The nations shall fear, when A. M. 2513. B. C. 1491. Abib or Nisan. EXODUS. they hear what God has done. A. M. 2513. A B. C. 1491. Abib or Nisan. holiness, fearful in praises, do- 16 Fear and dread shall fall An. Exod. Isr. 1. ing wonders? upon them; by the greatness of An. Exod. Isr. 1. 12 Thou stretchedst out thy thine arm, they shall be as still "as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased. right hand, the earth swallowed them. 13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which 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. 17 Thou shalt bring them in; and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the sanctuary, O LORD, which thy hands have established. 18 The LORD shall reign for ever and 15 Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling ever. shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. Psa. lxxvii. 14. Ver. 6. -d Psa. Ixxvii. 15, 20; Ixxviii. 52; lxxx. 1; cví. 9; Isa. lxiii. 12, 13; Jer. ii. 6,- - Psa. lxxviii. 54.- Num. xiv. 14; Deut. ii. 25; Josh. ii. 9, 10. Psalm xlviii. 6. -h Gen. xxxvi. 40. Dent. ii. 4.- Num. xxii. 3; Hab. iii. 7.- Josh. v. 1. Deut. ii. 25; xi. 25; Josh. ii. 9. ones) is like unto thee, O Jehovah!" But it appears from the Greek Makkaẞalos, and also the Syriac 20 makabi, that the name was written originally with p koph, not caph. It is most likely, as Michaelis has observed, that the name must have been derived from p makkab, a hammer or mallet; hence Judas, because of his bravery and success, might have been denominated the hammer or mallet by which the enemies of God had been beaten, pounded, and broken to pieces. Judas, the hammer of the Lord. Glorious in holiness] Infinitely resplendent in this attribute, essential to the perfection of the Divine And Doing wonders?] Every part of the work of God is wonderful; not only miracles, which imply an inversion or suspension of the laws of nature, but every part of nature itself. Who can conceive how a single blade of grass is formed; or how earth, air, and water become consolidated in the body of the oak? who can comprehend how the different tribes of plants and animals are preserved, in all the distinctive characteristics of their respective natures? And who can conceive how the human being is formed, nourished, and its different parts developed? What is the true cause of the circulation of the blood? or, how different aliments" produce the solids and fluids of the animal machine? What is life, sleep, death? And how an impure and unholy soul is regenerated, purified, refined, and made like unto its great Creator? These are wonders which God alone works, and to himself only are they fully known. Verse 12. The earth swallowed them.] It is very likely there was also an earthquake on this occasion, and that chasms were made in the bottom of the sea, by which many of them were swallowed up, though 19 For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the 1 Sam. xxv. 37.- 0 Chap. xix. 5;. Deut. xxxi. 9; 2 Sam. vii. 23; Psalm lxxiv. 2; Isaíah xliii. 1, 3; li. 10; Jer. xxxi. H; Tit. ii. 14; 1 Pet. ii. 9; 2 Pet. ii. 1. -P Psa. xliv. 2; lxxx. 8. 9 Psa. lxxviii. 54.- —Psa. x. 16; xxix. 10; cxlvi. 10; Isa. lvii. 15. Chap. xiv. 23; Prov. xxi. 31. multitudes were overwhelmed by the waters, whose dead bodies were afterward thrown ashore. The psalmist strongly intimates that there was an earthquake on this occasion: The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven; the lightnings lightened the world; the EARTH TREMBLED and SHOOK; Psa. lxxvii. 18. Verse 13. Thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.] As this ode was dictated by the Spirit of God, it is most natural to understand this and the following verses, to the end of the 18th, as containing a prediction of what God would, do for this people which he had so miraculously redeemed. On this mode of interpretation it would be better to read several of the verbs in the future tense. Verse 15, The dukes of Edom] Idumea was governed at this time by those called D' alluphim, heads, chiefs, or captains. See the note on Gen. xxxvi.