do this thing in the land 6. And the LORD did that thing on the morrow and all the cattel of Egypt died but of the cattel of the children of Israel died not one 7. And Pharaoh sent and behold there was not one of the cattel of the Israelites dead And the heart of Pharaoh was hardned and he did not let the people go 8. And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron Take to you handfulls of ashes of the furnace and let Moses sprinkle it towards the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh 9. And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt and shall be a boyl 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 boyl breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast 11. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boyl for the boyl was upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians 12. And the LORD hardned the heart of Pharaoh and he hearkned not unto them as the LORD had spoken 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 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 thy people with pestilence and thou shalt be cut off from the earth 16. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth 17. As yet exaltest thou thy self against my people that thou wilt not let them go 18. Behold to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even untill now 19. Send therefore now and gather thy cattel and all that thou hast in the field for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field and shall 〈◊〉 it be brought home the hail shall come down upon them and they shall die 20. He that feared the word of the LORD amongst the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattel flee into the houses 21. And he that regardeth not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattel in the field 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 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. Onely in the land of Goshen 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 times the LORD is righteous and I and my people are wicked 28. Intreat the LORD for it is enough that there be no more mighty thundrings and hail and I will let you go and ye shall stay no longer 29. And Moses said unto him Assoon as I am gone out of the city I will spread abroad my hands 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 fear the LORD God 31. And the flax and the barley was smitten for the barley was in the ear and the flax was bolled 32. But the wheat and the rie 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 the hail and the thunders were ceased he sinned yet more and hardned his heart he and his servants 35. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardned neither would he let the children of Israel go as the LORD had spoken by Moses 3. A very grievous murrain i. e. A great and general Mortality as appears from v. 6. What we render Murrain signifies the Pestilence when it is referred unto Men and is very frequently by the Greek rendered by a word which signifies Death 4 5. And the LORD c. This great Plague was accompanied with some circumstances which did render it more fit to work upon Pharaoh Viz. I. That the Israelites did not suffer by it which was an argument of God's particular care and providence v. 4. And II. That God set a time when it should happen which was an argument that it was God's work v. 5. 6. All the cattel i. e. All that was in the Field v. 3. 7. And Pharaoh sent c. And by this means he was assured of the truth of what is said v. 4. and therefore left without excuse for his Infidelity 10. And Moses sprinkled It is very probable that Aaron did so likewise it being said of them both that they took ashes A boyl See Rev. 16.2 11. Could not stand before Moses These Magicians at the first withstood Moses but now are not able to stand before him their folly being now manifest 2 Tim. 3.8 9. 12. And the LORD hardned This God is not said to have done till now after five Plagues were past and Pharaoh had hardened his own heart God left him to the wickedness of his own heart when he had sundry times hardened himself before As the LORD Ch. 4.21 14. All my plagues i. e. All that I have determined to inflict Thine heart Which shall be wounded with grief and fear 16. For this cause Rom. 9.17 Have I raised thee up Heb. Made thee stand i. e. I have preserved thee and kept thee alive notwithstanding the foregoing Plagues which have been inflicted He may be said to be raised up who is preserved alive when he was in danger of dying Jam. 5.15 Thou hast been kept or preserved so the Greek render it 18. Since the foundation thereof i. e. Since it became a nation v. 24. 19. Thy cattel Which escaped the
the great Stature of Og. After the cubit of a man That is according to the Cubit of a Man grown up and of an usual size which is about half a yard 12. The Cities Numb 32.33 Josh 13.8 c. 14. Havoth-jair Numb 32.41 15. Gilead viz. The half of it See verse 12. Vnto Machir That is to his Posterity 16. Half the valley For the right understanding of this place it is to be considered that the Hebrew word here translated Valley signifies sometimes a Valley and sometimes a River and in the latter sense is rendred in this Verse in the words immediately foregoing The river Arâ—â—â— And so it ought to be rendred here and so it is rendred by the Greek and Vulgar Latin in this place And what we render half the Valley imports as much as to the middle of the River viz. Emphatically of the River just before mentioned Their Land extended from Gilead unto the middle of the River Arnon The truth of this appears from other places viz. Josh 12.2 We have an account of the same place being the place where Sihon dwelt who is there said to have ruled from Aroer which is upon the