4 5, 6. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, 5 wherein they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep 6 in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. Where, fore say unto the children of Israel, I [am] the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, with great power, and with great 7 judgments, which I will inflict upon them: And I will take you to me for a people, under mine own immediate government, and you shall know and serve me, and enjoy all manner of temporal and spiritual blessings, and I will be to you a God and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD your God, which bring8 eth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage; I [am] the LORD, and therefore have authority to dispose of lands and kingdoms as I please, and will faithfully give you what I have promised. 9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage; they could neither mind what he said, nor believe any thing concerning their deliverance, judging it to be impossible. And Moses went to the place where he used to converse with 10 God, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Go in, speak 11 unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of 12 Israel go out of his land. And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who [am] of un13 circumcised lips?† And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. Now follows the genealogy of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. 14 15 These [be] the heads of their fathers' houses; the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these [be] the families of Reuben. And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish But my name Jehovah I did not make manifest to them. Kennicott. It appears from many passages in Genesis, and particularly from chap xxii. 14 that the name Jehovah was known to them, though they might not understand its full import. But if we only change the pointing, and read the passage with an interrogation, it removes the difficulty; Did not appear to Abraham by the name of God Almighty, and by my name Jehovah was I not known to them? Circumcision being a mark of God's people, uncircumcision was reckoned a blemish; so that any thing which had a blemish, natural or moral, was called uncircumcised. Mo ses pleads, that he had a blemish or defect in his speech, and was therefore unable to sperk in a prevailing manner. Nevertheless God confirined the charge, v. 15. 16 woman these [are] the families of Simeon. Moses hav ing just mentioned these, enlarges on the tribe or genealogy of Levi, from whom he himself was descended, and this was the more necessary, as he was a foundling. : And these [are] the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi [were] an hundred thirty and 17 seven years. The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, ac18 cording to their families. And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel and the years of the life of Kohath [were] an hundred thirty and three years. 19 And the sons of Merari; Mahali, and Mushi: these [are] 20 the families of Levi according to their generations. And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister, or kinswoman. to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses, and Miriam (see Numb. xxvi. 59.) and the years of the life of Amram 21 [were] an hundred and thirty and seven years. And the sons 22 of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zithri. And the sons of 23 Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri. And Aaron took him Elisheba, or El sabeth, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Ele24 azar, and Ithamar. And the sons of Korah; Assir, and El kanah, and Abiasaph: these [are] the families of the Korhites, 25 And Eleazar Aaron's son took him [one] of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these [are] the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families. 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, or numerous families, which went out of Egypt, like several armies in military order, and with great 27 power. These [are] they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these [are] that Moses and Aaron. 28 And it came to pass on the day [when] the LORD spake 29 unto Moses in the land of Egypt, That the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I [am] the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh 30 king of Egypt all that I say unto thee. And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I [am] of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me? Moses reports what passed between him and God, to make way for what follows in the next chapter. REFLECTIONS. HOSE who own God's dominion, and trust his allsufficiency, shall experience his fidelity to his promises. Abraham believed him as El Shaddai, a God allpowerful, or allsufficient, and also found him JEHOVAH, a faithful God, the fulfiller of his promises. He will always prove himself to be what he has declared, and will not suffer his people to be disappointed. 2. God will faithfully remember his covenant, though he may seem to forget it; though his people think he forgets it, because deliverance is delayed, yet he is ever mindful of his promises. Those who trust him, and wait on him, shall always find that it is indeed so. 3. God can add energy to worthless lips, and make them triumph over all opposition. Ministers are too ready to adopt the words of Moses, If Israel, to whom I am sent, will not hear, how then shall Pharaoh? If christians are perverse, haughty, and disobedient, how shall we deal with the openly profane ? But God can make his strength perfect in our weakness; when he gives a commission, we may hope for success. 