-15. Verse 16. Till thy people pass over] Not over the Red Sea, for that event had been already celebrated; but over the desert and Jordan, in order to be brought into the promised land. Verse 17. Thou shalt bring them in] By thy strength and mercy alone shall they get the promised inheritance. And plant them] Give them a fixed habitation in Canaan, after their unsettled wandering life in the wilderness. In the mountain] Meaning Canaan, which was a very mountainous country, Deut. xi. 11; or probably Mount Zion, on which the temple was built. Where the pure worship of God was established, there the people might expect both rest and safety. Wherever the purity of religion is established and preserved, and the high and the low endeavour to regulate their lives according to its precepts, the government of that country is likely to be permanent. Verse 18. The Lord shall-reign for ever and ever.] This is properly the grand chorus in which all the people joined. The words are expressive of God's t Chap. xiv. 28, 29.- Judg. iv. 4; 1 Sam. x. 5.- Num. xxvi. 59. —— 1 Sam. xviii. 6.—— Judg. xi. 34 ; xxi. 21 ; 2 Sam. everlasting dominion, not only in the world, but in the Church; not only under the law, but also under the Gospel; not only in time, but through eternity. The original hy leolam vaed may be translated, for ever and onward; or, by our very expressive compound term, for EVERMORE, i. e. for ever and more not only through time, but also through all duration. His dominion shall be ever the same, active and infinitely extending.. With this verse the song seems to end, as with it the hemistichs or poetic lines terminate. The 20th and beginning of the 21st are in plain prose, but the latter part of the 21st is in hemistichs, as it contains the response made by Miriam and the Israelitish women at different intervals during the song. See Dr. Kennicott's arrangement of the parts at the end of this chapter. There is great diversity of opinion on the origin of the name of Miriam, which is the same with the Greek Mapiap, the Latin Maria, and the. English Mary. vi. 16; Psa. lxviii. 11, 25; exlix. 3; cl. 4.- 1 Sam. xviii. 7. Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath A timbrel] toph, the same word which is trans. And with dances.] mecholoth. Many learned men suppose that this word means some instruments Verse 20. And Miriam the prophetess] We have of wind music, because the word comes from the root already seen that Miriam was older than either Moses chalal, the ideal meaning of which is to perforate, or Aaron for when Moses was exposed on the Nile, penetrate, pierce, stab, and hence to wound. Pipes or she was a young girl capable of managing the strata-hollow tubes, such as flutes, hautboys, and the like, may gem used for the preservation of his life; and then be intended. Both the Arabic and Persian understand Aaron was only three years and three months old, it as meaning instruments of music of the pipe, drum, for he was fourscore and three years old when Moses or sistrum kind; and this seems to comport better with was but fourscore, (see chap. vii. 7;) so that Aaron the scope and design of the place than the term dances. was older than Moses, and Miriam considerably older It must however be allowed that religious dances have than either, not less probably than nine or ten years been in use from the remotest times; and, yet in most of age. See on chap. ii. 2.. of the places where the term occurs in our translation, an instrument of music bids as fair to be its meaning as a dance of any kind. Miriam is the first prophetess on record, and by this we find that God not only poured out his Spirit upon men, but upon women also; and we learn also that Miriam was not only a prophetess, but a poetess also, and must have had considerable skill in music to have been able to conduct her part of these solemnities. It may appear strange that during so long an oppression in Egypt, the Israelites were able to cultivate the fine arts; but that they did so there is the utmost evidence from the Pentateuch. Not only architecture, weaving, and such necessary arts, were well known among them, but also the arts that are called ornamental, such as those of the goldsmith, lapidary, embroiderer, furrier, &c., of which we have ample proof in the construction of the tabernacle and its The prophetess] hannebiah. For the mean- utensils. However ungrateful, rebellious, &c., the ing of the word prophet, 1 nabi, see the note on Jews may have been, the praise of industry and ecoGen. xx. 7. It is very likely that Miriam was in-nomy can never be denied them. In former ages, and spired by the Spirit of God to instruct the Hebrew women, as Moses and Aaron were to instruct the men; and when she and her brother Aaron sought to share in the government of the people with Moses, we find her laying claim to the prophetic influence, Num. xii. 2; Some suppose it to be compounded of mar, a drop, (Isa. xl. 15,) and D' yam, the sea, and that