words here signify strictly thus: and my 2 words, without sense. But if it be allowed, Ver. 2, 3, 4. that the verb now passive is corrupted from אֵלָיו אֲנִי יְהוָה : 3 וָאֵרָא אֶל־אַבְרָהָם ,the active, signifying notum feci, manifestari אֶל־יִצְחָק וְאֶל־יַעֲקֹב בְּאֵל שַׁדַּי וּשְׁמִי exactly [הודעתי from נודעתי] probatum dedi יְהוָה לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם: : וְגַם הֲקִמֹתִי 4 as well as in the syr. and Vulg.; then there אֶת־בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם לָתֵת לָהֶם אֶת־אֶרֶץ arises this sense-that the Deity had often כְּנָעַן אֵת אֶרֶץ מִגְרֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר־גָּרוּ בָהּ : Con expressed by conλwoa in the Greek version, 2 ἐλάλησε δὲ ὁ θεὸς πρὸς Μωυσῆν, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν. ἐγὼ κύριος. 3 καὶ ὤφθην προς Αβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακώβ, θεὸς ὢν αὐτῶν· kaì тò ővoμá pov kúpios oùk édýλwσa avrois. 4 καὶ ἔστησα τὴν διαθήκην μου πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ὥστε δοῦναι αὐτοῖς τὴν γῆν τῶν Χαναναίων, τὴν γῆν, ἣν παρῳκήκασιν, ἐν ᾗ καὶ παρῴκησαν ÉT AUTηs. 5 Kai éyò elσýkovσa tòv σTevayμόν τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, ὃν οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι καταδουλοῦνται αὐτούς. καὶ ἐμνήσθην τῆς διαθήκης ὑμῶν. Au. Ver.-2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD [or, Jehovah]: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. 4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. 5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. appeared to the patriarchs as a God of power, Ged.-2 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, I did not manifest. 4 Yet with them I 3 But my name IEVE to them I did not 3 Ken.-1 appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of GoD ALMIGHTY; but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. The word Jehovah is found in Gen. ii. 4; and often in the same book afterwards. Moses affirms, that this name was used by Eve: iv. 1. He also affirms (xii. 8) that Abraham called upon the name of Jehovah: and the first address to GOD, which Moses has recorded of Abraham (xv. 2), begins with this name. See, as to Isaac and Jacob, xxvii. 27 and xxviii. 13. Now, if we could suppose, that Moses in all these places wrote by a prolepsis; and used a name known to himself, though not Booth.-Again Jehovah [Sam. version, known to these earlier fathers: yet it must MSS.] spoke to Moses, and said to him, I be granted, that Abraham was actually ac- am Jehovah; 3 And I appeared to Abraquainted with this word; because (in xxii. 14) ham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name he called the name of a place Jehovah-jireh. of God, the Almighty; but by my name Observe also carefully, that the Hebrew JEHOVAH was I not known to them. 4 Yet with them I established my covenant, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they dwelt only as sojourners. that it was revealed to our first parents, at the same time that God breathed into them the breath of life. For as soon as Eve brought forth her first-born, she saith, "I have gotten a man from the Lord" (Gen. iv. 1), which name descended in a perpetual succession from Seth to Abraham; who, when he went by God's direction out of his own country into Canaan, the Lord appeared to him there, and there he built an altar to the Lord (Gen. xii. 7, 8). And it is to be noted, that he doth not say to Moses in this place, my name Jehovah was not known to them; but I was not known to them by this name. That is, by that which it imports; Pool.-Quest. How is this true, when God was known to them, and called by the name Jehovah? Gen. xv. 7; xxvi. 24, &c. Answ. 1. He speaks not of the letters or syllables, but of the thing signified by that name. For that denotes all his perfections, and, amongst others, the eternity, constancy, and immutability of his nature and will, and the infallible certainty of his word and promises. And this, saith he, though it was believed by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, yet it was not experimentally known to them; for they only saw the promises afar off, viz., the giving being (as we may say) to his Heb. xi. 13. Answ. 2. This negative ex- promises by the actual performance of them, pression may be understood comparatively, i.e., by bringing them into the land of as many others are, as Gen. xxxii. 29; Canaan, and, in order to it, delivering them Matt. ix. 13; 1 Cor. i. 17: q. d., They knew out of Egypt. Both which he had prothis but darkly and imperfectly, which will mised in the forenamed chapter (Gen. now be made known more clearly and fully. xv. 14, 18), and now intended to make Bishop Patrick.