they did this thing 
 after a fashion, with their enchant- 
 ments, making it to appear by their 
 skilful arts in like manner — as if it 
 had been done. So in ch. 8 : 18 
 it is recorded "And the magicians 
 did so with their enchantments to 
 bring forth lice, but they could not" 
 12. For they cast down every man 
 his rod, and they became serpents. 
 Bush thinks it should be rendered 
 — that they might become serpents. 
 But there is no objection to the 
 received reading. They became 
 serpents, after a fashion — it is not 
 said whether by natural or preter- 
 natural means, only that from the 
 whole narrative we infer that it 
 
CHAPTER VII. 69 
 
 12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became 
 serpents; but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. 
 
 13 And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not 
 unto them ; as the s Lord had said. 
 
 14 And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hard- 
 ened, h he refuseth * to let the people go. 
 
 g Yer. 4. h ch. 8: 15; 10: 1, 27. i Je. 8: 5; He. 12: 25. 
 
 was a mere illusion and sham, ac- 
 cording to their occult science. Bui 
 Aaron's rod, etc, This is the great 
 fact that settles the question be- 
 tween them. The Divine power is 
 triumphant. The magicians' rods 
 were rods still, and not serpents, 
 and Aaron's had life to swallow up 
 the rods of the magicians. Pharaoh 
 had summoned these magicians to 
 try their skill in the same direction 
 so as to confound these messengers 
 who boasted a Divine commission, 
 and so as to show the gods of Egypt 
 to be equal to those of the Hebrews. 
 These magicians were counted holy 
 among the Egyptians, and so the 
 Wonder-working stood connected 
 with their religious faith and their 
 system of idolatry. Many, such as 
 Augustine, Calvin, Delitzseh, Heng- 
 stenberg, Trench, etc., think that 
 the magicians in Egypt stood in re- 
 lation to a spiritual kingdom as 
 really as did Moses and Aaron, and 
 that their feats were not indeed mir- 
 acles in the sense of orjfxeia dwafiets , 
 yet they were of the style of regard.. 
 prodigies — lying wonders (2 Thess. 
 2 : 9) intended to support a Panthe- 
 ism, a religion of nature which ren- 
 dered homage to evil spirits, serpent- 
 worship being a principal part of the 
 system. And their power over ser- 
 pents was that by which these Ma- 
 gi principally supported the dignity 
 of their order as a guild. An as- 
 sault upon this, therefore, properly 
 enough, opened the religious con- 
 test, And when Aaron's rod swal- 
 lowed up theirs, the symbol of 
 their office was gone, and the baton 
 of their power was missing. Phara- 
 oh, however, was fain to believe that 
 their power was of the same sort 
 
 with that of the Divine messengers, 
 and so his heart w r as hardend. 
 
 13. And he hardened, etc. This 
 is the same phrase as in v. 22, and 
 should be read the same — " And 
 Pharaoh's heart was hardened — lit. 
 — became firm, strong, unyielding." 
 The result was according as Jeho- 
 vah had said. The cause was the 
 heart-hardening of Pharaoh. 
 
 § 14. The First Plague. Ch.VII: 
 14-25. 
 
 14. Jehovah now makes distinct 
 announcement to Moses of the fact 
 in regard to Pharaoh's stupid insen- 
 sibility and refusal. The term used 
 here is not the same as in the pre- 
 vious verse, but it is the verb mean- 
 ing to be heavy. Pharaoh's heart is 
 heavy, insensible, stupid. He vainly 
 concluded that the Divine messen- 
 gers were sufficiently matched by 
 the magicians, or else perhaps the 
 signal defeat of these latter vexed 
 him, so as to provoke him to a stern- 
 er refusal. God does not interfere to 
 compel Pharaoh's compliance. He 
 will work by means, and leave the 
 responsibility with the creature. 
 Murphy calculates that this was 
 about Jan. 20. 
 
 The plagues are ten in number — ■ 
 and this is the number denoting 
 perfection. The last, however, was 
 the extra and crowning one, wdiich 
 may be separated from the rest leav- 
 ing nine, which may be ranged into 
 threes. In the first of each three 
 the warning is given to Pharaoh in 
 the morning (7 : 15 ; 8 : 20 ; 9 : 13). 
 In the first and second of each three 
 the plague is announced beforehand 
 (8 : 1 ; 9 : 1 ; 10 : 1). In the third not 
 
70 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 15 Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out 
 unto the water; and thou shalt si and by the river's brink 
 against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent J 
 shalt thou take in thine hand. 
 
 16 And thou shalt say unto him, The Lord God of the k 
 Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, * 
 that they may serve me in the wilderness, and, behold, hitherto 
 thou wouldest not hear. 
 
 17 Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am 
 m the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine 
 hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be 
 turned n to blood. 
 
 j Ver. 10. k ch. 3 : 18. 1 ch. 8 : 1, &c. m Ver. 5; ISa. 17 : 46; IKi. 20 : 28; 2Ki. 19: 19; 
 Eze. 29: 9; 30: 8; 38: 23. n Ps. 78: 44; 105: 29. 
 
 (8 : 16 ; 9 : 8 ; 10 : 21). At the third 
 the magicians of Pharaoh acknowl- 
 edge the finger of God (8 : 19). At 
 the sixth they cannot stand before 
 Moses (9: 11). And at the ninth 
 Pharaoh refuses to see the face of 
 Moses any more (10 : 28). In the 
 first three Aaron uses the rod. In 
 the second three it is not mentioned. 
 In the last three Moses uses it, 
 though in the last one of these only 
 his hand is mentioned. All these 
 marks of order lie on the face of 
 the narrative, and they point to a 
 deeper order of nature and of rea- 
 son out of which they spring. See 
 Murphy. " In the first three signs 
 the superior power of the God of 
 Israel made itself sufficiently known 
 to any one who did not studiously 
 seek a support for his unbelief and 
 rebellion." Hengstenberg, " The con- 
 test was first intentionally carried 
 on in a sphere in which the Egyp- 
 tian magicians, as we certainly know 
 with reference to the first sign, had 
 hitherto shown their principal pow- 
 er. After they had there been van- 
 quished, the scene was changed to 
 a sphere in which they could not at 
 all further contend, and the doom 
 which, in this way, came upon tliem 
 fell through them upon their gods." 
 " The gradation in the severity of 
 the strokes is also obvious. In the 
 first three no distinction is made be- 
 tween the inhabitants of the land. 
 
 In the remaining seven the Israel- 
 ites are shielded, and the Egyptians 
 are exposed to the stroke. In these 
 seven which are peculiar to the 
 Egyptians, the order of the work of 
 creation is reversed. Three refer 
 to the animal and three to the vege- 
 table world — the support of animal 
 life. The last of these six is dark- 
 ness the opposite of light (the pro- 
 duct of the first day) and the seventh 
 is death. The first three strike at 
 the health and comfort. The next 
 three strike away the staff of life. 
 Then comes death itself — and so the 
 destruction is complete." — MnrpJiy. 
 15. Lo ! he goeth out, etc. 
 Doubtless it was to pay his daily 
 homage to the sacred river, which 
 the Egyptians regarded as their su- 
 preme Deity (ch. 2 : 5). It was to 
 the land the source of almost every 
 blessing, for drink, for bathing, for 
 irrigation, for planting of the bottom 
 lands, over which it spread in its 
 rise, by dropping the seed in the soft 
 soil as it subsided. 
 
 16. Pharaoh is to be met on the 
 bank of the sacred stream, and re- 
 minded of Moses' commission and 
 of his refusal hitherto. The Lord 
 — lit. Jehovah. 
 
 17. Pharaoh is now notified of 
 the awful proof which Jehovah 
 will give of Himself. The rod in 
 Moses' hand was that which had 
 been already used as an instrument 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 71 
 
 18 And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river 
 shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loath to drink of the wa- 
 ter of the river. 
 
 19 And the Lord spake nnto Moses, Say nnto Aaron, Take 
 thy rod, and stretch out thine hand ujDon the waters of Egypt, 
 upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and 
 upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and 
 that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both 
 in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone. 
 
 of Divine power. Now the effects 
 of smiting the river with it are no- 
 tified beforehand that the King 
 might see the intelligent will and 
 plan of Jehovah in it all. It is sup- 
 posed by some that this was on the 
 occasion of a public religious cere- 
 mony — probably after harvest at 
 the annual rise of the river called 
 the Red Nile, in June, when certain 
 rites were performed in presence of 
 the King to the River-God Nu or 
 Noah — and a wooden statue of the 
 River-God was carried through the 
 villages on these occasions. But it 
 is more probable that the miracle 
 was wrought at a different season — 
 in February. The Nile Divinity is 
 known in the Inscriptions as " the 
 Life-Giving father of all existen- 
 ces." Blood. It is remarkable that 
 when the Nile rises, the water is 
 very red in color, as if from depos- 
 its of red earth brought down by 
 the swollen streams. Ehrenberg 
 has found it, on analysis, owing to 
 cryptogamic plants and infusoria. 
 This phenomenon therefore was 
 now wrought in a way to be mirac- 
 ulous and most severe. For the red 
 water is most drinkable and deli- 
 cious to the people. But this blood- 
 red water becomes now offensive 
 and death dealing ! This would 
 show how superior Jehovah must 
 be to the River -God whom they 
 worshipped. 
 
 19. Aaron was now, at Moses' 
 direction, to use the rod for these 
 threatened results. There was but 
 one River in the land. But it had 
 streams, or arms — branches — in the 
 Delta where it runs into the sea. 
 
 Their rivers — the canals by which 
 they watered the fields — ponds — 
 large masses of standing water 
 after the subsidence of the river — a 
 marshy lake like Mceris — and all 
 their pools of water — either other 
 lakes or any artificial reservoirs for 
 such as were distant — were turned 
 to blood. The blood, into which 
 the water was thus miraculously 
 converted, was throughout all the 
 land — in wood and in stone (vessels) 
 as reservoirs for catching the over- 
 flow, or wherever it was kept for 
 daily use of the people. This may 
 also include the earthen conduits 
 and hydrants for public use. There 
 were also vessels of wood and stone 
 for filtering the water. The phe- 
 nomenon was taken out of the 
 sphere of natural events by the no- 
 tice given, and the immediate result 
 following upon this use of the rod 
 and the disastrous effect as threat- 
 ened. Some suppose the blood was 
 meant to symbolize the destruction 
 of the enemies of Israel, and to re- 
 mind Pharaoh of his bloody deeds. 
 The Nile commonly begins to rise 
 about the end of June, and attains to 
 its height at the close of September. 
 The miracle was wholly different 
 from the annual reddening of the 
 waters, however it may have seem- 
 ed in the color to wear the aspect 
 of blessing, in the result it was full 
 of curse. Murphy instances thus— 
 (1) It occurred at a different season 
 of the year. (2) The water was not 
 merely reddened, it was turned into 
 blood. (3) The fish died as was not 
 the case otherwise. (4) The river 
 became offensive, quite opposite to 
 
72 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded ; 
 and he lifted up the rod, and smote ° the waters that were in 
 the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his ser- 
 vants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to 
 blood. 
 
 21 And the fish that was in the river died; and the river 
 stank, and the Egyptians could not drink p of the water of the 
 river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 
 
 22 And the magicians of Egypt did q so with their enchant- 
 ments; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he 
 hearken unto them ; as the Lord had said. 
 
 23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did 
 he set his r heart to this also. 
 
 o ch. 17: 5; Nu. 20 ; 
 1: 5. 
 
 11. p Ver. 18. q 2Ti. 3:8. r Is. 26: 11 ; Je. 5 : 3; 36 : 24; Hag. 
 
 the case in the ordinary reddening. 
 (5) The miracle lasted seven days, 
 whereas the common reddening 
 lasted some three weeks. No one 
 can imagine how awful this blow 
 was in its disappointing and death- 
 dealing effects. There was an ob- 
 ject in working within the sphere 
 of the natural phenomena, yet in a 
 supernatural way, to show that God 
 is the author of both the natural 
 and the supernatural. There is no 
 intimation here given of an overflow 
 of the river, as if it were anywise 
 connected with the annual phenom- 
 enon of reddening. Pharaoh walks 
 to the river, brink and the people 
 dig around the river for water. 
 The water becomes putrid, which is 
 indicative of no overflow. Heng- 
 stenberg thinks that this occurred at 
 the time of the annual overflow and 
 reddening, and that through the 
 whole cycle of nine months God 
 wrought, in connection with the or- 
 dinarily recurring circle of natural 
 phenomena. Kurtz and others, 
 however, reckoning from what is 
 known of the dates, infer that not 
 more than nine weeks were occupied 
 in the whole list of plagues. Vol. 
 II, p. 269. See ch. 9 : 13. Note. 
 
 22-23. The m ag ic in n s— ch a rt u m - 
 ram— that is, the sacred scribes. 
 Two of these are named in the New 
 Testament, Jannes and Jamb res — 
 
 2 Tim. 3 : 8. These names mean 
 scribes of divers sorts. They were 
 masters of occult arts. When the 
 kingdom of light is to be advanced, 
 the kingdom of darkness always ral- 
 lies its forces to resist it. In the 11th 
 verse other terms are used meaning 
 wise men — magi. Observe, they did 
 so, not the very thing, but like it, 
 with their enchantments. The magi- 
 cians strove to imitate this wonder- 
 working so as to sustain their idol- 
 atrous system, and not succumb to 
 the Hebrew God Jehovah. There 
 was little pure water to practise up- 
 on ; but enough for the experiment, 
 it would seem, and it was the Nile 
 water, and not that in wells, that 
 was spoiled ; and, so far, the power 
 which they were allowed to wield 
 was in punishment, for it only added 
 to the plague by spoiling more wa- 
 ter, though it w r as a sham of theirs. 
 Easily enough some coloring matter, 
 or blood itself, might convert a small 
 portion into the semblance of blood, 
 like the liquefaction of St. Januari- 
 us' blood by the monks at Naples. 
 Why did not they convert the bloody 
 water into a pure, refreshing drink, 
 such as the people needed ? It was 
 when the magicians did so icith their 
 enchantments that Pharaoh's heart 
 was hardened. lie turned and icent 
 into his house, chagrined, but un- 
 yielding. If he had been well dis- 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 73 
 
 24 And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for 
 water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the 
 river. 
 
 25 And seven days were fulfilled, after that the Lord had 
 smitten the river. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 AND the Lord spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say 
 unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they 
 may serve me. 
 
 posed these poor cheats would have 
 been detected. To this also. Nei- 
 ther did he set his heart even to this 
 — to heed this, or be moved by this 
 sign — though so much more fear- 
 ful and damaging than the previous 
 sign. 
 
 24. Pharaoh worshipped nature, 
 in forms of base idolatry to natural 
 laws. What desperate resorts men 
 will make to relieve themselves, if 
 possible, from God.'s judgments, ra- 
 ther than believe, or bow to the 
 stroke. Digged round about, etc., 
 so as to get some water from springs, 
 or through the filtering of the sand. 
 
 25. The plague lasted a whole 
 week. Keil and Delitzsch think it 
 probable that this first plague oc- 
 curred in September or October, and 
 that the plague of hail, the seventh 
 plague, was in February. 
 
 Stanley says : " It is impossible, 
 a? we read the description of the 
 plagues, not to feel how much of 
 force is added to it by a knowledge 
 of the peculiar customs and charac- 
 ter of the country in which they oc- 
 curred. It is not an ordinary river 
 that is turned into blood. It is the 
 sacred, beneficent, solitary Nile, 
 the very life of the State and of the 
 people, in its streams and canals, 
 and tanks, and vessels of wood and 
 vessels of stone, then, as now, used 
 for the filtration of the water from 
 the sediment of the river bed. It is 
 not an ordinary nation that is struck 
 by the mass of putrefying vermin 
 lying in heaps in the houses, the 
 villages, and the fields, or multiply- 
 ing out of the dust of the desert 
 
 sands on each side of the Nile val- 
 ley . It is the cleanliest of all the 
 ancient nations, clothed in white 
 linen, anticipating in their fastidi- 
 ous delicacy and ceremonial purity 
 the habits of modern and northern 
 Europe. It is not the ordinary cattle 
 that died in the field, or ordinary 
 fish that died in the river, or ordi- 
 nary reptiles that were overcome by 
 the rod of Aaron. It is the sacred 
 goat of Mendes— the ram of Ammon 
 —the calf of Heliopolis— the Bull 
 Apis— the crocodile of Ombos— the 
 carp of Latopolis. It is not an ordi- 
 nary land of which the flax and the 
 barley, and every green thing in the 
 trees, and every herb of the field 
 are smitten by the two great calam- 
 ities of storm and locusts. It is the 
 garden of the ancient Eastern world 
 — the long line of green meadow and 
 cornfield, and groves of palm and 
 sycamore and fig-tree, from the Cat- 
 aracts to the Delta ; doubly refresh- 
 ing from the desert which it inter- 
 sects, doubly marvellous from the 
 river whence it springs. If these 
 signs were calamities anywhere, 
 they were truly ' signs and wonders' 
 — speaking signs and oracular won- 
 ders — in such a land as ' the land of 
 Ham.' "—Hist, of Jewish Gh., p. 131. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 § 15. The Second Plague— Frogs. 
 Ch. VIII : 1-15. 
 
 l-o. Moses is bidden to repeat 
 his formal demand upon Pharaoh 
 for the release of His people in or- 
 
74 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 2 And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all 
 thy borders with frogs : 
 
 3 And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which 
 shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bed-cham- 
 ber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and 
 upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading- 
 troughs ; 
 
 4 And the frogs shall come up, both on thee and upon thy 
 people, and upon all thy servants. 
 
 5 And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch 
 forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, 
 and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land 
 of Egypt. 
 
 6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of 
 Egypt : and the frogs a came up, and covered the land of Egypt. 
 
 7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and 
 brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. 
 
 a Ps. 78: 45; 105: 30. 
 
 der to a special religious service. 
 He is moreover fairly notified what 
 will be the penalty of refusal. 
 This was announced to the King in 
 his Palace, not at the Eiver as be- 
 fore. The Plague now threatened 
 is that of Frogs. These were fa- 
 miliar as belonging to the river 
 Nile. But the miracle consisted in 
 their immense and sudden multi- 
 plication, so as to swarm from the 
 river at the lifting of the rod in Aa- 
 ron's hand — all thy borders — the 
 whole land — behold 1 am smiting — 
 just ready to smite, — as a penal 
 infliction — with these frogs. And 
 the river shall bring forth frogs abun- 
 dantly — shall swarm with frogs. 
 (See Gen. 1 : 20, where the verb 
 used is the same.) They were to 
 come up into the King's bed-cham- 
 ber, and upon his bed. The chambers 
 were often on the ground-floor, and 
 the bed was a mat on the floo r, or a 
 divan raised a short distance above 
 it. The Ovens were either a hole 
 dug in the ground, and plastered 
 round with mortar, or, an earthen 
 pot, with a hole in the bottom for 
 letting out the ashes. The fire is 
 placed inside, and the dough laid on 
 the outer surface, or on the inner 
 
 surface after the fire was removed. 
 Thus they infested all quarters, in- 
 terfering with all domestic and per- 
 sonal comfort. These leaping, 
 loathsome creatures everywhere. 
 Yet the frog was one of the sacred 
 animals of the Egyptians, and thus 
 their idolatry was punished. Knead- 
 ing troughs. These were bowls or 
 troughs of wood or wicker-work. 
 And according to the size they used 
 the hands or the feet in working 
 the dough. But the frogs even 
 found their way hither, where they 
 wished to put the flour for their 
 bread. 
 
 4. The Plague should spare 
 none from highest to lowest. 
 
 5, 6. What answer, if any, Pha- 
 raoh made to this demand is not 
 recorded. He gave no satisfaction 
 and the Plague was brought upon 
 him as was threatened. The mira- 
 cle consisted in their swarming so 
 abundantly without any natural 
 cause, but by the supernatural pow- 
 er represented by the uplifted rod, 
 and in its coming to pass promptly in 
 obedience to the signal, as could be 
 by 1 Lvine power only. 
 
 7. The magicians did so with 
 their enchantments— imitating the 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 75 
 
 8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, b In- 
 treat the Loud, that he may take away the frogs from me, and 
 from my people ; and I will let the people go, that they may 
 do sacrifice unto the Lord. 
 
 9 And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me : when shall 
 I entreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to 
 destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may re- 
 main in the river only ? 
 
 10 And he said, To-morrow. And he said, Be it according 
 to thy word ; that thou mayest know that c there is none like 
 unto the Lord our God. 
 
 11 And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy 
 houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people ; they shall 
 remain in the river only. 
 
 12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh : and Mo- 
 ses d cried unto the Lord because of the frogs which he had 
 brought against Pharaoh. 
 
 13 And the Lord did e according to the word of Moses \ 
 and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and 
 out of the fields. 
 
 1-4 And they gathered them together upon heaps ; and the 
 land stank. 
 
 b ch. 9: 28; 10: IT; Nu. 21: 
 5: 16,18. e De. 34: 10-12. 
 
 ;; IKi. 13: 6; Ac. 8: 24. c De. 32: 31; 33: 26. d Ja. 
 
 miracle — and brought up frogs upon 
 the land of Egypt. As the creatures 
 were swarming already they ma- 
 nipulated so as to seem to bring 
 them up themselves — or perhaps 
 even succeeded, in bringing them up 
 from the river bed to particular spots. 
 They could only aggravate the 
 curse — not mitigate it. They could 
 not remove the Plague. 
 
 8. Pharaoh suffers so under this 
 terrible scourge that he begs Moses 
 and Aaron to entreat Jehovah for 
 his relief, and promises on this con- 
 dition to grant the people's release. 
 He thus admits that not the magi- 
 cians, but Jehovah, had it in con- 
 trol. 
 
 9. Glory over me. Either — Have 
 tlie honor over me (of saying) when 
 1 shall entreat for thee — or, you are 
 welcome to my services as intercessor 
 for you. The -sense is, Command 
 me as to the time — Name your own 
 time. It would seem that Moses 
 
 was most ready to meet Pharaoh 
 with terms at the first moment of 
 his yielding. The frogs were to be 
 remanded to their natural place, in 
 the river, where they would be 
 harmless. 
 
 10. The day was fixed — and it 
 was the nearest day — and Moses 
 was ready to make this a proof to 
 Pharaoh of God's a] mightiness 
 against all the gods of the heathen. 
 
 11-14. It was done according to 
 the time set by Pharaoh. The frog 
 was held sacred and regarded with 
 superstitious reverence as the sym- 
 bol of human life in embryo. It is 
 seen in the hieroglyphics sitting on 
 a ring, and from its back rises a 
 palm-branch, the symbol of the 
 month, or of time. Phtah the 
 creative or formative principle ap- 
 pears under the form of a god with 
 a frog's head. Pharaoh now must 
 see that this reptile is at the com- 
 mand of the god of Moses, to kill or 
 
76 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he f har- 
 dened his heart, and hearkened not unto them : as the Lord 
 had said, s 
 
 16 And the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch 
 out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become 
 lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 
 
 17 And they did so : for Aaron stretched out his hand with 
 his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became Mice in 
 man and in beast ; all the dust of the land became lice through- 
 out all the land of Egypt. 
 
 18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to 
 bring forth lice, but they could not : * so there were lice upon 
 man, and upon beast. 
 
 f Ec. 8: 11. 
 
 di. 
 
 4. h Ps. 105: 31. i Ge. 41: 8; Is. 19: 12; 47: 12; Da. 2: 10. 
 
 to make alive. Upon heaps. The 
 word is from the term meaning 
 omer, or bushel measure — by bush- 
 els. 
 
 15. Pharaoh's perverseness is here 
 noted. When he saw " that there 
 was breathing-time — relief from an 
 overpowering pressure — literally, as 
 soon as he got air," he hardened his 
 heart — made his heart heavy, so 
 that he did not hearken to Moses 
 and Aaron. And this was as the 
 Lord had said, for God knew his 
 heart. 
 
 § 16. The Third Plague- 
 Ch. VIII : 16-19. 
 
 -Lice. 
 
 16. The dust of the landw&s now 
 to be smitten so that it should 
 become lice. Some make it gnats. 
 The term does not mean common 
 lice, but a tiny insect of this species, 
 stinging painfully, and swarming so 
 as to infest the entire population, 
 as if the dust of the streets were 
 all turned into these. As in the 
 previous plagues, this was not an 
 entirely new thing in the country. 
 God used natural agencies, but 
 wrought supernaturally with them. 
 The miracle consisted, not in creat- 
 ing a new insect, but in causing 
 them to multiply so immensely at 
 the lifting of Aaron's rod, by His 
 command. These tiny creatures, 
 fine as the dust, find their way into 
 
 the eyes, ears and nostrils, and poi- 
 son by their bite, and become a 
 torment. We can testify from ex- 
 perience that vermin yet abound 
 in Egypt, and are a serious annoy- 
 ance to travellers, both inside the 
 dwelling and in the tents pitched 
 in the field. On the way we bought 
 a contrivance to protect our sleep 
 against such molestation. It con- 
 sisted of a sheet sewed up, excepting 
 an opening large enough to admit 
 the person through a bag of mos- 
 quito netting, which, when you are 
 within, is fastened above the head, 
 to the top of the tent, and gives fair 
 breathing space. This served as 
 an admirable protection from such 
 vermin ; but some of our company 
 preferred risking the vermin to 
 being sewed up, in that singular 
 manner, for sleep. Herodotus tells 
 us that the priests of Egypt shave 
 their whole body that no lice or 
 other impure thing may adhere to 
 them in the service of the gods. 
 
 18. The magicians did so with 
 their enchantments — to bring forth 
 lice — they smote the dust for the 
 purpose, but they could not. Their 
 skill was utterly baffled ; they could 
 not in any instance bring lice out of 
 the dust, after this fashion. They 
 are forced to confess themselves 
 overmatched, and to exclaim, "T his 
 is the finger of God." This, how- 
 ever, must not be understood as any 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 77 
 
 19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the J fin- 
 ger of God : and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he heark- 
 ened not unto them ; as the Lord had said. 
 
 20 And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the 
 morning, and stand before Pharaoh ; lo, he cometh forth to the 
 water ; and say unto him, Thus saith the Loed, Let my people 
 go, that they may serve me : 
 
 21 Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will 
 send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon 
 thy people, and into thy houses ; and the houses of the Egyp- 
 tians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground where- 
 on they are. 
 
 22 And I will sever k in that day the land of Goshen, in 
 
 j ISa. 6:3,9; Ps. 8: 3; Mat. 12:28; Lu. 11: 20. kch. 9: 4, &c; 10: 23; 11: 6,7; 12:13. 
 
 devout acknowledgment of the God 
 of the Hebrews {Jehovah), but only 
 a confession that it was supernatu- 
 ral, and not the work of Moses and 
 Aaron. So Bochart. Kurtz thinks 
 they meant to ascribe it to their 
 own divinities — all in one Elohim — 
 and that they did not go beyond 
 their own idolatrous system in this 
 confession. This would imply, if 
 so, that they regarded their defeat 
 as an expression of their own god 
 in favor of the demand for Israel's 
 release. The use of the phrase as 
 to the magicians' work shows that 
 their " doing so with their enchant- 
 ments " does not mean that they 
 wrought actually miracles, only that 
 they strove to imitate Moses and 
 Aaron. 
 
 Observe. — The narrative here 
 throughout shows that it could have 
 been written only by one who, like 
 Moses, had a thorough knowledge 
 of Egyptian affairs. 
 
 § 17. Second Trio of Plagues. 
 The Fourth Plague— Flies. 
 Ch. VIII : 20-32. 
 
 In this second trio of plagues 
 God works without the symbolic 
 rod of His servants, and thus He 
 would show that He is not tied to 
 this or that method. Henceforth, 
 also, a distinction is openly put 
 between the Israelites and the Egyp- 
 
 tians, to show that God will honor 
 and defend his own covenant people, 
 and that the plagues issued from his 
 hand. 
 
 20, 21. This fourth plague is no- 
 tified to Pharaoh at the river bank, 
 as at first, and in the morning. The 
 formal demand is again made, ac- 
 companied with this threatening. 
 The term means a mingling or mix- 
 ture, as if it were a collection or 
 swarm of noxious insects. But it 
 means a species of fly — gadfly or 
 dogfly. Such flies are commonly 
 one of the severest pests of Egypt, 
 some of them very large and of 
 grievous bite, alighting everywhere 
 on the exposed flesh, and frequently 
 infesting the moist parts of the eye- 
 lids and nostrils. They were to at- 
 tack the people, and fill the houses, 
 and cover the ground. No one can 
 conceive how terrible such a scourge 
 would be. The miracle consisted in 
 their immense multiplication and 
 terrible execution — at the divine 
 bidding. 
 
 22. I will sever, in that day. Now, 
 a new token was to be given of 
 Jehovah's design in the matter, by 
 the exemption of His own people 
 from the plague. The land of 
 Goshen should be spared from the 
 plague. I will distinguish in a mi- 
 raculous manner, in that day, etc. 
 And this should be to them a mani- 
 fest token of Jehovah's hand in the 
 
78 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there ; 
 to the end thou ma vest know that I gu>i the Loud in the midst 
 of the earth. 
 
 23 And I will put a division between my people and thy 
 people : to-morrow shall this sign be. 
 
 24 And the Lord did so : and there came a grievous swarm 
 of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses,* 
 and into all the land of Egypt ; the land was corrupted by 
 reason of the swarm of flies. 
 
 25 And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, 
 Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land. 
 
 26 And Moses said, It is not meet so to do ; for we shall 
 sacrifice the abomination "■ of the Egyptians to the Lord our 
 God : lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians 
 before their eyes, and will they not stone us ? 
 
 27 We will go m three days' journey into the wilderness, 
 and sacrifice to the Lord our God, as he shall? command us. 
 
 28 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacri- 
 
 1 Ge. 43: 32; 46: 34; De. 7: 25; 12: 31; IKi. 11: 5-7; 2Ki. 23: 13. m ch. 3: 18. 
 34: 11; he. 10: 1; Matt. 23: 20. 
 
 n ch. 
 
 midst of the earth, including the land 
 of Egypt. 
 
 23. And I will put a division — 
 lit. a deliverance. He would thus 
 show (1) His will and power to de- 
 liver His own people, and (2) that 
 He possessed unlimited sway in the 
 land of Egypt, as elsewhere. Thus 
 He would make himself known as 
 Jehovah. The day was set. God 
 can say to-morrow for judgment, to 
 give time for repentance. For grace 
 he says to-day. 
 
 24. The plague was brought on 
 directly by God without the rod of 
 His servants. The land was cor- 
 rupted — lit. destroyed, devoured, (Ps 
 78 : 45) by reason of the swarming 
 insects, poisoning the blood, disfig' 
 uring and tormenting the people, 
 and destroying vegetation also. The 
 Egyptians worshipped the fly-beetle, 
 etc. 
 
 25. 26. Pharaoh is now ready to 
 propose a compromise ; he is willing 
 that they shall sacrifice to their God 
 in the land of Egypt. Moses declines 
 this offer. "It is not meet {appointed) 
 so to do ; for we shall sacrifice the 
 abominations of the Egyptians. Not 
 
 that they would sacrifice animals 
 regarded as sacred by the Egyptians 
 — for the word would not be applied 
 to the sacred animals — but (1) That 
 they would sacrifice to Jehovah, 
 their God, as they were bidden to 
 do. (2) Because their sacrificing in 
 the land would be an abomination 
 to the Egyptians. (3) Because they 
 would not observe the minute ritual 
 ordinances of the Egyptians, as to 
 omens and regulations ; and hence 
 th-ey would be held as insulting 
 their religion. Doing thus before 
 their eyes, will they not stone us t 
 
 27. The demand was pressed, 
 according to the first formal appli- 
 cation. We will go three days' jour- 
 ney into the wilderness, and sacrifice 
 to Jehovah, our God, according as 
 He shall command vs. In this last 
 clause the manner and extent of the 
 service was left open for the Divine 
 command, and referred for the fu- 
 ture to the Divine direction — to go 
 further if so commanded. 
 
 28. Pharaoh now comes to terms 
 reluctantly, and with a caution as 
 to the distance — only ye shall not go 
 very far away. He was jealous of 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 79 
 
 fice to the Lord your God in the wilderness ; only ye shall 
 not go very far away : ° entreat for me. 
 
 29 And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will 
 entreat the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pha- 
 raoh, from his servants, and from his people, to-morrow : but 
 let not Pharaoh deal p deceitfully any more in not letting the 
 people go to sacrifice to the Lord. 
 
 30 And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the 
 Lord. 
 
 31 And the Lord did according to the word of Moses ; and 
 he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, 
 and from his people : there remained not one. 
 
 32 And Pharaoh <i hardened his heart at this time also, nei- 
 ther would he let the people go. 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 THEN the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and 
 tell him, thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my 
 people go, that they may serve me. 
 
 V. 8; ch. 9: 28; IK. 13: 6. p Ps. 78: 34-37; Je. 42: 
 
 q V. 15: ch. 4: 21; Ro. 2: 
 
 his authority, and suspicious of 
 them, as he was anxious not to lose 
 their bond-service. Pharaoh pleaded 
 for release from the bondage of the 
 plague, as Moses pleaded for release 
 of his people from Pharaoh's bond- 
 age. So the world pleads for con- 
 formity of the church, and against 
 entire separation. The border peo- 
 ple who do not go very far away are 
 still in bondage.— 2 Peter 2 : 20, 21. 
 29. Moses assents — appoints to- 
 morrow for the intercession with 
 Jehovah for Pharaoh's relief — and 
 adds a caution to Pharaoh against 
 breaking faith again as he had 
 already done. 
 
 30. Moses' plea was so efficacious 
 that the immense swarms were gone 
 — there remained not one to molest. 
 "Whether the insect was a large fly 
 of poisonous sting, or a beetle or a 
 cockroach, as Dr. Kirby (Bridgewa- 
 ter Treatise) suggests, the plague 
 was fearful ; and as this species 
 of insects was worshipped by the 
 Egyptians, and the scarabeus is a 
 venerated symbol among them rep- 
 
 resenting the sun, the miracle, as 
 before, struck at the system of idol- 
 atrous worship, and put the gods of 
 Egypt to shame. 
 
 32. The record is made again 
 against Pharaoh that he hardened 
 his heart at this time also, neither 
 icould he let the people go, adding 
 every time falsity in the very face 
 of Jehovah, so soon as the affliction 
 was removed at his promise and 
 prayer. Broken vows, in defiance 
 of God, make up the history of 
 heart-hardening ; and the narrative 
 shows the processes of mental and 
 moral operation whereby the ca- 
 reer of such an one waxes worse 
 and worse, deceiving and being- 
 deceived. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 § 18. The Fifth Plague— Rinder- 
 pest. Ch. IX : 1-7. 
 
 1-7. The threatening in this case 
 was of a rinderpest or cattle disease. 
 
80 
 
 EXODUS, 
 
 2 For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still, 
 
 3 Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is 
 in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, 
 upon the oxen, and upon the sheep : there shall' be a very griev- 
 ous murrain. 
 
 4 And the Loed shall sever between the cattle of Israel and 
 the cattle of Egypt : and there shall nothing die of all that is 
 the children's of Israel. 
 
 5 And the Lord appointed a set time, saying, To-morrow 
 the Lord shall do this thing in the land. 
 
 6 And the Lord did that thing on the morrow, and a all 
 the cattle of Egypt died ; but of the cattle of the children of 
 Israel died not one. 
 
 7 And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the 
 cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was 
 hardened, and he did not let the people go. 
 
 a Ps. 78: 50. 
 
 They had reason to know something 
 of this calamity, as it was more or 
 less of annual occurrence at the 
 subsidence of the Nile waters. But 
 so they could understand it, and 
 would dread it. And here it is 
 threatened, at the hand of Jehovah, 
 as a direct infliction. In 1782, and 
 more recently in 1842, '63 and '66, 
 nearly all of the herds were de- 
 stroyed by the cattle disease. How 
 serious a trouble this is we can 
 judge somewhat from the simi- 
 lar calamity in Europe and Amer- 
 ica. Beasts of burden, as well as 
 all domestic animals, were smitten 
 with the pest. The horses and 
 camels in the desert were reached 
 by it.— Jer. 12 : 4. 
 
 2. Wilt hold them still — 
 strengthenest, or, holdest fast upon 
 them — obstinately persisting in keep- 
 ing them oy force. 
 
 3. The hand of the Lord {Jeho- 
 vah). Not by the rod of Aaron — 
 making it thus more a direct visita- 
 tion of Jehovah. A very grievous 
 murrain. Sept. — A death vehe- 
 mently great. The term in general 
 means pestilence or epidemic dis- 
 ease, and iL eludes the typhus and 
 epizooty or catarrhal distemper. 
 And as something of the kind was 
 
 known in Egypt, the threatening 
 would be sufficiently understood to 
 be dreaded. And the miracle con- 
 sisted in its coming as foretold, and 
 at a set time, and in greatly in- 
 creased severity, and in its being 
 confined for a purpose to the Egyp- 
 tian cattle, as stated in v. 4. 
 
 5. A set time — appointed and 
 named — to-morrow — so as to give 
 opportunity to avoid it by their 
 compliance, and so as to prove the 
 divine power by the occurrence at 
 the time proposed. 
 
 6. All the cattle. The destruction 
 spared no sort mentioned (v. 3.) nor 
 any district of the Egyptians ; yet 
 some were left. See v. 19. The dis- 
 tinction between Israel and Egypt 
 was most marked, and could not fail 
 to prove the Divine intervention. 
 
 7. Pharaoh's attention was di- 
 rected to the astonishing difference, 
 as had been threatened. And yet 
 there was no good result. Whether 
 he persuaded himself that it was all 
 accident or fatality or mere natural 
 law, Ave do not need to know. Tf Not 
 one. That is, not one of those named 
 as in the field (v. 3). Some of the 
 Egyptian cattle were in the stalls, 
 and not in the field. (See Wilkin- 
 son's Ancient Egypt, vol. 1, p. 96.) 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 81 
 
 8 And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to 
 you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it 
 toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. 
 
 9 And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, 
 and shall be a boil b breaking forth with blains upon man and 
 upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. 
 
 10 And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before 
 Pharaoh ; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven : and it 
 became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon 
 beast. 
 
 11 And the magicians could not c stand before Moses be- 
 cause of the boils ; for the boil was upon the magicians, and 
 upon all the Egyptians. 
 
 b De. 28: 27; Job 2: 7; Re. 16: 2. 
 
 47: 12,14. 
 
 And hence some cattle were not vic- 
 tims to the pest (v. 19). Pharaoh's 
 heart icas hardened, instead of melt- 
 ed and subdued. " The greatness of 
 man's corruption is seen in the 
 fact that he will not desist from sin. 
 The greatness of God is seen in the 
 fact that the man is not able to de- 
 sist from that form of sin in which 
 it is madness to persevere." — Heng. 
 King, of God, vol. 1, p. 271. It must 
 be remembered that this plague had 
 a special significance and design 
 because the Egyptians worshipped 
 the leading agricultural and domes- 
 tic animals, the ox, the cow and the 
 ram, and so the plague was aimed 
 at their false religion and their 
 idolatry. 
 
 § 19. The Sixth Plague — Boils 
 and Blains. Ch. IX : 8-12. 
 
 8-12. TJie sixth plague — boils. 
 Yet another blow is struck at the 
 proud and insolent king. This is 
 not forewarned, but is visited with- 
 out formal notice. These signs 
 are at the same time punishments 
 of unbelief and obduracy. He who 
 will not turn is led with open eyes 
 towards the abyss of destruction. 
 Tf Ashes of the furnace — a brick-kiln 
 — or a furnace for smelting metals. 
 The Israelites had been laborers at 
 these furnaces, in their oppressive 
 task-work as builders of tombs and 
 
 temples ; and there was a meaning 
 in making the ashes from these fur- 
 naces to become a source of suffering 
 in the shape of boils or ulcers break- 
 ing out upon the bodies of their 
 masters. Some suppose the ashes 
 referred to an old Egyptian rite of 
 human sacrifices in which the ashes 
 were scattered abroad, as a charm 
 for the protection of all upon whom 
 they fell (see Plutarch), and that 
 perhaps it was while driven to this 
 human sacrifice, and while the 
 priests were performing this part 
 of the rite. (Doubtful.) 
 
 But the term furnace does not 
 mean an altar of sacrifice, and hu- 
 man sacrifices were not practised 
 in Egypt then. But the brick-kiln. 
 which was connected with the op- 
 pressions of the Israelites was now 
 employed as a means of chastise- 
 ment to the Egyptians, their tyran- 
 nical masters. Such boils — ulcers — 
 breaking forth with Mains or blis- 
 ters, on man and beast, was an in- 
 tensifying of what they had known 
 something of, in lighter forms of 
 cutaneous eruption — the severest 
 inflammation in blotches, like ery- 
 sipelas or carbuncles or leprosy. 
 Job's disease, elephantiasis, was of 
 this species, making the feet swol- 
 len and stiff as an elephant's. But 
 here the miracle consists in produc- 
 ing it by the ashes, and according to 
 a specific order given to Moses. The 
 
82 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 12 And the Loud hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he 
 hearkened d not unto them, as the Lokd had spokeD e unto Moses. 
 
 13 And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the 
 morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus 
 saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go that they 
 may serve me. 
 
 14 For I will at this time send all f my plagues upon thine 
 heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people ; that thou 
 mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. 
 
 15 For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite 
 thee, and s thy people with pestilence ; and thou shalt be cut 
 off from the earth. 
 
 d Ps. 81: 11. e ch. 4: 21. f Le. 20; 18; De. 2£ 
 8; Re. 18: 8; 22: 18. g Pr. 2: 22. 
 
 15- 29: 20; 32: 39; ISa. 4:'8; Jc. 19: 
 
 act of sprinkling the ashes toward 
 the heavens had a meaning; as in 
 sacrifices, of calling God to witness. 
 11. The effect upon the magicians 
 was to disable them by the attack 
 of the disease upon their own per- 
 sons. This was a peculiarity of this 
 plague. The Egyptian priests were 
 most intent upon personal cleanli- 
 ness, washing twice each day and 
 twice each night, and avoiding all 
 defilement. To them it was the 
 more shocking to be smitten with 
 this loathsome disease. . The Lord 
 (Jehovah) hardened, etc. So ch. 4 : 
 81. The Lord wrought the miracle 
 which thus resulted in his harden- 
 ing ; though, as often, Pharaoh is 
 said to have hardened his own 
 heart. This plague strikes deeper 
 than any of the rest, and threatens 
 the life, and the sacred animals are 
 made loathsome with disease. What 
 a blow to the obstinate king and 
 people ! The magicians could not 
 stand, and seem to have given way 
 before Moses. 
 
 § 20. The Tihiid Tmo. The Sev- 
 enth Plague, Hail. Ch. IX., 
 13-35. 
 
 13. There seems to have been a 
 longer interval between this plague 
 and the former, and a new and for- 
 mal demand is again made, with a 
 more prolonged address to Pharaoh. 
 
 As the plagues are divided into 
 triplets, so this one begins the last 
 series ; and the announcement is 
 terrible. . I will at this time send all 
 my plagues upon thine heart, as if he 
 was now to look out for these blows 
 at the very core, and for a concen- 
 tration of them all. At this time — 
 in this last series. The first mes- 
 sage was in April and May, after 
 the early harvest, when they could 
 gather stubble ; the second message, 
 when the plagues began, was prob- 
 ably towards the end of June, going 
 on at intervals until the winter. 
 This was in February. See v. 31. 
 About this time to-morrow (v. 18), 
 Murphy says, " Pharaoh might have 
 learned by this' time that the Lord is 
 punctual to His time." 
 
 14. Upon thine heart — which is 
 so hardened. This plague was to 
 go to the very core, and not merely 
 to strike the surface. That thou, 
 mayest know. God will be known 
 and acknowledged by the kings of 
 the earth. Alas for those who are 
 trying to persuade themselves and 
 others (on scientific grounds !) that 
 there is no personal God — only " a 
 power." But what power, if not a 
 Personal power ? Only a law. But 
 " a law implies a lawgiver, and the 
 more law the more proof of a law- 
 giver." — Prof. lien ry. 
 
 15. "For now indeed had I stretched 
 forth my hand and smitten thee, and 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 83 
 
 16 And in very deed for h this cause have I raised thee up, 
 for to shew in thee my power ; and that my name may be de- 
 clared throughout all the earth. 
 
 17 As yet exaltest thou thyself i against my people, that 
 thou wilt not let them go ? 
 
 18 Behold, to-morrow, k about this time, I will cause it to 
 rain l a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt 
 since the foundation thereof even until now. 
 
 19 Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that 
 thou hast in the field ; for upon every man and beast which 
 shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the 
 hail shall come m down upon them, and they shall die. 
 
 20 He that feared the word n of the Loud among the ser- 
 vants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the 
 houses : 
 
 21 And he that regarded o not the word of the Lord left his 
 servants and his cattle in the field. 
 
 h Pr. 16: 4; Ko. 9 : IT; 1 Pe. 2: 8. i Job 9: 4: 15; 25, 26. 
 : 15. m V. 25. n Pr. 16 : 16; 22 : 23. och.7: 23. 
 
 k 1 K. 19 2; 20 26. 1 Ps. 
 
 thy people icith the pestilence, then 
 hadst than been cut off from the 
 earth." — Speaker's Com. " I might 
 have smitten thee and thy people 
 with the pestilence as easily as I 
 smote thy cattle." — Murphy. 
 
 16. It is here declared why God 
 had not thus cut him off. He Lad a 
 great purpose to accomplish in his 
 case, by making him an example, 
 as he has truly been in all history. 
 Raised thee up, lit. made thee stand 
 — caused thee to remain — permitted 
 thee to live and hold thy place. To 
 sheio (in) thee my power. Rom. 9 : 
 17. Literally, to show thee my 
 power for a motive to repentance 
 and faith, as against all false gods. 
 God had shown to him his long-suf- 
 fering patience and goodness. That 
 my name, etc. God's name (that 
 character by which He makes Him- 
 self known) would thus be declared, 
 published abroad in all the earth, as 
 it has been. 
 
 17. As yet. Still, notwithstand- 
 ing all God's judgments, he is hold- 
 ing out, and stubbornly, haughtily 
 setting himself against God. 
 
