Moses builds an altar, A. M. 2513. B. C. 1491. An. Exod. Isr. 1. the name of it " JEHOVAH- the LORD hath sworn that the said, the direction of God, and in the defence of his truth; and therefore the name of JEHOVAH became the armorial bearing of the whole congregation. By his direction they fought, and in his name and strength they conquered; each one feeling himself, not his own, but the Lord's soldier. A. M. 2513. An. Exod. Isr. 1. wHeb. the hand upon the throne of the tinue the cup of wrath, portending continual war, against Amalek for ever. I prefer Houbigant's exposition. .ki yad al kes jah | got it כי יד על כס יה מלחמה of the words 1. THIS first victory of Israel must have inspired them with a considerable measure of confidence in God, and in his servant Moses. Though God alone Verse 16. The Lord hath sworn that the Lord will could give them the victory, yet it was necessary to have war with Amalek, &c.] This is no translation show them that it was by the influence of Moses they Moses could not deliver Amalek into their milchamah, which have been variously rendered by hands; yet if Moses did not continue to hold up his different translators and critics; the most rational ver- hands, i. e., to pray, Amalek must prevail. God, sion of which is the following: Because the hand of therefore, wrought this work in such a way as to in Amalek is against the throne of God, therefore will I struct the people, promote his own glory, and secure the have war with Amalek from generation to generation, true honour of his servant. The Divine Being always This gives a tolerably consistent sense, yet still there performs the greatest number possible of ends, by the is considerable obscurity in the passage. Houbigant, fewest, and simplest means, In every work of God a most judicious though bold critic, supposes that, as there is as much of wisdom and economy, as there is Jehovah-nissi, Jehovah my ensign, was spoken of sovereign uncontrolled power. of immediately before, ▷ kes, a throne, in this verse, is an error of some transcriber for Di nes, an ensign, which might be readily occasioned by the great similarity between the caph and the nun. He thinks farther that the two letters yah, which are supposed to be here a contraction of the word Yehovah, are separated, the yod from the Dnes, which should be written D nissi, and the he, from non mil-arms from the Egyptians, whose bodies were thrown chamah, which should be written non hammilchamah, and then the whole verse will run thus: For the hand shall be upon the ensigns of war unto the Lord, against Amalek for ever, i. e., God makes now a declaration of war against the Amalekites, which shall continue till their final destruction. The conjecture of Mr. Julius Bate, in his Literal Translation of the Pentateuch, deserves attention. He supposes that, as cos signifies a cup, and a cup is emblematically used for wrath, on one of the stones of the altar, mentioned in the preceding verse, a hand holding a cup was sculptured, this being a memorial, according to the custom of hieroglyphical writing, that the Lord would con 2. It is not probable that the people whom Joshua chose out to lead against Amalek were unarmed; and we have already seen that it is not at all likely that they came armed out of Egypt. And as the whole circumstances of this case show that those who fought against the Amalekites were properly equipped for the fight, we may then safely presume that they got their on the shore after having been overwhelmed in the Red Sea. Thus, what was a judgment in the one case, was a most gracious providence in the other. Judgment on God's foes is mercy to his friends. 3. Of the efficacy of prayer we have already had the most striking examples. He who has the spirit of prayer, has the highest interest in the court of heaven; and the only way to retain it, is to keep it in constant employment. Apostasy begins in the closet: no man ever backslid from the life and power of Christianity who continued constant and fervent, especially in private prayer. He who prays without ceasing is likely to rejoice evermore. CHAPTER XVIII. Jethro, called the father-in-law of Moses, hearing of the deliverance which God had granted to Israel, 1, took Zipporah and her two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, and brought them to Moses, when the Israelites were encamped near Horeb, 2-5. He sends to Moses, announcing his arrival, 6. Moses goes out to meet him, 7, and gives him a history of God's dealings with the Israelites, 8. Jethro greatly rejoices, and makes striking observations on the power and goodness of God, 9-11. He offers burnt-offerings and sacrifices to Jehovah, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel feast with him, 12. The next day Jethro, observing how much Moses was fatigued by being obliged to sit as judge and hear causes from morning to evening, 13, inquires why he did so, 14. Moses answers, and shows that he is obliged to determine causes between man and man, and to teach them the statutes and laws of God, 15, 16. Jethro finds fault, and