from this etymology the heathens formed their Venus, whom they feign to have sprung from the sea. St. Jerome gives several etymologies for the name, which at once show how difficult it is to ascertain it: she who enlightens me, or she who enlightens them, or the star of the sea. Others, the lady of the sea, the bitterness of the sea, &c. It is probable that the first or the last is the true one, but it is a matter of little importance, as we have not the circumstance marked, as in the case of Moses and many others, that gave rise to the name. in all places even of their dispersions, they appear to Verse 22. The wilderness of Shur] This was on 375 The bitter waters of A. M. 2513. 23 And when they came to had cast into the waters, the An. Exod. Isr. 1. Marah, they could not drink waters were made sweet. There B. C. 1491. b A. M. 2513. An Exod. Isr. 1. Abib or Nisan. of the waters of Marah, for they he made for them a statute were bitter therefore the name of it was and an ordinance, and there he proved called Marah. C them 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 See 2 Kings ii. 21; iv. 41. h See Josh. xxiv. 25. Ch. xvi. 4; Deut. viii. 2, 16; Judg. ü. 22; iii. 1, 4; Psa. lxvi. 10; lxxxi. 7. Deut. vii. 12, 15. the coast of the Red Sea on their road to Mount Sinai. changed that water into wine which was to be drawn See the map. Verse 23. Marah] So called from the bitter waters found there. Dr. Shaw conjectures that this place is the same as that now called Corondel, where there is still a small rill which, if not diluted with dews. or rain, continues brackish. See his account at the end of Exodus. Verse 24. The people murmured] They were in a state of great mental degradation, owing to their long and oppressive vassalage, and had no firmness of character. See the note on chap. xiii. 17. Verse 25. He cried unto the Lord] Moses was not only their leader, but also their mediator. Of prayer and dependence on the Almighty, the great mass of the Israelites appear to have had little knowledge at this time. Moses, therefore, had much to bear from their weakness, and the merciful Lord was long-suffering. The Lord showed him a tree] What this tree was we know not some think that the tree was extremely bitter itself, such as thé quassia; and that God acted in this as he generally does, correcting contraries by contraries, which, among the ancient physicians, was a favourite maxim, Clavus clavo, expellitur. The Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem say that, when Moses prayed, "the WORD of the Lord showed him the tree Dardiphney, on which he wrote the great and precious name of (JEHOVAH,) and then threw it into the waters, and the waters thereby became sweet." But what the tree ardiphney was we are not informed. Many suppose that this tree which healed the bitter waters was symbolical of the cross of our blessed Redeemer, that has been the means of healing infected nature, and through the virtue of which the evils and bitters of life are sweetened, and rendered subservient to the best interests of God's followers. Whatever may be in the metaphor, this is true in fact; and hence the greatest of apostles gloried in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world was crucified to him and he unto the world. It appears that these waters were sweetened only for that occasion, as Dr. Shaw reports them to be still brackish, which appears to be occasioned by the abundance of natron which prevails in the surrounding soil. Thus we may infer that the natural cause of their bitterness or brackishness was permitted to resume its operations, when the occasion that rendered the change necessary had ceased to exist. Thus Christ simply out to be carried to the master of the feast; the rest of the water in the pots remaining as before. As the water of the Nile was so peculiarly excellent, to which they had been long accustomed, they could not easily put up with what was indifferent. See the note on chap. vii. 18. There he made for them] Though it is probable that the Israelites are here intended, yet the word 1 lo should not be translated for them, but to him, for these statutes were given to Moses that he might deliver them to the people. By this murmuring of the people he proved Moses, to see, speaking after the manner of men, whether he would be faithful, and, in the midst of the trials to which he was likely to be exposed, whether he would continue to trust in the Lord, and seek all his help from him. Verse 26. If thou wilt diligently hearken] What is contained in this verse appears to be what is intended by the statute and ordinance mentioned in the preceding: If thou wilt diligently hearken unto 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, &c. This statute and ordinance implied the three following particulars: 1. That they should acknowledge Jehovah for their God, and thus avoid all idolatry. 