 18. Such storms of rain in winter 
 were rare, but were known, and 
 
 even as early as in March, in Lower 
 Egypt. This was to be of very 
 great severity, and such as had 
 never been experienced there. It 
 was to be altogether beyond the 
 working of natural law, and thus 
 miraculous. 
 
 19. Yet how gracious, in the 
 midst of this just visitation now 
 threatened, to give a timely warn- 
 ing, so that any who believed in 
 God might avoid the calamity. In 
 judgment God remembers mercy. 
 He would show that His object is 
 not to destroy men, but to draw sin- 
 ners to himself. The cattle were not 
 all destroyed bv the former plague. 
 (See v. 3.) Some are left. They 
 were turned out to pasture in the 
 open field commonly from January 
 to April, and after that they were 
 gathered, that is, brought in under 
 cover, and fed in stalls. ^[ Not be 
 brought home. The only condition 
 of salvation for man or beast was tc 
 get home. This is fulfilled in the 
 gospel. We find a home in Christ 
 rest for the soul, and a mansion ii 
 the Father's house. 
 
 20. lie that feared the Lord. 
 There were some who feared Jeho- 
 
84 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 22 And the Lord said unto Moses : Stretch forth thine hand 
 toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, 
 upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, 
 throughout the land of Egypt. 
 
 23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven ; and 
 the Lord sent thunder and p hail, and the fire ran along upon 
 the ground: and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 
 
 24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail very 
 grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt 
 since it became a nation. 
 
 25 And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all 
 that was in the field, both man and beast ; and the hail smote 
 every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. 
 
 26 Only in the land of Goshen, <i where the children of Israel 
 were, was there no hail. 
 
 27 And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and 
 said unto them, I have sinned this time : the Lord is righteous, 
 and I and my people are wicked. 
 
 28 Entreat the Lord (for r it is enough) that there be no 
 more mighty thunderings and hail ; and I will let you go, and 
 ye shall stay no longer. 
 
 p Jos. 10: 11; ISa. 12: 17, 18; Job 38: 22; Ps. 18: 13; 78: 47; 105: 32; Is. 
 3: 22; Re. 8: 7. q ch. 8: 22, &c; Ts. 32: 18, 19. r Ac. 8: 24. 
 
 30; Eze. 
 
 vah, even amongst the Egyptians. 
 God gives ample warning, and op- 
 portunity for all such to escape. 
 
 22. The plague came at the time 
 appointed. Moses is the visible 
 agent in these three plagues, hail, 
 locusts and darkness (see ch. x : 
 12-21,) by stretching forth his hand 
 with the rod (v. 23), which was the 
 symbol of power, toward heaven. 
 
 23. There was all the threatened 
 severity, ''thunder and hail, and the 
 fire ran along the ground" — lit. 
 stalked along the ground — in vivid 
 flashes of lightning* ^[ Rained hail. 
 Poured down hail like rain — in tor- 
 rents. Fire mingled with the hail. 
 Bolts of lightning flashing along 
 with the hail, most terrifically dis- 
 playing the Divine power, God in 
 nature, and above nature, using na- 
 ture to do His will. 
 
 26. Only in the land of Goshen. 
 The miracle was shown by confin- 
 ing the plague to the Egyptians and 
 sparing the Israelites. 
 
 27. Pharaoh was moved to seek 
 terms. He so far humbled himself 
 as to send for Moses and Aaron, 
 and make confession of sin. 1 have 
 sinned this time — this once. It is a 
 confession for the whole contro- 
 versy, and makes a clean breast of 
 it. But it was the third time he 
 had so confessed to no purpose. He 
 must have seen that God had power 
 to crush him, and he is driven by 
 his fears to seek conciliation. Je- 
 hovah is righteous, and I and my 
 people are wicked. This was a 
 confession like that of Judas. It 
 is the substantial form of a true con- 
 fession, but it does not carry his heart 
 by love. He is driven, not drawn. 
 28. He asks the intercession of 
 Moses and Aaron. Better that he 
 had been brought to his knees. 
 They who only go so far as to seek 
 the mediation and intercession of 
 saints, on earth or in heaven, show 
 no true repentance. No more mighty 
 thunderings, lit., voices of God. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 85 
 
 29 And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of 
 the city I will spread abroad my hands 8 unto the Lord ; and 
 the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail ; 
 that thou mayest know how that the earth is the Lord's.* 
 
 30 But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not 
 yet v fear the Lord God. 
 
 3 1 And the flax and the barley was smitten ; w for the barley 
 was in the ear, and the flax was boiled. 
 
 32 But the wheat and the rye were not smitten; for they 
 were not grown up. 
 
 33 And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and 
 spread abroad his hands unto the Lord ; and the thunders and 
 hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth. 
 
 34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and the 
 thunders were ceased, he sinned yet x more, and hardened his 
 heart, he and his servants. 
 
 35 And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would 
 he let the children of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken by 
 Moses. 
 
 8 IKi. 8: 38; Ps. 143: 
 9; Ha. 3: 17. x2Ch. 33: 
 
 Is. 1: 15. t Ps. 24: 1; ICo. 10: 
 36: 13; Ro. 2: 4, 5. 
 
 v Is. 26; 10. w Am. 4: 
 
 29. Moses consents to the propo- 
 sition of Pharaoh ; and this he did 
 to show that the earth is the Lord's. 
 Such control over all the phenom- 
 ena and laws of nature would surely 
 prove that Jehovah was Lord of the 
 natural world. 
 
 30. Moses, however, notifies Pha- 
 raoh that his wicked obstinacy is not 
 yet overcome. 
 
 31. 32. God pleased to smite the 
 flax upon which the people depended 
 for their linen fabrics, and the bar- 
 ley with which they fed their cattle. 
 But he spared the wheat and the 
 rye for flour and food. ^ The flax 
 was boiled, in blossom or in the pod. 
 The barley being now in the ear 
 shows that the season must have 
 been about the first of March. ^.Rye 
 was not such as is known to us, but 
 a coarse food known as doora among 
 the natives — here rendered spelt. 
 Egypt was the great granary of the 
 world at that time, and even the 
 damaging of the crop would be a 
 serious loss. 
 
 34. When the immediate ground 
 of fear was removed Pharaoh's 
 
 heart icas hardened as before, and 
 he sinned yet more. So vain is a 
 repentance that springs from mere 
 terror. Here the term for hardened 
 is not the same as is commonly used 
 in the narrative ; it means here he 
 stupefied his heart — made it dull, 
 obtuse, lit., made heavy his heart. 
 And in the next sentence is the old 
 word, and the heart of Pharaoh was 
 hardened, etc. And this occurred 
 as Moses had forewarned Pharaoh 
 (v. 30), showing to the haughty 
 monarch, and to the world, that 
 God knows the heart and searches 
 through all the vain disguises of 
 it. 
 
 Observe — Nature is not God. 
 Laws of nature cannot dispense with 
 God — a Personal God. For the more 
 we find evidence of laws in nature 
 the more proof we find of God, for 
 law implies a lawgiver. 
 
 Hengstenberg says : " A natural 
 substratum is present in all the 
 plagues, while in none is a natural 
 explanation admissible. The mira- 
 cles are taken from the most various 
 departments. That which was a 
 
EXODUS. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 AND the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I 
 have a hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that 
 I might shew these ray signs before him: 
 
 2 And that thou niayest tell in the ears of thy son, b and of 
 thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my 
 signs which I have done among them ; that ye may know how 
 c that I am the Lord. 
 
 ch. 
 
 13, 14. b De. 4: 
 
 20; Ps. 44: 1; 71: 18; 78: 5; Joel 1: 3. c Ps. 58: 11. 
 
 blessing to Egypt was converted 
 into a curse. That which was 
 already in existence as an evil is 
 increased to a fearful extent. The 
 smallest animals become a terrible 
 army of God. In this way it was 
 shown that every blessing, which 
 ungrateful Egypt attributed to its 
 idols, originated with Jehovah, and 
 that it was He alone who checked 
 the efficacy of that which was inju- 
 rious. Cahiii says of Pharaoh, 
 " The image of human pride and re- 
 bellion is submitted to us here in 
 the person of one reprobate." Ilcng- 
 stenberg adds, " In conformity with 
 God's constant method in nature 
 and history, the matter was so ar- 
 ranged that unbelief always retain- 
 ed some hook to which it could hang, 
 for God always gives light enough 
 even for weak faith, at the same 
 time leaving so much darkness that 
 unbelief may continue its night -life. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 § 21. The Eighth Plague — Lo- 
 custs. Ch. X : 1-21. 
 
 1. There is yet another blow to be 
 struck at Pharaoh's obdurate impen- 
 itence. God's messengers are sent 
 witli still another presentation of 
 the same old message. Thus God 
 sends His gospel servants, and the 
 same message is repeated to men — 
 to believe and accept the salvation, 
 and live. ^[ For I have hardened, 
 made heavy, the same term as in 
 ch. 9 : 84. It came to pass that the 
 
 dealing which should have quick- 
 ened his heart only stupefied it 
 because of its own dullness and 
 insensibility to the truth. Speak- 
 er's Com. suggests that this can be 
 accounted for as an effect of God's 
 goodness in sparing the corn, and 
 that when Pharaoh saw that this 
 dependence was not cut off he be-' 
 came insensible and careless as 
 ever. ^[ Rather, it occurred as in 
 the case of Isaiah, who was com- 
 manded by God to make the heart 
 of the people fat, and their ears dull 
 of hearing ; that is he was to preach 
 on though plainly that would be the 
 result of his preaching, and so he 
 is spoken of as doing to them what 
 his preaching effected, making them 
 gross and stupid under his ministry. 
 ^| That I might show, lit. might set, 
 or put before him. We are not to 
 understand by this that God har- 
 dened him to make him a public 
 spectacle. Rather, as his hardening 
 was the effect of that Divine dealing 
 which ought to have brought about 
 his repentance, so God's plan was to 
 show these my -signs before him — to set 
 forth these my (miraculous) works in 
 the midst of him, i. e. of his people, 
 the Egyptians. 
 
 2. And that thou (i. e. Moses and 
 all Israel) mayest tell, for the benefit 
 of after generations, and to show 
 the principles of the Divine admin- 
 istration for all time, and to prove 
 the Unity and Personality of Jeho- 
 vah, as against all false gods. God 
 thus advertises to Moses the plan of 
 His operations with Pharaoh, and 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 87 
 
 3 And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said 
 unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long 
 wilt thou refuse to humble d thyself before me ? Let my people 
 go, that they may serve me. 
 
 4 Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to-morrow 
 will I bring the locusts e into thy coast : 
 
 5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot 
 be able to see the earth : and they shall eat the f residue of that 
 which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and 
 shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field : 
 
 6 And they shall fill thy houses, s and the houses of all thy 
 servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither 
 thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that 
 they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, 
 and went out from Pharaoh. 
 
 d IKi. 21: 29; 2Ch. 7: 14; 33: 12,19; Job. 42: 
 Re. 9: 3. f ch. 9: 32. s vcr. 14, 15; ch. 8: 3. 
 
 Je. 13: 18; Ja. 4: 10. 
 
 Pr. 
 
 27; 
 
 thus strengthens his faith and cour- 
 age. I have wrought. The term 
 implies a work of bringing to shame 
 and grief. That ye may know. This 
 is God's clearly-announced object in 
 these wondrous works — to promote 
 the faith of His people — " to reveal 
 the Creator in His true character to 
 man. This is the lesson of na- 
 ture, of providence and of grace, to 
 those who read and understand." — 
 Murphy. 
 
 3. God's object with Pharaoh in 
 these miraculous judgments was to 
 bring him down from his loftiness 
 and proud defiance to a becoming 
 humility. This is not any arbitrary 
 pleasure in man's humiliations. It 
 is for man's good, in bringing him 
 to take his proper place. All Pha- 
 raoh's pretended humility was noth- 
 ing, because it resulted in nothing 
 but pretence, and so was a mockery 
 most offensive to God. 
 
 4. The locusts. Lo! Iambringing 
 to-morrow the locusts. The locust 
 belongs to the parts of Africa south 
 and west of Egypt, and also to 
 Asia. The term here is from a word 
 meaning to multiply, and refers to 
 their numbers. The prophet Joel 
 describes a penal visitation of lo- 
 custs. Travellers speak of them in 
 clouds darkening the sky and cover- 
 
 ing the ground. Tischendorf speaks 
 of such a locust storm, in which 
 they covered the whole country, in 
 March. The people often used them 
 for food — but they made havoc of 
 every green thing. They are four 
 or five inches long, and much like 
 the grasshopper, in appearance. 
 
 5. Here the devastation which 
 the locusts would make is described 
 in fearful terms. Pharaoh had fair 
 notice. What was left from the 
 hail would be destroyed by these 
 insects, and the whole land would 
 be stripped of verdure (ch. 9 : 32). 
 Eat every tree. Not only the leaves 
 but the bark, killing the tree. 
 
 6. Worse than all, they would 
 come into the houses through the 
 open lattices or doorways (see Joel 
 2 : 9). Neither thy fathers. It 
 should be worse than was ever 
 known within the memory of man. 
 
 7. Pharaoh's servants. Now for 
 the first time the monarch's house- 
 hold is aroused, as they are deeply 
 interested and have a right to protest 
 against the wicked obstinacy of the 
 king. If A snare — a trap. They find 
 themselves involved in certain ruin 
 by this course, and they see the only 
 remedy. Let the men go, that is, the 
 people — and not the men alone. 
 Speak. Com. thinks they meant the 
 
88 EXODUS. 
 
 7 And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this 
 man be h a snare unto us? Let the men go, that they may serve 
 the Lord, their God : Knowest thou not yet that Egypt is 
 destroyed ? 
 
 8 And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh : 
 and he said unto them, Go serve the Lord, your God : but who 
 are they that shall go ? 
 
 9 And Moses said: TVewill go with our young and with our 
 old, with our sons and with our daughters ; with our flocks and 
 with our herds will we go : for we must hold a feast unto the 
 Lord. 
 
 10 And he said unto them, Let the Lord be so with you as 
 I will let you go, and your little ones : look to it y for evil is 
 before you. 
 
 11 Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord ; 
 for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pha- 
 raoh's presence. 
 
 12 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch * out thine hand 
 
 h ch. 23: 33; Jos. 
 
 13; ISa. 18: 21 ; Pr. 29; 
 
 Ec. 7: 26. 
 
 i Ch. 7: 19. 
 
 men only, as Pharaoh proposes. 
 The object is reasonable and proper 
 that they may serve Jehovah their God. 
 And the point is pressed as they see 
 and feel it. Egypt is ruined by Pha- 
 raoh's obstinate and blind refusal. 
 The king knew very little how wide- 
 spread and woful was the ruin of 
 the land. At least they think it was 
 fair so to suppose. Knowest thou not 
 yet! 
 
 8. Here at length Pharaoh 
 yields, so as to have Moses and 
 Aaron brought before him, and so 
 far to grant their request as to pro- 
 pose a compromise. The question 
 now is Who shall go ? He is ready 
 to grant. But. " Go — who and who 
 that shall go V lit — who are the going 
 ones ?" 
 
 9. It is customary to go with the 
 little ones to great festivals. We 
 have seen the multitudes in a cara- 
 van — the children swung on the 
 backs and sides of the horses and 
 asses — going to the Easter festival 
 in Palestine. 
 
 10. Pharaoh was indignant and 
 replied, Jehovah be with you when 
 I shall release you and your lit- 
 tle ones. Or, ma\ Jehovah be with 
 
 you in the same way as I shall 
 let you go. This was a bold defi- 
 ance of the Almighty as well as of 
 His servants. See ! for evil is before 
 your face, or in your mind and pur- 
 pose. Or it may mean — Look ye — 
 for you will have trouble. This, 
 then would be a threat. And this 
 is the more likely interpretation. 
 
 11. Not so. It is not allowed 
 them to do as they wish in a body, 
 altogether — but only the men. Go 
 now ye that are men — if you please 
 to accept this compromise. But 
 not waiting for an answer, nor wish- 
 ing for any — he drove them — one 
 drove them out from the face of 
 Pharaoh. The term here for your 
 little ones — taphkem, Payne Smith 
 takes to mean — your household 
 clans. Another effort at comprom- 
 ise ! So the world proposes to keep 
 the children as a pledge for the pa- 
 rents' service. But no ! The pa-, 
 rents released and gone away and 
 the children left in Egypt ! And 
 yet how many christian families 
 make this compromise ? 
 
 12. Moses is now bidden to exe- 
 cute God's threats and bring on the 
 plague, upon the defiant Pharaoh, 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up 
 upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even 
 all that the hail hath left. 
 
 13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of 
 Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all 
 that day, and all that night ; and when it was morning, the 
 J east wind brought the locusts. 
 
 14 And the locusts k went up over all the land of Egypt, and 
 rested in all the coasts of Egypt; very grievous tcere they ; 
 before them there were no such locusts 1 as they, neither after 
 them shall be such : 
 
 15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that 
 the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, 
 and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there 
 remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the 
 field, through all the land of Egypt. 
 
 16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and 
 he said, I have sinned against m the Loed your God, and against 
 you. 
 
 1 7 Now, therefore, forgive, I pray thee, my sin only n this 
 
 j Ps. 78: 
 H IKi. 13: 6 
 
 26; 107: 25; Mat. 8: 27. 
 Is. 26: 16. 
 
 k Ps. 78: 
 
 105: 34. 1 Joel 2:2. m C. 9: 27. 
 
 for the locust, Belitzsch reads with 
 the locust — so that they may come up 
 — as an army. 
 
 13. Moses did as lie was bidden, 
 and Jehovah brought an East wind. 
 The locust storm was commonly 
 brought about by a wind. But Je- 
 hovah orought the wind, which 
 brought the locusts — "Who rideth 
 upon the wings of the wind." The 
 natural phenomenon is superseded 
 here by the preternatural and mir- 
 aculous. The wind rose at the sig- 
 nal of Moses' rod — and that wind 
 brought at once such a locust storm 
 as was never known before. God 
 works in nature, through nature, 
 and above nature, as the Lawgiver 
 of natural law. This course of the 
 wind was unusual in Egypt. 
 Brought. This word in the two 
 clauses answers to different Heb. 
 terms. The first means directed — 
 the second means bore along. The 
 locusts were swept over from Ara- 
 bia. 
 
 14. They swarmed so as to cover 
 the land and to settle down upon 
 
 the whole country. Brown, in his 
 travels in Africa, mentions such a 
 visitation, in which nearly 2000 
 square miles were covered by them. 
 Went up. Rising like a cloud. 
 
 15. The land was darkened. 
 They lay so thick on the ground as 
 to blacken it — besides that in their 
 flight the sun was obscured. Major 
 Moore speaks of a locust-storm such 
 as to hide the sun like an eclipse, 
 and to settle on the ground for 500 
 miles in extent. The result was as 
 widespread and desolating as had 
 been threatened. See Joel chs. 1,2. 
 
 16. This judgment brought 
 Pharaoh to terms. Pliny calls this 
 plague Beorum irm pestis. Pha- 
 raoh is brought to confession of sin 
 and humiliation before God's ser- 
 vants. His words are those of pen- 
 itence. What will be his acts ? He 
 said truly that he had sinned both 
 against God and against His ser- 
 vants. Baud said — " Against thee 
 — thee only have I sinned." Ps. 
 51: 1. 
 
 17. Pharaoh asks forgiveness of 
 
90 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 once, and entreat the Lord your God, that he may take away 
 from me this death only. 
 
 18 And he went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the 
 
 LOED. 
 
 19 And the Loud turned a mighty strong west wind, 
 which took away the locusts, and cast them ° into the Red Sea; 
 there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt. 
 
 20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would 
 not let the children of Israel go. 
 
 21 And the Loed said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand 
 toward heaven, that there may be darkness p over the land of 
 Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. 
 
 o Joel 2: 20. 
 
 p Ps. 35: 6; 103: 23; Pr. 4: 19; Ec. 2: 14; 6: 4; Is. 8: 22. 
 
 God's servants, not of God himself, 
 v.nd he seeks their prayers that he 
 »nay be saved from the penalty of 
 Iiis sin. Only this once. This is 
 his second time of confessing his 
 sin, and the fourth time of entreat- 
 ing- deliverance. But he never was 
 in such severe extremity as now. 
 He thinks if only this once he can be 
 spared, all will be well. This is 
 like the entreaties of many a death- 
 bed repentance that is equally in- 
 sincere with this. 
 
 This death only. Pharaoh re- 
 cognized this as a deadly destruc- 
 tive plague, resulting, if uncheck- 
 ed, in the starvation and ruin of his 
 people. So some in great trouble, 
 plead for the sparing of a child, or 
 the removal of a grievous burdeii, 
 and for this only — as if they could 
 ask nothing greater, and would 
 wish nothing more, and as if to se- 
 cure this they would willingly do 
 anything. But how often the 
 prayer proves to be insincere. When 
 the trouble is gone the pious 
 pledges are gone also. God's de- 
 mand of the world's kingdom is, 
 " Let my 'people go ! " 
 
 18, 19. Moses besought the Lord 
 — Jehovah — according to Pharaoh's 
 entreaty. And God showed to the 
 king His absolute control of natu- 
 ral laws and events by staying the 
 calamity, and this through means of 
 physical operations. As He raised 
 an East wind to bring on the lo- 
 
 custs, so He raised a West wind to 
 carry them off. *[ Turned a very 
 mighty west wind, lit., a wind of 
 the sea. It would be a N. West 
 wind from Egypt, but W. from 
 Palestine. And so it would blow 
 from the Mediterranean across 
 Egypt in the direction of the Red 
 Sea. This was a merciful disposi- 
 tion to make of such masses as 
 would have created a pestilence if 
 they had been laid dead and putrefy- 
 ing on the soil. % Bed Sea Heb. 
 See of Suph. This term is sup- 
 posed to refer to the sea-weed that 
 floats upon the surface — though 
 others think it is from a town of 
 that name supposed to have stood 
 at the head of the sea. The exter- 
 mination of the locusts was com- 
 plete. 
 
 20. The Lord (Jehovah) hardened. 
 Murphy says, " The very long suf- 
 fering of the Lord only adds to the 
 infatuation of his ingrate heart." 
 
 § 22. The Ninth Plague.— 
 Darkness. Ch IX : 21-29. 
 
 21. God's methods were not yet 
 exhausted. Now the penal inflic- 
 tion was darkness — thick darkness 
 — which may be felt, lit., and one 
 shall, gro&p darkness. Here again a 
 blow was struck at the Egyptian 
 idolatries. They were worshippers 
 of the Sun-God. The plague came 
 suddenly and without notice. The 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 91 
 
 22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven, 
 and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three 
 days. 
 
 23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place 
 for three days : but all the children of Israel had <i light in their 
 dwellings. 
 
 24 And Pharaoh called unto Moses and said, Go ye, serve the 
 Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your 
 little ones also go with you. 
 
 25 And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and 
 burnt-offerings that we may sacrifice unto the Loed our God. 
 
 26 Our cattle r also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be 
 left behind: for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God ; 
 and we know not with what we must serve the Lord until we 
 come thither. 
 
 27 But the Lord hardened s Pharaoh's heart, and he would 
 not let them go. 
 
 q Is. 42: 16; Col. 1: 13; IPe. 2: 9. r Ho. 5: 6; Zee. 14: 20. s Ver. 1: 20; ch. 14: 4, 8. 
 
 Egyptians knew something of 
 darkness in tlie Simoom that blows 
 after the vernal equinox and sweeps 
 the fine sand from the desert in 
 thick clouds, obscuring- the sun and 
 filling the air so as to make artifi- 
 cial iight of little use. But this 
 came at a sign from Moses — came 
 with the utmost severity, blacken- 
 ing as never before the face of na- 
 ture, and yet not extending to the 
 abodes of the Israelites. This 
 showed it to be miraculous. 
 
 22. A thick darkness. (See Ps. 
 IO.j : 28,) lit — darkness of gloom — 
 the thickest darkness. (See Rev. 
 1G : 10.) It was blackness of dark- 
 ness — as a significant penalty — a 
 judgment upon the blind and wick- 
 ed monarch. Three days. The 
 duration of it is exactly noted, 
 whether with any special signifi- 
 cance or not. 
 
 23. But. The contrast shows 
 the supernatural origin of this 
 plague. It was light to the Israel- 
 ites at the same time that the thick 
 darkness hung upon the Egyptians. 
 
 2-1. Pharaoh now again seems to 
 relent and to grant their release. 
 Yet there is a " but " — an excep- 
 tion made. He will have the flocks 
 
 and herds left behind, while he con- 
 cedes what he had denied before, the 
 departure of the little ones. Pha- 
 raoh would have the flocks and 
 herds as a security for the people's 
 return. 
 
 25. Moses here insisted upon 
 cattle being allowed to them for 
 their sacrifice. Not that Pharaoh 
 should give these to the Israelites, 
 but that he should allow them to 
 take these with them for sacrifices, 
 according to their declared object. 
 
 26. So Moses insists that it is es- 
 sential to their purpose to offer sac- 
 rifice to God, and because they 
 could not know precisely and fully 
 what would be required of them in 
 this matter until they should reach 
 the place. He would not be tram- 
 melled or held in bondage. The 
 people and what belonged to them, 
 must be free. 
 
 27. Here again it is on record, 
 that Pharaoh's heart-hardening pre- 
 vented the people's release. And 
 again this result is ascribed to Je- 
 hovah, because it was the result of 
 His Providential dealing. A hard- 
 ened heart will always find some- 
 thing to object to in God's most 
 righteous demands. And God does 
 
92 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 28 And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed 
 to thyself, see my face no more : * for in that day thou seest my 
 face thou shalt die. 
 
 29 And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, u I will see thy 
 face again no more. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 AND the Lord said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague 
 more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt ; afterwards he will let 
 you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust 
 you out hence a altogether. 
 
 t 2Ch. 16: 10; 25: 16; Am. 7: 13. u He. 11:27. a. ch. 12: 31- 
 
 not compel the sinner's obedience 
 against his will — and if the will is 
 not constrained, the act even is no 
 real obedience in God's sight. God 
 will take the will for the deed, but 
 never the deed for the will. 
 
 28. Pharaoh now becomes exas- 
 perated and speaks like a madman. 
 Unbelief often thus grows insane. 
 He madly dismisses God's ambassa- 
 dor from his presence, and makes 
 it a capital crime to visit him again, 
 though Pharaoh had sent for him, 
 (v. 16.) 
 
 29. Moses accepts the situation. 
 Very well, he says, I will leave you 
 forever, if you so please. Felix was 
 
 more polite with Paul. He said, 
 " Go thy way for this time, when 
 I have a convenient season I will 
 call for thee." (Acts. 24 : 25.) But 
 the result was much the same. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 § 23. The Tenth Plague 
 Threatened. — Death op the 
 First born. Ch. XI : 1-10. 
 
 While these interviews with 
 Pharaoh were going on, and these 
 successive rebuffs, Moses was keep- 
 ing up communication with his peo- 
 ple, doubtless, as he had begun, 
 ch. 4: 29, 31, etc. But the histori- 
 an cannot narrate them both at the 
 same time. Some read here, And 
 the Lord had said unto Moses, thus 
 
 going back in the history to take up 
 the thread of conference with 
 Israel, in all this extremity. So 
 that v. 4 of this chapter continues 
 the conversation with Pharaoh from 
 ch. 10 ; 29— and leaves vs. 1-3 of 
 this chapter as a parenthesis, and 
 the closing sentence of v. 8 is the 
 finale. 
 
 1. Yet one plague. There was 
 to be one more — and this was to be 
 final and decisive — the tenth— as 
 ten is the number of completion — 
 as many plagues as there were to 
 be commandments. Meanwhile God 
 assures Moses of the result, which 
 this time should be their release 
 and deliverance. ^[ When he shall, 
 etc. Sp. Com. suggests the reading, 
 When he lets you go altogether, he 
 will surely thrust you out hence. 
 When he at length lets you go with 
 children, flocks and herds alto- 
 gether, he will drive you out in 
 haste. " In fact, on each occasion, 
 when Pharaoh relented for a sea- 
 son, immediate orders would of 
 course be issued by Moses to the 
 heads of the people, who were thus 
 repeatedly brought into a state 
 of more or less complete organiza- 
 tion for the final movement." Sp. 
 Com. 
 
 2. This is God's order for the 
 thorough equipment of the peoplo 
 for their wilderness journey. ^[ Let 
 every man borrow. Moses was to 
 give this direction to the people. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 93 
 
 2 Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man 
 borrow of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, 
 jewels of silver and jewels of gold. 
 
 3 And the Lord gave the people *> favor in the sight of the 
 Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great c in the 
 land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight 
 of the people. 
 
 4 And Moses said, Thus saith the Lord, About midnight d 
 will I go out into the midst of Egypt : 
 
 b ch. 12: 36; Ps. 106: 
 14: 3. 
 
 c 2Sa. 7: 9; Est. 9: 4; Re. 3: 9. d Job 34: 20; Mi. 2: 10; Ze- 
 
 (See ch. 3 : 21, 22.) The term here 
 rendered borrow, is the word to ask 
 — to demand, and niay mean to ask 
 as a favor, or to demand as a right 
 — and may include both. Though 
 sometimes meaning to borrow, this 
 is plainly not the sense here, as all 
 the context shows. It would be no 
 time to borrow, when they were on 
 the eve of being driven out, as a 
 riddance. It would be far more 
 likely that, amidst such terrible 
 horrors from their detention, the 
 Egyptians would gladly give them 
 whatever would close up such a 
 series of judgments on their ac- 
 count. " Egypt was glad when they 
 departed — for the fear of them fell 
 upon them." (Ps. 105 : 38.) 
 
 3. Here it is explained — Jehovah 
 gate them favor — and it was so or- 
 dered as that their request or de- 
 mand (as it might be in any case) 
 was granted, and thus God's prom- 
 ise to them was fulfilled. (Ps. 106 ; 
 46.) Moreover — as an additional 
 hold which the Israelites had upon 
 the Egyptians this personal fact is 
 narrated by Moses, as directed by in- 
 spiration. And as Kalisch well re- 
 marks, " The historian, with histor- 
 ical faithfulness, makes these re- 
 marks about his own person. They 
 are historical facts, and he relates 
 them with the same objective impar- 
 tiality with which Xenophon speaks 
 of himself in the Anabasis, or Cesar 
 in his Commentaries." 
 
 4. Thus Moses said to Pharaoh 
 in continuation of the last chapter, 
 and after he had said that this 
 
 would be their last meeting — the 
 first 3 verses here being a parenthe- 
 sis. Murphy says that " Allowing 
 a week for each of the previous 
 plagues, and four days for this one, 
 we are brought to the 21st of March 
 and perhaps to the eve of that night 
 on which the Paschal Lamb was 
 eaten, and the first born of Egypt 
 were slain." About midnight — The 
 day is not named. And it may 
 be there were some few days in- 
 tervening for preparation. T]~ Will 
 I go out. It is no longer a direction 
 to Moses to lift up his rod — but God 
 Himself will come forth, and be 
 personally engaged in this last 
 plague. First born. This was a 
 blow at the top. Every family was 
 to be smitten in its first born. The 
 grief would thus be most bitter " as 
 when one mourneth for his first 
 born." (Zech. 12 : 10.) The first born 
 is the flower and crown and 
 strength and hone of the familv, 
 (Gen. 40 : 3,) holding the right of 
 primogeniture — having the double 
 position, and being priest of the 
 household, according to the an- 
 cients. This was to begin with 
 Pharaoh, who had commanded the 
 slaughter of all the male children 
 of the Israelites, and now must lose 
 his own first born, and that of all 
 his people. ^[ Behind the mill. The 
 grinding of grain was commonly 
 done in the household by female 
 slaves — two of whom sitting over 
 against each other, turned the mill- 
 stone by a handle, each working it 
 half way around. (Isa. 47 : 1 , 2.) It 
 
94 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 5 And all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, e from 
 the first-born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto 
 the first-born of the maid-servant that is behind the mill ; and 
 all the first-born of beasts. 
 
 6 And there shall be a great cry f throughout all the land 
 of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any 
 more. 
 
 7 But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog 
 move his s tongue against man or beast ; that ye may know 
 how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians 
 and Israel. 
 
 8 And all these thy servants h shall come down unto me, 
 and bow down themselves unto me, saying, get thee out, and all 
 the people that follow thee : and after that I will go out. And 
 he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger. 
 
 Q And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken 
 unto you ; that my wonders s may be multiplied in the land of 
 Egypt. 
 
 e Am. 4: 10. f ch. 12: 30; Am. 5: IT. g Jos. 10: 21. h ch. 12: 31, 
 
 i ch. 7: 
 
 was a menial and drudging employ- 
 ment. (Matt. 24 : 40.) The upper 
 stone was turned and the lower one . 
 was fixed, and the grain being 
 poured into a hole in the centre of 
 the upper stone, was crushed. 
 
 6. The wailing should be so bit- 
 ter and universal in Egypt — alto- 
 gether without a parallel, even in 
 the time of the slaughter of all the 
 male children. 
 
 7. Here again is the designed 
 and predicted contrast which marks 
 the event as miraculous. Not a 
 dog. Dogs abound in the cities of 
 the East, and their howling at night 
 especially, is most distressing to a 
 stranger. But amidst the univer- 
 sal wail in Egypt, not a dog should 
 move (point) his tongue against the 
 Israelites. The expression became 
 proverbial to denote the most en- 
 tire quiet and immunity from dan- 
 ger, not a dog even stirring his 
 tongue to give any alarm, or to bite. 
 God's object is here declared in this 
 discriminating dealing. It is to 
 show what difference He puts be- 
 tween Israel and the Egyptians. 
 (See ch. 9 ; 6 ; 10 : 20.) The differ- 
 ence was essential — and would be 
 
 more and more marked — between 
 the Church and the world— between 
 the righteous and the wicked — be- 
 tween God's friends and His foes. 
 Therefore God demands that they 
 be set free. 
 
 8. The results upon the people 
 are here forewarned. They would 
 relent and would beg for Israel's 
 departure. Their pride and obsti- 
 nacy would be thoroughly humbled 
 — and they would entreat them to 
 go, that follow thee, lit., who are at 
 thy feet. ^ And after that— when 
 at last there should be such a yield- 
 ing and such an entreaty to do what 
 they had asked leave to do — to go 
 out all of them from Egjipt— after 
 that he says— / trill go oat. % In a 
 great anger, lit. In a heat of wrath. 
 Boiling over with anger, with a 
 just and righteous indignation at 
 the monarch's insincerity and cruel- 
 tv, and leaving with Pharaoh a no- 
 tice (10 : 29,) that this was the last 
 interview, as he had requested. 
 
 9. The lord said. Bather Je- 
 hovah had said. Repeating the pre- 
 warning of the Almighty, already 
 given, and more than once. Tf That 
 my wonders. Pharaoh's obstinacy 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 95 
 
 10 And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pha- 
 raoh : and the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would 
 not let the children of Israel 2:0 out of his land. 
 
 A 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 XD the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of 
 
 E g} T Pt, saying, 
 
 gave occasion to such, display of 
 miracles. 
 
 10. Did all these wonders. This 
 is the general summing up at the 
 close of the narrative, a final state- 
 ment covering, in brief, the whole 
 ground. The term "wonders" 
 means portents, and is rendered in 
 the Septuagint by two Greek terms 
 meaning " Signs and wonders, " the 
 same terms which are used for 
 miracles in the N. Testament. 
 
 There is nothing incredible in a 
 miracle if we believe in a Divine 
 Being. The denial of the Super- 
 natural as altogether impossible, 
 results logically in the denial of 
 
 God as a Supernatural Being. If 
 His existence be admitted, then a 
 miracle is only what may naturally 
 be expected from such a source, for 
 Supernatural acts are natural to a 
 Supernatural Being. It is a poor 
 shift and utterly arbitrary to say 
 that these records of the miracu- 
 lous are only the embellishments 
 which the narrative has received in 
 a later age. This is the absurdity 
 of a " later age " pronouncing upon 
 what is proper to history. 
 
 With the summary statement in 
 these two verses closes one chief 
 section of the history. 
 
 BOOK II. 
 
 THE COVEJSAKT COtfSECKATIOK" AND SEAL— 
 WITH THE DELIVERANCE. Chs. XII-XVIII. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 § 24. The Institution of the 
 Feast of the Passover. Ch. 
 XII : vs. 1-20. 
 
 The historian now goes back to 
 record the communications of Moses 
 with his own people. We may 
 suppose this section to have been 
 thrown in here in the history to 
 show that the Passover was insti- 
 tuted before the Exodus, and in an- 
 ticipation of it— just as the Lord's 
 supper was instituted before the 
 betrayal of our Lord, and thus be- 
 came a prophecy of that event, If 
 Moses in the preceding chapter has 
 
 brought the narrative up to the 14th 
 Nisan, he here goes back to the ear- 
 ly part of the month, 8th or 9th, at 
 least, where these preparatory no- 
 tices belong. As early as the inter- 
 val between the plague of hail and 
 that of the locusts and darkness, we 
 may suppose this preparatory no- 
 tice to have been given. Thus the 
 covenant people were kept advised 
 of what was coming on, and en- 
 couraged by the Divine prepara- 
 tions on their behalf. In the land 
 of Egypt. The historian wrote this 
 narrative after he had left Egypt. 
 
 2. This month. The month 
 Abib, but called in later time ffisan, 
 derived it is thought from Nisannu, 
 
96 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 2 This a month shall be unto you the beginning of months: 
 it shall be the first month of the year to you. 
 
 3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In 
 the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man 
 a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an 
 house : 
 
 4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him 
 
 a ch. 13: 4; 34: 18; De. 16: 1. 
 
 of tlie Syrians and Babylonians, 
 with whom it was the first month 
 of the year. It is now to begin 
 the ecclesiastical year to mark their 
 religious services, as the month 
 Tisri had been the first month of 
 their civil year, at the ingathering 
 of harvest, (ch. xxiii : 16.) \ The 
 beginning of months — lit., the head 
 or chief of months. It answers to 
 our middle of March or 1st of April, 
 as Tisri answered to the middle of 
 September, six months apart. Abib 
 — " the ear-month " — because the 
 corn was in the ear. The first 
 month — the leading month and 
 most important to you for its 
 solemn and precious associations. 
 Covenant transactions, in which God 
 will seal to us His covenant prom- 
 ises, make eras and epochs in our 
 history, and our lives may well date 
 from them. Observe. This reckon 
 ing of the year is a well known 
 fact, continuing down to the Macca- 
 bees, and to this day. And how else 
 is it to be accounted for ? Jamison 
 says " The establishment of this new 
 calendar was worthy of the wisdom 
 and goodness of God, as it was cal- 
 culated to inspire sentiments of 
 thankfulness to Him by the pre- 
 sentation of first fruits, and conse- 
 quently to withdraw the minds of 
 the people from the worship of the 
 Egyptian deities, to which — especial- 
 ly the great luminaries — many of the 
 Israelites had shown themselves 
 exceedingly prone." The idea here 
 to be noticed is that the entrance 
 upon God's covenant and service is 
 the real beginning of life. 
 
 3. All the congregation. Heb. 
 Kahal. As an organized body un- 
 
 der their own officers and leaders. 
 Keil says, " the nation represented 
 by its elders." (See v. 21.) The 
 entire body of the people was di- 
 vided into tribes, families and 
 fathers' houses, having each their 
 respective heads. The family might 
 have in it several branches or di- 
 visions, called father's houses, or 
 the households severally. Kurtz, 
 however, understands fathers' house 
 as equivalent to a tribe. In v. 21, 
 the larger family term is used. 
 T[ In the tenth day. The lamb was 
 to be chosen out of the flock on that 
 day. We may suppose that the 
 plague of darkness lasted from the 
 tenth to the fourteenth. Four days 
 before the slaying of the lamb it 
 was to be selected to ensure due 
 care in the preparation. ^[ A lamb, 
 lit., a young one — of sheep or goats. 
 For an house — for the household, 
 that is, for each several household 
 circle. God's covenant is an house- 
 hold covenant, and the seals are 
 household seals. And it has been 
 His gracious plan in all the ages to 
 propagate His Church by means of 
 a pious posterity. He has a heart 
 for the children, and seats at His 
 table for the little ones. Jesus was 
 a child, to compass the children 
 with His provisions of grace, and 
 He said, " Suffer the little children 
 to come unto Me, for of such is the 
 kingdom of heaven." Though the 
 whole race is. lost by the fall, yet 
 there is ample provision for the 
 children in the covenant of grace. 
 The gracious responsibility is here 
 devolved upon the father. TUcery 
 man a lamb. 
 
 4. If— too little, lit., small (from, 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 97 
 
 and his neighbor next unto his house take it according to the 
 number of the souls: every man, according to his eating, shall 
 make your count for the lamb. 
 
 5 Your lamb shall be b without blemish, a male of the first 
 year; ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 
 
 6 And ye shall keep it up until the c fourteenth day of the 
 same month : and the whole assembly of the congregation of 
 Israel shall kill d it in the evening. 
 
 b Le. 22: 19-21; De. 11 
 16: 1, 6. d ch. 16: 12. 
 
 1; Mai. 1: 8, 14; IPe. 1: 19. c Le. 23: 5; Nu. 9: 3; 28: 16; De 
 
 or more than) smaller than a lamb. 
 In case there was a very small 
 household, then they were to join 
 with a next neighbor. "Let him 
 and his nearest neighbor against his 
 house take (a lamb) according to the 
 reckoning of the (souls) persons. 
 Every man according to the mouth 
 (measure of) his eating , shall ye 
 reckon for the lamb, estimating that 
 is, how much each might be fairly 
 expected to eat. In later time- it 
 became customary to reckon ten 
 persons, at least, for a lamb, and 
 tradition has it that they were ex- 
 pected to eat as much in size as an 
 olive. But it was the law that the 
 lamb should be entirely consumed. 
 5. The strict and significant re- 
 quirements are now announced. 
 Tf Without blemish. This was a 
 requisite in the offering — and it was 
 typical of Christ — " Who did no 
 sin, etc." " Holy, harmless unde- 
 nted and separate from sinners." 
 (Heb.) Any defect or deformity 
 would spoil it for a sacrifice, but 
 especially for this paschal offering 
 (see Levit, 22 : 20.) A male. This 
 also represented Christ. And here 
 the lamb was to be a substitute, in 
 the typical transaction for the first 
 born. The burnt offerings were to 
 be males. (Lev. 1 : 3, It.) See 
 Matt. 1 : 14. A year old, lit., the 
 son of a year — " because it was not 
 till then that it reached the full, 
 fresh vigor of its life." Keil — " at 
 the age when its flesh was most 
 tender and grateful," and because 
 during that period it retains its 
 lamb-like humbleness and simpli- 
 
 VOL. T.— 5. 
 
 city." Bush — " This rather refers 
 to the condition of perfect innocence 
 in the antitype — the Lamb of 
 God." Tf From the sheep, or from 
 the goats. A kid was allowable, if 
 no sheep was had. But the sheep 
 was judged preferable. As typical 
 of Christ, we understand this dis- 
 tinction. 
 
 6. Keep it up — i. e., shall keep it 
 in charge. Heb. implies careful 
 keeping, lit., It shall be to you for 
 preservation, ^f Until the four- 
 teenth day. Some- suppose that our 
 Lord died on the day of the regular 
 passover, thereby completing the 
 antitypical transaction. But it is 
 more commonly supposed that He 
 ate the regular Passover with His 
 disciples, and died the next day. 
 ■f The whole assembly — not that the 
 whole body of the people should 
 kill each lamb. But that all should 
 at the same time, participate in the 
 killing, by taking part some at one 
 home and some at another, for 
 every Israelite must keep the feast 
 on pain of excommunication for 
 neglect. In the evening. Heb. 
 between the two evenings. Some un- 
 derstand this to be between 3 o'clock 
 and sunset. Our Lord was slain at 
 3 o'clock — the ninth hour. Keil and 
 others understand it to mean at 
 sunset. (Num.9: 3, 5, 11. Deut. 
 16 : 5.) " In the evening as soon as 
 the sun goes down." Keil says that 
 although the Israelites reckoned 
 the day of 21 hours from sunset to 
 sunset, yet in numbering the days 
 they followed the natural day, and 
 numbered each day according to the 
 
98 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two 
 side-posts and on the upper door-post of the houses wherein they 
 shall eat it. 
 
 period between sunrise and sunset. 
 And in proof of this he cites the 
 fast prescribed for the day of Atone- 
 ment, which fell upon the 10th day 
 of the 7th month, and yet it was or- 
 dered to commence on the evening 
 of the 9th day, from even to even. 
 (See Vol. 2, Pent. p. 12.) This then, 
 would go far to explain the differ- 
 ence about the time of the Passover 
 and Crucifixion, as given by John. 
 The term of the Paschal meal was 
 limited in the ritual by the mid- 
 night and morning. Part of the 
 Paschal ceremonies fell on the 14th 
 and part on the 15th, and so the 
 Evangelists may locate it on differ- 
 ent days, from different points of 
 view. Therefore, though the lamb 
 ■was slain on Thursday evening, the 
 Passover would not be eaten and 
 concluded before the Friday morn- 
 ing, that is, during the night follow- 
 ing Thursday. (And in addition to 
 this it is maintained that the phrase 
 to eat the Passover, includes the 
 keeping of the festival throughout, 
 and beyond the Paschal meal, (see 
 v. 48). In ch. 12 : 18, the command 
 is that unleavened bread should be 
 eaten from the 14th day of the 
 month at even until the 21st at 
 even — while in Levit. 23 : 6, we 
 read — " from the fifteenth ye are to 
 eat unleavened bread seven days." 
 Lange suggests, that " since Christ 
 desired to develop the Passover 
 into the New Testament form of 
 the Supper, it was quite significant 
 that He so ordered the feast that 
 the Passover itself took place be- 
 fore the beginning of the 15th 
 Nisan, and only the Supper fell in- 
 to the full feast. Therefore He 
 came early into Jerusalem with the 
 disciples and commanded the cele- 
 bration before the turning point of 
 the two days, that is, before o'clock 
 on the evening of the 14th Nisan. 
 So early was it that the conclusion 
 of the Paschal feast, or original 
 
 Agape, w r as reached before six 
 o'clock, or, at all events, just about 
 that hour. Sanday says " the Pas- 
 chal Supper was to be eaten before 
 the morning time following the 
 14th Nisan, which would .be our 
 Friday — but really on the loth 
 Nisan, Jewish — but not Saturday. 
 He thinks the confusion arises 
 from confounding the Julian and 
 Jewish day. — Notes on John. Kurtz 
 says the lamb could not possibly 
 have been slain before the sunset 
 " as soon as the sun goes down." 
 (This would be sunset of the 14th, 
 but strictly the beginning of the 
 15th. The lamb was to be roasted 
 and eaten before the morning of the 
 15th, and Jesus died at evening of 
 the same day. But it happened in 
 the rush and bustle of Christ's ar- 
 raignment and trial, that some of 
 the Jews, as late as early dawn, had 
 not yet eaten the Passover. But 
 they overrode all their customary 
 rules on that occasion.) Kurtz adds : 
 We learn from comparison of pas- 
 sages that agreeably to its natural 
 character, the first evening (i. e., the 
 time of evening twilight) could, be 
 regarded as either the termination 
 of one day or the commencement of 
 another." 
 