counsels him to appoint men who fear God, love truth, and hate covetousness, to be judges over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, to judge and determine in all smaller matters, and refer only the greater and most important to himself, 17-22; and shows that this plan will be advantageous both to himself and to the people, 23. Moses hearkens to the counsel of Jethro, and appoints proper officers over the people, who enter upon their functions, determine all minor causes, and refer only the most difficult to Moses, 24-26. Moses dismisses Jethro, who returns to his own country, 27. Zipporah and her two sons A. M. 2514. An. Exod. Isr. 2. WHEN a Jethro, the priest of I have been an alien in a Midian, Moses' father-in- strange land: 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, 3. And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, Chap. ii. 16; iii. 1. cv. 5, 43; evi. 2, 8. e A: M. 2514. B. C. 1490. An. Exod. Isr. 2. Ijar or Zif. my father, 4 And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh : 5 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God: b Psa. xliv. 1; lxxvii. 14, 15; lxxviii, 4; Chap. ii. 22. That is, a stranger there.— NOTES ON CHAP. XVII. Verse 1. When Jethro, the priest of Midian, &c.] Concerning this person and his several names, see the notes on chap. ii. 15, 16, 18'; iii. 1; and iv. 20, 24. Jethro was probably the son of Reuel, the father-inlaw of Moses, and consequently the brother-in-law of Moses; for the word ¡n chothen, which we translate father-in-law, in this chapter means simply a relative by marriage. See the note on chap. iii: 1. Verse 2. After he had sent her back] Why Zipporah and her two sons returned to Midian, is not certainly known. From the transaction recorded chap. iv. 20, 24, it seems as if she had been alarmed at the danger to which the life of one of her sons had been exposed, and fearing worse evils, left her husband and returned to her father. It is however possible that Moses, foreseeing the troubles to which his wife and children were likely to be exposed had he taken them down to Egypt, sent them back to his father-in-law till it should please God to deliver his people. Jethro, now finding that God had delivered them, and totally discomfited the Egyptians, their enemies, thought it proper to bring Zipporah and her sons to Moses, while he was in the vicinity of Horeb, h -5 That is, my the government of a people so numerous; and that it was at that time that he established judges and captains over thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens, which appears to be the very transaction recorded in this place; the measure itself being recommended by Jethro, and done in consequence of his advice. 3. From Num. x. 11, 29, &c., we find that when the cloud was taken up, and the Israelites were about to depart from Horeb, that Moses addressed Hobab, who is supposed to have been the same as Jethro, and who then was about to return to Midian, his own country, entreating him to stay with them as a guide while they travelled through the wilderness. It therefore seems necessary that the transaction recorded in this chapter should be inserted Num. x., between the 10th and 11th verses. 4. It has been remarked, that shortly after they had departed from Sinai the dispute took place between Miriam, Aaron, and Moses, concerning the Ethiopian woman Zipporah whom he had married, (see Num. xii. 1, &c. ;) and this is supposed to have taken place shortly after she had been brought back by Jethro. 5. In the discourse between Moses and Jethro, Verse 3. The name of the one was Gershom] See mentioned in this chapter, we find that Moses speaks the note on chap. ii. 22. Verse 5. Jethro came with his sons] There are several reasons to induce us to believe that the fact related here is out of its due chronological order, and that Jethro did not come to Moses till the beginning of the second year of the exodus, (see Num. x. 11,) some time after the tabernacle had been erected, and the Hebrew commonwealth established, both in things civil and ecclesiastical. This opinion is founded on the following reasons: 1. On this verse, where it is said that Jethro came to Moses while he was encamped at the mount of God. Now it appears, from chap. xix. 1, 2, that they were not yet come to Horeb, the mount of God, and that they did not arrive there till the third month after their departure from Egypt; and the transactions with which this account is connected certainly took place in the second month; see chap. xvi. 1. 2. Moses, in Deut. i. 6, 9, 10, 12-15, relates that when they were about to depart from Horeb, which was on the 20th day of the second month of the second year from their leaving Egypt, that he then complained that he was not able to bear the burden alone of of the statutes and laws of the Lord as things already revealed and acknowledged, which necessarily implies that these laws had already been given, (ver. 16,) which we know did not take place till several months after the transactions mentioned in the preceding chapters. 