-3 God Almighty.] Or, good. And thus R. Solomon interprets this God all-sufficient, as the word El-shaddai place, as P. Fagius notes, I have promised, may be interpreted (see Gen. xvii. 1). God but have not yet performed. infinite in power and goodness of which he gave their fathers abundant proofs by delivering them in many and great straits. ; not then know that this was one of the names of God; but that all who blasphemed him should be confuted by sensible proofs which he would give, of his own unchangeable resolution to fulfil his promises, in bringing them out of Babylon; which fully demonstrated that he was Jehovah. The like expression we find in the prophet Isaiah, as Theodoric Hackspan hath observed (Disput. de Nominibus Divinis, n. 15), But by my name Jehovah was I not known Isa. lii. 5, 6, where the Lord saith, "My to them.] This name of four letters, as the name is blasphemed every day continually :Jews speak, is by the ancients called the therefore my people shall know my name ineffable name: for they would never pro- therefore they shall know in that day that nounce it. Not because they could not, I am he that doth speak; behold, it as Drusius well observes (lib. i. Observat., is I." cap. 1); Sed quod religione et evλaßeia Which cannot signify that the Jews did quadam ab eo efferendo abstinerent, "but because out of a religious reverence they abstained from it." And this respect to it all the ancient interpreters observe, even St. Jerome himself: though in several of the ancient fathers (as Irenæus, Clem. Alexandrinus, Epiphanius, and Theodoret), and in some of the ancient heathens (as Macrobius and Diodorus Siculus), it is expressed by Jaho, and 'Iaw as the Greeks write it. Which name (however it be pronounced), some of the Jews imagine, was concealed till Moses's time, who was the first to whom it was revealed. But this is evidently false, as appears from the whole book of Genesis; and particularly from xv. 7, where (before he calls himself El shaddai) he saith to Abraham, "I am Jehovah which brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees." In short, the opinion of Reuchlinus (in his Verb. Mirificum) is far more justifiable; which is, Which word, some think, includes in it, not only his eternal existence and immutable truth, but his omnipotent power, which gave being to all things. The last of which was now made known, so as it had never been to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for Moses was the first that wrought miracles and prodigies: God was known to the fathers by visions and dreams, but not by signs and wonders. Moses made him known by these unto the world. And therefore, upon the whole, Maimonides well concludes from this place, that the prophetical spirit on Moses was more excellent than that which had been JEHOVAH יהוה upon any before him (More Nev., par. ii., JEHOVAH he was not known unto them? cap. 35). Several answers have been given to this 4 And I have also, &c.] The Hebrew question; the following are the chief: 1. The word vegam may be better translated al- words should be read interrogatively, for the though. Which makes a clear connexion of negative particle , lo, not, has this power this verse with the former, and explains the often in Hebrew. "I appeared unto Abrameaning of the name Jehovah. By which him, Isaac, and Jacob, by the name of God he was not known in former times, although Almighty, and by my name Jehovah was I he had made a covenant with Abraham, not also made known unto them?" 2. The Isaac, and Jacob, to give them the land of name JEHOVAH was not revealed before the Canaan; and often ratified, confirmed (and time mentioned here, for though it occurs established, as he here speaks), this covenant so frequently in the book of Genesis, as (Gen. xvii. 7, 8; xxvi. 3, 4, &c.). But now that book was written long after the name he not only declares himself mindful of that had come into common use, as a principal covenant (ver. 5), but, because he was the characteristic of God, Moses employs it in Lord (ver. 6), would deliver them from the his history because of this circumstance; so Egyptian bondage, and that with a mira- that whenever it appears previously to this, culous power. Which should make them it is by the figure called prolepsis or anticiknow more of him than their fathers did pation. 3. As the name (ver. 7), both by his delivering them out of signifies existence, it may be understood in Egypt, and by bringing them into the land the text in question thus: “I appeared unto which he swore he would give to their Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by my name fathers (ver. 8). God Almighty, or God All-sufficient, i.e., This is the sense of these five verses. having all power to do all good; in this The land of their pilgrimage, &c.] So it character I made a covenant with them, is often called, when he speaks to Abraham supported by great and glorious promises; (Gen. xvii. 8), and so Isaac calls it (xxviii. 4), but as those promises had respect unto their and Jacob also (xxxvii. 