 7. Take of the blood. Blood is 
 the standing symbol of expiation, 
 in reference to the great blood- 
 shedding of Christ. And it was 
 ordained, " Without shedding of 
 blood is no remission." StiHke it, 
 lit., Put it — place it — on the two 
 posts. Some have thought that this 
 referred to tents. But doorposts 
 and lintel would rather refer to 
 fixed dwellings, and these would be 
 the places where the blood-marks 
 would most conspicuously appear 
 to all passers-by, and mark the 
 house with this sign or token of the 
 sacrifice. Right and left, aud Over- 
 head, to all that entered in, the 
 blood mark would appear. Only 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, 
 and e unleavened bread, and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 
 
 9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast 
 with fire ; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance 
 thereof. 
 
 10 And ye shall let nothing of it f remain until the morning; 
 and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn 
 with lire. 
 
 1 1 And thus shall ye eat it : With your loins girded, your 
 shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall 
 eat it in haste : it is the Lord's passover. 
 
 e ch. 34:25; De. 16:3; ICo. 5: 
 
 f ch. 23: 18. 
 
 not on the threshold to be tramp- 
 led under foot. It was an appoint- 
 ed covenant sign to Israel of deliv- 
 erance from the destroyer. 
 
 8, 9. In that night. The night 
 following the 14th day, and accord- 
 ing to Jewish reckoning, the begin- 
 ning of the 15th. As slaying the 
 lamb was the substitutionary, sacri- 
 ficial act which denoted the giving 
 of a life instead of the offerer's own, 
 so the sprinkling of the blood was 
 the symbol of applied atonement. 
 The offerer's own act indicated thus 
 his acceptance of the pardon and re- 
 demption purchased by the blood of 
 Christ — the antitype— and that for 
 himself not only, but also for his 
 household. " It was commonly 
 reckoned from sunset to sunrise." 
 Roast icith fire. Fire was a symbol 
 of the Holy Ghost, as a purifying 
 agent. "He shall baptize you with 
 the Holy Ghost and with fire." 
 (Matt. 3 : 11.) Cloven tongues, iike 
 as of fire:' (Acts 2 : 3.) " He is 
 like a refiner's fire." (Mai. 3 : 2.) 
 And unleavened bread with (on) 
 bitter herbs, shall they eat it. Ob- 
 serve, — It was to be roasted not be- 
 cause of the haste, but "so as to re- 
 tain its entireness and its strength 
 and substance, thus showing forth 
 the fulness and perfectness of the 
 sacrifice and the salvation. Herein 
 this difiered from all the other sac- 
 rifices. None of it was to be eaten 
 underdone, nor raw nor sodden, 
 (seethed or boiled) in water where- 
 by the substance would more 
 
 or less be lost, and the mass dis- 
 solved. But in the entirety of the 
 animal, head and legs, and thus a 
 perfect whole, not at all mutilated. 
 The whole Christ and the whole 
 Church are denoted. Num. 9 : 12, 
 vs. 34 : 20, 1 Cor. 5 : 7, 10 ; 17. The 
 unleavened bread denoted the ab- 
 sence of corruption, as leaven is the 
 souring and corruption, or spoiling 
 element of the mass. The bitter 
 herbs pointed to the tribulations of 
 the occasion. These herbs and 
 bread were to be the basis of the 
 meal. 
 
 10. Until the morning. The 
 meal was to be eaten between the 
 sunset and the daydawn. It was 
 for this use alone, and for none 
 other, in any part or atom of H. 
 Therefore, any remnant of it, wifl 
 to be burnt with fire, if it was not 
 practicable to eat it all. The Pass- 
 over was different from all other 
 sacrifices — in this that it was to be 
 for the people's consumption, first 
 of all and chief of all — partaken as 
 a whole by them, and wholly by 
 them, and thus entering wholly in- 
 to them for substance. (1) It was a 
 social family meal. (2) It was eu- 
 charistic. (3) It was expiatory. 
 The atonement and the salvation 
 were to be held as all-sufficient, but 
 with no surplus, to be thrown away 
 or devoted to any other use. 
 
 11. Thus. Special directions are 
 given as to the manner of eating 
 and their equipment for the meals. 
 Loins girded, for action, the long, 
 
100 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 12 Fori will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and 
 will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and 
 beast; and against all the gods of Egypt s I will execute judg- 
 ment: I am the Lokd. 
 
 13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses 
 
 ch. 12: 
 
 Ps. 106: 46. 
 
 flowing robe tucked up and fastened 
 about tbe loins by the girdle, so as 
 to be fitted to march without any 
 impediment of the clothing, and 
 braced by the girdle. Shoes — san- 
 dals on your feet, so as to be shod 
 for rough roads. Staff, such as they 
 use on journeys for walking a dis- 
 tance. God would open the way for 
 them ; but they must do the march- 
 ing, each for himself. Our agency 
 is requisite in our salvation, and all 
 Christ's finished work, free as its 
 benefits are, is nothing if we do not 
 apply it by sprinkling the blood 
 upon our doorways, and if we do 
 not march out of our bondage. 
 ^ In haste, In anxious plight. — Keil. 
 These directions applied only to the 
 original passover in Egypt, and not 
 to after celebrations-; but they have 
 typical significance. Every believer 
 must stand habitually in readiness 
 for action. " That the man of God 
 may be perfect" The term means 
 ready (2 Tim 3: 1 7). In the attitude 
 not of loiterers but of travellers and 
 of workers, and of those who are 
 expectants of orders to move at any 
 moment. This is the attitude of the 
 apostles — Watching ! " The day of 
 the Lord cometh ! " "Looking for 
 and hasting " the coming ! They 
 were not ignorant nor mistaken nor 
 deceived by false expectations. 
 They were waiting and ready for 
 the orders from headquarters at any 
 moment. In v. 3 they were notified 
 to be ready. *[ The Lord's passover 
 to Jehovah. This declaration gives 
 dignity and significance to the whole 
 transaction. It is an ordinance of 
 Jehovah, and the term by which it 
 is called passover means not only to 
 pass over in the way of sparing the 
 people, but also as a bird with out- 
 stretched wings, protecting the peo- 
 
 ple of Israel. In Egyj)tian the word 
 means to spread the wings over for 
 protection. Keil says, "As birds 
 flying so will the Lord of hosts 
 defend Jerusalem ; defending, also 
 He will deliver it, and passing over, 
 He will preserve it." The term is 
 explained in the next verses. For 
 I will pass through this night. That 
 is the same night on which they 
 were to eat the passover. They who 
 will find fault with the narrative, 
 and call it unhistorical, demand that 
 this night is to be understood as 
 meaning the night on which Jeho- 
 vah speaks. But in Hebrew the 
 pronoun refers always to that which 
 is already spoken of. And here it 
 points to the night following the 
 fourteenth of the month, at least a 
 week after this was spoken. % Will 
 smite, etc. This was to be God's 
 direct act, which made this plague 
 the concentration of all the fore- 
 going. It was God's redemption of 
 His own first-born. Against all 
 the gods of -Egypt. Calvin explains 
 this, " that it was most appar- 
 ent then how little help was to 
 be found in these false gods, and 
 how fallacious was their worship." 
 It may mean that in smiting the 
 first-born of beasts God would smite 
 the objects of Egyptian worship. 
 The worship of animals was uni- 
 versal ; the bull and cow and goat 
 and ram and cat were worshipped 
 throughout Egypt. The rabbins 
 understood it that every temple and 
 idol was destroyed by earthquake 
 or lightning ; but Moses' Egyptian 
 learning is manifest in this record, 
 which would not have occurred to a 
 stranger in Egypt. 
 
 13. The blood-mark would sure 
 ly be recognized as a sacramental 
 sign to them — a pledge of mercy — 
 
CHAPTER XTI. 
 
 101 
 
 where ye are : and when I see the blood I will pass over you, 
 and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I 
 smite the land of Egypt. 
 
 14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye 
 shall keep it a h feast to the Lord throughout your generations ; 
 ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. 
 
 15 Seven days * shall ye eat unleavened bread ; even the first 
 
 h Le. 33: 4, 5; 2Ki. 23: 21; ICo. 5: 8. 
 
 i ch. 13: 6, &c. : Nu. 28: 17. 
 
 marking the house on which it was, 
 for the sparing mercy of God. 
 \ When I see the blood. Not when 
 I see you, but when I see the "blood, 
 for the blood was the controlling 
 sign, as it was the token of expia- 
 tion, and all the merit lay in the 
 sacrifice, and not in them. (2) 
 Though it was at midnight that the 
 destroying angel would pass 
 through, He would see the blood - 
 mark, however dim it was, and 
 however dark the night might be. 
 " He is faithful that promised." He 
 overlooks nothing that His grace 
 can find. 
 
 14. This day. The fourteenth — 
 referred to — the Paschal day — 
 though the feast was eaten at night 
 following, yet the lamb was slain 
 on the 14th. For a memorial. A 
 day of commemorative ordinance 
 in which their redemption was to 
 be called to mind, while it was to 
 be also for a reminder to God in 
 this sacramental seal of His cove- 
 nant. " This do in remembrance of 
 me." — eiQ rrjv avafivTjGiv efiov — for 
 my reminding or remembrance. It 
 was to be kept throughout your 
 (Jewish) generations forever — that 
 it was to be of perpetual obliga- 
 tion. It was a feast, also, not a 
 fast. Some look upon the New- 
 Testament paschal feast as a 
 gloomy, repulsive ordinance, and 
 more like a fast. But no, we are 
 banqueted there upon the provisions 
 which He has purchased with His 
 blood. We should come with ho- 
 sannas, and feed upon Christ, and 
 feel ourselves richly feasted. 
 
 "A wondrous feast His love prepares 
 Bought with His wounds and groans and 
 tears." 
 
 Keil says "The Passover was a 
 sacrifice which combined in itself 
 the signification of the future sin- 
 offerings and peace offerings." It 
 was eucharistic as a social meal, 
 and it was expiatory as a sin offer- 
 ing. We should therefore come 
 with joy. The feast is spread for 
 us, aud entirely of His providing. 
 "In the meal," says Keil, the sacri~ 
 ficium, became a sacramentum, the 
 flesh of the sacrifice a means of 
 grace by which the Lord adopted 
 His spared and redeemed people, 
 into the fellowship of His house, 
 and gave them food for the refresh- 
 ing of their souls." It is to be re- 
 marked here that this ordinance 
 was most important to be establish- 
 ed at that very time — as notifying 
 Israel on their leaving Egypt to 
 what they were called, that their 
 deliverance was nothing little or in- 
 significant in the eye of God — as its 
 celebration was to be commemorated 
 even to the most distant genera- 
 tions, the people must have seen in 
 that an indication of the great des- 
 tiny which the Lord had in view 
 for them at that moment, and their 
 gaze was elevated from the pres- 
 ent to the future." . Havemick's 
 Int. 251. Further, the directions 
 for eating the meal in the houses, 
 show that it was at a time when as 
 yet they had no sanctuary. And 
 so every particular agrees with the 
 circumstances and shows it to be 
 historical. 
 
 § 24. Institution of the Feast 
 of Unleavened Bread. Ch. 
 XII: 15-20. 
 
 15. Seven days. This was a feast 
 
102 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever 
 eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day,k 
 that soul shall be cut off from Israel. 
 
 16 And in the first day there-shall be an holy l convocation, 
 and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to 
 you ; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which 
 every man must eat, that only may be done of you. 
 
 17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for 
 in this self-same day have I brought your armies out of the land 
 of Egypt : therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations 
 by an ordinance for ever. 
 
 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at 
 
 k Nu. 9: 13. 
 
 1 Nu. 29: 12. 
 
 connected with the Passover, be- 
 ginning at the close of the Paschal 
 supper. The seven days' time is ac- 
 counted for by some as commemo- 
 rating the haste in which they were 
 moving, so that they would be 
 obliged to eat without leaven till 
 they crossed the Red Sea, one week, 
 (v. 39.) But a better reason is a 
 more sacred one and more pertain- 
 ing to the ritual. It was in order 
 that the feast should include a 
 Sabbath and thus take in the whole 
 cycle of the week, in accordance 
 with the Sabbath feature of the 
 ritual. Supposing the Sabbath to 
 have been already instituted, as we 
 believe, and known from the begin- 
 ning, this is the better explanation. 
 •Jf Even (only) the first day (that is 
 not later than the first day,) (the 14th 
 at even (v. 18) Ye shall put away 
 leaven, etc. In the Corinthians 
 Paul explains this feature and 
 shows the symbolical meaning of it. 
 (1 Cor. 5 : 7. See also Luke 12 : 1.) 
 " Unleavened bread " is the type of 
 holy fervor and pure, pious living, 
 without the principle of corruption 
 at work within. The new life was 
 thus symbolized, as cleansed from 
 the leaven of a sinful nature. 
 " Therefore, (says Paul) let us keep 
 the (paschal) feast, not with old. 
 leaven, neither with the leaven of 
 malice and wickedness, but with 
 the unleavened bread of sincerity 
 and truth." % Whosoever. The 
 
 violation of this law was a capital 
 offence. That sold — that person 
 shall be cut off — excommunicated 
 from the covenant membership, and 
 the privileges of Israel. 
 
 16. Holy convocation — a sacred 
 assembly for religious worship, in 
 prayer and praise, and perhaps also 
 reading of the scripture and remark, 
 as it came to be afterwards in the 
 synagogue. -This public religious 
 gathering and service were to be 
 on the first day and the seventh, 
 making the beginning and close of 
 the festival Sabbatic. The prepara 
 tion of necessary food was allowed, 
 as it was not on the Sabbath, and 
 the day of Atonement. (Exod. eh. 
 16 : 28, 24.) There were seven such 
 Sabbatic days in the year besides 
 the seventh-day Sabbath — the first 
 and last days of unleavened bread, 
 and of the feast of Tabernacles, the 
 day of Pentecost, the first day of 
 the seventh month and the day of 
 Atonement (see Levit. 23 ; Numb. 
 28, 29). The term for convocation 
 is derived in Hebrew, as in Latin, 
 from the verb to call. So is ecclesia 
 in the Greek, but further meaning 
 " called out from." 
 
 17. The reason for the observance 
 is here given : Have 1 brought. That 
 which had not yet come to pass 
 is stated to be the ground for this 
 religious observance, so that the 
 transaction is prophetic and promis- 
 sory. So also " the Lord's supper " 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 103 
 
 even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth 
 day of the month at even. 
 
 1 9 Seven days shall there be no m leaven found in your houses; 
 for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul 
 shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be 
 a stranger, or born in the land. 
 
 20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations 
 shall ye eat unleavened bread. 
 
 21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said 
 unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your 
 families, and kill the n passover. 
 
 22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the 
 blood that is in the basin, and strike o the lintel and the two 
 
 m ch. 23: 15; 34: 18; De. 16: 3. n Jos. 5: 10; 2tfi. 23: 21; Ezr. 0: 20; Mat. 26: 18; 
 Mar. 14: 12; Lu. 22: T, &c. o Le. 14: 6, 7; Ps. 51: 7; He. 9: 19; 11: 28. 
 
 was instituted as a memorial of what 
 had not yet come to pass, and was in 
 so far prophetic. 
 
 18. A more precise statement of 
 v. 15. 
 
 19. A restatement of v. 15, last 
 clause. A stranger. These were 
 afterwards distinguished as of two 
 classes, proselytes of righteousness, 
 circumcised, and proselytes of the 
 gate, uncircumcised, but who ac- 
 knowledged the God of Israel and 
 the Xoachic precepts. But no for- 
 eigner could eat of the passover 
 unless he had been circumcised, 
 and had thus the badge of member- 
 ship. Bom in the land. Native 
 of the country, a native Israelite, 
 descended from Isaac and Jacob, to 
 whom birth in the land of Canaan, 
 and property in the soil, were vital 
 matters of God's covenant. " One 
 ' born in the land,' therefore, was 
 indigenous, belonging to the country 
 by virtue of descent,, that descent 
 being reckoned from Abraham, to 
 whom Canaan was promised as a 
 perpetual inheritance." — Sp. Com. 
 JSot a Hebrew born in Egypt (as Ja- 
 mieson thinks), as a stranger might 
 be born in Egypt. 
 
 20. The prohibition of leaven 
 is here again repeated. " To eat 
 leavened bread at this feast would 
 have been a denial of the divine act 
 by which Israel was introduced 
 
 into the new life of fellowship with 
 Jehovah." — Murphy. In all your 
 habitations, as well as in the public 
 service of the sanctuary during the 
 feast. We are bound to be pious 
 and devout at home as well as in 
 the house of God. 
 
 §35. Jehovah's Passovee. Ch. XII : 
 21-30. 
 
 21. Moses, having now recited 
 the Divine directions, records also 
 the leading items in his instructions 
 to the elders of the people. The 
 elders were officers in the church, 
 and have continued to be such. 
 *[ Draw out. Take out — separate 
 from the fold and take, etc. It has 
 been objected that there was not 
 time for these orders to be duly 
 published ; but it is assumed erro- 
 neously that there were only twelve 
 hours, as if these orders had been 
 given on the last day. But as the 
 lamb was to be taken from the fold 
 on the tenth, these orders were 
 published before that day, and 
 hence four, five or more days would 
 remain. A lamb according to your 
 families, that is, a lamb for each 
 family (as many lambs as families), 
 and kill the passover — the passover 
 lamb selected. 
 
 22. Hyssop. Here follows a di- 
 rection for sprinkling the blood. 
 
104 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 side-posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of jon 
 shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. 
 
 23 For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians ; 
 and when he seeth the blood p upon the lintel, and on the 
 two side-posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and ft will 
 not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite 
 you. 
 
 p He. 12: 
 
 q 2Sa. 24: 16; Eze. 9: 4-6; Re. 7: 3; 9: 4. 
 
 There were different species of this 
 plant, but well adapted for this use 
 — a bunch — of several stalks. The 
 process was to dip the hyssop in the 
 blood (of the animal) which was in 
 the basin, and then apply the blood 
 as directed. It has been insisted 
 that as baptism has a meaning from 
 the root bap — to dip — therefore, 
 the subject must be dipped. But 
 throughout the ritual, the dipping 
 is of the instrument by which the 
 sprinkling or baptizing is done. Bap- 
 tise is not to dip ; but to dippize, or 
 to apply the element to the person 
 by the article dipped, not by dipping 
 the person in the element. So we 
 never read of immersing one in the 
 Holy Ghost. Else we must make 
 the immersion to be in the blood of 
 Christ ; and this is no longer the idea 
 of Baptism, which refers not to jus- 
 tification, but to sanctifi cation. This 
 is the essential idea in sprinkling. 
 When the soldiers filled a sponge 
 with vinegar and put it upon hyssop 
 and gave our crucified Lord to drink, 
 they were unconsciously using the 
 passover instrument here mention- 
 ed. (Lev. 14 : 51 } Numb. 19 : 18.) 
 The hyssop was used in ordinary 
 purifications to sprinkle the blood. 
 It had thus a symbolical significance. 
 "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall 
 be clean." — Ps. 51. 
 
 None of you. This was to pre- 
 vent the Israelites being, in any 
 way, mixed with the Egyptians, 
 where the most entire separation 
 was to be carried out, and also, to 
 prevent any suspicion of their being 
 agents in the terrible destruction ; 
 and further, as there was no safety 
 to any one except behind a blood- 
 
 stained door; and as the house was 
 consecrated by the blood-mark, this 
 was their great security. Hence 
 they must abide in the place. 
 
 23. Moses here repeated the or- 
 der given him by God. The paschal 
 blood was the saving mark for those 
 Israelites who would so use it. It 
 must be understood that as it is 
 Jehovah's Passover and altogether 
 a plan of grace, so He has the sov- 
 ereign right to prescribe the terms 
 of tlie salvation. And these are in 
 no wise conditions, in the sense of 
 a bargain, but provisions for our ac- 
 ceptance — and only such as are nat- 
 ural and necessary in the case to 
 carry out the objects, and so these 
 constitute the condition of things 
 in which the benefits are to be be- 
 stowed. 
 
 When He seeth the blood. The 
 Redemption mark is the signal for 
 deliverance. (1) It is not our blood 
 but the blood of the slain Lamb. 
 (2) It must be accepted by us for a 
 token and so applied by us as to in- 
 dicate our acceptance of all the pro- 
 visions. (3) It must be openly and 
 publicly put forward as the shield 
 and refuge under which we live. 
 (4) It must be posted on our dwell- 
 ings, as for ourselves, and our 
 households in all our living. (5) 
 We are not to reason against the 
 provisions for they are all of grace. 
 (6) Our great business is to be sure 
 that we embrace the gospel provis- 
 ions, and our question must be not 
 as to the merit of our frames and ex- 
 ercises, but as to the fact of Christ's 
 blood-shedding and our open and 
 avowed acceptance and application 
 of it to our case in all our living 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 105 
 
 24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee 
 and to thy sons for ever. 
 
 25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land 
 which the Lord will give you, according as he hath promised, 
 that ye shall keep this service. 
 
 26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say 
 unto you, r What mean ye by this service ? 
 
 r ch. 13: 8-14: De. 32: 7; Jos. 4: 6; Ps. 78- 6. 
 
 The Destroyer. A personal 
 agent is referred to. In v. 29 it is 
 ascribed to the Lord — Jehovah. In 
 Heb. 11 : 28, it is the Destroyer of 
 the first-born. 
 
 24. To thee and to thy sons for- 
 ever. So God has always graciously 
 included the children in the blessings 
 of His covenant. The ordinances 
 are household ordinances. The new 
 birth is not of bloods — one or anoth- 
 er — yet the provision includes the 
 children of believers as specially 
 contemplated and cared for in the 
 covenant. Therefore the paschal 
 lamb was to be taken and slain and 
 eaten by families. Bless the Lord 
 for His grace to children's children 
 in all the ages. This thing, lit., this 
 word — this command or ordinance — 
 It shall be a permanent institution 
 in the Jewish church. 
 
 25. The people were in training 
 for permanent religious services in 
 the Promised Land. Here it is di- 
 rected that this ordinance is for 
 their observance in Canaan, as it 
 was to teach them the vital princi- 
 ples of their faith, founded on the 
 idea of sin and salvation by a Re- 
 deemer. It is called a service, since 
 it was to be done in obedience to 
 God, and was part of the service 
 which as His servants they owed to 
 Him. Though it was a provision 
 for their good, yet they were held 
 obligated to the performance. For 
 God has pleased to make it our high- 
 est duty to accept His salvation. 
 " This is the work of God that ye 
 believe on Him whom He hath sent" 
 (John 6 : 29). 
 
 26. When your children, etc. 
 Family religion is here supposed. 
 
 The children were expected to be at 
 the Paschal table, and to ask ques- 
 tions about the ordinance, and the 
 parents were to answer as instruct- 
 ed of God. The ordinance was a 
 household ordinance. It was a fam- 
 ily meal — and a family seal. And 
 it is in this way that the New Tes- 
 tament sacraments are to be taught 
 to the children, that they may un- 
 derstandingly partake as is provid- 
 ed. Christian parents are solemnly 
 obligated by the terms of the bap- 
 tismal ordinance to instruct their 
 children in the nature of the obli- 
 gations belonging to them and to be 
 assumed by them at discretionary 
 years. And because so little of this 
 is done, therefore so little result is at- 
 tained. ^[ Ye shall say. The ordi- 
 nance was to be explained as the sac- 
 rifice of the Lord's Passover. (1) Its 
 sacrificial nature is declared. As a 
 bloody sacrifice the Passover had in 
 it the essential element of the sin-of- 
 fering. And as a social meal, it was 
 eucharistic — a thank-offering. And 
 so it combined in itself the essence of 
 the whole sacrificial system. It was 
 the top and crown of the whole. 
 Hengstenberg shows that it was the 
 foundation and centre of all sin- 
 offerings. And the Rationalists to 
 avoid the significance of this con- 
 tend that it was originally a festival 
 of nature to which a religious ele- 
 ment was afterwards added. But 
 nature worship has rather sprung 
 from the religious sentiment which 
 is plainly most prominent in all the 
 Hebrew festivals. Yet they all had 
 a threefold reference and signifi- 
 cance. (1) The Historical. (2) The 
 Agricultural. (3) The Evangelical, 
 
106 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's pass- 
 sover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in 
 Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. 
 And the people bowed the head and s worshipped. 
 
 28 And the children of Israel went away, and did a3 the 
 Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron: so did they. 
 
 29 And it came to pass that at midnight the Lord smote* 
 
 s Ch. 4: 31. t Nu 3; 13; 8: 17; 33: 4; Ps, 78: 51: 105: 36; 135: 8; 186: 10; He. 11: 28. 
 
 (1) The Passover had the Historical 
 reference as commemorating the 
 wonderful deliverance of the cove- 
 nant people from Egyptian bondage. 
 
 (2) The Agricultural reference. At 
 the opening of the barley harvest, 
 the first ripe stalks were to be pre- 
 sented and waved before God. (3) 
 The Evangelical reference — embrac- 
 ing both the others in the antitype, 
 (a) The Deliverance from the bond- 
 age of the world (b) the first fruits 
 of the Resurrection, or harvest of 
 the world (Christ the first fruits. 
 (1 Cor. 15 : 23). We have had the 
 Christian Passover, in which the 
 type has passed into the antitype. — 
 There was a meal in the ancient 
 Passover, a feast upon the sacrifice, 
 which meal remains as the eucha- 
 ristic thanksgiving feature of this 
 social and family ordinance. 
 
 Of the Lord's Passover — the sac- 
 rifice of the Passover (or Paschal 
 lamb) to Jehovah — the lamb offered 
 to Jehovah as expressive of atone- 
 ment, as appointed by His gracious 
 provision. Or it may be understood 
 The sacrifice of the Passover ordi- 
 nance which is Jehovah's — whose 
 provisions are His. As we call the 
 corresponding New Testament ordi- 
 nance — The Lord's Supper — of His 
 providing, and spreading and conse 
 crating. It is the Lamb of God — 
 God's Lamb. The recital of the 
 Paschal history as the occasion of 
 the ordinance is touching and com- 
 prehensive, holding up the great 
 Redemptive fact as to be impressed 
 most deeply on the household. This 
 is the gospel teaching which is due 
 to christian children from believing 
 parents. Our Redemption is to be 
 put forth as a joyous fact, when He 
 
 passes over us and our houses, and 
 in this our children are bidden to 
 rejoice with us, and to celebrate 
 with us the paschal ordinance. It 
 is not so much a profession of reli- 
 gion — that is — of having a notable 
 measure of religion fit to be men- 
 tioned. It is rather a confession of 
 Christ, and of the facts upon which 
 our faith fixes and rests. The peo- 
 ple boiced the head and worshipped 
 in expression of their reverent and 
 devout reception of these instruc- 
 tions and of their purpose to abide 
 by them. 
 
 28. The people obeyed the direc- 
 tions and accepted the provisions. 
 Alas ! for those who claim that they 
 can do without the Lord's Supper 
 and do not need it for their religious 
 living. "If I wash thee not thou 
 hast no part with me." (John 13.) 
 If any one declines what Christ pro- 
 nounces needful, how can he expect 
 to attain to the salvation which 
 Christ alone can provide ? And it is 
 not a repulsive medicine. It is a 
 feast. And when He who knows 
 our need has spread it freely for us, 
 why shall we not gladly partake? 
 How can any accept the Gospel 
 feast, and refuse the Lord's Supper V 
 It is plain that children ought to ask 
 about the Lord's Supper and Bap- 
 tism — to know what they mean and 
 what they have to do with them — 
 for they are deeply concerned in 
 both these sacred and precious ordi- 
 nances of Christ's house. 
 
 § 26. TnE Tenth and Final 
 Plague. Ch. XII : 29-36. 
 
 29. The dreadful night of horrors 
 has now arrived. According to all 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 107 
 
 all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born 
 of Pharaoh that sat on his throne, unto the first-born of the 
 captive that was in the dungeon ; and all the first-born of 
 cattle. 
 
 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants, 
 and all the Egyptians ; and there was a great cry v in Egypt ; 
 for there teas not a house where there was not one dead. 
 
 v Ch. 11: 6: Pr. 21: 13; Am. 5: 17: Matt 25: 6: Ja. 2: 13. 
 
 that was threatened and provided 
 for so it came to pass. At midnight 
 — in the time of deep sleep ana se- 
 curity — the blow came as it had been 
 forewarned, (ch. 11: 4). Pharaoh 
 might have averted it and escaped 
 the deluge of wrath, had his wicked 
 heart relented. But he went madly 
 on — defying God to do His worst. 
 And as he had cruelly slain the chil- 
 dren of the Israelites, so he suffers in 
 kind. The Plague is here ascribed 
 to Jehovah. It was not by the rod 
 of Moses as before, but more direct- 
 Ly and personally. Yet this does not 
 forbid the agency of a Destroyer 
 such as is implied in Hebrews (11 : 
 23). And natural causes may also 
 be admitted. Only that a pestilence 
 confining its ravages to the first-born 
 implies the direct and intelligent 
 agency of a Personal mind and will. 
 Evidently this Plague is emphasized 
 as having been wrought by Jehovah. 
 And there is nothing inconsistent 
 with the supposition that it was the 
 Covenant Angel, the Second Person 
 of the Godhead. % The captive that 
 (was) in the dungeon, lit., in the house 
 of the pit. In ch. 11 : 5, it is the wom- 
 an behind the mill that is mentioned 
 In both cases it is the same idea — 
 from the highest to the lowest of so- 
 ciety — from the king to the lowest 
 menial or slave. Such a judgment 
 was invited by the acts of Pharaoh 
 and the people in destroying the 
 male children of the Israelites. And 
 this cruelty they had begun more 
 than eighty years before and had 
 been practising since, to the horror 
 and wo of the families of Israel. And 
 now in one night there comes such 
 a fitting recompense from God, (1) 
 
 God often pays in kind. (2) God 
 visits men's iniquities on them often 
 already, in this life. (3) God is 
 just as well as loving and good. 
 (4) Many cannot or will not believe 
 that God will punish sin in another 
 world. But even in this world, He 
 punishes often in such a way as to 
 show His principles of administra- 
 tion. And there must be a time for 
 universal settlement. Men will 
 sometime get the reward of their 
 deeds ; except as they take refuge 
 in Christ, repenting and believing in 
 Him. The first-born of cattle. The 
 beasts are sharers in the wo which 
 the monarch "s sin has brought upon 
 the land. "The Avhole creation 
 groaneth and travaileth in pain to- 
 gether until now." (Rom. 8) But 
 the animal creation and all created 
 things on our planet will share in 
 the blessedness of Christ's Redemp- 
 tion. There is a glorious resting 
 for the creature as the result of 
 Christ's finished work. How the 
 pride and strength of Egypt was 
 smitten in one night ! % Not a 
 house, that is, of the class describ- 
 ed, in which first born were found, 
 of the rising generation — not them- 
 selves parents. (1) Alas ! for the 
 children. How they must suffer for 
 the misdeeds of their parents. (2) 
 How important for the children to 
 have pious fathers and mothers. 
 (3) Children, and especially the 
 eldest, suffer for the drunkenness 
 and theft and murder in which their 
 parents are brought to shame and 
 disgrace the household. (4) What 
 a motive to parents to be the Lord's 
 when their best beloved children 
 must so much rise or fall by their 
 
108 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 31 And he called w for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, 
 Rise up, a?id get you forth from among my people, both ye and 
 the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said. 
 
 32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, 
 and be gone; and x bless me also. 
 
 33 And the Egyptians were ? urgent upon the people, that 
 they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, 
 We be all dead men. 
 
 34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, 
 their kneading-troughs being bound up in their clothes upon 
 their shoulders. 
 
 35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of 
 Moses ; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver and 
 jewels of gold, and raiment: 
 
 wCh. 11: 1. 
 
 x Ge. 27: 34. 
 
 y Pe. 105: 
 
 conduct. God "visits the iniquities 
 of the fathers upon the children 
 unto the third and fourth generation 
 of those that hate Him." And this 
 is commonly by a natural process in 
 which vice spreads disaster through 
 the household. While He "shews 
 mercy unto thousands (or families) 
 of them that love Him and keep His 
 commandments." The blessedness 
 and security of being in a pious 
 family cannot be exaggerated. "The 
 stout hearted are spoiled " (Ps. 76 : 5). 
 Pharaoh's heart quakes. He and 
 all his people are smitten with hor- 
 ror at midnight and are roused from 
 sleep. 
 
 The first born of Pharaoh him- 
 self was struck dead (v. 29). 
 
 31, 32. So it occurred as Moses 
 had foretold him. (ch. 11 : 8.) It is 
 evident that the King's residence 
 (at Tanis or Zoan) must have been 
 near to where Moses was, at Barne- 
 ses, (y. 37) as the inessage is 
 promptly delivered. ^[ Both ye and 
 the children. Pharaoh no longer 
 seeks compromise, but entreats them 
 to be gone altogether, with flocks 
 and herds. He was now eager to 
 grant them all that they had asked 
 — as ye have said. — And bless me also. 
 He asks to be on good terms with 
 them — dreading any farther curse, 
 he bespeaks a blessing. How com- 
 pletely he is brought down. And yet 
 
 how craven after his stubborn and 
 cruel persistence against God and 
 His servants. The worst men and 
 most bitter opposers of Christianity 
 have quailed at the near prospect of 
 death, and have cried for mercy. 
 
 33. Urgent. They were now ea- 
 ger and impatient to have them 
 gone. They saw death and destruc- 
 tion staring them in the face. (Ps. 
 105 : 38.) We be all dead men. They 
 made no demand for their return. 
 God will have absolute and uncon- 
 ditional submission. 
 
 34. Their dough — unleavened, 
 not raised — indicating their haste, 
 (v. 39) — as the prohibition was not 
 yet given. Their Jc?ieading troughs. 
 These were bowls of wood or of wick- 
 er work, light and portable — and 
 with the dough in them they could 
 wrap them in their large loose man- 
 tle and swing them over the shoul- 
 ders. 
 
 35. As Moses had directed them, 
 so the Israelites demanded (not bor- 
 rowed) jewels of silver, etc. They 
 had need of supplies of valuables 
 and raiment for their journey. They 
 had a right to compensation for 
 their long and laborious service. 
 They make the demand — asking it 
 as their right — and God by His 
 Providence and Spirit disposed the 
 Egyptians to grant this demand. 
 
 36. This might have been con- 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 109 
 
 36 And the Lord 2 gave the people favor in the sight of the 
 Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they 
 required; and they spoiled the Egyptians. 
 
 37 And the children of Israel journeyed from a Rameses to 
 
 z Ge. 39: 21; ch. 3: 2!: 11:3. 
 
 aNu. 1:46; 11:21. 
 
 tested and refused. But the Lord 
 (Jehovah) gave the people favor in 
 the eyes of the Egyptians, who were 
 ready to give them anything they 
 asked to get clear of the awful 
 calamities which their detention in- 
 volved. They lent, or, lit., caused 
 them to ask, rather, They gave them. 
 This is plain from all the connec- 
 tion of the narrative. Nothing 
 was said about their return. The 
 contrary is presumed (see 1 Sam. : 
 1 : 28). The direction to do this 
 had been given prior to the last 
 plague, and it was not all of a sud- 
 den, on the eve of their departure . 
 Tf They spoiled — despoiled — (ch. 3 : 
 21, 22 ; 11 : 2,) showing that it was 
 no lending, but giving under the 
 stress of the occasion — and so they 
 took these treasures as spoil or 
 booty (Gen. 15 : 14. Ezek. 39 : 10. 
 Ps. 105 : 37). They came out of the 
 land of bondage with great sub- 
 stance. " He brought them forth 
 also with silver and gold." It was 
 God's doing. 
 
 § 27. The Exodus.— Ch. XII. 37-42. 
 
 37. From Barneses. This was 
 probably the province or district — 
 for no city would be a rendezvous 
 for such a multitude. Yet the city 
 of this name was probably the head- 
 quarters. Some, as Hengstenberg 
 and Robinson, take this to have been 
 Heroopolis, the chief city of Goshen, 
 (So Keil and Jamieson) the modern 
 Abu Keishib, near to Tanis or Zoan, 
 the monarch's residence (Ps. 78 : 12). 
 It is held to have been between the 
 Pelusiac arm of the Nile and the 
 N. W. extremity of the Bitter 
 Lakes. To Succoth. The name means 
 booths, probably a caravan station, 
 well-known, about half way between 
 Rameses and Etham, or the head 
 
 of the Red Sea — the stations being 
 about fifteen miles apart. That 
 they went out so promptly is owing 
 to the fact that they had received 
 several days' notice, (ch. 11 : 2) and 
 were in expectation of a release for 
 sometime previous. Stanley (Hist. 
 of Jewish Church) says : " How 
 deeply that first resting-place was 
 intended to be sunk into their re- 
 membrance may be gathered from 
 the fact that this, rather than any 
 other of the numerous halts in their 
 later wanderings, was selected to 
 be represented after their entrance 
 into Palestine, as a memorial of 
 their stay in the wilderness. The 
 Feast of 'Tabernacles (Lev. 23 : 40) 
 43) or Succoth — was a feast, not of 
 tents, but of huts woven together 
 from the boughs of goodly trees, 
 branches of palm trees, etc., that all 
 their generations might know that 
 the Lord made the children of Isra- 
 el to dwell in booths when He 
 brought them up out of the land of 
 Egypt." About six hundred thousand, 
 These were the marching men, and 
 supposing them to include those 
 above twelve or fourteen years of 
 age (Sp. Com. : commonly reckoned 
 above twenty) besides women and 
 children, the whole people would ea- 
 sily amount to more than two mill- 
 ions. Josephus says " two hundred 
 and forty myriads." It has been 
 doubted by many whether there 
 could have been such an increase 
 of the Israelites during their sojourn 
 in Egypt, whether that period be 
 reckoned as four hundred years or 
 two hundred and fifteen. But (1) 
 this large multitude who went out 
 of Egypt, though called Israelites, 
 included with descendants of Jacob's 
 family and of his household, the 
 trained servants who went down 
 with him, of whom Abraham had 
 
110 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 Succoth, about b six hundred thousand on foot that were men, 
 beside children. 
 
 38 And a mixed multitude c went up also with them, and 
 flocks and herds, even very much cattle. 
 
 bNu. 1: 
 
 11: 21. cNu. 11: 4. 
 
 318 and Jacob, doubtless, had a large 
 retinue. Rawlinson says : " It is not 
 unlikely that the whole company 
 which entered Egypt with Jacob 
 amounted to above one thousand 
 souls." {Aids to Faith p. 322.) All 
 of these being circumcised, and 
 perhaps born in the house, would 
 be reckoned as Israelites. This 
 supposition, however, is not neces- 
 sity to account for the increase in 
 E gypt. Birks makes the descent 
 into Egypt to have been not of Ja- 
 cob's family alone, but of a whole 
 Hebrew tribe and so called Hebrews 
 — including many more than Jacob's 
 sons and grandsons, and probably 
 not less than a thousand in all (pp. 
 139, 40). Doubtless a large retinue 
 of household servants and attend- 
 ants had been inherited by Jacob 
 from Abraham and Isaac. Kelt, 
 however, declines to include these, 
 and confines the reckoning to the 
 seventy, who went in, as put in con- 
 trast with those who came out. 
 Making all deductions from the 70, 
 there remain forty-one grandsons 
 who founded families, in addition 
 to the Levites. Reckoning forty 
 years as a generation (1 Chron. 7 : 20, 
 etc.) the tenth generation of the 41 
 grandsons would be born about the 
 year 400 of the sojourn in Egypt, 
 and therefore would be over 20 
 years of age at the exodus. He cal- 
 culates that there would be by ordi- 
 nary reckoning 603,550 men who 
 were more than 20 years old at the 
 exodus. And this without any spe- 
 cial Divine blessing for their extra 
 increase. (2) But if their sojourn in 
 Egypt was only 215 years, as we 
 have supposed, then, taking seven 
 descents or natural generations of 
 30 years, there is no impossibility 
 in the numbers. But (3) there is to 
 be considered God's special promise 
 
 to the patriarchs of a very numer- 
 ous seed. (4) The practice of polyg- 
 amy would further need to be taken 
 into the account, besides intermar- 
 riages with their household servants 
 who were fellow- worshippers, and of 
 their own domestic circle. Added 
 to this their intermarriages with 
 the Egyptians would need to be 
 reckoned. It is capable of clearest 
 proof, and it has been shown re- 
 peatedly and conclusively on various 
 bases of calculation that these num- 
 bers are readily accounted for, even 
 on the basis of 215 years sojourn in 
 Egypt. (See Payne Smith's B amp- 
 ton Lectures, 1869. III. p. 88.) The 
 total here mentioned, 600,000, is ad- 
 mitted by Ewald. (See Gen. 12 : 2 ; 
 17 : 6 ; 22 : 17 ; 26 : 3 ; 46 : 3.) See 
 also for the more direct number 
 (Num. 2 : 32 ; 3 : 39). With 68 males 
 for the first term — 8 for the number 
 of terms, and 4 for the common ra- 
 tio, the last term, or the number of 
 males at the exodus, would be 
 1,114,112.— Murphy. 
 
 38. A mixed multitude. A pro- 
 miscuous crowd — many stragglers 
 and hangers on. who were out- 
 siders, however they may have 
 formed the connection with the 
 Israelites — fellow-workmen as cap- 
 tives in war perhaps — glad to 
 escape with the released people, 
 and impressed perhaps by the judg- 
 ments wrought against Pharaoh 
 and Egypt. *ft Very much cattle. 
 So it was provided that they should 
 have means of sustenance in the 
 wilderness. In illustration of this 
 great Exodus a sudden retreat is re- 
 corded of 400,000 Tartars, a whole 
 nomadic people, under cover of a 
 single night (as late as the close of 
 the last century), from the confines 
 of Russia to their own wilds. — 
 Ewald. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Ill 
 
 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they 
 brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened ; because 
 they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had 
 they prepared for themselves any victual. 
 
 40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt 
 in Egypt, was d four hundred and thirty years. 
 
 41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and 
 
 d Ge. 15: 13; Ac. 7: 6; Ga. 3: 17. 
 
 39. Baked unleavened cakes. 
 The prohibition of leaven had not 
 been made for the Passover night, 
 and they had no time now, to pro- 
 cure leaven (v. 34). It is here ac- 
 counted for from their haste in 
 departing. Whatever notice of 
 Several days they had had, the 
 excitement and the necessary pre- 
 
 Earations to go out, with all they 
 ad, would prevent many a comfort 
 in the arrangement. T[ Any victual 
 — any provision for the journey. 
 
 40. Now the sojourning, etc. 
 There has been much dispute as to 
 the period passed in Egypt — and 
 whether this term here named in- 
 cludes the sojourn in Canaan. The 
 weight of modern opinion seems to 
 be in favor of the longer chronolo- 
 gy, making the 430 years to have 
 been passed in Egypt. And some 
 have adopted this view as better 
 accounting for the large number of 
 the people who came out of Egypt. 
 But as we have seen, this is not 
 necessary. And Paul in the Gala- 
 tians (3 : 17) states that the Law 
 was given 430 years after the 
 promise to Abraham. So Gen. 15 : 
 13, 16, gives 400 years for the term 
 of affliction and bondage of Abra- 
 ham's seed in a strange land, and 
 the " fourth generation " for the 
 time of their return to Canaan. 
 This seems to some inconsistent 
 with the short chronology. But 
 not necessarily so ; yet if 430 years 
 be the period from the call of 
 Abraham, then 405 years would 
 remain from the birth of Isaac to 
 the year of the Exodus. Keil 
 argues for the longer. So does 
 Havernich, Kurtz, Hengstenoerg , 
 
 RinrUiisdn, etc., — by supposing that 
 some of the genealogical links are 
 omitted. But this is conjecture. 
 Birks, MacDonald, Baumgarten, 
 Murphy, and others adopt the 
 shorter. The Psalmist recognizes 
 the fact that Canaan was to the 
 patriarchs " a strange land," (Ps. 
 105). When they were but a few 
 (men) in number, yea, very few, and 
 strangers in it, (that is the land of 
 Canaan, v. 11) and in this Psalm 
 which refers to this so expressly, 
 he recites their national history 
 from Abraham's call, (v. 6) and tra- 
 ces them when they went from one 
 nation to another, from one king- 
 dom to another people (v. 13). 
 Israel also came into Egypt and 
 Jacob sojourned in the land of 
 Ham." (v. 23.) Now, is it probable 
 that the 400 years spoken of to 
 Abraham would refer to a section 
 of their sojournings and not to all, 
 and that the strange land should 
 not include the land of which it is 
 here said they were strangers in it. 
 Acts 7 : 6. Gen. 15 : 13. Gal. 3 : 17. 
 " By faith he sojourned in the land 
 of promise as-in a strange land." 
 Heb. 11 : 9. Augustine reckons 
 from the 75th year of Abraham 
 when he left Haran, then from 
 Haran to Isaac 25 years, from 
 Isaac to Jacob 60, Jacob to the 
 entrance to Egypt 130, thence to 
 the death of Joseph 71, to Moses 
 64, to Exodus 80, making in all 
 430 years. 
 
 41. The self-same day. God is 
 exact in His time, and keeps His 
 promises to the day and hour. " In 
 the fulness (or fulfilling) of the 
 times," as in smaller matters most 
 
112 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 thirty years, even the self-same day it came to pass, that all the 
 hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 
 
 42 It is a night to be much e observed unto the Lord for 
 bringing them out from the land of Egypt ; this is that night 
 of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their 
 generations. 
 
