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           Title: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
      Creator(s): Jamieson, Robert
     Print Basis: 1871
          Rights: Public Domain
   CCEL Subjects: All; Bible; Proofed
      LC Call no: BS491.J3
     LC Subjects:

                  The Bible

                  Works about the Bible
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset, and David Brown

   1871
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   INTRODUCTION
   TO THE PENTATEUCH AND HISTORICAL BOOKS
   by Robert Jamieson

   The Pentateuch, the name by which the first five books of the Bible are
   designated, is derived from two Greek words, pente, "five," and
   teuchos, a "volume," thus signifying the fivefold volume. Originally
   these books formed one continuous work, as in the Hebrew manuscripts
   they are still connected in one unbroken roll. At what time they were
   divided into five portions, each having a separate title, is not known,
   but it is certain that the distinction dates at or before the time of
   the Septuagint translation. The names they bear in our English version
   are borrowed from the Septuagint, and they were applied by those Greek
   translators as descriptive of the principal subjects--the leading
   contents of the respective books. In the later Scriptures they are
   frequently comprehended under the general designation, The Law, The
   Book of the Law, since, to give a detailed account of the preparations
   for, and the delivery of, the divine code, with all the civil and
   sacred institutions that were peculiar to the ancient economy, is the
   object to which they are exclusively devoted. They have always been
   placed at the beginning of the Bible, not only on account of their
   priority in point of time, but as forming an appropriate and
   indispensable introduction to the rest of the sacred books. The
   numerous and oft-recurring references made in the later Scriptures to
   the events, the ritual, and the doctrines of the ancient Church would
   have not only lost much of their point and significance, but have been
   absolutely unintelligible without the information which these five
   books contain. They constitute the groundwork or basis on which the
   whole fabric of revelation rests, and a knowledge of the authority and
   importance that is thus attached to them will sufficiently account for
   the determined assaults that infidels have made on these books, as well
   as for the zeal and earnestness which the friends of the truth have
   displayed in their defense.

   The Mosaic origin of the Pentateuch is established by the concurring
   voices both of Jewish and Christian tradition; and their unanimous
   testimony is supported by the internal character and statements of the
   work itself. That Moses did keep a written record of the important
   transactions relative to the Israelites is attested by his own express
   affirmation. For in relating the victory over the Amalekites, which he
   was commanded by divine authority to record, the language employed,
   "write this for a memorial in a book" [Hebrew, the book], (Ex 17:14),
   shows that that narrative was to form part of a register already in
   progress, and various circumstances combine to prove that this register
   was a continuous history of the special goodness and care of divine
   providence in the choice, protection, and guidance of the Hebrew
   nation. First, there are the repeated assertions of Moses himself that
   the events which checkered the experience of that people were written
   down as they occurred (see Ex 24:4-7; 34:27; Nu 33:2). Secondly, there
   are the testimonies borne in various parts of the later historical
   books to the Pentateuch as a work well known, and familiar to all the
   people (see Jos 1:8; 8:34; 23:6; 24:26; 1Ki 2:3, &c.) Thirdly, frequent
   references are made in the works of the prophets to the facts recorded
   in the books of Moses (compare Isa 1:9 with Ge 19:1; Isa 12:2 with Ex
   15:2; Isa 51:2 with Ge 12:2; Isa 54:9 with Ge 8:21, 22; compare Ho 9:10
   with Nu 25:3; Ho 11:8 with Ge 19:24; Ho 12:4 with Ge 32:24, 25; Ho
   12:12 with Ge 28:5; 29:20; compare Joe 1:9 with Nu 15:4-7; 28:7-14; De
   12:6, 7; 16:10, 11; compare Am 2:9 with Nu 21:21; Am 4:4 with Nu 28:3;
   Am 4:11 with Ge 19:24; Am 9:13 with Le 26:5; compare Mic 6:5 with Nu
   22:25; Mic 6:6 with Le 9:2; Mic 6:15 with Le 26:16, &c.) Fourthly, the
   testimony of Christ and the Apostles is repeatedly borne to the books
   of Moses (Mt 19:7; Lu 16:29; 24:27; Joh 1:17; 7:19; Ac 3:22; 28:23; Ro
   10:5). Indeed the references are so numerous, and the testimonies so
   distinctly borne to the existence of the Mosaic books throughout the
   whole history of the Jewish nation, and the unity of character, design,
   and style pervading these books is so clearly perceptible,
   notwithstanding the rationalistic assertions of their forming a series
   of separate and unconnected fragments, that it may with all safety be
   said, there is immensely stronger and more varied evidence in proof of
   their being the authorship of Moses than of any of the Greek or Roman
   classics being the productions of the authors whose names they bear.
   But admitting that the Pentateuch was written by Moses, an important
   question arises, as to whether the books which compose it have reached
   us in an authentic form; whether they exist genuine and entire as they
   came from the hands of their author. In answer to this question, it
   might be sufficient to state that, in the public and periodical
   rehearsals of the law in the solemn religious assemblies of the people,
   implying the existence of numerous copies, provision was made for
   preserving the integrity of "The Book of the Law." But besides this,
   two remarkable facts, the one of which occurred before and the other
   after the captivity, afford conclusive evidence of the genuineness and
   authenticity of the Pentateuch. The first is the discovery in the reign
   of Josiah of the autograph copy which was deposited by Moses in the ark
   of the testimony, and the second is the schism of the Samaritans, who
   erected a temple on Mount Gerizim, and who, appealing to the Mosaic law
   as the standard of their faith and worship equally with the Jews,
   watched with jealous care over every circumstance that could affect the
   purity of the Mosaic record. There is the strongest reason, then, for
   believing that the Pentateuch, as it exists now, is substantially the
   same as it came from the hands of Moses. The appearance of a later
   hand, it is true, is traceable in the narrative of the death of Moses
   at the close of Deuteronomy, and some few interpolations, such as
   inserting the altered names of places, may have been made by Ezra, who
   revised and corrected the version of the ancient Scriptures. But,
   substantially, the Pentateuch is the genuine work of Moses, and many,
   who once impugned its claims to that character, and looked upon it as
   the production of a later age, have found themselves compelled, after a
   full and unprejudiced investigation of the subject, to proclaim their
   conviction that its authenticity is to be fully relied on.

   The genuineness and authenticity of the Pentateuch being admitted, the
   inspiration and canonical authority of the work follow as a necessary
   consequence. The admission of Moses to the privilege of frequent and
   direct communion with God (Ex 25:22; 33:3; Nu 7:89; 9:8); his repeated
   and solemn declarations that he spoke and wrote by command of God; the
   submissive reverence that was paid to the authority of his precepts by
   all classes of the Jewish people, including the king himself (De 17:18;
   27:3); and the acknowledgment of the divine mission of Moses by the
   writers of the New Testament, all prove the inspired character and
   authority of his books. The Pentateuch possessed the strongest claims
   on the attention of the Jewish people, as forming the standard of their
   faith, the rule of their obedience, the record of their whole civil and
   religious polity. But it is interesting and important to all mankind,
   inasmuch as besides revealing the origin and early development of the
   divine plan of grace, it is the source of all authentic knowledge,
   giving the true philosophy, history, geography, and chronology of the
   ancient world. Finally, the Pentateuch "is indispensable to the whole
   revelation contained in the Bible; for Genesis being the legitimate
   preface to the law; the law being the natural introduction to the Old
   Testament; and the whole a prelude to the gospel revelation, it could
   not have been omitted. What the four Gospels are in the New, the five
   books of Moses are in the Old Testament."

   Genesis, the book of the origin or production of all things, consists
   of two parts: the first, comprehended in the first through eleventh
   chapters, gives a general history; the second, contained in the
   subsequent chapters, gives a special history. The two parts are
   essentially connected; the one, which sets out with an account of the
   descent of the human race from a single pair, the introduction of sin
   into the world, and the announcement of the scheme of divine mercy for
   repairing the ruins of the fall, was necessary to pave the way for
   relating the other, namely, the call of Abraham, and the selection of
   his posterity for carrying out the gracious purpose of God. An evident
   unity of method, therefore, pervades this book, and the information
   contained in it was of the greatest importance to the Hebrew people, as
   without it they could not have understood the frequent references made
   in their law to the purposes and promises of God regarding themselves.
   The arguments that have been already adduced as establishing the Mosaic
   origin of the Pentateuch prove of course that Moses was the author of
   Genesis. The few passages on which the rationalists grounded their
   assertions that it was the composition of a later age have been
   successfully shown to warrant no such conclusion; the use of Egyptian
   words and the minute acquaintance with Egyptian life and manners,
   displayed in the history of Joseph, harmonize with the education of
   Moses, and whether he received his information by immediate revelation,
   from tradition, or from written documents, it comes to us as the
   authentic work of an author who wrote as he was inspired by the Holy
   Ghost (2Pe 1:21).

   Exodus, a "going forth," derives its name from its being occupied
   principally with a relation of the departure of the Israelites from
   Egypt, and the incidents that immediately preceded as well as followed
   that memorable migration. Its authorship by Moses is distinctly
   asserted by himself (Ex 24:4), as well as by our Lord (Mr 12:26; Lu
   20:37). Besides, the thorough knowledge it exhibits of the institutions
   and usages of the ancient Egyptians and the minute geographical details
   of the journey to Sinai, establish in the clearest manner the
   authenticity of this book.

   Leviticus. So called from its treating of the laws relating to the
   ritual, the services, and sacrifices of the Jewish religion, the
   superintendence of which was entrusted to the Levitical priesthood. It
   is chiefly, however, the duties of the priests, "the sons of Aaron,"
   which this book describes; and its claim to be the work of Moses is
   established by the following passages:--2Ch 30:16; Ne 8:14; Jer
   7:22-23; Eze 20:11 Mt 8:4; Lu 2:22; Joh 8:5; Ro 10:4; 13:9; 2Co 6:16;
   Ga 3:12; 1Pe 1:16.

   Numbers. This book is so called because it contains an account of the
   enumeration and arrangement of the Israelites. The early part of it,
   from the first through the tenth chapters, appears to be a supplement
   to Leviticus, being occupied with relating the appointment of the
   Levites to the sacred offices. The journal of the march through the
   wilderness is then given as far as Nu 21:20; after which the early
   incidents of the invasion are narrated. One direct quotation only from
   this book (Nu 16:5) is made in the New Testament (2Ti 2:19); but
   indirect references to it by the later sacred writers are very
   numerous.

   Deuteronomy, the second law, a title which plainly shows what is the
   object of this book, namely, a recapitulation of the law. It was given
   in the form of public addresses to the people; and as Moses spoke in
   the prospect of his speedy removal, he enforced obedience to it by many
   forcible appeals to the Israelites, concerning their long and varied
   experience both of the mercies and the judgments of God. The minute
   notices of the heathen people with whom they had come in contact, but
   who afterward disappeared from the pages of history, as well as the
   accounts of the fertility and products of Canaan, and the counsels
   respecting the conquest of that country, fix the date of this book and
   the time of its composition by the hand of Moses. The close, however,
   must have been added by another; and, indeed, it is supposed by some to
   have formed the original preface to the Book of Joshua.

   Joshua. The title of this book is derived from the pious and valiant
   leader whose achievements it relates and who is commonly supposed to
   have been its author. The objections to this idea are founded chiefly
   on the clause, "unto this day," which occurs several times (Jos 4:9;
   6:25; 8:28). But this, at least in the case of Rahab, is no valid
   reason for rejecting the idea of his authorship; for assuming what is
   most probable, that this book was composed toward the close of Joshua's
   long career, or compiled from written documents left by him, Rahab
   might have been still alive. A more simple and satisfactory way of
   accounting for the frequent insertion of the clause, "unto this day,"
   is the opinion that it was a comment introduced by Ezra, when revising
   the sacred canon; and this difficulty being removed, the direct proofs
   of the book having been produced by a witness of the transactions
   related in it, the strong and vivid descriptions of the passing scenes,
   and the use of the words "we" and "us," (Jos 5:1-6), viewed in
   connection with the fact, that, after his farewell address to the
   people, Joshua "wrote these words in the book of the law of God" [Jos
   24:26]--all afford strong presumptive proof that the entire book was
   the work of that eminent individual. Its inspiration and canonical
   authority are fully established by the repeated testimonies of other
   Scripture writers (compare Jos 6:26 with 1Ki 16:34; compare Jos 10:13
   with Hab 3:11; Jos 3:14 with Ac 7:45; Jos 6:17-23 with Heb 11:30; Jos
   2:1-24 with Jas 2:25; Ps 44:2; 68:12-14; 78:54-55). As a narrative of
   God's faithfulness in giving the Israelites possession of the promised
   land, this history is most valuable, and bears the same character as a
   sequel to the Pentateuch, that the Acts of the Apostles do to the
   Gospels.

   Judges is the title given to the next book, from its containing the
   history of those non-regal rulers who governed the Hebrews from the
   time of Joshua to that of Eli, and whose functions in time of peace
   consisted chiefly in the administration of justice, although they
   occasionally led the people in their wars against their public enemies.
   The date and authorship of this book are not precisely known. It is
   certain, however, that it preceded the Second Book of Samuel (compare
   Jud 9:35 with 2Sa 11:21), as well as the conquest of Jerusalem by David
   (compare Jud 1:21 with 2Sa 5:6). Its author was in all probability
   Samuel, the last of the judges (see Jud 19:1; 21:25), and the date of
   the first part of it is fixed in the reign of Saul, while the five
   chapters at the close might not have been written till after David's
   establishment as king in Israel (see Jud 18:31). It is a fragmentary
   history, being a collection of important facts and signal deliverances
   at different times and in various parts of the land, during the
   intermediate period of three hundred years between Joshua and the
   establishment of the monarchy. The inspired character of this book is
   confirmed by allusions to it in many passages of Scripture (compare Jud
   4:2; 6:14 with 1Sa 12:9-12; Jud 9:53 with 2Sa 11:21; Jud 7:25 with Ps
   83:11; compare Jud 5:4, 5 with Ps 7:5; Jud 13:5; 16:17 with Mt 2:13-23;
   Ac 13:20; Heb 11:32).

   Ruth is properly a supplement to the preceding book, to which, in fact,
   it was appended in the ancient Jewish canon. Although it relates an
   episode belonging to the time of the Judges, its precise date is
   unknown. It appears certain, however, that it could not have been
   written prior to the time of Samuel (see Ru 4:17-22), who is generally
   supposed to have been its author; and this opinion, in addition to
   other reasons on which it rests, is confirmed by Ru 4:7, where it is
   evident that the history was not compiled till long after the
   transactions recorded. The inspiration and canonical authority of the
   book is attested by the fact of Ruth's name being inserted by Matthew
   in the Saviour's genealogy [Mt 1:5].

   The First and Second Books of Samuel. The two were, by the ancient
   Jews, conjoined so as to make one book, and in that form could be
   called the Book of Samuel with more propriety than now, the second
   being wholly occupied with the relation of transactions that did not
   take place till after the death of that eminent judge. Accordingly, in
   the Septuagint and the Vulgate, it is called the First and Second Books
   of Kings. The early portion of the First Book, down to the end of the
   twenty-fourth chapter, was probably written by Samuel; while the rest
   of it and the whole of the Second, are commonly ascribed to Nathan and
   Gad, founding the opinion on 1Ch 29:29. Commentators, however, are
   divided about this, some supposing that the statements in 1Sa 2:26;
   3:1, indicate the hand of the judge himself, or a contemporary; while
   some think, from 1Sa 6:18; 12:5; 27:6, that its composition must be
   referred to a later age. It is probable, however, that these supposed
   marks of an after-period were interpolations of Ezra. This uncertainty,
   however, as to the authorship does not affect the inspired authority of
   the book, which is indisputable, being quoted in the New Testament (1Sa
   13:14 in Ac 13:22, and 2Sa 7:14 in Heb 1:5), as well as in many of the
   Psalms.

   The First and Second Books of Kings, in the ancient copies of the
   Hebrew Bible, constitute one book. Various titles have been given them;
   in the Septuagint and the Vulgate they are called the Third and Fourth
   Books of Kings. The authorship of these books is unknown; but the
   prevailing opinion is that they were compiled by Ezra, or one of the
   later prophets, from the ancient documents that are so frequently
   referred to in the course of the history as of public and established
   authority. Their inspired character was acknowledged by the Jewish
   Church, which ranked them in the sacred canon; and, besides, it is
   attested by our Lord, who frequently quotes from them (compare 1Ki
   17:9; 2Ki 5:14 with Lu 4:24-27; 1Ki 10:1 with Mt 12:42).

   The First and Second Books of Chronicles were also considered as one by
   the ancient Jews, who called them "words of days," that is, diaries or
   journals, being probably compiled from those registers that were kept
   by the king's historiographers of passing occurrences. In the
   Septuagint the title given them is Paraleipomenon, "of things omitted,"
   that is, the books are supplementary because many things unnoticed in
   the former books are here recorded; and not only the omissions are
   supplied, but some narratives extended while others are added. The
   authorship is commonly ascribed to Ezra, whose leading object seems to
   have been to show the division of families, possessions, &c., before
   the captivity, with a view to the exact restoration of the same order
   after the return from Babylon. Although many things are restated and
   others are exact repetitions of what is contained in Kings, there is so
   much new and important information that, as Jerome has well said, the
   Chronicles furnish the means of comprehending parts of the New
   Testament, which must have been unintelligible without them. They are
   frequently referred to by Christ and the Apostles as forming part of
   "the Word of God" (see the genealogies in Mt 1:1-16; Lu 3:23-38;
   compare 2Ch 19:7 with 1Pe 1:17; 2Ch 24:19-21 with Mt 23:32-35).

   Ezra was, along with Nehemiah, reckoned one book by the ancient Jews,
   who called them the First and Second Books of Ezra, and they are still
   designated by Roman Catholic writers the First and Second Books of
   Esdras. This book naturally divides itself into two parts or sections,
   the one contained in the first six chapters, and which relates the
   circumstances connected with the return of the first detachment of
   Babylonish exiles under Zerubbabel with the consequent rebuilding of
   the temple and the re-establishment of the divine service. The other
   part, embraced in the four concluding chapters, narrates the journey of
   a second caravan of returning captives under the conduct of Ezra
   himself, who was invested with powers to restore, in all its splendor,
   the entire system of the Jewish ritual. The general opinion of the
   Church in every succeeding age has been that Ezra was the author of
   this book. The chief objection is founded on Ezr 5:4, where the words,
   "Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the
   men that make this building?" have occasioned a surmise that the first
   portion of the book was not written by Ezra, who did not go to
   Jerusalem for many years after. But a little attention will show the
   futility of this objection, as the words in question did not refer to
   the writer, but were used by Tatnai and his associates [Ezr 5:3]. The
   style and unity of object in the book clearly prove it to have been the
   production of but one author. The canonical authority of this book is
   well established; but another under the name of Ezra is rejected as
   apocryphal.

   Nehemiah appears to have been the author of this book, from his usually
   writing in his own name, and indeed, except in those parts which are
   unmistakably later editions or borrowed from public documents, he
   usually employs the first person. The major portion of the book is
   occupied with a history of Nehemiah's twelve years' administration in
   Jerusalem, after which he returned to his duties in Shushan. At a later
   period he returned with new powers and commenced new and vigorous
   measures of reform, which are detailed in the later chapters of the
   book.

   Esther derives its name from the Jewess, who, having become wife of the
   king of Persia, employed her royal influence to effect a memorable
   deliverance for the persecuted Church of God. Various opinions are
   embraced and supported as to the authorship of this book, some
   ascribing it to Ezra, to Nehemiah, or to Mordecai. The preponderance of
   authorities is in favor of the last. The historical character of the
   book is undoubted, since, besides many internal evidences, its
   authenticity is proved by the strong testimony of the feast of Purim,
   the celebration of which can be traced up to the events which are
   described in this book. Its claim, however, to canonical authority has
   been questioned on the ground that the name of God does not once occur
   in it. But the uniform tradition both of the Jewish and the Christian
   Churches supports this claim, which nothing in the book tends to shake;
   while it is a record of the superintending care of divine providence
   over his chosen people, with which it is of the utmost importance the
   Church should be furnished. The name of God is strangely enough
   omitted, but the presence of God is felt throughout the history; and
   the whole tone and tendency of the book is so decidedly subservient to
   the honor of God and the cause of true religion that it has been
   generally received by the Church in all ages into the sacred canon.
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   INTRODUCTION
   TO THE POETICAL BOOKS
   by A. R. Faussett

   Hebrew poetry is unique in its kind; in essence, the most sublime; in
   form, marked by a simplicity and ease which flow from its sublimity.
   "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me [the Hebrew poet], and his word was
   in my tongue" (2Sa 23:2). Even the music was put under the charge of
   spiritually gifted men; and one of the chief musicians, Heman, is
   called "the king's seer in the words of God" (1Ch 25:1, 5). King David
   is stated to have invented instruments of music (Am 6:5). There is not
   in Hebrew poetry the artistic rhythm of form which appears in the
   classical poetry of Greece and Rome, but it amply makes up for this by
   its fresh and graceful naturalness.

   Early specimens of Hebrew poetry occur; for example, Lamech's skeptical
   parody of Enoch's prophecy, or, as others think, lamentation for a
   homicide committed in those lawless times in self-defense (Ge 4:23;
   compare Jude 14; Ex 32:18; Nu 21:14, 15, 17, 18, 27 Nu 23:7, 8, 18;
   24:3, 15). The poetical element appears much more in the Old than in
   the New Testament. The poetical books are exclusively those of the Old
   Testament; and in the Old Testament itself, the portions that are the
   most fundamental (for example, the Pentateuch of Moses, the lawgiver,
   in its main body), are those which have in them least of the poetical
   element in form. Elijah, the father of the prophets, is quite free of
   poetical art. The succeeding prophets were not strictly poets, except
   in so far as the ecstatic state in inspiration lifted them to poetic
   modes of thought and expression. The prophet was more of an inspired
   teacher than a poet. It is when the sacred writer acts as the
   representative of the personal experiences of the children of God and
   of the Church, that poetry finds its proper sphere.

   The use of poetry in Scripture was particularly to supply the want not
   provided for by the law, namely, of devotional forms to express in
   private, and in public joint worship, the feelings of pious Israelites.
   The schools of the prophets fostered and diffused a religious spirit
   among the people; and we find them using lyric instruments to accompany
   their prophesyings (1Sa 10:5). However, it was David, who specially
   matured the lyric effusions of devotion into a perfection which they
   had not before attained.

   Another purpose which Psalmody, through David's inspired productions,
   served, was to draw forth from under the typical forms of legal
   services their hidden essence and spirit, adapting them to the various
   spiritual exigencies of individual and congregational life. Nature,
   too, is in them shown to speak the glory and goodness of the invisible,
   yet ever present God. A handbook of devotion was furnished to the
   Israelite whereby he could enter into the true spirit of the services
   of the sanctuary, and so feel the need of that coming Messiah, of whom
   especially the Book of Psalms testifies throughout. We also, in our
   Christian dispensation, need its help in our devotions. Obliged as we
   are, notwithstanding our higher privileges in most respects, to walk by
   faith rather than by sight in a greater degree than they, we find the
   Psalms, with their realizing expression of the felt nearness of God,
   the best repertory whence to draw divinely sanctioned language,
   wherewith to express our prayers and thanksgivings to God, and our
   breathings after holy communion with our fellow saints.

   As to the objection raised against the spirit of revenge which breathes
   in some psalms, the answer is: a wide distinction is to be drawn
   between personal vindictiveness and the desire for God's honor being
   vindicated. Personal revenge, not only in the other parts of Scripture,
   but also in the Psalms, in theory and in practice, is alike reprobated
   (Ex 23:4, 5; Le 19:18; Job 31:29, 30; Ps 7:4, 5, 8, 11, 12; Pr 25:21,
   22), which corresponds to David's practice in the case of his
   unrelenting enemy (1Sa 24:5-6; 26:8-10). On the other hand, the people
   of God have always desired that whatever mars the cause of God, as for
   instance the prosperity of the enemies of God and His Church, should be
   brought to an end (Ps 10:12; 35:27; 40:16; 79:6, 10). It is well for
   us, too, in our dispensation of love, to be reminded by these psalms of
   the danger of lax views as to God's hatred of sin; and of the need
   there is that we should altogether enter into the mind of God on such
   points at the same time that we seek to convert all men to God (compare
   1Sa 16:1; Ps 139:21; Isa 66:24; Re 14:10).

   Some psalms are composed of twenty-two parallel sentences or strophes
   of verses, beginning with words of which the initial letters correspond
   with the Hebrew letters (twenty-two) in their order (compare Ps 37:1-40
   and Ps 119:1-176). So also Lamentations. This arrangement was designed
   as a help to the memory and is found only in such compositions as do
   not handle a distinct and progressive subject, but a series of pious
   reflections, in the case of which the precise order was of less moment.
   The Psalmist in adopting it does not slavishly follow it; but, as in
   Psalm 25, he deviates from it, so as to make the form, when needful,
   bend to the sense. Of these poems there are twelve in all in the Hebrew
   Bible (Ps 25:1-22; 34:1-22; 37:1-40; 111:1-10; 112:1-10; 119:1-176;
   145:1-21 Pr 31:10-31; La 1:1-4:22).

   The great excellence of the Hebrew principle of versification, namely,
   parallelism, or "thought rhythm" [Ewald], is that, while the poetry of
   every other language, whose versification depends on the regular
   recurrences of certain sounds, suffers considerably by translation,
   Hebrew poetry, whose rhythm depends on the parallel correspondence of
   similar thoughts, loses almost nothing in being translated--the Holy
   Spirit having thus presciently provided for its ultimate translation
   into every language, without loss to the sense. Thus in our English
   Version, Job and Psalms, though but translations, are eminently
   poetical. On parallelism, see my [1]Introduction to Job. Thus also a
   clue is given to the meaning in many passages, the sense of the word in
   one clause being more fully set forth by the corresponding word in the
   succeeding parallel clause. In the Masoretic punctuation of the Hebrew,
   the metrical arrangement is marked by the distinctive accents. It
   accords with the divine inspiration of Scripture poetry, that the
   thought is more prominent than the form, the kernel than the shell. The
   Hebrew poetic rhythm resembled our blank verse, without, however,
   metrical feet. There is a verbal rhythm above that of prose; but as the
   true Hebrew pronunciation is lost, the rhythm is but imperfectly
   recognized.

   The peculiarity of the Hebrew poetical age is that it was always
   historic and true, not mythical, as the early poetical ages of all
   other nations. Again, its poetry is distinguished from prose by the use
   of terms decidedly poetic. David's lament over Jonathan furnishes a
   beautiful specimen of another feature found in Hebrew poetry, the
   strophe: three strophes being marked by the recurrence three times of
   the dirge sung by the chorus; the first dirge sung by the whole body of
   singers, representing Israel; the second, by a chorus of damsels; the
   third, by a chorus of youths (2Sa 1:17-27).

   The lyrical poetry, which is the predominant style in the Bible and is
   especially terse and sententious, seems to have come from an earlier
   kind resembling the more modern Book of Proverbs (compare Ge 4:23, 24).
   The Oriental mind tends to embody thought in pithy gnomes, maxims, and
   proverbs. "The poetry of the Easterns is a string of pearls. Every word
   has life. Every proposition is condensed wisdom. Every thought is
   striking and epigrammatical" (Kitto, Biblical Cyclopędia). We are led
   to the same inference from the term Maschal, a "proverb" or
   "similitude," being used to designate poetry in general. "Hebrew
   poetry, in its origin, was a painting to the eye, a parable or teaching
   by likenesses discovered by the popular mind, expressed by the popular
   tongue, and adopted and polished by the national poet." Solomon, under
   inspiration, may have embodied in his Proverbs such of the pre-existing
   popular wise sayings as were sanctioned by the Spirit of God.

   The Hebrew title for the Psalms, Tehilim, means "hymns," that is,
   joyous praises (sometimes accompanied with dancing, Ex 15:1-20; Jud
   5:1-31), not exactly answering to the Septuagint title, Psalms, that
   is, "lyrical odes," or songs accompanied by an instrument. The title,
   Tehilim, "hymns," was probably adopted on account of the use made of
   the Psalms in divine service, though only a part can be strictly called
   songs of praise, others being dirges, and very many prayers (whence in
   Ps 72:20, David styles all his previous compositions, the prayers of
   David). Sixty-five bear the title, "lyrical odes" (Mizmorim), while
   only one is styled Tehilah or "Hymn." From the title being Psalms in
   the Septuagint and New Testament, and also in the Peshito, it is
   probable that Psalms (Mizmorim) or "lyrical odes," was the old title
   before Tehilim.

   Epic poetry, as having its proper sphere in a mythical heroic age, has
   no place among the Hebrews of the Old Testament Scripture age. For in
   their earliest ages, namely, the patriarchal, not fable as in Greece,
   Rome, Egypt, and all heathen nations, but truth and historic reality
   reigned; so much so, that the poetic element, which is the offspring of
   the imagination, is found less in those earlier, than in the later,
   ages. The Pentateuch is almost throughout historic prose. In the
   subsequent uninspired age, in Tobit we have some approach to the Epos.

   Drama, also, in the full modern sense, is not found in Hebrew
   literature. This was due, not to any want of intellectual culture, as
   is fully shown by the high excellence of their lyric and didactic
   poetry, but to their earnest character, and to the solemnity of the
   subjects of their literature. The dramatic element appears in Job, more
   than in any other book in the Bible; there are the dramatis personę, a
   plot, and the "denouement" prepared for by Elihu, the fourth friend's
   speech, and brought about by the interposition of Jehovah Himself.
   Still it is not a strict drama, but rather an inspired debate on a
   difficult problem of the divine government exemplified in Job's case,
   with historic narrative, prologue, and epilogue. The Song of Solomon,
   too, has much of the dramatic cast. See my [2]Introductions to Job and
   [3]Song of Solomon. The style of many psalms is very dramatic,
   transitions often occurring from one to another person, without
   introduction, and especially from speaking indirectly of God to
   addresses to God; thus in Ps 32:1, 2, David makes a general
   introduction, "Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven," &c.;
   then in Ps 32:3-7, he passes to addressing God directly; then in Ps
   32:8, without preface God is introduced, directly speaking, in answer
   to the previous prayer; then in Ps 32:10, 11, again he resumes indirect
   speaking of God, and addresses himself in conclusion to the righteous.
   These quick changes of person do not startle us, but give us a stronger
   sense of his habitual converse with God than any assertions could do.
   Compare also in Ps 132:8-10, the prayer, "Arise, O Lord, into thy rest;
   thou, and the ark of thy strength. Let thy priests be clothed with
   righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy. For thy servant
   David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed," with God's
   direct answer, which follows in almost the words of the prayer, "The
   Lord hath sworn unto David," &c. [Ps 132:11-18]. "This is my rest for
   ever [Ps 132:14]. I will clothe her priests with salvation: and her
   saints shall shout aloud for joy." Thus also in the second Psalm,
   various personages are introduced, dramatically acting and
   speaking--the confederate nations [Ps 2:1-3], Jehovah [Ps 2:4-6], the
   Messiah [Ps 2:7-9], and the Psalmist [Ps 2:10-12].

   A frequent feature is the alternate succession of parts, adapting the
   several psalms to alternate recitation by two semi-choruses in the
   temple-worship, followed by a full chorus between the parts or at the
   end. (So Ps 107:15, 21, 31). De Burgh, in his valuable commentary on
   the Psalms, remarks, "Our cathedral service exemplifies the form of
   chanting the Psalms, except that the semi-chorus is alternately a whole
   verse, instead of alternating, as of old, the half verse; while the
   full chorus is the 'gloria' at the end of each Psalm."

   In conclusion, besides its unique point of excellence, its divine
   inspiration, Hebrew poetry is characterized as being essentially
   national, yet eminently catholic, speaking to the heart and spiritual
   sensibilities of universal humanity. Simple and unconstrained, it is
   distinguished by a natural freshness which is the result of its genuine
   truthfulness. The Hebrew poet sought not self or his own fame, as did
   heathen poets, but he was inspired by the Spirit of God to meet a
   pressing want which his own and his nation's spiritual aspirations
   after God made to be at once a necessity and a delight. Compare 2Sa
   23:1, 2, "The sweet Psalmist of Israel said, The Spirit of the Lord
   spake by me," &c.

   Ewald rightly remarks that several odes of the highest poetic
   excellence are not included (for example, the songs of Moses, Ex
   15:1-19 and De 32:1-43; of Deborah, Jud 5:1-31; of Hannah, 1Sa 2:1-10;
   of Hezekiah, Isa 38:9-20; of Habakkuk, Hab 3:1-19; and even David's
   dirge over Saul and Jonathan, 2Sa 1:17-18). The selection of the Psalms
   collected in one book was made not so much with reference to the beauty
   of the pieces, as to their adaptation for public worship. Still one
   overruling Spirit ordered the selection and arrangement of the contents
   of the book, as one pervading tone and subject appear throughout,
   Christ in His own inner life as the God-man, and in His past, present,
   and future relations to the Church and the world. Isaac Taylor well
   calls the Psalms, "The Liturgy of the spiritual life"; and Luther, "A
   Bible in miniature."

   The principle of the order in which the Psalms are given to us, though
   not always discoverable, is in some cases clear, and shows the
   arrangement to be unmistakably the work of the Spirit, not merely that
   of the collector. Thus Psalm 22 plainly portrays the dying agonies of
   Messiah; Psalm 23, His peaceful rest in Paradise after His death on the
   cross; and Psalm 24, His glorious ascension into heaven.
     __________________________________________________________________

   INTRODUCTION
   TO THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS
   by A. R. Faussett

   This constitutes the second division, the others being the Law and
   Hagiographa. It included Joshua, Judges, First and Second Samuel, First
   and Second Kings, called the former prophets; and Isaiah, Jeremiah,
   Ezekiel, &c., to Malachi, the latter prophets. Daniel is excluded,
   because, though highly endowed with prophetic gifts, he had not filled
   the prophetic office: his book is therefore classed with the
   Hagiographa. Ezra probably commenced, and others subsequently
   completed, the arrangement of the canon. The prophets were not mere
   predictors. Their Hebrew name, nabi, comes from a root "to boil up as a
   fountain" (Gesenius); hence the fervor of inspiration (2Pe 1:21).
   Others interpret it as from an Arabic root (Ex 4:16, "spokesman" of
   God, the Holy Ghost supplying him with words); communicated by dreams
   (Joe 2:28; Job 33:14-17--no instance of this occurs in Isaiah); or
   visions, the scene being made to pass before their mind (Isa 1:1); or
   trance, ecstasy (Nu 24:4, 16; Eze 1:3; 3:14); not depriving them,
   however, of free conscious agency (Jer 20:7, 9; 1Co 14:32).

   These Peculiar Forms of inspiration distinguish prophets, strictly so
   called, from Moses and others, though inspired (Nu 12:6-8). Hence their
   name seers. Hence, too, the poetical cast of their style, though less
   restricted, owing to their practical tendency, by the outward forms
   observed in strictly poetical books. Hence, too, the union of music
   with prophesying (1Sa 10:5). This ecstatic state, though exalted, is
   not the highest: for Jesus Christ was never in it, nor Moses. It was
   rendered necessary by the frailty of the prophets, and the spiritual
   obtuseness of the people. It accordingly predominates in the Old
   Testament, but is subordinate in the New Testament, where the Holy
   Ghost by the fulness of His ordinary gifts renders the extraordinary
   less necessary. After the time of the Mosaic economy, the idea of a
   prophet was regularly connected with the prophetic office--not
   conferred by men, but by God. In this they differ from mystics whose
   pretended inspiration is for themselves: prophetism is practical, not
   dreamy and secluded; the prophet's inspiration is theirs only as God's
   messengers to the people. His ordinary servants and regular teachers of
   the people were the priests; the prophets distinguished from them by
   inspiration, were designed to rouse and excite. In Israel, however, as
   distinguished from Judah (as there was no true priesthood) the prophets
   were the regular and only ministers of God. Prophecy in Israel needed
   to be supported more powerfully: therefore the "schools" were more
   established; and more striking prophetic deeds (for example, Elijah's
   and Elisha's) are recorded, than in Judah. The law was their basis (Isa
   8:16, 20), both its form and spirit (De 4:2; 13:1-3); at times they
   looked forward to a day when its ever-living spirit would break its
   then imperfect form for a freer and more perfect development (Jer 3:16;
   31:31); but they altered not a tittle in their own days. Eichorn well
   calls Moses' song (De 32:1-47) the Magna Charta of prophecy. The
   fulfilment of their predictions was to be the sign of their being real
   prophets of God (De 18:22); also, their speaking in the name of no
   other but the true God (De 18:20). Prophecy was the only sanctioned
   indulgence of the craving after knowledge of future events, which is so
   prevalent in the East (De 18:10, 11). For a momentary inspiration the
   mere beginning of spiritual life sufficed, as in Balaam's case; but for
   a continuous mission, the prophet must be converted (Isa 6:7). In
   Samuel's days (1Sa 10:8; 19:20) begin the prophetic "schools." These
   were associations of men, more or less endowed with the Spirit, in
   which the feebler were helped by those of greater spiritual powers: so
   at Beth-el and Gilgal (2Ki 2:3; 4:38; 6:21). Only the leaders stood in
   immediate communion with God, while the rest were joined to Him through
   their mediation (1Ki 19:15; 2Ki 8:13); the former acted through the
   latter as their instruments (1Ki 19:16; 2Ki 9:1, 2). The bestowal of
   prophetic gifts was not, however, limited to these schools (Am 7:14,
   15).

   As to Symbolic Actions, many of them are not actual but only parts of
   the prophetic visions, internal not external facts, being impossible or
   indecent (Jer 13:1-10; 25:12-38; Ho 1:2-11). Still the internal
   actions, when possible and proper, were often expressed externally (1Ki
   22:11). Those purely internal express the subject more strikingly than
   a naked statement could.

   Other Criteria of a true prophet, besides the two above, were, the
   accordance of his addresses with the law; his not promising prosperity
   without repentance; his own assurance of his divine mission (sometimes
   received reluctantly, Jer 20:8, 9; 26:12), producing that inward
   assurance of the truth in others, which is to them a stronger proof
   from the Spirit of God, than even outward miracles and arguments: his
   pious life, fortitude in suffering, and freedom from fanaticism,
   confirm these criteria. Miracles, though proofs, are not to be trusted
   without the negative criteria (De 13:2). Predictions fulfilled in the
   prophet's lifetime established his authority thenceforth (1Sa 3:19; Jer
   22:11-12; Eze 12:12,13; 24:1-27).

   As to their Promulgation, it was usually oral, before the assembled
   people, and afterwards revised in writing. The second part of Isaiah
   and Ezekiel 40-48 were probably not given orally, but in writing.
   Before Isaiah's and his contemporaries' time, prophecies were not
   written, as not being intended for universal use. But now a larger
   field was opened. To the worldly power of heathen nations which
   threatened to destroy the theocracy is henceforth opposed the kingdom
   of God, about to conquer all through Messiah, whose coming concerns all
   ages. The lesser prophets give the quintessence of the prophecies of
   their respective authors. An instance of the mode of collecting and
   publishing prophecies occurs (Jer 36:4-14). Those of the later prophets
   rest on those of the earlier (Zec 1:4; 7:7, 12). Ewald fancies that a
   great number of prophetic rolls have been lost. But the fact of the
   prophets often alluding to writings which we have, and never to those
   which it can be proved we have not, makes it likely that we have all
   those predictions which were committed to writing; the care bestowed on
   them as divine, and the exact knowledge of them long after (Jer 26:18,
   19), confirm this view.

   The Arrangement is chronological; but as the twelve lesser prophets are
   regarded as one work, and the three last of them lived later than
   Jeremiah and Ezekiel, the former are put after the latter. The lesser
   prophets are arranged chronologically, except Hosea, who being the
   largest, is placed first, though some were earlier than he; also Jonah,
   who seems to have been the earliest of the latter prophets.

   As to The Messiah, no single prophet gives a complete view of Him: this
   is made up of the various aspects of Him in different prophecies
   combined; just as His life in the Gospels is one under a fourfold
   aspect. In the first part of Isaiah, addressed to the whole people, the
   prominent idea is His triumph, as King, the design being there to
   remove their fears of the surrounding nations; in the second, addressed
   to the elect remnant, He is exhibited as Prophet and Priest, Himself
   being the sacrifice.
     __________________________________________________________________

   INTRODUCTION
   TO PROPHETS OF THE RESTORATION
   by A. R. Faussett

   The prophetic gift existed long before the prophetic office was
   instituted. Thus Enoch had the former (Jude 14); so Abraham is called a
   prophet (Ge 20:7) as are also the patriarchs (Ps 105:15). The office
   was first instituted under the Mosaic economy; but even then the gift
   was not always connected with the office; for example, Daniel was
   endowed largely with the gift, but was never called to the office, as
   living in a heathen court where he could not have exercised it. So
   David (Mt 13:35; 27:35). Hence the writings of both are classed with
   the Hagiographa, not with the prophets. Moreover, though the office
   ceased with the close of the Old Testament dispensation, the gift
   continued, and was among the leading charisms of the New Testament
   Church. "Prophet" (in Hebrew, from a root, "to gush out like a
   fountain") meant one acting as spokesman for another (Ex 7:1); so, one
   speaking authoritatively for God as interpreter of His will. "Seer" was
   the more ancient term (1Sa 9:9), implying that he spake by a divine
   communication presented either to his senses or his mind: as "prophet"
   indicated his authority as speaking for God.