6. Jethro offers burnt-offerings and sacrifices to God apparently in that way in which they were commanded in the law. Now the law respecting burntofferings was not given till after the transactions mentioned here, unless we refer this chapter to a time posterior to that in which it appears in this place. See the note on ver. 12. From all these reasons, but particularly from the two first and the two last, it seems most likely that this chapter stands out of its due chronological order, and therefore I have adjusted the chronology in the margin to the time in which, from the reasons above alleged, I suppose these transactions to have taken place; but the matter is not of much importance, and the reader is at liberty to follow the common opinion. As Moses had in the preceding chapter related the war with Amalek and the curse under which they were 9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he i Gen. xiv. 17; xviii. 2; xix. 1; 1 Kings ii. 19.— Gen. xxix. 13; xxxiii. 4.-Heb. peace; Gen. xliii. 27; 2 Samuel xi. 7. Heb. found them; Gen. xliv. 34; Numbers xx. 14.- a Psalm lxxviii. 42; lxxxi. 7; cvi. 10; cvii. 2.- - Gen. xiv. 20; 2 Sam. laid, he may be supposed to have introduced here the account concerning Jethro the Midianite, to show that he was free from that curse, although the Midianites and the Kenites, the family of Jethro, were as one people, dwelling with the Amalekites. See Judg. i. 16; 1 Chron. ii. 55; 1 Sam. xv. 6. For although the Kenites were some of those people whose lands God had promised to the descendants of Abraham, (see Gen. xv. 18, 19,) yet, in consideration of Jethro, the relative of Moses, all of them who submitted to the Hebrews were suffered to live. in their own country; the rest are supposed to have taken refuge among the Edomites and Amalekites. See Calmet, Locke, &c. Verse 6. And he said unto Moses] That is, by a messenger; in consequence of which Moses went out to meet him, as is stated in the next verse, for an interview had not yet taken place. This is supported by reading hinneh, behold, for 'N ani, I, which is the reading of the Septuagint and Syriae, and several Samaritan MSS.; instead therefore of I, thy father, we should read, Behold thy father, &c.-Kennicott's Remarks. Verse 7. And did obeisance] vaiyishtachu, he bowed himself down, (see on Gen. xvii. 3, and Exod. iv. 31;) this was the general token of respect. And kissed him; the token of friendship. And they asked each other of their welfare; literally, and they inquired, each man of his neighbour, concerning peace or prosperity; the proof of affectionate intercourse. These three things constitute good breeding and politeness, accompanied with sincerity. And they came into the tent.] Some think that the tabernacle is meant, which it is likely had been erected before this time; see the note on ver. 5. Moses might have thought proper to take his relative first to the house of God, before he brought him to his own tent. Verse 9., And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness] Every part of Jethro's conduct proves him to have been a religious man and a true believer. His thanksgiving to Jehovah (ver. 10) is a striking proof of it; he first Jethro offers a burnt-offering. had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. A. M. 2514. B. C. 1490. An. Exod Isr. 2. Ijar or Zif. 10 And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered 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. 11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them. r 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, before God. xviii. 28; Luke i. 68.—P 2 Chron. ii. 5; Psa. xcv. 3; xcvii. 9; CXXXV. 5. -4 Ch. i. 10, 16, 22; v. 2, 7; xiv. 8, 18.- - 1 Sam. ii. 3; Neh. ix. 10, 16, 29; Job xl. H1, 12; Psa. xxxi. 23; cxix. 21; Lukei. 51. Deut. xii. 7; 1 Chron. xxix. 22; 1 Cor. x. 18, 21, 31. blesses God for the preservation of Moses, and next for the deliverance of the people from their bondage. Verse 11. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods] Some think that Jethro was now converted to the true God; but it is very probable that he enjoyed this blessing before he knew any thing of Moses, for it is not likely that Moses would have entered into an alliance with this family had they been heathens. Jethro no doubt had the true patriarchal religion. Wherein they dealt proudly] Acting as tyrants over the people of God; enslaving them in the most unprincipled manner, and still purposing more tyrannical acts. He was above them-he showed himself to be infinitely superior to all their gods, by the miracles which he wrought. Various translations have been given of this clause; the above I believe to be the sense. Verse 12. Jethro—took a burnt-offering] nhy olah. Though it be true that in the patriarchal times we read of a burnt-offering, (see Gen. xxii. 2, &c.,) yet we only read of one in the case of Isaac, and therefore, though this offering made by Jethro is not a decisive proof that the law relative to burnt-offerings, &c., had already been given, yet, taken with other circumstances in