Moses pleads for the people.

CHAP. XXXIII.

God's presence to go with them. 10 And all the people saw | found grace in thy sight, show A. M. 2513. An. Exod. Isr. 1. the cloudy pillar, stand at the mẹ now thy way, that I may An. Exod. Isr. 1. Ab. tabernacle door and all the peo- know thee, that I may find

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11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

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14 And he said, a My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

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15 And he said unto him, e If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 16 For wherein shall it be known here that 12 And Moses said unto the LORD, See, I and thy people have found grace in thy thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? and thou hast not let me know whorn thou so shall we be separated, I and thy people, wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I from all the people that are upon the face of know thee by name, and thou hast also found the earth. grace in my sight.

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17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will

13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if Ì have do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for

Chap. iv. 31.— Gen. xxxii. 30; Num. xii. 8; Deut. xxxiv. 10. Chap. xxiv. 13. Chap. xxxii. 34.- Verse 17; Gen. xviii. 19; Psa. i. 6; Jer. i. 5; John x. 14, 15; 2 Tim. ii. 19. Ch. xxxiv. 9. Psa. xxv. 4; xxvii. 11; lxxxvi. 11; cxix. 33.29; Joel ii, 17.

z Deut. ix. 26, Verse 11. The Lord spake unto Moses face to face] That there was no personal appearance here we may readily conceive; and that the communications made by God to Moses were not by visions, ecstacies, dreams, inward inspirations, or the mediation of angels, is sufficiently evident we may therefore consider the passage as implying that familiarity and confidence with which the Divine Being treated his servant, and that he spake with him by articulate sounds in his own language, though no shape or similitude was then to be seen, Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man] There is a difficulty here. Joshua certainly was not a young man in the literal sense of the word; "but he was called so," says Mr. Ainsworth, "in respect of his service, not of his years; for he was now above fifty years old, as may be gathered from Josh. xxiv. 29. But because ministry and service are usually by the younger sort, all servants are called young men, Gen. xiv. 24." See also Gen. xxii. 3, and xli. 12. Perhaps the word naar, here translated young man, means a single person, one unmarried.

Verse 12. Moses said unto the Lord] We may suppose that after Moses had quitted the tabernacle he went to the camp, and gave the people some general information relative to the conversation he lately had with the Lord; after which he returned to the tabernacle or tent, and began to plead with God, as we find in this and the following verses.

Thou hast not let me know, &c.] As God had said he would not go up with this people, Moses wished to know whom he would send with him, as he had only said, in general terms, that he would send an angel.

Verse 13. Show me now thy way]. Let me know the manner in which thou wouldst have this people led up and governed, because this nation is thy people, and should be governed and guided in thy own way.

Verse 14. My presence shall go with thee] 15 panai yelechu, my faces shall go. I shall give thee

a

Chapter xiii. 21; xl. 34-38; Isa. lxiii. 9.- b Deut. iii. 20; Josh. xxi. 44; xxii. 4; xxiii. 1; Psa. xcv. 11.- c Ver. 3; chap. xxxiv. 9.- d Num. xiv. 14.- Le Chap. xxxiv. 10; Deut. iv. 7, 34; 2 Sam. vii. 23; 1 Kings viii. 53; Psa. cxlvii. 20.f Gen. xix. 21; James v. 16.

manifestations of my grace and goodness through the whole of thy journey. I shall vary my appearances for thee, as thy necessities shall require.

Verse 15. If thy presence go not]

im ein paneycha holechim, if thy faces do not go-if we have not manifestations of thy peculiar providence and grace, carry us not up hence. Without supernatural assistance, and a most particular providence, he knew that it would be impossible either to govern such a people, or support them in the desert; and therefore he wishes to be well assured on this head, that he may lead them up with confidence, and be able to give them the most explicit assurances of support and protection. But by what means should these manifestations take place? This question seems to be answered by the Prophet Isaiah, chap. lxiii, 9: In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the Angel of his presence (VD panaiv, of his faces) saved them. So we find that the goodness and mercy of God were to be manifested by the Angel of the Covenant, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah; and this is the interpretation which the Jews themselves give.of this place. Can any person lead men to the typical Canaan, who is not himself influenced and directed by the Lord? And of what use are all the means of grace, if not crowned with the presence and blessing of the God of Israel? It is on this ground that Jesus Christ hath said, Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am in the midst of them, Matt. xviii. 20; without which, what would preachings, prayers, and even SACRAMENTS avail?

Verse 16. So shall we be separated] By having this Divine protection we shall be saved from idolatry, and be preserved in thy truth and in the true worshipping of thee; and thus shall we be separated from all the people that are upon the face of the earth: as all the nations of the world, the Jews only excepted, were at this time idolaters.