 43 And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the 
 ordinance f of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof; 
 
 44 But every man's servant that is bought for money, when 
 thou hast e circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof; 
 
 45 A h foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof. 
 
 e De. 16: 1 -6. 
 
 f Na. 9: 14. g Ge. 17: 12. 
 
 h Le. 22: 10; Ep. 2: 15 
 
 personal to us, He keeps His word 
 punctually. It was fulfilled as 
 spoken to, Abraham, Gen. 15 : 13-16. 
 At the end of the four hundred and 
 thirty years came the Exodus. 
 T[ The hosts of Jehovah. In ch. 7: 
 4, God calls the people of Israel 
 His armies or hosts — and His title is 
 the Lord of hosts — whether of starry 
 hosts, or armies of people. 
 
 42. A night, lit., a night of 
 keepings — whether of preservation 
 {Keil) or of observances {Murphy 
 etc.) to be kept as a solemn obser- 
 vance to (in honor of) Jehovah — this 
 is that (memorable) night of Jehovah, 
 to be observed — (same phrase as be- 
 fore) night of observances (plur. of 
 eminence) to (or for) Jehovah — for 
 all the children of Israel in their 
 generations. The repetition shows 
 that this would be the leading fes- 
 tival and sacrament of their reli- 
 gion always. 
 
 A papyrus manuscript found in 
 an Egyptian tomb has lately been 
 translated by a scholar of Heidel- 
 berg. It is pronounced by the 
 Heidelberger, says the Jewish 
 World, to be an address of Rameses 
 III. to all the nations of the earth, 
 in which the King details minutely 
 all the causes which led to the 
 exodus of the Jews from the land 
 of the Pharaohs. 
 
 § 28. Ordinances of the Pass- 
 over. Ch. XII : 43-57. 
 
 43. No stranger — no one who 
 
 was not of the commonwealth of 
 Israel and who was a stranger to 
 the covenants of promise — no alien, 
 could be a partaker, or communi- 
 cant. 
 
 44. A servant was to be circum- 
 cised and so admitted to partake — 
 since circumcision was the badge of 
 membership, and the personal seal 
 of the covenant, — as Baptism now 
 is, which takes its place. It was 
 the duty of the householder to in- 
 troduce his purchased servant into 
 his church, as responsible for him. 
 The proselytes who were circumcised 
 were also baptised — to indicate 
 their cleansing from ceremonial 
 defilement as heathen. And when 
 circumcision, which pointed to 
 native depravity and to a miraculous 
 generation, was discontinued by 
 the coming of the God-man, then 
 the baptism held over and was re- 
 tained, as suited in all its ideas, to 
 the extension of the church 
 amongst the Gentiles. 
 
 45. A foreigner, lit., a sojourner. 
 As the Passover was the sacrament 
 of a covenant in which the Israelites 
 were adopted as the people of God, 
 it followed that a sojourner had no 
 share, as not being of the people 
 and having no fixed home, or per- 
 manent relation to a covenant house- 
 hold. Hired servants — having no 
 permanent relation, but liable at any 
 time to break their connection with 
 Israel — were not admitted, as not of 
 the covenant family. " A circum- 
 cised beggar, or slave, was nearer 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 113 
 
 46 In one house shall it be eaten ; thou shalt not carry forth 
 ousrht of the flesh abroad out of the house, neither shall ve break 
 a bone i thereof. 
 
 47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 
 
 48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will 
 keep the passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, 
 and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one 
 that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat 
 thereof. 
 
 49 One law k shall be to him that is home-born, and unto the 
 stranger that sojourneth among you. 
 
 50 Thus did all the children of Israel ; as the Lord com- 
 manded Moses and Aaron, so did they. 
 
 Nu. 9: 12; Jno. 19: 33-36. 
 
 k Nu. 9: 14; 15: 15, 16; Ga. 3: 28; Co. 3: 11. 
 
 to God than an uncircumcised king." 
 " They that are in the flesh cannot 
 please God" (Rom. 8 : 8). "Aliens 
 from the commonwealth of Israel 
 and strangers from the covenants of 
 promise have no hope, and are with- 
 out God in the world." But now, 
 incorporated with the church, they 
 are presumed to be one with Christ, 
 and they so are, if they have living 
 faith in Him, and as such they are 
 no more strangers and foreigners, 
 but fellow-citizens of the saints and 
 of the household of God." (Ephes. 
 2: 19,20.) 
 
 46. In one house. Here is the 
 unity of the church intimated. 
 " One body and one spirit and one 
 hope of our calling." The Tar gum 
 renders it, In one company. The 
 victim was to be consumed by the 
 one company met for the passover, 
 whether of the same family or not. 
 1" Neither break a bone. Only this 
 victim was to be kept entirely whole. 
 A whole Saviour and not half, nor 
 in parts — not as priest to atone, if 
 not also as king to rule and as 
 prophet to teach. John recognized 
 the typical application of this to 
 Christ Jesus (John 19 : 86). 
 
 47. All the congregation — or as- 
 sembly. This is the oneness of the 
 membership. " One body in Christ 
 and every one members one of an- 
 other (Rom. 12 : 5). It was as if all 
 
 Israel were eating one Lamb. It 
 was the communion of saints. 
 
 48. There was provision for a 
 stranger, or sojourner, who settled 
 with the covenant people — taking 
 up his abode with them. The ne- 
 cessary condition of communion was 
 the rite of circumcision as the cov- 
 enant seal. And will keep the Pass- 
 over, lit., and he has made (prepar- 
 ed) a Passover to Jehovah, let every 
 male be circumcised to him — (he 
 himself and all the male members 
 of his house) and then he may draw 
 near to Jehovah and keep it. Cir- 
 cumcision was the badge of mem- 
 bership. 
 
 49. Circumcision was the out- 
 ward profession ; and the door was 
 open to the Gentiles on this sole 
 condition admitting them to the 
 church benefits. And so it was al- 
 ready thus early made plain that the 
 religion of the Jewish people was 
 not exclusive, but was open to all, 
 and was intended to include the 
 Gentiles. 
 
 50. These requirements and in- 
 structions were faithfully observed 
 by the people of Israel. 
 
 51. Here closes the narrative of 
 the Paschal Deliverance. This verse 
 properly belongs to the paragraph 
 closing with v. 30. Yet it stands 
 here as a connecting link with the 
 next chapter. The Deliverance thus 
 
114 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 51 And it came to pass, the 1 self-same clay, that the Lord did 
 bringr the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt m by their 
 
 p 
 armies. 
 
 1 Ver. 41. 
 
 m ch. 6: 26. 
 
 provided for was accomplished the 
 self -same day as promised. For this 
 all the warnings had been given to 
 Pharaoh, and all the plagues had 
 been wrought upon Egypt. The 
 closing item of all earthly history 
 will be like to this. Jehovah brought 
 forth in that self- same day the cov- 
 enant people (his own children) out 
 of bondage to sin and death — by 
 their armies, lit., upon their hosts. 
 This does not refer to war, but to 
 solid organized bands, tribes, etc., 
 t.nder their respective leaders — to 
 show that it was done on the plan 
 and basis of most orderly arrange- 
 ment, and not at loose ends — not in 
 straggling crowds. So the church 
 of Christ is led forth from satanic 
 bondage by individual churches 
 The one communion is made up of 
 distinct communions. The Sept. 
 reads, with their strength. But the 
 literal meaning is the better. They 
 were led forth in orderly, well-ar- 
 ranged columns. (See ch. 13 : 18.) 
 God is a God of order, and not of 
 confusion. It is referred to in con- 
 nection with our Lord's flight in in- 
 fancy to Egypt and His return there- 
 from, to which this is likened as 
 being the Deliverance of Israel, as 
 the Son of Jehovah. For this Son 
 is a complex Person, of which 
 Christ is the Head and His people 
 are the members. (1) This Deliver- 
 ance of the church from Egypt was 
 typical of the greater Deliverance 
 of the church from the bondage of 
 the world — of sin and death — by 
 Je§us Christ. (2) It was, in the in- 
 fancy of the church, the foreshadow 
 of our Lord's return from Egypt in 
 His infancy, and His Deliverance 
 from persecutions which had driven 
 Him there. (3) It was preparatory 
 in the world's history for the Deliv- 
 erance and salvation of the chris- 
 tian church then future. 
 
 Observe, (1) Circumcision and 
 the Passover denote Regeneration 
 and Redemption. (2) Circumcision 
 symbolizes the new birth without 
 signifying its fruits. The Passover 
 represents the effects of Redemption 
 in the eating of the sacrifice — de- 
 noting the benefits received and en- 
 joyed. (3) Circumcision referring to 
 what is inward is personal and in- 
 dividual. The Passover referring to 
 what is outside of ourselves is a 
 social ordinance and exhibits the 
 communion of saints. (4) In circum- 
 cision as in the new birth, the re- 
 cipient is passive. In the Passover 
 which implies a voluntary partaking 
 of the sacrificial meal the recipient 
 is active. (See Murphy ch. 12 : 11.) 
 
 Observe, further. (1) It was 
 Jehovah's Passover, (a) Provided by 
 Him. (b) In honor of Him. (c) In 
 celebration of His sparing mercy 
 and redeeming grace. (2) The de- 
 liverance was by means of the blood- 
 mark. Not by the blood-shedding, 
 if the blood was not applied, for 
 the public open acceptance and ap- 
 propriation of the Paschal provision 
 was requisite. (3) Leaven in the 
 house would cut off from commun- 
 ion. But the blood-mark secured the 
 salvation. Corruption spoils one's re- 
 ligious living and cuts off his fellow- 
 ship. But it is not even the unleav- 
 ened living that saves. It is still 
 the blood. " When I see the blood" 
 — not when I see the leaven all 
 swept out. It is Christ's finished 
 work for us — not the Spirit's finish- 
 ed work within us (alas ! so unfin- 
 ished) that is to be the basis of our 
 hope, and which God looks upon for 
 our salvation. (4) The leaven was 
 put away by the covenant people 
 because of their faith in the blood 
 of expiation, and because of their 
 being saved, not in order to be saved. 
 And so faith works. It is not serv- 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 115 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 AND the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 
 2 Sanctify unto me all the a first-born, whatsoever openeth 
 the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of 
 beast : it is mine. 
 
 3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this t, day, 
 in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; 
 
 a Ver. 12; ch. 22: 29: 34: 19; Nu. 3: 13; De. 15: 19; Lu. 2: 
 
 b ch. 12: 42. 
 
 ing God that we may gain Heaven. 
 No ! but because Heaven is gained 
 for us by Christ, and we have it for 
 nothing ! (5) God from the first 
 takes our side against our enemies, 
 Satan, sin, the world, the flesh. They 
 are His enemies also. He under- 
 takes for us, and despoils them. 
 Glory to God for our Redemption ! 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 § 29. Sanctification of TnE 
 First-born. Rules for the 
 Feast of Unleavened Bread. 
 Ch. XIII : 1-16. 
 
 God had acquired a special 
 right to the first-born by His distin- 
 guishing grace in saving them when 
 the first-born of Egypt were de- 
 stroyed. Therefore He will have 
 them solemnly set apart to Him 
 and His service. This command 
 was given therefore as a first re- 
 quirement after the Deliverance and 
 grounded upon it. Keil therefore 
 pronounces it as in its proper place 
 in the narrative, and as probably 
 commanded at Succoth. The feast 
 of unleavened bread had been al- 
 ready ordered by God to Moses. 
 But Moses now • gives the order to 
 the people as required in ch. 12 : 
 15, etc., — " Every first-born that is 
 a male," (v. 12) Sanctify. The term 
 means here Set apart as devoted. 
 
 2. It was not simply a right by 
 creation but this special right by 
 Redemption which is here insisted 
 on. In this act and by this fact, 
 God set them apart as His. The 
 
 first-born of men as ministers — the 
 first-born of beasts as victims. 
 " They are mine." (1) God claims 
 the flower and strength of our re- 
 deemed households for His service. 
 And Christian parents are specially 
 bound to devote their first-born sons 
 to God in the ministry. The Le- 
 vites were afterwards set apart as a 
 tribe in lieu of the first-born but 
 on the basis of God's claim as here 
 expressed, and then the first-born 
 were to be redeemed from the 
 claim. (2) This consideration is 
 closely connected with the Passover. 
 And hence, at every celebration of 
 the Lord's Supper, the christian fa- 
 ther and mother should recognize 
 this right of God to their sons in 
 the service of the ministry (Heb. 12 : 
 23). It is eminently due to God in 
 gratitude for His grace in sparing 
 our households that we should con- 
 secrate our children to His special 
 service. 
 
 3. The Passover was properly 
 the opening of the feast of Unleav- 
 ened Bread. Remember this day. 
 As they were commanded to remem 
 her the Sabbath day, so they were 
 commanded to remember this day 
 of glorious Deliverance. It was the 
 day that signalized God's covenant 
 fidelity and love, and the day of the 
 sacramental seal of that covenant. 
 The house of bondage, lit., the house 
 of slaves, where they had suffered 
 such cruel treatment from which 
 now they were exempt, and were 
 become a nation emerged from 
 thraldom. *[ By strength of hand. 
 By the display of Divine power, in 
 
116 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this 
 place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten. 
 
 4 This day came ye out, c in the month Abib. 
 
 5 And it shall be, when the Lord shall bring thee into the 
 land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and 
 the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he d sware unto thy fathers 
 to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou 
 shalt keep this service in this month. 
 
 6 Seven days e thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the 
 seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord. 
 
 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days : and there 
 shall f no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there 
 be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. 
 
 8 And thou shalt shew thy son g in that day, saying, This 
 is done because of that lohich the Lord did unto me when I 
 came forth out of Egypt. 
 
 cDe. 16:1-3. d Gc. 17: 8; 22: 1( 
 
 ch. 12: 15. f ch. 12: 19. g ch. 12: 26; ver. 14. 
 
 the judgments successively inflicted. 
 All was due to God's mighty power. 
 So recently in bondage and just now 
 escaped, they were prepared to re- 
 ceive this charge. " With a strong 
 hand, and with a stretched out arm " 
 (Ps. 106 : 12). If Wo leavened bread. 
 This prohibition is repeated and 
 emphasized for its significance as 
 to the putting away from them of 
 pride and corruption. 
 
 4. The very day of the Exodus 
 in the month Abib is to be borne in 
 mind. 
 
 5. All the ritual observances 
 were for their training to the great 
 ideas of sin and salvation. Into their 
 own land they were to be brought 
 as a nation and there they were to 
 be put under this ceremonial tute- 
 lage for the coming superior deliv- 
 erance by Jesus Christ. Here they 
 are charged that this feast is to be a 
 permanent institution in the land 
 of Canaan. During the wilderness 
 wanderings they had little oppor- 
 tunity to keep the feast. 
 
 6. A feast to the Lord Jehovah. 
 The seventh day of the feast of 
 Mazzoth or unleavened bread was 
 to be a feast to Jehovah by a holy 
 convocation and suspension of 
 work (12: 16). The first day was 
 
 of course a feast of Jehovah. So 
 that the Passover and the feast of 
 unleavened bread occupied eight 
 days. See Levit. ch 23. There is 
 seen to be a significance in " the 
 morning after the Sabbath," so 
 much insisted on, and especially in 
 the feast of tabernacles where it 
 was the day for the waving of the 
 first-fruits — and where thus there 
 was an evident foresignifying of 
 the New Testament Sabbath — as the 
 day after the Sabbath when Christ 
 the first-fruits was waved (pass- 
 ing up and down) before the Lord. 
 
 7. A still further repeating and in- 
 sisting on the prohibition of leaven. 
 
 8. Because of that, lit., Because 
 of this that Jehovah did unto me—, 
 that is — I observe this feast be- 
 cause, etc. (1) Instruction of the 
 household was engrafted upon the 
 whole service at this initial point, 
 and it was held to be a fundamen- 
 tal duty, to teach and train the 
 children for God. (2) The presence 
 of the children at the solemn festi- 
 val was taken for granted. Why 
 should not the children of Chris- 
 tians take their places at the Lord's 
 Supper ? There are seats for the 
 little ones at Christ's table. 
 
 9. The observance was to Is- 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 117 
 
 9 And it shall be for h a sign unto thee upon thine hand, 
 and for a memorial between thine eyes; that the Lord's law 
 may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the Lord 
 brought thee out of Egypt. 
 
 10 Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance * in bis season 
 from year to year. 
 
 11 And it shall be, when the Lord shall bring thee into the 
 land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, 
 and shall give it thee, 
 
 12 That thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth 
 the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which 
 thou hast ; the males shall be the Lord's. 
 
 13 And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a 
 lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his 
 neck : and all the first born of man among thy children shalt 
 thou redeem. 
 
 h Ver. 16; De. 
 
 I; 11: 18; Pr. 1: 9; 6: 21; Ca. 
 
 i ch. 12: 14-24. 
 
 rael, "for a sign unto thee upon thine 
 hand." It was to keep the events 
 as constantly in view, as if it had 
 been graven on the palms of their 
 hands, or as if it had been worn as 
 a jewel pendant between the eyes. 
 Murphy thinks it refers to the or- 
 namental bracelet which they wore 
 about the wrist, and to the jewel 
 on the forehead, called the frontlet, 
 hanging between the eyes, and that 
 the ordinance of the Passover and 
 its accompanying solemnities were 
 to serve as pleasing memorials in 
 like manner as these personal orna- 
 ments often were, and he says 
 " There is a beautiful consecration 
 of personal ornament in this injunc- 
 tion." But the ordinance is to be 
 our ornament and boast and joy — 
 we are to wear it as a decoration 
 and then to signalize our thankful 
 and open glorying in the Lord and 
 in His Covenant. All this for the 
 express object — that the laic of the 
 Lord may be in thy mouth — as " it 
 was by the reception of it into the 
 heart and its continual fulfilment 
 that it was to be placed in the 
 mouth and talked of continually." 
 — Keil, (See 2 : 16.) 
 
 10. In his season. Our version 
 uses " hi3," for " its," at its ap- 
 
 pointed time, from days to days, as 
 often as the days returned (loth to 
 21st Abib). 
 
 11-16. Here again Moses gives 
 to the people the directions for the 
 permanent observance of this 
 feast in Canaan. In regard to the 
 first-born, it is here given to the 
 Israelites, as God commanded 
 Moses (vs. 1, 2). 
 
 13. An ass. In Egypt we found 
 the donkey to be almost the only 
 beast for travel, and these so domes- 
 ticated as to be of great value for 
 constant use. At Cairo, these ani- 
 mals, each having a boy to accom- 
 pany him, were to be found ' in 
 numbers at the door of the hotel 
 for hire, and for hours the animal 
 trots round the city, with the boy 
 at his side, and the traveller on his 
 back, the boy punching the animal 
 with a sort of spike of iron to urge 
 him on. Every firstling born of an 
 ass was to be devoted to God and 
 held as His property, and redeemed 
 with a lamb, because the ass was 
 unclean and could not be offered in 
 sacrifice. It is thought to be prob- 
 able that this was the only unclean 
 animal domesticated among the 
 Hebrews at the Exodus. It not re- 
 deemed with a lamb as a substitute 
 
118 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 14 And it shall be, when thy son J asketh thee in time to 
 come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By 
 strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from 
 the house of bondage : 
 
 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us 
 go, that the Lord slew all the first born in the land of Egypt, 
 both the first-born of man and the first-born of beast: therefore 
 I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the matrix, being 
 males ; but all the first-born of my children I redeem. 
 
 16 And it shall be for a token upon thine hand and for 
 frontlets between thine eyes : for by strength of* hand k the 
 Lord brought us forth out of Egypt. 
 
 17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, 
 that God led them not through the way of the land of the 
 Philistines, although that was near ; for God said, Lest perad- 
 venture the people l repent when they see war, and they return 
 m to Egypt : 
 
 IS But God n led the people about, through the way of the 
 
 j De. 6: 20; Jos. 4: 
 n De. 32: 10. 
 
 21. k De. 26: 
 
 ] ch. 14: 11, 12; Nu. 14: 1-1. m De. 17: 16. 
 
 to be offered in sacrifice, then it was 
 to be slain, ^f First-born of man. 
 These of the Israelites were to be 
 redeemed. This was positively re- 
 quired and no alternative was 
 allowed. The redemption money 
 was fixed in the law at five shekels 
 of the sanctuary (Numb. 18: 36). 
 The first-born males represented 
 the entire offspring and succession. 
 14-16. Instructions for the 
 household are here added. The 
 reasons for the observance are to be 
 carefully recited — the history is to 
 be repeated. Our religion is not a 
 theory, notion, or speculation. It 
 is a religion of facts. The history is 
 to be told over and over again to 
 our children. 
 
 15. Lit. When Pharaoh made 
 hard to let us go. Keil understands 
 — made hard his heart, (ch. 7 : 3.) 
 Germ. Was hard to let us go. Sept. 
 — hardened to send us away. The 
 slaying of the Egyptian first-born 
 was the great and awful fact which 
 put in striking contrast the grace of 
 the deliverance to Israel. 
 
 16. As in v. 9, the meaning is 
 that the observance whose purport 
 
 was supposed to be inquired about 
 by the sons of the household, was 
 to be a sign, as if graven on the 
 palms of the hands, for a token and 
 memorial, and a confession, as if 
 hanging like a jewel pendant be- 
 tween the eyes. Here is implied — 
 the idea of profession and practice. 
 As if worn on the forehead — so 
 openly and boldly confessed — and 
 as if graven on the palms of the 
 hands — so associated with all the 
 doings. The Pharisaic custom that 
 afterwards prevailed grew out of a 
 mistaken view of this passage. 
 
 §30. 
 
 The Exodus, continued. — 
 Ch. XIII : 17-22. 
 
 17. It is here stated that when 
 the people were released and had 
 set out, God did not lead them by 
 the shortest route to Canaan. Trav- 
 ellers now-adays usually take this 
 route from Cairo to Gaza — mention- 
 ed here as the way of the Philis- 
 tines — and it occupies commonly 
 about five days. The reason for 
 avoiding this natural course is here 
 given — that it would expose the 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 119 
 
 wilderness of the Red Sea : and the children of Israel went np 
 harnessed out of the land of Egypt. 
 
 19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him : for he 
 had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying ° God will 
 surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence 
 with you. 
 
 20 And they took their journey p from Succoth, and en- 
 camped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. 
 
 o Ge. 50: 25; Jos. 24: 32; Ac. 7: 16. 
 
 p Nu. &3: 
 
 Israelites to war. There was a 
 standing quarrel between these two 
 people (1 Chron. 7 : 21, 22) and at 
 this outset such a conflict would 
 have been likely to discourage them 
 and to send them back to Egypt. 
 It might be objected to this reason- 
 ing that God could control the case. 
 But He works by natural means and 
 leads His people by paths adapted 
 to their condition — and so we pray 
 " Lead us not into temptation " or 
 trials of any severe kind. So God 
 often deals with His people, leading 
 them not by the way which is near- 
 est, but the most roundabout, and 
 always for sufficient reasons. ^[ Led 
 the people about. He undertook their 
 guidance. The way was not the 
 most direct. We are impatient of 
 any delay, and wish to reach the 
 end most quickly. But God knows 
 what is for us the best path, how- 
 ever circuitous, and so He leads us 
 forward, ^f Through the way of the 
 wilderness of the Red Sea. God had 
 His higher motives besides those 
 already named for leading them by 
 this route. The law was to be giv- 
 en them beyond the Sea, and the 
 wonders of their deliverance were 
 to be wrought in that bed of waters. 
 This Sea is over eleven hundred 
 miles long and one hundred and 
 twenty miles wide — a gulf of the 
 Indian Ocean, having two arms 
 within which is included the penin- 
 sula of Arabia and the wilderness 
 of Sinai. Some suppose it to have 
 been originally a strait connecting 
 the Mediterranean and Indian 
 Oceans. (See the Map.) 
 
 Observe. (1) The shortest way 
 
 is not always the surest. (2) Jesus 
 is the Alpha and Omega — the be- 
 ginning and ending of our affairs. 
 (3) Wait and trust, and not be dis- 
 couraged, for however crooked now, 
 the path will come to be straight at 
 length and will lead home. % Went 
 up harnessed. This term is else- 
 where rendered " armed." And 
 supposing this to be the meaning, it 
 has been an objection to the narra- 
 tive as unhistorical — that they could 
 not have been armed. But they could 
 have been armed after their fashion, 
 and probably were. It is proper, 
 however, to understand the word as 
 meaning orderly, or in columns, 
 probably on the basis of five abreast 
 as the word would indicate, (as in 
 the margin) or five divisions. Oth- 
 ers read it equipped. Pharaoh plain- 
 ly dreaded them as fighting men. 
 And their numbers are given in the 
 history here on the basis of ability 
 to bear arms. This idea is convey 
 ed. (See cli. 17 : 13.) 
 
 19. Took the bones of Joseph. 
 The bones of Joseph had already 
 been in their charge 140 -years, and 
 during all their troubles they were 
 under a solemn covenant to take 
 them up to the Holy Land, whenev- 
 er they should go, as Joseph had 
 faith that they would (Gen. 50 : 24, 
 25.) ^[ Straitly sworn them. Strictly 
 bound them by oath. It was his 
 faith in God's promise to give them 
 possession of the land. They had, 
 therefore, the constant reminder of 
 Joseph's dying confidence, and this 
 skeleton of Egypt's prime-minis- 
 ter, preserved in sacred keeping 
 under such a charge, was doubtless 
 
120 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 21 And the Lord went before them <i by day in a pillar of 
 a cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, 
 to give them light : to go by day and night. 
 
 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor 
 the pillar of fire by night from, before the people. 
 
 q Nu. 9: 15-23; 10: 34; 14: 14; De. 1: 33; Ne. 9: 12-19; Ps. 78: 14; 99: 7; 105: 39; Is. 
 4: 5; ICo. 10: 2; Re. 10: 1. 
 
 influential in keeping them encour- 
 aged during their deepest affliction. 
 
 20. After a kind of parenthesis 
 from v. 17, the narrative is here re- 
 sumed, showing the progress of 
 their departure. At Succoth, doubt- 
 less, instructions were given and 
 preparations were completed for the 
 journey. ^[ Etham was their first 
 camping ground after leaving Suc- 
 coth — the booths. Sp. Com. under- 
 stands Etham as the same with Pi- 
 thom — the sanctuary of Thum (Sun 
 God) and near Heroopolis the fron- 
 tier city, at the edge of the Bitter 
 Lakes. Others locate it between 
 the Bitter Lakes and the head of 
 the Arabian Gulf — though this in- 
 terval may have been at that time 
 covered with brackish water as 
 now, or the two bodies of water 
 may have been a connected whole. 
 Ajrud is held to be the point called 
 Etham, northwest of Suez and east- 
 ward from Succoth. So Teschen- 
 dorf and others. It may be sup- 
 posed to have been chosen with the 
 purpose of going round the head of 
 the gulf, and at the edge of the wil- 
 derness, a frontier point and near 
 the border of the gulf, or Red Sea. 
 
 21, 22. A Pillar of a cloud. This 
 column of cloud or misty, smoky 
 vapor, would serve as a signal for 
 so large a multitude, marking 
 headquarters for the scattered com- 
 panies pasturing their flocks, and 
 serving, too, in its motion, as a sign 
 for moving on. It was the protec- 
 tion also of the camp from the sun 
 by day, and at night, as it was then 
 luminous, it was a light for their 
 journey ings. And altogether it was 
 a sign of Jehovah's leadership. It 
 is known that the Persians and 
 Greeks used fire and smoke as sig- 
 
 nals in their marches. This was 
 something far more. There was 
 something significant in these to- 
 kens here — as afterwards in the 
 Tabernacle and in the Temple the 
 luminous cloud over the mercy-seat 
 was the Shekinah, or visib le pres- 
 ence of God, representing Jesus 
 Christ. It was His Leadership, as 
 the Angel of the Covenant, that was 
 here set forth. (See ch. 14 : 19.) 
 This was something far superior to 
 the common signals of Eastern 
 armies, as caravan fires. There 
 were not two pillars, but one only. 
 Kurtz understands that the cloud 
 represented the mercy of God and 
 the fire the holiness of God. He 
 took not away the pillar of the cloud. 
 It did not disappear. It was a per- 
 fect reliance, always serving its 
 purpose day and night with infinite 
 adaptedness to their condition and 
 wants. (See Neh. 9 : 19.) 
 
 Observe, (1) God's way is the 
 best way for us, though it may not 
 be the direct and immediate route 
 that we would have chosen. (2) 
 God's reasons are most sufficient 
 and personal to us, and practical 
 also, while He has higher reasons 
 that He does not now reveal. (3) 
 God is Himself the Leader of His 
 church and people through the wil- 
 derness. (4) We march to the good- 
 ly land of Promise according to the 
 faith of those long since departed. 
 Their death is therefore precious to 
 us, and we bear their remains in 
 faithful and tender keeping as our 
 sacred trust. (5) God indicates our 
 route by plain signals and tokens of 
 His truth and mercy in Jesus Christ. 
 His visible presence is made mani- 
 fest to us, with wonderful adapted 
 ness to our case, in every condition 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 121 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 AND the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 
 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and 
 encamp before a Pi-hahiroth, between b Migdol and the sea, 
 over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. 
 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, c They are 
 entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. 
 
 a Nu. 33: 
 
 b Je. 44: 1. 
 
 c Ps. 3: 2; 71: 11: Je. 20: 10, 11. 
 
 and relation of life, day or night — 
 at home and abroad — leading us to 
 the better country, that is the heav- 
 enly. (6) Christ the Angel of the 
 Covenant is as truly present with us 
 and leading our way as if the pillar 
 of cloud and fire were the visible 
 signal. (7) The New Testament 
 Passover is the commemoration of 
 the death of Christ for us. The 
 New Testament Sabbath is the 
 commemoration of the Life of 
 Christ for us, and of the Risen 
 Christ as a Present Saviour. (8) Je- 
 sus Christ is with His ministers and 
 with His Church alway, even unto 
 the end of the world. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 § 31. God's Marching Oedees, 
 and the puesuit. ch. xiv : 
 1-18. 
 
 1, 2. This is now the third day's 
 march, and the orders come from 
 the Divine Leader whose miraculous 
 signal is displayed before them. 
 They had come to Etham (ch. 13 : 
 20) for encampment, and now, at 
 the edge of the wilderness, was the 
 critical step to be taken. They 
 would naturally have gone forward 
 towards the East, and into the desert 
 witli the Sea on their right. But 
 thither Pharaoh might have pur- 
 sued and overtaken them with his 
 chariots. But God has for them a 
 different plan. They are now or- 
 dered to march Southward by a 
 short turn from the head of the Sea 
 and down the Western shore, so 
 that they turn aside from the direct 
 
 VOL. I — 6. 
 
 route with all the disadvantage of 
 having the Sea betwixt them and 
 their destination. This would seem 
 to the natural reason to be a ' blun- 
 der.' But the sequel will discover 
 the Divine plan. Before Pihahiroth. 
 The word means " Mouth oj the ra- 
 vines" — or (Stanley) pastures, or 
 "house of wells" (Sp. Com.). This 
 is supposed by Sp. Com. to be the 
 same as Ajrud — four hours' journey 
 to the N. W. of Suez, on the pilgrim 
 route from Cairo to Mecca. This 
 name seems to be Egyptian, mean- 
 ing a marshy place. It is a fortress 
 with a large well of water. Mig- 
 dol — this name means a tower — and 
 was two miles from Suez. Some 
 take it to denote a lofty mountain 
 peak of Attakah. A triangular 
 plain of ten miles extent lay between 
 this and the sea, bounded by this 
 precipitous ridge which at the lower 
 end shoots into the Sea, and thus 
 shut them in. Over against Baal- 
 zephon. It was by the sea. It was 
 at least six hours' journey from 
 Etham. The camp would spread 
 over many miles. See Map. 
 
 3. For. The reason is given 
 here for this unexpected order, that 
 Pharaoh would look upon the 
 movement as affording him an ex- 
 cellent opportunity of successful 
 pursuit (v. 4). They are entangled 
 in the land, so that they cannot get 
 out of Egypt. They are now 
 hemmed in, and shut up, and cut 
 off from escape by the sea. This 
 was Pharaoh's thought. The wilder, 
 ness hath shut them in — or rather, is 
 closed to them. Or, the fear of per 
 
EXODUS. 
 
 4 And I will harden d Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow 
 after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon 
 all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. 
 And they did so. 
 
 5 And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled : 
 and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned e 
 against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that 
 we have let Israel go from serving us ? 
 
 6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with 
 him : 
 
 V And he took six hundred chosen chariots f and all the 
 chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. 
 
 d ch. 4: 21, &c. e Pe. 105: 25. f ch. 15: 4. 
 
 ishing in the wilderness has turned 
 them aside. The Red Sea at that 
 time, probably extended north to the 
 Bitter Lakes, at least. 
 
 4. Pharaoh would thus be in- 
 duced, freely in God's Providence 
 and from his own judgment of the 
 case, to pursue them. Thus God 
 hardens his heart naturally and 
 without compulsion by the working 
 of his own sinful and rebellious 
 principles. For sin is itself the nat- 
 ural and necessary punishment of 
 sin. God will he honored also upon 
 Pharaoh by the most signal dis- 
 plays of His power and glory before 
 the Egyptian hosts. It would be to 
 them a revelation of Himself as Je- 
 Jwvah, Redeemer of His people. 
 And they did so, strictly obeying 
 the Divine order. 
 
 5. The people fled. Pharaoh 
 may, up to this time, have been un- 
 certain whether they would return 
 or not after keeping a feast, as was 
 first spoken of. They may have 
 had a route marked out to them by 
 Pharaoh, so that this departure from 
 it proved them to be in night. How 
 soon he could receive the intelli- 
 gence from Ethani is not certain. 
 JSp. Com. thinks in less than a day 
 — others suppose two days, and the 
 preparation for pursuit as much 
 more — Keil thinks that we have 
 no ground for supposing such 
 information being sent to Pharaoh 
 of their change of route, but that his 
 
 movement for the pursuit was 
 prompted by his change of feeling 
 and regret at letting them go. But 
 v. 3 intimates that he was moved to 
 the pursuit by their situation, and 
 that this was on account of their 
 new route by the Divine direction. 
 Yet here the narrative is more that 
 of the monarch's second thought af- 
 ter the people had actually gone out 
 of their quarters. And if so, it may 
 refer to Pharaoh's reflection on 
 the day after their departure, so 
 soon as the confusion and dismay 
 of mourning their first-born had 
 ceased. Was turned. Here is re- 
 consideration, a regret at having 
 yielded, the self-reproach at having 
 let them go, and the determination 
 to overtake them. 
 
 6, 7. Made ready (yoked) his 
 chariot— and took his people (war- 
 riors) with him — six hundred chosen 
 chariots, special and different from 
 " the chariots of Egypt" — probably 
 his own body-guard — containing 
 the picked men of his army, and 
 the best equipped — all the chariots 
 of Egypt, which he could then mus- 
 ter in that quarter — and captains, 
 commanders, royal guard, over the 
 whole of them — (not charioteers). 
 The chariots were drawn by two 
 horses, and occupied by two men, 
 one of whom was the driver and 
 shield-bearer, and the other was 
 armed with the bow, etc. These 
 are shown on the monuments. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 123 
 
 8 And the Lokd hardened the heart of 1'haraoh, king of 
 Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the 
 children of Israel went out with an high s hand. 
 
 9 But the Egyptians pursued after them (all the horses and 
 chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army) and 
 overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before 
 Baalzephon. 
 
 10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel 
 lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after 
 them; and they were sore h afraid: and the children of Israel 
 cried out unto the Lord. 
 
 11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves 
 
 g Nu. 33: 3; De. 
 
 h Jos. 24:7; Ne. 9:9; Pe. 34: 17; 10o:44; 107: G. 
 
 Sometimes besides the driver there 
 were two warriors in the chariot. 
 In other cases one drove and 
 fought. 
 
 8. 9. Hardened. It occurred as 
 God had said to Moses, v. 4. God's 
 plans include the free actions of 
 His creatures, whether good or 
 bad. With a high hand. That is 
 — of God — His power was engaged 
 for their deliverance. The his- 
 torian throws in this clause to show 
 that, whatever the thought of 
 Pharaoh, God had him under con- 
 trol, and used him as an instrument 
 for His purpose, while at the same 
 time the children of Israel were 
 coming out of Egypt, with the out- 
 stretched hand of God engaged for 
 them. But — notwithstanding the 
 Divine engagement for them — the 
 Egyptians pursued after them. And 
 his horsemen. It has been doubted 
 whether at this time there were 
 horsemen, as cavalry, in the Egyp- 
 tian service. But Diodorus Siculus 
 states that Rameses II. had 24,000 
 cavalry. And Isaiah refers to 
 horsemen of Egypt in distinction 
 from chariots (ch. 31 : 1). Keil 
 remarks that God had decreed 
 this hardening of Pharaoh to glori- 
 fy Himself in the judgment and 
 death of the pro ad king who would 
 not honor Him in his life. Over- 
 took them. The troops of Pharaoh 
 would reach the encampment in 
 much less time than the people of 
 
 Israel — probably in a day and a 
 half where the Israelites had taken 
 three days. 
 
 10. When the Egyptian hosts 
 came in sight, and the Israelites 
 saw them marching upon them, no 
 wonder they were sore afraid. To 
 all human view they were most 
 perilously situated. On the East 
 was the Sea. On the West and 
 South were the high mountains 
 shutting them in, while their 
 armed foes, who had oppressed 
 them, were marching upon them 
 from the North. And they so un- 
 prepared for war. Could they not 
 remember God's marvellous work- 
 ing in bringing them out of Egypt ? 
 Could they not consider the tokens 
 of the Divine Presence accom- 
 panying them — the pillar of cloud 
 and fire ? They cried out unto the 
 Lord — though they so distrusted 
 Him and evidently rather gave way 
 to despair. 
 
 11. Because there were no graves 
 at all in Egypt, hast thou. The 
 language is strong and expressive, 
 containing a double negative. Sp. 
 Com. suggests that this taunt was 
 probably suggested by the vast 
 extent of cemeteries in Egypt, 
 which might not improperly be 
 called the land of tombs. Hast 
 thou fetched us to die in the desert ? 
 " It was only when the oppression 
 increased that they had hitherto 
 complained of what Moses had 
 
124 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness ? 
 Wherefore hast thou dealt with us, to carry us forth out of 
 Egypt ? 
 
 12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in i Egypt, 
 saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians ? 'For 
 it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we 
 should die in the wilderness. 
 
 1 3 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, J stand 
 still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to 
 you to-day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye 
 shall see them again no more for ever. 
 
 14 The Lord shall fight k for you, and ye shall hold your 
 peace. 
 
 15 And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou 
 
 i ch. 5: 21; 6: 9. j Nu. 14: 9; De. 20: 3; 2Ki. 6: 16; 2Ch. 20: 15-17; Ps. 27: 1, 2; 46: 
 1-3; Is. 41: 10-14. k De. 1: 30; 3: 22; 20: 4; Jos. 10: 14; 23: 3-10; 2Ch. 20: 29; Ne. 4: 20: 
 Is. 30: 15. 
 
 done (ch. 5 : 21), and afterwards 
 they obeyed implicitly his direc- 
 tions." Keil. Wherefore. Thus 
 they complain bitterly against Mo- 
 ses in their despair, as if he had 
 wilfully brought them into this 
 case. 
 
 12. This is the exaggerated as- 
 pect in which they put the matter. 
 They refer now to their early 
 shrinking and misgiving at the lirst 
 trial, and are ready to say, " We 
 told you so." How perfectly nat- 
 ural, yet how grossly unfair ! They 
 evidently bring up this language 
 as the suggestion of their present 
 cowardice and distrust of God. 
 For better for us, etc. This is now 
 their clear conviction, begotten of 
 their shameful unbelief. 
 
 13. Moses has faith for the ex- 
 igency, and he rallies the despair- 
 ing people. He had received such 
 assurances from God as overcame 
 his own natural distrust (v. 4). It 
 was most essential that he, their 
 appointed Leader, should not falter 
 at the critical moment. Why 
 should his faith fail ? Had not his 
 rod been Divinely successful to" 
 work wonders in all the realm of 
 nature, and would he and his peo- 
 ple who had been so delivered be 
 deserted and destroyed now ? Fear 
 
 ye not — stand still and see the salva- 
 tion of Jehovah. Deliverance was 
 to come from without, and they 
 were to stand still and see. Such 
 sublime composure in such danger 
 — the foe marching upon them, 
 the people panic-stricken, and ready 
 to lay all the blame upon him — is 
 scarcely paralleled in history. 
 What meekness under the injuri- 
 ous denunciations of the people. 
 Which He will shew to you to-day. 
 So assured was Moses that prompt- 
 ly as the crisis came so promptly 
 should the deliverance follow. For 
 the Egyptians whom ye have seen to- 
 day, or, for as ye have seen the 
 Egyptians to-day — ye shall never 
 see them as ye have seen them to- 
 day. He is sure, and so he assures 
 them that their foes, however dar- 
 ing and confident, shall be utterly 
 swept away. He may have had 
 intimation of the way in which 
 they should be destroyed. 
 
 14. Jehovah shall fight for you. 
 The Almighty who had already so 
 signally wrought for them would 
 undertake the battle on their side, 
 and ye shall hold your peace. That 
 is ye shall have nothing to say, or 
 do about it. It shall be wholly due 
 to His Divine power and grace. Or, 
 ye will be silent and cease your 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 125 
 
 unto me ? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go 
 forward. 
 
 16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over 
 the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on 
 dry ground through the midst of the sea. 
 
 17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, 
 and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon 
 Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his 
 horsemen. 
 
 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, 
 when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chari- 
 ots, and upon his horsemen. 
 
 19 And the angel l of God which went before the camp of 
 Israel, removed, and went behind them; and the pillar of the 
 cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: 
 
 20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and 
 the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, 
 but it gave light by night to these : so that the one came not 
 near the other all the night. 
 
 1 Nu. 20: 16; Is. 63: 9. 
 
 complaining 1 (Gen. 34 : 5). (K & D.) 
 
 15. Jehovah now replies to the 
 cry of the people, and addressing 
 Moses He asks : Wherefore criest 
 thou unto me ? from which it would 
 appear that Moses was moved to cry- 
 to God, or, that he is spoken to as 
 representative and head of the peo- 
 ple. Yet, there is not necessarily 
 any rebuke of his prayer, but only 
 a call to action. Marching orders 
 are put into his mouth. That they 
 go forward. The word means to 
 break up — as an encampment — to 
 set out, (2 Kings 19 : 8) and it is 
 used in v. 19 of the Angel of God 
 removing. 
 
 16. Moses' rod was now again to 
 come into use for the wonder-work- 
 ing power of God. He was ordered 
 to lift up his rod and stretch his 
 hand (with the rod) over the sea and 
 divide it (the sea). Here the process 
 was explained by which the deliv- 
 erance should be effected. Moses 
 was now plainly advertised of the 
 way of escape. Shall go on dry 
 ground through the midst of the sea. 
 (See v. 21, notes). 
 
 17, 18. This is a repetition of the 
 language in v. 4, somewhat more 
 emphasized and at length. 
 
 § 32. Crossing the Red Sea. — 
 Ch. XIV : 19-31. 
 
 19. The Angel of God. He (Je- 
 hovah) who went before them in 
 these miraculous tokens — the pillar 
 of cloud and fire (See ch. 13 : 21)— 
 removed and went behind them. The 
 pillar of the cloud was here the She- 
 kinah or visible manifestation of 
 the Divine Presence as Angel of 
 the Covenant. There was now to 
 be a new purpose served by the 
 miraculous pillar — discriminating 
 between the Israelites and the 
 Egyptians and effecting a separation 
 and barrier between the two — dark 
 to the Egyptians but light to Israel 
 — and keeping them apart. " And 
 it teas the cloud and the darkness (to 
 the Egyptians) and lighted up the 
 night (to the Israelites.) 
 
 21. Caused the sea to go (back) by 
 a strong East wind. Palmer in his 
 " Desert of the Exodus " saya , 
 
126 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the 
 Lord caused the sea to go bach by a strong east wind all that 
 
 " Two hours' ride (south) from Suez 
 brought us to Ayun Musa — or Mo- 
 ses' wells — a beautiful little oasis iu 
 the desert. To the north stretches 
 a vast plain of sand, with a long 
 chain of mountains bordering it on 
 the East. And on the north-west 
 the bold promontory of Has Atakah 
 overhangs the Gulf. Here tradition 
 places the site of the passage of the 
 Eed Sea. And certain it is that 
 within the range over which the 
 eye can wander, the waters must 
 have closed in upon Pharaoh's 
 struggling hosts. From the narra- 
 tive in Exod. 14, it would seem that 
 the Egyptians came upon them be- 
 fore they had rounded the head of 
 the Gulf, so as to compel them 
 either to take to the water or to fall 
 into their enemies' hands. But nat- 
 ural agencies miraculously acceler- 
 ated are mentioned as the means 
 employed by God in working out 
 this signal deliverance, and we need 
 not therefore suppose anything so 
 contrary to the laws of nature as 
 that the children of Israel crossed 
 between two vertical walls of water 
 in the midst of the deep sea, accor- 
 ding to the popular mode of depict- 
 ing the scene. (But see ch. 15 : 8. 
 The floods stood upright as an heap). 
 Some writers have imagined that a 
 great change has taken place in the 
 level of the sea since the time of the 
 Exodus, but recent examination does 
 not at all confirm this hypothesis, 
 while there is abundant evidence 
 that the N. end of the gulf of Suez 
 has been silted up and that in con- 
 sequence the shore line has steadily 
 advanced further and further south- 
 wards. It follows from this that if, 
 according to the view held by many 
 modern authorities, the passage 
 took place at the head of the Gulf, 
 as it existed at the time of the Ex- 
 odus, the Israelites must have cross- 
 ed at a point several miles north of 
 its present limits." The Lord (Je- 
 hovah) caused the sea to go (back — 
 
 drove the sea — by a strong east wind 
 all that night and made the sea dry 
 (land) and the waters were divided. 
 Palmer says, This is no sudden di- 
 vision of the waters, involving a 
 suspension of physical laws, though 
 to my mind it is much more won- 
 derful as showing how those laws 
 were subservient to the Divine pur- 
 pose and will. A strong wind blow- 
 ing from the East, at the moment 
 of the setting in of the ebb tide, 
 might so drive back the waters, 
 that, towards the sea, they would be 
 some feet higher than on the shore 
 side. Such a phenomenon is fre- 
 quently observed in lakes and in- 
 land seas, and if there were, as 
 there would very likely be at the 
 head of the Gulf, any inequality in 
 the bed of the sea or any cbain 
 of sand-banks dividing the upper 
 part of the Gulf into two basins, 
 that portion might be blown dry 
 and a path very soon be left with 
 water on either side. As the part- 
 ing of the sea was caused by an 
 East w«£nd, the sudden veering of 
 this wind to the opposite quarter at 
 the moment of the return tide 
 would bring the waters back with 
 unusual rapidity. This seems to 
 have been actually the case, for we 
 find that the waters returned, not 
 with a sudden rush, overwhelming 
 the Egyptians at once, but gradual- 
 ly and at first, as we might expect 
 saturating the sand so that " it took 
 off their chariot wheels that they 
 drave them heavily ." But (1) the 
 sand bars run N. and S. And (2) this 
 explanation does not suit the narra- 
 tive (v. 22). Keil reads — And th-e 
 water split itself (i. e.. divided bv 
 flowing northward and southward, 
 and the Israelites went in the midst 
 of the sea) where the waters had been 
 driven away by the wind) on the dry 
 ground) and the watt r was a trail (i.e. 
 a protection formed by the damming 
 up of the water) on the right and on 
 the left. The East is a general 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 127 
 
 night, and made the sea m dry land, and the waters were di- 
 vided. 
 