   Christ was the only fountain of prophecy (1Pe 1:11; Re 19:10; also Ac
   16:7, the oldest reading, "the Spirit of Jesus"), and declared God's
   will to men by His Holy Spirit acting on the minds of the prophets.
   Thus the history of the Church is the history of God's revelations of
   Himself in His Son to man. The three divisions of this history, the
   Patriarchal, the Mosaic, and the Christian dispensations, are
   characterized each by a distinct mode of God's manifestations--that is,
   by a distinct form of the prophetic gift. (1) The theophanic mode
   characterizes the Patriarchal dispensation: God revealing Himself in
   visible appearances, or theophanies. (2) The theopneustic mode, the
   Mosaic: God revealing Himself through God-inspired men. (3) The
   theologic mode, the Christian: God revealing Himself, not merely at
   intervals as before, but permanently by inspired writings ("the oracles
   of God," 1Pe 4:11).

   In the first or patriarchal age, men work no miracles, unlike all other
   primeval histories, which abound in miracles wrought by men: a proof of
   genuineness. All the miracles are wrought by God without man's
   intervention; and the divine communications are usually by direct
   utterance, whence the prophetic gift is rare, as God in this
   dispensation only exceptionally employs the prophetic agency of men in
   it: only in Ge 20:7, is the term "prophet" found. In the second or
   Mosaic dispensation, God withdraws Himself more from direct
   communication with man and manifests Himself through human instruments.
   Instead of working miracles directly, Moses, Joshua, &c., are His
   agents. So in His communications He speaks not directly, but through
   Moses and his successors. The theocracy needed a new form of prophetic
   gift: God-inspired (theopneustic) men must speak and act for God, the
   Head of the theocracy, as His administrators; the prophetic gift is
   therefore now connected with the prophetic office. These prophets
   accordingly are acting, not writing, prophets. The latter did not arise
   till the later ages of this second dispensation. Moses acted as a
   legislator; Joshua, the Judges, and Samuel as executive prophets; David
   and Solomon as devotional prophets. Even in the case of the writing
   prophets of the latter half of the Mosaic dispensation, their primary
   duty was to speak and act. Their writing had reference more to the use
   of the New Testament dispensation than to their own (1Pe 1:12). So that
   even in their case the characteristic of the Mosaic dispensation was
   theopneustic, rather than theologic. The third, or Christian
   dispensation, is theologic, that is, a revelation of God by inspired
   writings. Compare 1Pe 4:11; 2Pe 1:16-21, where he contrasts "the old
   time" when "holy men spake by the Holy Ghost" with our time when we
   have the "sure word of prophecy"; or, as it may be translated, "the
   word of prophecy confirmed [to us]." Thus God now reveals His will, not
   by direct theophanies, as in the first dispensation; not by inspired
   men, as in the second; but by the written word which liveth and abideth
   for ever (as opposed to the desultory manifestations of God, and the
   noncontinuance in life of the prophets, under the two former
   dispensations respectively, 1Pe 1:23; 2Pe 3:2, 16). The next form shall
   be the return of the theophanic manifestations on earth, in a more
   perfect and abiding form than in the first age (Re 21:3).

   The history of the prophetic office under the Mosaic dispensation falls
   into three divisions. (1) The first ends with the age of Samuel and has
   no regular succession of prophets, these not being needed while God
   Himself ruled the people without an hereditary executive. (2) The
   second period extends from Samuel to Uzziah, 800 B.C., and is the age
   of prophets of action. Samuel combined in himself the three elements of
   the theocracy, being a judge, a priest, and a prophet. The creation of
   a human king rendered the formal office of prophet more necessary as a
   counterpoise to it. Hence the age of the kings is the age of the
   prophets. But at this stage they were prophets of action, rather than
   of writing. Towards the close of this second period, the devotional and
   Messianic prophecies of David and Solomon prepared the way for the
   third period (from 800 B.C. to 400 B.C.), which began under Uzziah, and
   which was the age of written prophecy. (3) In this third period the
   prophets turn from the present to the future, and so the Messianic
   element grows more distinct. Thus in these three shorter periods the
   grand characteristics of the three great dispensations reappear. The
   first is theophanic; the second, theopneustic; and the third,
   theologic. Just as the great organic laws of the world reappear in
   smaller departments, the law of the tree developing itself in miniature
   forms in the structure of the leaf, and the curve of the planet's orbit
   reappearing in the line traced by the projected cannon ball [Moore].

   Samuel probably enacted rules giving a permanent form to the prophetic
   order; at least in his time the first mention occurs of "schools of the
   prophets." These were all near each other, and in Benjamin, namely, in
   Beth-el, Gilgal, Ramah, and Jericho. Had the prophet been a mere
   foreteller of events, such schools would have been useless. But he was
   also God's representative to ensure the due execution of the Mosaic
   ritual in its purity; hence arose the need of schools wherein to study
   that divinely ordained institution. God mostly chose His prophets from
   those thus educated, though not exclusively, as the cases of Amos (Am
   7:14) and Elisha (1Ki 19:19) prove. The fact that the humblest might be
   called to the prophetic office acted as a check to the hereditary
   kingly power and a stimulus to seeking the qualifications needed for so
   exalted an office. The Messianic Psalms towards the close of this
   second period form the transition between the prophets of action and
   the prophets of word, the men who were busy only with the present, and
   the men who looked out from the present into the glorious future.

   The third period, that from Uzziah to Malachi, includes three classes
   of prophets: (1) Those of the ten tribes; (2) Those of the Gentiles;
   (3) Those of Judah. In the first class were Hosea and Amos. Few of the
   writing prophets belonged to Israel. They naturally gathered about the
   seat of the theocracy in Judah. Hence those of the ten tribes were
   mostly prophets of action. Under the second class fall Jonah, Nahum,
   and Obadiah, who were witnesses for God's authority over the Gentile
   world, as others witnessed for the same in the theocracy. The third
   class, those of Judah, have a wider scope and a more hopeful, joyous
   tone. They fall into five divisions: (1) Those dwelling in Judah at the
   highest point of its greatness during its separate state; namely, the
   century between Uzziah and Hezekiah, 800-700 B.C., Isaiah, Joel, and
   Micah. (2) The declining period of Judah, from Manasseh to Zedekiah,
   for example, Zephaniah and Habakkuk. (3) The captivity: Jeremiah. (4)
   The exile, when the future was all that the eye could rest on with
   hope; for example, Ezekiel and Daniel, who are chiefly prophets of the
   future. (5) The restoration: to which period belong the three last
   writing prophets of the Old Testament, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
   John the Baptist long subsequently belonged to the same dispensation,
   but he wrote nothing (Mt 11:9-11); like Elijah, he was a prophet of
   action and preaching, preparing the way for the prophets of word, as
   John did for the Incarnate Word.

   To understand the spirit of each prophet's teaching, his historical
   position and the circumstances of the time must be considered. The
   captivity was designed to eradicate the Jews' tendency to idolatry and
   to restore the theocratic spirit which recognized God as the only
   ruler, and the Mosaic institutions as His established law, for a time
   until Messiah should come. Hence the prophets of the restoration are
   best illustrated by comparison with the histories of Ezra and Nehemiah,
   contemporaries of Malachi.

   Of the three prophets of the restoration, two, Haggai and Zechariah,
   are at the beginning of the period, and the remaining one, Malachi, is
   at the close. The exile was not one complete deportation of the people,
   but a series of deportations extending over a century and a half. So
   the restoration was not accomplished at once, but in successive returns
   extending over a century. Hence arises the different tone of Haggai and
   Zechariah at its beginning, and of Malachi at its close. The first
   return took place in the first year of Cyrus, 536 B.C.; 42,360 persons
   returned under Shesh-bazzar or Zerubbabel and Joshua (Ezr 2:64). They
   built an altar and laid the foundations of the temple. They were
   interrupted by the misrepresentations of the Samaritans, and the work
   was suspended for fourteen years. The death of Smerdis gave an
   opportunity of renewing the work, seventy years after the destruction
   of the first temple. This was the time when Haggai and Zechariah arose,
   the former to incite to the immediate rebuilding of the temple and
   restoration of the Mosaic ritual, the latter to aid in the work and to
   unfold the grand future of the theocracy as an incentive to present
   labor. The impossibility of observing the Mosaic ritual in the exile
   generated an anti-theocratic indifference to it in the young who were
   strangers to the Jerusalem worship, from which the nation had been
   debarred for upwards of half a century. Moreover, the gorgeous pomp of
   Babylon tended to make them undervalue the humble rites of Jehovah's
   worship at that time. Hence there was need of a Haggai and a Zechariah
   to correct these feelings by unfolding the true glory of the theocratic
   institutions.

   The next great epoch was the return of Ezra, 458 B.C., eighty years
   after the first expedition under Zerubbabel. Thirteen years later, 445
   B.C., Nehemiah came to aid Ezra in the good work. It was now that
   Malachi arose to second these works, three-fourths of a century after
   Haggai and Zechariah. As their work was that of restorers, his was that
   of a reformer. The estates of many had become mortgaged, and depression
   of circumstances had led many into a skeptical spirit as to the service
   of God. They not only neglected the temple of worship, but took heathen
   wives, to the wrong of their Jewish wives and the dishonor of God.
   Therefore, besides the reformation of civil abuses and the rebuilding
   of the wall, effected through Nehemiah's exertions, a religious
   reformer was needed such as was Ezra, who reformed the ecclesiastical
   abuses, established synagogues, where regular instruction in the law
   could be received, restored the Sabbath, and the Passover, and the
   dignity of the priesthood, and generated a reverence for the written
   law, which afterwards became a superstition. Malachi aided in this good
   work by giving it his prophetical authority. How thoroughly the work
   was effected is proved by the utter change in the national character.
   Once always prone to idolatry, ever since the captivity they have
   abhorred it. Once loving kingly rule, now contrary to the ordinary
   course of history, they became submissive to priestly rule. Once
   negligent of the written Word, now they regarded it with reverence
   sometimes bordering on superstition. Once fond of foreign alliances,
   henceforth they shrank with abhorrence from all foreigners. Once fond
   of agriculture, now they became a trading people. From being pliable
   before, they now became intensely bigoted and nationally intolerant.
   Thus the restoration from Babylon moulded the national character more
   than any event since the exodus from Egypt.

   Now the distinction between Judah and the ten tribes of Israel
   disappears. So in the New Testament the twelve tribes are mentioned (Ac
   26:7; Jas 1:1). The theocratic feeling generated at the restoration
   drew all of the elect nation round the seat of the theocracy, the
   metropolis of the true religion, Jerusalem. Malachi tended to promote
   this feeling; thus his prophecy, though addressed to the people of
   Jerusalem, is called "the word of the Lord to Israel" [Mal 1:1].

   The long silence of prophets from Malachi to the times of Messiah was
   calculated to awaken in the Jewish mind the more earnest desire for Him
   who was to exceed infinitely in word and deed all the prophets, His
   forerunners. The three prophets of the restoration being the last of
   the Old Testament, are especially distinct in pointing to Him who, as
   the great subject of the New Testament, was to fulfil all the Old
   Testament.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF
   THE PARABLES OF CHRIST.
   by David Brown

   Parables. Where Spoken. Where Recorded.
   The two debtors [Capernaum] Lu 7:40-43.
   The strong man armed Galilee Mt 12:29; Mr 3:27; Lu 11:21, 22.
   The unclean spirit Galilee Mt 12:43-45; Lu 11:24-26.
   The sower Seashore of Galilee Mt 13:3-9, 18-23; Mr 4:3-9, 14-20; Lu
   8:5-8, 11-15.
   The tares and wheat Seashore of Galilee Mt 13:24-30, 36-43.
   The mustard seed Seashore of Galilee Mt 13:31, 32; Mr 4:30-32; Lu
   13:18, 19.
   The seed growing secretly Seashore of Galilee Mr 4:26-29.
   The leaven Seashore of Galilee Mt 13:33; Lu 13:20, 21.
   The hid treasure Seashore of Galilee Mt 13:44.
   The pearl of great price Seashore of Galilee Mt 13:45, 46.
   The draw net Seashore of Galilee Mt 13:47-50.
   The unmerciful servant Capernaum Mt 18:21-35.
   The good Samaritan Near Jerusalem Lu 10:29-37.
   The friend at midnight Near Jerusalem Lu 11:5-8.
   The rich fool Galilee Lu 12:16-21.
   The barren fig tree Galilee Lu 13:6-9.
   The great supper Perea Lu 14:15-24.
   The lost sheep Perea Mt 18:12-14; Lu 15:3-7.
   The lost piece of money Perea Lu 15:8-10.
   The prodigal son Perea Lu 15:11-32.
   The good shepherd Jerusalem Joh 10:1-18.
   The unjust steward Perea Lu 16:1-8.
   The rich man and Lazarus Perea Lu 16:19-31.
   The profitable servants Perea Lu 17:7-10.
   The importunate widow Perea Lu 18:1-8.
   The Pharisees and publicans Perea Lu 18:9-14.
   The laborers in the vineyard Perea Mt 20:1-16.
   The pounds Jericho Lu 19:11-27.
   The two sons Jerusalem Mt 21:28-32.
   The wicked husbandmen Jerusalem Mt 21:33-44; Mr 12:1-12; Lu 20:9-18.
   The marriage of the king's son Jerusalem Mt 22:1-14.
   The ten virgins Mount of Olives Mt 25:1-13.
   The talents Mount of Olives Mt 25:14-30.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF
   THE MIRACLES OF CHRIST.
   by David Brown

   On the order of some of our Lord's Miracles and Parables,
   the data being scanty, considerable difference obtains.

   Miracles. Where Wrought. Where Recorded.
   Water made wine Cana Joh 2:1-11.
   Traders cast out of the temple Jerusalem Joh 2:13-17.
   Nobleman's son healed Cana Joh 4:46-54.
   First miraculous draught of fishes Sea of Galilee Lu 5:1-11.
   Leper healed Capernaum Mt 8:2-4; Mark 1:40-45; Lu 5:12-15.
   Centurion's servant healed Capernaum Mt 8:5-13; Lu 7:1-10.
   Widow's son raised to life Nain Lu 7:11-17.
   Demoniac healed Capernaum Mr 1:21-28; Lu 4:31-37.
   Peter's mother-in-law healed Capernaum Mt 8:14, 15; Mr 1:29-31; Lu
   4:38, 39.
   Paralytic healed Capernaum Mt 9:2-8; Mr 2:1-12; Lu 5:17-26.
   Impotent man healed Jerusalem Joh 5:1-16.
   Man with withered hand healed Galilee Mt 12:10-14; Mr 3:1-6; Lu 6:6-11.
   Blind and dumb demoniac healed Galilee Mt 12:22-24; Lu 11:14.
   Tempest stilled Sea of Galilee Mt 8:23-27; Mr 4:35-41; Lu 8:22-25.
   Demoniacs dispossessed Gadara Mt 8:28-34; Mr 5:1-20.
   Jairus' daughter raised to life Capernaum Mt 9:18-26; Mr 5:22-24; Lu
   8:41-56.
   Issue of blood healed Near Capernaum Mt 9:18-26; Mr 5:22-24; Lu
   8:41-56.
   Two blind men restored to sight Capernaum Mt 9:27-31.
   Dumb demoniac healed Capernaum Mt 9:32-34.
   Five thousand miraculously fed Decapolis Mt 14:13-21; Mr 6:31-44; Lu
   9:10-17; Joh 6:5-14.
   Jesus walks on the sea Sea of Galilee Mt 14:22-33; Mr 6:45-52; Joh
   6:15-21.
   Syrophoenician's daughter healed Coasts of Tyre and Sidon Mt 15:21-28;
   Mr 7:24-30.
   Deaf and dumb man healed Decapolis Mr 7:31-37.
   Four thousand fed Decapolis Mt 15:32-39; Mr 8:1-9.
   Blind man restored to sight Bethsaida Mr 8:22-26.
   Demoniac and lunatic boy healed Near Cęsarea Philippi Mt 17:14-21; Mr
   9:14-29; Lu 9:37-43.
   Miraculous provision of tribute Capernaum Mt 17:24-27.
   The eyes of one born blind opened Jerusalem Joh 9:1-41.
   Woman, of eighteen years' infirmity, cured [Perea.] Lu 13:10-17.
   Dropsical man healed [Perea.] Lu 14:1-6.
   Ten lepers cleansed Borders of Samaria Lu 17:11-19.
   Lazarus raised to life Bethany Joh 11:1-46.
   Two blind beggars restored to sight Jericho Mt 20:29-34; Mr 10:46-52;
   Lu 18:35-43.
   Barren fig tree blighted Bethany Mt 21:12, 13, 18, 19; Mr 11:12-24.
   Buyers and sellers again cast out Jerusalem Lu 19:45, 46.
   Malchus' ear healed Gethsemane Mt 26:51-54; Mr 14:47-49; Lu 22:50, 51;
   Joh 18:10,11.
   Second draught of fishes Sea of Galilee Joh 21:1-14.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS CONNECTED WITH
   THE LIFE OF THE APOSTLE PAUL.
   by David Brown

   Certainty in these dates is not to be had, the notes of time in the
   Acts being few and vague. It is only by connecting those events of
   secular history which it records, and the dates of which are otherwise
   tolerably known to us--such as the famine under Claudius Cęsar (Ac
   11:28), the expulsion of the Jews from Rome by the same emperor (Ac
   18:2), and the entrance of Porcius Festus upon his procuratorship (Ac
   24:27), with the intervals specified between some occurrences in the
   apostle's life and others (such as Ac 20:31; 24:27; 28:30; and Ga
   1:1-2:21)--that we can thread our way through the difficulties that
   surround the chronology of the apostle's life, and approximate to
   certainty. Immense research has been brought to bear upon the subject,
   but, as might be expected, the learned are greatly divided. Every year
   has been fixed upon as the probable date of the apostle's conversion
   from A.D. 31 [Bengel] to A.D. 42 [Eusebius]. But the weight of
   authority is in favor of dates ranging between 35 and 40, a difference
   of not more than five years; and the largest number of authorities is
   in favor of the year 37 or 38. Taking the former of these, to which
   opinion largely inclines, the following Table will be useful to the
   student of apostolic history:

   A.D. 37 Paul's Conversion Ac 9:1.
   A.D. 40 First Visit to Jerusalem Ac 9:26; Ga 1:18.
   A.D. 42-44 First Residence at Antioch Ac 11:25-30.
   A.D. 44 Second Visit to Jerusalem Ac 11:30; 12:25.
   A.D. 45-47 First Missionary Journey Ac 13:2; 14:26.
   A.D. 47-51 Second Residence at Antioch Ac 14:28.
     Third Visit to Jerusalem Ac 15:2-30; Ga 2:1-10.
   (on which see Notes)
   A.D. 51,53, or 54 Second Missionary Journey Ac 15:36, 40; 18:22.
   A.D. 53 or 54 Fourth Visit to Jerusalem Ac 18:21, 22.
     Third Residence at Antioch Ac 18:22, 23.
   A.D. 54-58 Third Missionary Journey Ac 18:23; 21:15.
   A.D. 58 Fifth Visit to Jerusalem
   Arrest and Imprisonment at Cęsarea Ac 21:15; 23:35.
   A.D. 60 (Autumn)--
   A.D. 61 (Spring) Voyage to and Arrival in Rome Ac 27:1; 28:16.
   A.D. 63 Release from Imprisonment
   At Crete, Colosse, Macedonia, Corinth, Nicopolis, Dalmatia, Troas Ac
   28:30.
   1 & 2 Tim. 1:1-4:22 and Tit.
   A.D. 63-65, or 66, or possibly as late as A.D. 66-68 Martyrdom at Rome
     __________________________________________________________________

   ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC EDITION

   This electronic edition of Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's one-volume
   Commentary on the Whole Bible has been prepared from text scanned by
   Woodside Bible Fellowship. The work has been completed in three passes:
   first, to import the text into the verse notes of the OnLine Bible,
   correct common scanning errors, and insert markers for Scripture
   references, boldface and italics; second, to verify the markers for
   boldfacing, italics, Scripture citations, cross references, &c.; third,
   to format the notes.

   Expanded Electronic Version.

   The designation of this electronic edition of the commentary as
   expanded refers to the editor's preference for complete words rather
   than abbreviations in the commentary (with the exception of Scripture
   references); the addition of white space in layout by placing on new
   lines the portion of the Scripture on which commentary has been
   provided by the authors; the replacement of the standard abbreviations
   "ch." and "vs." in citations with a complete reference to the Bible
   book, chapter, and verse; the rendering of the abbreviation of standard
   reference works by Greek and Latin Fathers in full English titles. The
   purpose of these expansions is to make the Commentary more readable and
   accessible to the modern reader.

   It is worth noting that in the printed version, errors in spelling,
   punctuation, numbering, cross references have followed throughout the
   printing history of this one-volume edition of the Commentary. This
   electronic edition, then, may represent the first corrected edition.

   Conventions.

   In formatting the commentary for use with the OnLine Bible, the
   following corrections and improvements have been made, with a view
   toward improving the readability and, thus, enhancing the usefulness of
   this reference work:

   (1) Added "white space" by beginning a new paragraph with each part of
   quoted Scripture for which commentary is written.

   (2) Formatted Scripture references, using the OnLine Bible
   abbreviations. When an entire chapter is referenced, the first and last
   verses are included so that the Scriptures may be viewed from the
   notes. The abbreviations for "chapter" ("ch." and "chs.") and "verse"
   ("vs." and "vss.") have been replaced with the appropriate OnLine Bible
   book designations. Scripture references have been checked for validity,
   but not necessarily for appropriateness.

   (3) Added Scripture references to quotations and allusions in the
   commentary. These have been enclosed within square brackets.

   (4) Standardized inconsistencies in conventions observed by the three
   authors. For example, in the printed edition, references to notes are
   indicated variously as "see on," "cf. on," "Note"; marginal notes are
   indicated as "Margin," "marg.," or "margin" (sometimes the word
   "margin" appears before the verse reference, sometime after), in roman
   or italic type; inferential words in Scripture are some times indicated
   by parentheses or square brackets, or by use of regular type when the
   verse is in boldface type; bibliographic citations are variously given
   (for instance, Josephus's The Wars of the Jews as B.J., J.B., Bell.
   Jud., Wars, Jewish Wars); alternate textual and marginal readings
   appear variously in roman type, italic type, within quotation marks; to
   indicate continuation of the Scripture quotation, sometimes ellipsis is
   used, at other times, "&c."

   (5) Expanded the following abbreviations:

   "cf." (French, "confer") as "compare" or "for comparison";
   "ed." as "edition";
   "e.g." (Latin, "exempli gratia") as "for example" or "for instance";
   "i.e." (Latin, "id est") as "that is";
   "lit." as "literal" or "literally";
   "LXX" and "Sept." as Septuagint;
   "MSS." as "manuscripts,"
   "N.B." (Latin, Nota Bene) as "Note";
   "q.d." (Latin, quasi dicat) as "As if he should say";
   "viz.," (Latin, videlicet) as "namely."

   (6) The English titles have been provided for the titles (and
   abbreviations of titles) of Greek and Latin books. For example, instead
   of adv. Haer., Irenaeus' treatise has been specified as Against
   Heresies; instead of De viris illustribus or Catalogus scriptorum
   ecclesiasticorm, or De scriptorum, Jerome's book has been designated as
   On Illustrious Men. For patristic works, the titles in The Early Church
   Fathers series have been the ones preferred. Where authors or titles
   abbreviated in citations cannot be identified certainly, the authors'
   notes have been retained. (Not all references have been checked for
   accuracy; however, some corrections have been provided.) The following
   is a list of the Greek and Latin titles and their English equivalents
   used in this electronic edition; variants of authors' names are also
   listed:

   Ambrose Amularis de Officiis The Duties of the Clergy
   Ambrose Ep. Epistles
   Arrian Expeditio Alexandri Campaigns of Alexander
   Athanasius Orat. Orations
   Athenagoras De Resurrectione Mortuorum Of the Resurrection of the Dead
   Augustine Civit. Dei The City of God
   Augustine De Civitate Dei The City of God
   Augustine De Sancta Virginitate Holy Virginity
   Augustine Ad Catechumenos The Creed
   Augustine De Symbolo ad Catechumenos The Creed
   Augustine Enchir. de Laurentium Enchirdon
   Augustine Ep. Epistles
   Augustine Ep. John Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John
   Augustine Hęreses Heresies
   Augustine Quęst. Evang. The Question of the Gospels
   Aulus Gellius Noctes Atticę Attic Nights
   Bede Explan. Apocalypse Explanation of the Apocalypse
   Birks Horę Apostolicę Apostolic History
   Birks Horę Evangelicę Gospel History
   Cęsar B. G. Commentaries on the Gallic War
   Chrysostom De Sacerdotio On the Priesthood
   Chrysostom Orationes Orations
   Cicero De Natura Deorum The Nature of the Gods
   Cicero Parad. Paradox
   Clemens Alexandrinus Clement of Alexandria
   Clement of Alexandria Pędagogus The Instructor
   Clement of Alexandria Quis Dives Salvus Who Is the Rich Man Who Shall
   Be Saved
   Clement of Alexandria Stromata Miscellanies
   Clemens Romanus Clement of Rome
   Clement of Rome Constitut. Apostolical Constitutions
   Clement of Rome Epistola ad Corinthios Epistle to the Corinthians
   Cyprian Ad Rogatian To Rogatianus
   Cyprian De Bene Patientię On the Advantage of Patience (Treatise 9)
   Cyprian De Hęreticis Baptizandis Concerning the Baptism of Heretics
   Cyprian De Opere et Eleemos On Works and Alms (Treatise 8)
   Cyprian De Oratione Domini On the Lord's Prayer (Treatise 4)
   Cyprian Ep. Epistles
   Cyril of Alexandria De Adoratione On Worship
   Cyril of Jerusalem Catechesis Catechetical Lectures
   Ephrem the Syrian Opp. Gręc. Against the Greeks
   Ephrem Syrus Ephrem the Syrian
   Epiphanius Hęreses Heresies
   Eusebius Chron. Chronicles
   Eusebius Demonstratio Evangelicę Demonstration of the Gospel
   Eusebius H. E. Ecclesiastical History
   Eusebius Pręparatio Evangelica Preparation of the Gospel
   Firmillian Epistle ad Cyprian Epistle to Cyprian
   Hermas Shepherd Shepherd (Vision First, &c.)
   Hermas Similes Similitudes (Similitude Sixth, &c.)
   Hippolytus De Antichristo On Antichrist
   Hippolytus Refut. of Hęres. The Refutation of All Heresies
   Hovenden, Roger Angl. Chron. Annals
   Ignatius Ad Symrnęos Epistle to the Symrnęans
   Ignatius Epistola ad Ephesum Epistle to the Ephesians
   Ignatius Epistola ad Romanos Epistle to the Romans
   Ignatius Magnes. Epistle to the Magnesians
   Ignatius Martyrium Ignatii The Martyrdom of Ignatius
   Irenęus Adversus Hęreses Against Heresies
   Irenęus Pręf. Preface
   Jerome Adv. err. Johann. Hieros. Against John of Jerusalem
   Jerome Annotationes in Matthęum Commentary on Matthew
   Jerome Catalogus Ecclesiasticorum Scriptorum, (full title, Liber De
   Viris Illustribus Seu Catalogus Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticus) On
   Illustrious Men
   Jerome Catalogus Scriptorum On Illustrious Men
   Jerome Catalogus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum On Illustrious Men
   Jerome Contra Helvidium Against Helvidius
   Jerome Contra Luciferianos Dialogues against the Luficerians
   Jerome De Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum On Illustrious Men
   Jerome De Viris Illustribus On Illustrious Men
   Jerome Epistola ad Paulinum Epistle to Paulinus
   Jerome Proęmium in Matthoeum Commentary on Matthew
   Jerome Proęmium in Philemonem Commentary on Philemon
   Josephus Contra Apion Against Apion
   Julian Ep. Epistles
   Justin Martyr Contra Tryphonen Dialogue with Trypho
   Justin Martyr Dialogue contra Tryphonen Dialogue with Trypho
   Justin Martyr Oratio ad Gręcos Discourse to the Greeks
   Justin Martyr Quęst ad Orthod.
   Lactantius De Mortibus Persecutorium Of the Manner in Which the
   Persecutors Died
   Lightfoot Horę Hebraicę et Talmudicę Hebrew and Talmudic Exercitations
   Macrob. Macrobius
   Marcellus Cęrmoniale Rom. Roman Ceremonial
   Oppian Cynegetica Cynegeticks
   Origen adv. Celsum Against Celsus
   Origen c. Cels.
   Contra Celsum Against Celsus
   Origen Principia On First Principles
   Orosius Hist.
   Historiarum Libri The Seven Books of History against the Pagans
   Paley Horę Paulinę History of St. Paul
   Philo de Mon.
   De Mundo Opificio The Creation of the World
   Philo Legat. ad Caium The Embassy to Gaius
   Plato Legge Laws
   Plautus Miles Gloriosus A Boastful Soldier
   Pliny Ep. Epistles
   Plutarch De Educatione Puerorum On the Education of Children
   Polycarp Ep. Philipp. Epistle to the Philippians
   Polycarp ad Philippenses Epistle to the Philippians
   Porphyry De Abstin. On Abstinence
   Primasius Ad Apocalypsin in fine Commentary on the Apocalypse
   Routh Reliq. Sacr.
   Reliqiuę Sacrę Sacred Fragments
   Rufinus Expositio Symboli Apostolorum Commentary on the Apostle's Creed
   Rufinus Hist.
   Historia Monachorum
   St. Bernard Serm. Sermon
   Seneca Ep. Epistles
   Socrates Historia Ecclesiastica Ecclesiastical History
   Tacitus Agricola On Agriculture
   Tertullian Adv. Jud. Epistle against Judaizers
   Tertullian Adversus Marcion Against Marcion
   Tertullian Adversus Praxean Against Praxeas
   Tertullian Adversus Valentinianos Against Valentinian
   Tertullian Contra Marcion Against Marcion
   Tertullian Contra Gnosticos Against the Gnostics
   Tertullian De Anima A Treatise on the Soul
   Tertullian De Coron.
   De Corona The Chaplet
   Tertullian De Baptism. On Baptism
   Tertullian De Cultu Fęminarum On the Apparel of Women
   Tertullian De Oratione Prayer
   Tertullian De pat.
   De Patientia Patience
   Tertullian De Pręscriptione Haereticorum The Prescription against
   Heretics
   Tertullian De pudicitia On Modesty
   Tertullian De Resurrectione Carnis On the Resurrection of the Flesh
   Tertullian De Velandis Virginibus On the Veiling of Virgins
   Tertullian Scorp.
   Scorpiace Antidote to the Scorpion's Sting
   Theophilus Ad Autolychus To Autolychus
   Theophylact Ad Autolychus To Autolychus
   Varro Re Rust.
   Rerum Rusticarium On Agriculture
   Christian A. Wahl Clavis Key of the New Testament

   Citations in which the author and chapter-section notations are given,
   but not the title, this has been supplied. For example, [Eusebius, 5.2]
   has been expanded to [Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 5.2], referring
   the reader to the fifth chapter, the second section of that work.

   Since, in the printed edition, the use of the abbreviations in
   citations for "book" ("l.," for the Latin "liber"), "chapter" ("c." or
   "ch."), and "section" ("s." or "sec.") is somewhat erratic, these
   abbreivations have been eliminated (in most instances) and the Loeb
   system of citation has been adopted. For instance, [Irenęus, adversus
   Hęreses, 4.18, sec. 3] has been cited as [Irenęus, Against Heresies,
   4.18.3], referring the reader to the fourth book, the eighteenth
   chapter, the third section.

   (7) In the printed version, both quotation mark and italics are
   employed to designate a word used as a word; in the electronic version,
   quotation marks have been used for this purpose, and the use of italics
   reserved for emphasis of words.

   (8) Where boldfacing has been used to highlight words within a
   sentence, italics have been substituted:

     Pr 19:5

     5. Compare Pr 19:9, where perish explains not escape here (compare
     Ps 88:9, 10).

     5. Compare Pr 19:9, where perish explains not escape here (compare
     Ps 88:9, 10).

   (10) Passages including interpolations have been formatted in the
   manner of the Commentary as a whole. For example, in the printed text,
   the passage from Mt 2:22 is set as follows:

     notwithstanding [or more simply, "but"] being warned of God in a
     dream, he turned aside [withdrew] into the parts of Galilee, or the
     Galilean parts.

   In the electronic version, however, it is set as follows:

     notwithstanding--or more simply, "but."

     being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside--withdrew.

     into the parts of Galilee--or the Galilean parts.

   When work on the Commentary was begun in 1995, it was under somewhat
   different editorial rules. (1) Since the OnLine Bible did not support
   italics at that time, quotation marks were used to indicate emphasis;
   emphasis within quotations in the text was ignored. (2) Since the
   OnLine Bible eschews hyphenated compound words, many of the hyphens
   used in the text were eliminated. (3) Marginal notes from the Bible
   were included in the Commentary to supplement those already mentioned
   by the authors. (4) Interpolations in quotations were set off by square
   brackets instead of parentheses. However, when the final pass was begun
   in 1997, I attempted to adhere more closely to the printed text in
   regard to use of italics, hyphenation, marginal notes, parentheses, and
   brackets.

   Public Domain Status.

   This expanded edition of the Jameison-Faussett-Brown Commentary is in
   the public domain and may be freely used and distributed. It was first
   posted on the [4]Christian Classics Ethereal Library server in December
   1997. The links to the Bible Gateway for Scripture references in that
   copy were added in January 1998 by Harry Plantinga. During July and
   August 1999, the Scripture references and links were inspected and
   corrected as necessary. Thanks to correspondents, especially Ken Hamel,
   who have offered corrections.

   Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

   Created 13 December 1997
   Revised 11 July 1998
   Revised 27 August 1999
   Last Updated 17 October 1999

   Ernie Stefanik
   373 Wilson Street
   Derry, PA 15627-9770
   e_stefanik@email.msn.com
     __________________________________________________________________

The Old Testament
     __________________________________________________________________

   THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES, CALLED
   GENESIS.
   Commentary by Robert Jamieson
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 1

   Ge 1:1, 2. The Creation of Heaven and Earth.

   1. In the beginning--a period of remote and unknown antiquity, hid in
   the depths of eternal ages; and so the phrase is used in Pr 8:22, 23.

   God--the name of the Supreme Being, signifying in Hebrew, "Strong,"
   "Mighty." It is expressive of omnipotent power; and by its use here in
   the plural form, is obscurely taught at the opening of the Bible, a
   doctrine clearly revealed in other parts of it, namely, that though God
   is one, there is a plurality of persons in the Godhead--Father, Son,
   and Spirit, who were engaged in the creative work (Pr 8:27; Joh 1:3,
   10; Eph 3:9; Heb 1:2; Job 26:13).

   created--not formed from any pre-existing materials, but made out of
   nothing.

   the heaven and the earth--the universe. This first verse is a general
   introduction to the inspired volume, declaring the great and important
   truth that all things had a beginning; that nothing throughout the wide
   extent of nature existed from eternity, originated by chance, or from
   the skill of any inferior agent; but that the whole universe was
   produced by the creative power of God (Ac 17:24; Ro 11:36). After this
   preface, the narrative is confined to the earth.

   2. the earth was without form and void--or in "confusion and
   emptiness," as the words are rendered in Isa 34:11. This globe, at some
   undescribed period, having been convulsed and broken up, was a dark and
   watery waste for ages perhaps, till out of this chaotic state, the
   present fabric of the world was made to arise.

   the Spirit of God moved--literally, continued brooding over it, as a
   fowl does, when hatching eggs. The immediate agency of the Spirit, by
   working on the dead and discordant elements, combined, arranged, and
   ripened them into a state adapted for being the scene of a new
   creation. The account of this new creation properly begins at the end
   of this second verse; and the details of the process are described in
   the natural way an onlooker would have done, who beheld the changes
   that successively took place.

   Ge 1:3-5. The First Day.

   3. God said--This phrase, which occurs so repeatedly in the account
   means: willed, decreed, appointed; and the determining will of God was
   followed in every instance by an immediate result. Whether the sun was
   created at the same time with, or long before, the earth, the dense
   accumulation of fogs and vapors which enveloped the chaos had covered
   the globe with a settled gloom. But by the command of God, light was
   rendered visible; the thick murky clouds were dispersed, broken, or
   rarefied, and light diffused over the expanse of waters. The effect is
   described in the name "day," which in Hebrew signifies "warmth,"
   "heat"; while the name "night" signifies a "rolling up," as night wraps
   all things in a shady mantle.

   4. divided the light from darkness--refers to the alternation or
   succession of the one to the other, produced by the daily revolution of
   the earth round its axis.

   5. first day--a natural day, as the mention of its two parts clearly
   determines; and Moses reckons, according to Oriental usage, from sunset
   to sunset, saying not day and night as we do, but evening and morning.

   Ge 1:6-8. Second Day.

   6. firmament--an expanse--a beating out as a plate of metal: a name
   given to the atmosphere from its appearing to an observer to be the
   vault of heaven, supporting the weight of the watery clouds. By the
   creation of an atmosphere, the lighter parts of the waters which
   overspread the earth's surface were drawn up and suspended in the
   visible heavens, while the larger and heavier mass remained below. The
   air was thus "in the midst of the waters," that is, separated them; and
   this being the apparent use of it, is the only one mentioned, although
   the atmosphere serves other uses, as a medium of life and light.

   Ge 1:9-13. Third Day.

   9. let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one
   place--The world was to be rendered a terraqueous globe, and this was
   effected by a volcanic convulsion on its surface, the upheaving of some
   parts, the sinking of others, and the formation of vast hollows, into
   which the waters impetuously rushed, as is graphically described (Ps
   104:6-9) [Hitchcock]. Thus a large part of the earth was left "dry
   land," and thus were formed oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers which,
   though each having its own bed, or channel, are all connected with the
   sea (Job 38:10; Ec 1:7).

   11. let the earth bring forth--The bare soil was clothed with verdure,
   and it is noticeable that the trees, plants, and grasses--the three
   great divisions of the vegetable kingdom here mentioned--were not
   called into existence in the same way as the light and the air; they
   were made to grow, and they grew as they do still out of the
   ground--not, however, by the slow process of vegetation, but through
   the divine power, without rain, dew, or any process of labor--sprouting
   up and flourishing in a single day.

   Ge 1:14-19. Fourth Day.

   14. let there be lights in the firmament--The atmosphere being
   completely purified, the sun, moon, and stars were for the first time
   unveiled in all their glory in the cloudless sky; and they are
   described as "in the firmament" which to the eye they appear to be,
   though we know they are really at vast distances from it.

   16. two great lights--In consequence of the day being reckoned as
   commencing at sunset--the moon, which would be seen first in the
   horizon, would appear "a great light," compared with the little
   twinkling stars; while its pale benign radiance would be eclipsed by
   the dazzling splendor of the sun; when his resplendent orb rose in the
   morning and gradually attained its meridian blaze of glory, it would
   appear "the greater light" that ruled the day. Both these lights may be
   said to be "made" on the fourth day--not created, indeed, for it is a
   different word that is here used, but constituted, appointed to the
   important and necessary office of serving as luminaries to the world,
   and regulating by their motions and their influence the progress and
   divisions of time.

   Ge 1:20-23. Fifth Day. The signs of animal life appeared in the waters
   and in the air.

   20. moving creature--all oviparous animals, both among the finny and
   the feathery tribes--remarkable for their rapid and prodigious
   increase.

   fowl--means every flying thing: The word rendered "whales," includes
   also sharks, crocodiles, &c.; so that from the countless shoals of
   small fish to the great sea monsters, from the tiny insect to the king
   of birds, the waters and the air were suddenly made to swarm with
   creatures formed to live and sport in their respective elements.

   Ge 1:24-31. Sixth Day. A farther advance was made by the creation of
   terrestrial animals, all the various species of which are included in
   three classes: (1) cattle, the herbivorous kind capable of labor or
   domestication.

   24. beasts of the earth--(2) wild animals, whose ravenous natures were
   then kept in check, and (3) all the various forms of creeping
   things--from the huge reptiles to the insignificant caterpillars.

   26. The last stage in the progress of creation being now reached--God
   said, Let us make man--words which show the peculiar importance of the
   work to be done, the formation of a creature, who was to be God's
   representative, clothed with authority and rule as visible head and
   monarch of the world. In our image, after our likeness--This was a
   peculiar distinction, the value attached to which appears in the words
   being twice mentioned. And in what did this image of God consist? Not
   in the erect form or features of man, not in his intellect, for the
   devil and his angels are, in this respect, far superior; not in his
   immortality, for he has not, like God, a past as well as a future
   eternity of being; but in the moral dispositions of his soul, commonly
   called original righteousness (Ec 7:29). As the new creation is only a
   restoration of this image, the history of the one throws light on the
   other; and we are informed that it is renewed after the image of God in
   knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness (Col 3:10; Eph 4:24).

   28. Be fruitful, &c.--The human race in every country and age has been
   the offspring of the first pair. Amid all the varieties found among
   men, some black, some copper-colored, others white, the researches of
   modern science lead to a conclusion, fully accordant with the sacred
   history, that they are all of one species and of one family (Ac 17:26).
   What power in the word of God! "He spake and it was done. He commanded
   and all things stood fast" [Ps 33:9]. "Great and manifold are thy
   works, Lord God Almighty! in wisdom hast thou made them all" [Ps
   104:24]. We admire that wisdom, not only in the regular progress of
   creation, but in its perfect adaptation to the end. God is represented
   as pausing at every stage to look at His work. No wonder He
   contemplated it with complacency. Every object was in its right place,
   every vegetable process going on in season, every animal in its
   structure and instincts suited to its mode of life and its use in the
   economy of the world. He saw everything that He had made answering the
   plan which His eternal wisdom had conceived; and, "Behold it was very
   good" [Ge 1:31].
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 2

   Ge 2:1. The Narrative of the Six Days' Creation Continued. The course
   of the narrative is improperly broken by the division of the chapter.