2. That they should receive his word and testimony as a Divine revelation, binding on their hearts and lives, and thus be saved from profligacy of every kind, and from acknowledging the maxims or adopting the customs of the neighbouring nations. 3. That they should continue to do so, and adorn their profession with a holy life. These things being attended to, then the promise of God was, that they should have none of the diseases of the Egyptians put on them;, that they should be kept in a state of health of body and peace of mind; and if at any time they should be afflicted, on application to God the evil should be removed, because he was their healer or physician—I am the Lord that healeth thee, That the Israelites had in general a very good state of health, their history warrants us to believe; and when they were afflicted, as in the case of the fiery serpents, on application to God they were all healed. The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel states that the statutes which Moses received at this time were commandments con The Israelites encamp by the A. M. 2513. Abib or Nisan. CHAP. XV. A. M. 2513. wells and palm trees of Elim. An. Exod. Isr. 1. these 'diseases upon thee, which Abib or Nisan. upon them; and Israel had passed, on dry land, in the 1. Verse 27. They came to Elim] This was in the desert of Sin, and, according to Dr. Shaw, about two leagues from Tor, and thirty from Marah or Corondel. 2. Twelve wells of water] One for each of the tribes of Israel, say the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem. And threescore and ten palm trees] One for each of the seventy elders.-Ibid. Dr. Shaw found nine of the twelve wells, the other three having been choked up with sand; and the seventy palm trees multiplied into more than 2000, the dates of which bring a considerable revenue to the Greek monks at Tor. See his account at the end of this book, and see also the map. Thus sufficient evidence of the authenticity of this part of the sacred history remains, after the lapse of more than 3000 years. IN the preceding notes the reader has been referred to Dr. Kennicott's translation and arrangement of the song of Moses. To this translation he prefixes the following observations: "This triumphant ode was sung by Moses and the sons of Israel: and the women, headed by Miriam, answered the men by repeating the two first lines of the song, altering only the first word, which two lines were probably sung more than once as a chorus. 3. MOSES. Part I. I will sing to JEHOVAH, for he hath triumphed The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. And he is become to me for salvation: battle! Jehovah is his name! Perhaps a chorus sung by the men. Chorus, by Miriam and the women." Perhaps sung first in this place. O sing ye to Jehovah, for he hath triumphed gloriously! 4. 5. 6. 7. Q "The conclusion of this ode seems very manifest; and yet, though the ancient Jews had sense enough to write this song differently from prose; and though their authority has prevailed even to this day in this and 8. three other poems in the Old Testament, (Deut. xxii.; Judg. v.; and 2 Sam. xxii.,) still expressed by them as poetry; yet have these critics carried their ideas of the song here to the end of verse 19. The reason why the same has been done by others probably is, they thought that the particle for, which begins verse 19, necessarily connected it with the preceding poetry. 9. But this difficulty is removed by translating when, especially if we take verses 19-21 as being a prose explanation of the manner in which this song of tri-umph was performed. For these three verses say that the men singers were answered in the chorus by Miriam and the women, accompanying their words with musical instruments. 'When the horse of Pharaoh had gone into the sea, and the Lord had brought the sea 10. 