this account, it is a presumptive evidence that the meeting between Moses and Jethro took place after the erection of the tabernacle. See the note on ver. 5. Sacrifices for God] Da zebachim, slain beasts, as the word generally signifies. We have already seen that sacrifices were instituted by God himself as soon as sin entered into our world; and we see that they were continued and regularly practised among all the people who had the knowledge of the only true God, from that time until they became a legal establishment. Jethro, who was a priest, (chap. ii. 16,) had a right to offer these sacrifices; nor can there be a doubt of his being a worshipper of the true God, for those Kenites, from whom the Rechabites came, were descended See also Jer. xxxv. from him; 1 Chron. ii. 55. And Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread] The burnt-offering was wholly consumed; every part was considered as the Lord's portion, and Jethro's counsel to Moses on A. M. 2514. B. C. 1490. A. M. 2514. B. C. 1490. Ijar or Zif. 13 And it came to pass on another; and I do make them An. Exod. Isr. 2. the morrow, that Moses sat to know the statutes of God, and An. Exod. Isr. 2. Ijar or Zif. judge the people: and the people his laws. stood by Moscs from the morning unto the evening. Lev. xxiv. 12; Num. xv. 34.- - Chap. xxiii. 7; xxiv. 14; Deut. xvii. 8; 2 Sam. xv. 3; Job xxxi. 13; Acts xviii. 15; 1 Cor. vi. 1.- - Heb. a man and his fellow,- w Lev. xxiv. 15; Num. xv. 35; xxvii. 6, &c.; xxxvi. 6, 7, 8, 9. therefore it was entirely burnt up. The other sacrifices mentioned here were such that, after the blood had been poured out before God, the officers and assistants might feed on the flesh. Thus, in ancient times, contracts were made and covenants sealed; see the notes on Gen. xv, 13, &c. It is very likely, therefore, that the sacrifices offered on this occasion, were those on the flesh of which Aaron and the elders of Israel feasted with Jethro. Before God.] Before the tabernacle, where God dwelt; for it is supposed that the tabernacle was now erected. See on ver. 5; and see Deut. xii. 5-7, and 1 Chron. xxix. 21, 22, where the same form of speech, before the Lord, is used, and plainly refers to his manifested presence in the tabernacle. Verse 13. To judge the people] To hear and determine controversies between man and man, and to give them instruction in things appertaining to God. From the morning unto the evening.] Moses was obliged to sit all day, and the people were continually coming and going. 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 that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy 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 to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the cause unto God: teach them ordinances show them the way 20 And thou shalt and laws, and shalt * Heb. fading thou wilt fade. - Num. xi. 14, 17; Deut. i. 9, 12. Chap. iii. 12. Chap. iv. 16; xx. 19; Deut. v. 5. Num. xxvii. 5.- - Deut. iv. I, 5; v. 1; vi. 1, 2; vii. 11. d Psa. cxliii. 8. their patience must be soon necessarily worn out, as there is no one to hear every cause but thyself." Verse 19. I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee] Jethro seems to have been a man of great understanding and prudence. His advice to Moses was most appropriate and excellent; and it was probably given under the immediate inspiration of God, for after such sacrificial rites, and public acknowledgment of God, the prophetic spirit might be well expected to descend and rest upon him. God could have showed Moses the propriety and necessity of adopting such measures before, but he chose in this case to help man by man, and in the present instance a permanent basis was laid to consolidate the union of the two families, and prevent all future misunderstandings. Verse 20. Thou shalt teach them ordinances] D`pn chukkim, all such precepts as relate to the ceremonies of religion and political economy. hattoroth, the instructions relative to the whole system of morality. ,התורת,And laos And shalt show them the way] eth hadderech, THAT very WAY, that only way, which God himself has please him, and get their souls everlastingly saved. Verse 15. The people come unto me to inquire of God] To know the mind and will of God on the sub-revealed, and in which they should walk in order to ject of their inquiries. Moses was the mediator between God and the people; and as they believed that all justice and judgment must come from him, therefore they came to Moses to know what God had spoken. Verse 16. I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.] These words are so very particular that they leave little room for doubt that the law had been given. Such words would scarcely have been used had not the statutes and laws been then in existence. And this is one of the proofs that the transaction mentioned here stands out of its due chronological order; see on ver. 5. Verse 18. Thou wilt surely wear away] han ha nabol tibbol, in wearing away, thou wilt wear away by being thus continually employed, thou wilt soon become finally exhausted. And this people that is with thee; as if he had said, "Many of them are obliged to wait so long for the determination of their suit that And the work that they must do.] For it was not sufficient that they should know their duty both to God and man, but they must Do it too; ¡y yaasun, they must do it diligently, fervently, effectually; for the paragogic | nun deepens and extends the meaning of the verb. What a very comprehensive form of a preacher's duty does this verse exhibit! 