   1. the heavens--the firmament or atmosphere.

   host--a multitude, a numerous array, usually connected in Scripture
   with heaven only, but here with the earth also, meaning all that they
   contain.

   were finished--brought to completion. No permanent change has ever
   since been made in the course of the world, no new species of animals
   been formed, no law of nature repealed or added to. They could have
   been finished in a moment as well as in six days, but the work of
   creation was gradual for the instruction of man, as well, perhaps, as
   of higher creatures (Job 38:7).

   Ge 2:2-7. The First Sabbath.

   2. and he rested on the seventh day--not to repose from exhaustion with
   labor (see Isa 40:28), but ceased from working, an example equivalent
   to a command that we also should cease from labor of every kind.

   3. blessed and sanctified the seventh day--a peculiar distinction put
   upon it above the other six days, and showing it was devoted to sacred
   purposes. The institution of the Sabbath is as old as creation, giving
   rise to that weekly division of time which prevailed in the earliest
   ages. It is a wise and beneficent law, affording that regular interval
   of rest which the physical nature of man and the animals employed in
   his service requires, and the neglect of which brings both to premature
   decay. Moreover, it secures an appointed season for religious worship,
   and if it was necessary in a state of primeval innocence, how much more
   so now, when mankind has a strong tendency to forget God and His
   claims?

   4. These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth--the
   history or account of their production. Whence did Moses obtain this
   account so different from the puerile and absurd fictions of the
   heathen? Not from any human source, for man was not in existence to
   witness it; not from the light of nature or reason, for though they
   proclaim the eternal power and Godhead by the things which are made,
   they cannot tell how they were made. None but the Creator Himself could
   give this information, and therefore it is through faith we understand
   that the worlds were framed by the word of God (Heb 11:3).

   5, 6. rain, mist--(See on [5]Ge 1:11).

   7. Here the sacred writer supplies a few more particulars about the
   first pair.

   formed--had FORMED MAN OUT OF THE DUST OF THE GROUND. Science has
   proved that the substance of his flesh, sinews, and bones, consists of
   the very same elements as the soil which forms the crust of the earth
   and the limestone that lies embedded in its bowels. But from that mean
   material what an admirable structure has been reared in the human body
   (Ps 139:14).

   the breath of life--literally, of lives, not only animal but spiritual
   life. If the body is so admirable, how much more the soul with all its
   varied faculties.

   breathed into his nostrils the breath of life--not that the Creator
   literally performed this act, but respiration being the medium and sign
   of life, this phrase is used to show that man's life originated in a
   different way from his body--being implanted directly by God (Ec 12:7),
   and hence in the new creation of the soul Christ breathed on His
   disciples (Joh 20:22).

   Ge 8-17. The Garden of Eden.

   8. Eden--was probably a very extensive region in Mesopotamia,
   distinguished for its natural beauty and the richness and variety of
   its produce. Hence its name, signifying "pleasantness." God planted a
   garden eastward, an extensive park, a paradise, in which the man was
   put to be trained under the paternal care of his Maker to piety and
   usefulness.

   9. tree of life--so called from its symbolic character as a sign and
   seal of immortal life. Its prominent position where it must have been
   an object of daily observation and interest, was admirably fitted to
   keep man habitually in mind of God and futurity.

   tree of the knowledge of good and evil--so called because it was a test
   of obedience by which our first parents were to be tried, whether they
   would be good or bad, obey God or break His commands.

   15. put the man into the garden of Eden to dress it--not only to give
   him a pleasant employment, but to place him on his probation, and as
   the title of this garden, the garden of the Lord (Ge 13:10; Eze 28:13),
   indicates, it was in fact a temple in which he worshipped God, and was
   daily employed in offering the sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise.

   17. thou shalt not eat of it ... thou shalt surely die--no reason
   assigned for the prohibition, but death was to be the punishment of
   disobedience. A positive command like this was not only the simplest
   and easiest, but the only trial to which their fidelity could be
   exposed.

   Ge 2:18-25. The Making of Woman, and Institution of Marriage.

   18. it is not good for the man to be alone--In the midst of plenty and
   delights, he was conscious of feelings he could not gratify. To make
   him sensible of his wants,

   19. God brought unto Adam--not all the animals in existence, but those
   chiefly in his immediate neighborhood to be subservient to his use.

   whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name
   thereof--His powers of perception and intelligence were supernaturally
   enlarged to know the characters, habits, and uses of each species that
   was brought to him.

   20. but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him--The design
   of this singular scene was to show him that none of the living
   creatures he saw were on an equal footing with himself, and that while
   each class came with its mate of the same nature, form, and habits, he
   alone had no companion. Besides, in giving names to them he was led to
   exercise his powers of speech and to prepare for social intercourse
   with his partner, a creature yet to be formed.

   21. deep sleep--probably an ecstasy or trance like that of the
   prophets, when they had visions and revelations of the Lord, for the
   whole scene was probably visible to the mental eye of Adam, and hence
   his rapturous exclamation.

   took one of his ribs--"She was not made out of his head to surpass him,
   nor from his feet to be trampled on, but from his side to be equal to
   him, and near his heart to be dear to him."

   23. Woman--in Hebrew, "man-ess."

   24. one flesh--The human pair differed from all other pairs, that by
   peculiar formation of Eve, they were one. And this passage is appealed
   to by our Lord as the divine institution of marriage (Mt 19:4, 5; Eph
   5:28). Thus Adam appears as a creature formed after the image of
   God--showing his knowledge by giving names to the animals, his
   righteousness by his approval of the marriage relation, and his
   holiness by his principles and feelings, and finding gratification in
   the service and enjoyment of God.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 3

   Ge 3:1-5. The Temptation.

   1. the serpent--The fall of man was effected by the seductions of a
   serpent. That it was a real serpent is evident from the plain and
   artless style of the history and from the many allusions made to it in
   the New Testament. But the material serpent was the instrument or tool
   of a higher agent, Satan or the devil, to whom the sacred writers apply
   from this incident the reproachful name of "the dragon, that old
   serpent" [Re 20:2]. Though Moses makes no mention of this wicked
   spirit--giving only the history of the visible world--yet in the fuller
   discoveries of the Gospel, it is distinctly intimated that Satan was
   the author of the plot (Joh 8:44; 2Co 11:3; 1Jo 3:8; 1Ti 2:14; Re
   20:2).

   more subtile--Serpents are proverbial for wisdom (Mt 10:16). But these
   reptiles were at first, probably, far superior in beauty as well as in
   sagacity to what they are in their present state.

   He said--There being in the pure bosoms of the first pair no principle
   of evil to work upon, a solicitation to sin could come only from
   "without," as in the analogous case of Jesus Christ (Mt 4:3); and as
   the tempter could not assume the human form, there being only Adam and
   Eve in the world, the agency of an inferior creature had to be
   employed. The dragon-serpent [Bochart] seemed the fittest for the vile
   purpose; and the devil was allowed by Him who permitted the trial, to
   bring articulate sounds from its mouth.

   unto the woman--the object of attack, from his knowledge of her
   frailty, of her having been but a short time in the world, her limited
   experience of the animal tribes, and, above all, her being alone,
   unfortified by the presence and counsels of her husband. Though sinless
   and holy, she was a free agent, liable to be tempted and seduced.

   yea, hath God said?--Is it true that He has restricted you in using the
   fruits of this delightful place? This is not like one so good and kind.
   Surely there is some mistake. He insinuated a doubt as to her sense of
   the divine will and appeared as an angel of light (2Co 11:14), offering
   to lead her to the true interpretation. It was evidently from her
   regarding him as specially sent on that errand, that, instead of being
   startled by the reptile's speaking, she received him as a heavenly
   messenger.

   2. the woman said, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the
   garden--In her answer, Eve extolled the large extent of liberty they
   enjoyed in ranging at will amongst all the trees--one only excepted,
   with respect to which, she declared there was no doubt, either of the
   prohibition or the penalty. But there is reason to think that she had
   already received an injurious impression; for in using the words "lest
   ye die," instead of "ye shall surely die" [Ge 2:17], she spoke as if
   the tree had been forbidden because of some poisonous quality of its
   fruit. The tempter, perceiving this, became bolder in his assertions.

   4. Ye shall not surely die--He proceeded, not only to assure her of
   perfect impunity, but to promise great benefits from partaking of it.

   5. your eyes shall be opened--His words meant more than met the ear. In
   one sense her eyes were opened; for she acquired a direful experience
   of "good and evil"--of the happiness of a holy, and the misery of a
   sinful, condition. But he studiously concealed this result from Eve,
   who, fired with a generous desire for knowledge, thought only of rising
   to the rank and privileges of her angelic visitants.

   Ge 3:6-9. The Fall.

   6. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food--Her
   imagination and feelings were completely won; and the fall of Eve was
   soon followed by that of Adam. The history of every temptation, and of
   every sin, is the same; the outward object of attraction, the inward
   commotion of mind, the increase and triumph of passionate desire;
   ending in the degradation, slavery, and ruin of the soul (Jas 1:15; 1Jo
   2:16).

   8. they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden--The
   divine Being appeared in the same manner as formerly--uttering the
   well-known tones of kindness, walking in some visible form (not running
   hastily, as one impelled by the influence of angry feelings). How
   beautifully expressive are these words of the familiar and
   condescending manner in which He had hitherto held intercourse with the
   first pair.

   in the cool of the day--literally, "the breeze of the day," the
   evening.

   hid themselves amongst the trees of the garden--Shame, remorse, fear--a
   sense of guilt--feelings to which they had hitherto been strangers
   disordered their minds and led them to shun Him whose approach they
   used to welcome. How foolish to think of eluding His notice (Ps
   139:1-12).

   Ge 3:10-13. The Examination.

   10. afraid, because ... naked--apparently, a confession--the language
   of sorrow; but it was evasive--no signs of true humility and
   penitence--each tries to throw the blame on another.

   12. The woman ... gave me--He blames God [Calvin]. As the woman had
   been given him for his companion and help, he had eaten of the tree
   from love to her; and perceiving she was ruined, was determined not to
   survive her [M'knight].

   13. beguiled--cajoled by flattering lies. This sin of the first pair
   was heinous and aggravated--it was not simply eating an apple, but a
   love of self, dishonor to God, ingratitude to a benefactor,
   disobedience to the best of Masters--a preference of the creature to
   the Creator.

   Ge 3:14-24. The Sentence.

   14. And the Lord God said unto the serpent--The Judge pronounces a
   doom: first, on the material serpent, which is cursed above all
   creatures. From being a model of grace and elegance in form, it has
   become the type of all that is odious, disgusting, and low [Le CLERC,
   Rosenmuller]; or the curse has converted its natural condition into a
   punishment; it is now branded with infamy and avoided with horror;
   next, on the spiritual serpent, the seducer. Already fallen, he was to
   be still more degraded and his power wholly destroyed by the offspring
   of those he had deceived.

   15. thy seed--not only evil spirits, but wicked men.

   seed of the woman--the Messiah, or His Church [Calvin, Hengstenberg].

   I will put enmity between thee and the woman--God can only be said to
   do so by leaving "the serpent and his seed to the influence of their
   own corruption; and by those measures which, pursued for the salvation
   of men, fill Satan and his angels with envy and rage."

   thou shalt bruise his heel--The serpent wounds the heel that crushes
   him; and so Satan would be permitted to afflict the humanity of Christ
   and bring suffering and persecution on His people.

   it shall bruise thy head--The serpent's poison is lodged in its head;
   and a bruise on that part is fatal. Thus, fatal shall be the stroke
   which Satan shall receive from Christ, though it is probable he did not
   at first understand the nature and extent of his doom.

   16. unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow--She was
   doomed as a wife and mother to suffer pain of body and distress of
   mind. From being the help meet of man and the partner of his affections
   [Ge 2:18, 23], her condition would henceforth be that of humble
   subjection.

   17-19. unto Adam he said--made to gain his livelihood by tilling the
   ground; but what before his fall he did with ease and pleasure, was not
   to be accomplished after it without painful and persevering exertion.

   19. till thou return unto the ground--Man became mortal; although he
   did not die the moment he ate the forbidden fruit, his body underwent a
   change, and that would lead to dissolution; the union subsisting
   between his soul and God having already been dissolved, he had become
   liable to all the miseries of this life and to the pains of hell for
   ever. What a mournful chapter this is in the history of man! It gives
   the only true account of the origin of all the physical and moral evils
   that are in the world; upholds the moral character of God; shows that
   man, made upright, fell from not being able to resist a slight
   temptation; and becoming guilty and miserable, plunged all his
   posterity into the same abyss (Ro 5:12). How astonishing the grace
   which at that moment gave promise of a Saviour and conferred on her who
   had the disgrace of introducing sin the future honor of introducing
   that Deliverer (1Ti 2:15).

   20. Adam called his wife's name Eve--probably in reference to her being
   a mother of the promised Saviour, as well as of all mankind.

   21. God made coats of skins--taught them to make these for themselves.
   This implies the institution of animal sacrifice, which was undoubtedly
   of divine appointment, and instruction in the only acceptable mode of
   worship for sinful creatures, through faith in a Redeemer (Heb 9:22).

   22. And God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us--not spoken in
   irony as is generally supposed, but in deep compassion. The words
   should be rendered, "Behold, what has become [by sin] of the man who
   was as one of us"! Formed, at first, in our image to know good and
   evil--how sad his condition now.

   and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of
   life--This tree being a pledge of that immortal life with which
   obedience should be rewarded, man lost, on his fall, all claim to this
   tree; and therefore, that he might not eat of it or delude himself with
   the idea that eating of it would restore what he had forfeited, the
   Lord sent him forth from the garden.

   24. placed ... cherbim--The passage should be rendered thus: "And he
   dwelt between the cherubim at the East of the Garden of Eden and a
   fierce fire, or Shekinah, unfolding itself to preserve the way of the
   tree of life." This was the mode of worship now established to show
   God's anger at sin and teach the mediation of a promised Saviour as the
   way of life, as well as of access to God. They were the same figures as
   were afterwards in the tabernacle and temple; and now, as then, God
   said, "I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between
   the two cherubims" (Ex 25:22).
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 4

   Ge 4:1-26. Birth of Cain and Abel.

   1. Eve said, I have gotten a man from the Lord--that is, "by the help
   of the Lord"--an expression of pious gratitude--and she called him
   Cain, that is, "a possession," as if valued above everything else;
   while the arrival of another son reminding Eve of the misery she had
   entailed on her offspring, led to the name Abel, that is, either
   weakness, vanity (Ps 39:5), or grief, lamentation. Cain and Abel were
   probably twins; and it is thought that, at this early period, children
   were born in pairs (Ge 5:4) [Calvin].

   2. Abel was a keeper of sheep--literally, "a feeder of a flock," which,
   in Oriental countries, always includes goats as well as sheep. Abel,
   though the younger, is mentioned first, probably on account of the
   pre-eminence of his religious character.

   3. in process of time--Hebrew, "at the end of days," probably on the
   Sabbath.

   brought ... an offering unto the Lord--Both manifested, by the very act
   of offering, their faith in the being of God and in His claims to their
   reverence and worship; and had the kind of offering been left to
   themselves, what more natural than that the one should bring "of the
   fruits of the ground," and that the other should bring "of the
   firstlings of his flock and the fat thereof" [Ge 4:4].

   4. the Lord had respect unto Abel, not unto Cain, &c.--The words, "had
   respect to," signify in Hebrew,--"to look at any thing with a keen
   earnest glance," which has been translated, "kindle into a fire," so
   that the divine approval of Abel's offering was shown in its being
   consumed by fire (see Ge 15:17; Jud 13:20).

   7. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?--A better rendering
   is, "Shalt thou not have the excellency"? which is the true sense of
   the words referring to the high privileges and authority belonging to
   the first-born in patriarchal times.

   sin lieth at the door--sin, that is, a sin offering--a common meaning
   of the word in Scripture (as in Ho 4:8; 2Co 5:21; Heb 9:28). The
   purport of the divine rebuke to Cain was this, "Why art thou angry, as
   if unjustly treated? If thou doest well (that is, wert innocent and
   sinless) a thank offering would have been accepted as a token of thy
   dependence as a creature. But as thou doest not well (that is, art a
   sinner), a sin offering is necessary, by bringing which thou wouldest
   have met with acceptance and retained the honors of thy birthright."
   This language implies that previous instructions had been given as to
   the mode of worship; Abel offered through faith (Heb 11:4).

   unto thee shall be his desire--The high distinction conferred by
   priority of birth is described (Ge 27:29); and it was Cain's
   conviction, that this honor had been withdrawn from him, by the
   rejection of his sacrifice, and conferred on his younger brother--hence
   the secret flame of jealousy, which kindled into a settled hatred and
   fell revenge.

   8. And Cain talked with Abel his brother--Under the guise of brotherly
   familiarity, he concealed his premeditated purpose till a convenient
   time and place occurred for the murder (1Jo 3:12; Jude 11).

   9. I know not--a falsehood. One sin leads to another.

   10. the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me--Cain, to lull
   suspicion, had probably been engaging in the solemnities of religion
   when he was challenged directly from the Shekinah itself.

   11, 12. now art thou cursed from the earth--a curse superadded to the
   general one denounced on the ground for Adam's sin.

   12. a fugitive--condemned to perpetual exile; a degraded outcast; the
   miserable victim of an accusing conscience.

   13, 14. And Cain said ... My punishment is greater than I can
   bear--What an overwhelming sense of misery; but no sign of penitence,
   nor cry for pardon.

   14. every one that findeth me shall slay me--This shows that the
   population of the world was now considerably increased.

   15. whosoever slayeth Cain--By a special act of divine forbearance, the
   life of Cain was to be spared in the then small state of the human
   race.

   set a mark--not any visible mark or brand on his forehead, but some
   sign or token of assurance that his life would be preserved. This sign
   is thought by the best writers to have been a wild ferocity of aspect
   that rendered him an object of universal horror and avoidance.

   16. presence of the Lord--the appointed place of worship at Eden.
   Leaving it, he not only severed himself from his relatives but forsook
   the ordinances of religion, probably casting off all fear of God from
   his eyes so that the last end of this man is worse than the first (Mt
   12:45).

   land of Nod--of flight or exile--thought by many to have been
   Arabia-Petręa--which was cursed to sterility on his account.

   17-22. builded a city--It has been in cities that the human race has
   ever made the greatest social progress; and several of Cain's
   descendants distinguished themselves by their inventive genius in the
   arts.

   19. Lamech took unto him two wives--This is the first transgression of
   the law of marriage on record, and the practice of polygamy, like all
   other breaches of God's institutions, has been a fruitful source of
   corruption and misery.

   23, 24. Lamech said unto his wives--This speech is in a poetical form,
   probably the fragment of an old poem, transmitted to the time of Moses.
   It seems to indicate that Lamech had slain a man in self-defense, and
   its drift is to assure his wives, by the preservation of Cain, that an
   unintentional homicide, as he was, could be in no danger.

   26. men began to call upon the name of the Lord--rather, by the name of
   the Lord. God's people, a name probably applied to them in contempt by
   the world.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 5

   Ge 5:1-32. Genealogy of the Patriarchs.

   1. book of the generations--(See Ge 11:4).

   Adam--used here either as the name of the first man, or of the human
   race generally.

   5. all the days ... Adam lived--The most striking feature in this
   catalogue is the longevity of Adam and his immediate descendants. Ten
   are enumerated (Ge 5:5-32) in direct succession whose lives far exceed
   the ordinary limits with which we are familiar--the shortest being
   three hundred sixty-five, [Ge 5:23] and the longest nine hundred
   sixty-nine years [Ge 5:27]. It is useless to inquire whether and what
   secondary causes may have contributed to this protracted
   longevity--vigorous constitutions, the nature of their diet, the
   temperature and salubrity of the climate; or, finally--as this list
   comprises only the true worshippers of God--whether their great age
   might be owing to the better government of their passions and the
   quiet, even tenor of their lives. Since we cannot obtain satisfactory
   evidence on these points, it is wise to resolve the fact into the
   sovereign will of God. We can, however, trace some of the important
   uses to which, in the early economy of Providence, it was subservient.
   It was the chief means of reserving a knowledge of God, of the great
   truths of religion, as well as the influence of genuine piety. So that,
   as their knowledge was obtained by tradition, they would be in a
   condition to preserve it in the greatest purity.

   21. Enoch ... begat Methuselah--This name signifies, "He dieth, and the
   sending forth," so that Enoch gave it as prophetical of the flood. It
   is computed that Methuselah died in the year of that catastrophe.

   24. And Enoch walked with God--a common phrase in Eastern countries
   denoting constant and familiar intercourse.

   was not; for God took him--In Heb 11:5, we are informed that he was
   translated to heaven--a mighty miracle, designed to effect what
   ordinary means of instruction had failed to accomplish, gave a palpable
   proof to an age of almost universal unbelief that the doctrines which
   he had taught (Jude 14, 15) were true and that his devotedness to the
   cause of God and righteousness in the midst of opposition was highly
   pleasing to the mind of God.

   26. Lamech--a different person from the one mentioned in the preceding
   chapter [Ge 4:18]. Like his namesake, however, he also spoke in numbers
   on occasion of the birth of Noah--that is, "rest" or "comfort" [Ge
   5:29, Margin]. "The allusion is, undoubtedly, to the penal consequences
   of the fall in earthly toils and sufferings, and to the hope of a
   Deliverer, excited by the promise made to Eve. That this expectation
   was founded on a divine communication we infer from the importance
   attached to it and the confidence of its expression" [Peter Smith].

   32. Noah was five hundred years old: and ... begat--That he and the
   other patriarchs were advanced in life before children were born to
   them is a difficulty accounted for probably from the circumstance that
   Moses does not here record their first-born sons, but only the
   succession from Adam through Seth to Abraham.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 6

   Ge 6:1-22. Wickedness of the World.

   2. the sons of God saw the daughters of men--By the former is meant the
   family of Seth, who were professedly religious; by the latter, the
   descendants of apostate Cain. Mixed marriages between parties of
   opposite principles and practice were necessarily sources of extensive
   corruption. The women, religious themselves, would as wives and mothers
   exert an influence fatal to the existence of religion in their
   household, and consequently the people of that later age sank to the
   lowest depravity.

   3. flesh--utterly, hopelessly debased.

   And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive--Christ, as God,
   had by His Spirit inspiring Enoch, Noah, and perhaps other prophets
   (1Pe 3:20; 2Pe 2:5; Jude 14), preached repentance to the antediluvians;
   but they were incorrigible.

   yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years--It is probable that
   the corruption of the world, which had now reached its height, had been
   long and gradually increasing, and this idea receives support from the
   long respite granted.

   4. giants--The term in Hebrew implies not so much the idea of great
   stature as of reckless ferocity, impious and daring characters, who
   spread devastation and carnage far and wide.

   5, 6. God saw it ... repented ... grieved--God cannot change (Mal 3:6;
   Jas 1:17); but, by language suited to our nature and experience, He is
   described as about to alter His visible procedure towards mankind--from
   being merciful and long-suffering, He was about to show Himself a God
   of judgment; and, as that impious race had filled up the measure of
   their iniquities, He was about to introduce a terrible display of His
   justice (Ec 8:11).

   8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord--favor. What an awful
   state of things when only one man or one family of piety and virtue was
   now existing among the professed sons of God!

   9. Noah ... just ... and perfect--not absolutely; for since the fall of
   Adam no man has been free from sin except Jesus Christ. But as living
   by faith he was just (Ga 3:2; Heb 11:7) and perfect--that is, sincere
   in his desire to do God's will.

   11. the earth was filled with violence--In the absence of any
   well-regulated government it is easy to imagine what evils would arise.
   Men did what was right in their own eyes, and, having no fear of God,
   destruction and misery were in their ways.

   13. And God said unto Noah--How startling must have been the
   announcement of the threatened destruction! There was no outward
   indication of it. The course of nature and experience seemed against
   the probability of its occurrence. The public opinion of mankind would
   ridicule it. The whole world would be ranged against him. Yet,
   persuaded the communication was from God, through faith (Heb 11:7), he
   set about preparing the means for preserving himself and family from
   the impending calamity.

   14. Make thee an ark--ark, a hollow chest (Ex 2:3).

   gopher wood--probably cypress, remarkable for its durability and
   abounding on the Armenian mountains.

   rooms--cabins or small cells.

   pitch it within and without--mineral pitch, asphalt, naphtha, or some
   bituminous substance, which, when smeared over and become hardened,
   would make it perfectly watertight.

   15. And this is the fashion--According to the description, the ark was
   not a ship, but an immense house in form and structure like the houses
   in the East, designed not to sail, but only to float. Assuming the
   cubit to be 21.888 inches, the ark would be five hundred forty-seven
   feet long, ninety-one feet two inches wide, and forty-seven feet two
   inches high.

   16. A window--probably a skylight, formed of some transparent substance
   unknown.

   in a cubit shalt thou finish it above--a direction to raise the roof in
   the middle, seemingly to form a gentle slope for letting the water run
   off.

   17-22. And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood--The repetition of the
   announcement was to establish its certainty (Ge 41:32). Whatever
   opinion may be entertained as to the operation of natural laws and
   agencies in the deluge, it was brought on the world by God as a
   punishment for the enormous wickedness of its inhabitants.

   18. But with thee will I establish my covenant--a special promise of
   deliverance, called a covenant, to convince him of the confidence to be
   reposed in it. The substance and terms of this covenant are related at
   Ge 6:19-21.

   22. Thus did Noah--He began without delay to prepare the colossal
   fabric, and in every step of his progress faithfully followed the
   divine directions he had received.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 7

   Ge 7:1-24. Entrance into the Ark.

   1. And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the
   ark--The ark was finished; and Noah now, in the spirit of implicit
   faith, which had influenced his whole conduct, waited for directions
   from God.

   2, 3. Of every clean beast ... fowls--Pairs of every species of
   animals, except the tenants of the deep, were to be taken for the
   preservation of their respective kinds. This was the general rule of
   admission, only with regard to those animals which are styled "clean,"
   three pairs were to be taken, whether of beasts or birds; and the
   reason was that their rapid multiplication was a matter of the highest
   importance, when the earth should be renovated, for their utility
   either as articles of food or as employed in the service of man. But
   what was the use of the seventh? It was manifestly reserved for
   sacrifice; and so that both during Noah's residence in the ark, and
   after his return to dry land, provision was made for celebrating the
   rites of worship according to the religion of fallen man. He did not,
   like many, leave religion behind. He provided for it during his
   protracted voyage.

   4. For yet seven days--A week for a world to repent! What a solemn
   pause! Did they laugh and ridicule his folly still? He whose eyes saw
   and whose heart felt the full amount of human iniquity and perverseness
   has told us of their reckless disregard (Lu 17:27).

   9. There went in two and two--Doubtless they were led by a divine
   impulse. The number would not be so large as at first sight one is apt
   to imagine. It has been calculated that there are not more than three
   hundred distinct species of beasts and birds, the immense varieties in
   regard to form, size, and color being traceable to the influence of
   climate and other circumstances.

   16. and the Lord shut him in--literally, "covered him round about." The
   "shutting him in" intimated that Noah had become the special object of
   divine care and protection, and that to those without the season of
   grace was over (Mt 25:10).

   17. the waters increased, and bare up the ark--It seems to have been
   raised so gradually as to be scarcely perceptible to its occupants.

   20. Fifteen cubits upward ... and the mountains were
   covered--twenty-two and a half feet above the summits of the highest
   hills. The language is not consistent with the theory of a partial
   deluge.

   21. all flesh died ... fowl ... cattle, and ... creeping thing--It has
   been a uniform principle in the divine procedure, when judgments were
   abroad on the earth, to include every thing connected with the sinful
   objects of His wrath (Ge 19:25; Ex 9:6). Besides, now that the human
   race was reduced to one single family, it was necessary that the beasts
   should be proportionally diminished, otherwise by their numbers they
   would have acquired the ascendancy and overmastered the few that were
   to repeople the world. Thus goodness was mingled with severity; the
   Lord exercises judgment in wisdom and in wrath remembers mercy.

   24. an hundred and fifty days--a period of five months. Though long
   before that every living creature must have been drowned, such a
   lengthened continuance of the flood was designed to manifest God's
   stern displeasure at sin and sinners. Think of Noah during such a
   crisis. We learn (Eze 14:14) that he was a man who lived and breathed
   habitually in an atmosphere of devotion; and having in the exercise of
   this high-toned faith made God his refuge, he did not fear "though the
   waters roared and were troubled; though the mountains shook with the
   swelling thereof" [Ps 46:3].
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 8

   Ge 8:1-14. Assuaging of the Waters.

   1. And God remembered Noah--The divine purpose in this awful
   dispensation had been accomplished, and the world had undergone those
   changes necessary to fit it for becoming the residence of man under a
   new economy of Providence.

   and every living thing ... in the ark--a beautiful illustration of Mt
   10:29.

   and God made a wind to pass over the earth--Though the divine will
   could have dried up the liquid mass in an instant, the agency of a wind
   was employed (Ps 104:4)--probably a hot wind, which, by rapid
   evaporation, would again absorb one portion of the waters into the
   atmosphere; and by which, the other would be gradually drained off by
   outlets beneath.

   4. seventh month--of the year--not of the flood--which lasted only five
   months.

   rested--evidently indicating a calm and gentle motion.

   upon the mountains of Ararat--or Armenia, as the word is rendered (2Ki
   19:37; Isa 37:38). The mountain which tradition points to as the one on
   which the ark rested is now called Ara Dagh, the "finger mountain." Its
   summit consists of two peaks, the higher of which is 17,750 feet and
   the other 13,420 above the level of the sea.

   5. And the waters decreased continually--The decrease of the waters was
   for wise reasons exceedingly slow and gradual--the period of their
   return being nearly twice as long as that of their rise.

   6. at the end of forty days--It is easy to imagine the ardent longing
   Noah and his family must have felt to enjoy again the sight of land as
   well as breathe the fresh air; and it was perfectly consistent with
   faith and patience to make inquiries whether the earth was yet ready.

   7. And he sent forth a raven--The smell of carrion would allure it to
   remain if the earth were in a habitable state. But it kept hovering
   about the spot, and, being a solitary bird, probably perched on the
   covering.

   8-11. Also he sent forth a dove--a bird flying low and naturally
   disposed to return to the place of her abode.

   10. again he sent forth the dove--Her flight, judging by the time she
   was abroad, was pursued to a great distance, and the newly plucked
   olive leaf, she no doubt by supernatural impulse brought in her bill,
   afforded a welcome proof that the declivities of the hills were clear.

   12. he ... sent forth the dove: which returned not ... any more--In
   these results, we perceive a wisdom and prudence far superior to the
   inspiration of instinct--we discern the agency of God guiding all the
   movements of this bird for the instruction of Noah, and reviving the
   hopes of his household.

   other seven days--a strong presumptive proof that Noah observed the
   Sabbath during his residence in the ark.

   13, 14. Noah removed the covering of the ark--probably only as much of
   it as would afford him a prospect of the earth around. Yet for about
   two months he never stirred from his appointed abode till he had
   received the express permission of God. We should watch the leading of
   Providence to direct us in every step of the journey of life.

   Ge 8:15-22. Departure from the Ark.

   15, 16. And God spake ... Go forth--They went forth in the most orderly
   manner--the human occupants first, then each species "after their
   kinds" [Ge 8:19], literally, "according to their families," implying
   that there had been an increase in the ark.

   20. Noah builded an altar--literally, "a high place"--probably a mound
   of earth, on which a sacrifice was offered. There is something
   exceedingly beautiful and interesting to know that the first care of
   this devout patriarch was to return thanks for the signal instance of
   mercy and goodness which he and his family had experienced.

   took of every clean beast ... fowl--For so unparalleled a deliverance,
   a special acknowledgment was due.

   21. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour--The sacrifice offered by a
   righteous man like Noah in faith was acceptable as the most fragrant
   incense.

   Lord said in his heart--same as "I have sworn that the waters of Noah
   should no more go over the earth" (Isa 54:9).

   for--that is, "though the imagination is evil"; instead of inflicting
   another destructive flood, I shall spare them--to enjoy the blessings
   of grace, through a Saviour.

   22. While the earth remaineth--The consummation, as intimated in 2Pe
   3:7, does not frustrate a promise which held good only during the
   continuance of that system. There will be no flood between this and
   that day, when the earth therein shall be burnt up [Chalmers].
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 9

   Ge 9:1-7. Covenant.

   1. And God blessed Noah--Here is republished the law of nature that was
   announced to Adam, consisting as it originally did of several parts.

   Be fruitful, &c.--The first part relates to the transmission of life,
   the original blessing being reannounced in the very same words in which
   it had been promised at first [Ge 1:28].

   2. And the fear of you and the dread of you--The second part
   re-establishes man's dominion over the inferior animals; it was now
   founded not as at first in love and kindness, but in terror; this dread
   of man prevails among all the stronger as well as the weaker members of
   the animal tribes and keeps away from his haunts all but those employed
   in his service.

   3. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you--The third part
   concerns the means of sustaining life; man was for the first time, it
   would seem, allowed the use of animal food, but the grant was
   accompanied with one restriction.

   4. But flesh ... the blood ... shall ye not eat--The sole intention of
   this prohibition was to prevent these excesses of cannibal ferocity in
   eating flesh of living animals, to which men in the earlier ages of the
   world were liable.

   5. surely your blood of your lives will I require--The fourth part
   establishes a new power for protecting life--the institution of the
   civil magistrate (Ro 13:4), armed with public and official authority to
   repress the commission of violence and crime. Such a power had not
   previously existed in patriarchal society.

   6. Whoso sheddeth man's blood ... for in the image of God made he
   man--It is true that image has been injured by the fall, but it is not
   lost. In this view, a high value is attached to the life of every man,
   even the poorest and humblest, and an awful criminality is involved in
   the destruction of it.

   Ge 9:8-29. Rainbow.

   13. I do set my bow in the cloud--set, that is, constitute or appoint.
   This common and familiar phenomenon being made the pledge of peace, its
   appearance when showers began to fall would be welcomed with the
   liveliest feelings of joy.

   20. And Noah ... planted a vineyard--Noah had been probably bred to the
   culture of the soil, and resumed that employment on leaving the ark.

   21. And he drank of the wine, and was drunken--perhaps at the
   festivities of the vintage season. This solitary stain on the character
   of so eminently pious a man must, it is believed, have been the result
   of age or inadvertency.

   24. This incident could scarcely have happened till twenty years after
   the flood; for Canaan, whose conduct was more offensive than that even
   of his father, was not born till after that event. It is probable that
   there is a long interval included between these verses and that this
   prophecy, like that of Jacob on his sons, was not uttered till near the
   close of Noah's life when the prophetic spirit came upon him; this
   presumption is strengthened by the mention of his death immediately
   after.

   25. Cursed be Canaan--This doom has been fulfilled in the destruction
   of the Canaanites--in the degradation of Egypt and the slavery of the
   Africans, the descendants of Ham.

   26. Blessed be the Lord God of Shem--rather, "Blessed of Jehovah, my
   God, be Shem,"--an intimation that the descendants of Shem should be
   peculiarly honored in the service of the true God, His Church being for
   ages established among them (the Jews), and of them, concerning the
   flesh, Christ came. They got possession of Canaan, the people of that
   land being made their "servants" either by conquest, or, like the
   Gibeonites, by submission [Jos 9:25].

   27. God shall enlarge Japheth--pointing to a vast increase in posterity
   and possessions. Accordingly his descendants have been the most active
   and enterprising, spread over the best and largest portion of the
   world, all Europe and a considerable part of Asia.

   he shall dwell in the tents of Shem--a prophecy being fulfilled at the
   present day, as in India British Government is established and the
   Anglo-Saxons being in the ascendancy from Europe to India, from India
   over the American continent. What a wonderful prophecy in a few verses
   (Isa 46:10; 1Pe 1:25)!
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 10

   Ge 10:1-32. Genealogies.

   1. sons of Noah--The historian has not arranged this catalogue
   according to seniority of birth; for the account begins with the
   descendants of Japheth, and the line of Ham is given before that of
   Shem though he is expressly said to be the youngest or younger son of
   Noah; and Shem was the elder brother of Japheth (Ge 10:21), the true
   rendering of that passage.

   generations, &c.--the narrative of the settlement of nations existing
   in the time of Moses, perhaps only the principal ones; for though the
   list comprises the sons of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, all their
   descendants are not enumerated. Those descendants, with one or two
   exceptions, are described by names indicative of tribes and nations and
   ending in the Hebrew im, or the English "-ite."

   5. the isles of the Gentiles--a phrase by which the Hebrews described
   all countries which were accessible by sea (Isa 11:11; 20:6; Jer
   25:22). Such in relation to them were the countries of Europe, the
   peninsula of Lesser Asia, and the region lying on the east of the
   Euxine. Accordingly, it was in these quarters the early descendants of
   Japheth had their settlements.

   6. sons of Ham--emigrated southward, and their settlements were: Cush
   in Arabia, Canaan in the country known by his name, and Mizraim in
   Egypt, Upper and Lower. It is generally thought that his father
   accompanied him and personally superintended the formation of the
   settlement, whence Egypt was called "the land of Ham" [Ps 105:23, 27;
   106:22].

   8. Nimrod--mentioned as eclipsing all his family in renown. He early
   distinguished himself by his daring and successful prowess in hunting
   wild beasts. By those useful services he earned a title to public
   gratitude; and, having established a permanent ascendancy over the
   people, he founded the first kingdom in the world [Ge 10:10].

   10. the beginning of his kingdom--This kingdom, of course, though then
   considered great, would be comparatively limited in extent, and the
   towns but small forts.

   11. Out of that land went forth Asshur--or, as the Margin has it, "He
   [Nimrod] at the head of his army went forth into Assyria," that is, he
   pushed his conquests into that country.

   and builded Nineveh--opposite the town of Mosul, on the Tigris, and the
   other towns near it. This raid into Assyria was an invasion of the
   territories of Shem, and hence the name "Nimrod," signifying "rebel,"
   is supposed to have been conferred on him from his daring revolt
   against the divine distribution.

   21. Unto Shem--The historian introduces him with marked distinction as
   "the father of Eber," the ancestor of the Hebrews.

   23. Aram--In the general division of the earth, the countries of
   Armenia, Mesopotamia, and Syria, fell to his descendants.

   24. Arphaxad--The settlement of his posterity was in the extensive
   valley of Shinar, on the Tigris, towards the southern extremity of
   Mesopotamia, including the country of Eden and the region on the east
   side of the river.

   25. Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided--After the flood (Ge
   11:10-16) the descendants of Noah settled at pleasure and enjoyed the
   produce of the undivided soil. But according to divine instruction,
   made probably through Eber, who seems to have been distinguished for
   piety or a prophetic character, the earth was divided and his son's
   name, "Peleg," was given in memory of that event (see De 32:8; Ac
   17:26).

   32. These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their
   generations, in their nations, &c.--This division was made in the most
   orderly manner; and the inspired historian evidently intimates that the
   sons of Noah were ranged according to their nations, and every nation
   ranked by its families, so that every nation had its assigned
   territory, and in every nation the tribes, and in every tribe the
   families, were located by themselves.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 11

   Ge 11:1-32. Confusion of Tongues.

   1. the whole earth was of one language. The descendants of Noah, united
   by the strong bond of a common language, had not separated, and
   notwithstanding the divine command to replenish the earth, were
   unwilling to separate. The more pious and well-disposed would of course
   obey the divine will; but a numerous body, seemingly the aggressive
   horde mentioned (Ge 10:10), determined to please themselves by
   occupying the fairest region they came to.

   2. land of Shinar--The fertile valley watered by the Euphrates and
   Tigris was chosen as the center of their union and the seat of their
   power.

   3. brick--There being no stone in that quarter, brick is, and was, the
   only material used for building, as appears in the mass of ruins which
   at the Birs Nimroud may have been the very town formed by those ancient
   rebels. Some of these are sun-dried--others burnt in the kiln and of
   different colors.

   slime--bitumen, a mineral pitch, which, when hardened, forms a strong
   cement, commonly used in Assyria to this day, and forming the mortar
   found on the burnt brick remains of antiquity.

   4. a tower whose top may reach unto heaven--a common figurative
   expression for great height (De 1:28; 9:1-6).

   lest we be scattered--To build a city and a town was no crime; but to
   do this to defeat the counsels of heaven by attempting to prevent
   emigration was foolish, wicked, and justly offensive to God.

   6. and now nothing will be restrained from them--an apparent admission
   that the design was practicable, and would have been executed but for
   the divine interposition.

   7. confound their language--literally, "their lip"; it was a failure in
   utterance, occasioning a difference in dialect which was intelligible
   only to those of the same tribe. Thus easily by God their purpose was
   defeated, and they were compelled to the dispersion they had combined
   to prevent. It is only from the Scriptures we learn the true origin of
   the different nations and languages of the world. By one miracle of
   tongues men were dispersed and gradually fell from true religion. By
   another, national barriers were broken down--that all men might be
   brought back to the family of God.

   28. Ur--now Orfa; that is, "light," or "fire." Its name probably
   derived from its being devoted to the rites of fire-worship. Terah and
   his family were equally infected with that idolatry as the rest of the
   inhabitants (Jos 24:15).

   31. Sarai his daughter-in-law--the same as Iscah [Ge 11:29],
   granddaughter of Terah, probably by a second wife, and by early usages
   considered marriageable to her uncle, Abraham.

   they came unto Haran--two days' journey south-southeast from Ur, on the
   direct road to the ford of the Euphrates at Rakka, the nearest and most
   convenient route to Palestine.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 12

   Ge 12:1-20. Call to Abram.