11. MOSES. The Israelites leave Elim, and 12. Fearful in praises; performing wonders! EXODUS. Thou stretchest out thy right hand, the earth swal1 loweth them! come to the wilderness of Sin. 1. When poetry is consecrated to the service of God, and employed as above to commemorate his marvellous acts, it then becomes a very useful handmaid 13. Thou in thy mercy leadest the people whom thou to piety, and God is honoured by his gifts. God inhast redeemed; spired the song of Moses, and perhaps from this very Thou in thy strength guidest to the habitation of circumstance it has passed for current among the most thy holiness! O sing ye to JEHOVAH, &C. Chorus by the women. MOSES. Part IV. 14. The nations have heard, and are afraid; Sorrow hath seized the inhabitants of Palestine: 15. Already are the dukes of Edom in consternation, And the mighty men of Moab, trembling hath seized them; All the inhabitants of Canaan do faint. 16. Fear and dread shall fall upon them; polished of the heathen nations, that a poet is a person Divinely inspired; and hence the epithet of podnτns, prophet, and vates, of the same import, was given them among the Greeks and Romans. 2. The song of Moses is a proof of the miraculous passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea. There has been no period since the Hebrew nation lef Egypt in which this song was not found among them, as composed on that occasion, and to commemorate that event. It may be therefore considered as completely authentic as any living witness could be who Through the greatness of thine arm they shall be had himself passed through the Red Sea, and whose still as a stone : 17. Till thy people, JEHOVAH, pass over [Jordan ;]. Till the people pass over whom thou hast redeemed.. life had been protracted through all the intervening ages to the present day 3. We have already seen that it is a song of triumph for the deliverance of the people. of God, and that it 18. Thou shalt bring them and plant them in the mount was intended to point out the final salvation and triumph of thine inheritance : of the whole Church of Christ; so that in the heaven The place for thy rest which thou, JEHOVAH, hast of heavens the redeemed of the Lord, both among the made; Jews and the Gentiles, shall unite together to sing the The sanctuary, JEHOVAH, which thy hands have song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. See Rev. established. Grand chorus by ALL. JEHOVAH FOR EVER AND EVER SHALL REIGN.". xv. 2-4. Reader, implore the mercy of God to enable thee to make thy calling and election sure, that thou mayest bear thy part in this glorious and eternal triumph. CHAPTER XVI. The Israelites journey from Elim, and come to the wilderness of Sin, 1. They murmur for lack of bread, 2, 3. God promises to rain bread from heaven for them, 4, of which they were to collect a double portion on the sixth day, 5. A miraculous supply of flesh in the evening and bread in the morning, promised, 6–9. The glory of the Lord appears in the cloud, 10. Flesh and bread promised as a proof of God's care over them, 11, 12. Quails come and cover the whole camp, 13. And a dew fell which left a small round substance on the ground, which Moses tells them was the bread which God had sent, 14, 15. Directions for gathering it, 16. The Israelites gather each an omer, 17, 18. They are directed to leave none of it till the next day, 19; which some neglecting, it became putrid, 20. They gather it every morning, because it melled when the sun waxed hot, 21. Each person gathers two omers on the sixth day, 22. Moses commands them to keep the seventh as a Sabbath to the Lord, 23. What was laid up for the Sabbath did not putrefy, 24. Nothing of it fell on that day, hence the strict observance of the Sabbath was enjoined, 25-30. The Israelites name the substance that fell with the dew manna; its appearance and taste described, 31. An omer of the manna is commanded to be laid up for a memorial of Jehovah's kindness, 32-34. The manna. now sent continued daily for the space of forty years, 35. How much an omer contained, 36. A. M. 2513. B. C. 1491. An. Exod. Isr. 1. a A. M. 2513. B. C. 1491. ljar or Zif. AND they took their journey is between Elim and Sinai, on from Elim, and all the con- the fifteenth day of the second An Exod. Isr. 1. gregation of the children of Is-month after their departing out rael came unto the wilderness of Sin, which of the land of Egypt. a Num. xxxiii. 10, 11. ს b Ezek. xxx. 15. NOTES ON CHAP. XVI. worth supposes that this wilderness had its name from Verse 1. The wilderness of Sin] This desert lies a strong city of Egypt called Sin, near which it lay. See between Elim and Sinai, and from Elim, Dr. Shaw Ezek. xxx. 15, 16. Before they came to the wilder. says, Mount Sinai can be seen distinctly. Mr. Ains-ness of Sin, they had a previous encampment by the 378 |