bank of the river Arnon and from the middle of the river which last are the same words in the Hebrew which we find here rendred by half the Valley and from half Gilead Again Deut. 2.36 the same place is described viz. From Aroer which is by the brink of the river of Arnon and from the city that is by the river viz. Ar of Moab which stood within the River and which was a City they were not permitted to invade even unto Gilead And the border even unto the river Jabbok These words seem to be Elliptical The sense is And the border was even unto the river Jabbok 17. Vnder Ashdoth-Pisgah Or under the Springs of Pisgah or the Hill 18. Ye shall pass over c. Numb 32.20 Meet for the war Heb. Sons of power 20. Return Josh 22.4 21. Commanded Numb 27.18 24. Thy greatness and thy mighty hand viz. In giving us the Conquest over such powerfull Enemies as Sihon and Og. 25. I pray thee let me go over c. It is not unreasonable to suppose that Moses should think the Threatning of God reversible and it must needs be very desirable by him to see that Land which had been so long ago promised so much expected and so greatly vilified by them that had been sent from Kadesh-barnea to search the Land But besides this it may be said that he had a desire especially to see that place where God would choose to dwell which the Jews affirm is meant by the goodly Mountain as well as the remoter Parts of the promised Land in which was Lebanon 26. Was wroth Numb 20.12 chap. 1.37 27. Pisgah Or the Hill See Numb 27.12 Behold it This was a favour not granted to the Men that searched and that murmured 28. Charge Give him Commission to execute my Will Encourage i. e. Give him assurance of success 29. Beth-peor Or the house of Peor The name of a Place or City so called CHAP. IV. The ARGUMENT The Israelites are exhorted to Obedience by several great Motives Such as their own Interest and the Reasonableness of it They are particularly warned against Idolatry and that very powerfully They are obliged to teach the Law unto their Children Three Cities of Refuge are set a part by Moses 1. NOW therefore hearken O Israel unto the statutes and unto the judgments which I teach you for to do them that ye may live and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you 2. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you 3. Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baal-peor for all the men that followed Baal-peor the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you 4. But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day 5. Behold I have taught you statutes and judgments even as the LORD my God commanded me that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it 6. Keep therefore and do them for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations which shall hear all these statutes and say surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people 7. For what nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for 8. And what nation is there so great that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day 9. Onely take heed to thy self and keep thy soul diligently lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life but teach them thy sons and thy sons sons 10. Specially the day that thou stood'st before the LORD thy God in Horeb when the LORD said unto me Gather me the people together and I will make them hear my words that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth and that they may teach their children 11. And ye came near and stood under the mountain and the mountain burnt with fire unto the midst of heaven with darkness clouds and thick darkness 12. And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire ye heard the voice of the words but saw no similitude onely ye heard a voice 13. And he declared unto you his covenant which he commanded you to perform even ten commandments and he wrote them upon two tables of stone 14. And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it 15. Take ye therefore good heed unto your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire 16. Lest ye corrupt your selves and make you a graven image the similitude of any figure the likeness of male or female 17. The likeness of any beast that is on the earth the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air 18. The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth 19. And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven and when thou seest the sun and the moon and the stars even all the host of heaven shouldest be driven to worship them and serve them which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven 20. But the LORD hath taken you and brought you forth out of the iron furnace even out of Egypt to be unto him a people of inheritance as
names of other Gods 14. Three times Deut. 16.16 15. Thou shalt c. Ch. 13.3 and 34.18 And none c. Deut. 16.16 Ecclus 35.4 Empty i. e. Without some Gift or Oblation Deut. 15.13 14. 16. Feast of harvest When they offered two Loaves of First-fruits Lev. 23.17 called The Feast of Weeks Exod 34.22 because it was seven weeks from the foregoing Feast Levit. 23.15 This was the Feast of Pentecost Act. 2.1 At this time the Law was given See Notes on ch 19.1 The feast of in gathering Called also The feast of Tabernacles Lev. 23.34 Deut. 16.13 17. Three times Viz. at the times last mentioned Before the LORD i. e. at the place where God appointed and where the Tabernacle and after that the Temple was 18. Of my sacrifice i. e. Of the Passover as the Chaldee hath it and as appears evidently from ch 34.25 With leavened bread i. e. Having leavened Bread in thy possession My sacrifice Or Feast Remain viz. Unburnt 19. The first-fruits Ch. 34.26 Thou shalt not seeth a kid c. Deut. 14.21 This the Jews understand as forbidding the eating of Flesh and Milk together And besides the shew of Cruelty in doing so Deut. 22.6 7. and Philo Jud. de Charitate it is supposed this was forbid the Israelites because it was a Rite used by Idolaters See Mor. Nevoch p. 3. c. 48. 