4. The afflictions of God's people may be so many, that his consolations may appear small. When their hearts are oppressed with grief and concern they see not their own comforts, and a veil is spread over the promises. This is often owing to discontent and fretfulness; and then men may thank themselves if they taste not the pleasures of religion. It is good for a man to hope, and quietly wait for the salvation of God. If it be long delayed, and afflictions are continued, let it be our daily prayer, Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief. CHAP. VII. In this chapter the plagues of Egypt begin, which exhibit an awful instance of the power of God, and show, that when he judgeth he will overcome. A ND the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a God to Pharaoh; clothed thee with a divine power, to represent me, to speak in my name, and my power shall be with thee* and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet, thy 2 spokesman, a representative to my representative.† shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother Thou * Moses was a God by commission; the viceroy, or deputy, to the only living and true Cod. + Moses being a man of uncommon modesty, might be embarrassed in common conversation, and not have that readiness of speech which another, of far less abilities, might have. shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel 3 out of his land. And, or, nevertheless, I will harden Pharaoh's heart, since he hath hardened his own heart against me and Israel so long, now in judgment I will punish him for it, 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. These were designed on the one hand, to bring Israel out; on the other, to punish the princes and people for their barbarous treatment of Israel, for their idolatry, 5 and to make them see and own Jehovah. And the Egyptians shall know that I [am] the LORD, and that it is in vain to contend with me, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, to slay their firstborn, and bring out the children of Israel 6 from among them. And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they. An emphatical repetition, to show their courage in attempting to do and say such things to so great a monarch, in his own dominions; and their fidelîty in the execution of all God's commands. 7 8 And Moses [was] fourscore years old,* and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh. And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Show a miracle for you, that I may know you are sent of God :† then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast [it] before Pha10 raoh, [and] it shall become a serpent. And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pha11 raoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men, or philosophers, and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. God suffered them to do so, either in reality, or by some deception, that Pharaoh's heart being hardened, he might make his plagues wonderful; and that Moses 12 might triumph over them at last. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod, the dragon into which his rod was turned, swallowed up their The age of Moses is taken notice of, to show that he had now a venerable aspect. which would command reverence; that he had great experience, which rendered him fit for the troublesome scenes he was to engage in; and that he would not be so apt to invent things, and be under the power of fancy, as younger persons would be. We may observe here, that all the plagues of Egypt did not last more than one year; he was now eighty, he died at one hundred and twenty, and they were forty years in the wilderness. It was agreeable to the common sense of mankind, to expect, that if God had sent a person on an extraordinary embassy, he should work a miracle, to prove his divine mission. A large dragon or crocodile, to intimate, that he would make the rod of Moses a terrible scourge. This emblem was exceeding proper among a people who dealt so much in hieroglyphics. These were persons who pretended to have commerce with demons or evil spirits; the Apostle Paul calls them Jannes, and Fambres, 2 Tim. ¡¡ì. 8. rods; to show that the power whereby Moses and Aaron had wrought their miracles, was far above that, whereby the magicians had wrought theirs, and was also an emblem of their power 13 being destroyed. And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them ;* as the LORD had said, chap. iv. 21. 14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart [is] 15 hardened, he refuseth to let the people go. Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water: and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come :f and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in 16 thine hand, to strike Pharaoh's mind more powerfully. And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldst not hear. It was a great mercy in God to send such 17 a message, after he had been so obstinate and hardened. Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I [am] the LORD behold, I will smite with the rod that [is] in mine hand upon the waters which [are] in the river, and they. 18 shall be turned to blood. And the fish that [is] in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river.|| 19 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod and stretch out thine hand upon 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. 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 servants; and all the waters that [were] in the river, were turned to blood. 21 22 And the fish that [was] in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments, in some other places where the water was not changed ; but this only increased their plague, and made Ph the The Hebrew is, And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, as in v. 22. This was one of the methods of God's providence, against which Pharaoh hardened himself, and it was suffered as a judgment to him. 4 Moses was probably forbid the court, and therefore God ordered him to meet Pharaoh at the river, where he went in the morning to worship it, as was their custom. This is a remarkable form of speech. Moses was as a God to Pharaoh : he speaks as Jehovah, I will smite the waters which are in the river, a branch of the Nile, or a cut from it, to water their ground, and fill their pools. How righteous and terrible was this judgment! Here they had murdered the Hebrew children, and now, they have blood to drink; their chief dainties were destroyed, and they were made to loathe that which they worshipped as a God. VOL. I. Gg |