Verse 17. I will do this thing also] My presence

The Lord promises to

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21 And the LORD said, Behold,

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18 And he said, I beseech thee, show me there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand h thy glory.

19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee, and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show

upon a rock:

22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:

23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back. parts: but my face 20 And he said, Thou canst not see my shall not be seen.

mercy.

Ver. 12. h Ver. 20; 1 Timothy vi. 16.- iChap. xxxiv. 5, 6, 7; Jer. xxxi. 14. k Romans ix. 15, 16, 18.- Romans iv. 4, 16.

shall go with thee, and I will keep thee separate from all the people of the earth. Both these promises have been remarkably fulfilled. God continued miraculously with them till he brought them into the promised land; and from the day in which he brought them out of Egypt to the present day, he has kept them à distinct, unmixed people! Who can account for this on any principle but that of a continual especial providence, and a constant Divine interference ? The Jews have ever been a people fond of money; had they been mingled with the people of the earth among whom they have been scattered, their secular interests would have been greatly promoted by it; and they who have sacrificed every thing besides to their love of money, on this point have been incorruptible! They chose in every part of their dispersions rather to be a poor, despised, persecuted people, and continue separate from all the people of the earth, than to enjoy ease and affluence by becoming mixed with the nations. For what great purposes must God be preserving this people! for it does not appear that any moral principle binds them together they seem lost to this; and yet in opposition to their interests, for which in other respects they would sacrifice every thing, they are still kept distinct from all the people of the earth; for this an especial providence alone can account.

m Gen, xxxii. 30; Deut. v. 24; Judg. vi. 22; xiii. 22; Isa. vi. 5; Rev. i. 16, 17; see chap. xxiv, 10.- n Isa. ii. 21.- D Psa. xci. 1, 4.-P Ver. 20; John i. 18.

flesh. This appearance did take place, for we find God putting him into a cleft of the rock, covering hin with his hand, and passing by in such a way as to exhibit a human similitude. John may have had this in view when he said, The Word was made flesh, and dwell AMONG US, full of grace and truth, and WE BE HELD HIS GLORY. What this glory was, and what was implied by this grace and truth, we shall see in the succeeding chapter.

Verse 19. I will make all my goodness pass before thee] Thou shalt not have a sight of my justice, for thou couldst not bear the infinite splendour of my purity: but I shall show myself to thee as the fountain of inexhaustible compassion, the sovereign Dispenser of my own mercy in my own way, being gracious to whom I will be gracious, and showing mercy on whom I will show mercy.

I will proclaim the name of the Lord.] See the note, chap. xxxiv. 6.

Verse 20. No man see me, and live.] The splen, dour would be insufferable to man; he only, whose mortality is swallowed up of life, can see God as he is. See 1 John iii. 2. From some disguised relation of the circumstances mentioned here, the fable of Jupiter and Semele was formed; she is reported to have entreated Jupiter to show her his glory, who was at first very reluctant, knowing that it would be fatal to her; but at last, yielding to her importunity, he discovered his divine majesty, and she was consumed by his presence. This story is told by Ovid in his Metamorphoses, book iii., fable iii., 5.

Verse 18. Show me thy glory] Moses probably desired to see that which constitutes the peculiar glory or excellence of the Divine nature as it stands in reference to man. By many this is thought to signify his eternal mercy in sending Christ Jesus into the world. Moses perceived that what God was now doing had the most important and gracious designs which at present he could not distinctly discover; therefore he desires God to show him his glory. God graciously promises to indulge him in this request as far as possible, by proclaiming his name, and making all his goodness pass before him, ver. 19. But at the same time he assures him that he could not see his face the fulness of his perfections and the grandeur of his designs, and live, as no human being could bear, in the present state, this full discovery. But he adds, Thou shalt see my back parts, " ♫ eth achorai, probably meaning that appearance which he should assume in after times, when it should be said, God is manifest in the we can scarcely pretend to say, in any precise man

Verse 21. Behold, there is a place by me] There seems to be a reference here to a well-known place on the mount where God was accustomed to meet with Moses. This was a rock; and it appears there was a cleft or cave'in it, in which Moses was to stand while the Divine Majesty was pleased to show him all that human nature was capable of bearing but this appears to have referred more to the counsels of his mercy and goodness, relative to his purpose of redeem ing the human race, than to any visible appearance of the Divine Majesty itself. See on ver. 18.