 22 And the children of Israel went into the midst n of the 
 sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto 
 them on their right hand, and on their left. 
 
 in Jos. 3: 16; 4: 23; Ps. 
 
 n ICo. 10: 1; He. 11: 
 
 term including north-east and 
 south-east, as the Hebrews had only 
 four points of the compass. Wheth- 
 er the wind blew directly from the 
 East or from the south-east or 
 north-east, cannot be determined, 
 as we do not know the exact spot 
 where the passage was made. In 
 any case the division of the water 
 in both directions could have been 
 effected only by an East wind. And 
 although even now the ebb is 
 strengthened by a north-east wind, 
 as Tischendorf says, and the flood 
 is driven so much to the south by a 
 strong north-west wind that the 
 Gulf can be ridden through and 
 even forded on foot to the north of 
 Suez, (and as a rule the rise and fall 
 of the water in the Arabian Gulf is 
 nowhere so dependent upon the 
 wind as in Suez) yet the drying of 
 the sea as here described, cannot be 
 accounted for by an ebb strength- 
 ened by the east wind, because the 
 water is all driven southward in the 
 ebb, and not sent in the opposite 
 direction. Such a division could 
 only be produced by a wind sent by 
 God, and working by Omnipotent 
 force, in connection with which the 
 natural force of the ebb may no 
 doubt have exerted a subordinate 
 influence. We can see the ground 
 of the legend which arose among 
 the people of that neighborhood 
 and which was found even at Mem- 
 phis, that the Israelites took advan- 
 tage of a strong ebb to make the 
 passage. See Keil and note. And 
 it has been attempted thus to 
 explain all the phenomena with- 
 out anything supernatural. But the 
 view of Keil is surely more ac- 
 cordant with the record, and with 
 all the plain facts of the case as 
 
 thus recited. The route is given in 
 the annexed Map, showing the prob- 
 able extent of the Red Sea north of 
 its present bed, in the time of Moses. 
 This is the finding of the most re- 
 cent survey of Captains Wilson and 
 Palmer, of the Royal Engineers. 
 Thus the tongue of the Egyptian 
 Sea has been dried up, as was pre- 
 dicted (Isa. 11 : 15). Dr. Olin, who 
 travelled over the route, disputes 
 the Suez passage, as being too nar- 
 row for the Egyptian host, and too 
 shallow to engulph them so sudden- 
 ly. He decides for the extremity of 
 Mt. Attaka where the sea is 10 or 
 12 miles wide, and where there is 
 a wide triangular plain bounded by 
 the sea and the mountain and the 
 desert, and broad enough for the 
 two armies. — Olin's Travels. 
 
 Doubtless quite beyond the ut- 
 most that could have occurred by a 
 strong wind and the ebb of the tide, 
 there was a supernatural agency 
 using also the natural force super- 
 naturally, and causing a mighty East 
 wind to scoop out the waters so as 
 to hollow out a passage, and make 
 the waves recede on either side (N. 
 and S.) as walls. This is the record. 
 And we have no reason to evade the 
 miraculous agency which so plainly 
 appears. (Ps. 114 : 3.) The sea 
 stood as heaps. If the East wind 
 only blew tlie water back, it would 
 have swept over the camp. We 
 must suppose a huge trough made 
 in the sea exposing the dry bed, 
 dry enough to cross. If the waters 
 were only blown back to the South 
 it must have been a North wind, 
 and there could have been no heap- 
 ing up on both sides. 
 
 22. And the children of Israel 
 went into the midst of the sea upon 
 
128 EXODUS. 
 
 23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them, to 
 the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and 
 his horsemen. 
 
 24 And it came to pass that in the morning watch the 
 Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar 
 of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyp- 
 tians, 
 
 25 And took off their chariot-wheels that they drave them 
 
 the dry (ground) and the icaters 
 (were) a wall unto them an their 
 right hand and on their left. And 
 this came from the miraculous di- 
 vision of the waters* It must con- 
 tinue long enough for this vast 
 multitude of two and a half millions 
 and their cattle to get across. K. 
 and D. suppose that they might 
 have entered upon the passage at 
 nine in the evening and continued 
 until the morning dawn, 4 or 5 
 o'clock (see v. 27). Robinson says, 
 the result " was wrought by natural 
 means supernaturally applied." But 
 the effort has been made to minimize 
 the supernatural so as virtually to 
 dispense with it. But this is vain. 
 God is displaying Himself to Pha- 
 raoh and to all men as above all the 
 processes of nature. The laws of 
 nature only prove a Lawgiver be- 
 hind them and in them and in their 
 operation. 
 
 23. The Egyptians pursued. 
 They followed closely and were in- 
 tercepted only by the miraculous 
 pillar — and could not fully see 
 ahead of them — but pressed on in 
 the pursuit. They " were therefore 
 in the midst of the Sea when the 
 rear of the Israelites had reached 
 the opposite shore." At the nar- 
 rowest point above Suez the Sea is 
 now only 3450 feet broad. The 
 crossing must have been at a much 
 broader point than it is — as it for- 
 merly was broader than this here no 
 doubt, and is now broader opposite 
 Kolzum. But to have the Sea en- 
 gulph the Egyptian army of more 
 than six hundred chariots and 
 many horsemen, requires a greater 
 breadth. The madness of the pur- 
 
 suit left no room for consideration, 
 and the pillar of cloud gave them 
 little opportunity to see whither 
 -they were rushing, except that they 
 were following the foe. Murphy 
 remarks " that at the base of Jebel 
 Attakah, where the crossing proba- 
 bly occurred, the Sea is at least six 
 or seven miles wide. If the dry 
 ground were a quarter of a mile 
 broad, the Israelites would form a 
 column a quarter of a mile in rank 
 and a mile in file. Such a body 
 might cross a channel of six miles 
 in six hours, and might easily de- 
 camp, set out, and reach the oppo- 
 site bank in eight hours." 
 
 24. In the morning watch. They 
 had two watches for the passage, or 
 eight hours. About sunrise, which 
 at this season of April was a little 
 before six o'clock. And Jehovah 
 looked at the army of the Egyptians 
 in with the pillar of cloud and fire. 
 This look of Jehovah may have been 
 a lightning flash darting from the 
 cloud — with a storm of thunder and 
 rain — confounding the Egyptians 
 and throwing them into dismay and 
 panic. (See Ps. 77 : 17, 18.) Jose- 
 phus also describes the scene as full 
 of terrible phenomena — lightning 
 and thunder and rain, an elemental 
 war. And troubled the host. Drove 
 them into consternation. 
 
 25. And took off the wheels of his 
 (the Egyptian's) chariot — made them 
 give way. This would readily re- 
 sult from the panic, driving upon 
 each other, and in the attempt to es- 
 cape for life, sinking the wheels in 
 the sea-bed so that they would 
 break off, or drive heavily — and 
 caused that he drove with difficulty. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 129 
 
 heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face 
 of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. 
 2G And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand 
 over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyp- 
 tians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. 
 
 27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and 
 the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; 
 and the Egyptians fled against 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. 
 
 o ch. 15: 10; Ps. 78: 53; 106: 11. 
 
 This sudden and awful reverse ex- 
 torted from the bewildered host of 
 Egypt the cry Let us flee from the 
 face of Israel, for Jehovah fighteth 
 for them. As Moses assured the Is- 
 raelites it would be, so their enemies 
 confess it has come to pass. 
 
 26. The covenant people are now 
 safe. Their enemies who are in hot 
 pursuit are now to be destroyed. 
 God has planned the minutest re- 
 sult. The miracle is manifest here 
 again (1) in that the rod of Moses, 
 which had in itself no power, was 
 the signal for the return of the wa- 
 ters, (2) in that these- waters should 
 flow back at the signal, just at the 
 moment to accomplish the drowning 
 of the Egyptians when they were in 
 the midst of the sea. It is idle to 
 attempt any such explanation of the 
 record as will dispense with the mi- 
 raculous in these phenomena, any 
 more than in the former. To sup- 
 pose here only "a sudden veering of 
 the wind at the moment of the re- 
 turn tide," without any miracle, is 
 to presume upon such a combination 
 of circumstances as would imply a 
 miracle, even if that would present 
 all the necessary conditions of such 
 a result as followed. Yet God 
 pleased to use natural forces super- 
 naturally and extraordinarily for 
 this express purpose. Foster reads 
 inscriptions on the Rocks at Sinai 
 thus " Turned into dry land the Sea, 
 the Hebrews flee through the Sea." 
 
 6* 
 
 The record is plainly intended to 
 convey the impression of the same 
 miraculous power here as in all the 
 plagues visited upon Egypt. The 
 time for the continuance of the ebb 
 tide would not have been long 
 enough to effect the passage. But 
 the miracle was in force all the 
 night. The wind did its work 
 promptly and made the passage at 
 once, not by long blowing, so that 
 they could begin the march at eve- 
 ning and continue it till morning. 
 " Thou didst divide the Sea by thy 
 strength " (Ps. 74 : 13, 14). 
 
 27. The Sea returned to his 
 strength, rather to his permanent 
 place, at the approach (or dawning) 
 of the morning and the Egyptians 
 were flying to meet it, in the face of 
 it, as it rushed upon them from the 
 West, in their return. And Jehovah 
 shook out the Egyptians, hurled 
 them from their chariots, in the 
 midst of the Sea (Ps. 136 : 15). 
 
 28. The complete destruction by 
 the over-rushing waters is here re- 
 corded. Some maintain that it is 
 nowhere said that Pharaoh perished. 
 But all perished who pursued the 
 Israelites into the Sea. And in 
 Egypt it was customary for the 
 King to lead his armies in war. And 
 it is said in the Psalm (136 : 15) that 
 Pharaoh was overthrown in the Sea 
 along with his army, where the 
 same verb is used as here. " But 
 shook out Pharaoh and his host in 
 
130 
 
 EXODUS 
 
 29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in 
 the midst of the sea ; and the waters icere a wall unto them 
 on their right hand, and on their left. 
 
 30 Thus the 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 Lord did 
 upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and be- 
 lieved p the Lord, and his servant Moses. 
 
 p ch. 19: 9; Jno. 2: 11; 11: 45. 
 
 the Red Sea." The blow was there- 
 fore most stunning to the Egyptians, 
 and there was no recovery for them 
 to continue the pursuit. Not so 
 much as one of them was left (Ps. 
 106: 11). 
 
 29. The contrast in case of the 
 Israelites was most miraculous. 
 The walking on dry land across 
 where their enemies were overtaken 
 by the returning floods and drowned, 
 and the waters serving them as 
 walls right and left, north and 
 south, for their safe passage — these 
 items are repeated for emphasis. 
 The facts are clearly historical, and 
 are plainly befitting the whole 
 record, and are every way appro- 
 priate to the case. We are to re- 
 member that God is supernatural, 
 and to Him the supernatural is nat- 
 ural, however difficult it be to us to 
 conceive. 
 
 30. Thus. This is the history of 
 the salvation of Israel that day, says 
 the historian. The effect upon Is- 
 rael is recorded. They saw their 
 enemies dead upon the sea-shore, 
 their corpses swept upon the beach 
 by the angry waters. 
 
 31. And Israel saw the great work 
 (lit., that great hand) which Jehovah 
 did — the great power which He dis- 
 played " with a strong hand, and 
 with a stretched-out arm — upon the 
 Egyptians. And the people (Israel- 
 ites) feared Jehovah and believed Je- 
 hovah ajid His servant Moses. It 
 was thus that, as Paul says, " they 
 were all baptized unto Moses in the 
 cloud and in the sea " (1 fJor. 10 : 2) 
 
 that is — now at the very outstart 
 and on the threshold of their wil- 
 derness journey they were, by this 
 grand deliverance, as by a sacra- 
 mental ordinance, solemnly conse- 
 crated and obligated to Moses in a 
 public confession of him as a typical 
 Mediator, and thus sworn to "obedi- 
 ence as members of the church un- 
 der the Mosaic economy. So also 
 Jehovah as He had said, had gotten 
 glory upon Pharaoh, who would not 
 glorify Him by an obedient life 
 and so must glorify Him by a penal 
 and awful death. Moses must be 
 believed in as Leader and Mediator 
 for the people, and these results 
 were well worthy of the miraculous 
 demonstration. 
 
 Lessons. (1) In the greatest straits 
 we are to stand still and see the sal- 
 vation of God. Our salvation does 
 not come by our utmost action, but 
 by our implicit trust in Christ's re- 
 demption. (2) Our enemies are 
 Christ's enemies also, and He has 
 undertaken to fight for us. (3) 
 Where God bids us go forward, He 
 will make a way for us through all 
 obstacles. (4) All nature and its 
 forces and elements are under the 
 control of our Lord and Saviour, 
 and He can make them subserve our 
 interest and His design of grace. (5) 
 By faith it is that we can cross any 
 sea as on dry land, (Heb. 11 : 29.) 
 and unbelievers and enemies of 
 Christ madly attempting the same 
 are drowned in destruction and per- 
 dition. (6) God puts Himself be- 
 tween His people and their enemies. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 131 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THEN sang a Moses and the children of Israel this song unto 
 the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for 
 
 a Ju. 5: 1; 2Sa. 22: 1; Ps. 106: 12. 
 
 The glorious Shekinah — a cloud, in- 
 deed, but luminous with the Divine 
 glory— must be gotten through by 
 the enemy before we can be reach- 
 ed. And what foes can make their 
 way through God Himself ? (7) We 
 pass " under the cloud " and 
 " through the sea " to be baptized 
 into our New Testament Moses — 
 Leader, Lawgiver, Mediator, Teach- 
 er. But in every cloud let us see 
 the Divine glory therein revealed — 
 the Personal Shekinah. And through 
 every sea, even the cold flood of 
 death, we can go on dry land — and 
 on foot — while the enemies of 
 Christ — armed and driving in their 
 chariots defying God and the church 
 and the truth — are drowned ! " He 
 turned the sea into dry (land). They 
 went through the flood on foot — 
 there did we rejoice in Him (Ps. 66 : 
 6). The conjunction of the cloud 
 with the sea suggests that in these 
 words there may be a literal refer- 
 ence to the spray which might fall 
 upon the people from the over-can- 
 opying cloud, and from the liquid 
 walls on their right hand and their 
 left." 
 
 " Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah, 
 Pilgrim thro 1 this barren laud! 
 I am weak, but Thou art mighty- 
 Hold me with Thy powerful hand. 
 Bread of Heaven, 
 Feed me till I want no more. 
 
 Open now the crystal fountain 
 Whence the healing streams do flow, 
 Let the fiery, cloudy pillar 
 Lead me all my journey through. 
 
 Strong Deliverer, 
 Be Thou still my strength and shield." 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 § 33. Review — Triumphal Song. 
 Ch. XV. 1-21. 
 
 "The birthdav of Israel — the 
 
 birthday of the religion of the na- 
 tion of Israel, was the passage of 
 the Red Sea. No baser thoughts, 
 no disturbing influences could mar 
 the overwhelming sense of thank- 
 fulness with which, as if after a 
 hard- won battle, the nation found its 
 voice in the first Hebrew melody, 
 in the first burst of national poetry, 
 when Moses and the children of Is- 
 rael met on the Arabian shore ; met 
 Miriam the Prophetess, the sister of 
 Aaron the third member, the eldest 
 born of that noble family, whose 
 name now first appears in the histo- 
 ry of the church, afterwards to be- 
 come so renowned through its Gre- 
 cian and European form of Maria 
 and Mary." — Stanley. 
 
 The sea safely crossed, the ene- 
 mies drowned in the depths where 
 they had passed safely through, 
 what wonder that Moses and the peo- 
 ple express themselves in song. This 
 is the most ancient poem for sink- 
 ing. The sublimity of the senti- 
 ment, and the elevation and grand- 
 eur of the diction, have made it the 
 admiration of the most cultivated 
 minds. In all the circumstances it 
 is impossible to account for it as 
 from the unaided genius of Moses. 
 It is the language of Divine inspira- 
 tion — the word of God in the very 
 words of man. Moses was prompted 
 and enabled, on this grand occasion, 
 to compose this song for the people's 
 thanksgiving. And in the true 
 spirit of devotion it extols no human 
 power nor prowess, but Jehovah alone 
 is exalted. The song of Moses, the 
 servant of God, is to be sung along 
 with the Song of the Lamb, when 
 the triumphant Church of all the 
 ages shall have crossed the sea of 
 death, and all the enemies of God 
 and His Christ shall have been de- 
 stroyed. (Rev. 15 : 3.) Modern 
 
132 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he 
 thrown into the sea. 
 
 2 The Lord is my strength and b song, and he is become 
 my salvation : he is my God, and I will prepare him an c habi- 
 tation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. 
 
 3 The Lord is a man of d war : the Lord is his name. 
 
 b Ps. IS: 2; 27: 1; 62 
 
 10: 11. 
 
 6; 118: 14; Is. 12: 2. c IKi. 8: 13-27. d Ps. 24: 8; 45: 3: Re. 
 
 criticism staggers at the prophetic 
 passages in vs. 1G, 17, simply on the 
 assumption that prophecy is impos- 
 sible. But on the same ground 
 Moses' history and mission must be 
 denied, and all the supernatural dis- 
 plays .of God's power in Egypt must 
 be set aside as unhistorical. " If 
 ever there was a crisis calculated to 
 elicit the spirit of prophecy, it was 
 that of the Exodus. If ever a man 
 was fitted to express that spirit it 
 was Moses. Even objectors admit 
 that Moses contemplated the inva- 
 sion of Palestine ; if so what more 
 natural than that, after the great 
 catastrophe, which they accept as 
 an historical fact, he should antici- 
 pate the terror of the nations through 
 whose territories the Israelites would 
 pass, and whose destruction was an 
 inevitable condition of their success? 
 In every age this song gave the tone 
 to the poetry of Israel, especially at 
 great critical epochs of deliverance." 
 Sp. Com. There are three sections 
 of the song, each headed with an 
 outburst of praise to God. (1) vs. 1-5. 
 (2)6-10. (3)11-18. 
 
 1. Then sang; lit., Then will 
 sing Moses, etc. Sing will I to Jeho- 
 vah, for gloriously glorious is He ; 
 horse, and h*s rider He hath cast into 
 the sea. The sense is, Most highly, 
 supremely exalted above all. poten- 
 tates is He — all the pride and pomp 
 of Egypt's greatness He hath hurled 
 into the sea. The cavalry and char- 
 ioteers are both included. 
 
 2. My strength and song is Jah, 
 and He is become my salvation. Heb. 
 He is to me for salvation. The 
 name Jah is especially associated 
 with victory by the Psalmist (Ps. 
 
 68 : 4). It was doubtless chosen 
 here by Moses to draw attention to 
 the promise ratified by the name 
 I AM. It is the abbreviation oiJahveh 
 — Jehovah, and conveys the same 
 idea. It is God's Redemptive name 
 — as moving and manifesting Him- 
 self in the sphere of Redemption. 
 This Jah is extolled as having been 
 the strong resource of Israel, and as 
 being the object of their joyous 
 thanksgiving — as their Deliverer 
 and Saviour. So Moses had bidden 
 them " stand still and see the salva- 
 tion of God." He is my God, lit., 
 Ihis one, or, This Jah is my God, 
 and I will prepare Him a habitation 
 — rather, I will glorify Him , as the 
 word in this form means. The verb 
 is so rendered in other versions, and 
 our English is here at fault, repre- 
 senting Moses as having in mind to 
 build a temple for God. My father's 
 God ; Abraham's, as father of the 
 Jewish people, the covenant God, 
 who had now signally' fulfilled His 
 promise. Gen. 15 : 14 ; 46 : 3, 4. 
 
 3. Jehovah is a man of war. So 
 directly is all the honor ascribed 
 to God as a great Conqueror, so 
 proved in this victory which is not 
 man's, but God's. (See Ps. 24 : 8.) 
 All warlike prowess is concentrated 
 in Him, as one who knows how to 
 battle and conquer. Jehovah is His 
 name. So God displays Himself in 
 His Redemptive capacity, and makes 
 Himself known as Jehovah, beyond 
 all previous manifestations of Him- 
 self in history. Let Him be adored. 
 
 4. Pharaoh's chariots. Here is 
 the burden of the song. This is the 
 glorious achievement : And his host 
 
 I (military host) He hath hurled into 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 138 
 
 4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: 
 his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. 
 
 5 The depths have covered them: they sank into the bot- 
 tom as a stone. 
 
 6 Thy right hand, e O Lord, is become glorious in power: 
 thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. 
 
 7 And in the greatness of thine f excellency thou hast 
 overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth 
 thy wrath, which consumed them e as stubble. 
 
 8 And with the blast of h thy nostrils the waters were 
 gathered together: the floods stood upright as an heap, and 
 the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. 
 
 e Ps. 118: 15-16. f De. 33: 26; Ps. 68: 33. g Ps. 59: 13; Is. 5: 24; 47: 14; Mat. 3: 12. 
 h 2Sa. 22: 16; Job 4: 9; 2Th. 2: 8. 
 
 the sea, and the chosen ones (the 
 choice) of his commanders (see ch. 
 14 : 7) are drowned in the Bed Sect. 
 The officers of highest rank — the 
 royal guard, as body guard of Pha- 
 raoh — are drowned ! ovemchelmed in 
 the rushing floods. 
 
 5. The depths, lit., Floods cover- 
 ed them. They sank in the abysses 
 like a stone — dead weight — to the 
 very bottom — and no recovery. As 
 if millstones had been hung around 
 their necks, they were drowned in 
 the depths of the sea. Handel's 
 great Oratorio of " Israel in Egypt " 
 gives the grandest musical expres- 
 sion to this song. The writer can 
 never forget the rendering of it by 
 5,000 performers in the Sydenham 
 Palace at London, at the Handel fes- 
 tival, in 1865. Such impassioned 
 passages as this verse 10th were ex- 
 pressed with overwhelming power. 
 — The warriors were dressed with 
 heavy coats of mail, plates of fine 
 bronze reaching nearly to the elbows 
 and the knees. 
 
 6. Here the outburst of praise 
 begins another passage, the second 
 triplet — Thy right hand — the " high 
 hand " and strong hand of Jehovah 
 all along referred to as the effective 
 power in their deliverance — is be- 
 come glorious — " glorified in power " 
 (K. & D.) — gloriously equipped with 
 power. The right hand of Jehovah 
 has its most glorious exhibition of 
 
 power in this overthrow of His ene- 
 mies. Thy right hand, Jehovah, 
 shall dash in pieces the enemy — as 
 here His ability is proved to demol- 
 ish all His enemies in all the fu- 
 ture. 
 
 7. And in the greatness (abund- 
 ance) of thy majesty (glory) thou shalt 
 pull down thine opponents. Thou 
 shalt send forth thy wrath — it shall 
 devour them as stubble. The force 
 of the future tense in these pas- 
 sages is, that Jehovah has so abund- 
 antly proved His power over His foes 
 as to make it certain for all the fu- 
 ture. Reference may be here to the 
 flash from the pillar (ch. 14 : 24). 
 
 8. And by the breath of thy nos- 
 trils, lit., with the wind of thy 
 wrath. The demolishing power is 
 described as going forth from the 
 very Presence of Jehovah. It was 
 from the Shekinah, or visible mani- 
 festation of the Divine Presence in 
 the pillar of cloud and fire. The 
 reference is here in high poetic 
 phrase to the east wind (ch. 14 : 21). 
 Ps. 18:16; Job. 4:9; 2 Thes. 2 : 8. 
 Anger inflating the nostrils, so that 
 the same word has the meaning of 
 anger, or wrath, and nostril — and the 
 same other word meaning breath and 
 wind. The icaters heaped themselves 
 up, or were gathered up — piled up as 
 walls. The floods stood upright as 
 an heap. K. & D. render — The flow- 
 ing ones (floods) stood up like a heap. 
 
134 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will 
 divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will 
 draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. 
 
 10 Thou didst blow with thy * wind, the sea covered them; 
 they sank as lead in the mighty waters. 
 
 11 Who is like J unto thee, O Lord, among the gods ? who 
 is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing won- 
 ders ? 
 
 i ch. 14: 21; Ps. 147: 18. 
 
 j Is. 40: 18. 
 
 Great stress is laid upon this pheno- 
 menon, which constituted the mira- 
 cle. The floods which would other- 
 wise have had their natural flow 
 were massed and stood upright as 
 solid walls. It is idle to try and ex- 
 plain away the miraculous features, 
 and make it a mere extraordinary 
 ebbing of the tide by the means of a 
 strong east wind. This could not 
 explain the standing up and walling 
 of the waters on the right hand and 
 on the left for the passage across. 
 The depths were congealed (stiffened 
 and piled up as solid masses) in the 
 heart of the sea. This expresses the 
 phenomenon, quite another thing 
 from a blowing back of the tide. 
 Besides this, the effect of a strong 
 east wind, if it did not drive the 
 waters right and left, and scoop out 
 a path on the bare sea-bed, must 
 have been to drive the floods directly 
 we&tward upon the camp of Israel 
 as a huge tidal wave. 
 
 9. This abrupt and impassioned 
 series of utterances gives a most 
 vivid conception of the infuriated 
 and maddened foe. " The haste, cu- 
 pidity, and ferocity of the Egyp- 
 tians, the reckless determination and 
 headlong pursuit, are described in 
 terms recognized by critics of all 
 schools, as belonging to the highest 
 order of poetry, and enable us to re- 
 alize the feelings which induced 
 Pharaoh and his host to pursue the 
 Israelites." — Sp. Com. My lust, lit., 
 My soul shall be filled with them. I 
 will draw my sword — my Jiand shall 
 dispossess (exterminate) them — or re- 
 possess them — bring them back to 
 slavery. 
 
 10. So sudden and overwhelming 
 was the blow — so awful was the re- 
 verse and the dismay. Thou didst 
 blow with thy wind — thy breath — the 
 blast of the breath of thy nostrils. 
 " Whom the Lord shall consume 
 with the breath of His mouth " — (2 
 Thess. 2 : 8). "One breath of God 
 was sufficient to sink the proud foe 
 in the waves of the sea." The sea 
 covered them. — so swift and sweeping 
 and summary was the overthrow. 
 It was done at the breath of God. 
 They sank like lead, — dead weight — 
 powerless — irrecoverable. Their 
 heavy metallic armor, which so con- 
 stituted their pride and pomp of 
 war, only made their drowning more 
 sudden and helpless, and hopeless. 
 In the mighty waters the adjective 
 means excellent — surpassing — over- 
 whelming. 
 
 11. Here the third strophe begins 
 with an ascription of praise and 
 passes to celebrate the glorious ef- 
 fect of this deliverance upon Israel 
 and the world. Who is like unto 
 Thee, Jehovah. Acknowledging 
 the pre-eminent glory of their cov- 
 enant God above all false gods — 
 pretended deities of the heathen. 
 Their God had so proved Himself 
 beyond all comparison of " mighty 
 ones " of earth — human potentates, 
 or false divinities for whom such 
 attributes are claimed. It is absurd 
 to find in this language any admis- 
 sion of the real existence of other 
 gods, as if here was an acknowledg- 
 ment that the heathen gods were 
 veritable beings. The language is 
 only a challenge of all pretended 
 gods as being emptiness. As we 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 135 
 
 12 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed 
 them. 
 
 13 Thou in thy mercy hast k led forth the people ichich thou 
 hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy 
 holy habitation. 
 
 14 The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take 
 hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. 
 
 k Is. 63: 13 
 
 call the idols of the heathen their 
 "gods" without any acknowledg- 
 ment of their real being as deities. 
 Glorious in holiness. The conflict 
 with Egyptian powers was a rally- 
 ing of the kingdom of light against 
 the kingdom of darkness, as now it 
 is Christ against Antichrist, and 
 God is here pronounced so inimita- 
 ble, glorious, or glorified in holiness, 
 as shown in the deliverance and 
 redemption of His people, and the 
 overthrow of their wicked foes. 
 " Be glad in Jehovah, ye righteous, 
 and give thanks at the remembrance 
 of His holiness." (Ps. 30 : 4.) 
 
 " Ov\y the soul that feels His grace 
 Can triumph in His holiness. 1 ' 
 
 Fearful in praises. Reverend, no- 
 table in His praiseworthy manifes- 
 tations — fearful in reference to 
 praises — to be feared in things call- 
 ing for our praises. " Serve the 
 Lord with fear and rejoice with 
 trembling," Ps. 2. Doing iconders, 
 rega-a, a word used as one of the 
 three meaning miracles — prodigies 
 of supernatural power — (Job 5 : 9). 
 " Who is a God like unto Thee that 
 forgivest iniquity " etc. 
 
 12. Thou stretchedst out TJiyliand. 
 Here again the Divine power is ex- 
 tolled as effecting their deliverance. 
 " This is the high hand and the 
 stretched out arm "of the Almighty 
 which is to be celebrated. The 
 earth swallowed them. Some sup- 
 pose that the song passes here to a 
 more general view of God's won- 
 drous dealings as wrapped up in this 
 signal event, and that the reference 
 is not here to the Egyptian over- 
 throw. The verb is in the future. 
 
 The earth will swallow them — but 
 this is the tense used in several of 
 the clauses, rather to express the 
 idea that it shall always be so, as has 
 here been done (vs. 5, 6, 7). As re- 
 gards the Egyptians, it may be said 
 the earth swallowed them, whether 
 as referred to the globe itself with- 
 out distinction of land and sea — or as 
 down in the abysses, swallowed up 
 in the mire of the ocean beds (Jo- 
 nah 2 : 6). And now the poet passes 
 to notice that all this was for the 
 salvation of Israel. 
 
 13. Thou hast led, leddest etc. 
 God is here extolled as Leader of His 
 people, who has delivered them from 
 Egypt with a purpose to lead them 
 to Canaan. In Thy mercy, or 
 through Thy mercy. This deliver- 
 ance was to be regarded, therefore, 
 as a pledge of their entrance to the 
 promised land. This is reiterated 
 in the parallel clause, according to 
 the Hebrew poetry. Thou hast 
 guided them (gently leadest them) 
 through thy might — no less than 
 through thy mercy — the power and 
 grace of God being pledged for the 
 result — to thy holy habitation — 
 which was Canaan (Ps. 78 : 54). 
 "Thou leddest thy people like a 
 flock by the hand of Moses and Aa- 
 ron " (Ps. 77 : 20). 
 
 14. Peoples hear — they^ are 
 afraid. The poet now passes in the 
 transport of his inspired verse, to 
 celebrate the effects of this event 
 upon the inhabitants of Philistia — 
 (Pelasheth). The very fame of the 
 Deliverance shall inspire them with 
 a salutary awe. It is objected by 
 modern critics that so to understand 
 the passage, would suppose Moses 
 
136 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 15 Then the dukes of Edoni shall be amazed; the mighty 
 men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them: all the in- 
 habitants of Canaan shall melt 1 away. 
 
 16 Fear and dread shall m fall upon them: by the greatness 
 of thine arm tiny shall be as still n as a stone ; till thy people 
 pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over which ° thou hast 
 purchased. 
 
 17 Thou shalt bring them in, and p plant them in the moun- 
 tain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou 
 hast made for thee to dwell in; in the <i sanctuary, O Lord, 
 ichich thy hands have established. 
 
 1 Jos. 5:1. m De. 2: 25; 11: 25; Jos. 2: 9. 
 pPs. 44: 2. qPs. 78: 54. 
 
 n ISa. 25: 37. o Ps. 74: 2; Ac. 20: 28 
 
 to have the gift of prophecy, which 
 they assume to be impossible and 
 hence they must construct another 
 theory. But this was fulfilled, (See 
 Josh. 2 : 9, 10 ; 5 : 9, 9). It is not the 
 Canaanites, but the inhabitants <*f 
 Pelasheth, or the Philistines, who 
 are here named. 
 
 15. The dukes, princes, or heads, 
 chiefs, or chieftains (rather than the 
 kings) of Edom are confounded — 
 the mighty men of Moab, trembling 
 shall take hold upon them. The 
 Moabites were of notable strength 
 and stature (Jer. 48 : 29, 41). All the 
 inhabitants of Canaan melt away 
 with fear. This is true though 
 Edom and Moab resisted their march 
 (Numb. 20 : 18). It is plain from 
 the mention of all these people on 
 the same basis that the command to 
 exterminate the Canaanites could 
 not at this time have been given, as 
 yet, and this agrees with the author- 
 ship of Moses and the time of the 
 Exodus. The perfect tense here 
 describes the future as if it had 
 passed — the prophetic past. 
 
 16. There shall fall upon them 
 fear and dread, through the great- 
 ness of Thine arm they shall be dumb 
 as a stone — petrified. Here the fu- 
 ture is used after the perfect — and 
 thus intermingled, the sense is clear- 
 ly anticipatory and prophetic — till 
 thy people pass over, Jehovah. 
 The verb here would seem to refer 
 to the passing over th3 wilderness 
 
 or more particularly, the boundary 
 line of the Holy Land. But it was 
 most literally fulfilled in the passage 
 over Jordan, which, however the 
 poet could not have had in his view 
 except so far as the original idea ol 
 the name Hebrew was " the passers 
 over," those who passed over the 
 Jordan, as the boundary line, and 
 now they were again to be passers 
 over, according to the idea of their 
 original name. The allusion is to 
 this rather than to the passage of 
 the Red Sea just accomplished. 
 Which thou Jiast purchased. Israel 
 was claimed by God as a purchased 
 possession — a peculiar people — that 
 is, private property — peculiar, be- 
 longing to Him (Deut. 82 : 9 ; 1 Pet. 
 2 : 9 ; 2 Pet. 2 : 1). 
 
 17. Moses here distinctly contem- 
 plates and predicts their entrance 
 into the Holy Land under the same 
 Divine Leadership as had led them 
 out of Egypt and through the Sea. 
 The poet here clearly foresees and 
 announces the establishment of the 
 Divine worship in the mountain al- 
 ready designated by the words of 
 Abraham at the sacrifice of Isaac — 
 Jehovah-jireh. " In the mountain 
 Jehovah shall be seen," and that 
 God will lead His people thither and 
 plant them there — as the vine of 
 Egypt — setting up there His church 
 and establishing there His worship. 
 In the place, Jehovah, -which Thou 
 hast made for Thee to dwell in, (in) 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 137 
 
 18 The Lord shall reign r for ever and ever. 
 
 19 For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and 
 with his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought again 
 the waters of the sea upon them : but the children of Israel 
 went on dry land in the midst of the sea. 
 
 20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, s took a 
 timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with 
 timbrels and with dances. 
 
 rPs. 146: 10; Da. 4: 3; 7: 27. sJu. 11: 34; 2Sa. 6: 5; Ps. 68: 25; 81: 2; 149: 3; 150: 4. 
 
 the Sanctuary, Jehovah, which Thy 
 hands have established. This is a 
 most definite and unmistakable ref- 
 erence by the Spirit of prophecy to 
 the event contemplated by the selec- 
 tion of Moriah for Isaac's sacrifice 
 and the revelations there — the event 
 to which the redemption from Egypt 
 pointed forward as in the plan of 
 God to place His people in His own 
 land for their training in His wor- 
 ship and service, in preparation for 
 Gospel times. Because of the dis- 
 tinct prediction here, objectors claim 
 that the whole chapter is unhistori- 
 cal, and that it could not have been 
 written prior to the event, suppos- 
 ing it to refer to the establishment 
 of God's worship in the Temple on 
 Moriah. But surely this had been 
 distinctly enough indicated in Abra- 
 ham's history to form here the basis 
 of Moses' song ; and inspiration 
 guides him to a clear expression of 
 the idea to stand on record as the 
 pre-intimation of what God would 
 accomplish for His people. 
 
 18. Jehovah shall reign for ever 
 and ever. This is the closing, 
 crowning ascription of praise. And 
 this is based upon the great fact, so 
 signally come to pass — the drown- 
 ing of Pharaoh's host and the deliv- 
 erance of Israel in one grand and 
 glorious event. Whether this verse 
 belongs to the hymn or is a mere 
 passage of transition to the narra- 
 tive, the meaning is plain. Probably 
 the previous verse closes the Song. 
 
 19. For the horse of Pharaoh — 
 not his horsemen, but his horse, im- 
 plying clearly that Pharaoh went 
 into the sea, riding up m his horse 
 
 at the head of his army, as was the 
 custom, and this was a fact suffi- 
 ciently important and notable to be 
 mentioned here. The Lord brought 
 again. Jehovah did it by the agen- 
 cy of Moses, and by means of the 
 strong east wind, supernaturally 
 operating. It was not the rod of 
 Moses, nor the wind itself, but Je- 
 hovah in all. This verse recites in 
 brief the eventful issue, for which 
 Jehovah is to be praised as fit to be 
 King for ever. 
 
 20. Miriam. Greek, Mariam. 
 Latin, Maria.. English, Mary. She 
 is called the prophetess — not as Isa- 
 iah's wife is so called (lsa. 8 : 3) as 
 being the wife of a prophet, but as 
 Deborah, on account of being an or- 
 gan of Divine communication, and 
 perhaps, also, from her knowledge 
 of sacred song — (1 Chron. 25 : 1). 
 See Mic. 6 : 4, where she is spoken 
 of as commissioned along with Mo- 
 ses and Aaron. The sense of proph- 
 et is not confined to prediction, but 
 extends to proclaiming God's mes- 
 sage, or uttering the truth as a mes- 
 senger of God. The sister of Aaron 
 she is called, though equally the sis- 
 ter of Moses, but ranking with Aaron 
 rather than with Moses, who was 
 chief and superior. She took a timbrel 
 in her hand. This musical instrument 
 seems to have been like our modern 
 tambourin, a small drum-head, with 
 tinkling plates or bells, and struck 
 with the hand. Miriam was the 
 leader of a train of women, all play- 
 ing this instrument, and joining in 
 a dance, expressive of their devout 
 joy. It is not dancing itself that is 
 necessarily wrong, but the spirit of 
 
138 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, t for 
 he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he 
 thrown into the sea. 
 
 Red Sea ; and they 
 
 22 So Moses brouffht Israel from the 
 
 v_5 
 
 t Ver. 1. 
 
 it and its accessories and effects, in 
 the service of the world. Such 
 dances as Miriam's, with songs of 
 praise to God, would give quite a 
 different aspect to the question, and 
 would scarcely be accepted by its 
 advocates as any valuable conces- 
 sion. 
 
 21. Answered them — responded 
 to the men— (2 Sam. 6 : 14). The 
 part which these players and danc- 
 ers took was in responses to the 
 male chorus, and here the refrain is 
 given. To the words, " 1 will sing 
 unto Jehovah," the response is, 
 " Sing ye to Jehovah," then repeat- 
 ing the opening words of the song, 
 verse 1. 
 
 Lessons. — (1) God prefaces His 
 commandments by reminding of His 
 wondrous deliverance from the 
 bondage, by which He claims to be 
 Jehovah, tbe covenant God of his 
 people, who has already achieved 
 for them such signal deliverance, 
 and now calls on them to obey Him 
 in grateful, filial service. (2) God 
 here points forward to a further de- 
 liverance as a fulfilment of this his- 
 torico-prophetical act — the bringing 
 of His Son out of Egypt. See Matt. 
 2 : 15. 
 
 " Out of Egypt have I called my 
 Son." He calls Israel His Son — 
 (Hos. 11:1, and Exod. 4 : 22). Jesus, 
 who is the head of the covenant and 
 members, is His Son. All His peo- 
 ple are one in Christ, as the body is 
 one with the head. (3) And further, 
 the deliverance from Egypt of the 
 ancient Israel points forward to the 
 greater deliverance from Satanic 
 bondage already achieved for His 
 people, by which He claims to be 
 the God of each of us, and claims 
 our devoted, free, and grateful obe- 
 dience. 
 
 § 34. The Bitter waters sweet- 
 ened. Ch. XV., 22-27. 
 
 22. The narrative now proceeds. 
 From this scene of their triumphant 
 praises on the further bank of the 
 sea, Moses led the people onward 
 into the wilderness of Shur. It is 
 generally supposed that they came 
 out of the sea at, or about, the spot 
 called Ayun Musa — the fountains 
 of Moses. These fountains are a 
 group of seven springs, making an 
 oasis in a desolate tract of desert, 
 and the only spot thereabouts where 
 water can now be had. It is about 
 two miles from the shore, where 
 also is a projecting point of land 
 called Cape Moses, opposite to an- 
 other cape on the western shore 
 called lias Attaka, or the Cape of 
 Dt'ttnerancc." It is very remarkable 
 that these names remain to give 
 their traditional testimony to these 
 sites, as connected with the historic 
 events here recited. The name Shur 
 bears also its testimony to the his- 
 tory. It means a wall, and would 
 seem to be associated with the event 
 here recorded, where the waters 
 were massed as solid walls for the 
 passage across. This desert or wil- 
 derness of Shur comprises the West- 
 ern district of Arabia Petrsea ; in- 
 deed, extends from the northeast 
 part of Egypt to Palestine. Palmer, 
 in his Ordnance Survey, suggests 
 another reference of the name, and 
 says : " If we stand at Ayun Musa, 
 and glance over the desert at the 
 Jebels er Mahah and et Tih, which 
 border the gleaming plain, we at 
 once appreciate the fact that these 
 long wall-like escarpments are the 
 chief, if not the only, prominent 
 characteristics of this portion of the 
 wilderness, and we need not wonder 
 
Exodus. 
 
 AYUX MOL'SA, THE WELLS OF MOSES. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 139 
 
 went out into the wilderness of u Shur: and they went three 
 days in the wilderness and found no water. 
 
 u Ge. 16 : 7. 
 
 that the Israelites should have 
 named this memorable spot after its 
 most salient feature — the Wilder /uss 
 of Shur, or the Wall. To the south- 
 east of Pas Musa there is the Wady 
 Sdur, which is also the name (Sdur) 
 of the coast northward. The camp 
 of the Israelites must have stretched 
 some distance. A little further 
 down the coast is a frowning chalk 
 cliff called Hamman Far'un, ' Pha- 
 raoh's Hot Bath,' which the Arabs 
 point out as the site of the miracle. 
 Pharaoh's unquiet spirit is still sup- 
 posed to haunt the deep, and to keep 
 alive the boiling, sulphurous spring 
 which started up at his last drown- 
 ing gasp. The sea at this point is 
 named Birket Far'un — Pharaoh's 
 Lake." — Palmer Survey, p. 39. Lep- 
 sius takes Far'un for Paran. Three 
 days. Palmer says: "From the 
 wells of Moses we traversed an un- 
 varied desert plain for three days, 
 with the thought that, like the chil- 
 dren of Israel, we had gone three 
 days in the desert and had found no 
 water. On the third day we reached 
 Ain Hawdrah, which most previ- 
 ous travellers have sought to iden- 
 tify with the Marah of Scripture. 
 It is a solitary spring of bitter water, 
 with a stunted palm tree growing 
 near it, and affording a delicious 
 shade. The name is rendered by 
 Dr. Robinson, Fount of Destruction, 
 but really signifies a small pool, the 
 water of which sinks into the soil, 
 little by little, leaving the rest unfit 
 for drink — a description eminently 
 fitted to the spring in question." 
 Palmer, Desert of the Exodus, p. 40 : 
 " The spring, which is now sanded 
 up, may have flowed more copiously 
 at one time, when it was kept in 
 better order." — K & Del. They 
 had probably taken a supply for the 
 time, which had now run out. It is 
 said that this fountain is about three 
 feet deep, and contained in a basin 
 
 of over ten feet in diameter and sis 
 feet in depth. They could not drink. 
 Wellsted, a traveller, says that when 
 he tasted the water, and muttered 
 the word Marah, his Bedouin said, 
 " You speak the word of truth. 
 They are indeed Marah." The 
 term Huwara is defined by Freytag 
 as ruin, destruction, but the bitter- 
 ness would suggest such a name as 
 if it were deadly. The sites and 
 route are differently given by Robin- 
 son and by Lepsius. 
 Robinson thus— 
 From Ayun Musa to Ain 
 Hawareh,or Marah, three 
 stations each of ... 6 hours. 
 To Wady Gharundel, Elim 2 " 
 
 To the sea 8 " 
 
 To Wady Schellal — Wild- 
 erness of Sin .... 4 " 
 To Dophka and Alus — two 
 
 stations to Firan, each . 7 " 
 To the plain of Raha — Re- 
 phidim and Sinai, two 
 stations, each .... 8 " 
 Lepsius thus — 
 From Ayun Musa, three sta- 
 tions, to W r ady Gharun- 
 del, or Marah, each, . 7 hours. 
 To the outlet of the valley 
 near Abu Zelimeh — 
 
 Elim 7 " 
 
 To Firan, by Dophka and 
 Alus, to Rephidim at 
 Sinai, three stations, 
 
 each 6 " 
 
 Lepsius says : " It is easy to ima- 
 gine why the latter stations are 
 somewhat shorter than the first, on 
 account of the greater difficulty of 
 the road. According to Robinson 
 the fourth station would be scarcely 
 explicable. Why did the people 
 murmur so near to the twelve 
 springs of Elim ? How would pre- 
 cisely that strikingly long journey 
 of more than eight hours, from Elim 
 to the sea, not have been mentioned 
 I at all? And how was it possible 
 
140 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 23 And when they came to v Marah, they could not drink 
 of the waters of Marah, for they icere bitter: therefore the name 
 of it was calJed Marah. 
 