1. He must instruct the people in the nature, use, and importance of the ordinances of religion. 2. He must lay before them the whole moral law, and their obligations to fulfil all its precepts. 3. He must point out to each his particular duty, and what is expected of him in his situation, connections, &c. And, 4. He must set them all their work, and see that they do it. On such a plan as this he will have full opportunity to show the people, 1. Their sin, ignorance, and folly; 2. The Moses hearkens to Jethro's counsel, CHAP. XVIII. and appoints judges over the people. A. M, 2514. B. C. 1490. An. Exod. Isr. 2. wherein they must walk, and to endure, and all this people the work that they must do. A. M. 2514. shall also go to ° their place in An. Exod. Isr. 2. 21 Moreover thou shalt provide peace. Ijar or Zif. voice of out of all the people fable men, such as fear 24 So Moses hearkened to the h i God, men of truth, hating covetousness; his father-in-law, and did all that he had and place such over them, to be rulers of said. thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens : 23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be "able Deut. i. 18.. Ver. 25; Deut. i. 15, 16; xvi. 18; 2 Chron. xix. 5-10; Acts vi. 3. Genesis xlii. 18; 2 Sam. xxiii. 3; 2 Chron. xix. 9.-h Ezek. xviii. 8. i Deut. xvi. 19. Ver. 26. Ver. 26; Lev. xxiv. 11; Num. xv. 33; xxvii. 2; xxxvi. pure and holy law which they have broken, and by which they are condemned; 3. The grace of God that bringeth salvation, by which they are to be justified and finally saved; and, 4. The necessity of showing their faith by their works; not only denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, but living soberly, righteously, | and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great-God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. 25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, 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. posed that there were 600 rulers of thousands, 6000 rulers of hundreds, 12,000 rulers of fifties and 60,000 rulers of tens; making in the whole 78,600 officers. But Josephus says (Antiq., lib. iii., chap. 4) that Moses, by the advice of Jethro, appointed rulers over myriads, and then over thousands; these he divided into five hundreds, and again into hundreds, and into fifties; and appointed rulers over each of these, who divided them into thirties, and at last into twenties and Verse 21. Able men] Persons of wisdom, discern-tens; that each of these companies had a chief, who ment, judgment, prudence, and fortitude; for who can took his name from the number of persons who were be a ruler without these qualifications? Such as fear God] Who are truly religious, without which they will feel little concerned either for the bodies or souls of the people. Men of truth] Honest and true in their own hearts and lives; speaking the truth, and judging according to the truth. under his direction and government. Allowing what Verse 23. If thou shalt do this thing, and God As Hating covetousness] Doing all for God's sake, and love to man; labouring to promote the general good; never perverting judgment, or suppressing the testimonies of God, for the love of money or through a base, man-pleasing spirit, but expecting their reward from the mercy of God in the resurrection of the just. Rulers of thousands, &c.] Millenaries, centurions, quinquagenaries, and decurions; each of these, in all probability, dependent on that officer immediately above himself. So the decurion, or ruler over ten, if he found a matter too hard for him, brought it to the quinquagenary, or ruler of fifty; if, in the course of the exercise of his functions, he found a cause too complicated for him to decide on, he brought it to the centurion, or ruler over a hundred. In like manner the centurion brought his difficult case to the millenary, Verse 27. And Moses let his father-in-law depart] or ruler over a thousand; the case that was too hard But if this be the same transaction with that mentioned for him to judge, he brought to Moses; and the case Num. x. 29, &c., we find that it was with great rethat was too hard for Moses, he brought immediately luctance that Moses permitted so able a counsellor to to God. It is likely that each of these classes had a leave him; for, having the highest opinion of his judg-. court composed of its own members, in which causes ment, experience, and discretion, he pressed him to were heard and tried. Some of the rabbins have sup-stay with them, that he might be instead of eyes to |