   1. Now the Lord had said unto Abram--It pleased God, who has often been
   found of them who sought Him not, to reveal Himself to Abraham perhaps
   by a miracle; and the conversion of Abraham is one of the most
   remarkable in Bible history.

   Get thee out of thy country--His being brought to the knowledge and
   worship of the true God had probably been a considerable time before.
   This call included two promises: the first, showing the land of his
   future posterity; and the second, that in his posterity all the earth
   was to be blessed (Ge 12:2). Abraham obeyed, and it is frequently
   mentioned in the New Testament as a striking instance of his faith (Heb
   11:8).

   5. into the land of Canaan ... they came--with his wife and an orphan
   nephew. Abram reached his destination in safety, and thus the first
   promise was made good.

   6. the place of Sichem--or Shechem, a pastoral valley then unoccupied
   (compare Ge 33:18).

   plain of Moreh--rather, the "terebinth tree" of Moreh, very common in
   Palestine, remarkable for its wide-spreading branches and its dark
   green foliage. It is probable that in Moreh there was a grove of these
   trees, whose inviting shade led Abram to choose it for an encampment.

   7. Unto thy seed will I give this land--God was dealing with Abram not
   in his private and personal capacity merely, but with a view to high
   and important interests in future ages. That land his posterity was for
   centuries to inhabit as a peculiar people; the seeds of divine
   knowledge were to be sown there for the benefit of all mankind; and
   considered in its geographical situation, it was chosen in divine
   wisdom as the fittest of all lands to serve as the cradle of a divine
   revelation designed for the whole world.

   and there builded he an altar unto the Lord--By this solemn act of
   devotion Abram made an open profession of his religion, established the
   worship of the true God, and declared his faith in the promise.

   10. there was a famine ... and Abram went down into Egypt--He did not
   go back to the place of his nativity, as regretting his pilgrimage and
   despising the promised land (Heb 11:15), but withdrew for a while into
   a neighboring country.

   11-13. Sarai's complexion, coming from a mountainous country, would be
   fresh and fair compared with the faces of Egyptian women which were
   sallow. The counsel of Abram to her was true in words, but it was a
   deception, intended to give an impression that she was no more than his
   sister. His conduct was culpable and inconsistent with his character as
   a servant of God: it showed a reliance on worldly policy more than a
   trust in the promise; and he not only sinned himself, but tempted Sarai
   to sin also.

   14. when Abram was come into Egypt--It appears from the monuments of
   that country that at the time of Abram's visit a monarchy had existed
   for several centuries. The seat of government was in the Delta, the
   most northern part of the country, the very quarter in which Abram must
   have arrived. They were a race of shepherd-kings, in close alliance
   with the people of Canaan.

   15. the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house--Eastern kings have for
   ages claimed the privilege of taking to their harem an unmarried woman
   whom they like. The father or brother may deplore the removal as a
   calamity, but the royal right is never resisted nor questioned.

   16. he entreated Abram well for her sake--The presents are just what
   one pastoral chief would give to another.

   18-20. Here is a most humiliating rebuke, and Abram deserved it. Had
   not God interfered, he might have been tempted to stay in Egypt and
   forget the promise (Ps 105:13, 15). Often still does God rebuke His
   people and remind them through enemies that this world is not their
   rest.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 13

   Ge 13:1-18. Return from Egypt.

   1. went up ... south--Palestine being a highland country, the entrance
   from Egypt by its southern boundary is a continual ascent.

   2. very rich--compared with the pastoral tribes to which Abraham
   belonged. An Arab sheik is considered rich who has a hundred or two
   hundred tents, from sixty to a hundred camels, a thousand sheep and
   goats respectively. And Abram being very rich, must have far exceeded
   that amount of pastoral property. "Gold and silver" being rare among
   these peoples, his probably arose from the sale of his produce in
   Egypt.

   3. went on his journeys--His progress would be by slow marches and
   frequent encampments as Abram had to regulate his movements by the
   prospect of water and pasturage.

   unto the place ... between Beth-el and Hai--"a conspicuous hill--its
   topmost summit resting on the rocky slopes below, and distinguished by
   its olive groves--offering a natural base for the altar and a fitting
   shade for the tent of the patriarch" [Stanley].

   4. there Abram called on the name of the Lord--He felt a strong desire
   to reanimate his faith and piety on the scene of his former worship: it
   might be to express humility and penitence for his misconduct in Egypt
   or thankfulness for deliverance from perils--to embrace the first
   opportunity on returning to Canaan of leading his family to renew
   allegiance to God and offer the typical sacrifices which pointed to the
   blessings of the promise.

   7. And there was a strife--Abraham's character appears here in a most
   amiable light. Having a strong sense of religion, he was afraid of
   doing anything that might tend to injure its character or bring
   discredit on its name, and he rightly judged that such unhappy effects
   would be produced if two persons whom nature and grace had so closely
   connected should come to a rupture [Ge 13:8]. Waiving his right to
   dictate, he gave the freedom of choice to Lot. The conduct of Abraham
   was not only disinterested and peaceable, but generous and
   condescending in an extraordinary degree, exemplifying the Scripture
   precepts (Mt 6:32; Ro 12:10, 11; Php 2:4).

   10. Lot lifted up his eyes--Travellers say that from the top of this
   hill, a little "to the east of Beth-el" [Ge 12:8], they can see the
   Jordan, the broad meadows on either bank, and the waving line of
   verdure which marks the course of the stream.

   11. Then Lot chose him all the plain--a choice excellent from a worldly
   point of view, but most inexpedient for his best interests. He seems,
   though a good man, to have been too much under the influence of a
   selfish and covetous spirit: and how many, alas! imperil the good of
   their souls for the prospect of worldly advantage.

   14, 15. Lift up now thine eyes ... all the land which thou seest--So
   extensive a survey of the country, in all directions, can be obtained
   from no other point in the neighborhood; and those plains and hills,
   then lying desolate before the eyes of the solitary patriarch, were to
   be peopled with a mighty nation "like the dust of the earth in number,"
   as they were in Solomon's time (1Ki 4:20).

   18. the plain of Mamre ... built ... an altar--the renewal of the
   promise was acknowledged by Abram by a fresh tribute of devout
   gratitude.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 14

   Ge 14:1-24. War.

   1. And it came to pass--This chapter presents Abram in the unexpected
   character of a warrior. The occasion was this: The king of Sodom and
   the kings of the adjoining cities, after having been tributaries for
   twelve years to the king of Elam, combined to throw off his yoke. To
   chastise their rebellion, as he deemed it, Chedorlaomer, with the aid
   of three allies, invaded the territories of the refractory princes,
   defeated them in a pitched battle where the nature of the ground
   favored his army (Ge 14:10), and hastened in triumph on his homeward
   march, with a large amount of captives and booty, though merely a
   stranger.

   12. they took Lot ... and his goods, and departed--How would the
   conscience of that young man now upbraid him for his selfish folly and
   ingratitude in withdrawing from his kind and pious relative! Whenever
   we go out of the path of duty, we put ourselves away from God's
   protection, and cannot expect that the choice we make will be for our
   lasting good.

   13. there came one that had escaped--Abram might have excused himself
   from taking any active concern in his "brother," that is, nephew, who
   little deserved that he should incur trouble or danger on his account.
   But Abram, far from rendering evil for evil, resolved to take immediate
   measures for the rescue of Lot.

   14. And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed
   his trained servants--domestic slaves, such as are common in Eastern
   countries still and are considered and treated as members of the
   family. If Abram could spare three hundred and eighteen slaves and
   leave a sufficient number to take care of the flocks, what a large
   establishment he must have had.

   15, 16. he divided himself ... by night--This war between the petty
   princes of ancient Canaan is exactly the same as the frays and
   skirmishes between Arab chiefs in the present day. When a defeated
   party resolves to pursue the enemy, they wait till they are fast
   asleep; then, as they have no idea of posting sentinels, they rush upon
   them from different directions, strike down the tent poles--if there is
   any fight at all, it is the fray of a tumultuous mob--a panic commonly
   ensues, and the whole contest is ended with little or no loss on either
   side.

   18. Melchizedek--This victory conferred a public benefit on that part
   of the country; and Abram, on his return, was treated with high respect
   and consideration, particularly by the king of Sodom and Melchizedek,
   who seems to have been one of the few native princes, if not the only
   one, who knew and worshipped, "the most high God," whom Abram served.
   This king who was a type of the Saviour (Heb 7:1), came to bless God
   for the victory which had been won, and in the name of God to bless
   Abram, by whose arms it had been achieved--a pious acknowledgment which
   we should imitate on succeeding in any lawful enterprise.

   20. he gave him tithes of all--Here is an evidence of Abram's piety, as
   well as of his valor; for it was to a priest or official mediator
   between God and him that Abram gave a tenth of the spoil--a token of
   his gratitude and in honor of a divine ordinance (Pr 3:9).

   21. the king of Sodom said ... Give me the persons--According to the
   war customs still existing among the Arab tribes, Abram might have
   retained the recovered goods, and his right was acknowledged by the
   king of Sodom. But with honest pride, and a generosity unknown in that
   part of the world, he replied with strong phraseology common to the
   East, "I have lifted up mine hand" [that is, I have sworn] unto the
   Lord that I will not take from a thread even to a sandal-thong, and
   that that I will not take any thing that [is] thine, lest thou shouldst
   say, I have made Abram rich" [Ge 14:22, 23].
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 15

   Ge 15:1-21. Divine Encouragement.

   1. After these things--the conquest of the invading kings.

   the word of the Lord--a phrase used, when connected with a vision, to
   denote a prophetic message.

   Fear not, Abram--When the excitement of the enterprise was over, he had
   become a prey to despondency and terror at the probable revenge that
   might be meditated against him. To dispel his fear, he was favored with
   this gracious announcement. Having such a promise, how well did it
   become him (and all God's people who have the same promise) to dismiss
   fears, and cast all burdens on the Lord (Ps 27:3).

   2. Lord God, what wilt thou give?--To his mind the declaration, "I am
   thy exceeding great reward" [Ge 15:1], had but one meaning, or was
   viewed but in one particular light, as bearing on the fulfilment of the
   promise, and he was still experiencing the sickness of hope deferred.

   3. Eliezer of Damascus ... one born in my house is mine heir--According
   to the usage of nomadic tribes, his chief confidential servant, would
   be heir to his possessions and honors. But this man could have become
   his son only by adoption; and how sadly would that have come short of
   the parental hopes he had been encouraged to entertain! His language
   betrayed a latent spirit of fretfulness or perhaps a temporary failure
   in the very virtue for which he is so renowned--and absolute submission
   to God's time, as well as way, of accomplishing His promise.

   4. This shall not be thine heir--To the first part of his address no
   reply was given; but having renewed it in a spirit of more becoming
   submission, "whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it" [Ge 15:8],
   he was delighted by a most explicit promise of Canaan, which was
   immediately confirmed by a remarkable ceremony.

   9-21. Take me an heifer, &c.--On occasions of great importance, when
   two or more parties join in a compact, they either observe precisely
   the same rites as Abram did, or, where they do not, they invoke the
   lamp as their witness. According to these ideas, which have been from
   time immemorial engraven on the minds of Eastern people, the Lord
   Himself condescended to enter into covenant with Abram. The patriarch
   did not pass between the sacrifice and the reason was that in this
   transaction he was bound to nothing. He asked a sign, and God was
   pleased to give him a sign, by which, according to Eastern ideas, He
   bound Himself. In like manner God has entered into covenant with us;
   and in the glory of the only-begotten Son, who passed through between
   God and us, all who believe have, like Abram, a sign or pledge in the
   gift of the Spirit, whereby they may know that they shall inherit the
   heavenly Canaan.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 16

   Ge 16:1-16. Bestowment of Hagar.

   1. Now, Sarai ... had a handmaid--a female slave--one of those obtained
   in Egypt.

   3. Sarai ... gave her to ... Abram to be his wife--"Wife" is here used
   to describe an inferior, though not degrading, relation, in countries
   where polygamy prevails. In the case of these female slaves, who are
   the personal property of his lady, being purchased before her marriage
   or given as a special present to her, no one can become the husband's
   secondary wife without her mistress consent or permission. This usage
   seems to have prevailed in patriarchal times; and Hagar, Sarai's slave,
   of whom she had the entire right of disposing, was given by her
   mistress' spontaneous offer, to be the secondary wife of Abram, in the
   hope of obtaining the long-looked-for heir. It was a wrong
   step--indicating a want of simple reliance on God--and Sarai was the
   first to reap the bitter fruits of her device.

   5. And Sarai said ... My wrong be upon thee--Bursts of temper, or
   blows, as the original may bear, took place till at length Hagar,
   perceiving the hopelessness of maintaining the unequal strife, resolved
   to escape from what had become to her in reality, as well as in name, a
   house of bondage.

   7. And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain--This well,
   pointed out by tradition, lay on the side of the caravan road, in the
   midst of Shur, a sandy desert on the west of Arabia-Petręa, to the
   extent of a hundred fifty miles, between Palestine and Egypt. By taking
   that direction, she seems to have intended to return to her relatives
   in that country. Nothing but pride, passion, and sullen obstinacy,
   could have driven any solitary person to brave the dangers of such an
   inhospitable wild; and she would have died, had not the timely
   appearance and words of the angel recalled her to reflection and duty.

   11. Ishmael--Like other Hebrew names, this had a signification, and it
   is made up of two words--"God hears." The reason is explained.

   12. he will be a wild man--literally, "a wild ass man," expressing how
   the wildness of Ishmael and his descendants resembles that of the wild
   ass.

   his hand will be against every man--descriptive of the rude, turbulent,
   and plundering character of the Arabs.

   dwell in the presence of all his brethren--dwell, that is, pitch tents;
   and the meaning is that they maintain their independence in spite of
   all attempts to extirpate or subdue them.

   13. called the name--common in ancient times to name places from
   circumstances; and the name given to this well was a grateful
   recognition of God's gracious appearance in the hour of Hagar's
   distress.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 17

   Ge 17:1-27. Renewal of the Covenant.

   1. Abram ... ninety years old and nine--thirteen years after the birth
   of Ishmael [Ge 16:16]. During that interval he had enjoyed the comforts
   of communion with God but had been favored with no special revelation
   as formerly, probably on account of his hasty and blameable marriage
   with Hagar.

   the Lord appeared--some visible manifestation of the divine presence,
   probably the Shekinah or radiant glory of overpowering effulgence.

   I am the Almighty God--the name by which He made Himself known to the
   patriarchs (Ex 6:3), designed to convey the sense of "all-sufficient"
   (Ps 16:5, 6; 73:25).

   walk ... and ... perfect--upright, or sincere (Ps 51:6) in heart,
   speech, and behavior.

   3. Abram fell on his face--the attitude of profoundest reverence
   assumed by Eastern people. It consists in the prostrate body resting on
   the hands and knees, with the face bent till the forehead touches the
   ground. It is an expression of conscious humility and profound
   reverence.

   4. my covenant is with thee--Renewed mention is made of it as the
   foundation of the communication that follows. It is the covenant of
   grace made with all who believe in the Saviour.

   5. but thy name shall be Abraham--In Eastern countries a change of name
   is an advertisement of some new circumstance in the history, rank, or
   religion of the individual who bears it. The change is made variously,
   by the old name being entirely dropped for the new, or by conjoining
   the new with the old; or sometimes only a few letters are inserted, so
   that the altered form may express the difference in the owner's state
   or prospects. It is surprising how soon a new name is known and its
   import spread through the country. In dealing with Abraham and Sarai,
   God was pleased to adapt His procedure to the ideas and customs of the
   country and age. Instead of Abram, "a high father," he was to be called
   Abraham, "father of a multitude of nations" (see Re 2:17).

   8. I will give unto thee ... the land--It had been previously promised
   to Abraham and his posterity (Ge 15:18). Here it is promised as an
   "everlasting possession," and was, therefore, a type of heaven, "the
   better country" (Heb 11:16).

   10. Every man child among you shall be circumcised--This was the sign
   in the Old Testament Church as baptism is in the New, and hence the
   covenant is called "covenant of circumcision" (Ac 7:8; Ro 4:11). The
   terms of the covenant were these: on the one hand Abraham and his seed
   were to observe the right of circumcision; and on the other, God
   promised, in the event of such observance, to give them Canaan for a
   perpetual possession, to be a God to him and his posterity, and that in
   him and his seed all nations should be blessed.

   15, 16. As for Sarai ... I will ... give thee a son also of her--God's
   purposes are gradually made known. A son had been long ago promised to
   Abraham. Now, at length, for the first time he is informed that it was
   to be a child of Sarai.

   17. Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed--It was not the sneer of
   unbelief, but a smile of delight at the improbability of the event (Ro
   4:20).

   18. O that Ishmael might live before thee--natural solicitude of a
   parent. But God's thoughts are not as man's thoughts [Isa 55:8].

   19, 20. The blessings of the covenant are reserved for Isaac, but
   common blessings were abundantly promised to Ishmael; and though the
   visible Church did not descend from his family, yet personally he
   might, and it is to be hoped did, enjoy its benefits.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 18

   Ge 18:1-8. Entertainment of Angels.

   1. the Lord appeared--another manifestation of the divine presence,
   more familiar than any yet narrated; and more like that in the fulness
   of time, when the Word was made flesh.

   plains of Mamre--rather, terebinth or oak of Mamre; a tall-spreading
   tree or grove of trees.

   sat in the tent door--The tent itself being too close and sultry at
   noon, the shaded open front is usually resorted to for the air that may
   be stirring.

   2. lift up his eyes ... and, lo, three men--Travellers in that quarter
   start at sunrise and continue till midday when they look out for some
   resting-place.

   he ran to meet them--When the visitor is an ordinary person, the host
   merely rises; but if of superior rank, the custom is to advance a
   little towards the stranger, and after a very low bow, turn and lead
   him to the tent, putting an arm round his waist, or tapping him on the
   shoulder as they go, to assure him of welcome.

   3. My Lord, if now I have found favor--The hospitalities offered are
   just of the kind that are necessary and most grateful, the refreshment
   of water, for feet exposed to dust and heat by the sandals, being still
   the first observed among the pastoral people of Hebron.

   5. for therefore are ye come--No questions were asked. But Abraham knew
   their object by the course they took--approaching directly in front of
   the chief sheik's tent, which is always distinguishable from the rest
   and thus showing their wish to be his guests.

   6. Abraham hastened ... unto Sarah ... make cakes upon the
   hearth--Bread is baked daily, no more than is required for family use,
   and always by the women, commonly the wife. It is a short process.
   Flour mixed with water is made into dough, and being rolled out into
   cakes, it is placed on the earthen floor, previously heated by a fire.
   The fire being removed, the cakes are laid on the ground, and being
   covered over with hot embers, are soon baked, and eaten the moment they
   are taken off.

   7. Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf--Animal food is never
   provided, except for visitors of a superior rank when a kid or lamb is
   killed. A calf is still a higher stretch of hospitality, and it would
   probably be cooked as is usually done when haste is required--either by
   roasting it whole or by cutting it up into small pieces and broiling
   them on skewers over the fire. It is always eaten along with boiled
   corn swimming in butter or melted fat, into which every morsel of meat,
   laid upon a piece of bread, is dipped, before being conveyed by the
   fingers to the mouth.

   8. milk--A bowl of camel's milk ends the repast.

   he stood by them under the tree--The host himself, even though he has a
   number of servants, deems it a necessary act of politeness to stand
   while his guests are at their food, and Abraham evidently did this
   before he was aware of the real character of his visitors.

   Ge 18:9-15. Reproof of Sarah. An inquiry about his wife, so surprising
   in strangers, the subject of conversation, and the fulfilment of the
   fondly cherished promise within a specified time, showed Abraham that
   he had been entertaining more than ordinary travellers (Heb 13:2).

   10. Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him--The women's
   apartment is in the back of the tent, divided by a thin partition from
   the men's.

   12. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself--Long delay seems to have
   weakened faith. Sarah treated the announcement as incredible, and when
   taxed with the silent sneer, she added falsehood to distrust. It was an
   aggravated offense (Ac 5:4), and nothing but grace saved her (Ro 9:18).

   Ge 18:16-22. Disclosure of Sodom's Doom.

   16. the men rose ... Abraham went with them--It is customary for a host
   to escort his guests a little way.

   17. the Lord said, Shall I hide--The chief stranger, no other than the
   Lord, disclosed to Abraham the awful doom about to be inflicted on
   Sodom and the cities of the plain for their enormous wickedness.

   21. I will go down ... and see--language used after the manner of men.
   These cities were to be made examples to all future ages of God's
   severity; and therefore ample proof given that the judgment was neither
   rash nor excessive (Eze 18:23; Jer 18:7).

   Ge 18:23-33. Abraham's Intercession.

   23. Abraham drew near, and said, &c.--The scene described is full of
   interest and instruction--showing in an unmistakable manner the
   efficacy of prayer and intercession. (See also Pr 15:8; Jas 5:16).
   Abraham reasoned justly as to the rectitude of the divine procedure (Ro
   3:5, 6), and many guilty cities and nations have been spared on account
   of God's people (Mt 5:13; 24:22).

   33. the Lord ... left communing ... and Abraham returned unto his
   place--Why did Abraham cease to carry his intercessions farther? Either
   because he fondly thought that he was now sure of the cities being
   preserved (Lu 13:9), or because the Lord restrained his mind from
   further intercession (Jer 7:16; 11:14). But there were not ten
   "righteous persons." There was only one, and he might without injustice
   have perished in the general overthrow (Ec 9:2). But a difference is
   sometimes made, and on this occasion the grace of God was manifested in
   a signal manner for the sake of Abraham. What a blessing to be
   connected with a saint of God!
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 19

   Ge 19:1-38. Lot's Entertainment.

   1. there came two angels--most probably two of those that had been with
   Abraham, commissioned to execute the divine judgment against Sodom.

   Lot sat in the gate of Sodom--In Eastern cities it is the market, the
   seat of justice, of social intercourse and amusement, especially a
   favorite lounge in the evenings, the arched roof affording a pleasant
   shade.

   2. turn in, I pray you ... tarry all night--offer of the same generous
   hospitalities as described in Ge 18:2-8, and which are still
   spontaneously practised in the small towns.

   And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night--Where
   there are no inns and no acquaintance, it is not uncommon for
   travellers to sleep in the street wrapped up in their cloaks.

   3. entered into his house--On removing to the plain, Lot intended at
   first to live in his tent apart from the people [Ge 13:12]. But he was
   gradually drawn in, dwelt in the city, and he and his family were
   connected with the citizens by marriage ties.

   4. men of Sodom, compassed the house--Appalling proofs are here given
   of their wickedness. It is evident that evil communications had
   corrupted good manners; otherwise Lot would never have acted as he did.

   12, 13. Hast thou here any besides? ... we will destroy this
   place--Apostolic authority has declared Lot was "a righteous man" (2Pe
   2:8), at bottom good, though he contented himself with lamenting the
   sins that he saw, instead of acting on his own convictions, and
   withdrawing himself and family from such a sink of corruption. But
   favor was shown him: and even his bad relatives had, for his sake, an
   offer of deliverance, which was ridiculed and spurned (2Pe 3:4).

   15-17. The kindly interest the angels took in the preservation of Lot
   is beautifully displayed. But he "lingered." Was it from sorrow at the
   prospect of losing all his property, the acquisition of many years? Or
   was it that his benevolent heart was paralyzed by thoughts of the awful
   crisis? This is the charitable way of accounting for a delay that would
   have been fatal but for the friendly urgency of the angel.

   18, 19. Lot said ... Oh, not so, my Lord ... I cannot escape to the
   mountain--What a strange want of faith and fortitude, as if He who had
   interfered for his rescue would not have protected Lot in the mountain
   solitude.

   21. See, I have accepted thee concerning this ... also--His request was
   granted him, the prayer of faith availed, and to convince him, from his
   own experience, that it would have been best and safest at once to
   follow implicitly the divine directions.

   22. Haste ... for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither--The
   ruin of Sodom was suspended till he was secure. What care God does take
   of His people (Re 7:3)! What a proof of the love which God bore to a
   good though weak man!

   24. Then the Lord rained ... brimstone and fire from ... heaven--God,
   in accomplishing His purposes, acts immediately or mediately through
   the agency of means; and there are strong grounds for believing that it
   was in the latter way He effected the overthrow of the cities of the
   plain--that it was, in fact, by a volcanic eruption. The raining down
   of fire and brimstone from heaven is perfectly accordant with this idea
   since those very substances, being raised into the air by the force of
   the volcano, would fall in a fiery shower on the surrounding region.
   This view seems countenanced by Job [Job 1:16; 18:15]. Whether it was
   miraculously produced, or the natural operation employed by God, it is
   not of much consequence to determine: it was a divine judgment,
   foretold and designed for the punishment of those who were sinners
   exceedingly.

   26. Lot was accompanied by his wife and two daughters. But whether it
   was from irresistible curiosity or perturbation of feeling, or that she
   was about to return to save something, his wife lingered, and while
   thus disobeying the parting counsel, "to look not back, nor stay in all
   the plain" [Ge 19:17], the torrent of liquid lava enveloped her so that
   she became the victim of her supine indolence or sinful rashness.

   27. Abraham gat up early in the morning, &c.--Abraham was at this time
   in Mamre, near Hebron, and a traveller last year verified the truth of
   this passage. "From the height which overlooks Hebron, where the
   patriarch stood, the observer at the present day has an extensive view
   spread out before him towards the Dead Sea. A cloud of smoke rising
   from the plain would be visible to a person at Hebron now, and could
   have been, therefore, to Abraham as he looked toward Sodom on the
   morning of its destruction by God" [Hackett]. It must have been an
   awful sight, and is frequently alluded to in Scripture (De 29:23; Isa
   13:19; Jude 7). "The plain which is now covered by the Salt or Dead Sea
   shows in the great difference of level between the bottoms of the
   northern and southern ends of the lake--the latter being thirteen feet
   and the former thirteen hundred--that the southern end was of recent
   formation, and submerged at the time of the fall of the cities"
   [Lynch].

   29. when God destroyed the cities, &c.--This is most welcome and
   instructive after so painful a narrative. It shows if God is a
   "consuming fire" to the wicked [De 4:24; Heb 12:29], He is the friend
   of the righteous. He "remembered" the intercessions of Abraham, and
   what confidence should not this give us that He will remember the
   intercessions of a greater than Abraham in our behalf.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 20

   Ge 20:1-18. Abraham's Denial of His Wife.

   1. Abraham journeyed from thence ... and dwelled between Kadesh and
   Shur--Leaving the encampment, he migrated to the southern border of
   Canaan. In the neighborhood of Gerar was a very rich and well-watered
   pasture land.

   2. Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister--Fear of the people
   among whom he was, tempted him to equivocate. His conduct was highly
   culpable. It was deceit, deliberate and premeditated--there was no
   sudden pressure upon him--it was the second offense of the kind [see on
   [6]Ge 12:13]--it was a distrust of God every way surprising, and it was
   calculated to produce injurious effects on the heathen around. Its
   mischievous tendency was not long in being developed.

   Abimelech (father-king) ... sent and took Sarah--to be one of his
   wives, in the exercise of a privilege claimed by Eastern sovereigns,
   already explained (see on [7]Ge 12:15).

   3. But God came to Abimelech in a dream--In early times a dream was
   often made the medium of communicating important truths; and this
   method was adopted for the preservation of Sarah.

   9. Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said ... What hast thou done?--In
   what a humiliating plight does the patriarch now appear--he, a servant
   of the true God, rebuked by a heathen prince. Who would not rather be
   in the place of Abimelech than of the honored but sadly offending
   patriarch! What a dignified attitude is that of the king--calmly and
   justly reproving the sin of the patriarch, but respecting his person
   and heaping coals of fire on his head by the liberal presents made to
   him.

   11. And Abraham said ... I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in
   this place--From the horrible vices of Sodom he seems to have taken up
   the impression that all other cities of Canaan were equally corrupt.
   There might have been few or none who feared God, but what a sad thing
   when men of the world show a higher sense of honor and a greater
   abhorrence of crimes than a true worshipper!

   12. yet indeed she is my sister--(See on [8]Ge 11:31). What a poor
   defense Abraham made. The statement absolved him from the charge of
   direct and absolute falsehood, but he had told a moral untruth because
   there was an intention to deceive (compare Ge 12:11-13). "Honesty is
   always the best policy." Abraham's life would have been as well
   protected without the fraud as with it: and what shame to himself, what
   distrust to God, what dishonor to religion might have been prevented!
   "Let us speak truth every man to his neighbor" [Zec 8:16; Eph 4:25].
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 21

   Ge 21:1-13. Birth of Isaac.

   1. the Lord visited Sarah--The language of the historian seems
   designedly chosen to magnify the power of God as well as His
   faithfulness to His promise. It was God's grace that brought about that
   event, as well as the raising of spiritual children to Abraham, of
   which the birth of this son was typical [Calvin].

   3, 4. Abraham called the name of his son ... Isaac ... and
   circumcised--God was acknowledged in the name which, by divine command,
   was given for a memorial (compare Ge 17:19), and also in the dedication
   of the child by administering the seal of the covenant (compare Ge
   17:10-12).

   8. the child grew, and was weaned--children are suckled longer in the
   East than in the Occident--boys usually for two or three years.

   Abraham made a great feast, &c.--In Eastern countries this is always a
   season of domestic festivity, and the newly weaned child is formally
   brought, in presence of the assembled relatives and friends, to partake
   of some simple viands. Isaac, attired in the symbolic robe, the badge
   of birthright, was then admitted heir of the tribe [Rosenmuller].

   9. Sarah saw the son of Hagar ... mocking--Ishmael was aware of the
   great change in his prospects, and under the impulse of irritated or
   resentful feelings, in which he was probably joined by his mother,
   treated the young heir with derision and probably some violence (Ga
   4:29).

   10. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman--Nothing
   but the expulsion of both could now preserve harmony in the household.
   Abraham's perplexity was relieved by an announcement of the divine
   will, which in everything, however painful to flesh and blood, all who
   fear God and are walking in His ways will, like him, promptly obey.
   This story, as the apostle tells us, in "an allegory" [Ga 4:24], and
   the "persecution" by the son of the Egyptian was the commencement of
   the four hundred years' affliction of Abraham's seed by the Egyptians.

   12. in all that Sarah hath said--it is called the Scripture (Ga 4:30).

   13. also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation--Thus
   Providence overruled a family brawl to give rise to two great and
   extraordinary peoples.

   Ge 21:14-21. Expulsion of Ishmael.

   14. Abraham rose up early, &c.--early, that the wanderers might reach
   an asylum before noon. Bread includes all sorts of victuals--bottle, a
   leathern vessel, formed of the entire skin of a lamb or kid sewed up,
   with the legs for handles, usually carried over the shoulder. Ishmael
   was a lad of seventeen years, and it is quite customary for Arab chiefs
   to send out their sons at such an age to do for themselves: often with
   nothing but a few days' provisions in a bag.

   wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba--in the southern border of
   Palestine, but out of the common direction, a wide extending desert,
   where they lost their way.

   15. the water was spent, &c.--Ishmael sank exhausted from fatigue and
   thirst--his mother laid his head under one of the bushes to smell the
   damp while she herself, unable to witness his distress, sat down at a
   little distance in hopeless sorrow.

   19. God opened her eyes--Had she forgotten the promise (Ge 16:11)?
   Whether she looked to God or not, He regarded her and directed her to a
   fountain close beside her, but probably hid amid brushwood, by the
   waters of which her almost expiring son was revived.

   20, 21. God was with the lad, &c.--Paran (that is, Arabia), where his
   posterity has ever dwelt (compare Ge 16:12; also Isa 48:19; 1Pe 1:25).

   his mother took him a wife--On a father's death, the mother looks out
   for a wife for her son, however young; and as Ishmael was now virtually
   deprived of his father, his mother set about forming a marriage
   connection for him, it would seem, among her relatives.

   Ge 21:22-34. Covenant.

   22. Abimelech and Phichol--Here a proof of the promise (Ge 12:2) being
   fulfilled, in a native prince wishing to form a solemn league with
   Abraham. The proposal was reasonable, and agreed to [Ge 21:24].

   25-31. And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well--Wells were of
   great importance to a pastoral chief and on the successful operation of
   sinking a new one, the owner was solemnly informed in person. If,
   however, they were allowed to get out of repair, the restorer acquired
   a right to them. In unoccupied lands the possession of wells gave a
   right of property in the land, and dread of this had caused the offense
   for which Abraham reproved Abimelech. Some describe four, others five,
   wells in Beer-sheba.

   33. Abraham planted a grove--Hebrew, "of tamarisks," in which
   sacrificial worship was offered, as in a roofless temple.

   34. Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land--a picture of pastoral
   and an emblem of Christian life.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 22

   Ge 22:1-19. Offering Isaac.

   1. God did tempt Abraham--not incite to sin (Jas 1:13), but try,
   prove--give occasion for the development of his faith (1Pe 1:7).

   and he said, ... Here I am--ready at a moment's warning for God's
   service.

   2. Take now thy son, &c.--Every circumstance mentioned was calculated
   to give a deeper stab to the parental bosom. To lose his only son, and
   by an act of his own hand, too!--what a host of conflicting feelings
   must the order have raised! But he heard and obeyed without a murmur
   (Ga 1:16; Lu 14:26).

   3. Abraham rose ... early, &c.--That there might be no appearance of
   delay or reluctance on his part, he made every preparation for the
   sacrifice before setting out--the materials, the knife, and the
   servants to convey them. From Beer-sheba to Moriah, a journey of two
   days, he had the painful secret pent up in his bosom. So distant a
   place must have been chosen for some important reason. It is generally
   thought that this was one the hills of Jerusalem, on which the Great
   Sacrifice was afterwards offered.

   4. on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, &c.--Leaving the
   servants at the foot [Ge 22:5], the father and son ascended the hill,
   the one bearing the knife, and the other the wood for consuming the
   sacrifice [Ge 22:6]. But there was no victim; and to the question so
   naturally put by Isaac [Ge 22:7], Abraham contented himself by
   replying, "My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt
   offering." It has been supposed that the design of this extraordinary
   transaction was to show him, by action instead of words, the way in
   which all the families of the earth should be blessed; and that in his
   answer to Isaac, he anticipated some substitution. It is more likely
   that his words were spoken evasively to his son in ignorance of the
   issue, yet in unbounded confidence that that son, though sacrificed,
   would, in some miraculous way, be restored (Heb 11:19).

   9. Abraham built an altar, &c.--Had not the patriarch been sustained by
   the full consciousness of acting in obedience to God's will, the effort
   would have been too great for human endurance; and had not Isaac, then
   upwards of twenty years of age displayed equal faith in submitting,
   this great trial could not have gone through.

   11, 12. the angel ... called, &c.--The sacrifice was virtually
   offered--the intention, the purpose to do it, was shown in all
   sincerity and fulness. The Omniscient witness likewise declared His
   acceptance in the highest terms of approval; and the apostle speaks of
   it as actually made (Heb 11:17; Jas 2:21).

   13-19. Abraham lifted up his eyes ... and behold ... a ram, &c.--No
   method was more admirably calculated to give the patriarch a distinct
   idea of the purpose of grace than this scenic representation: and hence
   our Lord's allusion to it (Joh 8:56).
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 23

   Ge 23:1, 2. Age and Death of Sarah.

   1. Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old, &c.--Sarah is
   the only woman in Scripture whose age, death, and burial are mentioned,
   probably to do honor to the venerable mother of the Hebrew people.

   2. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, &c.--He came from his own tent to
   take his station at the door of Sarah's. The "mourning" describes his
   conformity to the customary usage of sitting on the ground for a time;
   while the "weeping" indicates the natural outburst of his sorrow.

   Ge 23:3-20. Purchase of a Burying-Place.

   3. Abraham stood up, &c.--Eastern people are always provided with
   family burying-places; but Abraham's life of faith--his pilgrim
   state--had prevented him acquiring even so small a possession (Ac 7:5).

   spake unto the sons of Heth--He bespoke their kind offices to aid him
   in obtaining possession of a cave that belonged to Ephron--a wealthy
   neighbor.

   9. Machpelah--the "double cave."

   10. Ephron dwelt--literally, was "sitting" among the children of Heth
   in the gate of the city where all business was transacted. But, though
   a chief man among them, he was probably unknown to Abraham.

   11-15. Ephron answered, Nay, my lord, &c.--Here is a great show of
   generosity, but it was only a show; for while Abraham wanted only the
   cave, he joins "the field and the cave"; and though he offered them
   both as free gifts, he, of course, expected some costly presents in
   return, without which, he would not have been satisfied. The patriarch,
   knowing this, wished to make a purchase and asked the terms.

   15. the land is worth four hundred shekels, &c.--as if Ephron had said,
   "Since you wish to know the value of the property, it is so and so; but
   that is a trifle, which you may pay or not as it suits you." They spoke
   in the common forms of Arab civility, and this indifference was mere
   affectation.

   16. Abraham weighed ... the silver--The money, amounting to £50 was
   paid in presence of the assembled witnesses; and it was weighed. The
   practice of weighing money, which is often in lumps or rings, each
   stamped with their weight, is still common in many parts of the East;
   and every merchant at the gates or the bazaar has his scales at his
   girdle.

   19. Abraham buried Sarah--Thus he got possession of Machpelah and
   deposited the remains of his lamented partner in a family vault which
   was the only spot of ground he owned.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 24

   Ge 24:1-9. A Marriage Commission.

   1. And Abraham was old ... take a wife--His anxiety to see his son
   married was natural to his position as a pastoral chief interested in
   preserving the honor of his tribe, and still more as a patriarch who
   had regard to the divine promise of a numerous posterity.

   2. said unto his eldest servant--Abraham being too old, and as the heir
   of the promise not being at liberty to make even a temporary visit to
   his native land, was obliged to intrust this delicate mission to
   Eliezer, whom, although putting entire confidence in him, he on this
   occasion bound by a solemn oath. A pastoral chief in the present day
   would follow the same course if he could not go himself.

   3. thou shalt not take a wife, &c.--Among pastoral tribes the
   matrimonial arrangements are made by the parents, and a youth must
   marry, not among strangers, but in his own tribe--custom giving him a
   claim, which is seldom or never resisted, to the hand of his first
   cousin. But Abraham had a far higher motive--a fear lest, if his son
   married into a Canaanitish family, he might be gradually led away from
   the true God.

   Ge 24:10-67. The Journey.

   10. the servant took ten camels, &c.--So great an equipage was to give
   the embassy an appearance worthy of the rank and wealth of Abraham; to
   carry provisions; to bear the marriage presents, which as usual would
   be distributed over several beasts; besides one or two spare camels in
   case of emergency.

   went to Mesopotamia, &c.--A stranger in those regions, who wishes to
   obtain information, stations himself at one of the wells in the
   neighborhood of a town, and he is sure to learn all the news of the
   place from the women who frequent them every morning and evening.
   Eliezer followed this course, and letting his camels rest, he waited
   till the evening time of water drawing.

   12. And he said, O Lord God of my master--The servant appears worthy of
   the master he served. He resolves to follow the leading of Providence;
   and while he shows good sense in the tokens he fixes upon of
   ascertaining the temper and character of the future bride, he never
   doubts but that in such a case God will direct him.

   15-21. before he had done speaking ... behold, Rebekah came out--As he
   anticipated, a young woman unveiled, as in pastoral regions, appeared
   with her pitcher on her shoulder. Her comely appearance, her affable
   manners, her obliging courtesy in going down the steps to fetch water
   not only to him but to pour it into the trough for his camels, afforded
   him the most agreeable surprise. She was the very person his
   imagination had pictured, and he proceeded to reward her civility.

   22. the man took a golden earring, &c.--The ring was not for the ear,
   but the nose; the armlets, such as young women in Syria and Arabia
   still appear daily at wells decked in. They are worn from the elbow to
   the wrist, commonly made of silver, copper, brass, or horn.

   23-27. And said, Whose daughter art thou?--After telling her name and
   family, the kind-hearted damsel hastened home to give notice of a
   stranger's arrival.

   28. and told them of her mother's house these things--the female
   apartments. This family was in an advanced stage of pastoral life,
   dwelling in a settled place and a fixed habitation.

   29-31. Rebekah had a brother ... Laban ran out--From what we know of
   his character, there is reason to believe that the sight of the
   dazzling presents increased both his haste and his invitation.

   32-49. the man came into the house, &c.--What a beautiful picture of
   piety, fidelity, and disinterestedness in a servant! He declined all
   attention to his own comforts till he had told his name and his errand.

   50. Then Laban and Bethuel answered--The brothers conduct all the
   marriage negotiations, their father being probably dead, and without
   consulting their sister. Their language seems to indicate they were
   worshippers of the true God.

   53. And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and ... gold--These
   are the usual articles, with money, that form a woman's dowry among the
   pastoral tribes. Rebekah was betrothed and accompanied the servant to
   Canaan.

   64. she lighted off the camel--If Isaac were walking, it would have
   been most unmannerly for her to have continued seated; an inferior, if
   riding, always alights in presence of a person of rank, no exception
   being made for women.

   65. she took a veil, and covered herself--The veil is an essential part
   of female dress. In country places it is often thrown aside, but on the
   appearance of a stranger, it is drawn over the face, as to conceal all
   but the eyes. In a bride it was a token of her reverence and subjection
   to her husband.

   67. And Isaac brought her into his mother's ... tent--thus establishing
   her at once in the rights and honors of a wife before he had seen her
   features. Disappointments often take place, but when Isaac saw his
   wife, "he loved her."
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 25

   Ge 25:1-6. Sons of Abraham.

   1. Abraham took a wife--rather, "had taken"; for Keturah is called
   Abraham's concubine, or secondary wife (1Ch 1:32); and as, from her
   bearing six sons to him, it is improbable that he married after Sarah's
   death; and also as he sent them all out to seek their own independence,
   during his lifetime, it is clear that this marriage is related here out
   of its chronological order, merely to form a proper winding up of the
   patriarch's history.