20. Behold Ch. 33.2 An Angel i. e. Christ called so Mal. 3.1 He was tempted in the Wilderness 1 Cor. 10.9 Heb. 3.9 Maimon confesses that these words are explained by those Deut. 18.18 which words do manifestly belong to the Messias See the Notes on Deut. 18.15 More Nevoch p. 2. c. 34. 21. Not pardon your transgressions i. e. Your contumacious sins Vid. Josh 24.19 My name is in him Joh. 10.38 The Name of God signifies his Essence Exod. 3.13 And sometimes his Word says Maimon More Nevoch p. 1. c. 64. and is applicable to the Messiah in both these Senses 22. An adversary unto thine adversaries Or I will afflict them that afflict thee 23. For c. Ch. 33.2 Bring thee Josh 24.11 24. But thou shalt Deut. 7.25 26. There shall nothing Deut. 7.14 27. Backs Heb. Neck 28. I will send hornets Josh 2â—â— These words may well be understood literally See Exod 8.21 31. Sea of the Philistines i. e. The Mediterranean upon which their Country lay Desart Of Shur Exod. 15.22 Gen. 16.7 River i. e. Euphrates as the Greek have it 32. Thou shalt Ch. 34.15 Deut. 7.2 33. It will surely c. Deut. 7.16 Josh 23.13 Judg. 2.3 CHAP. XXIV The ARGUMENT Moses is called up into the Mountain The People promise Obedience Moses builds an Altar and twelve Pillars The young Men offer Sacrifices He enters the People into Covenant with God God manifests himself Moses continues in the Mount forty Days and forty Nights 1. AND he said unto Moses Come up unto the LORD thou and Aaron Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel and worship ye afar off 2. And Moses alone shall come near the LORD but they shall not come nigh neither shall the people go up with him 3. And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the judgments and all the people answered with one voice and said All the words which the LORD hath said will we do 4. And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD and rose up early in the morning and builded an altar under the hill and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel 5. And he sent young men of the children of Israel which offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen unto the LORD 6. And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basons and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar 7. And he took the book of the covenant and read in the audience of the people and they said All that the LORD hath said will we do and be obedient 8. And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said Behold the blood of the covenant which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words 9. Then went up Moses and Aaron Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel 10. And they saw the God of Israel and there was under his feet as it were a paved-work of a saphire-stone and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness 11. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand also they saw God and did eat and drink 12. And the LORD said unto Moses Come up to me into the mount and be there and I will give thee tables of stone and a law and commandments which I have written that thou mayest teach them 13. And Moses rose up and his minister Joshua And Moses went up into the mount of God 14. And he said unto the elders Tarry ye here for us until we come again unto you and behold Aaron and Hur are with you if any man have any matters to do let him come unto them 15. And Moses went up into the mount and a cloud covered the mount 16. And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai and the cloud covered it six days and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud 17. And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like deuouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel 18. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud and got him up into the mount and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights 1. COme up i. e. After thou hast propounded my Laws to the People and sprinkled the Blood c. to v. 9. God's Seventy of the elders Who will be good Witnesses of glorious appearance This number was afterward ordained by God and taken into the Government Num. 11.16 17. 2. Near the LORD i. e. Into the midst of the Cloud v. 18. The top of the Mount where was a glorious appearance and sign of God's more special presence v. 16 17. But they shall not come nigh i. e. Aaron Nadab and Abihu and the seventy Elders though they went up into the Mount shall not pass into the midst of the Cloud nor go up to the top or the Mount as Moses did Neither shall the people go up The Elders were allowed to go up some part of the Mount v. 1. Moses might onely come near the People are to stay at the bottom of the Mount 3. All the words of the LORD and all the judgments i. e. The Ten Commandments ch 20. which are called The words which God spake Exod. 20.1 And again the ten Words ch 38.28 and the Judicial Laws contained in the three foregoing Chapters which are called Judgments ch 21.1 All the words Ch. 19.8 verse 7. Deut. 5.27 4. An altar On God's part who is the principal party in this Covenant Twelve pillars On the People's behalf 5. Young men