1. THE Conclusion of this chapter is very obscure :

ner, what it means; and it is very probable that the whole concerned Moses alone. He was in great perplexity and doubt; he was afraid that God was about to abandon this people; and he well knew that if he did so, their destruction must be the consequence. He had received general directions to decamp, and lead the people towards the promised land; but this was accompanied with a threat that Jehovah would not go with them. The prospect that was before him was exceedingly gloomy and discouraging; and it was rendered the more so because God predicted their persevering stiff-neckedness, and gave this as one reason why he would not go up among them, for their provocations would be so great and so frequent that his justice would be so provoked as to break through in a moment and consume them. Moses, well knowing that God must have some great and important designs in delivering them and bringing them thus far, earnestly entreated him to give him some discovery of it, that his own mind might be satisfied. God mercifully condescends to meet his wishes in such a way as no doubt gave him full satisfaction; but as this referred to himself alone, the circumstances are not related, as probably they could be of no farther use to us than the mere gratifying of a principle of curiosity.

two new tables of stone

God of Israel, the Saviour! One point we see here very plainly, that while the people continued obstinate and rebellious, that presence of God by which his approbation was signified could not be manifested among them; and yet, without his presence to guide, protect, and provide for them, they could neither go up nor be saved. This presence is promised, and on the fulfilment of the promise the safety of Israel depended. The Church of God is often now in such a state that the approbation of God cannot be manifested in it; and yet if his presence were wholly withdrawn, truth would fall in the streets, equity go backward, and the Church must become extinct. How have the seeds of light and life been preserved during the long, dark, and cold periods when error was triumphant, and the pure worship of God adulterated by the impurities of idolatry and the thick darkness of superstition, by the presence of his endless mercy, preserving his own truth in circumstances in which he could not show his approbation! He was with the Church in the wilder ness, and preserved the living oracles, kept alive the heavenly seeds, and is now showing forth the glory of those designs which before he concealed from mankind. He cannot er because he is infinitely wise; he can do nothing that is unkind, because he delight2. On some occasions to be kept in the dark is as eth in mercy. We, as yet, see only through a glass instructive as to be brought into the light. In many darkly; by and by we shall see face to face. The eases those words of the prophet are strictly applica-Lord's presence is with his people; and those who blc Verily, thou art a God who HIDEST THYSELF, O trust in him have confident rest in his mercy.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

The

Moses is commanded to hew two tables similar to the first, and bring them up to the mount, to get the covenant renewed, 1-3. He prepares the tables and goes up to meet the Lord, 4. The Lord descends, and proclaims his name JEHOVAH, 5. What this name signifies, 6, 7. Moses worships and intercedes, 8, 9. Lord promises to renew the covenant, work miracles among the people, and drive out the Canaanites, &c., 10, 11. No covenant to be made with the idolatrous nations, but their altars and images to be destroyed, 12-15. No matrimonial alliances to be contracted with them, 16. The Israelites must have no molten gods, 17. The commandment of the feast of unleavened bread, and of the sanctification of the first-born, renewed, 18-20; as also that of the Sabbath, and the three great annual feasts, 21-23. The promise that the surrounding nations shall not invade their territories, while all the males were at Jerusalem celebrating the annual feasts, 24. Directions concerning the passover, 25; and the first-fruils, 26. Moses is commanded to write all these words, as containing the covenant which God had now renewed with the Israelites, 27. Moses, being forty days with God without eating or drinking, writes the words of the covenant; and the Lord writes the ten commandments upon the tables of stone, 28. Moses descends with the tables; his face shines, 29. Aaron and the people are afraid to approach him, because of his glorious appearance, 30. Moses delivers to them the covenant and commandments of the Lord; and puts a veil over his face while he is speaking, 31-33, but takes it off when he goes to minister before the Lord, 31, 35.

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AND

ND the LORD said unto Mo-I will write upon these tables

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a Hew thee two tables the words that were in the first An. Exod. Isr. 1, of stone like unto the first; and tables, which thou brakest,

Chap. xxxii. 16, 19; Deut. x. 1.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXXIV. Verse 1. Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first] In chap. xxxii, 16 we are told that the two first tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God; but here Moses is commanded to provide tables of his own workmanship, and God promises to write on them the words which were on the

Ver. 28; Deut. x. 2, 4.

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first. That God wrote the first tables himself, see
proved by different passages of Scripture at the end
But here, in ver. 27, it seems as if
of chap. xxxii.
Moses was commanded to write these words, and in
ver. 28 it is said, And he wrote upon the tables; but
in Deut. x. 1-4 it is expressly said that God wrote
the second tables as well as the first,

2 And be ready in the morn unto the first; and Moses rose An. Exod. Isr. 1. ing, and come up in the morning up early in the morning, and An. Exod. Isr. 1. unto Mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. 3 And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.

4 And he hewed two tables of stone like 6 And the LORD passed by before him, and

Jehovah interprets his name.

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proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD third and to the fourth geneAn. Exod. Isr. 1. God, merciful and gracious, ration.