   5, 6. Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac ... unto the sons of the
   concubines ... Abraham gave gifts--While the chief part of the
   inheritance went to Isaac; the other sons (Ishmael included) migrated
   to "the East country," that is, Arabia, but received each a portion of
   the patrimony, perhaps in cattle and other things; and this settlement
   of Abraham's must have given satisfaction, since it is still the rule
   followed among the pastoral tribes.

   Ge 25:7-11. Death of Abraham.

   7. these are the days of ... Abraham--His death is here related, though
   he lived till Jacob and Esau were fifteen years, just one hundred years
   after coming to Canaan; "the father of the faithful," "the friend of
   God" [Jas 2:23], died; and even in his death, the promises were
   fulfilled (compare Ge 15:15). We might have wished some memorials of
   his deathbed experience; but the Spirit of God has withheld them--nor
   was it necessary; for (see Mt 7:16) from earth he passed into heaven
   (Lu 16:22). Though dead he yet liveth (Mt 22:32).

   9, 10. his sons ... buried him--Death often puts an end to strife,
   reconciles those who have been alienated, and brings rival relations,
   as in this instance, to mingle tears over a father's grave.

   Ge 25:12-18. Descendants of Ishmael. Before passing to the line of the
   promised seed, the historian gives a brief notice of Ishmael, to show
   that the promises respecting that son of Abraham were fulfilled--first,
   in the greatness of his posterity (compare Ge 17:20); and, secondly, in
   their independence.

   18. he died--rather, "it [their lot] fell" in the presence of his
   brethren (compare Ge 16:12).

   Ge 25:19-34. History of Isaac.

   19. these are the generations--account of the leading events in his
   life.

   21. Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife--Though tried in a similar
   way to his father, he did not follow the same crooked policy. Twenty
   years he continued unblessed with offspring, whose seed was to be "as
   the stars" [Ge 26:4]. But in answer to their mutual prayers (1Pe 3:7),
   Rebekah was divinely informed that she was to be the mother of twins,
   who should be the progenitors of two independent nations; that the
   descendants of the younger should be the more powerful and subdue those
   of the other (Ro 9:12; 2Ch 21:8).

   27. the boys grew--from the first, opposite to each other in character,
   manners, and habits.

   28. The parents were divided in their affection; and while the grounds,
   at least of the father's partiality, were weak, the distinction made
   between the children led, as such conduct always does, to unhappy
   consequences.

   29. Jacob sod pottage--made of lentils or small beans, which are common
   in Egypt and Syria. It is probable that it was made of Egyptian beans,
   which Jacob had procured as a dainty; for Esau was a stranger to it. It
   is very palatable; and to the weary hunter, faint with hunger, its odor
   must have been irresistibly tempting.

   31. Jacob said, Sell me ... thy birthright--that is, the rights and
   privileges of the first-born, which were very important, the chief
   being that they were the family priests (Ex 4:22) and had a double
   portion of the inheritance (De 21:17).

   32. Esau said ... I am at the point to die--that is, I am running daily
   risk of my life; and of what use will the birthright be to me: so he
   despised or cared little about it, in comparison with gratifying his
   appetite--he threw away his religious privileges for a trifle; and
   thence he is styled "a profane person" (Heb 12:16; also Job 31:7, 16;
   6:13; Php 3:19). "There was never any meat, except the forbidden fruit,
   so dear bought, as this broth of Jacob" [Bishop Hall].
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 26

   Ge 26:1-35. Sojourn in Gerar.

   1. And there was a famine in the land ... And Isaac went unto ...
   Gerar--The pressure of famine in Canaan forced Isaac with his family
   and flocks to migrate into the land of the Philistines, where he was
   exposed to personal danger, as his father had been on account of his
   wife's beauty; but through the seasonable interposition of Providence,
   he was preserved (Ps 105:14, 15).

   12. Then Isaac sowed in that land--During his sojourn in that district
   he farmed a piece of land, which, by the blessing of God on his skill
   and industry, was very productive (Isa 65:13; Ps 37:19); and by his
   plentiful returns he increased so rapidly in wealth and influence that
   the Philistines, afraid or envious of his prosperity, obliged him to
   leave the place (Pr 27:4; Ec 4:4). This may receive illustration from
   the fact that many Syrian shepherds at this day settle for a year or
   two in a place, rent some ground, in the produce of which they trade
   with the neighboring market, till the owners, through jealousy of their
   growing substance, refuse to renew their lease and compel them to
   remove elsewhere.

   15. all the wells which his father's servants had digged ... the
   Philistines had stopped, &c.--The same base stratagem for annoying
   those against whom they have taken an umbrage is practiced still by
   choking the wells with sand or stones, or defiling them with putrid
   carcases.

   17. valley of Gerar--torrent-bed or wady, a vast undulating plain,
   unoccupied and affording good pasture.

   18-22. Isaac digged again the wells of water--The naming of wells by
   Abraham, and the hereditary right of his family to the property, the
   change of the names by the Philistines to obliterate the traces of
   their origin, the restoration of the names by Isaac, and the contests
   between the respective shepherds to the exclusive possession of the
   water, are circumstances that occur among the natives in those regions
   as frequently in the present day as in the time of Isaac.

   26-33. Then Abimelech went to him--As there was a lapse of ninety years
   between the visit of Abraham and of Isaac, the Abimelech and Phichol
   spoken of must have been different persons' official titles. Here is
   another proof of the promise (Ge 12:2) being fulfilled, in an overture
   of peace being made to him by the king of Gerar. By whatever motive the
   proposal was dictated--whether fear of his growing power, or regret for
   the bad usage they had given him, the king and two of his courtiers
   paid a visit to the tent of Isaac (Pr 16:7). His timid and passive
   temper had submitted to the annoyances of his rude neighbors; but now
   that they wish to renew the covenant, he evinces deep feeling at their
   conduct, and astonishment at their assurance, or artifice, in coming
   near him. Being, however, of a pacific disposition, Isaac forgave their
   offense, accepted their proposals, and treated them to the banquet by
   which the ratification of a covenant was usually crowned.

   34. Esau ... took to wife--If the pious feelings of Abraham recoiled
   from the idea of Isaac forming a matrimonial connection with a
   Canaanitish woman [Ge 24:3], that devout patriarch himself would be
   equally opposed to such a union on the part of his children; and we may
   easily imagine how much his pious heart was wounded, and the family
   peace destroyed, when his favorite but wayward son brought no less than
   two idolatrous wives among them--an additional proof that Esau neither
   desired the blessing nor dreaded the curse of God. These wives never
   gained the affections of his parents, and this estrangement was
   overruled by God for keeping the chosen family aloof from the dangers
   of heathen influence.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 27

   Ge 27:1-27. Infirmity of Isaac.

   1. when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim--He was in his hundred
   thirty-seventh year; and apprehending death to be near, Isaac prepared
   to make his last will--an act of the gravest importance, especially as
   it included the conveyance through a prophetic spirit of the
   patriarchal blessing.

   4. make ... savory meat--perhaps to revive and strengthen him for the
   duty; or rather, "as eating and drinking" were used on all religious
   occasions, he could not convey the right, till he had eaten of the meat
   provided for the purpose by him who was to receive the blessing [Adam
   Clarke] (compare Ge 18:7).

   that my soul may bless thee--It is difficult to imagine him ignorant of
   the divine purpose (compare Ge 25:23). But natural affection,
   prevailing through age and infirmity, prompted him to entail the honors
   and powers of the birthright on his elder son; and perhaps he was not
   aware of what Esau had done (Ge 25:34).

   6-10. Rebekah spake unto Jacob--She prized the blessing as invaluable;
   she knew that God intended it for the younger son [Ge 25:23]; and in
   her anxiety to secure its being conferred on the right object--on one
   who cared for religion--she acted in the sincerity of faith; but in
   crooked policy--with unenlightened zeal; on the false principle that
   the end would sanctify the means.

   11. Jacob said, Esau my brother is a hairy man--It is remarkable that
   his scruples were founded, not on the evil of the act, but on the risk
   and consequences of deception.

   13-17. and his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse--His
   conscience being soothed by his mother, preparations were hastily made
   for carrying out the device; consisting, first, of a kid's flesh,
   which, made into a ragout, spiced with salt, onions, garlic, and lemon
   juice, might easily be passed off on a blind old man, with blunted
   senses, as game; second, of pieces of goat's skin bound on his hands
   and neck, its soft silken hair resembling that on the cheek of a young
   man; third, of the long white robe--the vestment of the first-born,
   which, transmitted from father to son and kept in a chest among
   fragrant herbs and perfumed flowers used much in the East to keep away
   moths--his mother provided for him.

   18-27. he came unto his father--The scheme planned by the mother was to
   be executed by the son in the father's bedchamber; and it is painful to
   think of the deliberate falsehoods, as well as daring profanity, he
   resorted to. The disguise, though wanting in one thing, which had
   nearly upset the whole plot, succeeded in misleading Isaac; and while
   giving his paternal embrace, the old man was roused into a state of
   high satisfaction and delight.

   27. the smell of my son is as of a field--The aromatic odors of the
   Syrian fields and meadows, often impart a strong fragrance to the
   person and clothes, as has been noticed by many travellers.

   Ge 27:28-46. The Blessing.

   28. God give thee of the dew of heaven--To an Oriental mind, this
   phraseology implied the highest flow of prosperity. The copious fall of
   dew is indispensable to the fruitfulness of lands, which would be
   otherwise arid and sterile through the violent heat; and it abounds
   most in hilly regions, such as Canaan, hence called the "fat land" (Ne
   9:25, 35).

   plenty of corn and wine--Palestine was famous for vineyards, and it
   produced varieties of corn, namely, wheat, barley, oats, and rye.

   29. Let people serve thee--fulfilled in the discomfiture of the hostile
   tribes that opposed the Israelites in the wilderness; and in the
   pre-eminence and power they attained after their national establishment
   in the promised land. This blessing was not realized to Jacob, but to
   his descendants; and the temporal blessings promised were but a shadow
   of those spiritual ones, which formed the grand distinction of Jacob's
   posterity.

   30-35. Esau came in from his hunting--Scarcely had the former scene
   been concluded, when the fraud was discovered. The emotions of Isaac,
   as well as Esau, may easily be imagined--the astonishment, alarm, and
   sorrow of the one; the disappointment and indignation of the other. But
   a moment's reflection convinced the aged patriarch that the transfer of
   the blessing was "of the Lord," and now irrevocable. The importunities
   of Esau, however, overpowered him; and as the prophetic afflatus was
   upon the patriarch, he added what was probably as pleasing to a man of
   Esau's character as the other would have been.

   39, 40. Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth--The
   first part is a promise of temporal prosperity, made in the same terms
   as Jacob's [Ge 27:28]--the second part refers to the roving life of
   hunting freebooters, which he and his descendants should lead. Though
   Esau was not personally subject to his brother, his posterity were
   tributary to the Israelites, till the reign of Joram when they revolted
   and established a kingdom of their own (2Ki 8:20; 2Ch 21:8-10).

   41. Esau hated Jacob--It is scarcely to be wondered at that Esau
   resented the conduct of Jacob and vowed revenge.

   The days of mourning for my father are at hand--a common Oriental
   phrase for the death of a parent.

   42-45. these words of Esau were told Rebekah--Poor woman! she now early
   begins to reap the bitter fruits of her fraudulent device; she is
   obliged to part with her son, for whom she planned it, never, probably,
   seeing him again; and he felt the retributive justice of heaven fall
   upon him heavily in his own future family.

   45. Why should I be deprived of you both?--This refers to the law of
   Goelism, by which the nearest of kin would be obliged to avenge the
   death of Jacob upon his brother.

   46. Rebekah said to Isaac--Another pretext Rebekah's cunning had to
   devise to obtain her husband's consent to Jacob's journey to
   Mesopotamia; and she succeeded by touching the aged patriarch in a
   tender point, afflicting to his pious heart--the proper marriage of
   their younger son.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 28

   Ge 28:1-19. Jacob's Departure.

   1. Isaac called Jacob and blessed him--He entered fully into Rebekah's
   feelings, and the burden of his parting counsel to his son was to avoid
   a marriage alliance with any but the Mesopotamian branch of the family.
   At the same time he gave him a solemn blessing--pronounced before
   unwittingly, now designedly, and with a cordial spirit. It is more
   explicitly and fully given, and Jacob was thus acknowledged "the heir
   of the promise."

   6-9. when Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, &c.--Desirous to humor
   his parents and, if possible, get the last will revoked, he became wise
   when too late (see Mt 25:10), and hoped by gratifying his parents in
   one thing to atone for all his former delinquencies. But he only made
   bad worse, and though he did not marry a "wife of the daughters of
   Canaan," he married into a family which God had rejected. It showed a
   partial reformation, but no repentance, for he gave no proofs of
   abating his vindictive purposes against his brother, nor cherishing
   that pious spirit that would have gratified his father--he was like
   Micah (see Jud 17:13).

   10. Jacob went out, &c.--His departure from his father's house was an
   ignominious flight; and for fear of being pursued or waylaid by his
   vindictive brother, he did not take the common road, but went by lonely
   and unfrequented paths, which increased the length and dangers of the
   journey.

   11. he lighted upon a certain place--By a forced march he had reached
   Beth-el, about forty-eight miles from Beer-sheba, and had to spend the
   night in the open field.

   he took of the stones, etc.--"The nature of the soil is an existing
   comment on the record of the stony territory where Jacob lay" [Clarke's
   Travels].

   12. he dreamed ... and behold a ladder--Some writers are of opinion
   that it was not a literal ladder that is meant, as it is impossible to
   conceive any imagery stranger and more unnatural than that of a ladder,
   whose base was on earth, while its top reached heaven, without having
   any thing on which to rest its upper extremity. They suppose that the
   little heap of stones, on which his head reclined for a pillow, being
   the miniature model of the object that appeared to his imagination, the
   latter was a gigantic mountain pile, whose sides, indented in the rock,
   gave it the appearance of a scaling ladder. There can be no doubt that
   this use of the original term was common among the early Hebrews; as
   Josephus, describing the town of Ptolemais (Acre), says it was bounded
   by a mountain, which, from its projecting sides, was called "the
   ladder," and the stairs that led down to the city are, in the original,
   termed a ladder (Ne 3:15) though they were only a flight of steps cut
   in the side of the rock. But whether the image presented to the mental
   eye of Jacob were a common ladder, or such a mountain pile as has been
   described, the design of this vision was to afford comfort,
   encouragement, and confidence to the lonely fugitive, both in his
   present circumstances and as to his future prospects. His thoughts
   during the day must have been painful--he would be his own self-accuser
   that he had brought exile and privation upon himself--and above all,
   that though he had obtained the forgiveness of his father, he had much
   reason to fear lest God might have forsaken him. Solitude affords time
   for reflection; and it was now that God began to bring Jacob under a
   course of religious instruction and training. To dispel his fears and
   allay the inward tumult of his mind, nothing was better fitted than the
   vision of the gigantic ladder, which reached from himself to heaven,
   and on which the angels were continually ascending and descending from
   God Himself on their benevolent errands (Joh 1:51).

   13. The Lord stood above it, and said--That Jacob might be at no loss
   to know the purport of the vision, he heard the divine voice; and the
   announcement of His name, together with a renewal of the covenant, and
   an assurance of personal protection, produced at once the most
   solemnizing and inspiriting effect on his mind.

   16. Jacob awaked out of his sleep--His language and his conduct were
   alike that of a man whose mind was pervaded by sentiments of solemn
   awe, of fervent piety, and lively gratitude (Jer 31:36).

   18, 19. Jacob set up a stone, etc.--The mere setting up of the stone
   might have been as a future memorial to mark the spot; and this
   practice is still common in the East, in memory of a religious vow or
   engagement. But the pouring oil upon it was a consecration. Accordingly
   he gave it a new name, Beth-el, "the house of God" (Ho 12:4); and it
   will not appear a thing forced or unnatural to call a stone a house,
   when one considers the common practice in warm countries of sitting in
   the open air by or on a stone, as are those of this place, "broad
   sheets of bare rock, some of them standing like the cromlechs of
   Druidical monuments" [Stanley].

   Ge 28:20-22. Jacob's Vow.

   20. Jacob vowed a vow--His words are not to be considered as implying a
   doubt, far less as stating the condition or terms on which he would
   dedicate himself to God. Let "if" be changed into "since," and the
   language will appear a proper expression of Jacob's faith--an evidence
   of his having truly embraced the promise. How edifying often to
   meditate on Jacob at Beth-el.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 29

   Ge 29:1-35. The Well of Haran.

   1. Then Jacob went, &c.--Hebrew, "lifted up his feet." He resumed his
   way next morning with a light heart and elastic step after the vision
   of the ladder; for tokens of the divine favor tend to quicken the
   discharge of duty (Ne 8:10).

   and came into the land, &c.--Mesopotamia and the whole region beyond
   the Euphrates are by the sacred writers designated "the East" (Jud 6:3;
   1Ki 4:30; Job 1:3). Between the first and the second clause of this
   verse is included a journey of four hundred miles.

   2. And he looked, &c.--As he approached the place of his destination,
   he, according to custom, repaired to the well adjoining the town where
   he would obtain an easy introduction to his relatives.

   3. thither were all the flocks gathered; and a stone, &c.--In Arabia,
   owing to the shifting sands and in other places, owing to the strong
   evaporation, the mouth of a well is generally covered, especially when
   it is private property. Over many is laid a broad, thick, flat stone,
   with a round hole cut in the middle, forming the mouth of the cistern.
   This hole is covered with a heavy stone which it would require two or
   three men to roll away. Such was the description of the well at Haran.

   4. Jacob said, My brethren--Finding from the shepherds who were
   reposing there with flocks and who all belonged to Haran, that his
   relatives in Haran were well and that one of the family was shortly
   expected, he enquired why they were idling the best part of the day
   there instead of watering their flocks and sending them back to
   pasture.

   8. They said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered--In order to
   prevent the consequences of too frequent exposure in places where water
   is scarce, the well is not only covered, but it is customary to have
   all the flocks collected round it before the covering is removed in
   presence of the owner or one of his representatives; and it was for
   this reason that those who were reposing at the well of Haran with the
   three flocks were waiting the arrival of Rachel.

   9-11. While he yet spake with them, Rachel came--Among the pastoral
   tribes the young unmarried daughters of the greatest sheiks tend the
   flocks, going out at sunrise and continuing to watch their fleecy
   charges till sunset. Watering them, which is done twice a day, is a
   work of time and labor, and Jacob rendered no small service in
   volunteering his aid to the young shepherdess. The interview was
   affecting, the reception welcome, and Jacob forgot all his toils in the
   society of his Mesopotamian relatives. Can we doubt that he returned
   thanks to God for His goodness by the way?

   12. Jacob told Rachel, &c.--According to the practice of the East, the
   term "brother" is extended to remote degrees of relationship, as uncle,
   cousin, or nephew.

   14-20. he abode a month--Among pastoral people a stranger is freely
   entertained for three days; on the fourth day he is expected to tell
   his name and errand; and if he prolongs his stay after that time, he
   must set his hand to work in some way, as may be agreed upon. A similar
   rule obtained in Laban's establishment, and the wages for which his
   nephew engaged to continue in his employment was the hand of Rachel.

   17. Leah tender-eyed--that is, soft blue eyes--thought a blemish.

   Rachel beautiful and well-favored--that is, comely and handsome in
   form. The latter was Jacob's choice.

   18. I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy daughter--A proposal
   of marriage is made to the father without the daughter being consulted,
   and the match is effected by the suitor either bestowing costly
   presents on the family, or by giving cattle to the value the father
   sets upon his daughter, or else by giving personal services for a
   specified period. The last was the course necessity imposed on Jacob;
   and there for seven years he submitted to the drudgery of a hired
   shepherd, with the view of obtaining Rachel. The time went rapidly
   away; for even severe and difficult duties become light when love is
   the spring of action.

   21. Jacob said, Give me my wife--At the expiry of the stipulated term
   the marriage festivities were held. But an infamous fraud was practised
   on Jacob, and on his showing a righteous indignation, the usage of the
   country was pleaded in excuse. No plea of kindred should ever be
   allowed to come in opposition to the claim of justice. But this is
   often overlooked by the selfish mind of man, and fashion or custom
   rules instead of the will of God. This was what Laban did, as he said,
   "It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the
   first-born." But, then, if that were the prevailing custom of society
   at Haran, he should have apprized his nephew of it at an early period
   in an honorable manner. This, however, is too much the way with the
   people of the East still. The duty of marrying an elder daughter before
   a younger, the tricks which parents take to get off an elder daughter
   that is plain or deformed and in which they are favored by the long
   bridal veil that entirely conceals her features all the wedding day,
   and the prolongation for a week of the marriage festivities among the
   greater sheiks, are accordant with the habits of the people in Arabia
   and Armenia in the present day.

   28. gave him Rachel also--It is evident that the marriage of both
   sisters took place nearly about the same time, and that such a
   connection was then allowed, though afterwards prohibited (Le 18:18).

   29. gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah to be her maid--A father in good
   circumstances still gives his daughter from his household a female
   slave, over whom the young wife, independently of her husband, has the
   absolute control.

   31. Leah ... hated--that is, not loved so much as she ought to have
   been. Her becoming a mother ensured her rising in the estimation both
   of her husband and of society.

   32-35. son ... his name Reuben--Names were also significant; and those
   which Leah gave to her sons were expressive of her varying feelings of
   thankfulness or joy, or allusive to circumstances in the history of the
   family. There was piety and wisdom in attaching a signification to
   names, as it tended to keep the bearer in remembrance of his duty and
   the claims of God.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 30

   Ge 30:1-24. Domestic Jealousies.

   1. Rachel envied her sister--The maternal relation confers a high
   degree of honor in the East, and the want of that status is felt as a
   stigma and deplored as a grievous calamity.

   Give me children, or else I die--either be reckoned as good as dead, or
   pine away from vexation. The intense anxiety of Hebrew women for
   children arose from the hope of giving birth to the promised seed.
   Rachel's conduct was sinful and contrasts unfavorably with that of
   Rebekah (compare Ge 25:22) and of Hannah (1Sa 1:11).

   3-9. Bilhah ... Zilpah--Following the example of Sarah with regard to
   Hagar, an example which is not seldom imitated still, she adopted the
   children of her maid. Leah took the same course. A bitter and intense
   rivalry existed between them, all the more from their close
   relationship as sisters; and although they occupied separate
   apartments, with their families, as is the uniform custom where a
   plurality of wives obtains, and the husband and father spends a day
   with each in regular succession, that did not allay their mutual
   jealousies. The evil lies in the system, which being a violation of
   God's original ordinance, cannot yield happiness.

   20. And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry--The birth of a
   son is hailed with demonstrations of joy, and the possession of several
   sons confers upon the mother an honor and respectability proportioned
   to their number. The husband attaches a similar importance to the
   possession, and it forms a bond of union which renders it impossible
   for him ever to forsake or to be cold to a wife who has borne him sons.
   This explains the happy anticipations Leah founded on the possession of
   her six sons.

   21. afterwards, she bare a daughter--The inferior value set on a
   daughter is displayed in the bare announcement of the birth.

   Ge 30:25-43. Jacob's Covenant with Laban.

   25. when Rachel had born Joseph--Shortly after the birth of this son,
   Jacob's term of servitude expired, and feeling anxious to establish an
   independence for his family, he probably, from knowing that Esau was
   out of the way, announced his intention of returning to Canaan (Heb
   13:14). In this resolution the faith of Jacob was remarkable, for as
   yet he had nothing to rely on but the promise of God (compare Ge
   28:15).

   27. Laban said ... I have learned--His selfish uncle was averse to a
   separation, not from warmth of affection either for Jacob or his
   daughters, but from the damage his own interests would sustain. He had
   found, from long observation, that the blessing of heaven rested on
   Jacob, and that his stock had wonderfully increased under Jacob's
   management. This was a remarkable testimony that good men are blessings
   to the places where they reside. Men of the world are often blessed
   with temporal benefits on account of their pious relatives, though they
   have not always, like Laban, the wisdom to discern, or the grace to
   acknowledge it.

   28. appoint me thy wages, and I will give it--The Eastern shepherds
   receive for their hire not money, but a certain amount of the increase
   or produce of the flock; but Laban would at the time have done anything
   to secure the continued services of his nephew, and make a show of
   liberality, which Jacob well knew was constrained.

   31. Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing--A new agreement was
   made, the substance of which was, that he was to receive remuneration
   in the usual way, but on certain conditions which Jacob specified.

   32. I will pass through all thy flock to-day--Eastern sheep being
   generally white, the goats black, and spotted or speckled ones
   comparatively few and rare, Jacob proposed to remove all existing ones
   of that description from the flock, and to be content with what might
   appear at the next lambing time. The proposal seemed so much in favor
   of Laban, that he at once agreed to it. But Jacob has been accused of
   taking advantage of his uncle, and though it is difficult to exculpate
   him from practising some degree of dissimulation, he was only availing
   himself of the results of his great skill and experience in the
   breeding of cattle. But it is evident from the next chapter (Ge
   31:5-13) that there was something miraculous and that the means he had
   employed had been suggested by a divine intimation.

   37. Jacob took rods, &c.--There are many varieties of the hazel, some
   of which are more erect than the common hazel, and it was probably one
   of these varieties Jacob employed. The styles are of a bright red
   color, when peeled; and along with them he took wands of other shrubs,
   which, when stripped of the bark, had white streaks. These, kept
   constantly before the eyes of the female at the time of gestation, his
   observation had taught him would have an influence, through the
   imagination, on the future offspring.

   38. watering troughs--usually a long stone block hollowed out, from
   which several sheep could drink at once, but sometimes so small as to
   admit of only one drinking at a time.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 31

   Ge 31:1-21. Envy of Laban and Sons.

   1. he heard the words of Laban's sons--It must have been from rumor
   that Jacob got knowledge of the invidious reflections cast upon him by
   his cousins; for they were separated at the distance of three days'
   journey.

   2. And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban--literally, "was not the
   same as yesterday, and the day before," a common Oriental form of
   speech. The insinuations against Jacob's fidelity by Laban's sons, and
   the sullen reserve, the churlish conduct, of Laban himself, had made
   Jacob's situation, in his uncle's establishment, most trying and
   painful. It is always one of the vexations attendant on worldly
   prosperity, that it excites the envy of others (Ec 4:4); and that,
   however careful a man is to maintain a good conscience, he cannot
   always reckon on maintaining a good name, in a censorious world. This,
   Jacob experienced; and it is probable that, like a good man, he had
   asked direction and relief in prayer.

   3. the Lord said ... Return unto the land of thy
   fathers--Notwithstanding the ill usage he had received, Jacob might not
   have deemed himself at liberty to quit his present sphere, under the
   impulse of passionate fretfulness and discontent. Having been conducted
   to Haran by God (Ge 28:15) and having got a promise that the same
   heavenly Guardian would bring him again into the land of Canaan, he
   might have thought he ought not to leave it, without being clearly
   persuaded as to the path of duty. So ought we to set the Lord before
   us, and to acknowledge Him in all our ways, our journeys, our
   settlements, and plans in life.

   4. Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah--His wives and family were in
   their usual residence. Whether he wished them to be present at the
   festivities of sheep shearing, as some think; or, because he could not
   leave his flock, he called them both to come to him, in order that,
   having resolved on immediate departure, he might communicate his
   intentions. Rachel and Leah only were called, for the other two wives,
   being secondary and still in a state of servitude, were not entitled to
   be taken into account. Jacob acted the part of a dutiful husband in
   telling them his plans; for husbands that love their wives should
   consult with them and trust in them (Pr 31:11).

   6. ye know that ... I have served your father--Having stated his strong
   grounds of dissatisfaction with their father's conduct and the ill
   requital he had got for all his faithful services, he informed them of
   the blessing of God that had made him rich notwithstanding Laban's
   design to ruin him; and finally, of the command from God he had
   received to return to his own country, that they might not accuse him
   of caprice, or disaffection to their family; but be convinced, that in
   resolving to depart, he acted from a principle of religious obedience.

   14. Rachel and Leah answered--Having heard his views, they expressed
   their entire approval; and from grievances of their own, they were
   fully as desirous of a separation as himself. They display not only
   conjugal affection, but piety in following the course
   described--"whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do" [Ge 31:16]. "Those
   that are really their husbands' helpmeets will never be their
   hindrances in doing that to which God calls them" [Henry].

   17. Then Jacob rose up--Little time is spent by pastoral people in
   removing. The striking down the tents and poles and stowing them among
   their other baggage; the putting their wives and children in houdas
   like cradles, on the backs of camels, or in panniers on asses; and the
   ranging of the various parts of the flock under the respective
   shepherds; all this is a short process. A plain that is covered in the
   morning with a long array of tents and with browsing flocks, may, in a
   few hours, appear so desolate that not a vestige of the encampment
   remains, except the holes in which the tent poles had been fixed.

   18. he carried the cattle of his getting--that is, his own and nothing
   more. He did not indemnify himself for his many losses by carrying off
   any thing of Laban's, but was content with what Providence had given
   him. Some may think that due notice should have been given; but when a
   man feels himself in danger--the law of self-preservation prescribes
   the duty of immediate flight, if it can be done consistently with
   conscience.

   20. Jacob stole away--The result showed the prudence and necessity of
   departing secretly; otherwise, Laban might have detained him by
   violence or artifice.

   Ge 31:22-55. Laban Pursues Jacob--Their Covenant at Gilead.

   22-24. it was told Laban on the third day--No sooner did the news reach
   Laban than he set out in pursuit, and he being not encumbered, advanced
   rapidly; whereas Jacob, with a young family and numerous flocks, had to
   march slowly, so that he overtook the fugitives after seven days'
   journey as they lay encamped on the brow of mount Gilead, an extensive
   range of hills forming the eastern boundary of Canaan. Being
   accompanied by a number of his people, he might have used violence had
   he not been divinely warned in a dream to give no interruption to his
   nephew's journey. How striking and sudden a change! For several days he
   had been full of rage, and was now in eager anticipation that his
   vengeance would be fully wreaked, when lo! his hands are tied by
   invisible power (Ps 76:10). He did not dare to touch Jacob, but there
   was a war of words.

   26-30. Laban said ... What hast thou done?--Not a word is said of the
   charge (Ge 31:1). His reproaches were of a different kind. His first
   charge was for depriving him of the satisfaction of giving Jacob and
   his family the usual salutations at parting. In the East it is
   customary, when any are setting out to a great distance, for their
   relatives and friends to accompany them a considerable way with music
   and valedictory songs. Considering the past conduct of Laban, his
   complaint on this ground was hypocritical cant. But his second charge
   was a grave one--the carrying off his gods--Hebrew, "teraphim," small
   images of human figures, used not as idols or objects of worship, but
   as talismans, for superstitious purposes.

   31, 32. Jacob said, ... With whomsoever thou findest thy gods let him
   not live--Conscious of his own innocence and little suspecting the
   misdeed of his favorite wife, Jacob boldly challenged a search and
   denounced the heaviest penalty on the culprit. A personal scrutiny was
   made by Laban, who examined every tent [Ge 31:33]; and having entered
   Rachel's last, he would have infallibly discovered the stolen images
   had not Rachel made an appeal to him which prevented further search [Ge
   31:34, 35].

   34. Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture,
   and sat upon them--The common pack saddle is often used as a seat or a
   cushion, against which a person squatted on the floor may lean.

   36, 37. Jacob was wroth--Recrimination on his part was natural in the
   circumstances, and, as usual, when passion is high, the charges took a
   wide range. He rapidly enumerated his grievances for twenty years and
   in a tone of unrestrained severity described the niggard character and
   vexatious exactions of his uncle, together with the hardships of
   various kinds he had patiently endured.

   38. The rams of thy flock have I not eaten--Eastern people seldom kill
   the females for food except they are barren.

   39. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee--The
   shepherds are strictly responsible for losses in the flock, unless they
   can prove these were occasioned by wild beasts.

   40. in the day the drought ... and the frost by night--The temperature
   changes often in twenty-four hours from the greatest extremes of heat
   and cold, most trying to the shepherd who has to keep watch by his
   flocks. Much allowance must be made for Jacob. Great and long-continued
   provocations ruffle the mildest and most disciplined tempers. It is
   difficult to "be angry and sin not" [Eph 4:26]. But these two
   relatives, after having given utterance to their pent-up feelings, came
   at length to a mutual understanding, or rather, God influenced Laban to
   make reconciliation with his injured nephew (Pr 16:7).

   44. Come thou, let us make a covenant--The way in which this covenant
   was ratified was by a heap of stones being laid in a circular pile, to
   serve as seats, and in the center of this circle a large one was set up
   perpendicularly for an altar. It is probable that a sacrifice was first
   offered, and then that the feast of reconciliation was partaken of by
   both parties seated on the stones around it. To this day heaps of
   stones, which have been used as memorials, are found abundantly in the
   region where this transaction took place.

   52. This heap be witness--Objects of nature were frequently thus spoken
   of. But over and above, there was a solemn appeal to God; and it is
   observable that there was a marked difference in the religious
   sentiments of the two. Laban spake of the God of Abraham and Nahor,
   their common ancestors; but Jacob, knowing that idolatry had crept in
   among that branch of the family, swore by the "fear of his father
   Isaac." They who have one God should have one heart: they who are
   agreed in religion should endeavor to agree in everything else.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 32

   Ge 32:1, 2. Vision of Angels.

   1. angels of God met him--It is not said whether this angelic
   manifestation was made in a vision by day, or a dream by night. There
   is an evident allusion, however, to the appearance upon the ladder
   (compare Ge 28:12), and this occurring to Jacob on his return to
   Canaan, was an encouraging pledge of the continued presence and
   protection of God (Ps 34:7; Heb 1:14).

   2. Mahanaim--"two hosts," or "camps." The place was situated between
   mount Gilead and the Jabbok, near the banks of that brook.

   Ge 32:3-32. Mission to Esau.

   3. Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau--that is, "had sent." It
   was a prudent precaution to ascertain the present temper of Esau, as
   the road, on approaching the eastern confines of Canaan, lay near the
   wild district where his brother was now established.

   land of Seir--a highland country on the east and south of the Dead Sea,
   inhabited by the Horites, who were dispossessed by Esau or his
   posterity (De 11:12). When and in what circumstances he had emigrated
   thither, whether the separation arose out of the undutiful conduct and
   idolatrous habits of his wives, which had made them unwelcome in the
   tent of his parents, or whether his roving disposition had sought a
   country from his love of adventure and the chase, he was living in a
   state of power and affluence, and this settlement on the outer borders
   of Canaan, though made of his own free will, was overruled by
   Providence to pave the way for Jacob's return to the promised land.

   4. Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau--The purport of the message
   was that, after a residence of twenty years in Mesopotamia, he was now
   returning to his native land, that he did not need any thing, for he
   had abundance of pastoral wealth, but that he could not pass without
   notifying his arrival to his brother and paying the homage of his
   respectful obeisance. Acts of civility tend to disarm opposition and
   soften hatred (Ec 10:4).

   Thy servant Jacob--He had been made lord over his brethren (compare Ge
   27:29). But it is probable he thought this referred to a spiritual
   superiority; or if to temporal, that it was to be realized only to his
   posterity. At all events, leaving it to God to fulfil that purpose, he
   deemed it prudent to assume the most kind and respectful bearing.

   6. The messengers returned to Jacob--Their report left Jacob in painful
   uncertainty as to what was his brother's views and feelings. Esau's
   studied reserve gave him reason to dread the worst. Jacob was naturally
   timid; but his conscience told him that there was much ground for
   apprehension, and his distress was all the more aggravated that he had
   to provide for the safety of a large and helpless family.

   9-12. Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham--In this great emergency,
   he had recourse to prayer. This is the first recorded example of prayer
   in the Bible. It is short, earnest, and bearing directly on the
   occasion. The appeal is made to God, as standing in a covenant relation
   to his family, just as we ought to put our hopes of acceptance with God
   in Christ. It pleads the special promise made to him of a safe return;
   and after a most humble and affecting confession of unworthiness, it
   breathes an earnest desire for deliverance from the impending danger.
   It was the prayer of a kind husband, an affectionate father, a firm
   believer in the promises.

   13-23. took ... a present for Esau--Jacob combined active exertions
   with earnest prayer; and this teaches us that we must not depend upon
   the aid and interposition of God in such a way as to supersede the
   exercise of prudence and foresight. Superiors are always approached
   with presents, and the respect expressed is estimated by the quality
   and amount of the gift. The present of Jacob consisted of five hundred
   fifty head of cattle, of different kinds, such as would be most prized
   by Esau. It was a most magnificent present, skilfully arranged and
   proportioned. The milch camels alone were of immense value; for the she
   camels form the principal part of Arab wealth; their milk is a chief
   article of diet; and in many other respects they are of the greatest
   use.

   16. every drove by themselves--There was great prudence in this
   arrangement; for the present would thus have a more imposing
   appearance; Esau's passion would have time to cool as he passed each
   successive company; and if the first was refused, the others would
   hasten back to convey a timely warning.

   17. he commanded the foremost--The messengers were strictly commanded
   to say the same words [Ge 32:18, 20], that Esau might be more impressed
   and that the uniformity of the address might appear more clearly to
   have come from Jacob himself.

   21. himself lodged--not the whole night, but only a part of it.

   22. ford Jabbok--now the Zerka--a stream that rises among the mountains
   of Gilead, and running from east to west, enters the Jordan, about
   forty miles south of the Sea of Tiberias. At the ford it is ten yards
   wide. It is sometimes forded with difficulty; but in summer it is very
   shallow.

   he rose up and took--Unable to sleep, Jacob waded the ford in the night
   time by himself; and having ascertained its safety, he returned to the
   north bank and sent over his family and attendants, remaining behind,
   to seek anew, in silent prayer, the divine blessing on the means he had
   set in motion.

   24, 25. There wrestled a man with him--This mysterious person is called
   an angel (Ho 12:4) and God (Ge 32:28, 30; Ho 12:5); and the opinion
   that is most supported is that he was "the angel of the covenant," who,
   in a visible form, appeared to animate the mind and sympathize with the
   distress of his pious servant. It has been a subject of much discussion
   whether the incident described was an actual conflict or a visionary
   scene. Many think that as the narrative makes no mention in express
   terms either of sleep, or dream, or vision, it was a real transaction;
   while others, considering the bodily exhaustion of Jacob, his great
   mental anxiety, the kind of aid he supplicated, as well as the analogy
   of former manifestations with which he was favored--such as the
   ladder--have concluded that it was a vision [Calvin, Hessenberg,
   Hengstenberg]. The moral design of it was to revive the sinking spirit
   of the patriarch and to arm him with confidence in God, while
   anticipating the dreaded scenes of the morrow. To us it is highly
   instructive; showing that, to encourage us valiantly to meet the trials
   to which we are subjected, God allows us to ascribe to the efficacy of
   our faith and prayers, the victories which His grace alone enables us
   to make.

   26. I will not let thee go, except thou bless me--It is evident that
   Jacob was aware of the character of Him with whom he wrestled; and,
   believing that His power, though by far superior to human, was yet
   limited by His promise to do him good, he determined not to lose the
   golden opportunity of securing a blessing. And nothing gives God
   greater pleasure than to see the hearts of His people firmly adhering
   to Him.

   28. Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel--The old name
   was not to be abandoned; but, referring as it did to a dishonorable
   part of the patriarch's history, it was to be associated with another
   descriptive of his now sanctified and eminently devout character.

   29. Jacob asked, Tell me ... thy name--The request was denied that he
   might not be too elated with his conquest nor suppose that he had
   obtained such advantage over the angel as to make him do what he
   pleased.

   31. halted upon his thigh--As Paul had a thorn in the flesh given to
   humble him, lest he should be too elevated by the abundant revelations
   granted him [2Co 12:7], so Jacob's lameness was to keep him mindful of
   this mysterious scene, and that it was in gracious condescension the
   victory was yielded to him. In the greatest of these spiritual
   victories which, through faith, any of God's people obtain, there is
   always something to humble them.

   32. the sinew which shrank--the nerve that fastens the thigh bone in
   its socket. The practice of the Jews in abstaining from eating this in
   the flesh of animals, is not founded on the law of Moses, but is merely
   a traditional usage. The sinew is carefully extracted; and where there
   are no persons skilled enough for that operation, they do not make use
   of the hind legs at all.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 33

   Ge 33:1-11. Kindness of Jacob and Esau.

   1. behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men--Jacob having
   crossed the ford and ranged his wives and children in order--the
   dearest last, that they might be the least exposed to danger--awaited
   the expected interview. His faith was strengthened and his fears gone
   (Ps 27:3). Having had power to prevail with God, he was confident of
   the same power with man, according to the promise (compare Ge 32:28).

   3. he bowed himself ... seven times--The manner of doing this is by
   looking towards a superior and bowing with the upper part of the body
   brought parallel to the ground, then advancing a few steps and bowing
   again, and repeating his obeisance till, at the seventh time, the
   suppliant stands in the immediate presence of his superior. The members
   of his family did the same. This was a token of profound respect, and,
   though very marked, it would appear natural; for Esau being the elder
   brother, was, according to the custom of the East, entitled to
   respectful treatment from his younger brother. His attendants would be
   struck by it, and according to Eastern habits, would magnify it in the
   hearing of their master.

   4. Esau ran to meet him--What a sudden and surprising change! Whether
   the sight of the princely present and the profound homage of Jacob had
   produced this effect, or it proceeded from the impulsive character of
   Esau, the cherished enmity of twenty years in a moment disappeared; the
   weapons of war were laid aside, and the warmest tokens of mutual
   affection reciprocated between the brothers. But doubtless, the
   efficient cause was the secret, subduing influence of grace (Pr 21:1),
   which converted Esau from an enemy into a friend.