well become us to observe it But still we must do all we possibly can to exclude those from the participation of Holy Things who live in contradiction to the Precepts of our Holy Religion III. The Law concerning Restitution in case of a Trespass mentioned in the same Chapter This is of great use to us and shews us the absolute necessity of making restitution for any wrong or injury that we have done By this Law he that had done the wrong was obliged to make Restitution to the injured person and he is directed what to doe in case the injured person could not be found 'T was not his confessing his sin not his Sacrifice with that Confession that would procure his Pardon if he did not make Restitution as he is directed there This is the Doctrine of the Law and of the Prophets also Ezek. 33.15 as well as of the New Testament Luk. 18.8 Rom. 13.8 9. This is a most unquestionable truth and that the Reader ought to lay to Heart IV. The passages related ch 11 12. are of great moment towards the awakening us to avoid Murmuring Discontent and Sedition We have severe Examples related there of the sad effects of those sins and the Mischiefs that follow upon such Crimes are unspeakable No Man can tell where his Discontent will stop or what will be the effects of it Let us see how the Apostle applies this Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10.10 11 12. V. The Account we have of the Spies sent into the Land of Canaan and of their Report of it and what followed thereupon ch 13 14. This represents to us the great mischief of Diffidence and Distrust and contempt of the Kingdom of Heaven Let us see how the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews applies this To whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not So we see they could not enter in because of unbelief Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it Heb. 3.18 19. and ch 4.1 It follows Let us therefore labour to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief v. 11. Those Men that went to see the Land owned it to be a good Land and brought some of the Fruit thereof thence But after all they discouraged the People from the difficulties that would attend their Conquest of it notwithstanding the many Experiences which they had received of the Power and Providence of God These Men died by the Plague in the Wilderness the murmuring Israelites wandered about in it till they were consumed and they were a sad example of Distrust and Unbelief VI. The account we have of the Rebellion of Korah Dathan and Abiram ch 16. This Relation is of great moment to keep Men from the like sin for the time to come These Men rebelled against Moses and Aaron whom God had chosen The Rebels were swallowed up by the Earth and consumed with Fire from Heaven and God took care for the perpetuating the Memory of their sin and asserting the Divine right of the Priesthood They envyed Moses in the Camp and Aaron the saint of the Lord. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram And a fire was kindled in their company the flame burnt up the wicked Ps 106.16 17 18. God would have the Israelites keep up the Memory of these things and learn from this sad example to have due regard to them whom he chose to Minister in Holy Things And to this purpose he commands that Plates should be made of the Censers of the Rebels for the Altar of Burnt-offering that so there might remain a Memorial of this fatal Rebellion in the view of the People He caused also Aaron's Rod to flourish and to be preserved as a token against the Rebels And upon that follows a most particular account ch 18. of the Honorary Maintenance of the Priests Such care God thought fit to take to vindicate the Priests his Servants and to keep up the Memory of this Relation VII The account we have of the People's being bitten with the Fiery Serpents and healed by looking upon the Brazen Serpent ch 21. This cure was as the Jews call it a Miracle in a Miracle The Brazen Serpent was a Type of the Death of Christ Joh. 3.14 by whose Stripes we are healed This Brazen Serpent is called by the Author of the Book of Wisdom A Sign of Salvation It was put upon a Pole or set up for a Sign and he that looked upon it lived i. e. Recovered of the harm he had received from the bite of the Fiery Serpent He that turned himself toward it was not saved by the thing that he saw but by thee that art the Saviour of all Wisdom 16.6 7. Thus did God sending his own son in the likeness of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh Rom. 8.3 VIII The account of Balak's sending to Balaam to curse the Israelites and his coming to him upon this occasion and what he said and did follows in Chapters 22 23 24. And that Relation is of great use to us and such as well deserves our serious reflecting upon It lets us know that we need not fear the Curses of a false Prophet nor the attempts of our most powerfull Enemies whiles we do adhere to God and keep his Laws God will so long defend us and then we need not fear what Man can do unto us We have also in that Relation many excellent Prophecies and one particularly of the Messias of which the Reader will find an account in the Notes in their proper place IX The account of the Whoredom and Idolatry of the People at Shittim ch 25. We have there a particular account of the sin and very exemplary punishment of the People for their Wickedness And the Reader will easily believe that this was contrived by Balaam from what hath been said to that purpose in the Noâ—es upon that History which follow Balaam could not prevail by Inchantments and Divination by Sacrifices or Magical Arts. He took the onely course that was left and that was to tempt them by the Women of Midian to Whoredom first and then to Idolatry The Beauty of the Women was the first snaâ—e and thence they were drawn on to commit Idolatry They called the people to the sacrifices of their Gods And the people did eat and bowed down to their Gods Thus were they joined unto Baal Peor and did eat the sacrifices of the dead Ps 106.28 Thus did the People fall by their own Wickedness whom Balaam and Balak could never have harmed