1). And so it might posterity, they could not be fulfilled to those be called, not only with respect to Abraham, fathers; but now, as JEHOVAH, I am about Isaac, and Jacob, but also to their posterity: to give existence to all those promises relative because of the near union that is between fathers and children. Thus God is said to have given to these three patriarchs (as the famous primate Usher observes) the land of Canaan for an inheritance (Ps. cv. 11), which was not fulfilled to them, but to their posterity. And as the possession of posterity is attributed to the fathers, so, upon the same ground, he thinks, the peregrination of the fathers is attributed here to the children (Chronol. Sacra, cap. viii.). to your support, deliverance from bondage, and your consequent settlement in the promised land." 4. The words may be considered as used comparatively: though God did appear to those patriarchs as JEHOVAH, and they acknowledged him by this name, yet it was but comparatively known unto them; they knew nothing of the power and goodness of God, in comparison of what the Israelites were now about to expe rience. Dr. A. Clarke.-But by my name JEHOVAH I believe the simple meaning is this, that was I not known to them.] This passage has though from the beginning the name Jɛbeen a sort of crux criticorum, and has been HOVAH was known as one of the names of variously explained. It is certain that the the Supreme Being, yet what it really imname Jehovah was in use long before the plied they did not know. ", El-Shaddai, days of Abraham, see Gen. ii. 4, where the God All-sufficient, they knew well by the words Jehovah Elohim occur, continual provision he made for them, and as they do frequently afterwards; and see the constant protection he afforded them: Gen. xv. 2, where Abraham expressly ad- but the name JEHOVAH is particularly dresses him by the name Adonai JEHOVAH; to be referred to the accomplishment of proand see the seventh verse, where God reveals mises already made; to the giving them a himself to Abraham by this very name. being, and thus bringing them into existence, And he said unto him, I am JEHOVAH, that which could not have been done in the brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees. order of his providence sooner than here How then can it be said that by his name specified: this name therefore in its power and significancy was not known unto them; nor fully known unto their descendants till the deliverance from Egypt and the settlement in the promised land. Rosen. 2, 3 Quæ jam sequuntur contigisse credibile est aliquod tempus postquam quæ in iis, quæ proxime præcedunt relata sunt, Deus ad Mosen loquutus esset. Repetita solenni promissione de populo certe liberando Mosis animum confirmare voluit Deus, ut quæ ipsi injungeret intrepide exsequeretur. 3 Et apparui Abrahamo, Isaaco, et Jacobo nomine Dei omnipotentis, sed nomine meo (est enim ante repetendum 17 præmissum), Jora non eram cognitus iis. Hoc dicit: majoribus tuis omnipotentem me esse declaravi, sed constantem, et promissa, quæ illis dedi de terra Cananæa ab eorum posteris occupanda, opere complentem illi me non sunt experti. Non hoc vult, nomen fuisse majoribus Mosis plane incognitum et inauditum, sed quod nomine eo significatur nondum eos conspexisse. Quemadmodum apud scrip Ver. 6. Au. Ver.-6 Wherefore say unto the Ver. 9. Au. Ver.-9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish [Heb. shortness, or, straitness] of spirit, and for cruel bondage. After this verse Geddes and Boothroyd supply from the Sam., "but said to him, Let us alone, and let us serve the Egyptians; for it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in a wilderness." Compare also xiv. 12. Ver. 10. Au. Ver. And the Lord, &c. Ver. 12. ἐγὼ δὲ ἄλογός εἰμι. Au. Ver.-12 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 uncircumcised lips? Who am of uncircumcised lips. [So the Heb.] Ged.-Ineloquent as I am. tores sacros vocari interdum idem est ac esse, ita hic ei indicari nomen negatur, cui subjecta nomini potestas re ipsa nondum aperitur. De eo sensu vocis vocari, vid. Jes. ix. 6, ubi vocabitur admirandus, perinde est ac erit. Vid. et lvi. 7; Luc. xix. 46. Pariter in posterum Dei nomen futurum dicitur Jehova pro eo quod est, Deus est quod eo nomine exprimitur præstiturus. Hinc apud prophetas frequenter legimus, nomen ejus est Jova, ut sit id quod eo Booth. As I have not a ready utterance. nomine significatur. Vid. Jes. xlii. 5, sqq. Bp. Patrick. His being of uncircumcised xlviii. 2; Jer. xvi. 21, al. Itaque priscum lips signifies no more than that he was an ill Dei nomen,, quod constat jam antea speaker, and wanted eloquence; it being the usitatum fuisse, vid. e. c. Gen. xv. 7; manner of the Hebrews to call those parts xxii. 14, inde ab eo tempore quo Moses uncircumcised, which are inept to the use for missus est, novam et specialiorem vim est which they were designed, and cannot do nactum, nempe significationem relativam, in their office. Thus Jeremy saith of the qua opus spectatur, ad quod peragendum Jews, that their "ear was uncircumcised;" Deus tunc accederet. Initium hujus operis, and adds the explication, "they cannot a quo Jova dicitur, ponitur in eductione hearken" (Jer. vi. 10). In like manner populi Hebræi ex Ægypto, qua præstanda uncircumcised lips are lips that cannot utter quoniam Deus opus promissum actu suscipit, words; as "uncircumcised in heart" (Jer. se demonstrat ut Jovam, qui patriarchis ix. 26) are such as cannot understand. modo innotuerat ut Deus omnipotens, Stephen puts both together, " uncircumcised Cf. verba Dei Gen. xvii. 1; xxxv. 11; et in heart and ears" (Acts vii. 51). Perhaps ea loca, quibus patriarchæ loquentes indu- Moses thought it some disparagement to cuntur, Gen. xxviii. 