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long-suffering, and abundant in 8 And Moses made haste, and goodness and truth, m bowed his head toward the earth, and wor

h

7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving shipped. iniquity and transgression and sin, and that 9 And he said, If now I have found grace will by no means clear the guilty; visiting in thy sight, O LORD, let my Lord, I pray the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, thee, go among us; for it is a stiff-necked and upon the children's children, unto the and pardon our iniquity and our

Num. xiv. 18; 2 Chron. xxx. 9; Neh. ix. 17; Psa. lxxxvi. 15; cii. 8; cxi. 4; cxii. 4; cxvi. 5; cxlv. 8; Joel ii. 13. Psalm xxxi. 19; Romans ii. 4.- h Psalm lvii. 10; cviii. 4. iChapter xx. 6; Deut. v. 10; Psalm lxxxvi. 15; Jer. xxxii. 18;

people;

from whom all wisdom and knowledge must be derived. 9. NOTSER CHESED, the preserver of bounti fulness; he whose beneficence never ends, keeping mercy for thousands of generations, showing compassion and mercy while the world endures. 10. y

on Nose avon vaphesha vechattaah, he who bears away iniquity and transgression and sin: properly, the REDEEMER, the Pardoner, the Forgiver; the Being whose prerogative alone it is to forgive sin and save the soul. p (1) NAKKEн lo yenakkeh, the righteous Judge, who distributes justice with an impartial hand, with whom no innocent person can ever be condemned. And, 11. p POKED avon, &c.; he who visits iniquity, who punishes transgressors, and from whose justice no sinner can escape. The God of retributive and vindictive justice.

ing chapter, 18th verse,) and God promised to proclaim or fully declare the name JEHOVAH, (verse 19;) by which proclamation or interpretation Moses should see how God would "be gracious to whom he would be gracious," and how he would "be merciful to those to whom he would show mercy." Here therefore God fulfils that promise by proclaiming this name. It has long been a question, what is the meaning of the word MJEHOVAH, Yehovah, Yehue, Yehveh, or Yeve, Jeue, Jao, Iao, Jhueh, and Jove'; for it has been as variously pronounced as it has been differently interpreted. Some have maintained that it is utterly inexplicable; these of course have offered no mode of interpretation. Others say that it implies the essence of the Divine nature. Others, that it expresses the doctrine of the Trinity connected with the incarnation; the letter yod standing for the Father, he for the Son, and 1 vau (the connecting particle) for the Holy Spirit; and they add that the he being repeated in the word, signifies the human nature united to the Divine in the incarnation. These speculations are calculated to give very little satisfaction. How strange is it that none Verse 7. That will by no means clear the guilty] of these learned men have discovered that God him- This last clause is rather difficult; literally translated self interprets this name in verses 6 and 7 of this it signifies, in clearing he will not clear. But the Sa- . chapter! "And the Lord passed by before him, and maritan, reading 1 lo, to him, instead of the native proclaimed YEHOVAH the LORD GOD, merciful lo, not, renders the clause thus With whom the and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty." These words contain the proper interpretation of the venerable and glorious name JEHOVAH. But it will be necessary to consider them in detail.

The different names in this and the following verse have been considered as so many attributes of the Divine nature. Commentators divide them into eleven, thus:1. JEHOVAH. 2. EL, the strong or mighty God.

These eleven attributes, as they have been termed, are all included in the name JEHOVAH, and are, as we have before seen, the proper interpretation of it; but the meaning of several of these words has been variously understood.

innocent shall be innocent ; i..e., an innocent or holy person shall never be treated as if he were a transgressor, by this just and holy God. The Arabic version has it, He justifies and is not justified; and the Septuagint is nearly as our English text, kai ov kafapiel Tov evoxov, and he doth not purify the guilty. The Alexandrian copy of the Septuagint, edited by Dr. Grabe, has και τον ενοχον καθαρισμῳ ου καθαριεί, and the guilty he will not cleanse with a purification-offering. The Coptic is to the same purpose. The Vulgate is a paraphrase: nullusque apud te per se innocens est," and no person is innocent by or of himself before thee." This gives a sound theologic sense, stating a great truth, That no man can make an atonement for his own sins, or purify his own heart; and that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

3. DIN RACHUM, the merciful Being, who is full of tenderness and compassion. 4. n CHANNUN, the gracious One; he whose nature is goodness itself; the loving God. 5. DN 7 ERECH APPAYIM, long-suffering; the Being who, because of his goodness and tenderness, is not easily irritated, but suffers long and is kind. 6. RAB, the great or Verse 9. O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go mighty One. 7. 10 CHESED, the bountiful Being; he among us] The original is not Jehovah, but '178 who is exuberant in his beneficence. 8. NON EMETH, Adonai in both these places, and seems to refer partithe truth or true One; he alone who can neither de-cularly to the Angel of the Covenant, the Messiah ceive nor be deceived, who is the fountain of truth, and See the note on Gen. xv. 8.