 24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What 
 shall we drink ? 
 
 25 And he cried unto the Lord: and the Lord shewed him 
 a tree, which when he had cast into w the waters, the waters 
 were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an or- 
 dinance, and there he proved them, 
 
 v Nu. 
 
 W 2Ki. 2: 21; 4: 41. 
 
 that the days' marches should have 
 constantly increased in length amid 
 the lofty mountains and difficult 
 ground ? " r These are forcible con- 
 siderations. 
 
 23. Any one who has travelled 
 in the hot countries of the Orient 
 can understand how disappointing 
 must be bitter water in the agony 
 of thirst. We came to the Dead Sea 
 after a hot and wearisome ride. 
 The waters were clear and sparkling, 
 just such as to promise the most 
 satisfying draught. My horse ea- 
 gerly put his mouth to the water's 
 edge, when an Arab guide seized 
 the bridle, and shouted that a sip 
 of it would kill him, as it probably 
 would. But here it was repulsive 
 from its bitterness. Osborne gives 
 the analysis of the water thus — 
 
 Sulphate of lime 1.545 
 
 " magnesia 1.000 
 
 soda 919 
 
 potash... .281 
 Chloride of sodium . . . 3.940 
 Chloride of sodium, 
 with traces of bitu- 
 minous matter and 
 
 carbonic acid 8.345 to 
 
 the 1.000. 
 
 24. Murmured. So soon the peo- 
 ple forget all that Moses had 
 wrought, and all that God had done 
 for them by his hand. They de- 
 sire some provision for their thirst. 
 " What shall we eat and what shall 
 we drink ? " is still the cry of the 
 multitude, for answer to these nat- 
 ural demands. And Christ would 
 have us trust in that covenant that 
 guarantees to God's faithful people 
 
 that their bread shall be given them 
 and their water shall be sure. " Fa- 
 ther Patterson," as he was called, a 
 pioneer of the Church in Western 
 Pennsylvania, said that when he 
 was laboring amongst the Indians, 
 he had for his common meal pound- 
 ed corn and bears' grease, until he 
 became sick of it. And he prayed 
 one day that God would make good 
 His promise and give him that day 
 something he could relish for his 
 dinner. And, said he, it was done. 
 And what do you think I had ? he 
 added. I had pounded corn and 
 bears' grease. But 1 had an appe- 
 tite. 
 
 25. A tree, not necessarily a 
 living tree, but wood — we know not 
 of what sort, only that it was some- 
 thing which he could cast into the 
 waters. Some have supposed it was 
 a stick, which by piercing the bed 
 of the spring, opened afresh the 
 fountain. But it seems to have had 
 a sweetening quality or power. God 
 could have wrought the result with- 
 out this natural agency. But He 
 will show how He has the means al- 
 ways at command, and even a dead 
 stick, like Moses' rod, He can make 
 so effective. So His ministry is on- 
 ly Aaron's rod which budded. By 
 this transaction He made here for 
 Israel a statute. He took occasion, 
 at this crisis, so early on their wil- 
 derness journey, to set forth the law 
 of His providential administration 
 for His people, turning the bitter 
 into sweet — as at Cana He turned 
 the water into wine. The gracious 
 interposition, so promptly and freely 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 141 
 
 26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of 
 the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, 
 and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, 
 I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought 
 upon the Egyptians: x for I am the Lord y that healeth thee. 
 
 x De 28; 27, 68. 
 
 y Ps: 41: 4; 103: 3. 
 
 rendered, invited trust for every ex- 
 igency and every condition, and 
 taught them that there is nothing 
 that we come to sooner than the 
 bitter waters of disappointment, 
 sorrow, bereavement, and want. 
 But that it is His prerogative to 
 change the hitter into sweet by the 
 commonest and simplest means and 
 agencies, as by casting a stick into 
 the bitter fountain. And an ordi- 
 nance. Rather — and a judgment, 
 or an institute. The term is some- 
 times used in the prophets for gos- 
 pel institutes or decisions. There 
 He took occasion to illustrate His 
 grace, and to show the principles 
 upon which He would administer 
 His gracious covenant, in dealing 
 with His needy people, in this wil- 
 derness world. And there He proved 
 them. While thus He proved Him- 
 self and His grace, He proved them 
 also. " I proved thee at the waters 
 of Meribah " — waters of strife (Ps. 
 81 : 7 ; Exod. 17 : 6). He proved 
 them, or put them to the test. 
 
 26. And said. Here is the defi- 
 nite principle which He sets forth, 
 and by which He will have them 
 tested. He lays it down as a fixed 
 condition of the Divine favor, the 
 confidence and obedience of the 
 people, following the Divine direc- 
 tions. For how shall He conduct 
 them to Canaan if they refuse to 
 follow in the way He marks out ? 
 So the command in the Gospel is, 
 " Follow me." To some this sounds 
 like a harsh and inflexible order, 
 while in truth it is a most gracious 
 invitation. Follow me ! I will lead 
 you and carry you safely through ! 
 As this order was given by the De- 
 livering Angel to Peter in the prison 
 — his feet in the stocks and help- 
 less — Follow me ! It meant freedom 
 
 from the chains — escape from the 
 prison through the iron doors, and 
 defiance of all his enemies. Dili- 
 gently hearken. Heb., If hearing 
 thou wilt hear — wilt hear to pur- 
 pose, so as to obey. It is the same 
 word in Heb. that means to hear, and 
 to obey. And what can He possibly 
 do for us if we refuse to hearken 
 and obey His voice ? And will do 
 that which is right in His sight. 
 This is not arbitrary. If God is to 
 undertake for us we must do what 
 He sees best, and not follow our own 
 counsels, or be guided by other and 
 false oracles. And wilt give ear to 
 His commandments. For as He is 
 Captain of our Salvation, it is only 
 by giving ear to His orders that we 
 can be saved. His commandments 
 are life to us. His commandments 
 are gracious commandments. He 
 commands us to believe and be saved. 
 To be saved by believing. It is our 
 high, main duty to be saved, and so 
 it becomes our high, main duty to 
 believe. For it is to believe in the 
 salvation which is freely and fully 
 wrought out for us, that He has made 
 to be our chief duty. A nd keep (invio- 
 late) all his statutes. They are stat- 
 utes of grace and salvation, and 
 most worthy to be kept by us. "This 
 is a faithful saying," etc. God can- 
 not stipulate for a keeping in part 
 or for a partial obedience. He must 
 require a perfect obedience. There 
 is no lower standard. Wherein we 
 fail we have no recourse but to 
 Christ and His perfect righteousness 
 wrought out for us. 1 will put, etc. 
 This hearty and full acceptance of 
 His plan and rule of conduct is the 
 condition of His grace and salvation. 
 Not, however, as in a bargain. It is 
 rather the necessary constitution of 
 things in which He becomes every- 
 
142 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of 
 water, and threescore and ten palm-trees: and they encamped 
 there by the waters. 
 
 thing to us. It is not so much the 
 condition of the grace as the condi- 
 tion of things in which the grace 
 operates — for to the unbelieving and 
 the disobedient the grace is neces- 
 sarily inoperative and of none effect. 
 I will put none of those diseases. It 
 is in the shape of a covenant to ex- 
 empt them from the plagues that 
 had fallen upon the Egyptians, if, 
 by their trustful obedience, they 
 would separate themselves from the 
 conduct of the Egyptians that had 
 brought upon them such signal de- 
 struction. Now, at the threshold of 
 their wilderness journey under the 
 escort of the Covenant Angel, this is 
 the statute, and this is the judicial 
 decision, not arbitrary, but gracious. 
 And in this advertised ordinance 
 lies their only salvation. For 1 am 
 Jehovah that healeth thee. The Great 
 Healer is He, here as in the New 
 Testament — " all manner of sickness 
 and all manner of diseases " among 
 the people He heals. He only can 
 work certain cures always, and, 
 what is more, can even avert the 
 diseases. By the awful example of 
 the Egyptians, by all the plagues 
 visited upon them — even to the 
 death of their first-born and their 
 destruction in the sea, in all their 
 pride and defiance — He will have 
 Israel learn to trust and obey Him 
 that they may alwavs find Him a 
 Helper and a Healer— (Ps. 103 : 3). 
 " And He healed them all." — (Matt. 
 12 : 18.) And as many as touched 
 the hem of His garment were made 
 whole (Matt. 14 : 36). " For He 
 Himself took our infirmities and 
 bare our sicknesses " (Matt. 8 : 17). 
 
 27. Elim. Only a short distance 
 — a day at the most — from the bitter 
 waters to the refreshing springs and 
 shady palms. The word means trees. 
 Wells — rather springs. Ohurundel 
 is commonly taken to be Elim, 
 though only two hours from Marah. 
 It is a noted Arab watering place, 
 
 and fulfils the conditions of the 
 narrative thus : " Green tamarisks 
 and feathery palms and a pleasant 
 stream of running water." " It is 
 clear," says Palmer, " that the site 
 of Elim must lie somewhere in the 
 immediate neighborhood." " The 
 shade of one of these palm trees 
 was measured and found to be 180 
 feet in circumference." Though on- 
 ly six miles from Ilawara, or Mar- 
 ah, as Robinson supposes, yet en- 
 campments are chosen with refer- 
 ence to water supplies for the trav- 
 ellers and the cattle. By the other 
 view it is a day's distance (Abu- 
 Zenimeh on the sea being the Elim). 
 Israel was here to learn how Jeho- 
 vah, their covenant God, could make 
 His people lie down by green pas- 
 tures and by the still waters and 
 that so soon after they had murmur- 
 ed at the bitter streams. Here they 
 found most attractive camping 
 grounds for the great multitude. 
 And as regards the sites, there may 
 easily be much uncertainty, as the 
 camp would spread over a consider- 
 able distance. (See Map.) 
 
 Lessons. (1) God leads His peo- 
 ple like a flock by human agencies. 
 And as He undertakes for them, He 
 will not suffer them to fail. (2) He 
 guarantees not wealth nor ease to 
 His people, but their bread and their 
 water shall be sure. (3) Harassing 
 care and murmuring about what we 
 shall eat and drink is wrong, as it is 
 born of unbelief. (4) Jesus is Him- 
 self Bread of Life and Water of 
 Life, which is better than the water 
 of Jacob's wells. (5) We often come 
 to Bitter Waters of pain and loss 
 and trouble. But He can sweeten 
 them by His grace, and in use of the 
 commonest means. (6) God proves 
 us in His Providence and urges up- 
 on us His requirement of faith and 
 obedience as the condition in which 
 we receive and enjoy His best bless- 
 ings. (7) Elim is near to Marah in 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 143 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 AND they took their journey from Elim; a and all the con- 
 gregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilder- 
 ness of b Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth 
 day of the second month after their departing out of the land 
 of Egypt. 
 
 a Nu. 33: 10. 
 
 b Eze. 
 
 tlie journey of the christian. " He 
 maketh me to lie down in green pas- 
 tures, He leadeth me beside the still 
 waters " (Ps. 23 : 2). 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 § 35. The Bread from Heaven. 
 Ch. XVI. 1-36. 
 
 1. The camp at Elim was so fit- 
 ting for rest that they remained 
 there a few days. Thence they took 
 up their journey. The next point 
 here mentioned gives the direction 
 without noticing a halting place 
 named in Numb. 33 : 10. Keil and 
 others understand the Debbet er 
 Ramleh — the Northern route — to be 
 the Wilderness of Sin. Robinson 
 understands that " they passed in- 
 side of Jebel Hanimam to the head 
 of Wady et Tabiyeh where the deep 
 blue waters of the Red Sea would 
 once again burst upon their view.'' 
 Stanley says, " They once more saw 
 their old enemy and friend and 
 caught one more glimpse of Egypt 
 dim in the distance in the shadowy 
 hills beyond it." This spot is about 
 eight hours' journey or sixteen 
 miles distant, not too long a day's 
 stretch for the host, considering 
 their rest at Elim. The wilderness 
 of Sin skirts the eastern shore of 
 the sea — stretching from the Tih 
 mountains from N. W. to S. E. to 
 the Sinai range. This may explain 
 the connection of the names Sin and 
 Sinai. This desert, or wilderness, 
 is a sandy table-land and in this 
 they camped. Keil thinks possibly 
 in Wady JSfasb, where is a well of 
 
 good water and within a day's march 
 of Tabiyeh. The modern name of 
 the desert is Debbet er Ramleh — the 
 word Debbet in Arabic means the 
 same as " Sin " in Heb. — " a level 
 broad plain" The Ordnance Sur- 
 vey, however, fixes upon a southern 
 route. The first day's journey from 
 Ras Abu Zanimeh soutb wards leads 
 through a narrow slip of barren 
 sand to the open plain of El Markha. 
 A very even and tolerably wide 
 tract of desert land extends through 
 El Markka and at its southern ex- 
 tremity, by a sudden turn eastward, 
 leads through the Wady Feiran. 
 This tract is identified by the con- 
 ductors of the Survey with the wil- 
 derness of Sin. (See Appendix — 
 from Desert of the Exodus, also 
 see Map). Canon Cook on the whole 
 decides for the northern route, as 
 also do Keil and Murphy. The 
 last named gives his reasons for 
 agreeing with Robinson and for pre- 
 ferring the Debbet er Ramleh route, 
 the chief of which is that this is 
 the more open and easy for a large 
 body of men. There are some very 
 difficult passes in the other route. 
 Besides the Debbet er Ramleh agrees 
 better with the description of the 
 narrative — " between Elim and 
 Sinai." Others mention that the 
 route is most difficult on account of 
 its narrow defiles. It is quite im- 
 possible to mark out the route with 
 certainty. 
 
 On the fifteenth day. It was 
 now one month since they left Egypt 
 (see ch. 12 : 18) and here they first 
 complain of lacking bread. But 
 it js first water and then bread 
 
144 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel c 
 murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness : 
 
 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 d we sat by the flesh pots, and when Ave did eat bread to 
 the full ! for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to 
 kill this whole assembly with hunger. 
 
 4 Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain e 
 bread from heaven for you ; and the people shall go out and 
 gather a certain rate every day, that I may f prove them, 
 whether they will walk in my law or no. 
 
 c ch. 15: 24; Ps. 106: 25; ICo. 10: 10. 
 f De. 8: 16. 
 
 d Nu. 11: 4-5. 
 
 Ps. 78: 24; Jno. 6: 31-32. 
 
 that they lack. One thing or an- 
 other. And forgetting the recent 
 supply when they lacked water and 
 complained, they now murmur as 
 though nothing had been done for 
 them. So the disciples " considered 
 not the miracle of the loaves " 
 (Mark 6 : 52). So we all forget and 
 murmur when new trouble comes. 
 They had travelled only about a 
 hundred miles. They murmured 
 against Moses and Aaron their lead- 
 ers, but it was really a fault-finding 
 with God. Their supply of corn 
 was exhausted and there seemed no 
 prospect of procuring any in that 
 waste wilderness. To all human 
 appearance they must starve in the 
 desert. Could they not reason so 
 far as to conclude that He who clave 
 the sea for them to pass over had 
 control of all agencies and elements 
 for their salvation ? They were al- 
 most as slow to understand as Pha- 
 raoh was. So we ought to reckon 
 that God who spared not His Own 
 Son, but delivered Him up for us all, 
 cannot do otherwise than freely give 
 us all things along with Him (Rom. 
 8 : 32). 
 
 3. Died by the hand. Theywou'.-tl 
 rather have died (they say) by the 
 hand of Jehovah in the plague 
 which smote the families of Egypt 
 with death rather than die by starv- 
 ation. When we sat. They had 
 been fed in their bondage and they 
 counted that a luxury that made 
 slavery and death desirable in their 
 
 present hunger and destitution. But 
 they had their flocks and cattle and 
 could not have starved — only they 
 fret and murmur because all does 
 not go well. New sorrows seem al- 
 ways the greatest we ever had and 
 the most grievous to be borne. To 
 kill this whole assembly. They charge 
 them with such a base purpose. 
 How shocking to these good men to 
 be so scandalized. This whole church 
 as the term is — for here is the 
 church in the wilderness (Acts 7). 
 
 4. The long-suffering patience of 
 God is here displayed. Instead of 
 punishing them for their unbelief, 
 He provided for their want and 
 stops their murmuring mouths with 
 food from Heaven. Rain bread. 
 This announces the miraculous 
 character of the supply. As He 
 rained fire upon guilty Sodom, so 
 He could rain bread upon His peo- 
 ple's camp. God has undertaken 
 for them and He will not suffer them 
 to perish of want. A certain rate 
 every day. They were to do some- 
 thing to have part in the work. Not 
 to furnish the bread but to accept 
 and apply it. This is what is asked 
 of us in the Gospel provision — to 
 receive the salvation and make it 
 ours. So they were to go out and 
 gather the daily portion. So we are 
 to come to Christ and draw out of 
 His fulness — bread of life — water 
 of life — and be saved daily. A cer- 
 tain rate, lit., The portion of a day 
 in his day. So we pray " Give us 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 145 
 
 5 And it shall come to pass that on the sixth day they shall 
 prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice g as 
 much as they gather daily. 
 
 6 And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, 
 At even, then ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you 
 out from the land of Egypt: 
 
 7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory h of the 
 Lord; for that he heareth your murmurings against the Lord: 
 and what are we, that ye murmur against us ? 
 
 g Yer. 22. 
 
 h Yer. 10: ch. 40: 34; Nu. 14: 10. 
 
 this day our daily bread " — the day's 
 portion — as if fresh from Heaven — 
 direct from the hand of our Lord. 
 That I may prove them. The whole 
 Israel as one, or each man, literally 
 him. This was the test to be ap- 
 plied whether they would believe 
 and accept the provision and live 
 upon God's gracious bounty. Wlieth- 
 er they will walk. For this is the 
 law of God's grace, and he who will 
 not walk in this law, and come and 
 gather his daily provision from 
 God's heavenly supplies, must per- 
 ish. 
 
 5. A special provision is now in- 
 troduced, calling for their definite 
 action. It is a positive injunction. 
 No room for arguing the reason 
 why. Only to obey. As with the 
 washing of Peter's feet, it is no time 
 for protesting on personal grounds 
 (John 13). Where Christ appoints, 
 the command is an invitation to 
 benefits and blessings not to be had 
 otherwise, and the compliance is the 
 condition of the benefit. He who 
 resists Christ's appointment resists 
 his own salvation. " If I wash thee 
 not " etc. On the sixth clay. Here 
 is recognized a specialty in the sixth 
 day. It was a day of extra prepa- 
 ration. This was plainly because 
 the following day was the Sabbath 
 though not yet so announced at 
 Sinai in the Law of Ten Commands, 
 yet doubtless instituted from the 
 beginning, on the basis of God's 
 creative rest. So that when it came 
 to be published at Sinai as one of 
 the moral institutes the form of the 
 Command was " Remember the Sab- 
 
 bath day " as something already es- 
 tablished and observed. They shall 
 prepare. This preparation pertains 
 to the measuring according to the 
 day's rate a double measure, and the 
 making it ready for eating — by the 
 pounding or grinding and cooking. 
 Thus God would have them rever- 
 ence the Sabbath and keep it holy, 
 by doing this work of preparation 
 on the previous day. 
 
 6. At even, lit., between the even- 
 ings — at twilight. What God has 
 j us t assured to Moses and Aaron is 
 now announced to the people by 
 them — that before another day they 
 should have proof of the same pow- 
 er on their behalf which had 
 brought them out of Egypt. Tbis 
 came to pass as promised. (See v. 13.) 
 The quails came that evening. It 
 was a re-assurance to them of the 
 Divine Power and grace manifested 
 in their Deliverance that Jehovah 
 had undertaken for them. So our 
 present gracious deliverances are 
 the proof of God's eternal love from 
 the beginning and to the end. 
 
 7. And in the morning. This re- 
 fers also to what should come to 
 pass the next morning (see v. 16) — 
 the manna should ligbt upon the 
 camp. They sbould thus behold 
 the glory of the Lord, a visible 
 manifestation of His Presence, as 
 symbolized in the pillar of cloud 
 and fire — all elements and agencies 
 being enlisted on their bebalf . For 
 that. The ground of this action is 
 here assigned — -for that He heareth 
 — In His hearing— your murmur- 
 ings against Jehovah — though di- 
 
146 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 8 And Moses said, This shall be, when the Lord shall give 
 you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the 
 full; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye mur- 
 mur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are 
 not against us, i but against the Lord. 
 
 9 And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congrega- 
 tion of the children of Israel, Come J near before the Lord: for 
 he hath heard your murmurings. 
 
 10 And it came to pass, As Aaron spake unto the whole 
 congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward 
 the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord k appeared in 
 the cloud. 
 
 11 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 
 
 12 I have heard the l murmurings of the children of Israel: 
 speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the 
 morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I 
 am the Lord your God. 
 
 i ISa. 8: 7; Matt. 10: 40; Lu. 10: 16. j Nu. 16: 16. k Nu. 1-1: 10; IKi. 8: 10. 
 1 Ver. 7. 
 
 rected against Moses and Aaron — 
 yet regarded by God and by His ser- 
 vants as against Himself. What 
 are ice. They were only God's min- 
 isters — so that their murmurings 
 directed against them could not 
 terminate upon them, but really ex- 
 tended to God Himself. 
 
 8. And Moses said — when Jeho- 
 vah shall give you. . He no w explains 
 what they had referred to in the 
 6th and 7th verses — as the knowl- 
 edge and sight of God's glory. It 
 should come to pass when these 
 displays of His power and grace 
 should take place and so soon — that 
 evening and the next morning. Not 
 against us. Really they are aimed 
 at God, however they may name 
 us. 
 
 9. Come near. This is a Gospel 
 invitation. Notwithstanding their 
 sinful murmurings, they are bidden 
 to come near before Jehovah, and are 
 not driven away in His wrath. So 
 Jesus says to all sinners, " Come un- 
 to me." 
 
 10. Before the provision should 
 be miraculously supplied, Jehovah 
 displayed Himself in the Shekinah 
 —the miraculous pillar of cloud and 
 
 fire — that they might know who 
 supplied them. Toward the wilder- 
 ness, namely, of Sin, to which they 
 had come (v. 1). And behold the 
 Shekinah, or glory of Jehovah ap- 
 peared in the cloud — the same which 
 had accompanied them, but which 
 had lost in part its special signifi- 
 cance. God here displayed Himself, 
 manifesting His Personal Presence 
 in flashes from the cloud, or in some 
 way to be beheld, as their Glorious 
 Deliverer, that so their faith might 
 be revived by His gracious deal- 
 ings. 
 
 11, 12. This is probably what had 
 already been said to Moses (v. IT), 
 given more in detail to show the 
 source of Moses' announcement to 
 the people. Jehovah had said. — Flesh 
 and bread, refer here to the people's 
 murmurings. He gives them qaails 
 as flesh and manna for bread. " He 
 rained flesh also upon them as dust, 
 and feathered fowl, like as the sand 
 of the sea." Ps. 78 : 27. 
 
 13. The quail is a fowl resem- 
 bling the partridge and is found in 
 that region in large numbers. The 
 miracle consisted in their being 
 brought in such immense quantities 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 147 
 
 13 And it came to pass that at even the quails m came up, 
 and covered the camp; and in the morning the dew lay round 
 about the host. 
 
 14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon 
 the face of the wilderness, there lay a small round thing, as 
 small as the hoar-frost on the ground. 
 
 15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to 
 another, It is manna: a for they wist not what it was. And 
 Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath 
 given you to eat. 
 
 16 This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, 
 
 m Nu. 11: 31; Ps. 78: 27-31; 105: 40. n Ver. 31-33; Nu. 11: 7; De. 8: 3, 16; Jos. 5: 
 12; Ne. 9: 15; Ps. 78: 24; 105: 40; Jno. 6: 31, 49, 58; ICo. 10: 3; He. 9: 4; Re. 2: 17. 
 
 and at the very time specified. It is 
 said that they alight often quite ex- 
 hausted with their flight, and are 
 easily captured. But He who caused 
 them to come up could secure them 
 to the people. The dew lay, lit., 
 There was a layer of dew. 
 
 14. When the dew that lay (around 
 the camp) was gone up (had cleared 
 away or evaporated) — Keil. But the 
 verb is the same as in v. 13, and the 
 reading is, and the layer of the dew 
 came up (or made its appearance), 
 and behold, etc. (See Numb. 11 : 9.) 
 " And when the dew fell upon the 
 camp in the night the manna fell 
 upon it," that is, the manna fell 
 with the dew, and upon it — upon 
 the face of the wilderness, fine, round, 
 tiny, like the hoar-frost upon the 
 ground. It was in globules, moist 
 with the dew. The article which 
 may be called natural manna, such 
 as is found in that country, does 
 not lie upon the open plain, the face 
 of the wilderness, but on fallen leaves, 
 under the tamarisk tree, from the 
 trunk and boughs of which it ex- 
 udes. 
 
 15. They said each man to his 
 brother, Man hu. This is commonly 
 taken, as in margin, to mean, What 
 is this t But that would be other- 
 wise expressed in the Hebrew. And 
 this is found to be the Egyptian 
 name for manna, and known also to 
 the Israelites — Manhut. meaning 
 white manna. They give it the 
 name of that which most resembled 
 
 it, namely, the tamarisk gum, which, 
 in small quantities, they knew of. 
 The miracle consisted in (1) bringing 
 it along with the dew^and in no con- 
 nection with the tamarisk tree — (2) 
 in the quantity — one day's measure 
 being more than the whole annual 
 product of the natural gum — and (3) 
 in the fact that it was intermitted 
 on Sabbath days. God pleased to 
 feed His people with food which had 
 a natural relation to that district 
 rather than on food of other regions. 
 (4) This manna was gathered, not in 
 one season, as the other is in June, 
 but daily, always excepting the Sab- 
 bath day, showing the Divine inter- 
 position in the whole matter. For 
 they wist not. They gave it this 
 name without knowing that it was 
 an entirely new thing, and from a 
 miraculous source. Moses explains 
 and tells them — This is the bread 
 ichich Jehovah hath given you to eat. 
 This is that which was promised, 
 and is now given by God Himself. 
 Our Lord refers to this transaction : 
 " Your fathers did eat manna in the 
 wilderness and are dead," (John 6 : 
 21, 49) to show that that miracu- 
 lous food had no power to give the 
 people the Divine life as only He 
 could have, whom that manna typi- 
 fied as " the Bread of Life." They 
 carried about with them a specimen 
 of this miraculous food as a type of 
 the Promised Salvation (v. 33). 
 
 16. Moses now recites God's order 
 in regard to the gathering. Every 
 
148 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 Gather of it every man according to his eating; an omer for 
 every man, according to the number of your persons: take ye 
 every man for them which are in his tents. 
 
 17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some 
 more, some less. 
 
 18 And when they did mete it with an omer, o he that 
 gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little 
 had no lack: they gathered every man according to his eating. 
 
 19 And Moses said, Let no man p leave of it till the morn- 
 ing. 
 
 20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but 
 some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and 
 stank; and Moses was wroth with them. 
 
 D 2Co. 8: 15. 
 
 p Matt. 6: 34. 
 
 man according to the mouth of his 
 eating. Enough for his own daily 
 consumption — an omer for every 
 man, lit., for a head. This measure 
 was about three quarts English — 
 for the number of your souls {per-) 
 sons) so as to meet the wants of 
 each family. This is repeated — Take 
 ye every man for them which (are) 
 in his tent. It is not to be supposed 
 that they all had tents ; but this was 
 the common phrase — as we say a 
 household. Yet, in fact, they had 
 booths — tents of boughs — and many 
 being shepherds, brought their 
 tents. 
 
 17. They gathered some more, 
 etc., lit., he that exceeded and he that 
 fell short. The people were thus 
 put upon trial of their faith — to 
 gather only enough for one day — 
 and fully enough. 
 
 18. When they came to measure, 
 here was a most remarkable inter- 
 position of God to equalize the por- 
 tion. The one who exceeded his 
 quota by grasping and greed had 
 nothing over , and the one who, by 
 timidity or ill success, fell short — 
 had no lack. " A potent argument to 
 teach them, if they would learn, 
 that all men are equal in the sight 
 of our Heavenly Father. He that 
 distributed His bounty could equal- 
 ize each single gathering as easily 
 as the collected whole with the ra- 
 tion allotted to each." — Murphy. 
 
 Calvin thinks the mass was gather- 
 ed in a heap and then measured out 
 in the quantity that each required. 
 
 19. Let no one keep (any, of) it 
 over till the next day, either for fear 
 of not getting the next day's por- 
 tion or for any other reason, but 
 each must conform to God's pub- 
 lished plan of living by the day, 
 and of daily habitual trust in Him 
 as the Giver of our daily bread. 
 " Give us this day our daily bread " 
 is an item in the Lord's Prayer 
 which is meant to put us upon God 
 for daily supplies, and for our habit- 
 ual dependence, knowing that He 
 cares for us — and be the day long or 
 short, dark or bright, He can and 
 will adapt our supply to the day as 
 it comes. We are ever prone to lay 
 in a stock which shall keep us from 
 this necessity of daily prayer and 
 daily supply from God's direct 
 bounty. 
 
 20. Some of them, notwithstand- 
 ing this definite order, disobeyed, 
 and left a portion of it until morn- 
 ing, sparing some from their meas- 
 ure so as not to be without any for 
 the next day. And it bred worms, 
 or it swarmed worms, and stank. 
 The common manna lasted long 
 without spoiling. But here was God's 
 hand in the dispensation of this. 
 So overgrown wealth that breeds a 
 feeling of independence also breeds 
 corruption. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 149 
 
 21 And they gathered it every morning, every man accord- 
 ing to his eating : and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. 
 
 22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered 
 twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the 
 rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 
 
 23 And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord 
 hath said, To-morrow is the <i rest of the holy sabbath unto the 
 Lord : bake that which ye will 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 r stink, neither was there any worm therein. 
 
 q Ge. 2: 3; ch, 20: 8; 31: 15; 35: 3; Le. 23: 3. 
 
 r Ver. 20. 
 
 21. It melted. The part of it 
 that was not gathered was melted 
 by the hot sun and disappeared. 
 
 22. On, the sixth dag. The Sab- 
 bath was thus specially provided 
 for. They were thus reminded of 
 it as a Divine institution and thus it 
 came at Sinai to be incorporated in- 
 to the Decalogue as the Lord's day 
 to be remembered. But when the 
 people, in obedience to the orders 
 given gathered a double quantity 
 on the sixth day all the rulers of the 
 congregation came and told Moses — 
 fearing it would seem lest this sur- 
 plus might fare as did that noticed 
 in v. 20. Moses had been advised 
 of this arrangement of a double 
 portion on the sixth day (v. 5). But 
 he seems not to have so proclaimed 
 to the people, only they were to 
 find a double supply for the sixth, 
 and none for the seventh day. Or 
 possibly if the instructions were 
 given to the people, as in v. 5 to 
 Moses, they wished to know further 
 how this was to be understood in 
 consistency with the warning in v. 
 20. There is no ground here for in- 
 ferring that they knew nothing of a 
 Sabbath ordinance prior to this time. 
 The order is given without explana- 
 tion, as if presuming upon this 
 knowledge of a Sabbath law. Or 
 the Sabbath may have partially 
 passed out of use in Egypt and it 
 was now by this special appoint- 
 ment that God provided for its ob- 
 
 servance in connection with this 
 gracious dispensation of heavenly 
 food. 
 
 23. Moses now explains to them 
 the Divine ordinance. This is that. 
 This means the Sabbath observance. 
 This is in accordance with what Je- 
 hovah hath said in appointing the 
 Sabbath day. To-morrow is a rest, 
 a Sabbath holy to Jehovah. " It is 
 at once a statement and an injunc- 
 tion. They knew it as a Sabbath — 
 they were to keep it as a festival." 
 — Sp. Com. Or, rather, they are re- 
 minded of it as the Sabbath, and 
 were required to observe it in this 
 way, thus emphasizing the Sabbath 
 ordinance, which else they might 
 not have honored in this particular. 
 Bake, etc. The ordinary manna of 
 Tamarisk gum was of a totally dif- 
 ferent nature. It was used as hon- 
 ey. This had the quality of corn, 
 to be baked, ground and boiled. 
 The other is glutinous and oily. So 
 that this supply is quite removed 
 from the natural product in kind as 
 well as in measure. Lag up. They 
 were to keep the surplus for the 
 Sabbath supply. 
 
 24. This that was thus laid up 
 till the next day was exempt from 
 the corruption that befel what was 
 kept over from other days. '(See 
 v. 20.) God honors the Sabbath. 
 
 25. 26. The special order is re- 
 peated. They were now bidden to 
 eat that portion which had been 
 
150 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 25 And Moses said, Eat that to-day, for to-day is a sabbath 
 unto the Lord : to-day ye shall not find it in the field. 
 
 26 Six s days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, 
 which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. 
 
 27 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 said unto Moses, How long t refuse ye to 
 keep my commandments and my laws ? 
 
 s Ch. 20: 9-10. t Nu. 14: 11; 2KL 17: 11; Ps. 78; 10-22; 106: 13: Je. 9: 6: Eze. 5: 6. 
 
 laid over from the previous day, for 
 it was not to be rained down upon 
 them on that day. For to-day is a 
 Sabbath unto Jehovah. Some have 
 supposed that on this occasion the 
 Sabbath was changed to the seventh 
 day. It was originally the first day 
 of the week, as it was the first day 
 of Adam's life, and though the 
 seventh day of God's creative week, 
 it was the first day of man's week. 
 But we are sure that there is no in- 
 timation given of the Sabbath being 
 now first instituted, but quite other- 
 wise. There was a Sabbath under 
 the patriarchal dispensation and a 
 Sabbath under the Levitical dispen- 
 sation. So there is a Sabbath under 
 the Christian dispensation — " there 
 remaineth therefore a Sabbath-keep- 
 ing for the people of God" which 
 Jesus has instituted by His enter- 
 ing into His new-creative rest. And 
 so there will be a glorious Sabbath- 
 keeping in the heavenly dispensa- 
 tion. The Sabbath law was not 
 newly formed at Sinai any more 
 than the other commands of the 
 Decalogue. They were the great 
 fundamental principles of morality 
 that were there grouped as of uni- 
 versal and perpetual obligation. And 
 hence, there could have been no ab- 
 rogation of the Sabbath law by the 
 change of dispensations, any more 
 than the abrogation of any other of 
 the Ten Commands. They were 
 only such precepts as were binding 
 everywhere and always which were 
 there promulgated as God's moral 
 code for mankind. 
 
 " 27. Some of the people not heed- 
 ing these restrictions went out to 
 
 gather on the Sabbath as on other 
 days, and they found none. This 
 was a gross disregard of God's di- 
 rections and of His institutions — 
 treating the Sabbath as any other 
 day. But the result taught them a 
 lesson of universal application — 
 that they who turn the Sabbath in- 
 to a week day for ordinary business 
 and gain, find nothing — fail in' their 
 enterprises sooner or later in one 
 way or another. God puts honor on 
 His own day. And he whose de- 
 light is in the law of the Lord finds 
 that whatever he doeth shall pros- 
 per (Ps. 1). 
 
 28. Jehovah here expostulates 
 with the people to Moses. How 
 long, etc. This violation of the Sab- 
 bath law was in God's sight a griev- 
 ous wrong. This seems to imply 
 that they had been guilty of this 
 inattention to the Sabbath before 
 this time. And it justifies the sup- 
 position that in their Egyptian bon- 
 dage they had been prone to neglect 
 the Sabbath. And now God will 
 train His church in the wilderness 
 to this fundamental observance. 
 For it is universally true that the 
 Sabbath observance is at the very 
 foundation of social order and of 
 public morality, no less than of pri- 
 vate and personal virtue. Emphasis 
 is therefore put upon it here at the 
 outset of their journeyings. There 
 is a plain reference to v. 4. There 
 was a provina of the people in this 
 command. The whole arrangement 
 is now explained. Abide ye every 
 man in his place. That is — go not 
 out to gather manna — which was 
 outside the camp on other days. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 151 
 
 29 See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, 
 therefore 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 place 
 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 teas like u coriander-seed, white; and the taste of it was 
 like wafers made with honey. 
 
 32 And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord com- 
 
 u Nu. 11: 7,8. 
 
 Tke Sabbath was to be a day of ces- 
 sation from ordinary business. Rest 
 was tlie idea of it, and so the order 
 was for every man to abide in his 
 place — lit., under himself — with 
 himself, in his own house. Let no 
 man go out of his place on the seventh 
 day. From this injunction it was 
 inferred and held that no one should 
 go farther on a Sabbath day than 
 the distance from the extremity of 
 the camp to the Tabernacle which 
 was in the centre. Tbe Rabbins 
 made two thousand cubits to be a 
 Sabbath day's journey, which was 
 about three-fourths of a mile — a 
 very short distance. And this reg- 
 ulation was enforced on the ground 
 that, the Lord (Jehovah) giveth you 
 the Sabbath as a free gift, and a gra- 
 cious ordinance, and makes His 
 other gifts in consistency with this, 
 so as not to interfere with its ob- 
 servance. It may therefore be ex- 
 pected and it has everywhere been 
 found that men who seek gain by 
 breaking the Sabbath lose every 
 way — body and soul, losing the ben- 
 efits which God has provided in the 
 Sabbath rest from worldly care and 
 labors. 
 
 30. So the people rested — in obe- 
 dience to the command, and in the 
 spirit of the Sabbath. God rested 
 on the seventh day from His crea- 
 tion work. The resting is not in- 
 consistent with works of necessity, 
 and mercy, and piety, which are 
 of such a nature as not to violate 
 the Sabbath spirit : neither is it 
 meant that men shall simply rest 
 their bodies by lounging and' indo- ' 
 
 lent ease. They are to take rest in 
 God — to find rest for the soul in 
 Christ — to take the benefit of 
 Christian trust in His covenant — 
 and to embrace the provision which 
 He freely gives — the heavenly 
 manna — and the Personal Bread of 
 Life, which is Christ. So they find 
 Peace — His Peace — and the bene- 
 diction of His courts, Grace, Mercy 
 and Peace. 
 
 32. A special direction is here 
 given for preserving a portion of 
 this manna as a specimen to be 
 carried about with them in their 
 wilderness march, a treasure to be 
 deposited along with the most 
 sacred things in or before the Ark 
 of the Testimony. No other mira- 
 cle was so to be kept in remem- 
 brance. The reason is that this 
 manna represented Christ, and so 
 He Himself teaches in John 6. 
 Most vital gospel truth was in- 
 volved in it, as we there find. The 
 Jews demanded of Jesus some such 
 miracle as they ascribe to Moses in 
 the manna. They believed that 
 the Messiah was to reproduce the 
 glories of the Mosaic theocracy, as 
 well as of the Kingdom of David. 
 But Jesus corrects their notion, and 
 says, Moses gave you not that bread 
 from heaven. Even the material, 
 miraculous manna, did not come 
 from Moses, but my Father gave it, 
 as He now giveth you also what is 
 so niuck more the true bread from 
 Heaven (John (j). 
 
 If That they may see the bread. 
 A sample was to be sacredly pre- 
 served to shew the future genera- 
 
152 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 mandeth, Fill an oraer of it to be kept for your generations; 
 that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the 
 wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. 
 
 33 And Moses said unto Aaron, v Take a pot, and put an 
 omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to 
 be kept for your generations. 
 
 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up w 
 before the Testimony, to be kept. 
 
 35 And the children of Israel did eat manna x forty years, 
 until they came to a land inhabited: they did eat manna, until 
 they came unto the borders y of the land of Canaan. 
 
 36 Now an omer * is the tenth part of an ephah. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 ND all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed 
 . from the wilderness of Sin, a after their journeys, according 
 
 v He. 9: 4. w eh. 25: 16; Nu. 1: 50; 17: 10; IKi. 8: 9. z Nil. I 
 9: 21; Jno. 6: 31-19. y Jos. 5: 12; Ne. 9: 15. z Ver. 16, 32, 33. 
 12: 4. 
 
 : 8; De. 8: 2,3; Ne. 
 a ch. 16: 1; Nu. 32: 
 
 tions of what sort this miraculous 
 food had been. So there is provis- 
 ion in the gospel for the word of 
 Christ to be set forth and Christ 
 Himself to be exhibited as the 
 Divine sustenance of the soul. 
 
 33. Lay it up before the Lord. 
 Before Jehovah. It was to be de- 
 posited in the ark of the Testimony 
 (Heb. 9 : 4) though it was not found 
 inside the ark in Solomon's time 
 (I Kings 8 : 9), but may then have 
 been carried outside — hence some 
 suppose that " before the Lord " 
 means, before the ark. The ark was 
 not yet made, but this direction was 
 given beforehand, and was ohserved 
 as we are here told, when the Tab- 
 ernacle was built. See ch. 40 : 20. 
 
 35. Forty years. So far as they 
 had need ; not however, eating 
 manna alone, but all along their 
 wilderness journey, they had the 
 miraculous supply continued to 
 them — to signify in the type, the 
 permanency of Christ as the gospel 
 provision. This was supplied to 
 them until they reached the prom- 
 ised land, and until Moses died. 
 This he testifies of, as the historical 
 fact of which he was cognizant. It 
 was no longer necessary after they 
 
 had come to a land inhabited beyond 
 the wilderness. 
 
 "Bread of Heaven 
 Feed me till I want no more." 
 
 36. Moses here defines the 
 measure called an omer. 
 
 Lessons. — (1) The miracle here 
 is a type and prophecy of Christ, 
 the true manna — the Bread of Life. 
 (2) He who provides for the soul 
 also provides for the body. (3) This 
 Bread of Life which Christ is, not 
 only sustains life but gives life 
 (John 6 :) (4) Christ gives His flesh 
 for men — His broken body. We par- 
 take, by faith, the benefits of His 
 atoning death. (5) His Personal 
 Presence, also, is given to us as an 
 Incarnate Saviour — for a living com- 
 panion and friend. (6) Our spiritual 
 supply for the Sabbath must depend 
 upon what we gather during the 
 week. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 § 36. Murmuring for lack op 
 Water. Horeb.— Ch. XVII. 1-7. 
 
 The journeying goes on under 
 the same Divine guidance, and 
 under tho leadership of Moses. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 153 
 
 to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim : 
 and there was no water for the people to drink. 
 
 2 Wherefore the people did chide b with Moses, and said, 
 Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, 
 Why chide ye with me ? wherefore do ye tempt c the Lord ? 
 
 3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people 
 murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou 
 hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and 
 our cattle with thirst? 
 
 4 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do 
 unto this people ? they be almost ready d to stone me. 
 
 1) Xu. 20; 3, 4. c De. 6: 16; Ps. 78: 18, 41; 95: 
 d ISa. 30: 6; Jno. 8: 59; 10: 31; Ac. 7: 59. 
 
 Is. 7: 12; Mat. 4: 7; ICo. 10: 9. 
 
 Having now lacked bread and ob- 
 tained a miraculous supply, they 
 soon lack water, and are thrown 
 into a new distress and distrust of 
 God. The occasion is found in our 
 human want, to show the ample 
 and varied resources that are heaped 
 up in Christ as Bread of Life and 
 Water of Life. 
 
 1. The main stations are given 
 in this history, though from the 
 fuller account in Numbers we find 
 that some minor stations are omitted. 
 These may be referred to, in the 
 clause "after their journeys." In 
 Numb. 33 the stations Dophkah and 
 Alush are named as between the 
 wilderness of Sin and Kephidim, 
 According to the commandment — viz. 
 — as indicated by the cloudy pillar 
 marking the way. (See Numb. 9 ; 
 18, 19.) Rephidim. The members 
 of the recent Ordnance Survey are 
 not agreed as to this station. Cap- 
 tains Wilson and Palmer locate it 
 in Wady Feiran under Mount Ser- 
 bal. Mr. Holland understands that 
 it was beyond the intersection of 
 Wady Feiran with Wady Sheikh, 
 at the pass of Al Watiyeh, where 
 the conditions of the narrative as to 
 the battle seem to be well fulfilled. 
 No water. In that hot desert region, 
 this was a most serious privation. 
 Journeys are always made there in 
 reference to the water-supplies, 
 where the routes are familiar. Here 
 Moses went under the Divine lead- 
 ing. Observe. God throws us 
 
 7* 
 
 upon our own inability and destitu- 
 tion in order to provoke us to come 
 and draw upon Him. 
 
 2. The people, as before in case 
 of lacking bread, now complain and 
 lay the responsibility upon Moses. 
 The term here rendered chide tcith 
 means to strive, quarrel with. They 
 demand of him to give them water, 
 as though he had it in his power, or 
 as though he was obligated to fur- 
 nish them with a supply. Moses 
 replies that their chiding and re- 
 proof of him is unreasonable and 
 wicked, that it is a tempting of Je- 
 hovah, laying the blame virtually 
 upon Him, distrusting His care, de- 
 spite His recent miraculous provis- 
 ion, and provoking Him to anger by 
 their bad temper, and proud, defiant 
 spirit, as if everything belonged to 
 them, and forgetting their own sin- 
 ful ill-desert. 
 
 3. Thirsted. The agony of thirst 
 was that which wrung from Jesus 
 the outcry on the cross * 1 thirst,' and 
 it is expressive of all the most intense 
 craving. Wherefore. They expos- 
 tulate with Moses, as if he had pur- 
 posely placed them in this fearful 
 extremity, and had knowingly and 
 wilfully subjected them to this new 
 distress, which threatened their 
 horrible death. 
 
 4. This led Moses to cry to Jeho- 
 vah as before at Marah (ch. 15 : 25). 
 Only here, he seems to be in fear of 
 his life, and begged of God to know 
 what he should do unto them, how 
 
154 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 5 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, 
 and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, where- 
 with thou smotest e the river, take in thine hand, and go : 
 
 6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in 
 Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall f come 
 water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so 
 in the sight of the elders of Israel. 
 
 7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, 
 
 e ch. 7: 20; Nu. 
 