3, 4; xliii. 14; xlviii. 3; him, that he was not able himself to deliver xlix. 25. Vs. 4 et 5, disertius exponit, his mind in a handsome manner to Pharaoh; quomodo se re ipsa talem sit præstiturus, and therefore mentions this again, to move cui nomen stabilitatem et constantiam in- the Divine Majesty to circumcise his lips (as dicans sit proprium. they spake), that is, remove this impediment. St. 14 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. Lord having given him Aaron to supply his defect, he ought to be satisfied therewith, and go with him, and renew his address, both to the children of Israel, and also to Pharaoh. So these words have respect to both parts of the foregoing objection. Rosen.-Et ego sum incircumcisus labiis, | Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a i. e., p. gravis loquela, uti vertit On-charge unto the children of Israel, and unto kelos. Quid sibi hæc phrasis velit, colligere Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children est ex Mosis excusatione, quæ est supra of Israel out of the land of Egypt. iv. 10. Non videtur ullam styli infacundiam significare, sed potius balbutiem ortam ex eo, quod labia aut loquendi organa minus apte ad usum disposita haberet. Kimchi in radice asserit, omne superfluum et Bp. Patrick.-13 And the Lord spake onerosum, quod abjici debeat et amoveri, unto Moses and unto Aaron.] Here is no appellari præputium, additque, balbo express answer made to his objection, but onera esse verba, quæ profert, cumque verba it seems to be included in God's speaking superflua proferre, donec id, quid velit pro-to Moses and to Aaron; whereas before he ferre, poterit. Magis verisimilis est Clerici had spoken only to Moses (ver. 1, 10). And sententia, phrasin inde esse repetendam, it is likely Moses was admonished, that the quod Mosi nascenti, cum Ægyptii infantes Hebræos masculi sexus occidendos investigarent, linguam fuisse inferiori parte conjunctam, nec satis, præ chirurgi inopia, separatam a parentibus, aut forte etiam id vitii non fuisse animadversum. "Ut necessaria incisio infanti recens nato potest vocari in sectio linguæ, àñò тоû, quod non magis circumcidere, quam incidere sonat, sic is metaphorice dici potest, cui non est incisa illa pellicula, qua lingua ori adhæret. Celsus de Medicina, 1. vii., cap. 12., § 4, Lingua quibusdam cum subjecta parte a primo natali die conjuncta est, qui ob id ne loqui quidem possunt (nisi, nempe, mature curentur). Horum extrema lingua, vulsella adprehendenda est, sub eaque membrana incidenda, et plerique quidem, ubi consanuerunt, loquuntur." Ceterum iterata de sua balbutie excusatione innuere voluit Moses, se non sua sponte hoc negotium suscepisse, sed animo valde reluctante. Gave them a charge unto the children of Israel.] He laid his commands upon them, strictly requiring them to obey him. Which is a higher expression than we meet with before in the foregoing injunctions (either in ver. 6, or 11), and makes me think this verse is not a mere recapitulation of what had been said, as some take it; but an enforcement of what he had before commanded. Unto Pharaoh-to bring the children of Israel out of the land.] I suppose he now gave them authority to threaten him, if he did not obey. 13 And the Lord spake. Ged. Now when the Lord spoke, &c. Ged., Booth. These were, &c. So also Geddes and Boothroyd include verses 13 verse of the next chapter should follow בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן בְּכָר יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲנוֹךְ וּפָלוּא .ver. 12 of this חֶצְרָן וְכַרְמִי אֵלֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹת רְאוּבֵן : IT It is evident that the thread of the narration is here interrupted; and that the first εἶπε δὲ κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν καὶ ̓Ααρών, καὶ συνέταξεν αὐτοῖς πρὸς Φαραὼ βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου, ὥστε ἐξαποστεῖλαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου. 14 καὶ οὗτοι ἀρχηγοὶ οἴκων πατριῶν αὐτῶν. υἱοὶ Ῥουβὴν πρωτοτόκου Ἰσραὴλ. Ενώχ, καὶ Φαλλοὺς, ̓Ασρων, καὶ Χαρμεί. αὕτη ἡ συγγένεια Ρουβήν. What is included in a incidental fragment from the genealogical parenthesis, then, may be considered as an records, introduced for the sole purpose, it should seem, of showing who Moses and Aaron were; and therefore the author, after slightly mentioning the elder tribes of Reuben and Simeon, giveth a detailed account of the descendants of Levi, and then Au. Ver.-13 And the LORD spake unto stops short.--Geddes. |