   5. Who are those with thee?--It might have been enough to say, They are
   my children; but Jacob was a pious man, and he could not give even a
   common answer but in the language of piety (Ps 127:3; 113:9; 107:41).

   11. He urged him and he took it--In the East the acceptance by a
   superior is a proof of friendship, and by an enemy, of reconciliation.
   It was on both accounts Jacob was so anxious that his brother should
   receive the cattle; and in Esau's acceptance he had the strongest
   proofs of a good feeling being established that Eastern notions admit
   of.

   Ge 33:12-20. The Parting.

   12. And he said, Let us take our journey--Esau proposed to accompany
   Jacob and his family through the country, both as a mark of friendship
   and as an escort to guard them. But the proposal was prudently
   declined. Jacob did not need any worldly state or equipage.
   Notwithstanding the present cordiality, the brothers were so different
   in spirit, character, and habits--the one so much a man of the world,
   and the other a man of God, that there was great risk of something
   occurring to disturb the harmony. Jacob having alleged a very
   reasonable excuse for the tardiness of his movements, the brothers
   parted in peace.

   14. until I come unto my lord--It seems to have been Jacob's intention,
   passing round the Dead Sea, to visit his brother in Seir, and thus,
   without crossing the Jordan, go to Beer-sheba to Isaac; but he changed
   his plan, and whether the intention was carried out then or at a future
   period has not been recorded.

   17. Jacob journeyed to Succoth--that is, "booths," that being the first
   station at which Jacob halted on his arrival in Canaan. His posterity,
   when dwelling in houses of stone, built a city there and called it
   Succoth, to commemorate the fact that their ancestor, "a Syrian ready
   to perish" [De 26:5], was glad to dwell in booths.

   18. Shalem--that is, "peace"; and the meaning may be that Jacob came
   into Canaan, arriving safe and sound at the city Shechem--a tribute to
   Him who had promised such a return (compare Ge 28:15). But most writers
   take Shalem as a proper name--a city of Shechem, and the site is marked
   by one of the little villages about two miles to the northeast. A
   little farther in the valley below Shechem "he bought a parcel of a
   field," thus being the first of the patriarchs who became a proprietor
   of land in Canaan.

   19. an hundred pieces of money--literally, "lambs"; probably a coin
   with the figure of a lamb on it.

   20. and he erected ... an altar--A beautiful proof of his personal
   piety, a most suitable conclusion to his journey, and a lasting
   memorial of a distinguished favor in the name "God, the God of Israel."
   Wherever we pitch a tent, God shall have an altar.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 34

   Ge 34:1-31. The Dishonor of Dinah.

   1-4. Though freed from foreign troubles, Jacob met with a great
   domestic calamity in the fall of his only daughter. According to
   Josephus, she had been attending a festival; but it is highly probable
   that she had been often and freely mixing in the society of the place
   and that she, being a simple, inexperienced, and vain young woman, had
   been flattered by the attentions of the ruler's son. There must have
   been time and opportunities of acquaintance to produce the strong
   attachment that Shechem had for her.

   5. Jacob held his peace--Jacob, as a father and a good man, must have
   been deeply distressed. But he could do little. In the case of a family
   by different wives, it is not the father, but the full brothers, on
   whom the protection of the daughters devolves--they are the guardians
   of a sister's welfare and the avengers of her wrongs. It was for this
   reason that Simeon and Levi, the two brothers of Dinah by Leah [Ge
   34:25], appear the chief actors in this episode; and though the two
   fathers would have probably brought about an amicable arrangement of
   the affair, the hasty arrival of these enraged brothers introduced a
   new element into the negotiations.

   6. Hamor--that is, "ass"; and it is a striking proof of the very
   different ideas which, in the East, are associated with that animal,
   which there appears sprightly, well proportioned, and of great
   activity. This chief is called Emmor (Ac 7:16).

   7. the men were grieved, and ... very wroth--Good men in such a case
   could not but grieve; but it would have been well if their anger had
   been less, or that they had known the precept "let not the sun go down
   upon your wrath" [Eph 4:26]. No injury can justify revenge (De 32:35;
   Ro 12:9); but Jacob's sons planned a scheme of revenge in the most
   deceitful manner.

   8-10. Hamor communed with them--The prince and his son seem at first
   sight to have acted honestly, and our feelings are enlisted on their
   side. They betray no jealousy of the powerful shepherds; on the
   contrary, they show every desire to establish friendly intercourse. But
   their conduct was unjustifiable in neither expressing regret nor
   restoring Dinah to her family; and this great error was the true cause
   of the negotiations ending in so unhappy a manner.

   11. Shechem said unto her father ... and brethren--The consideration of
   the proposal for marriage belonged to Jacob, and he certainly showed
   great weakness in yielding so much to the fiery impetuosity of his
   sons. The sequel shows the unhappy consequences of that concession.

   12. Ask me never so much dowry and gift--The gift refers to the
   presents made at betrothal, both to the bride elect and her relations
   (compare Ge 24:53), the dowry to a suitable settlement upon her.

   13. The sons of Jacob answered--The honor of their family consisted in
   having the sign of the covenant. Circumcision was the external rite by
   which persons were admitted members of the ancient Church. But that
   outward rite could not make the Shechemites true Israelites; and yet it
   does not appear that Jacob's sons required anything more. Nothing is
   said of their teaching the people to worship the true God, but only of
   their insisting on their being circumcised; and it is evident that they
   did not seek to convert Shechem, but only made a show of religion--a
   cloak to cover their diabolical design. Hypocrisy and deceit, in all
   cases vicious, are infinitely more so when accompanied with a show of
   religion; and here the sons of Jacob, under the pretense of
   conscientious scruples, conceal a scheme of treachery as cruel and
   diabolical as was, perhaps, ever perpetrated.

   20. Hamor and Shechem ... came unto the gate of their city--That was
   the place where every public communication was made; and in the ready
   obsequious submission of the people to this measure we see an evidence
   either of the extraordinary affection for the governing family, or of
   the abject despotism of the East, where the will of a chief is an
   absolute command.

   30. Jacob said ... Ye have troubled me--This atrocious outrage
   perpetrated on the defenseless citizens and their families made the cup
   of Jacob's affliction overflow. We may wonder that, in speaking of it
   to his sons, he did not represent it as a heinous sin, an atrocious
   violation of the laws of God and man, but dwelt solely on the present
   consequences. It was probably because that was the only view likely to
   rouse the cold-blooded apathy, the hardened consciences of those
   ruffian sons. Nothing but the restraining power of God saved him and
   his family from the united vengeance of the people (compare Ge 35:5).
   All his sons had not been engaged in the massacre. Joseph was a boy,
   Benjamin not yet born, and the other eight not concerned in it. Simeon
   and Levi alone, with their retainers, had been the guilty actors in the
   bloody tragedy. But the Canaanites would not be discriminating in their
   vengeance; and if all the Shechemites were put to death for the offense
   of their chief's son, what wonder if the natives should extend their
   hatred to all the family of Jacob; and who probably equalled, in
   number, the inhabitants of that village.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 35

   Ge 35:1-15. Removal to Bethel.

   1. God said unto Jacob, Arise, &c.--This command was given seasonably
   in point of time and tenderly in respect of language. The disgraceful
   and perilous events that had recently taken place in the patriarch's
   family must have produced in him a strong desire to remove without
   delay from the vicinity of Shechem. Borne down by an overwhelming sense
   of the criminality of his two sons--of the offense they had given to
   God and the dishonor they had brought on the true faith; distracted,
   too, with anxiety about the probable consequences which their outrage
   might bring upon himself and family, should the Canaanite people
   combine to extirpate such a band of robbers and murderers; he must have
   felt this call as affording a great relief to his afflicted feelings.
   At the same time it conveyed a tender rebuke.

   go up to Beth-el--Beth-el was about thirty miles south of Shechem and
   was an ascent from a low to a highland country. There, he would not
   only be released from the painful associations of the latter place but
   be established on a spot that would revive the most delightful and
   sublime recollections. The pleasure of revisiting it, however, was not
   altogether unalloyed.

   make there an altar unto God, that appeared--It too frequently happens
   that early impressions are effaced through lapse of time, that promises
   made in seasons of distress, are forgotten; or, if remembered on the
   return of health and prosperity, there is not the same alacrity and
   sense of obligation felt to fulfil them. Jacob was lying under that
   charge. He had fallen into spiritual indolence. It was now eight or ten
   years since his return to Canaan. He had effected a comfortable
   settlement and had acknowledged the divine mercies, by which that
   return and settlement had been signally distinguished (compare Ge
   33:19). But for some unrecorded reason, his early vow at Beth-el [Ge
   28:20-22], in a great crisis of his life, remained unperformed. The
   Lord appeared now to remind him of his neglected duty, in terms,
   however, so mild, as awakened less the memory of his fault, than of the
   kindness of his heavenly Guardian; and how much Jacob felt the touching
   nature of the appeal to that memorable scene at Beth-el, appears in the
   immediate preparations he made to arise and go up thither (Ps 66:13).

   2. Then Jacob said unto his household ... Put away the strange gods
   that are among you--Hebrew, "gods of the stranger," of foreign nations.
   Jacob had brought, in his service, a number of Mesopotamian retainers,
   who were addicted to superstitious practices; and there is some reason
   to fear that the same high testimony as to the religious
   superintendence of his household could not have been borne of him as
   was done of Abraham (Ge 18:19). He might have been too negligent
   hitherto in winking at these evils in his servants; or, perhaps, it was
   not till his arrival in Canaan, that he had learnt, for the first time,
   that one nearer and dearer to him was secretly infected with the same
   corruption (Ge 31:34). Be that as it may, he resolved on an immediate
   and thorough reformation of his household; and in commanding them to
   put away the strange gods, he added,

   be clean, and change your garments--as if some defilement, from contact
   with idolatry, should still remain about them. In the law of Moses,
   many ceremonial purifications were ordained and observed by persons who
   had contracted certain defilements, and without the observance of
   which, they were reckoned unclean and unfit to join in the social
   worship of God. These bodily purifications were purely figurative; and
   as sacrifices were offered before the law, so also were external
   purifications, as appears from the words of Jacob; hence it would seem
   that types and symbols were used from the fall of man, representing and
   teaching the two great doctrines of revealed truth--namely, the
   atonement of Christ and the sanctification of our nature.

   4. they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods ... and earrings--Strange
   gods, the "seraphim" (compare Ge 31:30), as well, perhaps, as other
   idols acquired among the Shechemite spoil--earrings of various forms,
   sizes, and materials, which are universally worn in the East, and, then
   as now, connected with incantation and idolatry (compare Ho 2:13). The
   decided tone which Jacob now assumed was the probable cause of the
   alacrity with which those favorite objects of superstition were
   surrendered.

   Jacob hid them under the oak--or terebinth--a towering tree, which,
   like all others of the kind, was a striking object in the scenery of
   Palestine; and beneath which, at Shechem, the patriarch had pitched his
   tent. He hid the images and amulets, delivered to him by his
   Mesopotamian dependents, at the root of this tree. The oak being deemed
   a consecrated tree, to bury them at its root was to deposit them in a
   place where no bold hand would venture to disturb the ground; and hence
   it was called from this circumstance--"the plain of Meonenim"--that is,
   "the oak of enchantments" (Jud 9:37); and from the great stone which
   Joshua set up--"the oak of the pillar" (Jud 9:6).

   5. the terror of God was upon the cities--There was every reason to
   apprehend that a storm of indignation would burst from all quarters
   upon Jacob's family, and that the Canaanite tribes would have formed
   one united plan of revenge. But a supernatural panic seized them; and
   thus, for the sake of the "heir of the promise," the protecting shield
   of Providence was specially held over his family.

   6. So Jacob came to Luz ... that is, Beth-el--It is probable that this
   place was unoccupied ground when Jacob first went to it; and that after
   that period [Calvin], the Canaanites built a town, to which they gave
   the name of Luz [Ge 28:19], from the profusion of almond trees that
   grew around. The name of Beth-el, which would, of course, be confined
   to Jacob and his family, did not supersede the original one, till long
   after. It is now identified with the modern Beitin and lies on the
   western slope of the mountain on which Abraham built his altar (Ge
   12:8).

   7. El-Beth-el--that is, "the God of Beth-el."

   8. Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died--This event seems to have taken place
   before the solemnities were commenced. Deborah (Hebrew, a "bee"),
   supposing her to have been fifty years on coming to Canaan, had
   attained the great age of a hundred eighty. When she was removed from
   Isaac's household to Jacob's, is unknown. But it probably was on his
   return from Mesopotamia; and she would have been of invaluable service
   to his young family. Old nurses, like her, were not only honored, but
   loved as mothers; and, accordingly, her death was the occasion of great
   lamentation. She was buried under the oak--hence called "the terebinth
   of tears" (compare 1Ki 13:14). God was pleased to make a new appearance
   to him after the solemn rites of devotion were over. By this
   manifestation of His presence, God testified His acceptance of Jacob's
   sacrifice and renewed the promise of the blessings guaranteed to
   Abraham and Isaac [Ge 35:11, 12]; and the patriarch observed the
   ceremony with which he had formerly consecrated the place, comprising a
   sacramental cup, along with the oil that he poured on the pillar, and
   reimposing the memorable name [Ge 35:14]. The whole scene was in
   accordance with the character of the patriarchal dispensation, in which
   the great truths of religion were exhibited to the senses, and "the
   world's grey fathers" taught in a manner suited to the weakness of an
   infantile condition.

   13. God went up from him--The presence of God was indicated in some
   visible form and His acceptance of the sacrifice shown by the
   miraculous descent of fire from heaven, consuming it on the altar.

   Ge 35:16-27. Birth of Benjamin--Death of Rachel, &c.

   16. And they journeyed from Beth-el--There can be no doubt that much
   enjoyment was experienced at Beth-el, and that in the religious
   observances solemnized, as well as in the vivid recollections of the
   glorious vision seen there, the affections of the patriarch were
   powerfully animated and that he left the place a better and more
   devoted servant of God. When the solemnities were over, Jacob, with his
   family, pursued a route directly southward, and they reached Ephrath,
   when they were plunged into mourning by the death of Rachel, who sank
   in childbirth, leaving a posthumous son [Ge 35:18]. A very affecting
   death, considering how ardently the mind of Rachel had been set on
   offspring (compare Ge 30:1).

   18. She called his name Ben-oni--The dying mother gave this name to her
   child, significant of her circumstances; but Jacob changed his name
   into Benjamin. This is thought by some to have been originally
   Benjamin, "a son of days," that is, of old age. But with its present
   ending it means "son of the right hand," that is, particularly dear and
   precious.

   19. Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem--The one, the old name; the other, the
   later name, signifying "house of bread."

   20. and Jacob set a pillar on her grave ... unto this day--The spot
   still marked out as the grave of Rachel exactly agrees with the
   Scriptural record, being about a mile from Beth-lehem. Anciently it was
   surmounted by a pyramid of stones, but the present tomb is a Mohammedan
   erection.

   26. Sons of Jacob ... born to him in Padan-aram--It is a common
   practice of the sacred historian to say of a company or body of men
   that which, though true of the majority, may not be applicable to every
   individual. (See Mt 19:28; Joh 20:24; Heb 11:13). Here is an example,
   for Benjamin was born in Canaan [Ge 35:16-18].

   Ge 35:28, 29. Death of Isaac.

   29. Isaac gave up the ghost--The death of this venerable patriarch is
   here recorded by anticipation for it did not take place till fifteen
   years after Joseph's disappearance. Feeble and blind though he was, he
   lived to a very advanced age; and it is a pleasing evidence of the
   permanent reconciliation between Esau and Jacob that they met at Mamre
   to perform the funeral rites of their common father.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 36

   Ge 36:1-43. Posterity of Esau.

   1. these are the generations--history of the leading men and events
   (compare Ge 2:4).

   Esau who is Edom--A name applied to him in reference to the peculiar
   color of his skin at birth [Ge 25:25], rendered more significant by his
   inordinate craving for the red pottage [Ge 25:30], and also by the
   fierce sanguinary character of his descendants (compare Eze 25:12; Ob
   10).

   2, 3. Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan--There were three,
   mentioned under different names; for it is evident that Bashemath is
   the same as Mahalath (Ge 28:9), since they both stand in the relation
   of daughter to Ishmael and sister to Nebajoth; and hence it may be
   inferred that Adah is the same as Judith, Aholibamah as Bathsemath (Ge
   26:34). It was not unusual for women, in that early age, to have two
   names, as Sarai was also Iscah [Ge 11:29]; and this is the more
   probable in the case of Esau's wives, who of course would have to take
   new names when they went from Canaan to settle in mount Seir.

   6, 7. Esau ... went into the country from the face of his brother
   Jacob--literally, "a country," without any certain prospect of a
   settlement. The design of this historical sketch of Esau and his family
   is to show how the promise (Ge 27:39, 40) was fulfilled. In temporal
   prosperity he far exceeds his brother; and it is remarkable that, in
   the overruling providence of God, the vast increase of his worldly
   substance was the occasion of his leaving Canaan and thus making way
   for the return of Jacob.

   8. Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir--This was divinely assigned as his
   possession (Jos 24:4; De 2:5).

   15-19. dukes--The Edomites, like the Israelites, were divided into
   tribes, which took their names from his sons. The head of each tribe
   was called by a term which in our version is rendered "duke"--not of
   the high rank and wealth of a British peer, but like the sheiks or
   emirs of the modern East, or the chieftains of highland clans. Fourteen
   are mentioned who flourished contemporaneously.

   20-30. Sons of Seir, the Horite--native dukes, who were incorporated
   with those of the Edomite race.

   24. This was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness--The word
   "mules" is, in several ancient versions, rendered "water springs"; and
   this discovery of some remarkable fountain was sufficient, among a
   wandering or pastoral people, to entitle him to such a distinguishing
   notice.

   31-39. kings of Edom--The royal power was not built on the ruins of the
   dukedoms, but existed at the same time.

   40-43. Recapitulation of the dukes according to their residences.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 37

   Ge 37:1-4. Parental Partiality.

   1. Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger--that is,
   "a sojourner"; "father" used collectively. The patriarch was at this
   time at Mamre, in the valley of Hebron (compare Ge 35:27); and his
   dwelling there was continued in the same manner and prompted by the
   same motives as that of Abraham and Isaac (Heb 11:13).

   2. generations--leading occurrences, in the domestic history of Jacob,
   as shown in the narrative about to be commenced.

   Joseph ... was feeding the flock--literally, "Joseph being seventeen
   years old was a shepherd over the flock"--he a lad, with the sons of
   Bilhah and Zilpah. Oversight or superintendence is evidently implied.
   This post of chief shepherd in the party might be assigned him either
   from his being the son of a principal wife or from his own superior
   qualities of character; and if invested with this office, he acted not
   as a gossiping telltale, but as a "faithful steward" in reporting the
   scandalous conduct of his brethren.

   3. son of his old age--Benjamin being younger, was more the son of his
   old age and consequently on that ground might have been expected to be
   the favorite. Literally rendered, it is "son of old age to him"--Hebrew
   phrase, for "a wise son"--one who possessed observation and wisdom
   above his years--an old head on young shoulders.

   made him a coat of many colors--formed in those early days by sewing
   together patches of colored cloth, and considered a dress of
   distinction (Jud 5:30; 2Sa 13:18). The passion for various colors still
   reigns among the Arabs and other people of the East, who are fond of
   dressing their children in this gaudy attire. But since the art of
   interweaving various patterns was introduced, "the coats of colors" are
   different now from what they seem to have been in patriarchal times,
   and bear a close resemblance to the varieties of tartan.

   4. could not speak peaceably unto him--did not say "peace be to thee"
   [Ge 43:23, &c.], the usual expression of good wishes among friends and
   acquaintances. It is deemed a sacred duty to give all this form of
   salutation; and the withholding of it is an unmistakable sign of
   dislike or secret hostility. The habitual refusal of Joseph's brethren,
   therefore, to meet him with "the salaam," showed how ill-disposed they
   were towards him. It is very natural in parents to love the youngest,
   and feel partial to those who excel in talents or amiableness. But in a
   family constituted as Jacob's--many children by different mothers--he
   showed great and criminal indiscretion.

   Ge 37:5-36. The Dreams of Joseph.

   5. Joseph dreamed a dream--Dreams in ancient times were much attended
   to, and hence the dream of Joseph, though but a mere boy, engaged the
   serious consideration of his family. But this dream was evidently
   symbolical. The meaning was easily discerned, and, from its being
   repeated under different emblems, the fulfilment was considered certain
   (compare Ge 41:32), whence it was that "his brethren envied him, but
   his father observed the saying" [Ge 37:11].

   12. his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem--The vale
   of Shechem was, from the earliest mention of Canaan, blest with
   extraordinary abundance of water. Therefore did the sons of Jacob go
   from Hebron to this place, though it must have cost them near twenty
   hours' travelling--that is, at the shepherd rate, a little more than
   fifty miles. But the herbage there was so rich and nutritious that they
   thought it well worth the pains of so long a journey, to the neglect of
   the grazing district of Hebron [Van De Velde].

   13-17. Israel said, ... Do not thy brethren feed the flock in
   Shechem?--Anxious to learn how his sons were doing in their distant
   encampment, Jacob despatched Joseph; and the youth, accepting the
   mission with alacrity, left the vale of Hebron, sought them at Shechem,
   heard of them from a man in "the field" (the wide and richly cultivated
   plain of Esdraelon), and found that they had left that neighborhood for
   Dothan, probably being compelled by the detestation in which, from the
   horrid massacre, their name was held.

   17. Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan--Hebrew,
   Dothaim, or "two wells," recently discovered in the modern "Dothan,"
   situated a few hours' distance from Shechem.

   18. when they saw him afar off--on the level grass field, where they
   were watching their cattle. They could perceive him approaching in the
   distance from the side of Shechem, or rather, Samaria.

   19. Behold, this dreamer cometh--literally, "master of dreams"--a
   bitterly ironical sneer. Dreams being considered suggestions from
   above, to make false pretensions to having received one was detested as
   a species of blasphemy, and in this light Joseph was regarded by his
   brethren as an artful pretender. They already began to form a plot for
   Joseph's assassination, from which he was rescued only by the address
   of Reuben, who suggested that he should rather be cast into one of the
   wells, which are, and probably were, completely dried up in summer.

   23. they stripped Joseph out of his coat ... of many colors--Imagine
   him advancing in all the unsuspecting openness of brotherly affection.
   How astonished and terrified must he have been at the cold reception,
   the ferocious aspect, the rough usage of his unnatural assailants! A
   vivid picture of his state of agony and despair was afterwards drawn by
   themselves (compare Ge 42:21).

   25. they sat down to eat bread--What a view does this exhibit of those
   hardened profligates! Their common share in this conspiracy is not the
   only dismal feature in the story. The rapidity, the almost
   instantaneous manner in which the proposal was followed by their joint
   resolution, and the cool indifference, or rather the fiendish
   satisfaction, with which they sat down to regale themselves, is
   astonishing. It is impossible that mere envy at his dreams, his gaudy
   dress, or the doting partiality of their common father, could have
   goaded them on to such a pitch of frenzied resentment or confirmed them
   in such consummate wickedness. Their hatred to Joseph must have had a
   far deeper seat. It must have been produced by dislike to his piety and
   other excellencies, which made his character and conduct a constant
   censure upon theirs, and on account of which they found that they could
   never be at ease till they had rid themselves of his hated presence.
   This was the true solution of the mystery, just as it was in the case
   of Cain (1Jo 3:12).

   they lifted up their eyes, ... and, behold, a company of
   Ishmaelites--They are called Midianites (Ge 37:28), and Medanites, in
   Hebrew (Ge 37:36), being a travelling caravan composed of a mixed
   association of Arabians. Those tribes of Northern Arabia had already
   addicted themselves to commerce, and long did they enjoy a monopoly,
   the carrying trade being entirely in their hands. Their approach could
   easily be seen; for, as their road, after crossing the ford from the
   trans-jordanic district, led along the south side of the mountains of
   Gilboa, a party seated on the plain of Dothan could trace them and
   their string of camels in the distance as they proceeded through the
   broad and gently sloping valley that intervenes. Trading in the produce
   of Arabia and India, they were in the regular course of traffic on
   their way to Egypt: and the chief articles of commerce in which this
   clan dealt were

   spicery from India, that is, a species of resinous gum, called storax,
   balm--"balm of Gilead," the juice of the balsam tree, a native of
   Arabia-Felix, and myrrh--an Arabic gum of a strong, fragrant smell. For
   these articles there must have been an enormous demand in Egypt as they
   were constantly used in the process of embalming.

   26-28. Judah said, ... What profit is it if we slay our brother?--The
   sight of these travelling merchants gave a sudden turn to the views of
   the conspirators; for having no wish to commit a greater degree of
   crime than was necessary for the accomplishment of their end, they
   readily approved of Judah's suggestion to dispose of their obnoxious
   brother as a slave. The proposal, of course, was founded on their
   knowledge that the Arabian merchants trafficked in slaves; and there is
   the clearest evidence furnished by the monuments of Egypt that the
   traders who were in the habit of bringing slaves from the countries
   through which they passed, found a ready market in the cities of the
   Nile.

   they ... lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold him--Acting
   impulsively on Judah's advice, they had their poor victim ready by the
   time the merchants reached them; and money being no part of their
   object, they sold him for

   twenty pieces of silver--The money was probably in rings or pieces
   (shekels), and silver is always mentioned in the records of that early
   age before gold, on account of its rarity. The whole sum, if in shekel
   weight, did not exceed £3.

   they brought Joseph into Egypt--There were two routes to Egypt: the one
   was overland by Hebron, where Jacob dwelt, and by taking which, the
   fate of his hapless son would likely have reached the paternal ears;
   the other was directly westward across the country from Dothan to the
   maritime coast, and in this, the safest and most expeditious way, the
   merchants carried Joseph to Egypt. Thus did an overruling Providence
   lead this murderous conclave of brothers, as well as the slave
   merchants both following their own free courses--to be parties in an
   act by which He was to work out, in a marvellous manner, the great
   purposes of His wisdom and goodness towards His ancient Church and
   people.

   29, 30. Reuben returned unto the pit--He seems to have designedly taken
   a circuitous route, with a view of secretly rescuing the poor lad from
   a lingering death by starvation. His intentions were excellent, and his
   feelings no doubt painfully lacerated when he discovered what had been
   done in his absence. But the thing was of God, who had designed that
   Joseph's deliverance should be accomplished by other means than his.

   31-33. they took Joseph's coat--The commission of one sin necessarily
   leads to another to conceal it; and the scheme of deception which the
   sons of Jacob planned and practised on their aged father was a
   necessary consequence of the atrocious crime they had perpetrated. What
   a wonder that their cruel sneer, "thy son's coat," and their forced
   efforts to comfort him, did not awaken suspicion! But extreme grief,
   like every other passion, is blind, and Jacob, great as his affliction
   was, did allow himself to indulge his sorrow more than became one who
   believed in the government of a supreme and all-wise Disposer.

   34. Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins--the
   common signs of Oriental mourning. A rent is made in the skirt more or
   less long according to the afflicted feelings of the mourner, and a
   coarse rough piece of black sackcloth or camel's hair cloth is wound
   round the waist.

   35. and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son--not the
   earth, for Joseph was supposed to be torn in pieces, but the unknown
   place--the place of departed souls, where Jacob expected at death to
   meet his beloved son.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 38

   Ge 38:1-30. Judah and Family.

   1. at that time--a formula frequently used by the sacred writers, not
   to describe any precise period, but an interval near about it.

   2. And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite--Like Esau [Ge
   26:34], this son of Jacob, casting off the restraints of religion,
   married into a Canaanite family; and it is not surprising that the
   family which sprang from such an unsuitable connection should be
   infamous for bold and unblushing wickedness.

   8. Judah said unto Onan ... marry her, and raise up seed to thy
   brother--The first instance of a custom, which was afterwards
   incorporated among the laws of Moses, that when a husband died leaving
   a widow, his brother next of age was to marry her, and the issue, if
   any, was to be served heir to the deceased (compare De 25:5).

   12. Judah ... went up unto his sheep-shearers--This season, which
   occurs in Palestine towards the end of March, was spent in more than
   usual hilarity, and the wealthiest masters invited their friends, as
   well as treated their servants, to sumptuous entertainments.
   Accordingly, it is said, Judah was accompanied by his friend Hirah.

   Timnath--in the mountains of Judah.

   18. signet, &c.--Bracelets, including armlets, were worn by men as well
   as women among the Hebrews. But the Hebrew word here rendered
   "bracelets," is everywhere else translated "lace" or "ribbon"; so that
   as the signet alone was probably more than an equivalent for the kid,
   it is not easy to conjecture why the other things were given in
   addition, except by supposing the perforated seal was attached by a
   ribbon to the staff.

   24. Bring her forth, and let her be burnt--In patriarchal times fathers
   seem to have possessed the power of life and death over the members of
   their families. The crime of adultery was anciently punished in many
   places by burning (Le 21:9; Jud 15:6; Jer 29:22). This chapter contains
   details, which probably would never have obtained a place in the
   inspired record, had it not been to exhibit the full links of the chain
   that connects the genealogy of the Saviour with Abraham; and in the
   disreputable character of the ancestry who figure in this passage, we
   have a remarkable proof that "He made himself of no reputation" [Php
   2:7].
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 39

   Ge 39:1-23. Joseph in Potiphar's House.

   1. Potiphar--This name, Potiphar, signifies one "devoted to the sun,"
   the local deity of On or Heliopolis, a circumstance which fixes the
   place of his residence in the Delta, the district of Egypt bordering on
   Canaan.

   officer--literally, "prince of the Pharoah"--that is, in the service of
   government.

   captain of the guard--The import of the original term has been
   variously interpreted, some considering it means "chief cook," others,
   "chief inspector of plantations"; but that which seems best founded is
   "chief of the executioners," the same as the captain of the watch, the
   zabut of modern Egypt [Wilkinson].

   bought him ... of the Ishmaelites--The age, appearance, and
   intelligence of the Hebrew slave would soon cause him to be picked up
   in the market. But the unseen, unfelt influence of the great Disposer
   drew the attention of Potiphar towards him, in order that in the house
   of one so closely connected with the court, he might receive that
   previous training which was necessary for the high office he was
   destined to fill, and in the school of adversity learn the lessons of
   practical wisdom that were to be of greatest utility and importance in
   his future career. Thus it is that when God has any important work to
   be done, He always prepares fitting agents to accomplish it.

   2. he was in the house of his master--Those slaves who had been war
   captives were generally sent to labor in the field and subjected to
   hard treatment under the "stick" of taskmasters. But those who were
   bought with money were employed in domestic purposes, were kindly
   treated, and enjoyed as much liberty as the same class does in modern
   Egypt.

   3. his master saw that the Lord was with him--Though changed in
   condition, Joseph was not changed in spirit; though stripped of the
   gaudy coat that had adorned his person, he had not lost the moral
   graces that distinguished his character; though separated from his
   father on earth, he still lived in communion with his Father in heaven;
   though in the house of an idolater, he continued a worshipper of the
   true God.

   5. the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake, &c.--It
   might be--it probably was--that a special, a miraculous blessing was
   poured out on a youth who so faithfully and zealously served God amid
   all the disadvantages of his place. But it may be useful to remark that
   such a blessing usually follows in the ordinary course of things; and
   the most worldly, unprincipled masters always admire and respect
   religion in a servant when they see that profession supported by
   conscientious principle and a consistent life.

   made him overseer in his house--We do not know in what capacity Joseph
   entered into the service of Potiphar; but the observant eye of his
   master soon discovered his superior qualities and made him his chief,
   his confidential servant (compare Eph 6:7; Col 3:23). The advancement
   of domestic slaves is not uncommon, and it is considered a great
   disgrace not to raise one who has been a year or two in the family. But
   this extraordinary advancement of Joseph was the doing of the Lord,
   though on the part of Potiphar it was the consequence of observing the
   astonishing prosperity that attended him in all that he did.

   7. his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph--Egyptian women were not
   kept in the same secluded manner as females are in most Oriental
   countries now. They were treated in a manner more worthy of a civilized
   people--in fact, enjoyed much freedom both at home and abroad. Hence
   Potiphar's wife had constant opportunity of meeting Joseph. But the
   ancient women of Egypt were very loose in their morals. Intrigues and
   intemperance were vices very prevalent among them, as the monuments too
   plainly attest [Wilkinson]. Potiphar's wife was probably not worse than
   many of the same rank, and her infamous advances made to Joseph arose
   from her superiority of station.

   9. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?--This
   remonstrance, when all inferior arguments had failed, embodied the true
   principle of moral purity--a principle always sufficient where it
   exists, and alone sufficient.

   14. Then she called unto the men of her house--Disappointed and
   affronted, she vowed revenge and accused Joseph, first to the servants
   of the house, and on his return to her lord.

   See, he hath brought in an Hebrew ... to mock us--an affected and blind
   aspersion of her husband for keeping in his house an Hebrew, the very
   abomination of Egyptians.

   20. Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison--the
   roundhouse, from the form of its construction, usually attached to the
   dwelling of such an officer as Potiphar. It was partly a subterranean
   dungeon (Ge 41:14), though the brick-built walls rose considerably
   above the surface of the ground, and were surmounted by a vaulted roof
   somewhat in the form of an inverted bowl. Into such a dungeon Potiphar,
   in the first ebullition of rage, threw Joseph and ordered him to be
   subjected further to as great harshness of treatment (Ps 105:18) as he
   dared; for the power of masters over their slaves was very properly
   restrained by law, and the murder of a slave was a capital crime.

   a place where the king's prisoners were bound--Though prisons seem to
   have been an inseparable appendage of the palaces, this was not a
   common jail--it was the receptacle of state criminals; and, therefore,
   it may be presumed that more than ordinary strictness and vigilance
   were exercised over the prisoners. In general, however, the Egyptian,
   like other Oriental prisons, were used solely for the purposes of
   detention. Accused persons were cast into them until the charges
   against them could be investigated; and though the jailer was
   responsible for the appearance of those placed under his custody, yet,
   provided they were produced when called, he was never interrogated as
   to the way in which he had kept them.

   21-23. The Lord ... gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the
   prison, &c.--It is highly probable, from the situation of this prison
   (Ge 40:3), that the keeper might have been previously acquainted with
   Joseph and have had access to know his innocence of the crime laid to
   his charge, as well as with all the high integrity of his character.
   That may partly account for his showing so much kindness and confidence
   to his prisoner. But there was a higher influence at work; for "the
   Lord was with Joseph, and that which he did, the Lord made it to
   prosper."
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 40

   Ge 40:1-8. Two State Prisoners.

   1. the butler--not only the cup-bearer, but overseer of the royal
   vineyards, as well as the cellars; having, probably, some hundreds of
   people under him.

   baker--or cook, had the superintendence of every thing relating to the
   providing and preparing of meats for the royal table. Both officers,
   especially the former, were, in ancient Egypt, always persons of great
   rank and importance; and from the confidential nature of their
   employment, as well as their access to the royal presence, they were
   generally the highest nobles or princes of the blood.

   3. Pharaoh put them in ward, &c.--Whatever was their crime, they were
   committed, until their case could be investigated, to the custody of
   the captain of the guard, that is, Potiphar, in an outer part of whose
   house the royal prison was situated.

   4. The captain of the guard charged Joseph with them--not the keeper,
   though he was most favorably disposed; but Potiphar himself, who, it
   would seem, was by this time satisfied of the perfect innocence of the
   young Hebrew; though, probably, to prevent the exposure of his family,
   he deemed it prudent to detain him in confinement (see Ps 37:5).

   They continued a season in ward--literally, "days," how long, is
   uncertain; but as they were called to account on the king's birthday,
   it has been supposed that their offense had been committed on the
   preceding anniversary [Calvin].

   5-8. they dreamed a dream--Joseph, influenced by the spirit of true
   religion, could feel for others (Ec 4:1; Ro 12:15; Php 2:4). Observing
   them one day extremely depressed, he inquired the cause of their
   melancholy; and being informed it was owing to a dream they had
   respectively dreamed during the previous night, after piously directing
   them to God (Da 2:30; Isa 26:10), he volunteered to aid them, through
   the divine help, in discovering the import of their vision. The
   influence of Providence must be seen in the remarkable fact of both
   officers dreaming such dreams in one night. He moves the spirits of
   men.

   Ge 40:9-15. The Butler's Dream.

   9-11. In my dream, behold, a vine was before me--The visionary scene
   described seems to represent the king as taking exercise and attended
   by his butler, who gave him a cooling draught. On all occasions, the
   kings of ancient Egypt were required to practice temperance in the use
   of wine [Wilkinson]; but in this scene, it is a prepared beverage he is
   drinking, probably the sherbet of the present day. Everything was done
   in the king's presence--the cup was washed, the juice of the grapes
   pressed into it; and it was then handed to him--not grasped; but
   lightly resting on the tips of the fingers.

   12-15. Joseph said, ... This is the interpretation--Speaking as an
   inspired interpreter, he told the butler that within three days he
   would be restored to all the honors and privileges of his office; and
   while making that joyful announcement, he earnestly bespoke the
   officer's influence for his own liberation. Nothing has hitherto met us
   in the record indicative of Joseph's feelings; but this earnest appeal
   reveals a sadness and impatient longing for release, which not all his
   piety and faith in God could dispel.

   Ge 40:16-23. The Baker's Dream.

   16. I had three white baskets--The circumstances mentioned exactly
   describe his duties, which, notwithstanding numerous assistants, he
   performed with his own hands.

   white--literally, "full of holes"; that is, wicker baskets. The meats
   were carried to table upon the head in three baskets, one piled upon
   the other; and in the uppermost, the bakemeats. And in crossing the
   open courts, from the kitchen to the dining rooms, the removal of the
   viands by a vulture, eagle, ibis, or other rapacious bird, was a
   frequent occurrence in the palaces of Egypt, as it is an everyday
   incident in the hot countries of the East still. The risk from these
   carnivorous birds was the greater in the cities of Egypt, where being
   held sacred, it was unlawful to destroy them; and they swarmed in such
   numbers as to be a great annoyance to the people.

   18, 19. Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation--The
   purport was that in three days his execution should be ordered. The
   language of Joseph describes minutely one form of capital punishment
   that prevailed in Egypt; namely, that the criminal was decapitated and
   then his headless body gibbeted on a tree by the highway till it was
   gradually devoured by the ravenous birds.

   20-22. it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's
   birthday--This was a holiday season, celebrated at court with great
   magnificence and honored by a free pardon to prisoners. Accordingly,
   the issue happened to the butler and baker, as Joseph had foretold.
   Doubtless, he felt it painful to communicate such dismal tidings to the
   baker; but he could not help announcing what God had revealed to him;
   and it was for the honor of the true God that he should speak plainly.

   23. yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph--This was human
   nature. How prone are men to forget and neglect in prosperity, those
   who have been their companions in adversity (Am 6:6)! But although
   reflecting no credit on the butler, it was wisely ordered in the
   providence of God that he should forget him. The divine purposes
   required that Joseph should obtain his deliverance in another way, and
   by other means.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 41

   Ge 41:1-24. Pharaoh's Dream.

   1. at the end of two full years--It is not certain whether these years
   are reckoned from the beginning of Joseph's imprisonment, or from the
   events described in the preceding chapter--most likely the latter. What
   a long time for Joseph to experience the sickness of hope deferred! But
   the time of his enlargement came when he had sufficiently learned the
   lessons of God designed for him; and the plans of Providence were
   matured.

   Pharaoh dreamed--"Pharaoh," from an Egyptian word Phre, signifying the
   "sun," was the official title of the kings of that country. The prince,
   who occupied the throne of Egypt, was Aphophis, one of the Memphite
   kings, whose capital was On or Heliopolis, and who is universally
   acknowledged to have been a patriot king. Between the arrival of
   Abraham and the appearance of Joseph in that country, somewhat more
   than two centuries had elapsed. Kings sleep and dream, as well as their
   subjects. And this Pharaoh had two dreams in one night so singular and
   so similar, so distinct and so apparently significant, so coherent and
   vividly impressed on his memory, that his spirit was troubled.

   8. he called for all the magicians of Egypt--It is not possible to
   define the exact distinction between "magicians" and "wise men"; but
   they formed different branches of a numerous body, who laid claim to
   supernatural skill in occult arts and sciences, in revealing mysteries,
   explaining portents, and, above all, interpreting dreams. Long practice
   had rendered them expert in devising a plausible way of getting out of
   every difficulty and framing an answer suitable to the occasion. But
   the dreams of Pharaoh baffled their united skill. Unlike their Assyrian
   brethren (Da 2:4), they did not pretend to know the meaning of the
   symbols contained in them, and the providence of God had determined
   that they should all be nonplussed in the exercise of their boasted
   powers, in order that the inspired wisdom of Joseph might appear the
   more remarkable.

   9-13. then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember
   my faults--This public acknowledgment of the merits of the young Hebrew
   would, tardy though it was, have reflected credit on the butler had it
   not been obviously made to ingratiate himself with his royal master. It
   is right to confess our faults against God, and against our fellow men
   when that confession is made in the spirit of godly sorrow and
   penitence. But this man was not much impressed with a sense of the
   fault he had committed against Joseph; he never thought of God, to
   whose goodness he was indebted for the prophetic announcement of his
   release, and in acknowledging his former fault against the king, he was
   practising the courtly art of pleasing his master.