 8-11. 
 
 f Ps. 105: 41; 114: 8; lCo. 10: 4. 
 
 lie should deal with, them, and treat 
 them in their desperation. Heady 
 to stone me. Their grievous raging, 
 maddening thirst drove them to ex- 
 pressions perhaps purporting vio- 
 lence. Literally it reads Yet a little 
 and they will stone me. How blessed 
 in such a time of terror and trouble 
 to have God for a friend and coun- 
 sellor, as Moses had found. 
 
 5. He is directed not to smite the 
 rebels but the rock. Go on before 
 the people — in advance of them — and 
 ta7ce with thee of the elders of Israel, 
 some of them, as official witnesses 
 representing the people, that there 
 may be no doubt of the Divine in- 
 tervention. And thy rod — the same 
 rod with which he smote the river 
 (Nile) when it was turned into blood 
 —take in thine hand and go. For 
 now it is quite as easy for God to 
 bring water here out of a rock, as to 
 have turned that Nile water into 
 blood. 
 
 6. 1 will stand before thee. In 
 the cloudy pillar. The rock in Ho- 
 reb. This was just beyond Rephi- 
 dim, but near. God promises to 
 stand before him upon the rock. 
 Repliidim lay in the plain at the 
 foot of the mount. They had only 
 to advance to the dry, rugged gran- 
 ite cliff overhanging the plain. Ho- 
 reb means dry, and is the central 
 group of the range of Sinai. If 
 Repliidim is in the Wady et Sheikh, 
 the smitten rock is probably to be 
 found in Jebel Musa. This Horeb 
 mount was the scene of the great 
 miracle of the Burning Bush : 
 which attested Moses' commission, 
 and revealed the indestructibility of 
 
 the Church, and these ideas were fit to 
 be associated with this miracle of 
 preserving the Church in a sore ex- 
 tremity like this of deadly thirst. 
 Smite the rock — with" his symbolical 
 rod, or staff of power — and there 
 shall come water out of it. Where 
 the rock was smitten cannot now be 
 ascertained. But the supply was 
 abundant. Paul refers to it in 1 
 Cor. 10 : 4, where he speaks as if 
 the Rock followed them through 
 the wilderness, by which we may 
 suppose that the abundant supply is 
 meant. " And they drank of that 
 spiritual (symbolical) Rock which 
 followed them. And that Rock was 
 Christ." The miracle was typical 
 and intended to represent here in 
 the lower department of physical 
 supply that greater, higher provis- 
 ion in the gospel which can be found 
 in Christ alone. That smitten Rock 
 was meant to set forth Christ as the 
 foreshadowed and all sufficient re- 
 source, whose smitten body should 
 pour out an immense fulness for 
 His people's wants in all this wil- 
 derness. " And of His fulness have 
 all we received and grace for grace" 
 (John 1). And Moses did so in the 
 sight of the Elders of Israel, before 
 such competent official men, as 
 witnesses. 
 
 7. Massah meaning temptation — 
 referring to v. 2 — where they were 
 charged with tempting God. See 
 Matt. 4: 7. And Meribah: mean- 
 ing strife or chiding — See v. 2. 
 This transaction is referred to in 
 Heb. 3:8, as a specimen of the 
 people's obstinancy and bitter con- 
 tention, and as a warning against 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 155 
 
 because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because 
 they tempted the Loud, saving, Is the Lord among us, or not ? 
 
 8 Then came s Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 
 
 9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go 
 out, fight with Amalek : to-morrow I will stand on the top of 
 the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. 
 
 s Ge. 36: 12: Nu. 24: 20. 
 
 their heart-hardening. " Harden 
 not your hearts as in the provoca- 
 tion (Meribah) as in the day of 
 temptation (Massah) in the wilder- 
 ness — when your fathers tempted 
 me (or put me to the test) proved 
 me and (at the same time) saw my 
 works." The point of their tempt- 
 ing God was the distrust of His 
 Personal presence. In effect by 
 their doubting and complaining at 
 each new strait they said, Is Jehovah 
 among us, or not f {See Appendix C.) 
 
 § 37. Defeat of Amalek. Ch. 
 XVII : 8-16. 
 
 8. Then came Amalek. " The 
 attack upon the Israelites was made 
 in circumstances at a time and 
 place, fully explained by what is 
 known of the Peninsula. It oc- 
 curred about two months after the 
 Exodus, towards the end of May, or 
 early in June, when the Bedouins 
 leave the lower plains to find pasture 
 for their flocks on the cooler heights. 
 The approach of the Israelites to 
 Sinai would of course attract notice, 
 and no cause of warfare is more 
 common than a dispute for the 
 right of pasturage. The Amalekites 
 were at that time the most power- 
 ful race in the Peninsula, which 
 from the earliest ages was peopled 
 by fierce and warlike tribes with 
 whom the Pharaohs, from the third 
 dynasty downwards, were engaged 
 in constant struggles " — -Sp. Com. 
 Amalek was chief of the heathen 
 (Numb. 24: 20) the first of the 
 heathen who attacked God's people, 
 and were as such marked out for pun- 
 ishment, the more merited as they 
 were descendants of the elder 
 brother of Jacob, and therefore near 
 
 kinsmen of the Israelites. They 
 were descendants of Esau and held 
 a bitter grudge against the birth- 
 right stock ; fearing that now their 
 subjection was to be completed. 
 Their attack was a mean cowardly 
 assault upon the rear and a wicked, 
 defiance of God. Deut. 25 : 18. 
 " In Amalek the heathen world com- 
 menced that conflict with the people 
 of God, which, while it aims at 
 their destruction, can be terminated 
 only by the complete annihilation of 
 the ungodly powers of the world. 
 — Keil. 
 
 9. Unto Joshua. This great 
 Captain of Israel's host here first 
 appears in the history. He was now 
 about 45 years old, and died about 
 65 years after this. His original 
 name was Hosea, Deliverance, Sal- 
 vation, and was changed by Moses 
 to the fuller name that incorpo- 
 rates with it the. name of Jehovah, 
 and means Salvation of Jehovah, 
 Jehoshua. It was the name Jesus 
 in substance. And in Hebrews 4 : 
 8, the Greek name is written Jesus 
 and so rendered in our version. 
 " For if Jesus (Joshua) had given 
 them rest (in Canaan) etc," See 
 also Acts 7 : 45. Keil thinks this 
 name was given to him at the 
 time of his entering Moses' service 
 either before or after the battle 
 with Amalek (see Numb 13 : 16). 
 Sp. Com. thinks it was " given to him 
 about forty years afterwards, as the 
 name by which he was to be known 
 to succeeding generations." Choose 
 us out men. Moses had achieved 
 his wonders heretofore simply by 
 his rod of power. Now, however, 
 he resorts to the arbitrament of war. 
 Yet he will use his wonder-working 
 rod. It was evidently a serious 
 
156 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought 
 with Araalek : and Moses, Aaron, and Hur, went up to the 
 top of the hill. 
 
 11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that 
 Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek pre- 
 vailed. 
 
 12 But Moses' hands loere heavy ; and they took a stone, 
 and put it under him, and he sat thereon : and Aaron and Hur 
 stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on 
 the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down 
 of the sun. 
 
 conflict, a rallying of the kingdom 
 of darkness against the kingdom of 
 light — involving the most serious 
 consequences for the church and 
 for the world. He will have in 
 hand the same rod, to show that the 
 Lord God who had wrought their 
 deliverance from Pharaoh, could 
 deliver them now, and He alone. 
 
 10. Moses, Aaron and Hur. Hur 
 here first comes into view. He is 
 said by tradition to have been the 
 husband of Miriam, and thus the 
 brother-in-law of the two leaders. 
 He was the son of Caleb the fourth 
 in descent from Judah (1 Chron. 2 : 
 18-20). The hill on the top of 
 which Moses stood, is involved in 
 much doubt. Mr. Holland, of the 
 Ordnance Survey locating Rephidim 
 at al Watiyeh, finds all the condi- 
 tions of the narrative satisfied, and 
 at the foot of the conspicuous sum- 
 mit near, the Arabs point out a rock, 
 which they call " the Seat of the 
 Prophet Moses." Captains Wilson 
 and Palmer locate it however in the 
 Wady Feiran underMount Serbal. 
 
 11. It was now observed that the 
 battle seemed to turn upon the up- 
 lifting or falling of Moses' hands. 
 Lifted up, the battle favored Israel 
 — but, let fall the battle inclined to 
 Aamlek. Both hands were elevated 
 or lowered at intervals to show 
 how dependent the issues were 
 upon the symbolical power-rod. 
 Most take the raising of the hands 
 as the attitude of prayer. Some 
 however understand it as the atti- 
 tude of superintendence and com- 
 
 mand (Kurtz). But Moses lifted up 
 his hands with this power-rod as 
 the medium of God's manifestation, 
 uplifted as an appeal to God in the 
 spirit of believing prayer. It was 
 not a sign to the Israelites, but a 
 sign to God. This was a public 
 confession of God. And it is put on 
 record to teach the world the great 
 lesson that the Church's battles can 
 be won for her only by the uplifted 
 hands of prayer and that her 
 agencies of power (whatever won- 
 der-working rod) must be referred 
 to Him and must point upwards to 
 Him in order to be efiective for vic- 
 tory. Moses was the Mediator who 
 foreshadowed Christ, interceding 
 for the people. Christ " ever liveth 
 to intercede for us." 
 
 12. Were heavy. Grew weary 
 from being held in the same unnat- 
 ural position for a long time. As 
 the issues turned so upon their po- 
 sition, it became most important 
 that his hands should not be low- 
 ered, but be held up continuously. 
 An expedient was now used to ease 
 his position, a stone for his seat and 
 Aaron and Hur, one on either side 
 to hold up his hands. So it was 
 accomplished that " his hands were 
 steady until the going down of the 
 sun." This shows the severity of 
 the conflict. The Israelites doubt- 
 less brought with them from Egypt 
 such simple implements of warfare 
 as were mostly in use, and it is sug- 
 gested they may have gotten some 
 of the arms of the Egyptians after 
 their destruction in the Sea. It was 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 157 
 
 13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the 
 edge of the sword. 
 
 14 And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memo- 
 rial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua : for I will 
 utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek h from under heaven. 
 
 15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it 
 JEHO VAH-nissi : 
 
 16 For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Loud 
 will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. 
 
 h Nu. 24: 20; De. 25: 19. 
 
 no mere raid of $, depredating tribe. 
 It was a fierce struggle of a power- 
 ful force, well trained by frequent 
 battles with the Egyptians. 
 
 13. The edge of the sword. That 
 is with great slaughter, without 
 quarter (Gen 34 : 26). 
 
 14. Write this. This is the first 
 mention we have of this word to 
 write. But writing was now famil- 
 iar. This event was so important and 
 signal as to be worthy of a perma- 
 nent record. In a book. Rather — 
 In the book, showing that there was 
 such a book containing the records 
 of God's dealings with Israel. We 
 have in this history such a record 
 as Moses might be supposed to have 
 written at this command. The Pen- 
 tateuch, or Book of the Law, is the 
 Book to which similar reference is 
 elsewhere made, and written bv Mo- 
 ses (see Exod. 24: 4. 7; 34* 27; 
 Numb. 33 : 1, 2 ; 36 : 13 ; Deut. 28 : 
 6]). Rehearse it. Joshua was to 
 have recited to him and impressed 
 upon him this order of God regard- 
 ing Amalek, since Joshua was the 
 chosen Captain who was now to 
 lead Israel in their conflicts, and he 
 was to be encouraged by this de- 
 clared purpose of God against the 
 enemies of the Church. For I will. 
 This may rather read That I will, as 
 the record to be written. This sen- 
 tence was fulfilled under the reign 
 of Hezekiah, when 500 of the tribe 
 of Simeon " smote the rest of the 
 Amalekites that were escaped," and 
 retained possession of Mount Seir 
 (1 Cbron. 4: 43). In Deut. 25: 19 
 the Israelites were commanded to 
 
 exterminate Amalek after coming 
 to their rest in Canaan. 
 
 15. Moses makes devout recog- 
 nition of this great typical event, 
 the Deliverance of the Church from 
 assailing enemies and the discom- 
 fiture of the foe. He built an altar, 
 and called the name of it Jehovah- 
 nissi. Jehovah my banner. The 
 banner under which Moses professes 
 to fight is the name of Jehovah, the 
 redemptive name of God. This is 
 the stand proper to be taken now in 
 the presence of all Israel, and in 
 their name, by their appointed 
 Leader. It is a public confession of 
 Jehovah as the Deliverer of His 
 Church and people in every conflict 
 with the enemy. And in this name 
 Jehovah, the Church will conquer. 
 Ps. 110 : 1, " Jehovah said unto my 
 Lord, Sit thou on my right hand un- 
 til I make thine enemies thy foot- 
 stool." This is the decree that has 
 gone forth. 
 
 16. For he said — Because etc. 
 lit., The hand upon the throne of 
 Jehovah. It would seem to refer to 
 the hand of prayer that is to lay hold 
 upon God's throne, after the exam- 
 ple of Moses, and as the rule for all 
 ages and conflicts of the Church. 
 But some understand it of Amalek's 
 hand set against the throne of Jeho- 
 vah, which also would be a clear 
 idea (see Murphy). [Our version 
 understands it of swearing Thehand 
 of Jehovah upon the throne. But 
 Jehovah swears by Himself and not 
 by His throne.] A reason may be 
 understood to be given for the wag- 
 ing of an exterminating war xipon 
 
158 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 ¥HEN a Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, 
 heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel 
 his people, and that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt, 
 2 Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' 
 wife, after he had sent her back, 
 
 a ch. 2: 16. 
 
 Amalek, that his hand is set upon 
 the throne of Jehovah, to defeat His 
 counsels for His Church and King- 
 dom. 
 
 Lessons — (1) The Church of God 
 may expect enemies, in this wilder- 
 ness. (2) Besides providing for our 
 hunger and thirst, our God can give 
 victory over every foe. (3) Prayer 
 is the force which, like a law in na- 
 ture, controls the results in keeping 
 with the Divine promises. (4) We 
 may not only pray ourselves, but we 
 may hold up the hands of others in 
 prayer. Church members and offi- 
 cers may hold up the hands of their 
 minister in prayer. (5) The gates 
 of Hell shall not prevail against the 
 Church. But the uplifted hands of 
 believing prayer shall prevail 
 against the gates of Hell.. (6) God 
 covenants to fight for His Church 
 and people, because their foes are 
 His foes also. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 § 38. Visit of Jethro, Moses' 
 Father-in-law. Ch. XVIII. 
 
 As in the conflfct with Amalek 
 there was figured forth the hostility 
 of the world-kingdoms to the 
 Church and kingdom of God, so 
 here we have in the visit of the 
 Midiauite Jethro, the first fruits of 
 the heathen in the future, seek- 
 ing the living God, and entering 
 into fellowship with the people of 
 God. Keil further suggests that as 
 both the Amalekites and the Midian- 
 ites were descended from Abraham, 
 and stood in blood relationship to 
 
 Israel, we have here foreshadowed 
 and typified the twofold attitude 
 which the heathen world would 
 assume towards the kingdom of 
 God. Some suppose that this visit 
 of Jethro must have occurred some- 
 time after the departure from Sinai 
 chiefly on account of the well or- 
 ganized condition in which the 
 people are found, and also on ac- 
 count of seeming references to the 
 giving of the law, as in offering 
 sacrifices (v. 12, etc). But Keil con- 
 tends that the narrative is quite in 
 keeping with the context, and there 
 is no need of supposing it inter- 
 jected here, or out of proper order. 
 So Canon Cook in Sp. Com. Since 
 Moses, while tending the flocks of 
 Jethro, had led them as far as " the 
 Mount of God in Horeb," he is now 
 in the neighborhood of Jethro's res- 
 idence, who was " the priest of 
 Midian " and Moses' father-in-law. 
 Some think that Jethro was Moses' 
 brother-in-law. Sp. Com., see ch. 2 : 
 18-21. When he heard — not neces- 
 sarily the result of the battle with 
 Amalek, though this is possible — 
 but of all that God had done for 
 Moses and for Israel His people and 
 that the Lord had brought Israel out 
 of Egypt. There was doubtless an 
 understanding that Jethro should 
 bring the wife and sons back to 
 Moses when he should arrive at 
 Horeb as God had promised, (ch. 3 : 
 12). After he had sent her back. 
 This clause is here thrown in to 
 state the fact not elsewhere given 
 that Moses had sent her back to her 
 father's house. It is thought to 
 have been at the circumcision of 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 159 
 
 3 And her two sons ; of which the name of the one was 
 Gershom ; (for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:) 
 
 4 And the name of the other was Eliezer ; (for the" God of 
 my Father, said Ae, was my 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 mount b of God : 
 
 6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father-in-law Jethro am 
 come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her. 
 
 7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did 
 obeisance, c and kissed him: and they asked each other of 
 their welfare; and they came into the tent. 
 
 8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had 
 done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and 
 all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how 
 the Lord d delivered them. 
 
 9 And Jethro rejoiced e for all the goodness which the Lord 
 had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of 
 the Egyptians. 
 
 b ch. 3: 1-12. c Ge. 29: 13; 33: 4. d Ps. 106: 43; 107: 2. e Ro. 12: 15. 
 
 the younger son, who perhaps was 
 unable to proceed further at the 
 time, (ch. 4 : 16). Besides he may 
 have thought that on such a mis- 
 sion as that to Pharaoh, the presence 
 of his wife and children would be 
 no help but a hindrance. 
 
 3, 4. Gershom. lit., A Stranger 
 there — The name was given as a re- 
 minder of his constrained residence 
 in Midian (see ch. 2 : 22) which should 
 also be a memorial to his son of his 
 paternal history— when he was an 
 alien — away from his home, for his 
 love of his countrymen and country. 
 Eliezer, meaning My God a help, 
 supposed the same as ch. 4 : 20-24. 
 This is in memory of his deliver- 
 ance from the punishment of Pha- 
 raoh when he slew the Egyptian, — 
 though some regard it as prospect- 
 ive. 
 
 5. Where he encamped. TJie 
 Mount of God may be Horeb, as in 
 ch. 3 : 1. Horeb is also a more 
 general name of the district. But 
 as Horeb bears this special designa- 
 tion there would seem to be no proof 
 that he had already left Sinai, as 
 
 Murphy and others suppose. It is 
 the Mount of the God — the true 
 God. 
 
 6. He said — It would seem, by a 
 messenger. The Sept. Greek reads 
 " And it was told to Moses," etc. 
 
 7. Moses receives Jethro with 
 all the honors due to his rank and 
 relationship, and in true Oriental 
 style. Bid obeisance. We have 
 seen the sheikh of a village, or the 
 head of an encampment make the 
 most profound salutation of obei- 
 sance to one regarded as of higher 
 rank, or to one of near kin. Asked 
 each other of (their) welfare, or, more 
 properly bade each other peace, the 
 Oriental salaam. Came into the 
 tent — the mark of friendly hospi- 
 tality towards Jethro. 
 
 8 Moses now rehearsed to his 
 father-in-law God's dealings towards 
 him — their trials and deliverances 
 — reciting the leading items in the 
 wondrous history. 
 
 9, 10, 11. Jethro was full of joy 
 at this narrative of the events. 
 And he so expressed himself in the 
 language of sacred praise. Blessed 
 
160 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 10 And Jethro said, f Blessed be the Lord, who hath de- 
 livered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the 
 hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under 
 the hand of the Egyptians. 
 
 1 1 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all s gods : 
 for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly h he was above 
 them. 
 
 12 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt-offering 
 and sacrifices for God : and Aaron came, and all the elders of 
 Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in law i before God. 
 
 13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to 
 judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the 
 
 morning unto the evening. 
 
 
 
 f 2Sa. 18: 28; Lu. 1: 68. g J>s. 95: 3; 97: 9. 
 ICh. 29: 22; ICo. 10: 21. 
 
 h Job. 40: 11; Da. 4: 37. 
 
 i De. 12. 7; 
 
 be Jehovah. He most distinctly 
 acknowledges and confesses the 
 God of the Hebrews as their 
 mighty deliverer, in a conflict with 
 Pharaoh and the Egyptians thus 
 proving Himself to be superior to 
 the idols of Egypt. JSfoio I know — 
 Not as if he was now for the first 
 time convinced of this, for he was 
 probably a priest of the true God, 
 as Melchizedek was. Greater than 
 all gods. This is no recognition of 
 the Egyptian idols as being any 
 real gods, however inferior, but as 
 being claimed to be such. The 
 Psalmist so expresses himself re- 
 peatedly, " For the Lord is a great 
 God, and a great King above all 
 gods," etc. Ps. 95 : 3, 97 : 9. And 
 in Ps. 135 : 5, this is the language 
 with express reference to these 
 dealings with Egypt, " For I know 
 that the Lord is great and that our 
 Lord is above all gods." For in the 
 thing (lit) wherein they dealt proudly 
 against them — that is, the Egyp- 
 tians against the Israelites— God 
 had proved His preeminence above 
 all heathen idols and religions. 
 
 12. A burnt-offering and bloody 
 sacrifices. The burnt-offering was 
 expressive of entire consecration — 
 the consuming of the victim signi- 
 fying the fullest personal surrender 
 to God. The bloody sacrifices ex- 
 pressed the sense of sin, and the 
 
 idea of expiation by a substitution- 
 ary victim and sin-offerings — and 
 they were also Eucharistic, making 
 a social meal for thanksgiving to 
 God. Jethro was thus a worship- 
 per of the true God, and knew the 
 meaning of sacrifice. And the com- 
 munion with him by the Elders of 
 Israel shows the substantial one- 
 ness of their religious faith. Mel- 
 chizedek also was a priest of the 
 Most High God. So that the wor- 
 ship of Jehovah was maintained 
 among the people outside of the 
 Jewish nation. (See Notes on Gen- 
 esis, ch. 14: 18.) Communion with 
 God and communion with one an- 
 other are here celebrated in this 
 thanksgiving meal. How appropri- 
 ate was all this devout and formal 
 and public recognition of Jehovah's 
 power and grace towards His 
 Church in the wilderness. And 
 that it should have been done by 
 the agency of this Midianite priest 
 of God, who was here publicly 
 brought into communion and recog- 
 nition before the Church, is most 
 remarkable. 
 
 13. The administration of jus- 
 tice had been carried on in Egypt 
 by the patriarchal rule of Elders. 
 But this had become very much 
 superseded by the Divine legation 
 of Moses, investing him with per- 
 sonal office as a sovereign. Now, 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 161 
 
 14 And when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did to the 
 people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the 
 people ? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand 
 by thee from morning unto even ? 
 
 15 And Moses said unto his father-in-law, Because the peo- 
 ple come unto j me to inquire of God : 
 
 16 When they have a matter, they come unto me ; and I 
 judge between one and another; and I do make them know 
 the statutes of God, and his laws. 
 
 17 And Moses' father-in-law said unto him, The thing that 
 thou doest is not good. 
 
 18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people 
 
 j No. 15: 34; 27: 5; De. 17: 8, 9. 
 
 however, the burden became too 
 heavy in this disorganized condition 
 in the wilderness. Moses sat to 
 judge. In Oriental cities the head 
 or chief sits in the open space at 
 the gate to receive complaints and 
 hear causes brought for decision. 
 Here Moses occupied a public, con- 
 spicuous position, where the people 
 might gather round him and state 
 their cases, and have them ad- 
 judged. This was the first oppor- 
 tunity, probably, that had offered 
 since the outstart of their march, 
 at any rate since they left Elim, 
 and it has been supposed that the 
 battle with the Amalekites had 
 furnished numerous cases for trial, 
 as to dividing the spoils, or other 
 questions, or various grievances. 
 A whole day was given to the 
 work—; from the morning unto the 
 evening. And it would be most ex- 
 hausting to Moses. The judge sat 
 — the people stood — that is, those 
 whose cases were on trial. 
 
 14. Jethro, seeing this, expostu- 
 lates with his son-in-law, at the 
 needless task borne by him, thus 
 alone. 
 
 15, 16. Moses now states his 
 office- work, and its relations to the 
 people in this matter of judicial 
 decisions. The people come unto 
 me to inquire of God. This is 
 understood to be the Divine method 
 for learning the Divine will. It is 
 not to inquire of Moses as an indi- 
 
 vidual — but of Moses as the organ 
 and oracle of God. Magistrates are 
 ordained of God. But Moses was 
 Divinely commissioned as leader of 
 tile people, and Mediator between 
 God and them. And in coming to 
 him for the settlement of disputes 
 between themselves they recog- 
 nized him as God's mouth-piece and 
 vicegerent, whose decisions were 
 the decisions of God Himself (ch. 
 21: 6). And I do make {them) 
 know — Moses declared to them the 
 principles of the Divine administra- 
 tion, and expounded them to the 
 people, with all the disadvantage, 
 however, of having no written 
 code. Here the necessity became 
 most apparent for the publication 
 of a Divine code as was so soon to 
 be done at Sinai. God allows men 
 thus to find out the necessity for 
 the further revelations He is about 
 to make. 
 
 17-20. The method practised by 
 Moses was declared by Jethro to be 
 not good — but burdensome and ex- 
 hausting both to Moses and to the 
 people, and therefore not suited to 
 secure the ends of justice. Over- 
 work — energies of mind and body 
 overtaxed, must serve to cut short 
 the valuable lives of God's ser- 
 vants, and therefore should be pro- 
 tested against as is here done by 
 Jethro. Such a process as Moses', 
 too, would often defeat justice by 
 the necessary delays where all the 
 
1G2 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy k for thee ; thou 
 art not able to perform it thyself alone. 
 
 19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel : 
 and God shall be with thee : be thou for the people l to God- 
 ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God : 
 
 20 And thou shalt teach them m ordinances and laws, and 
 shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work 
 that they must do. 
 
 21 Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people able 
 men, such as n fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness : 
 
 k De. 1: 9, 12. 1 ch. 20: 19; De. 5: 5. mDe. 4: 1; 
 16: 18; 2Sa. 23: 3; Job 29: 16; 31: 13. 
 
 1,2; Ne. 9: 14. n De. 1: 15-17: 
 
 cases must wait upon the attention 
 and decision of one -man. The 
 division of labor proposed distribut- 
 ing the administration of justice 
 among several courts or judges, has 
 been found necessary in all civil- 
 ized communities. Jethro's coun- 
 sel is now given — and it is most 
 wise and faithful, founded on the 
 very nature of things, and intended 
 to approve itself to God as it is also 
 conditioned upon His approval. 
 And God shall be with thee. This 
 is included in Jethro's plan, not 
 that Moses should do without God 
 by any method he might suggest, 
 but that God's presence and favor 
 must be reckoned upon. Be thou 
 for the people to God-ward — before 
 God. (1) Moses is to be the Medi- 
 ator or Representative standing be- 
 tween the people and God, and in 
 the interest of the people, bringing 
 their causes unto God — laying them 
 before God as advocate, mediating 
 as a representative of both parties 
 (Gal. 3 : 20). (2) Moses is to be 
 judge, teacher, and expounder of 
 the ordinances and laws, showing 
 the people the way to go and the 
 work to do. So he is to give judicial 
 charges and decisions in the lead- 
 ing cases, explaining and enforcing 
 the law. But for his relief in the 
 details, he is to have subordinate 
 judges to decide minor causes on 
 trial. Teach them, give them light 
 — instruct them in dark points. 
 '* There are here four points, (a) the 
 ordinances, or specific enactments, 
 
 (b) the laws, or general regulations, 
 
 (c) the way — the general course of 
 duty, — (d) the work — each specific 
 act." Sp. Com. 
 
 21. Jethro here suggests most 
 important advice as to the character 
 and quality of his assistants. There 
 are four leading qualifications here 
 set forth, that may be held requisite 
 for all civil officers, and especially 
 forjudges, who administer the laws 
 and mete out justice among men. 
 They must be men of ability, men 
 of piety, men of truthfulness, men of 
 unselfisliness. Thou shalt provide. 
 It would seem from Deut. 1 : 13 that 
 Moses left the selection of these 
 captains or judges to the people. But 
 he seems there rather to propose to 
 them Jethro's plan for their appro- 
 val, and then he proceeds to make 
 the officers. " So I took the chiefs 
 of your tribes and made them heads 
 over you " (v. 15). Able men — lit., 
 men of might, men of moral strength 
 (1 Kings 1: 52). Such would be 
 the men of real force of character. 
 The same phrase is rendered men of 
 activity (Gen. 47 : 6), and in 1 
 Chron. 26 : 6/ mighty men of valor.' 
 These were to be military captains, 
 as well as civil judges. They were 
 to be men of ability, not weak, facile, 
 inefficient, unqualified men, but 
 able men. Such as fear God. Pious 
 men. A vital requisite. The fear 
 of Jehovah is the beginning of wis- 
 dom. Men who have no fear of God 
 before their eyes cannot properly 
 administer justice, and are not fit to 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 163 
 
 and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers 
 of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens : 
 
 22 And let them judge the people at all seasons : and it 
 shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee ; 
 but every small matter they shall judge : so shall it be easier 
 for thyself, and they shall bear the burden ° with thee. 
 
 o Nu. 11: 17. 
 
 be trusted with the destinies of in- 
 dividuals, much less of the State. A 
 man who robs God cannot be trust- 
 ed with deciding upon the rights of 
 a neighbor. The unjust judge was 
 one who boldly confessed (to him- 
 self) that he feared not God nor re- 
 garded man. And the two things 
 go together, as love of God and love 
 of man go together. Hence also, a 
 belief in a future state of Divine re- 
 wards and punishments is counted 
 requisite to qualify a man for ordin- 
 ary office in the state, much more 
 for being a judge. Men of truth. 
 Men of truth alone can be true men. 
 Falsity, double-dealing, disregard of 
 what is right and true, are vital dis- 
 qualifications for administering jus- 
 tice. A liar on the bench may well 
 be the terror of the good. A man 
 who regards not his own word, how 
 can he hold others to the truth ? 
 One who is himself a defrauder, how 
 can he decide against the fraud of 
 another ? " Thou that sayest a man 
 should not steal, dost thou steal ? " 
 Corrupt judges are the sorest curse 
 of any community. And hence the 
 election of judges by the people 
 opens the way for corruption to in- 
 stal itself in power where the peo- 
 ple themselves have lost a proper 
 sense of virtue and rectitude. Hat- 
 ing covetousness. What a stroke at 
 the crying sin of the times ! In 
 every age, even in the wilderness, 
 such a quality was to be insisted up- 
 on for the conservation of society. 
 Gain-hating. Corrupt judges may 
 have the temptation of making their 
 office subservient to gain. And he 
 that is accessible to bribes, may sub- 
 vert justice for filthy lucre. Rulers 
 of thousands, etc. This, it will be 
 Been, is to be distinguished from the 
 
 office of Elders in Numb. 11: 16, 
 who were only seventy, and these 
 captains, or chiefs, as judges, have 
 been reckoned as numbering 78,600. 
 But these officers were not to super- 
 sede the original patriarchal rule by 
 which the father of a family was 
 the governor of his household and 
 clan, during life. It has been reck- 
 oned that " taking twenty to be the 
 reasonable average of a grandfa- 
 ther's family, ten such families 
 would amount to 200 individuals, 
 and ten such heads are the smallest 
 number allowed by the Talmudists 
 to constitute a synagogue. In a 
 people of at least 1,600,000 there 
 would thus be 8,000 rulers of tens, 
 1600 rulers of fifties, 800 rulers of 
 hundreds, and 80 rulers of thousands 
 — making 10,480 rulers in all." — 
 Murphy. Keil says, "These family 
 groups, larger or smaller, were not 
 every one to have a judge of its own, 
 for the judges were to be chosen out 
 of these heads, and must have been 
 fewer, in all amounting to not many 
 hundreds." 
 
 22. At all seasons. These judges 
 were to sit at all times as occasion 
 might require. And this subdivis- 
 ion of labor would very much light- 
 en the burden of Moses. Every 
 great matter was to be brought be- 
 fore him, as the highest tribunal, 
 while minor cases could be disposed 
 of by the inferior judges. Where 
 the case was one of most grave im- 
 port, involving the most serious 
 questions, and most intricate and 
 difficult of solution, it was to be re- 
 ferred to Moses. Cases might even 
 be appealed to him from the lower 
 tribunals. And they shall bear. 
 " This constitution of the tribes with 
 the subordinate degrees of sheikhs, 
 
164 
 
 EXODUS. 
 
 23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command P thee so, 
 then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also 
 go to <i their place in peace. 
 
 24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, 
 and did all that he had said. 
 
 25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made 
 them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hun- 
 dreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 
 
 26 And they judged the people at all seasons : the hard 
 causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they 
 judged themselves. 
 
 27 And Moses let his father-in-law depart ; and r he went 
 his way into his own land. 
 
 p ISa. 8: 7. q Ge. 30: 25. r Nil. 10: 29-30. 
 
 recommended to Moses by Jetb.ro is 
 the very same wbicb still exists 
 amongst those who are possibly bis 
 lineal descendants, tbe gentle race 
 of the Towara." — Stanley. 
 
 23. If Moses should follow this 
 course and God so command him 
 — that is supposing always that this 
 plan should have the Divine ap- 
 proval, then Moses shall be able to 
 endure. Jethro here will have it 
 understood that his counsel is first 
 to be submitted to the Divine direc- 
 tion. The Gr. reads " If thou wilt 
 do this, God will strengthen thee 
 and thou shalt be able to stand." 
 Luther — " If, then, thou canst judge 
 as God bids thee." Vulg — " Thou 
 shalt fulfil the government of God, 
 and His precepts thou shalt be able 
 to sustain." But the English ver- 
 sion is required by the terms, Go to 
 their place in peace. Satisfied, 
 without complainings, and without 
 the disturbances- which else would 
 be liable to break out. This may 
 mean shall go to their tents in 
 peace, after the decisions, or shall 
 go to their place or land of Canaan, 
 in peace and satisfaction. 
 
 24. Moses hearkened— gave re- 
 spectful attention to his father-in- 
 law, and followed his advice, and 
 when he had received for it the 
 Divine approval, which was part of 
 the advice, he put the measure into 
 operation. It was a most suitable 
 
 organization for judicial processes, 
 during the wilderness estate — to be 
 surpassed by a more advanced ar- 
 rangement when they should arrive 
 in the Holy Land. * Deut. 16 : 18. 
 Such exemplary deference did Moses 
 pay to his relative, though himself 
 so superior in rank, only that Jethro 
 was a priest of God, and Moses was 
 meek. 
 
 25. Moses chose. The people 
 nominated and Moses chose from 
 such. The appointment was with 
 Moses. 
 
 27. And Moses let his father-in- 
 law depart, lit., dismissed his father- 
 in-law. And he went his way into 
 his own land of Midian. The usual 
 formalities and courtesies of send- 
 ing away a distinguished guest, 
 were doubtless observed — the escort 
 — the partings, etc., suitable to the 
 person and the relations. We learn 
 very little of the two sons of Moses. 
 He seems not to have put them in 
 high official positions, as many an- 
 other — if commanding such im- 
 mense patronage — would have 
 done. 
 
 Lessons. (1) How blessed is it 
 where all the branches of the house- 
 hold, not only blood relatives but 
 marriage kin, are godly. The coun- 
 sel of such may serve one in most 
 trying times. (2) A true servant of 
 God may give valuable counsel to 
 one most exalted in secular and 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 165 
 
 civil rank. (3) Overtasking one's 
 self, even in religious duties, is a 
 cutting short of one's days, and 
 should be religiously avoided. (4) 
 Division of labor best serves the 
 cause of justice and charity. (5) 
 Judges of the people ought to be 
 able, pious, truthful and unselfish. 
 (6*) Government is a Divine ordi- 
 nance — and good law is the basis of 
 true liberty. (7) God's approval 
 should be the qualifying conditions 
 of all our counsel to others and of 
 all our action for ourselves. (8) 
 Courtesies in the family are most 
 fitting and beautiful. How charm- 
 ing to see the most exalted in sta- 
 tion pay respect to their obscure 
 kindred, and defer to their pious 
 advice, where it is approved of 
 God. 
 
 This historical narrative, includ- 
 ing Book I and Book II, brings us 
 to Sinai, and introduces us to the le- 
 gal transactions here put on record. 
 The grand Redemptive fact now so 
 signally accomplished is to stand as 
 the Preface to the Law which the 
 people are now to receive at the 
 hand of Jehovah. The connection 
 is strictly evangelical. The Gospel 
 proclaims the Redemption by Christ 
 
 Jesus as the highest motive to obe- 
 dience. " I am the Lord (Jehovah) 
 thy (covenant) God, which have 
 brought thee out of the land of Egypt, 
 out of the house of bondage. Thou 
 shalt have no other gods before me 
 (in my presence) — Chap. 20 : 2, 3. 
 So the finished work of Jesus Christ 
 for man's Redemption is the preface 
 to the Gospel obligations : and grat- 
 itude for what has already been done 
 for us is the grand gospel motive to 
 new obedience. The Law cannot be 
 properly understood in any of its 
 commandments except in the light 
 of the Gospel. Morality, that is not 
 Gospel morality on Christian prin- 
 ciples of loving return for Redeem- 
 ing Love, cannot be a pure morality. 
 It may have the form, but it lacks 
 the spirit, and leaves Christ and 
 His salvation out of view. Jesus 
 has cleft the sea for us, and has 
 spoiled our enemies who are His en- 
 emies also, and now the song of 
 victory may be already on our lips, 
 and as the Redeemed people of God 
 we are to receive the law from His 
 mouth, and to have no other gods 
 in His presence, and to march under 
 His escort through all this wilder- 
 ness, to the heavenly Canaan. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 APPENDIX A. 
 
 HISTORICAL ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 
 By Rev. G. C. Rawlinson, M. A., 
 
 Camden Professor of Ancient History, Oxford. 
 
 The narrative contained in the four books — Exodus, Leviticus, Num- 
 bers, and Deuteronomy — covers a space of probably less than two centu- 
 ries ; and the scene is chiefly laid in countries of which profane history 
 tells us little or nothing at this early period. Illustration of the narrative 
 from profane sources must, therefore, be almost entirely confined to that 
 portion of it which precedes the departure from Egypt, or, in other words, 
 to the time during which the descendants of Abraham remained in close 
 contact with a civilized nation, whose records and monuments have come 
 down to us. The same kind of agreement between the details of the Bib- 
 lical narrative and the usages known to have prevailed in ancient Egypt, 
 which has been pointed out with respect to the latter part of Genesis, 
 may be traced likewise here ; and further, the Exodus itself, or withdrawal 
 from Egypt of an oppressed portion of the population, and their settle- 
 ment in southern Syria or Palestine, may be shown to have left traces in 
 Egyptian literature, traces which quite unmistakably point to some such 
 series of transactions as those recorded in the sacred volume. 
 
 In proof of this latter point, to which precedence may be assigned on 
 account of its exceeding interest, an exact translation will, in the first 
 place, be given of two passages, one from the early Egyptian writer, Ma- 
 netho, and the other from a later author of the same nation, Chseremon, 
 both of whom were priests and learned in the antiquities of their country. 
 
 Manetho (as reported by the Jewish historian Josephus *) said : 
 
 " A king, named Amenophis, desired to behold the gods, like Horus, 
 one of his predecessors, and imparted his desire to his namesake, Ameno- 
 phis, son of Paapis, who on account of his wisdom and acquaintance with 
 futurity was thought to be a partaker of the divine nature. His name- 
 * Contr. Apion. i. 26, 27. 
 
168 APPENDIX. 
 
 sake told liim that lie would be able to see the gods, if he cleansed the 
 whole country of lepers and the other polluted persons in it. The king 
 was pleased, and collecting together all that had any bodily defect 
 throughout Egypt, to the number of 80,000, he cast them into the stone- 
 quarries which lie east of the Nile, in order that they might work there 
 together with the other Egyptians employed similarly. Among them 
 were some of the learned priests who were afflicted with leprosy. But 
 Amenophis, the sage and prophet, grew alarmed, fearing the wrath of 
 the gods against himself as well as against the king, if the forced labor 
 of the men were observed, and he proceeded to foretell that there would 
 come persons to the assistance of the unclean, who would be masters of 
 Egypt for thirteen years. But as he did not dare to say this to the king, 
 he put it all in writing, and leaving the document behind him, killed him- 
 self. Hereupon the king was- greatly dejected; and when the workers in 
 the stone-quarries had suffered for a considerable time, the king, at their 
 request, set apart the city of Avaris, which was empty, having been de- 
 serted by the shepherds. Now this place, according to the mythology, 
 was of old a Typhonian town. So when the people had entered the city, 
 and had thus a stronghold on which to rest, they appointed as their lead- 
 er a priest of Heliopolis, by name Osarsiph, and swore to obey him in all 
 things. And he, first of all, gave them a law, that they should worship 
 no gods, and should abstain from none of the animals accounted most 
 holy in Egypt, but sacrifice and consume all alike ; and further, that they 
 should associate with none but their fellow-conspirators. Having estab- 
 lished these and many other laws completely opposed to the customs of 
 Egypt, he commanded the bulk of them to build up the town wall, and to 
 make themselves ready for a war with Amenophis, the king. After this, 
 having consulted with some of the other priests and polluted persons, he 
 sent ambassadors to the shepherds, who had been driven out of Egypt by 
 Tethmosis, to the city which is called Jerusalem, and after informing 
 them about himself and his fellow-sufferers, invited them to join with 
 him in an attack upon Egypt. He would bring them, he said, in the first 
 place, to Avaris, the city of their forefathers, and would provide them am- 
 ply with all that was necessary for their host ; he would fight on their 
 behalf, when occasion offered, and easily make the country subject to 
 them. They, on their part, were exceedingly rejoiced, and promptly set 
 out in full force, to the number of 200,000 men, and soon reached Avaris. 
 Now when Amenophis, the Egyptian king, heard of their invasion, he was. 
 not a little disquieted, since he remembered what Amenophis, the son of 
 Paapis, had prophesied ; and though he had previously collected together 
 a vast host of Egyptians, and had taken counsel with their leaders, yet 
 soon he gave orders that the sacred animals held in the most repute in the 
 various temples should be conveyed to him, and that the priests of each 
 temple should hide away the images of the gods as securely as possible- 
 
APPENDIX. 169 
 
 Moreover lie placed his son, Setlios — called also Ramesses, after Rampses, 
 his (i. e. Amenophis') father — who was a boy of five years old, in the 
 hands of one of his friends. He then himself crossed the river with the 
 other Egyptians, 300,000 in number, all excellent soldiers ; but when the 
 enemy advanced to meet him, he declined to engage, since he thought 
 that it would be fighting against the gods, and returned hastily to Mem. 
 phis. Then, carrying with him the Apis and the other sacred animals 
 which had been brought to him, he proceeded at once with the whole 
 Egyptian army to Ethiopia. Now the king of Ethiopia lay under obliga- 
 tions to him ; he therefore received him, supplied his host with all the 
 necessaries that his country afforded, assigned them cities and villages 
 sufficient for the fated thirteen years' suspension of their sovereignty, and 
 even placed an Ethiopian force on the Egyptian frontier for the protection 
 of the army of Amenophis. Thus stood matters in Ethiopia. But the 
 Solymites who had returned from exile, and the unclean Egyptians, treat- 
 ed the people of the country so shamefully, that their government ap- 
 peared, to those who witnessed their impieties, to be the worst Egypt had 
 known. For not only did they burn cities and hamlets, nor were they 
 content with plundering temples and ill-treating the images, but they con- 
 tinued to use the venerated sacred animals as food, and compelled the 
 priests and prophets to be their slayers and butchers, and then sent them 
 away naked. And it is said that the priest who framed their constitution 
 and their laws, who was a native of Heliopolis, named Osarsiph, after the 
 Heliopolitan god Osiris, after he joined this set of people, changed his 
 
 name, and was called Moses Afterwards, Amenophis returned 
 
 from Ethiopia with a great force, as did his son Rampses, who was like- 
 wise accompanied by a force, and together they engaged the shepherds and 
 the unclean, and defeated them, slaying many and pursuing the remain- 
 der to the borders of Syria." 
 
 The statement of Chaeremon is as follows : * 
 
 " Isis having appeared to Amenophis in his sleep, and reproached him 
 because her temple had been destroyed in the (shepherd) war, Phritiphan- 
 tes, the sacred scribe, informed him that if he would purge the land of 
 Egypt of all those who had any pollution he would be subject to no more 
 such alarms. So he collected 250,000 denied persons, and expelled them 
 from the country. Two scribes, called Moses and Joseph, led them forth ; 
 the latter of whom was, like Phritiphantes, a sacred scribe ; and both of 
 these men had Egyptian names, the name of Moses being Tisithen, and 
 that of Joseph Peteseph. They proceeded to Pelusium, and there fell in 
 with 380,000 persons, who had been left behind by Amenophis, because 
 he did not like to bring them into Egypt. So they made an alliance with 
 these men and invaded Egypt ; whereupon Amenophis, without waiting 
 for them to attack him, fled away into Ethiopia, leaving his wife, who 
 
 * Ap. Joseph, c. Apion., § 32. 
 
 8 
 
170 APPENDIX. 
 
 was pregnant, behind him. And she, having hid herself in some caves 
 gave birth there to a son, who was cabled Messenes, who, when he came to 
 man's estate, drove the Jews into Syria, their number being about 200,000, 
 and received back his father Amenophis out of Ethiopia." 
 