   14. Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph--Now that God's set time had
   come (Ps 105:19), no human power nor policy could detain Joseph in
   prison. During his protracted confinement, he might have often been
   distressed with perplexing doubts; but the mystery of Providence was
   about to be cleared up, and all his sorrows forgotten in the course of
   honor and public usefulness in which his services were to be employed.

   shaved himself--The Egyptians were the only Oriental nation that liked
   a smooth chin. All slaves and foreigners who were reduced to that
   condition, were obliged, on their arrival in that country, to conform
   to the cleanly habits of the natives, by shaving their beards and
   heads, the latter of which were covered with a close cap. Thus
   prepared, Joseph was conducted to the palace, where the king seemed to
   have been anxiously waiting his arrival.

   15, 16. Pharaoh said, ... I have dreamed a dream--The king's brief
   statement of the service required brought out the genuine piety of
   Joseph; disclaiming all merit, he ascribed whatever gifts or sagacity
   he possessed to the divine source of all wisdom, and he declared his
   own inability to penetrate futurity; but, at the same time, he
   expressed his confident persuasion that God would reveal what was
   necessary to be known.

   17. Pharaoh said, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the
   river--The dreams were purely Egyptian, founded on the productions of
   that country and the experience of a native. The fertility of Egypt
   being wholly dependent on the Nile, the scene is laid on the banks of
   that river; and oxen being in the ancient hieroglyphics symbolical of
   the earth and of food, animals of that species were introduced in the
   first dream.

   18. there came up out of the river seven kine--Cows now, of the buffalo
   kind, are seen daily plunging into the Nile; when their huge form is
   gradually emerging, they seem as if rising "out of the river."

   and they fed in a meadow--Nile grass, the aquatic plants that grow on
   the marshy banks of that river, particularly the lotus kind, on which
   cattle were usually fattened.

   19. behold, seven other kine ... poor and ill-favoured--The cow being
   the emblem of fruitfulness, the different years of plenty and of famine
   were aptly represented by the different condition of those kine--the
   plenty, by the cattle feeding on the richest fodder; and the dearth, by
   the lean and famishing kine, which the pangs of hunger drove to act
   contrary to their nature.

   22. I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears--that is, of Egyptian
   wheat, which, when "full and good," is remarkable in size (a single
   seed sprouting into seven, ten, or fourteen stalks) and each stalk
   bearing an ear.

   23. blasted with the east wind--destructive everywhere to grain, but
   particularly so in Egypt; where, sweeping over the sandy deserts of
   Arabia, it comes in the character of a hot, blighting wind, that
   quickly withers all vegetation (compare Eze 19:12; Ho 13:15).

   24. the thin ears devoured the seven good ears--devoured is a different
   word from that used in Ge 41:4 and conveys the idea of destroying, by
   absorbing to themselves all the nutritious virtue of the soil around
   them.

   Ge 41:25-36. Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams.

   25. Joseph said, ... The dream ... is one--They both pointed to the
   same event--a remarkable dispensation of seven years of unexampled
   abundance, to be followed by a similar period of unparalleled dearth.
   The repetition of the dream in two different forms was designed to show
   the absolute certainty and speedy arrival of this public crisis; the
   interpretation was accompanied by several suggestions of practical
   wisdom for meeting so great an emergency as was impending.

   33. Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man--The explanation given,
   when the key to the dreams was supplied, appears to have been
   satisfactory to the king and his courtiers; and we may suppose that
   much and anxious conversation arose, in the course of which Joseph
   might have been asked whether he had anything further to say. No doubt
   the providence of God provided the opportunity of his suggesting what
   was necessary.

   34. and let him appoint officers over the land--overseers, equivalent
   to the beys of modern Egypt.

   take up the fifth part of the land--that is, of the land's produce, to
   be purchased and stored by the government, instead of being sold to
   foreign corn merchants.

   Ge 41:37-57. Joseph Made Ruler of Egypt.

   38. Pharaoh said unto his servants--The kings of ancient Egypt were
   assisted in the management of state affairs by the advice of the most
   distinguished members of the priestly order; and, accordingly, before
   admitting Joseph to the new and extraordinary office that was to be
   created, those ministers were consulted as to the expediency and
   propriety of the appointment.

   a man in whom the Spirit of God is--An acknowledgment of the being and
   power of the true God, though faint and feeble, continued to linger
   amongst the higher classes long after idolatry had come to prevail.

   40. Thou shalt be over my house--This sudden change in the condition of
   a man who had just been taken out of prison could take place nowhere,
   except in Egypt. In ancient as well as modern times, slaves have often
   risen to be its rulers. But the special providence of God had
   determined to make Joseph governor of Egypt; and the way was paved for
   it by the deep and universal conviction produced in the minds both of
   the king and his councillors, that a divine spirit animated his mind
   and had given him such extraordinary knowledge.

   according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled--literally,
   "kiss." This refers to the edict granting official power to Joseph, to
   be issued in the form of a firman, as in all Oriental countries; and
   all who should receive that order would kiss it, according to the usual
   Eastern mode of acknowledging obedience and respect for the sovereign
   [Wilkinson].

   41. Pharaoh said, ... See, I have set thee over all the land--These
   words were preliminary to investiture with the insignia of office,
   which were these: the signet-ring, used for signing public documents,
   and its impression was more valid than the sign-manual of the king; the
   khelaat or dress of honor, a coat of finely wrought linen, or rather
   cotton, worn only by the highest personages; the gold necklace, a badge
   of rank, the plain or ornamental form of it indicating the degree of
   rank and dignity; the privilege of riding in a state carriage, the
   second chariot; and lastly--

   43. they cried before him, Bow the knee--abrech, an Egyptian term, not
   referring to prostration, but signifying, according to some, "father"
   (compare Ge 45:8); according to others, "native prince"--that is,
   proclaimed him naturalized, in order to remove all popular dislike to
   him as a foreigner.

   44. These ceremonies of investiture were closed in usual form by the
   king in council solemnly ratifying the appointment.

   I am Pharaoh, and without thee, &c.--a proverbial mode of expression
   for great power.

   45. Zaphnath-paaneah--variously interpreted, "revealer of secrets";
   "saviour of the land"; and from the hieroglyphics, "a wise man fleeing
   from pollution"--that is, adultery.

   gave him to wife Asenath, the daughter of--His naturalization was
   completed by this alliance with a family of high distinction. On being
   founded by an Arab colony, Poti-pherah, like Jethro, priest of Midian,
   might be a worshipper of the true God; and thus Joseph, a pious man,
   will be freed from the charge of marrying an idolatress for worldly
   ends.

   On--called Aven (Eze 30:17) and also Beth-shemesh (Jer 43:13). In
   looking at this profusion of honors heaped suddenly upon Joseph, it
   cannot be doubted that he would humbly yet thankfully acknowledge the
   hand of a special Providence in conducting him through all his
   checkered course to almost royal power; and we, who know more than
   Joseph did, cannot only see that his advancement was subservient to the
   most important purposes relative to the Church of God, but learn the
   great lesson that a Providence directs the minutest events of human
   life.

   46. Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh--seventeen
   when brought into Egypt, probably three in prison, and thirteen in the
   service of Potiphar.

   went out ... all the land--made an immediate survey to determine the
   site and size of the storehouses required for the different quarters of
   the country.

   47. the earth brought forth by handfuls--a singular expression,
   alluding not only to the luxuriance of the crop, but the practice of
   the reapers grasping the ears, which alone were cut.

   48. he gathered up all the food of the seven years--It gives a striking
   idea of the exuberant fertility of this land, that, from the
   superabundance of the seven plenteous years, corn enough was laid up
   for the subsistence, not only of its home population, but of the
   neighboring countries, during the seven years of dearth.

   50-52. unto Joseph were born two sons--These domestic events, which
   increased his temporal happiness, develop the piety of his character in
   the names conferred upon his children.

   53-56. The seven years of plenteousness ... ended--Over and above the
   proportion purchased for the government during the years of plenty, the
   people could still have husbanded much for future use. But improvident
   as men commonly are in the time of prosperity, they found themselves in
   want, and would have starved by thousands had not Joseph anticipated
   and provided for the protracted calamity.

   57. The famine was sore in all lands--that is, the lands contiguous to
   Egypt--Canaan, Syria, and Arabia.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 42

   Ge 42:1-38. Journey into Egypt.

   1. Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt--learned from common
   rumor. It is evident from Jacob's language that his own and his sons'
   families had suffered greatly from the scarcity; and through the
   increasing severity of the scourge, those men, who had formerly shown
   both activity and spirit, were sinking into despondency. God would not
   interpose miraculously when natural means of preservation were within
   reach.

   5. the famine was in the land of Canaan--The tropical rains, which
   annually falling swell the Nile, are those of Palestine also; and their
   failure would produce the same disastrous effects in Canaan as in
   Egypt. Numerous caravans of its people, therefore, poured over the
   sandy desert of Suez, with their beasts of burden, for the purchase of
   corn; and among others, "the sons of Israel" were compelled to
   undertake a journey from which painful associations made them strongly
   averse.

   6. Joseph was the governor--in the zenith of his power and influence.

   he it was that sold--that is, directed the sales; for it is impossible
   that he could give attendance in every place. It is probable, however,
   that he may have personally superintended the storehouses near the
   border of Canaan, both because that was the most exposed part of the
   country and because he must have anticipated the arrival of some
   messengers from his father's house.

   Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him--His
   prophetic dreams [Ge 37:5-11] were in the course of being fulfilled,
   and the atrocious barbarity of his brethren had been the means of
   bringing about the very issue they had planned to prevent (Isa 60:14;
   Re 3:9, last clause).

   7, 8. Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, ... but they knew not
   him--This is not strange. They were full-grown men--he was but a lad at
   parting. They were in their usual garb--he was in his official robes.
   They never dreamt of him as governor of Egypt, while he had been
   expecting them. They had but one face; he had ten persons to judge by.

   made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly--It would be an
   injustice to Joseph's character to suppose that this stern manner was
   prompted by any vindictive feelings--he never indulged any resentment
   against others who had injured him. But he spoke in the authoritative
   tone of the governor in order to elicit some much-longed-for
   information respecting the state of his father's family, as well as to
   bring his brethren, by their own humiliation and distress, to a sense
   of the evils they had done to him.

   9-14. Ye are spies--This is a suspicion entertained regarding strangers
   in all Eastern countries down to the present day. Joseph, however, who
   was well aware that his brethren were not spies, has been charged with
   cruel dissimulation, with a deliberate violation of what he knew to be
   the truth, in imputing to them such a character. But it must be
   remembered that he was sustaining the part of a ruler; and, in fact,
   acting on the very principle sanctioned by many of the sacred writers,
   and our Lord Himself, who spoke parables (fictitious stories) to
   promote a good end.

   15. By the life of Pharaoh--It is a very common practice in Western
   Asia to swear by the life of the king. Joseph spoke in the style of an
   Egyptian and perhaps did not think there was any evil in it. But we are
   taught to regard all such expressions in the light of an oath (Mt 5:34;
   Jas 5:12).

   17-24. put them ... into ward three days--Their confinement had been
   designed to bring them to salutary reflection. And this object was
   attained, for they looked upon the retributive justice of God as now
   pursuing them in that foreign land. The drift of their conversation is
   one of the most striking instances on record of the power of conscience
   [Ge 42:21, 22].

   24. took ... Simeon, and bound him--He had probably been the chief
   instigator--the most violent actor in the outrage upon Joseph; and if
   so, his selection to be the imprisoned and fettered hostage for their
   return would, in the present course of their reflections, have a
   painful significance.

   25-28. Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore
   every man's money--This private generosity was not an infringement of
   his duty--a defrauding of the revenue. He would have a discretionary
   power--he was daily enriching the king's exchequer--and he might have
   paid the sum from his own purse.

   27. inn--a mere station for baiting beasts of burden.

   he espied his money--The discovery threw them into greater perplexity
   than ever. If they had been congratulating themselves on escaping from
   the ruthless governor, they perceived that now he would have a handle
   against them; and it is observable that they looked upon this as a
   judgment of heaven. Thus one leading design of Joseph was gained in
   their consciences being roused to a sense of guilt.

   35. as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's ... money
   was in his sack--It appears that they had been silent about the money
   discovery at the resting-place, as their father might have blamed them
   for not instantly returning. However innocent they knew themselves to
   be, it was universally felt to be an unhappy circumstance, which might
   bring them into new and greater perils.

   36. Me have ye bereaved--This exclamation indicates a painfully excited
   state of feeling, and it shows how difficult it is for even a good man
   to yield implicit submission to the course of Providence. The language
   does not imply that his missing sons had got foul play from the hands
   of the rest, but he looks upon Simeon as lost, as well as Joseph, and
   he insinuates it was by some imprudent statements of theirs that he was
   exposed to the risk of losing Benjamin also.

   37. Reuben spake, ... Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to
   thee--This was a thoughtless and unwarrantable condition--one that he
   never seriously expected his father would accept. It was designed only
   to give assurance of the greatest care being taken of Benjamin. But
   unforeseen circumstances might arise to render it impossible for all of
   them to preserve that young lad (Jas 4:13), and Jacob was much pained
   by the prospect. Little did he know that God was dealing with him
   severely, but in kindness (Heb 12:7, 8), and that all those things he
   thought against Him were working together for his good.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 43

   Ge 43:1-14. Preparations for a Second Journey to Egypt.

   2. their father said, ... Go again, buy us a little food--It was no
   easy matter to bring Jacob to agree to the only conditions on which his
   sons could return to Egypt (Ge 42:15). The necessity of immediately
   procuring fresh supplies for the maintenance of themselves and their
   families overcame every other consideration and extorted his consent to
   Benjamin joining in a journey, which his sons entered on with mingled
   feelings of hope and anxiety--of hope, because having now complied with
   the governor's demand to bring down their youngest brother, they
   flattered themselves that the alleged ground of suspecting them would
   be removed; and of apprehension that some ill designs were meditated
   against them.

   11. take of the best fruits ... a present--It is an Oriental practice
   never to approach a man of power without a present, and Jacob might
   remember how he pacified his brother (Pr 21:14)--balm, spices, and
   myrrh (see on [9]Ge 37:25),

   honey--which some think was dibs, a syrup made from ripe dates
   [Bochart]; but others, the honey of Hebron, which is still valued as
   far superior to that of Egypt;

   nuts--pistachio nuts, of which Syria grows the best in the world;

   almonds--which were most abundant in Palestine.

   12. take double money--the first sum to be returned, and another sum
   for a new supply. The restored money in the sacks' mouth was a
   perplexing circumstance. But it might have been done inadvertently by
   one of the servants--so Jacob persuaded himself--and happy it was for
   his own peace and the encouragement of the travellers that he took this
   view. Besides the duty of restoring it, honesty in their case was
   clearly the best, the safest policy.

   14. God Almighty give you mercy before the man--Jacob is here
   committing them all to the care of God and, resigned to what appears a
   heavy trial, prays that it may be overruled for good.

   Ge 43:15-30. Arrival in Egypt.

   15. stood before Joseph--We may easily imagine the delight with which,
   amid the crowd of other applicants, the eye of Joseph would fix on his
   brethren and Benjamin. But occupied with his public duties, he
   consigned them to the care of a confidential servant till he should
   have finished the business of the day.

   16. ruler of his house--In the houses of wealthy Egyptians one upper
   man servant was intrusted with the management of the house (compare Ge
   39:5).

   slay, and make ready--Hebrew, "kill a killing"--implying preparations
   for a grand entertainment (compare Ge 31:54; 1Sa 25:11; Pr 9:2; Mt
   22:4). The animals have to be killed as well as prepared at home. The
   heat of the climate requires that the cook should take the joints
   directly from the hands of the flesher, and the Oriental taste is, from
   habit, fond of newly killed meat. A great profusion of viands, with an
   inexhaustible supply of vegetables, was provided for the repasts, to
   which strangers were invited, the pride of Egyptian people consisting
   rather in the quantity and variety than in the choice or delicacy of
   the dishes at their table.

   dine ... at noon--The hour of dinner was at midday.

   18. the men were afraid--Their feelings of awe on entering the stately
   mansion, unaccustomed as they were to houses at all, their anxiety at
   the reasons of their being taken there, their solicitude about the
   restored money, their honest simplicity in communicating their distress
   to the steward and his assurances of having received their money in
   "full weight," the offering of their fruit present, which would, as
   usual, be done with some parade, and the Oriental salutations that
   passed between their host and them--are all described in a graphic and
   animated manner.

   Ge 43:31-34. The Dinner.

   31. Joseph said, Set on bread--equivalent to having dinner served,
   "bread" being a term inclusive of all victuals. The table was a small
   stool, most probably the usual round form, "since persons might even
   then be seated according to their rank or seniority, and the modern
   Egyptian table is not without its post of honor and a fixed gradation
   of place" [Wilkinson]. Two or at most three persons were seated at one
   table. But the host being the highest in rank of the company had a
   table to himself; while it was so arranged that an Egyptian was not
   placed nor obliged to eat from the same dish as a Hebrew.

   32. Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an
   abomination--The prejudice probably arose from the detestation in
   which, from the oppressions of the shepherd-kings, the nation held all
   of that occupation.

   34. took and sent messes ... Benjamin's mess was five times--In Egypt,
   as in other Oriental countries, there were, and are, two modes of
   paying attention to a guest whom the host wishes to honor--either by
   giving a choice piece from his own hand, or ordering it to be taken to
   the stranger. The degree of respect shown consists in the quantity, and
   while the ordinary rule of distinction is a double mess, it must have
   appeared a very distinguished mark of favor bestowed on Benjamin to
   have no less than five times any of his brethren.

   they drank, and were merry with him--Hebrew, "drank freely" (same as So
   5:1; Joh 2:10). In all these cases the idea of intemperance is
   excluded. The painful anxieties and cares of Joseph's brethren were
   dispelled, and they were at ease.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 44

   Ge 44:1-34. Policy to Stay His Brethren.

   1. And Joseph commanded the steward--The design of putting the cup into
   the sack of Benjamin was obviously to bring that young man into a
   situation of difficulty or danger, in order thereby to discover how far
   the brotherly feelings of the rest would be roused to sympathize with
   his distress and stimulate their exertions in procuring his
   deliverance. But for what purpose was the money restored? It was done,
   in the first instance, from kindly feelings to his father; but another
   and further design seems to have been the prevention of any injurious
   impressions as to the character of Benjamin. The discovery of the cup
   in his possession, if there had been nothing else to judge by, might
   have fastened a painful suspicion of guilt on the youngest brother; but
   the sight of the money in each man's sack would lead all to the same
   conclusion, that Benjamin was just as innocent as themselves, although
   the additional circumstance of the cup being found in his sack would
   bring him into greater trouble and danger.

   2. put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth--It was a large
   goblet, as the original denotes, highly valued by its owner, on account
   of its costly material or its elegant finish and which had probably
   graced his table at the sumptuous entertainment of the previous day.

   3. As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away--They
   commenced their homeward journey at early dawn (see on [10]Ge 18:2);
   and it may be readily supposed in high spirits, after so happy an issue
   from all their troubles and anxieties.

   4. When they were gone out of the city ... Joseph said unto his
   steward--They were brought to a sudden halt by the stunning
   intelligence that an article of rare value was missing from the
   governor's house. It was a silver cup; so strong suspicions were
   entertained against them that a special messenger was despatched to
   search them.

   5. Is not this it in which my lord drinketh--not only kept for the
   governor's personal use, but whereby he divines. Divination by cups, to
   ascertain the course of futurity, was one of the prevalent
   superstitions of ancient Egypt, as it is of Eastern countries still. It
   is not likely that Joseph, a pious believer in the true God, would have
   addicted himself to this superstitious practice. But he might have
   availed himself of that popular notion to carry out the successful
   execution of his stratagem for the last decisive trial of his brethren.

   6, 7. he overtook them, and he spake ... these words--The steward's
   words must have come upon them like a thunderbolt, and one of their
   most predominant feelings must have been the humiliating and galling
   sense of being made so often objects of suspicion. Protesting their
   innocence, they invited a search. The challenge was accepted [Ge 44:10,
   11]. Beginning with the eldest, every sack was examined, and the cup
   being found in Benjamin's [Ge 44:12], they all returned in an
   indescribable agony of mind to the house of the governor [Ge 44:13],
   throwing themselves at his feet [Ge 44:14], with the remarkable
   confession, "God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants" [Ge
   44:16].

   16-34. Judah said, What shall we say?--This address needs no
   comment--consisting at first of short, broken sentences, as if, under
   the overwhelming force of the speaker's emotions, his utterance were
   choked, it becomes more free and copious by the effort of speaking, as
   he proceeds. Every word finds its way to the heart; and it may well be
   imagined that Benjamin, who stood there speechless like a victim about
   to be laid on the altar, when he heard the magnanimous offer of Judah
   to submit to slavery for his ransom, would be bound by a lifelong
   gratitude to his generous brother, a tie that seems to have become
   hereditary in his tribe. Joseph's behavior must not be viewed from any
   single point, or in separate parts, but as a whole--a well-thought,
   deep-laid, closely connected plan; and though some features of it do
   certainly exhibit an appearance of harshness, yet the pervading
   principle of his conduct was real, genuine, brotherly kindness. Read in
   this light, the narrative of the proceedings describes the continuous,
   though secret, pursuit of one end; and Joseph exhibits, in his
   management of the scheme, a very high order of intellect, a warm and
   susceptible heart, united to a judgment that exerted a complete control
   over his feelings--a happy invention in devising means towards the
   attainment of his ends and an inflexible adherence to the course,
   however painful, which prudence required.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 45

   Ge 45:1-28. Joseph Making Himself Known.

   1. Then Joseph could not refrain himself--The severity of the
   inflexible magistrate here gives way to the natural feelings of the man
   and the brother. However well he had disciplined his mind, he felt it
   impossible to resist the artless eloquence of Judah. He saw a
   satisfactory proof, in the return of all his brethren on such an
   occasion, that they were affectionately united to one another; he had
   heard enough to convince him that time, reflection, or grace had made a
   happy improvement on their characters; and he would probably have
   proceeded in a calm and leisurely manner to reveal himself as prudence
   might have dictated. But when he heard the heroic self-sacrifice of
   Judah [Ge 44:33] and realized all the affection of that proposal--a
   proposal for which he was totally unprepared--he was completely
   unmanned; he felt himself forced to bring this painful trial to an end.

   he cried, Cause every man to go out from me--In ordering the departure
   of witnesses of this last scene, he acted as a warm-hearted and real
   friend to his brothers--his conduct was dictated by motives of the
   highest prudence--that of preventing their early iniquities from
   becoming known either to the members of his household, or among the
   people of Egypt.

   2. he wept aloud--No doubt, from the fulness of highly excited
   feelings; but to indulge in vehement and long-continued transports of
   sobbing is the usual way in which the Orientals express their grief.

   3. I am Joseph--or, "terrified at his presence." The emotions that now
   rose in his breast as well as that of his brethren--and chased each
   other in rapid succession--were many and violent. He was agitated by
   sympathy and joy; they were astonished, confounded, terrified; and
   betrayed their terror, by shrinking as far as they could from his
   presence. So "troubled" were they, that he had to repeat his
   announcement of himself; and what kind, affectionate terms he did use.
   He spoke of their having sold him--not to wound their feelings, but to
   convince them of his identity; and then, to reassure their minds, he
   traced the agency of an overruling Providence, in his exile and present
   honor [Ge 35:5-7]. Not that he wished them to roll the responsibility
   of their crime on God; no, his only object was to encourage their
   confidence and induce them to trust in the plans he had formed for the
   future comfort of their father and themselves.

   6. and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be
   earing nor harvest--"Ear" is an old English word, meaning "to plough"
   (compare 1Sa 8:12; Isa 30:24). This seems to confirm the view given (Ge
   41:57) that the famine was caused by an extraordinary drought, which
   prevented the annual overflowing of the Nile; and of course made the
   land unfit to receive the seed of Egypt.

   14, 15. And he fell upon ... Benjamin's neck--The sudden transition
   from a condemned criminal to a fondled brother, might have occasioned
   fainting or even death, had not his tumultuous feelings been relieved
   by a torrent of tears. But Joseph's attentions were not confined to
   Benjamin. He affectionately embraced every one of his brothers in
   succession; and by those actions, his forgiveness was demonstrated more
   fully than it could be by words.

   17-20. Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren--As Joseph might
   have been prevented by delicacy, the king himself invited the patriarch
   and all his family to migrate into Egypt; and he made most liberal
   arrangements for their removal and their subsequent settlement. It
   displays the character of this Pharaoh to advantage, that he was so
   kind to the relatives of Joseph; but indeed the greatest liberality he
   could show could never recompense the services of so great a benefactor
   of his kingdom.

   21. Joseph gave them wagons--which must have been novelties in
   Palestine; for wheeled carriages were almost unknown there.

   22. changes of raiment--It was and is customary, with great men, to
   bestow on their friends dresses of distinction, and in places where
   they are of the same description and quality, the value of these
   presents consists in their number. The great number given to Benjamin
   bespoke the warmth of his brother's attachment to him; and Joseph felt,
   from the amiable temper they now all displayed, he might, with perfect
   safety, indulge this fond partiality for his mother's son.

   23. to his father he sent--a supply of everything that could contribute
   to his support and comfort--the large and liberal scale on which that
   supply was given being intended, like the five messes of Benjamin, as a
   token of his filial love [see on [11]Ge 43:34].

   24. so he sent his brethren away--In dismissing them on their homeward
   journey, he gave them this particular admonition:

   See that ye fall not out by the way--a caution that would be greatly
   needed; for not only during the journey would they be occupied in
   recalling the parts they had respectively acted in the events that led
   to Joseph's being sold into Egypt, but their wickedness would soon have
   to come to the knowledge of their venerable father.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 46

   Ge 46:1-4. Sacrifice at Beer-sheba.

   1. Israel took his journey with all that he had--that is, his
   household; for in compliance with Pharaoh's recommendation, he left his
   heavy furniture behind. In contemplating a step so important as that of
   leaving Canaan, which at his time of life he might never revisit, so
   pious a patriarch would ask the guidance and counsel of God. With all
   his anxiety to see Joseph, he would rather have died in Canaan without
   that highest of earthly gratifications than leave it without the
   consciousness of carrying the divine blessing along with him.

   came to Beer-sheba--That place, which was in his direct route to Egypt,
   had been a favorite encampment of Abraham (Ge 21:33) and Isaac (Ge
   26:25), and was memorable for their experience of the divine goodness;
   and Jacob seems to have deferred his public devotions till he had
   reached a spot so consecrated by covenant to his own God and the God of
   his fathers.

   2. God spake unto Israel--Here is a virtual renewal of the covenant and
   an assurance of its blessings. Moreover, here is an answer on the chief
   subject of Jacob's prayer and a removal of any doubt as to the course
   he was meditating. At first the prospect of paying a personal visit to
   Joseph had been viewed with unmingled joy. But, on calmer
   consideration, many difficulties appeared to lie in the way. He may
   have remembered the prophecy to Abraham that his posterity was to be
   afflicted in Egypt and also that his father had been expressly told not
   to go [Ge 15:13; 26:2]; he may have feared the contamination of
   idolatry to his family and their forgetfulness of the land of promise.
   These doubts were removed by the answer of the oracle, and an assurance
   given him of great and increasing prosperity.

   3. I will there make of thee a great nation--How truly this promise was
   fulfilled, appears in the fact that the seventy souls who went down
   into Egypt increased [Ex 1:5-7], in the space of two hundred fifteen
   years, to one hundred eighty thousand.

   4. I will also surely bring thee up again--As Jacob could not expect to
   live till the former promise was realized, he must have seen that the
   latter was to be accomplished only to his posterity. To himself it was
   literally verified in the removal of his remains to Canaan; but, in the
   large and liberal sense of the words, it was made good only on the
   establishment of Israel in the land of promise.

   Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes--shall perform the last
   office of filial piety; and this implied that he should henceforth
   enjoy, without interruption, the society of that favorite son.

   Ge 46:5-27. Immigration to Egypt.

   5. And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba--to cross the border and settle in
   Egypt. However refreshed and invigorated in spirit by the religious
   services at Beer-sheba, he was now borne down by the infirmities of
   advanced age; and, therefore, his sons undertook all the trouble and
   toil of the arrangements, while the enfeebled old patriarch, with the
   wives and children, was conveyed by slow and leisurely stages in the
   Egyptian vehicles sent for their accommodation.

   6. goods, which they had gotten in the land--not furniture, but
   substance--precious things.

   7. daughters--As Dinah was his only daughter, this must mean
   daughters-in-law.

   all his seed brought he with him--Though disabled by age from active
   superintendence, yet, as the venerable sheik of the tribe, he was
   looked upon as their common head and consulted in every step.

   8-27. all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were
   threescore and ten--Strictly speaking, there were only sixty-six went
   to Egypt; but to these add Joseph and his two sons, and Jacob the head
   of the clan, and the whole number amounts to seventy. In the speech of
   Stephen (Ac 7:14) the number is stated to be seventy-five; but as that
   estimate includes five sons of Ephraim and Manasseh (1Ch 7:14-20), born
   in Egypt, the two accounts coincide.

   Ge 46:28-34. Arrival in Egypt.

   28. he sent Judah before him unto Joseph--This precautionary measure
   was obviously proper for apprising the king of the entrance of so large
   a company within his territories; moreover, it was necessary in order
   to receive instruction from Joseph as to the locale of their future
   settlement.

   29, 30. Joseph made ready his chariot--The difference between chariot
   and wagon was not only in the lighter and more elegant construction of
   the former, but in the one being drawn by horses and the other by oxen.
   Being a public man in Egypt, Joseph was required to appear everywhere
   in an equipage suitable to his dignity; and, therefore, it was not
   owing either to pride or ostentatious parade that he drove his
   carriage, while his father's family were accommodated only in rude and
   humble wagons.

   presented himself unto him--in an attitude of filial reverence (compare
   Ex 22:17). The interview was a most affecting one--the happiness of the
   delighted father was now at its height; and life having no higher
   charms, he could, in the very spirit of the aged Simeon, have departed
   in peace [Lu 2:25, 29].

   31-34. Joseph said, ... I will go up, and show Pharaoh--It was a
   tribute of respect due to the king to inform him of their arrival. And
   the instructions which he gave them were worthy of his character alike
   as an affectionate brother and a religious man.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 47

   Ge 47:1-31. Joseph's Presentation at Court.

   1. Joseph ... told Pharaoh, My father and my brethren--Joseph furnishes
   a beautiful example of a man who could bear equally well the extremes
   of prosperity and adversity. High as he was, he did not forget that he
   had a superior. Dearly as he loved his father and anxiously as he
   desired to provide for the whole family, he would not go into the
   arrangements he had planned for their stay in Goshen until he had
   obtained the sanction of his royal master.

   2. he took some of his brethren--probably the five eldest brothers:
   seniority being the least invidious principle of selection.

   4. For to sojourn ... are we come--The royal conversation took the
   course which Joseph had anticipated (Ge 46:33), and they answered
   according to previous instructions--manifesting, however, in their
   determination to return to Canaan, a faith and piety which affords a
   hopeful symptom of their having become all, or most of them, religious
   men.

   7. Joseph brought in Jacob his father--There is a pathetic and most
   affecting interest attending this interview with royalty; and when,
   with all the simplicity and dignified solemnity of a man of God, Jacob
   signalized his entrance by imploring the divine blessing on the royal
   head, it may easily be imagined what a striking impression the scene
   would produce (compare Heb 7:7).

   8. Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?--The question was put
   from the deep and impressive interest which the appearance of the old
   patriarch had created in the minds of Pharaoh and his court. In the
   low-lying land of Egypt and from the artificial habits of its society,
   the age of man was far shorter among the inhabitants of that country
   than it had yet become in the pure bracing climate and among the simple
   mountaineers of Canaan. The Hebrews, at least, still attained a
   protracted longevity.

   9. The days of the years of my pilgrimage, &c.--Though a hundred thirty
   years, he reckons by days (compare Ps 90:12), which he calls few, as
   they appeared in retrospect, and evil, because his life had been one
   almost unbroken series of trouble. The answer is remarkable,
   considering the comparative darkness of the patriarchal age (compare
   2Ti 1:10).

   11. Joseph placed his father and his brethren ... in the best of the
   land--best pasture land in lower Egypt. Goshen, "the land of verdure,"
   lay along the Pelusiac or eastern branch of the Nile. It included a
   part of the district of Heliopolis, or "On," the capital, and on the
   east stretched out a considerable length into the desert. The ground
   included within these boundaries was a rich and fertile extent of
   natural meadow, and admirably adapted for the purposes of the Hebrew
   shepherds (compare Ge 49:24; Ps 34:10; 78:72).

   13-15. there was no bread in all the land--This probably refers to the
   second year of the famine (Ge 45:6) when any little stores of
   individuals or families were exhausted and when the people had become
   universally dependent on the government. At first they obtained
   supplies for payment. Before long money failed.

   16. And Joseph said, Give your cattle--"This was the wisest course that
   could be adopted for the preservation both of the people and the
   cattle, which, being bought by Joseph, was supported at the royal
   expense, and very likely returned to the people at the end of the
   famine, to enable them to resume their agricultural labors."

   21. as for the people, he removed them to cities--obviously for the
   convenience of the country people, who were doing nothing, to the
   cities where the corn stores were situated.

   22. Only the land of the priests bought he not--These lands were
   inalienable, being endowments by which the temples were supported. The
   priests for themselves received an annual allowance of provision from
   the state, and it would evidently have been the height of cruelty to
   withhold that allowance when their lands were incapable of being
   tilled.

   23-28. Joseph said, Behold, &c.--The lands being sold to the government
   (Ge 47:19, 20), seed would be distributed for the first crop after the
   famine; and the people would occupy them as tenants-at-will on the
   payment of a produce rent, almost the same rule as obtains in Egypt in
   the present day.

   29-31. the time drew nigh that Israel must die--One only of his dying
   arrangements is recorded; but that one reveals his whole character. It
   was the disposal of his remains, which were to be carried to Canaan,
   not from a mere romantic attachment to his native soil, nor, like his
   modern descendants, from a superstitious feeling for the soil of the
   Holy Land, but from faith in the promises. His address to Joseph--"if
   now I have found grace in thy sight," that is, as the vizier of
   Egypt--his exacting a solemn oath that his wishes would be fulfilled
   and the peculiar form of that oath, all pointed significantly to the
   promise and showed the intensity of his desire to enjoy its blessings
   (compare Nu 10:29).

   31. Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head--Oriental beds are mere
   mats, having no head, and the translation should be "the top of his
   staff," as the apostle renders it (Heb 11:21).
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 48

   Ge 48:1-22. Joseph's Visit to His Sick Father.

   1. one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick--Joseph was hastily sent
   for, and on this occasion he took with him his two sons.

   2. Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed--In the chamber
   where a good man lies, edifying and spiritual discourse may be
   expected.

   3, 4. God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz--The object of Jacob, in
   thus reverting to the memorable vision at Beth-el [Ge 28:10-15]--one of
   the great landmarks in his history--was to point out the splendid
   promises in reserve for his posterity--to engage Joseph's interest and
   preserve his continued connection with the people of God, rather than
   with the Egyptians.

   4. Behold, I will make thee fruitful--This is a repetition of the
   covenant (Ge 28:13-15; 35:12). Whether these words are to be viewed in
   a limited sense, as pointing to the many centuries during which the
   Jews were occupiers of the Holy Land, or whether the words bear a wider
   meaning and intimate that the scattered tribes of Israel are to be
   reinstated in the land of promise, as their "everlasting possession,"
   are points that have not yet been satisfactorily determined.

   5. thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh--It was the intention of the aged
   patriarch to adopt Joseph's sons as his own, thus giving him a double
   portion. The reasons for this procedure are stated (1Ch 5:1, 2).

   are mine--Though their connections might have attached them to Egypt
   and opened to them brilliant prospects in the land of their nativity,
   they willingly accepted the adoption (Heb 11:25).

   9. Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them--The apostle
   (Heb 11:21) selected the blessing of Joseph's son as the chief, because
   the most comprehensive, instance of the patriarch's faith which his
   whole history furnishes.

   13. Joseph took them both--The very act of pronouncing the blessing was
   remarkable, showing that Jacob's bosom was animated by the spirit of
   prophecy.

   21. Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die--The patriarch could speak
   of death with composure, but he wished to prepare Joseph and the rest
   of the family for the shock.

   but God shall be with you--Jacob, in all probability, was not
   authorized to speak of their bondage--he dwelt only on the certainty of
   their restoration to Canaan.

   22. moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren--This
   was near Shechem (Ge 33:18; Joh 4:5; also Jos 16:1; 20:7). And it is
   probable that the Amorites, having seized upon it during one of his
   frequent absences, the patriarch, with the united forces of his tribe,
   recovered it from them by his sword and his bow.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 49

   Ge 49:1-33. Patriarchal Blessing.

   1. Jacob called unto his sons--It is not to the sayings of the dying
   saint, so much as of the inspired prophet, that attention is called in
   this chapter. Under the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit he
   pronounced his prophetic benediction and described the condition of
   their respective descendants in the last days, or future times.

   Ge 49:3, 4. Reuben forfeited by his crime the rights and honors of
   primogeniture. His posterity never made any figure; no judge, prophet,
   nor ruler, sprang from this tribe.

   Ge 49:5-7. Simeon and Levi were associate in wickedness, and the same
   prediction would be equally applicable to both their tribes. Levi had
   cities allotted to them (Jos 21:1-45) in every tribe. On account of
   their zeal against idolatry, they were honorably "divided in Jacob";
   whereas the tribe of Simeon, which was guilty of the grossest idolatry
   and the vices inseparable from it, were ignominiously "scattered."

   Ge 49:8-12. Judah--A high pre-eminence is destined to this tribe (Nu
   10:14; Jud 1:2). Besides the honor of giving name to the Promised Land,
   David, and a greater than David--the Messiah--sprang from it. Chief
   among the tribes, "it grew up from a lion's whelp"--that is, a little
   power--till it became "an old lion"--that is, calm and quiet, yet still
   formidable.

   10. until Shiloh come--Shiloh--this obscure word is variously
   interpreted to mean "the sent" (Joh 17:3), "the seed" (Isa 11:1), the
   "peaceable or prosperous one" (Eph 2:14)--that is, the Messiah (Isa
   11:10; Ro 15:12); and when He should come, "the tribe of Judah should
   no longer boast either an independent king or a judge of their own"
   [Calvin]. The Jews have been for eighteen centuries without a ruler and
   without a judge since Shiloh came, and "to Him the gathering of the
   people has been."

   Ge 49:13. Zebulun was to have its lot on the seacoast, close to Zidon,
   and to engage, like that state, in maritime pursuits and commerce.

   Ge 49:14, 15. Issachar--

   14. a strong ass couching down between two burdens--that is, it was to
   be active, patient, given to agricultural labors. It was established in
   lower Galilee--a "good land," settling down in the midst of the
   Canaanites, where, for the sake of quiet, they "bowed their shoulder to
   bear, and became a servant unto tribute."

   Ge 49:16-18. Dan--though the son of a secondary wife, was to be "as one
   of the tribes of Israel."

   17. Dan--"a judge."

   a serpent ... an adder--A serpent, an adder, implies subtlety and
   stratagem; such was pre-eminently the character of Samson, the most
   illustrious of its judges.

   Ge 49:19. Gad--This tribe should be often attacked and wasted by
   hostile powers on their borders (Jud 10:8; Jer 49:1). But they were
   generally victorious in the close of their wars.

   Ge 49:20. Asher--"Blessed." Its allotment was the seacoast between Tyre
   and Carmel, a district fertile in the production of the finest corn and
   oil in all Palestine.

   Ge 49:21. Naphtali--The best rendering we know is this, "Naphtali is a
   deer roaming at liberty; he shooteth forth goodly branches," or
   majestic antlers [Taylor, Scripture Illustrations], and the meaning of
   the prophecy seems to be that the tribe of Naphtali would be located in
   a territory so fertile and peaceable, that, feeding on the richest
   pasture, he would spread out, like a deer, branching antlers.

   Ge 49:22-26. Joseph--

   22. a fruitful bough, &c.--denotes the extraordinary increase of that
   tribe (compare Nu 1:33-35; Jos 17:17; De 33:17). The patriarch
   describes him as attacked by envy, revenge, temptation, ingratitude;
   yet still, by the grace of God, he triumphed over all opposition, so
   that he became the sustainer of Israel; and then he proceeds to shower
   blessings of every kind upon the head of this favorite son. The history
   of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh shows how fully these blessings
   were realized.

   Ge 49:27-33. Benjamin

   27. shall ravin like a wolf--This tribe in its early history spent its
   energies in petty or inglorious warfare and especially in the violent
   and unjust contest (Jud 19:1-20:48), in which it engaged with the other
   tribes, when, notwithstanding two victories, it was almost
   exterminated.

   28. all these are the twelve tribes of Israel--or ancestors. Jacob's
   prophetic words obviously refer not so much to the sons as to the
   tribes of Israel.

   29. he charged them--The charge had already been given and solemnly
   undertaken (Ge 47:31). But in mentioning his wishes now and rehearsing
   all the circumstances connected with the purchase of Machpelah, he
   wished to declare, with his latest breath, before all his family, that
   he died in the same faith as Abraham.

   33. when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons--It is probable
   that he was supernaturally strengthened for this last momentous office
   of the patriarch, and that when the divine afflatus ceased, his
   exhausted powers giving way, he yielded up the ghost, and was gathered
   unto his people.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 50

   Ge 50:1-26. Mourning for Jacob.

   1. Joseph fell upon his father's face, &c.--On him, as the principal
   member of the family, devolved the duty of closing the eyes of his
   venerable parent (compare Ge 46:4) and imprinting the farewell kiss.