 From these passages it appears (1) that the Egyptians had a tradition 
 of an Exodus from their country of persons whom they regarded as un- 
 clean, persons who rejected their customs, refused to worship their gods, 
 and killed for food the animals which they held as sacred ; (2) that they 
 connected this Exodus with the names of Joseph * and Moses ; (3) that 
 made southern Syria the country into which the unclean persons with- 
 drew ; and (4) that they placed the event in the reign of a certain Ameno- 
 phis, son of Rameses or Rampses, and father of Sethos, who was made to 
 reign toward the close of the eighteenth dynasty, or about b. c. 1400- 
 1300. f The circumstances by which the Exodus was preceded are repre- 
 sented differently in the Egyptian and in the Hebrew narrative, either be- 
 cause the memory of some other event is confused with that of the Jewish 
 Exodus, or because the Egyptian writers, being determined to represent 
 the withdrawal of the Jews from Egypt as an expulsion, were driven to 
 invent a cause for the expulsion in a precedent war, and a temporary do- 
 minion of the polluted persons over their country. Among little points 
 common to the two narratives, and tending to identify them are the fol- 
 lowing : — (1) the name of Avaris, given to the town made over to the pol- 
 luted persons, which stands in etymological connection with the word " He- 
 brew ; " (2) the character of the pollution ascribed to them, leprosy, 
 which may be accounted for, first, by the fact that one of the signs by 
 which Moses was to prove his Divine mission consisted in the exhibition 
 of a leprous hand (Ex. iv. 6), and, secondly, by the existence of this malady 
 to a considerable extent among the Hebrew people at the time (Lev. xiii. 
 and xiv.) ; (3) the mention of Heliopolis as the city to which the leader 
 belonged, and the assignment to him of priestly rank, which arises natu- 
 rally out of the confusion between Moses and Joseph (Gen. xli. 45) ; (4) 
 the employment of the polluted persons for a time in forced labor ; (5) the 
 conviction of Amenophis that in resisting the polluted he was " fighting 
 against the gods ; " (6) his fear for the safety of his young son, which re- 
 calls to our thoughts the last and most awful of the plagues ; (7) the 
 sending away of the priests " naked," which seems an exaggeration of the 
 
 * It must be remembered that the Israelites did carry with them out of Egypt the 
 body of Joseph (Exod. xiii. 19), and that there was, thus, some foundation for the Egyp- 
 tian notion, that Moses and Joseph led them out. 
 
 t Egyptian chronology and the date of the Exodus are, both of them, still unsettled. 
 M. Lenormant places the accession of the nineteenth dynasty in b. c. 14(52 {Manuel 
 d^Histoire, torn. i. p. 321) ; Sir G. Wilkinson in b. c. 1324 (Rawlinson's Herodotus, vol. 
 ii. p. 308, 2ded.) ; Mr Stuart Poole about b. c. 1340 {Biblical Dictionary, vol. i. p. 511). 
 The date of the Exodus is variously given, as b. c. 1648 (Hales), 1652 (Poole), 1491 (Ush- 
 er, Kalisch), and 1320 (Lepsius). 
 
APPENDIX. 171 
 
 " spoiling of the Egyptians ; " and (8) the occurrence of the word " Rame- 
 ses " in the Egyptian royal house, which harmonizes with its employment 
 at the time as a local designation (Ex. i. 11 ; xii. 37). 
 
 Another curious account of the Exodus was given by Hecatseus, a 
 Greek of Abdera, who nourished in the time of Alexander, and was famil- 
 iar with Ptolemy Lagi, the first Greek king of Egypt. This writer, as re- 
 ported by Diodorus, * said : — 
 
 " Once when a plague broke out in Egypt, the people generally as- 
 cribed the affliction to the anger of the gods ; for as many strangers of 
 different races were dwelling in Egypt at the time, who practised various 
 strange customs in their worship and their sacrifices, it had come to pass 
 that the old religious observances of the country had fallen into disuse. 
 The natives, therefore, believing that unless they expelled the foreigners 
 there would be no end to their sufferings, rose against them, and drove 
 them out. Now the noblest and most enterprising joined together, and 
 went (as some say) to Greece and elsewhere, under leaders of good repute ; 
 the most remarkable of whom were Danaus and Cadmus. But the bulk 
 of them withdrew to the country which is now called Judaea, situated at 
 no great distance from Egypt, and at that time without inhabitants. The 
 leader of this colony was the man called Moses, who was distinguished 
 above his fellows by his wisdom and his courage. Having taken pos- 
 session of the country, he built there a number of towns, and among them 
 the city which is called Jerusalem, and which is now so celebrated. He 
 likewise built the temple which they hold in so much respect, and insti- 
 tuted their religious rites and ceremonies ; besides which he gave them 
 laws and arranged their form of government. He divided the people into 
 twelve tribes, because he regarded 12 as the most perfect number, 
 agreeing, as it does, with the number of months that complete the year. 
 But he would not set up any kind of image of the deity, because he did 
 not believe that God had a human form, but regarded the firmament 
 which surrounds the earth as the only God and Lord of all. And he 
 made their sacrifices and their habits of life quite different from those 
 of other nations, introducing a misanthropic and inhospitable style of 
 living, on account of the expulsion which he had himself suffered." 
 
 With this may be compared the remarkable account in Tacitus, f 
 which combines certain features which are Egyptian with others that 
 have clearly come from the sacred narrative. 
 
 " Most writers agree," says Tacitus, " that when a plague which dis- 
 figured men's bodies, had broken out in Egypt, Bocchoris. the king, de- 
 sirous of a remedy, sent and consulted the oracle of Ammon, which com- 
 manded him to purge his kingdom, by removing to foreign lands the af- 
 flicted persons, who were a race hateful to the gods. Search was there- 
 
 * Diod. Sic. xl. 3. (The passage is preserved to us by Photius, Bibliothec, p. 1152.) 
 t Hist. v. 3. Compare the account of Lysimachus (F/\ Hist. Gr. vol. iii. p. 334)! 
 
172 APPENDIX. 
 
 fore made, and a vast multitude being collected together, was led forth 
 and left in a desert. Then Moses, one of their number, seeing the rest 
 stupefied with grief, advised them, as they were deserted both by gods 
 and men not to expect help from either, but to confide in him, the heav- 
 enly leader, to whose assistance they would no sooner trust than they 
 would be free from their troubles. His words won their assent, and in 
 utter ignorance they marched whither chance led them. Their greatest 
 trial was the want of water. Death seemed drawing near, as they lay 
 prostrate on the plains, when, lo ! a herd of wild asses was seen to quit 
 its pasture and retreat to a piece of rocky ground whereon a number of 
 trees grew. Moses followed upon their track, and finding a patch of soil 
 covered with grass, conjectured the presence of water, and succeeded in 
 uncovering some copious springs. Thus refreshed, they pursued their 
 journey for six days, and on the seventh reached a cultivated tract, 
 whereof they took possession, after driving out the inhabitants. Here 
 they built their town and consecrated their temple." 
 
 From the diverse manner in which the story is told by different au- 
 thors, we may conclude that the Egyptians in their formal histories took 
 no notice of the occurrence, which sorely hurt their national vanity ; but 
 that a remembrance of it continued in the minds of the people, who pos- 
 sessed (it must be borne in mind) a copious contemporary literature,* and 
 that this remembrance gradually took various shapes, all of them, how- 
 ever, more or less flattering to the Egyptians themselves, and unfair to 
 their adversaries. The Hebrews were almost uniformly represented as 
 unclean persons, afflicted with some disease or other, and their Exodus 
 was declared to be an expulsion. Generally they were spoken of as 
 Egyptians, which was not unnatural, considering their long sojourn in 
 the country ; \ but sometimes it was allowed that they were foreigners. J 
 The miraculous events by which their departure was preceded were ignored 
 partially or wholly ; but there was a pretty general consent as to the 
 name of their leader, as to the character of the laws which he gave them, 
 and as to the quarter in which they obtained new settlements. The Egyp- 
 tians never forgot, any more than the Hebrews, that there had been a 
 time, when the two races had dwelt together ; they looked on the He- 
 brews as a sort of Egyptian colony ; and while from time to time they 
 claimed, on that account, a dominion over their country, they were ready 
 generally to extend to it that protection which colonies, according to the 
 
 * The hieratic Papyri of Egypt go back to a time anterior to the eighteenth dy- 
 nasty. They comprise romances, epistolary correspondence, poems, etc. 
 
 t Compare Ex. ii. 19, where Reuel's daughters mistake Moses for " an Egyptian." 
 % See the account of Hecatieus (supra p. 62), and compare Tacit. Hist. v. 2 : " Some 
 writers tell us that they (i. e. the Jews) were a band of Assyrians, who being in want of 
 territory, first took possession of a portion of Egypt, and soon afterwards became the 
 inhabitants of the parts of Syria which lie near to Egypt. 1 ' 
 
APPENDIX. 173 
 
 ideas of the ancient world, were entitled to require from the fatherland. 
 The relations between Egypt and Palestine were, for the most part, 
 friendly from the time of the Exodus to the conquest of Egypt by the 
 Romans. 
 
 In none of the profane accounts hitherto quoted has the remarkable 
 event of the passage of the Red Sea by the Hebrews, in their flight, ob- 
 tained any mention. There is, however, reason to believe, that this im- 
 portant feature of the history retained a place in the recollections of the 
 Egyptian people, and even formed a subject of discussion and controversy 
 among them. Artapanus, a Jewish historian, quoted by Alexander Poly- 
 histor, * the contemporary of Sulla and Marius, wrote as follows : — 
 
 " The 3Iemphites say, that Moses being well acquainted with the dis- 
 trict, watched the ebb of the tide, and so led the people across the dry 
 bed of the sea ; but they of Heliopolis affirm, that the king at the head of 
 a vast force, and having the sacred animals also with him, pursued after 
 the Jews, because they were carrying away with them the riches, which 
 they had borrowed of the Egyptians. Then, they say, the voice of God 
 commanded Moses to smite the sea with his rod, and divide it ; and Moses, 
 when he heard it, touched the water with it, and so the sea parted 
 asunder, and the host marched through on dry ground." 
 
 From these direct testimonies to the historical truth of the Exodus, 
 we may now turn to the less striking, but perhaps even more convincing, 
 indirect evidence, which is furnished by the minute agreement of the 
 sacred narrative with the known usages of ancient Egypt. 
 
 The narrative of Exodus tells us, in the first place, that shortly after 
 the death of Joseph an oppression of the Israelites began. A new king — 
 perhaps the founder of a new dynasty — claimed the whole race as his 
 slaves, and proceeded to engage them in servile labors, placing task-mas- 
 ters over them, whose business it was to " make their lives bitter with 
 hard bondage " (Ex. i. i 4). The work assigned to them consisted of brick- 
 making, building, and severe field-labor. They worked under the rod, 
 the laborers being liable to be " smitten " by the Egyptian taskmasters as 
 they labored (ii. 11), and the native officers being punished by flogging if 
 the tasks of the men under them were not fulfilled (v. 14). On the brick- 
 makers a certain " tale of bricks " was imposed (v. 8), which had to be 
 completed daily. Straw was a material in the bricks ; and this was at 
 first furnished to the laborers, but afterwards they were required to pro- 
 cure straw for themselves, on which they spread themselves over the 
 land and gathered stubble (v. 12). Details are wanting with respect to 
 their other employments ; but in one place (Deut. xi. 10) we find it implied 
 that one of the main hardships of the field-work was the toil of irrigation. 
 
 Almost every point of this narrative is capable of illustration from the 
 Egyptian monuments. Notwithstanding the great abundance of stone in 
 * Fragm. Hist. Gr. vol. iii. pp. 223, 224. 
 
174 APPENDIX. 
 
 Egypt, and the fact that most of the grander buildings were constructed 
 of this material, yet there was also an extensive employment of brick in 
 the country. Pyramids, * houses, tombs, the walls of towns, fortresses, 
 and the sacred enclosures of temples, were commonly, or at any rate, fre- 
 quently, built of brick by the Egyptians, f A large portion of the brick- 
 fields belonged to the monarch, for whose edifices bricks were made in 
 them, stamped with his name. % Chopped straw was an ordinary material 
 in the bricks, § being employed as hair by modern plasterers, to bind 
 them together, and make them more firm and durable. Captives and 
 foreigners commonly did the work in the royal brickfields ; and Egyptian 
 taskmasters, with rods in their hands, watched their labors, and punished 
 the idle with blows at their discretion. | The bastinado was a recognized 
 punishment for minor offences. ^[ " Stubble and straw " both existed in 
 ancient Egypt, wheat being occasionally cut with a portion of the stalk ; 
 while the remainder, or more commonly, the entire stalk, was left stand- 
 ing in the fields.** And both stubble and straw have been found in the 
 bricks. ff Finally, though agricultural labor is in some respects light in 
 Egypt,^ yet practically, from the continued auccession of crops, from the 
 inteuse heat of the climate, and from the exertions needed for irrigation, 
 the lot of the cultivator has always been, and still continues to be a hard 
 one.^g 
 
 Among the other Egyptian usages introduced to our notice in Exodus, 
 the most remarkable are the following : — The employment of chariots, 
 on a large scale, in war (xiv. 6, 7) ; the practice of the king to go out to 
 battle in person (ib. 8) ; the hearing of complaints and transaction of 
 business by the king in person (v. 15) ; the possession, by most Egyptians, 
 of articles in gold and silver (xii. 35); the cultivation, in spring, of the 
 following crops chiefly — wheat, barley, flax, and rye, or spelt (ix. 32) ; 
 the keeping of cattle, partly in the fields, partly in stables (ix. 3. 19) ; 
 the storing of water in vessels of wood and stone (vii. 19) ; the employ- 
 ment of midwives (i. 15-21) ; the use of the papyrus for boats (ii. 3), of 
 furnaces (ix. 8), ovens (viii. 3), kneading-troughs (ib.), walking-sticks (vii. 
 
 * Herod, ii. 13C. 
 
 t Wilkinson inRawlinson's Herodotus, vol. ii. p. 183, 2d ed. 
 
 % Rosellini, Monumenti, vol. ii. p. 252 ; Wilkinson, Ancient Egyptians, vol. ii. p. 97. 
 § Wilkinson; vol. i. p. 50 ; Rosellini, vol. ii. pp. 252, 259, etc. 
 || Wilkinson, vol. ii. p. 42 ; Rosellini, vol. ii. p. 249. 
 T Wilkinson, vol ii. p. 241. 
 ** Wilkinson^ vol. iv. pp. 85-93, ] 
 ft Ibid. vol. i. p. 50. 
 
 XX " The Egyptians," says Herodotus, " obtain the fruits of the field with less trouble 
 
 than any other people in the world. They have no need to use either the plough or the 
 
 hoe ; the swine tread in their corn, and also thrash it." ii. 14. Compare Wilkinson's 
 
 note in Rawlinson's Herod, vol. ii. p. 15, 2d. ed. 
 
 §§ See Kalisch, Comment, on Exod, p. 10 ; aud compare Wilkinson, vol. iv. pp. 41-101. 
 
APPENDIX. 175 
 
 10, 12), hand-mills (xi. 5), bitumen (ii. 3), and pitch (ib.). To these the 
 following may be added from the later books of the Pentateuch — the 
 necessary employment of irrigation in agriculture (Deut. xi. 10) ; the use, 
 as common articles of food, of fish, cucumbers, melons, onions, garlic » 
 and leeks (Num. xi. 5) ; and the practice of the kings to keep large studs 
 of horses (Deut. xvii. 16). 
 
 Now here again, as in the later chapters of Genesis, almost every cus- 
 tom recorded can be confirmed either from the ancient accounts of Egyp- 
 tian manners which have come down to us, or from the monuments, or 
 from both. The only exception, of any importance, is the employment 
 of midwives, which was probably rare, as it is in the East generally, and 
 was also of a nature that would have been felt to render it unfit for rep- 
 resentation. Even here, however, where ancient illustration fails, a 
 strong confirmation of the narrative has been obtained by modern inquiry, 
 the curious expression, " when ye see them upon the stools," being in 
 remarkable accordance with the modern Egyptian practice, as stated by 
 Mr. Lane.* " Two or three days," he says, " before the expected time of 
 delivery, the layali (midwife) conveys to the house the Jcursee elwilddeh, 
 a chair of a peculiar form, upon which the patient is to be seated during 
 the birth." 
 
 The monuments show that in ancient Egypt by far the most impor- 
 tant arm of the military service was the chariot force. The king, the 
 princes, and all the chiefs of importance . fought from chariots.f Diod- 
 orus made the number of them in the army of Sesostris, 27,0004 and 
 though this is a gross exaggeration, it shows the feeling of the Greeks as 
 to the very extensive employment of chariots by the earlier monarchs. 
 Cavalry were employed to a very small extent, if at all ;§ and though 
 this, at first sight, may seem at variance with the Mosaic narrative (Ex. 
 xiv. 9. 17, 18. 23, etc.; xv. 1), yet a careful examination of the original 
 text will lead to the conclusion that the force which pursued the Israel- 
 ites was composed of chariots and infantry only.|| The practice of the 
 king to lead out his army in person, is abundantly evident,^ and will 
 scarcely be doubted by any. It was indeed a practice universal at the 
 
 * Modern Egyptians, vol iii. p. 142. 
 
 + Wilkinson, vol. i. pp. 335-341 ; Kosellini, vol. ii. p. 240. 
 
 X Diod. Sic. i. 54. 
 
 § Kosellini inclines to the belief that the ancient Egyptians had no cavalry (vol. ii. 
 pp. 232-259). Sir G. "Wilkinson thinks they may have had a cavalry force, but that it 
 was scanty (vol. i. pp. 289, 290). Both agree that no cavalry are represented on the mon- 
 uments. Herodotus once speaks of an Egyptian commander as on horseback (ii. 162). 
 Diodorus, on the other hand, gives Sesostris a numerous cavalry (i. 54). 
 
 I See the arguments of Hengstenberg (pp. 127-129), and Kalisch {Comment, on Exodus, 
 pp. 182-184). The term translated "horsemen "in our version, refers probably to the 
 riders in the chariots. 
 
 1 Herod, ii. 102 ; Wilkinson, i. pp. 63, 65, 83, etc. 
 
176 APPENDIX. 
 
 time among all Oriental sovereigns. The hearing of complaints and pro- 
 nouncing of judgments by the king in person, was also very usual 
 throughout the East ; and the existence of the custom in Egypt is illus- 
 trated by many passages in ancient authors.* 
 
 The representations with respect to Egyptian agriculture, feeding of 
 cattle, food, dress, and domestic habits are similarly borne out both by 
 the ancient remains and the ancient authorities. The cultivation depicted 
 on the monuments is especially that of wheat, flax, barley, and another 
 grain, which is believed to correspond with the cussemeth, "rye," or 
 " spelt," of the Hebrews.f Fish and vegetables formed the chief food of 
 the lower classes ; and among the vegetables especially affected, gourds, 
 cucumbers, onions, and garlic are distinctly apparent.:}: According to 
 Herodotus, some tribes of the Egyptians lived entirely on fish, which 
 abounded in the Nile, the canals, and the lakes, especially in the Birket- 
 el-Keroun, or Lake Mceris.§ The monuments represent the catching, 
 salting, and eating of this viand. | We also see on the monuments that 
 cattle were kept, both in the field, where they were liable to be over- 
 taken by the inundation,*^" and also in stalls or sheds.** The wide-spread 
 possession, by the Egyptians, of articles in gold and silver, vases, goblets, 
 necklaces, armlets, bracelets, ear-rings, and finger-rings, is among the 
 facts most copiously attested by the extant remains,ff and is also illus- 
 trated by the ancient writers, who even speak of so strange an article as 
 " a golden foot-pan."^ The employment of furnaces, ovens, and knead- 
 ing-trougks, the common practice of carrying staves or walking-sticks, 
 and the use of hand-mills for grinding corn, are likewise certified either 
 by representations or by remains found in the country. §§ 
 
 The storing of water in vessels of wood and stone, which is implied 
 in Ex. vii. 19, is a peculiarly Egyptian custom, scarcely known elsewhere. 
 The abundance of water in the Nile, and its wide diffusion by means of 
 .canals, render reservoirs, in the ordinary sense of the word, unnecessary 
 
 * See Herod, ii. 115 ; 121, § 3 ; 129, 173. 
 
 t Wilkinson, vol. ii. p. 398 ; vol. iv. pp. 85-99. 
 
 t Ibid. vol. ii. pp. 370-374 ; and compare vol. i. 2Y7, and Herod, ii. 125. 
 
 § Herod, ii. 92, 93, 149 ; iii. 91. 
 
 || Wilkinson, vol. iii. pp. 53, 56 ; ii. p. 401. 
 
 «f Ibid. vol. iv. pp. 101, 102. 
 
 ** Ibid. vol. ii. p. 134. Compare Cambridge Essays for 1858, p. 249. 
 tt "The ornaments of gold found in Egypt," says Sir G. Wilkinson, "consist of 
 rings, bracelets, armlets, necklaces, ear-rings, and numerous trinkets belonging to the 
 toilet" (vol. iii. p. 225). And again, " Gold and silver vases, statues, and other objects 
 of gold and silver, of silver inlaid with gold, and of bronze inlaid with the precious 
 metals, were also common at the same time" (ibid). Compare pp. 370-377. 
 
 XX Herod, ii. 172. 
 
 §§ On the employment of furnaces, see Wilkinson, vol. iii. p. 164 ; of ovens and 
 kneading-troughs, vol. v. p. 385 ; of walking-sticks, vol. iii. pp. 386, 387 ; and of hand- 
 miljs, vol. ii. p. 118. 
 
APPENDIX. 177 
 
 in Egypt ; and water would never be stored, if it were not for the neces- 
 sity of purifying in certain seasons the turbid fluid furnished by the 
 Nile, in order to render it a palatable beverage. For this purpose it has 
 always been, and is still, usual to keep the Nile water in jars, stone 
 troughs, or tabs, until the sediment is deposited, and the fluid rendered 
 fit for drinking.* 
 
 The practice of making boats out of the papyrus, recorded in Ex. ii. 
 3,f is also specially Egyptian, and was not in vogue elsewhere. It is 
 distinctly mentioned by Herodotus, Plutarch, and many other aDcient 
 writers,:}: and is thought to be traceable on the monuments.§ The caulk- 
 ing of these boats with pitch and bitumen, a practice not mentioned any- 
 where but in Exodus, is highly probable in itself ; and is so far in accord- 
 ance with the remains, that both pitch and bitumen are found to have 
 been used by the Egyptians.! Bitumen, which is not an Egyptian prod- 
 uct, appears to have been imported from abroad, and was even some- 
 times taken as tribute from the Mesopotamian tribes,^" with whom the 
 ancient Egyptians had frequent contests. 
 
 In illustration of the extensive possession of horses by the early kings 
 of Egypt, it will be sufficient to adduce a passage from Diodorus, who 
 says that " the monarchs before Sesostris maintained, along the banks of 
 the Nile between Memphis and Thebes, two hundred stables, in each of 
 which were kept a hundred horses."** Herodotus also notices that, prior 
 to the reign of Sesostris, horses and carriages were very abundant in 
 Egypt, but that subsequently they became comparatively uncommon, 
 since the intersection of the whole country by canals rendered it unsuita- 
 ble for their employment.ff They were still, no doubt, bred and em- 
 ployed, and even exported (1 Kings x. 29), to a certain extent ; but from 
 about the time of the nineteenth dynasty, Egypt ceased to be a great 
 horse-breeding country. 
 
 Further, it may be observed that the state of the arts among the 
 Hebrews when they quitted Egypt, which has sometimes been objected 
 to as unduly advanced, is in entire accordance with the condition of art 
 in Egypt at the period. The Egyptian civilization of the eighteenth and 
 nineteenth dynasties embraces all the various arts and manufactures 
 necessary for the construction of the Tabernacle and its appurtenances, 
 
 * Wilkinson, vol. iv. p. 100 ; Pococke, Travels, vol. i. p. 312. 
 
 t The word rendered "bulrushes 1,1 in our revision (gomeh) is generally admitted to 
 signify some kind of papyrus — probably not that from which paper was made, but a 
 coarser kind. 
 
 X Herod, ii. 96 ; Plut. Be Md. et Os. § 18 ; Theophrast. Be Plantis, iv. 9 ; Plin. H. N. 
 Xiii. 11, etc. 
 
 § Wilkinson, v. ii. pp. 60, 185. 
 
 D Ibid. vol. iii. p. 186 ; Eosellini, vol. i. p. 249. 
 
 T Wilkinson, in Kawlinson's Herodotus, vol. i. p. 254. 
 ** Diod. Sic. i. tt Herod, ii. 108. 
 
 8* 
 
278 APPENDIX. 
 
 for the elaborate dress of the priests, and for the entire ceremonial de- 
 scribed in the later books of the Pentateuch. The employment of writ- 
 ing, the arts of cutting and setting gems, the power of working in metals 
 ■ — and especially in gold, in silver, and in bronze — skill in carving wood, 
 the tanning and dyeing of leather, the manufacture of fine linen, the 
 knowledge of embroidery, the dyeing of textile fabrics, the employment 
 of gold thread, the preparation and use of highly-scented unguents, are 
 parts of the early civilization of Egypt, and were probably at their high- 
 est perfection about the time that the Exodus took place.* Although 
 the Hebrews, while in Egypt, were, for the most part, mere laborers and 
 peasants, still it was natural that some of them, and, even more, that 
 some of the Egyptians who accompanied them (Ex. xiii. 38), should have 
 been acquainted with the various branches of trade and manufacture 
 established in Egypt at the time. Hence there is nothing improbable in 
 the description given in the Pentateuch of the Ark and its surroundings, 
 since the Egyptian art of the time was quite equal to their production. 
 
 The sojourn of the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years removed 
 them so entirely during that space, from contact with any historic people, 
 that we cannot expect to find, in the profane records that have come 
 down to us, anything to confirm or illustrate the sacred narrative. That 
 narrative must rest, first, on the profound conviction of its truthfulness 
 which remained forever impressed upon the consciousness of the people ; 
 secondly, on its geographic accuracy, and on the perfect accordance with 
 fact of what may be called its local coloring ;f and thirdly, on the quasi- 
 certainty that it is the production of an eye-witness. It may be added, 
 that the circumstances recorded are too little creditable to the Hebrew 
 people for any national historiographer to have invented them. 
 
 Recent criticism has attacked chiefly the numbers in the narrative.^ 
 There is certainly a difficulty in understanding how a population exceed- 
 ing two millions could have supported itself, together with its flocks and 
 herds, in a tract which, at the present day, barely suffices to sustain some 
 tribes of Bedouins, numbering perhaps six thousand souls.§ Had the 
 narrative made no mention of miraculous maintenance, this difficulty 
 would have been almost insurmountable. As, however, the writer ex- 
 pressly declares that a miraculous supply of food was furnished daily 
 during the whole period of the sojourn to the entire people, the main 
 objection disappears. We have only to suppose that, although the tract, 
 compared with Egypt, and even with Palestine, was a desert, yet that it 
 was considerably better supplied with water, and so with pasturage, than 
 it is at the present day. There are many indications that this was the 
 
 * See Hengstenberg, (Egypt en und Jfose, ch. v. pp. 133-143, E. F. 
 
 t See Stanley, Sinai and Palestine, Part i. pp. 1-57. 
 
 t Colenso, The Pentateuch and the Book of Joshua Critically Examined, pp. 31-138. 
 
 § Stanley, p. 22. 
 
APPENDIX. 179 
 
 case * The Israelites apparently needed a miraculons supply of water 
 twice only. If so, wells must have been numerous and abundant, water 
 being to be found in most places at a little distance from the surface. 
 But wherever in the desert this- is the case, there will occur oases, and a 
 sufficient vegetation for flocks and herds of a considerable size. The 
 Israelites, no doubt, spread themselves widely over the peninsula during 
 the forty years ; and as the area of the desert is at least 1500 square 
 miles, the numerous flocks and herds wherewith they entered the coun- 
 try may have maintained themselves, though, it is to be remarked, we 
 are not told whether their numbers diminished or no. 
 
 In any case, a difficulty which is merely numerical is of no great 
 account. Numbers, which, in early times, so far as we have any evidence 
 on the subject,! were always expressed, in some abbreviated form, by 
 conventional signs, are far more liable to corruption than any other parts 
 of ancient manuscripts. The great fact recorded, which stands out as 
 historically true, and which no petty criticism can shake, is the exit 
 from Egypt of a considerable tribe, the progenitors of the later Hebrew 
 nation, and their settlement in Palestine, after a sojourn of some dura- 
 tion in the wilderness. Of this fact the Hebrews and Egyptians were 
 equally well convinced; and as both nations enjoyed a contemporary lit- 
 erature, and had thus the evidence on the point of witnesses living at 
 the time, only an irrational scepticism can entertain a doubt respecting it. 
 
 APPENDIX B. 
 
 THE RESULTS OF THE SINAI EXPEDITION. 
 
 [From the Sinai Survey, " Desert of the JSxodus."] 
 
 By E. H. Palmer, M. A. 
 
 Bearings upon the History of the Exodus.— Authority for Identifying the Country Sur- 
 veyed with the Sinai of the Bible.— Route of the Israelites from Egypt and Sinai. — 
 Besume of Arguments.— Conclusion. 
 
 Viewed merely as a contribution to geographical science, the accu- 
 rate investigation of a country so little known as Sinai is undoubtedly a 
 valuable work. But the chief interest of the Peninsula must always lie 
 
 * Stanley, pp. 23-27 ; Highton, in Biblical Dictionary, vol. iii. pp. 1752-1754. The tes- 
 timony of the recent explorers, Mr. Holland and Mr. Tristram, is to the same effect. 
 
 t On the numerical signs used in Ancient Egypt, see Wilkinson in Rawlinson's 
 Herodotus, vol. ii. p. 51, and compare Ancient Egyptians, vol. iv. pp. 130, 131. On the 
 6igns used by the early Babylonians, see Rawlinsons Ancient Monarchies, vol. i. pp. 
 129-131. 
 
180 APPENDIX. 
 
 in its connection with the Bible Narrative; and it is only in so far as 
 they elucidate or illustrate Holy Scripture that we can judge of, or appre- 
 ciate, the results obtained by the Sinai Expedition. I have endeavored, 
 by portraying the country as it is, to enable the reader to form his own 
 opinions upon this subject, but it may not be inappropriate here to men- 
 tion briefly the conclusions at which we have ourselves arrived, and to 
 point out how the various facts which we have brought to light bear 
 upon the history of the Exodus. 
 
 The matter resolves itself into this : A circumstantial account is given 
 in the Bible of an event so important that upon our acceptance or rejec- 
 tion of it as an historical fact depends the whole question of our religious 
 belief, — of the truth or falsehood of the Old Testament. Such a position 
 could not long remain unassailed, and we are accordingly met with num- 
 berless objections, which nothing but actual knowledge of the country 
 can enable us to discuss, much less to answer. 
 
 I shall deal with the question as purely one of evidence, taking the 
 plain unvarnished statements of the history, and comparing them one by 
 one with the present topographical facts. 
 
 It may well be asked, what authority have we for assuming that the 
 Peninsula now known by the name of Sinai is that in which the Moun- 
 tain of the Law is situated ; or that the Passage of the Red Sea took 
 place at the head of the Gulf of Suez, rather than at the Gulf of 
 Akabah ? 
 
 The itinerary in Numbers xxxiii. supplies us with a conclusive 
 answer. The Children of Israel reached the seacoast in three days after 
 leaving Rarneses, and no possible theory of the position of that town 
 could bring it within three days' journey of the Gulf of Akabah. The 
 Gulf of Suez is, however, distant exactly three days' journey from the 
 site of Memphis, in which neighborhood at least the ancient capital of 
 Egypt must have stood, and it is therefore certain that the Gulf of Suez 
 is the Red Sea referred to in the history. The same authority tells us that 
 the Children of Israel did not take the northern road to Palestine by way 
 of Gaza, so that there is absolutely no other course which they could 
 have taken, after crossing to the Asiatic coast, than the road which lies 
 between the steep wall-like escarpment of Jebel er Rahah and the Red Sea. 
 
 This would conduct them towards the mountainous district in the 
 centre of the Peninsula, and it is consequently evident that we are so far 
 right in looking for Mount Sinai in that region. Having satisfied our- 
 selves that we are upon the track of the Israelites, we have next to 
 determine the route which they must have taken. In many countries it 
 would be impossible to pitch upon one road to the exclusion of all the 
 rest, but, thanks to the peculiar nature of the country under considera- 
 tion, we are enabled, by an exhaustive process, if not to prove, at least 
 to arrive at a more than plausible conjecture upon, this point. 
 
APPENDIX. 181 
 
 The Israelites were travelling in heavy marching order, taking with 
 them their wives, children, household effects, and indeed all their worldly 
 possessions. We learn that they even had wagons with them during 
 their journey, for we are told, in Numbers vii. 3, that " the Princes of 
 Israel brought their offering before the Lord, sis covered wagons and 
 twelve oxen." 
 
 Under these circumstances, difficult or intricate passes and defiles are 
 out of the question, and our attention is confined to those roads which 
 are passable for a large caravan with heavily laden beasts of burden. 
 
 It may be objected that, as the Israelite host was miraculously guided 
 " by the Pillar of Cloud by day, and the Pillar of Fire by night," we need 
 not, or ought not, to argue from the probabilities suggested by the physi- 
 cal features of the country. To this I would answer that we are ex- 
 pressly told that " God went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to 
 lead them the way," not to make for them a road, but to guide them in 
 the best and easiest path, and we are therefore the more bound to take 
 into consideration everything which could give one road preference over 
 another. 
 
 The difficulty of providing water for the cattle by which they were 
 accompanied has proved a great stumbling-block to many, but this Mr. 
 Holland has considerably lessened by a novel and ingenious suggestion. 
 He believes that, instead of being an encumbrance to the movements of 
 the host, they were used as beasts of burden, and that, in addition to the 
 camp-furniture, each carried its own supply of water, sufficient for sev- 
 eral days, in water-skins slung at its sides, precisely as Sir Samuel Baker 
 found them doing at the present day in Abyssinia.* 
 
 The spot bearing the name of Aytin Miisa, Moses' Wells, is no doubt 
 traditionally connected with the Exodus, and was very probably the first 
 camping-place of the Israelites after crossing the Red Sea. From this 
 point the road is unmistakable for the first three days, since it lies over 
 a flat strip of desert, across which they would naturally choose the 
 straightest and most direct path. The Bible dismisses this part of their 
 journey in a few words ; "they went out into the wilderness of Shur ; 
 and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water." 
 (Exodus xv. 22) ; but I doubt if a more suggestive description could pos- 
 sibly be given of this monotonous waterless waste, the only impressive 
 feature of which is the long shur, or " wall," which forms its northern 
 limit. 
 
 The next verse proceeds, " and when they came to Marah, they could 
 not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter." Now the soil 
 throughout this part of the country, being strongly impregnated with 
 natriin, produces none but bitter or brackish water ; and it is worth 
 
 * Paper read before the Church Congress, 1869. 
 
182 APPENDIX. 
 
 observing, that the first of these springs with which we meet, Ain Haw- 
 warah, is reached on the third day of our desert journey to Sinai. 
 
 They next " came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and 
 threescore and ten palm-trees." Here again, our own experience accords 
 with that of the Israelites, for our next station is in Wady Gharandel, 
 which contains a considerable amount of vegetation, palm-trees in great 
 numbers among the rest, and a perennial stream. It would be of course 
 idle to contend that this is the identical oasis mentioned in Exodus, but 
 I would remind the reader that a supply of water larger than usual, and 
 a consequently larger proportion of vegetation, depends upon the geo- 
 logical configuration of the country, and that, although individual springs 
 may disappear, and break forth again at other places in the vicinity, a 
 few thousand years are not likely, to make any very radical change in 
 this respect. Whole districts may be, and often are, rendered barren 
 and dry by the diminution of the rainfall, consequent upon neglect and 
 the destruction of vegetation ; but, where a spot like Gharandel still 
 exists, in spite of the deteriorating influences which have been at work 
 in Sinai, we may fairly assume that its fertility dates from a very remote 
 period of antiquity. 
 
 M And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red Sea," 
 (Num. xxxiii. 10). To reach the sea, two roads were open to them, — 
 either to follow Wady Gharandel itself to its mouth, or to turn down the 
 next practicable valley, Wady Taiyebeh. The first is extremely un- 
 likely, as the cliffs and rough rocks which come down to the water's 
 edge past this point would have impeded their further progress, and 
 compelled them to retrace their steps ; whereas from Wady Taiyebeh 
 the coast is open and passable, and moreover the mouth of the valley 
 affords a fine clear space for their encampment by the sea. There are 
 two roads to Sinai, the upper one by Sarabit el Khadirn, and the lower 
 one by the coast ; and the modern traveller who chooses the latter still 
 turns off by Wady Taiyebeh, and reaches the sea-shore in a fair day's 
 journey from Gharandel. There are several reasons which would have 
 led to the selection of this route by the Israelite hosts ; the rugged 
 passes and narrow valleys on the upper road would have presented 
 insuperable difficulties to a large caravan encumbered by heavy baggage 
 and they would have passed through a district actually held by a large 
 military force of the very enemies from whom they were fleeing. The 
 Bible, however, speaks of no collision between the Egyptians and Israel- 
 ites, during the whole of their wanderings, after the passage of the Red 
 Sea. Between Wady Gharandel and Wady Taiyebeh, two valleys, Wady 
 Useit and Wady E thill, descend to the sea ; but the first of these is pre- 
 cluded as a route to Sinai, for the same reason that leads us to reject 
 Wady Gharandel, viz. that the cliffs of Jebel Hainmam Far'un, a short 
 way south of its mouth, cut off progress along shore ; and the second 
 
APPENDIX. 183 
 
 becomes impassable, even for pedestrians., towards its mouth : so tbat we 
 are forced to the conclusion that Wady Taiyebeh was the only road down 
 which the Children of Israel could have marched. 
 
 On the supposition that they did so, the wilderness of Sin will be the 
 narrow strip of desert which fringes the coast south of Wady Taiyebeh ; 
 and although it is impossible to define with exactness the next two 
 stations, Dophkah and Alush, we may fairly presume that they lay within 
 the next two days' journey, which would bring the Israelites well into 
 Wady Feiran. Travellers by this route in the present day do not follow 
 Wady Feiran, but turn off by Wady Shellal, and make for Wady Mu- 
 katteb by the Nagb Buderah, but the road over that pass was unques- 
 tionably constructed at a date posterior to the Exodus, and, had it even 
 existed at that time, would have been less practicable than Wady Feiran, 
 and would not only have led the Israelites into collision with the Egyp- 
 tians at Magharah, but have presented a further difficulty in the pass of 
 Jebel Mukatteb. Beyond Wady Feiran there is no practicable valley : Wady 
 Hebran, the most open of them all, being far too difficult and rugged to have 
 admitted of their passing through it. I have already discussed the 
 reasons, both legendary and geographical, for placing Rephidim at Hesy 
 el Khattatin in Wady Feiran, and if we read the verse, Exodus xix. 12, 
 " and they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of 
 Sinai," as implying a break in the march between Rephidim and the 
 Mount of the Law (as was suggested on page 161), we shall find that 
 the natural route from Egypt to Sinai accords exactly with the simple 
 and concise account given in the Bible of the Exodus of the Chosen 
 People. 
 
 In these conclusions all the members of the Expedition are agreed. 
 Mr. Holland, it is true, dissents upon one point, the position of Rephidim, 
 which he would place at El Watiyeh, believing that the whole host of 
 the Israelites turned off from Wady Feiran up Wady es Sheikh, and 
 that the battle with the Amalekites took place long after Feiran had 
 been passed. In the main facts of the route, however, and in the identi- 
 fication of Jebel Mtisa with Mount Sinai, our investigations have led us 
 to form one unanimous opinion. 
 
 We are thus able not only to trace out a route by which the Children 
 of Israel could have journeyed, but also to show its identity with that 
 so concisely but graphically laid down in the Pentateuch. We have 
 seen, moreover, that it leads to a mountain answering in every respect to 
 the description of the Mountain of the Law; the chain of topographical 
 evidence is complete, and the maps and sections may henceforth be confi- 
 dently left to tell their own tale. 
 
 The arguments against objections founded on the supposed incapabil- 
 ity of the Peninsula to have supported so large a host, I need not reca- 
 pitulate here; in the evidence adduced of the greater fertility which 
 
184 APPENDIX. 
 
 once existed in Sinai, and in the actual measurements of its areas, the 
 reader has all the data for himself to decide upon these points. 
 
 We cannot perhaps assign much importance to Arab traditions relat- 
 ing to the Exodus as an argument for or against the truth of the story, 
 but it is at least interesting to know that such traditions are found, and 
 it is satisfactory to have them in a collected and accessible form. Such 
 legends, as we might expect, are chiefly attached to particular localities ; 
 they do not follow the Children of Israel by any single or consistent 
 route through the Peninsula, but any spot possessing peculiar features, 
 wherever it may be situated, is connected by the simple Arab with the 
 grand, mysterious figure of the Hebrew prophet, whose memory still lin- 
 gers in the wild traditions of Sinai. 
 
 Such spots are, (1) Moses' wells at 'Aytin Miisa near Suez, and 'Ain 
 Musa on Jebel Musa. (2) Moses' seats : at Abu Zenimeh, on the sea- 
 shore near Hammam Far'un, is shown the place where Moses watched 
 the drowning of the Egyptians, and in the pass of El Watiyeh the chair- 
 shaped rock, now called Magad en Nebi, is supposed to have received its 
 peculiar shape from the impress of the prophet's form. Similar rocks 
 are found in the valley (Wady ed Deir) in which the convent of St. 
 Katharine is situated, and upon the summit of Jebel Musa itself. (3) 
 Rocks struck by Moses ; that in Wady Berrah supposed to have been 
 cleft in twain by Moses' sword ; the Ha j jar el Magarin in the path along 
 Wady Leja, and Hesy el Khattatin in Wady Feiriin. The Hajjar Musa 
 in the vicinity of the convent, which is pointed out to pilgrims as the 
 true rock in Horeb, is a palpable fiction of the monks, and is virtually 
 disregarded by the Arabs. (4) Moses' Baths ; as the Hammam Syedna 
 Miisa at Tor. The Bedawi version of the passage of the Red Sea, and 
 the legend of the building of stone huts (nawdmis) by the Children of 
 Israel to keep off the plague of mosquitoes, I have already given. 
 Enough has been said to prove that the inhabitants of the country are 
 themselves thoroughly imbued with the idea that their own desolate and 
 rocky land was once the scene of a great and wonderful manifestation of 
 God to man. 
 
 The Mohammedan tradition, as elsewhere current also, evidently 
 points to Jebel Musa as the true Mount Sinai. The description given by 
 the commentators on the Coran of the " Holy wady of Towa," where 
 Moses halted amidst the snow and mist, could scarcely apply to any other 
 spot, while the distance, according to the same authority, of Midian 
 from Egypt, exactly tallies with the position of Feiran. Whether, there- 
 fore, we look at the results obtained in physical geography alone, or take 
 into consideration the mass of facts which the traditions and nomencla- 
 ture disclose, we are bound to admit that the investigations of the Sinai 
 Expedition do materially confirm and elucidate the history of the 
 Exodus. 
 
APPENDIX. 185 
 
 APPENDIX C. 
 
 THE ROCK SMITTEN IN HOREB. 
 
 Mr. Hurter, of the Syria Mission of the American Board, in the fol- 
 lowing letter, written to one of the professors at Andover, expresses 
 much confidence that he has discovered the " identical rock from whence 
 flowed the stream which quenched the thirst of the thousands of Israel;" 
 and says, " future travellers will probably confirm this opinion :" — 
 
 " Beirut, Syria, May 23, 1863. 
 
 " Having recently returned from a visit to Mount Sinai, I thought you 
 would be interested in the discovery of a spring of water under the east 
 side of Mount Horeb, which I cannot learn has been noticed by any trav- 
 eller who has written on Sinai, but which is so striking, that had it been 
 seen, it would certainly have been mentioned. Travellers generally go 
 to the Convent, and lodge there during their sojourn at Sinai ; and those 
 who prefer to remain outside the Convent, pitch their tents on the usual 
 camping ground at the entrance of Wady Shu'eib, near the east side of 
 the Wady, and under or close by a little hill, where we also encamped. 
 Travellers almost always take a dragoman with them, and never attend 
 to the supply of water for the prosecution of their journey. Not having 
 a dragoman with us, we had to attend to the filling of the barrels our- 
 selves. In coming towards Mount Horeb, we took the road followed by 
 Dr. Robinson, by Wady er Rahah. On page 89 of the first volume of his 
 Researches, he says : " On the left of Horeb, a deep and narrow valley 
 runs up south-southeast, between lofty walls of rock, as if in continua- 
 tion of the southeast corner of the Plain. In this valley, at a distance 
 of nearly a mile from the Plain, stands the Convent." On the east side 
 of this valley, and at its entrance, is a small hill, separated from the 
 mountain by a road about one hundred feet across, which travellers fol- 
 low in going to the Convent from Wady es Sheikh, while those who go 
 to the Convent by Wady er Rahah pass on the west side of the hill. On 
 the south side of this hill is the camping ground, and in getting to it we 
 made a short circuit of five minutes' ride to avoid a precipitous bank. 
 
 " On arriving at our camping ground, we requested our cameleers, 
 before dispersing to their homes, to fill our barrels with water. They 
 said they would take two of them to a spring where there was a reser- 
 voir, into which they would place them. They pointed out to us the 
 direction, on the west side of the valley, under Horeb, and we perceived 
 a few trees at that place. Towards evening I told my party that I would 
 
186 APPENDIX. 
 
 go and see whether they had filled and sunk the barrels in the pool. 
 The direction of the spring was straight across the valley from the camp- 
 ing-ground. After leaving the tents, in about two minutes 1 ascended 
 the ground where we made the circuit, then passed down a slight decliv- 
 ity, after which the ground gradually rose until I reached the spring, in 
 about ten minutes, by a rugged path over large boulders of Sinaite 
 granite. Here I was surprised to find a spring of pure water issuing 
 from a rent in the rock. The rent was in an oblique direction, the high- 
 est part of it on the left, and sloping down towards the right. The 
 lowest part of the fissure was as high as a man's head from the ground. 
 The surrounding rock is the solid red granite of Sinai, smooth on its 
 face, and unbroken by fissure or seam. The fissure is about sis feet 
 long, four inches wide, five inches deep at the bottom, and twelve at the 
 top, and runs down into the rock parallel with the perpendicular side of 
 the mountain. The water seems to issue about two feet above the 
 bottom of the rent, flowing over the lowest part of it in a stream about 
 the thickness of a man's finger. The reservoir is about twelve feet long 
 by five feet in width, and four feet deep, and was nearly full when I 
 reached the place. When full, the water is let off to irrigate some 
 twenty or more fruit trees. As I was the first (as far as I am aware) to 
 observe this singular " rent" in the " Rock of Horeb," and am unable to 
 find any allusion to it in the books of Burckhardt, Robinson, Stanley, or 
 other travellers, I have thought it my duty to inform the public of the 
 fact, in order that future travellers may not fail to see it. Could we 
 suppose that Moses had a rod about six feet long, and that, raising the 
 lower end of it as high as his head, he struck it obliquely against the 
 granite cliff, and that a wedge-shaped cavity was thus miraculously 
 formed, this rent would meet the conditions exactly. 
 
 " I would simply state that I made the above discovery on the 26th 
 of February." 
 
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