   2. Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father,
   &c.--In ancient Egypt the embalmers were a class by themselves. The
   process of embalmment consisted in infusing a great quantity of
   resinous substances into the cavities of the body, after the intestines
   had been removed, and then a regulated degree of heat was applied to
   dry up the humors, as well as decompose the tarry materials which had
   been previously introduced. Thirty days were alloted for the completion
   of this process; forty more were spent in anointing it with spices; the
   body, tanned from this operation, being then washed, was wrapped in
   numerous folds of linen cloth--the joinings of which were fastened with
   gum, and then it was deposited in a wooden chest made in the form of a
   human figure.

   3. the Egyptians mourned, &c. It was made a period of public mourning,
   as on the death of a royal personage.

   4, 5. Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, &c.--Care was taken to
   let it be known that the family sepulchre was provided before leaving
   Canaan and that an oath bound his family to convey the remains thither.
   Besides, Joseph deemed it right to apply for a special leave of
   absence; and being unfit, as a mourner, to appear in the royal
   presence, he made the request through the medium of others.

   7-9. Joseph went up to bury his father--a journey of three hundred
   miles. The funeral cavalcade, composed of the nobility and military,
   with their equipages, would exhibit an imposing appearance.

   10. they came to the threshing-floor of Atad, &c.--"Atad" may be taken
   as a common noun, signifying "the plain of the thorn bushes." It was on
   the border between Egypt and Canaan; and as the last opportunity of
   indulging grief was always the most violent, the Egyptians made a
   prolonged halt at this spot, while the family of Jacob probably
   proceeded by themselves to the place of sepulture.

   15-21. When Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they
   said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, &c.--Joseph was deeply affected
   by this communication. He gave them the strongest assurances of his
   forgiveness and thereby gave both a beautiful trait of his own pious
   character, as well as appeared an eminent type of the Saviour.

   22, 23. Joseph dwelt in Egypt--He lived eighty years after his
   elevation to the chief power [see on [12]Ge 41:46] witnessing a great
   increase in the prosperity of the kingdom, and also of his own family
   and kindred--the infant Church of God.

   24. Joseph said unto his brethren, I die--The national feelings of the
   Egyptians would have been opposed to his burial in Canaan; but he gave
   the strongest proof of the strength of his faith and full assurance of
   the promises, by "the commandment concerning his bones" [Heb 11:22].

   26. and they embalmed him--[See on [13]Ge 50:2]. His funeral would be
   conducted in the highest style of Egyptian magnificence and his mummied
   corpse carefully preserved till the Exodus.
     __________________________________________________________________

   THE SECOND BOOK OF MOSES, CALLED
   EXODUS.
   Commentary by Robert Jamieson
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 1

   Ex 1:1-22. Increase of the Israelites.

   1. Now these are the names--(See Ge 46:8-26).

   7. children of Israel were fruitful--They were living in a land where,
   according to the testimony of an ancient author, mothers produced three
   and four sometimes at a birth; and a modern writer declares "the
   females in Egypt, as well among the human race as among animals,
   surpass all others in fruitfulness." To this natural circumstance must
   be added the fulfilment of the promise made to Abraham.

   8. Now there arose up a new king--About sixty years after the death of
   Joseph a revolution took place--by which the old dynasty was
   overthrown, and upper and lower Egypt were united into one kingdom.
   Assuming that the king formerly reigned in Thebes, it is probable that
   he would know nothing about the Hebrews; and that, as foreigners and
   shepherds, the new government would, from the first, regard them with
   dislike and scorn.

   9, 10. he said ... Behold, the ... children of Israel are more and
   mightier than we--They had risen to great prosperity--as during the
   lifetime of Joseph and his royal patron, they had, probably, enjoyed a
   free grant of the land. Their increase and prosperity were viewed with
   jealousy by the new government; and as Goshen lay between Egypt and
   Canaan, on the border of which latter country were a number of warlike
   tribes, it was perfectly conformable to the suggestions of worldly
   policy that they should enslave and maltreat them, through apprehension
   of their joining in any invasion by those foreign rovers. The new king,
   who neither knew the name nor cared for the services of Joseph, was
   either Amosis, or one of his immediate successors [Osburn].

   11. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters--Having first obliged
   them, it is thought, to pay a ruinous rent and involved them in
   difficulties, that new government, in pursuance of its oppressive
   policy, degraded them to the condition of serfs--employing them exactly
   as the laboring people are in the present day (driven in companies or
   bands), in rearing the public works, with taskmasters, who anciently
   had sticks--now whips--to punish the indolent, or spur on the too
   languid. All public or royal buildings, in ancient Egypt, were built by
   captives; and on some of them was placed an inscription that no free
   citizen had been engaged in this servile employment.

   they built for Pharaoh treasure cities--These two store-places were in
   the land of Goshen; and being situated near a border liable to
   invasion, they were fortified cities (compare 2Ch 11:1-12:16). Pithom
   (Greek, Patumos), lay on the eastern Pelusiac branch of the Nile, about
   twelve Roman miles from Heliopolis; and Raamses, called by the
   Septuagint Heroopolis, lay between the same branch of the Nile and the
   Bitter Lakes. These two fortified cities were situated, therefore, in
   the same valley; and the fortifications, which Pharaoh commanded to be
   built around both, had probably the same common object, of obstructing
   the entrance into Egypt, which this valley furnished the enemy from
   Asia [Hengstenberg].

   13, 14. The Egyptians ... made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in
   mortar, and in brick--Ruins of great brick buildings are found in all
   parts of Egypt. The use of crude brick, baked in the sun, was universal
   in upper and lower Egypt, both for public and private buildings; all
   but the temples themselves were of crude brick. It is worthy of remark
   that more bricks bearing the name of Thothmes III, who is supposed to
   have been the king of Egypt at the time of the Exodus, have been
   discovered than of any other period [Wilkinson]. Parties of these
   brickmakers are seen depicted on the ancient monuments with
   "taskmasters," some standing, others in a sitting posture beside the
   laborers, with their uplifted sticks in their hands.

   15. the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives--Two only were
   spoken to--either they were the heads of a large corporation [Laborde],
   or, by tampering with these two, the king designed to terrify the rest
   into secret compliance with his wishes [Calvin].

   16. if it be a son, then ye shall kill him--Opinions are divided,
   however, what was the method of destruction which the king did
   recommend. Some think that the "stools" were low seats on which these
   obstetric practitioners sat by the bedside of the Hebrew women; and
   that, as they might easily discover the sex, so, whenever a boy
   appeared, they were to strangle it, unknown to its parents; while
   others are of opinion that the "stools" were stone troughs, by the
   river side--into which, when the infants were washed, they were to be,
   as it were, accidentally dropped.

   17. But the midwives feared God--Their faith inspired them with such
   courage as to risk their lives, by disobeying the mandate of a cruel
   tyrant; but it was blended with weakness, which made them shrink from
   speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

   20, 21. God dealt well with the midwives--This represents God as
   rewarding them for telling a lie. This difficulty is wholly removed by
   a more correct translation. To "make" or "build up a house" in Hebrew
   idiom, means to have a numerous progeny. The passage then should be
   rendered thus: "God protected the midwives, and the people waxed very
   mighty; and because the midwives feared, the Hebrews grew and
   prospered."
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 2

   Ex 2:1-10. Birth and Preservation of Moses.

   1. there went a man of the house of Levi, &c. Amram was the husband and
   Jochebed the wife (compare Ex 6:2; Nu 26:59). The marriage took place,
   and two children, Miriam and Aaron, were born some years before the
   infanticidal edict.

   2. the woman ... bare a son, &c.--Some extraordinary appearance of
   remarkable comeliness led his parents to augur his future greatness.
   Beauty was regarded by the ancients as a mark of the divine favor.

   hid him three months--The parents were a pious couple, and the measures
   they took were prompted not only by parental attachment, but by a
   strong faith in the blessing of God prospering their endeavors to save
   the infant.

   3. she took for him an ark of bulrushes--papyrus, a thick, strong, and
   tough reed.

   slime--the mud of the Nile, which, when hardened, is very tenacious.

   pitch--mineral tar. Boats of this description are seen daily floating
   on the surface of the river, with no other caulking than Nile mud
   (compare Isa 18:2), and they are perfectly watertight, unless the
   coating is forced off by stormy weather.

   flags--a general term for sea or river weed. The chest was not, as is
   often represented, committed to the bosom of the water but laid on the
   bank, where it would naturally appear to have been drifted by the
   current and arrested by the reedy thicket. The spot is traditionally
   said to be the Isle of Rodah, near Old Cairo.

   4. his sister--Miriam would probably be a girl of ten or twelve years
   of age at the time.

   5. the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river--The
   occasion is thought to have been a religious solemnity which the royal
   family opened by bathing in the sacred stream. Peculiar sacredness was
   attached to those portions of the Nile which flowed near the temples.
   The water was there fenced off as a protection from the crocodiles; and
   doubtless the princess had an enclosure reserved for her own use, the
   road to which seems to have been well known to Jochebed.

   walked along--in procession or in file.

   she sent her maid--her immediate attendant. The term is different from
   that rendered "maidens."

   6-9. when she had opened it, she saw the child--The narrative is
   picturesque. No tale of romance ever described a plot more skilfully
   laid or more full of interest in the development. The expedient of the
   ark, the slime and pitch, the choice of the time and place, the appeal
   to the sensibilities of the female breast, the stationing of the sister
   as a watch of the proceedings, her timely suggestion of a nurse, and
   the engagement of the mother herself--all bespeak a more than ordinary
   measure of ingenuity as well as intense solicitude on the part of the
   parents. But the origin of the scheme was most probably owing to a
   divine suggestion, as its success was due to an overruling Providence,
   who not only preserved the child's life, but provided for his being
   trained in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Hence it is said to
   have been done by faith (Heb 11:23), either in the general promise of
   deliverance, or some special revelation made to Amram and Jochebed--and
   in this view, the pious couple gave a beautiful example of a firm
   reliance on the word of God, united with an active use of the most
   suitable means.

   10. she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter--Though it must have been
   nearly as severe a trial for Jochebed to part with him the second time
   as the first, she was doubtless reconciled to it by her belief in his
   high destination as the future deliverer of Israel. His age when
   removed to the palace is not stated; but he was old enough to be well
   instructed in the principles of the true religion; and those early
   impressions, deepened by the power of divine grace, were never
   forgotten or effaced.

   he became her son--by adoption, and his high rank afforded him
   advantages in education, which in the Providence of God were made
   subservient to far different purposes from what his royal patroness
   intended.

   she called his name Moses--His parents might, as usual, at the time of
   his circumcision, have given him a name, which is traditionally said to
   have been Joachim. But the name chosen by the princess, whether of
   Egyptian or Hebrew origin, is the only one by which he has ever been
   known to the church; and it is a permanent memorial of the painful
   incidents of his birth and infancy.

   Ex 2:11-25. His Sympathy with the Hebrews.

   11. in those days, when Moses was grown--not in age and stature only,
   but in power as well as in renown for accomplishments and military
   prowess (Ac 7:22). There is a gap here in the sacred history which,
   however, is supplied by the inspired commentary of Paul, who has fully
   detailed the reasons as well as extent of the change that took place in
   his worldly condition; and whether, as some say, his royal mother had
   proposed to make him coregent and successor to the crown, or some other
   circumstances, led to a declaration of his mind, he determined to
   renounce the palace and identify himself with the suffering people of
   God (Heb 11:24-29). The descent of some great sovereigns, like
   Diocletian and Charles V, from a throne into private life, is nothing
   to the sacrifice which Moses made through the power of faith.

   he went out unto his brethren--to make a full and systematic inspection
   of their condition in the various parts of the country where they were
   dispersed (Ac 7:23), and he adopted this proceeding in pursuance of the
   patriotic purpose that the faith, which is of the operation of God, was
   even then forming in his heart.

   he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew--one of the taskmasters
   scourging a Hebrew slave without any just cause (Ac 7:24), and in so
   cruel a manner, that he seems to have died under the barbarous
   treatment--for the conditions of the sacred story imply such a fatal
   issue. The sight was new and strange to him, and though pre-eminent for
   meekness (Nu 12:3), he was fired with indignation.

   12. he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand--This act of Moses
   may seem and indeed by some has been condemned as rash and
   unjustifiable--in plain terms, a deed of assassination. But we must not
   judge of his action in such a country and age by the standard of law
   and the notions of right which prevail in our Christian land; and,
   besides, not only is it not spoken of as a crime in Scripture or as
   distressing the perpetrator with remorse, but according to existing
   customs among nomadic tribes, he was bound to avenge the blood of a
   brother. The person he slew, however, being a government officer, he
   had rendered himself amenable to the laws of Egypt, and therefore he
   endeavored to screen himself from the consequences by concealment of
   the corpse.

   13, 14. two men of the Hebrews strove together--His benevolent
   mediation in this strife, though made in the kindest and mildest
   manner, was resented, and the taunt of the aggressor showing that
   Moses' conduct on the preceding day had become generally known, he
   determined to consult his safety by immediate flight (Heb 11:27). These
   two incidents prove that neither were the Israelites yet ready to go
   out of Egypt, nor Moses prepared to be their leader (Jas 1:20). It was
   by the staff and not the sword--by the meekness, and not the wrath of
   Moses that God was to accomplish that great work of deliverance. Both
   he and the people of Israel were for forty years more to be cast into
   the furnace of affliction, yet it was therein that He had chosen them
   (Isa 48:10).

   15. Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh--His flight took place in the
   second year of Thothmes I.

   dwelt in the land of Midian--situated on the eastern shore of the gulf
   of the Red Sea and occupied by the posterity of Midian the son of Cush.
   The territory extended northward to the top of the gulf and westward
   far across the desert of Sinai. And from their position near the sea,
   they early combined trading with pastoral pursuits (Ge 37:28). The
   headquarters of Jethro are supposed to have been where Dahab-Madian now
   stands; and from Moses coming direct to that place, he may have
   travelled with a caravan of merchants. But another place is fixed by
   tradition in Wady Shuweib, or Jethro's valley, on the east of the
   mountain of Moses.

   sat down by a well--(See on [14]Ge 29:3).

   16-22. the priest of Midian--or, "prince of Midian." As the officers
   were usually conjoined, he was the ruler also of the people called
   Cushites or Ethiopians, and like many other chiefs of pastoral people
   in that early age, he still retained the faith and worship of the true
   God.

   seven daughters--were shepherdesses to whom Moses was favorably
   introduced by an act of courtesy and courage in protecting them from
   the rude shepherds of some neighboring tribe at a well. He afterwards
   formed a close and permanent alliance with this family by marrying one
   of the daughters, Zipporah, "a little bird," called a Cushite or
   Ethiopian (Nu 12:1), and whom Moses doubtless obtained in the manner of
   Jacob by service [see Ex 3:1]. He had by her two sons, whose names
   were, according to common practice, commemorative of incidents in the
   family history [Ex 18:3, 4].

   23. the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason
   of the bondage--The language seems to imply that the Israelites had
   experienced a partial relaxation, probably through the influence of
   Moses' royal patroness; but in the reign of her father's successor the
   persecution was renewed with increased severity.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 3

   Ex 3:1-22. Divine Appearance and Commission to Moses.

   1. Now Moses kept the flock--This employment he had entered on in
   furtherance of his matrimonial views (see on [15]Ex 2:21), but it is
   probable he was continuing his service now on other terms like Jacob
   during the latter years of his stay with Laban (Ge 30:28).

   he led the flock to the backside of the desert--that is, on the west of
   the desert [Gesenius], assuming Jethro's headquarters to have been at
   Dahab. The route by which Moses led his flock must have been west
   through the wide valley called by the Arabs, Wady-es-Zugherah
   [Robinson], which led into the interior of the wilderness.

   Mountain of God--so named either according to Hebrew idiom from its
   great height, as "great mountains," Hebrew, "mountains of God" (Ps
   36:6); "goodly cedars," Hebrew, "cedars of God" (Ps 80:10); or some
   think from its being the old abode of "the glory"; or finally from its
   being the theater of transactions most memorable in the history of the
   true religion to Horeb--rather, "Horeb-ward."

   Horeb--that is, "dry," "desert," was the general name for the
   mountainous district in which Sinai is situated, and of which it is a
   part. (See on [16]Ex 19:2). It was used to designate the region
   comprehending that immense range of lofty, desolate, and barren hills,
   at the base of which, however, there are not only many patches of
   verdure to be seen, but almost all the valleys, or wadys, as they are
   called, show a thin coating of vegetation, which, towards the south,
   becomes more luxuriant. The Arab shepherds seldom take their flocks to
   a greater distance than one day's journey from their camp. Moses must
   have gone at least two days' journey, and although he seems to have
   been only following his pastoral course, that region, from its numerous
   springs in the clefts of the rocks being the chief resort of the tribes
   during the summer heats, the Providence of God led him thither for an
   important purpose.

   2, 3. the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire--It is
   common in Scripture to represent the elements and operations of nature,
   as winds, fires, earthquakes, pestilence, everything enlisted in
   executing the divine will, as the "angels" or messengers of God. But in
   such cases God Himself is considered as really, though invisibly,
   present. Here the preternatural fire may be primarily meant by the
   expression "angel of the Lord"; but it is clear that under this symbol,
   the Divine Being was present, whose name is given (Ex 3:4, 6), and
   elsewhere called the angel of the covenant, Jehovah-Jesus.

   out of the midst of a bush--the wild acacia or thorn, with which that
   desert abounds, and which is generally dry and brittle, so much so,
   that at certain seasons, a spark might kindle a district far and wide
   into a blaze. A fire, therefore, being in the midst of such a desert
   bush was a "great sight." It is generally supposed to have been
   emblematic of the Israelites' condition in Egypt--oppressed by a
   grinding servitude and a bloody persecution, and yet, in spite of the
   cruel policy that was bent on annihilating them, they continued as
   numerous and thriving as ever. The reason was "God was in the midst of
   them." The symbol may also represent the present state of the Jews, as
   well as of the Church generally in the world.

   4. when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see--The manifestations
   which God anciently made of Himself were always accompanied by clear,
   unmistakable signs that the communications were really from heaven.
   This certain evidence was given to Moses. He saw a fire, but no human
   agent to kindle it; he heard a voice, but no human lips from which it
   came; he saw no living Being, but One was in the bush, in the heat of
   the flames, who knew him and addressed him by name. Who could this be
   but the Divine Being?

   5. put off thy shoes--The direction was in conformity with a usage
   which was well known to Moses, for the Egyptian priests observed it in
   their temples, and it is observed in all Eastern countries where the
   people take off their shoes or sandals, as we do our hats. But the
   Eastern idea is not precisely the same as the Western. With us, the
   removal of the hat is an expression of reverence for the place we
   enter, or rather of Him who is worshipped there. With them the removal
   of the shoes is a confession of personal defilement and conscious
   unworthiness to stand in the presence of unspotted holiness.

   6-8. I am the God ... come down to deliver--The reverential awe of
   Moses must have been relieved by the divine Speaker (see Mt 22:32),
   announcing Himself in His covenant character, and by the welcome
   intelligence communicated. Moreover, the time, as well as all the
   circumstances of this miraculous appearance, were such as to give him
   an illustrious display of God's faithfulness to His promises. The
   period of Israel's journey and affliction in Egypt had been predicted
   (Ge 15:13), and it was during the last year of the term which had still
   to run that the Lord appeared in the burning bush.

   10-22. Come now therefore, and I will send thee--Considering the
   patriotic views that had formerly animated the breast of Moses, we
   might have anticipated that no mission could have been more welcome to
   his heart than to be employed in the national emancipation of Israel.
   But he evinced great reluctance to it and stated a variety of
   objections [Ex 3:11, 13; 4:1, 10] all of which were successfully met
   and removed--and the happy issue of his labors was minutely described.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 4

   Ex 4:1-31. Miraculous Change of the Rod, &c.

   1. But, behold--Hebrew, "If," "perhaps," "they will not believe
   me."--What evidence can I produce of my divine mission? There was still
   a want of full confidence, not in the character and divine power of his
   employer, but in His presence and power always accompanying him. He
   insinuated that his communication might be rejected and he himself
   treated as an impostor.

   2. the Lord said, ... What is that in thine hand?--The question was put
   not to elicit information which God required, but to draw the
   particular attention of Moses.

   A rod--probably the shepherd's crook--among the Arabs, a long staff,
   with a curved head, varying from three to six feet in length.

   6. Put now thine hand into thy bosom--the open part of his outer robe,
   worn about the girdle.

   9. take of the water of the river--Nile. Those miracles, two of which
   were wrought then, and the third to be performed on his arrival in
   Goshen, were at first designed to encourage him as satisfactory proofs
   of his divine mission, and to be repeated for the special confirmation
   of his embassy before the Israelites.

   10-13. I am not eloquent--It is supposed that Moses labored under a
   natural defect of utterance or had a difficulty in the free and fluent
   expression of his ideas in the Egyptian language, which he had long
   disused. This new objection was also overruled, but still Moses, who
   foresaw the manifold difficulties of the undertaking, was anxious to be
   freed from the responsibility.

   14. the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses--The Divine Being
   is not subject to ebullitions of passion; but His displeasure was
   manifested by transferring the honor of the priesthood, which would
   otherwise have been bestowed on Moses, to Aaron, who was from this time
   destined to be the head of the house of Levi (1Ch 23:13). Marvellous
   had been His condescension and patience in dealing with Moses; and now
   every remaining scruple was removed by the unexpected and welcome
   intelligence that his brother Aaron was to be his colleague. God knew
   from the beginning what Moses would do, but He reserves this motive to
   the last as the strongest to rouse his languid heart, and Moses now
   fully and cordially complied with the call. If we are surprised at his
   backwardness amidst all the signs and promises that were given him, we
   must admire his candor and honesty in recording it.

   18. Moses ... returned to Jethro--Being in his service, it was right to
   obtain his consent, but Moses evinced piety, humility, and prudence, in
   not divulging the special object of his journey.

   19. all the men are dead which sought thy life--The death of the
   Egyptian monarch took place in the four hundred and twenty-ninth year
   of the Hebrew sojourn in that land, and that event, according to the
   law of Egypt, took off his proscription of Moses, if it had been
   publicly issued.

   20. Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an
   ass--Septuagint, "asses." Those animals are not now used in the desert
   of Sinai except by the Arabs for short distances.

   returned--entered on his journey towards Egypt.

   he took the rod of God--so called from its being appropriated to His
   service, and because whatever miracles it might be employed in
   performing would be wrought not by its inherent properties, but by a
   divine power following on its use. (Compare Ac 3:12).

   24. inn--Hebrew, "a halting place for the night."

   the Lord met him, and sought to kill him--that is, he was either
   overwhelmed with mental distress or overtaken by a sudden and dangerous
   malady. The narrative is obscure, but the meaning seems to be, that,
   led during his illness to a strict self-examination, he was deeply
   pained and grieved at the thought of having, to please his wife,
   postponed or neglected the circumcision of one of his sons, probably
   the younger. To dishonor that sign and seal of the covenant was
   criminal in any Hebrew, peculiarly so in one destined to be the leader
   and deliverer of the Hebrews; and he seems to have felt his sickness as
   a merited chastisement for his sinful omission. Concerned for her
   husband's safety, Zipporah overcomes her maternal feelings of aversion
   to the painful rite, performs herself, by means of one of the sharp
   flints with which that part of the desert abounds, an operation which
   her husband, on whom the duty devolved, was unable to do, and having
   brought the bloody evidence, exclaimed in the painful excitement of her
   feelings that from love to him she had risked the life of her child
   [Calvin, Bullinger, Rosenmuller].

   26. So he let him go--Moses recovered; but the remembrance of this
   critical period in his life would stimulate the Hebrew legislator to
   enforce a faithful attention to the rite of circumcision when it was
   established as a divine ordinance in Israel, and made their peculiar
   distinction as a people.

   27. Aaron met him in the mount of God, and kissed him--After a
   separation of forty years, their meeting would be mutually happy.
   Similar are the salutations of Arab friends when they meet in the
   desert still; conspicuous is the kiss on each side of the head.

   29-31. Moses and Aaron went--towards Egypt, Zipporah and her sons
   having been sent back. (Compare Ex 18:2).

   gathered ... all the elders--Aaron was spokesman, and Moses performed
   the appointed miracles--through which "the people" (that is, the
   elders) believed (1Ki 17:24; Jos 3:2) and received the joyful tidings
   of the errand on which Moses had come with devout thanksgiving.
   Formerly they had slighted the message and rejected the messenger.
   Formerly Moses had gone in his own strength; now he goes leaning on
   God, and strong only through faith in Him who had sent him. Israel also
   had been taught a useful lesson, and it was good for both that they had
   been afflicted.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 5

   Ex 5:1-23. First Interview with Pharaoh.

   1. Moses and Aaron went in--As representatives of the Hebrews, they
   were entitled to ask an audience of the king, and their thorough
   Egyptian training taught them how and when to seek it.

   and told Pharaoh--When introduced, they delivered a message in the name
   of the God of Israel. This is the first time He is mentioned by that
   national appellation in Scripture. It seems to have been used by divine
   direction (Ex 4:2) and designed to put honor on the Hebrews in their
   depressed condition (Heb 11:16).

   2. And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord--rather "Jehovah." Lord was a
   common name applied to objects of worship; but Jehovah was a name he
   had never heard of. Pharaoh estimated the character and power of this
   God by the abject and miserable condition of the worshippers and
   concluded that He held as low a rank among the gods as His people did
   in the nation. To demonstrate the supremacy of the true God over all
   the gods of Egypt, was the design of the plagues.

   I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go--As his honor and
   interest were both involved he determined to crush this attempt, and in
   a tone of insolence, or perhaps profanity, rejected the request for the
   release of the Hebrew slaves.

   3. The God of the Hebrews hath met with us--Instead of being provoked
   into reproaches or threats, they mildly assured him that it was not a
   proposal originating among themselves, but a duty enjoined on them by
   their God. They had for a long series of years been debarred from the
   privilege of religious worship, and as there was reason to fear that a
   continued neglect of divine ordinances would draw down upon them the
   judgments of offended heaven, they begged permission to go three days'
   journey into the desert--a place of seclusion--where their sacrificial
   observances would neither suffer interruption nor give umbrage to the
   Egyptians. In saying this, they concealed their ultimate design of
   abandoning the kingdom, and by making this partial request at first,
   they probably wished to try the king's temper before they disclosed
   their intentions any farther. But they said only what God had put in
   their mouths (Ex 3:12, 18), and this "legalizes the specific act, while
   it gives no sanction to the general habit of dissimulation" [Chalmers].

   4. Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works?
   &c.--Without taking any notice of what they had said, he treated them
   as ambitious demagogues, who were appealing to the superstitious
   feelings of the people, to stir up sedition and diffuse a spirit of
   discontent, which spreading through so vast a body of slaves, might
   endanger the peace of the country.

   6. Pharaoh commanded--It was a natural consequence of the high
   displeasure created by this interview that he should put additional
   burdens on the oppressed Israelites.

   taskmasters--Egyptian overseers, appointed to exact labor of the
   Israelites.

   officers--Hebrews placed over their brethren, under the taskmasters,
   precisely analogous to the Arab officers set over the Arab Fellahs, the
   poor laborers in modern Egypt.

   7. Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick--The making of
   bricks appears to have been a government monopoly as the ancient bricks
   are nearly all stamped with the name of a king, and they were formed,
   as they are still in Lower Egypt, of clay mixed with chopped straw and
   dried or hardened in the sun. The Israelites were employed in this
   drudgery; and though they still dwelt in Goshen and held property in
   flocks and herds, they were compelled in rotation to serve in the brick
   quarries, pressed in alternating groups, just as the fellaheen, or
   peasants, are marched by press gangs in the same country still.

   let them go and gather straw for themselves--The enraged despot did not
   issue orders to do an impracticable thing. The Egyptian reapers in the
   corn harvest were accustomed merely to cut off the ears and leave the
   stalk standing.

   8. tale--an appointed number of bricks. The materials of their labor
   were to be no longer supplied, and yet, as the same amount of produce
   was exacted daily, it is impossible to imagine more aggravated
   cruelty--a perfect specimen of Oriental despotism.

   12. So the people were scattered--It was an immense grievance to the
   laborers individually, but there would be no hindrance from the
   husbandmen whose fields they entered, as almost all the lands of Egypt
   were in the possession of the crown (Ge 47:20).

   13-19. And the taskmasters hasted them ... officers ... beaten--As the
   nearest fields were bared and the people had to go farther for stubble,
   it was impossible for them to meet the demand by the usual tale of
   bricks. "The beating of the officers is just what might have been
   expected from an Eastern tyrant, especially in the valley of the Nile,
   as it appears from the monuments, that ancient Egypt, like modern
   China, was principally governed by the stick" [Taylor]. "The mode of
   beating was by the offender being laid flat on the ground and generally
   held by the hands and feet while the chastisement was administered"
   [Wilkinson]. (De 25:2). A picture representing the Hebrews on a brick
   field, exactly as described in this chapter, was found in an Egyptian
   tomb at Thebes.

   20, 21. they met Moses ... The Lord look upon you, and judge--Thus the
   deliverer of Israel found that this patriotic interference did, in the
   first instance, only aggravate the evil he wished to remove, and that
   instead of receiving the gratitude, he was loaded with the reproaches
   of his countrymen. But as the greatest darkness is immediately before
   the dawn, so the people of God are often plunged into the deepest
   affliction when on the eve of their deliverance; and so it was in this
   case.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 6

   Ex 6:1-13. Renewal of the Promise.

   1. the Lord said unto Moses--The Lord, who is long-suffering and
   indulgent to the errors and infirmities of His people, made allowance
   for the mortification of Moses as the result of this first interview
   and cheered him with the assurance of a speedy and successful
   termination to his embassy.

   2. And God spake unto Moses--For his further encouragement, there was
   made to him an emphatic repetition of the promise (Ex 3:20).

   3. I ... God Almighty--All enemies must fall, all difficulties must
   vanish before My omnipotent power, and the patriarchs had abundant
   proofs of this.

   but by my name, &c.--rather, interrogatively, by My name Jehovah was I
   not known to them? Am not I, the Almighty God, who pledged My honor for
   the fulfilment of the covenant, also the self-existent God who lives to
   accomplish it? Rest assured, therefore, that I shall bring it to pass.
   This passage has occasioned much discussion; and it has been thought by
   many to intimate that as the name Jehovah was not known to the
   patriarchs, at least in the full bearing or practical experience of it,
   the honor of the disclosure was reserved to Moses, who was the first
   sent with a message in the name of Jehovah, and enabled to attest it by
   a series of public miracles.

   9-11. Moses spake so unto the children of Israel--The increased
   severities inflicted on the Israelites seem to have so entirely crushed
   their spirits, as well as irritated them, that they refused to listen
   to any more communications (Ex 14:12). Even the faith of Moses himself
   was faltering; and he would have abandoned the enterprise in despair
   had he not received a positive command from God to revisit the people
   without delay, and at the same time renew their demand on the king in a
   more decisive and peremptory tone.

   12. how then shall ... who am of uncircumcised lips?--A metaphorical
   expression among the Hebrews, who, taught to look on the circumcision
   of any part as denoting perfection, signified its deficiency or
   unsuitableness by uncircumcision. The words here express how painfully
   Moses felt his want of utterance or persuasive oratory. He seems to
   have fallen into the same deep despondency as his brethren, and to be
   shrinking with nervous timidity from a difficult, if not desperate,
   cause. If he had succeeded so ill with the people, whose dearest
   interests were all involved, what better hope could he entertain of his
   making more impression on the heart of a king elated with pride and
   strong in the possession of absolute power? How strikingly was the
   indulgent forbearance of God displayed towards His people amid all
   their backwardness to hail His announcement of approaching deliverance!
   No perverse complaints or careless indifference on their part retarded
   the development of His gracious purposes. On the contrary, here, as
   generally, the course of His providence is slow in the infliction of
   judgments, while it moves more quickly, as it were, when misery is to
   be relieved or benefits conferred.

   Ex 6:14-30. The Genealogy of Moses.

   14, 15. These be the heads of their fathers' houses--chiefs or
   governors of their houses. The insertion of this genealogical table in
   this part of the narrative was intended to authenticate the descent of
   Moses and Aaron. Both of them were commissioned to act so important a
   part in the events transacted in the court of Egypt and afterwards
   elevated to so high offices in the government and Church of God, that
   it was of the utmost importance that their lineage should be accurately
   traced. Reuben and Simeon being the oldest of Jacob's sons, a passing
   notice is taken of them, and then the historian advances to the
   enumeration of the principal persons in the house of Levi [Ex 6:16-19].

   20. Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife--The Septuagint
   and Syriac versions render it "his cousin."

   23. Elisheba--that is, Elizabethan. These minute particulars recorded
   of the family of Aaron, while he has passed over his own, indicate the
   real modesty of Moses. An ambitious man or an impostor would have acted
   in a different manner.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 7

   Ex 7:1-25. Second Interview with Pharaoh.

   1. the Lord said unto Moses--He is here encouraged to wait again on the
   king--not, however, as formerly, in the attitude of a humble suppliant,
   but now armed with credentials as God's ambassador, and to make his
   demand in a tone and manner which no earthly monarch or court ever
   witnessed.

   I have made thee a god--"made," that is, set, appointed; "a god"; that
   is, he was to act in this business as God's representative, to act and
   speak in His name and to perform things beyond the ordinary course of
   nature. The Orientals familiarly say of a man who is eminently great or
   wise, "he is a god" among men.

   Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet--that is, "interpreter" or
   "spokesman." The one was to be the vicegerent of God, and the other
   must be considered the speaker throughout all the ensuing scenes, even
   though his name is not expressly mentioned.

   3. I will harden Pharaoh's heart--This would be the result. But the
   divine message would be the occasion, not the cause of the king's
   impenitent obduracy.

   4, 5. I may lay mine hand upon Egypt, &c.--The succession of terrible
   judgments with which the country was about to be scourged would fully
   demonstrate the supremacy of Israel's God.

   7. Moses was fourscore years old--This advanced age was a pledge that
   they had not been readily betrayed into a rash or hazardous enterprise,
   and that under its attendant infirmities they could not have carried
   through the work on which they were entering had they not been
   supported by a divine hand.

   9. When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, &c.--The king would naturally
   demand some evidence of their having been sent from God; and as he
   would expect the ministers of his own gods to do the same works, the
   contest, in the nature of the case, would be one of miracles. Notice
   has already been taken of the rod of Moses (Ex 4:2), but rods were
   carried also by all nobles and official persons in the court of
   Pharaoh. It was an Egyptian custom, and the rods were symbols of
   authority or rank. Hence God commanded His servants to use a rod.

   10. Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, &c.--It is to be presumed
   that Pharaoh had demanded a proof of their divine mission.

   11. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers, &c.--His
   object in calling them was to ascertain whether this doing of Aaron's
   was really a work of divine power or merely a feat of magical art. The
   magicians of Egypt in modern times have been long celebrated adepts in
   charming serpents, and particularly by pressing the nape of the neck,
   they throw them into a kind of catalepsy, which renders them stiff and
   immovable--thus seeming to change them into a rod. They conceal the
   serpent about their persons, and by acts of legerdemain produce it from
   their dress, stiff and straight as a rod. Just the same trick was
   played off by their ancient predecessors, the most renowned of whom,
   Jannes and Jambres (2Ti 3:8), were called in on this occasion. They had
   time after the summons to make suitable preparations--and so it appears
   they succeeded by their "enchantments" in practising an illusion on the
   senses.

   12. but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods--This was what they could
   not be prepared for, and the discomfiture appeared in the loss of their
   rods, which were probably real serpents.

   14. Pharaoh's heart is hardened--Whatever might have been his first
   impressions, they were soon dispelled; and when he found his magicians
   making similar attempts, he concluded that Aaron's affair was a magical
   deception, the secret of which was not known to his wise men.

   15. Get thee unto Pharaoh--Now began those appalling miracles of
   judgment by which the God of Israel, through His ambassadors, proved
   His sole and unchallengeable supremacy over all the gods of Egypt, and
   which were the natural phenomena of Egypt, at an unusual season, and in
   a miraculous degree of intensity. The court of Egypt, whether held at
   Rameses, or Memphis, or Tanis in the field of Zoan (Ps 78:12), was the
   scene of those extraordinary transactions, and Moses must have resided
   during that terrible period in the immediate neighborhood.

   in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water--for the purpose of
   ablutions or devotions perhaps; for the Nile was an object of
   superstitious reverence, the patron deity of the country. It might be
   that Moses had been denied admission into the palace; but be that as it
   may, the river was to be the subject of the first plague, and
   therefore, he was ordered to repair to its banks with the
   miracle-working rod, now to be raised, not in demonstration, but in
   judgment, if the refractory spirit of the king should still refuse
   consent to Israel's departure for their sacred rites.

   17-21. Aaron lifted up the rod and smote the waters, &c.--Whether the
   water was changed into real blood, or only the appearance of it (and
   Omnipotence could effect the one as easily as the other), this was a
   severe calamity. How great must have been the disappointment and
   disgust throughout the land when the river became of a blood red color,
   of which they had a national abhorrence; their favorite beverage became
   a nauseous draught, and the fish, which formed so large an article of
   food, were destroyed. [See on [17]Nu 11:5.] The immense scale on which
   the plague was inflicted is seen by its extending to "the streams," or
   branches of the Nile--to the "rivers," the canals, the "ponds" and
   "pools," that which is left after an overflow, the reservoirs, and the
   many domestic vessels in which the Nile water was kept to filter. And
   accordingly the sufferings of the people from thirst must have been
   severe. Nothing could more humble the pride of Egypt than this dishonor
   brought on their national god.

   22. And the magicians ... did so with their enchantments, &c.--Little
   or no pure water could be procured, and therefore their imitation must
   have been on a small scale--the only drinkable water available being
   dug among the sands. It must have been on a sample or specimen of water
   dyed red with some coloring matter. But it was sufficient to serve as a
   pretext or command for the king to turn unmoved and go to his house.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 8

   Ex 8:1-15. Plague of Frogs.

   1. the Lord spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh--The duration of the
   first plague for a whole week must have satisfied all that it was
   produced not by any accidental causes, but by the agency of omnipotent
   power. As a judgment of God, however, it produced no good effect, and
   Moses was commanded to wait on the king and threaten him, in the event
   of his continued obstinacy, with the infliction of a new and different
   plague. As Pharaoh's answer is not given, it may be inferred to have
   been unfavorable, for the rod was again raised.

   2. I will smite all thy borders with frogs--Those animals, though the
   natural spawn of the river, and therefore objects familiar to the
   people, were on this occasion miraculously multiplied to an amazing
   extent, and it is probable that the ova of the frogs, which had been
   previously deposited in the mire and marshes, were miraculously brought
   to perfection at once.

   3. bedchamber ... bed--mats strewed on the floor as well as more
   sumptuous divans of the rich.

   ovens--holes made in the ground and the sides of which are plastered
   with mortar.

   kneading-troughs--Those used in Egypt were bowls of wicker or rush
   work. What must have been the state of the people when they could find
   no means of escape from the cold, damp touch and unsightly presence of
   the frogs, as they alighted on every article and vessel of food!

   5, 6. Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, &c. The
   miracle consisted in the reptiles leaving their marshes at the very
   time he commanded them.

   7. the magicians did so with their enchantments--required no great art
   to make the offensive reptiles appear on any small spot of ground. What
   they undertook to do already existed in abundance all around. They
   would better have shown their power by removing the frogs.

   8-15. Pharaoh called, ... Intreat the Lord, that he may take away the
   frogs from me--The frog, which was now used as an instrument of
   affliction, whether from reverence or abhorrence, was an object of
   national superstition with the Egyptians, the god Ptha being
   represented with a frog's head. But the vast numbers, together with
   their stench, made them an intolerable nuisance so that the king was so
   far humbled as to promise that, if Moses would intercede for their
   removal, he would consent to the departure of Israel, and in compliance
   with this appeal, they were withdrawn at the very hour named by the
   monarch himself. But many, while suffering the consequences of their
   sins, make promises of amendment and obedience which they afterwards
   forget; and so Pharaoh, when he saw there was a respite, was again
   hardened [Ex 8:15].

   Ex 8:16-19. Plague of Lice.

   16. smite the dust of the land, &c.--Aaron's rod, by the direction of
   Moses, who was commanded by God, was again raised, and the land was
   filled with gnats, mosquitoes--that is the proper meaning of the
   original term. In ordinary circumstances they embitter life in Eastern
   countries, and therefore the terrible nature of this infliction on
   Egypt may be imagined when no precautions could preserve from their
   painful sting. The very smallness and insignificance of these fierce
   insects made them a dreadful scourge. The magicians never attempted any
   imitation, and what neither the blood of the river nor the nuisance of
   the frogs had done, the visitation of this tiny enemy constrained them
   to acknowledge "this is the finger of God"--properly "gods," for they
   spoke as heathens.

   Ex 8:20-32. Plague of Flies.

   20-24. Rise up early ... Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water,
   &c.--Pharaoh still appearing obdurate, Moses was ordered to meet him
   while walking on the banks of the Nile and repeat his request for the
   liberation of Israel, threatening in case of continued refusal to cover
   every house from the palace to the cottage with swarms of flies--while,
   as a proof of the power that accomplished this judgment, the land of
   Goshen should be exempted from the calamity. The appeal was equally
   vain as before, and the predicted evil overtook the country in the form
   of what was not "flies," such as we are accustomed to, but divers sorts
   of flies (Ps 78:45), the gad fly, the cockroach, the Egyptian beetle,
   for all these are mentioned by different writers. They are very
   destructive, some of them inflicting severe bites on animals, others
   destroying clothes, books, plants, every thing. The worship of flies,
   particularly of the beetle, was a prominent part of the religion of the
   ancient Egyptians. The employment of these winged deities to chastise
   them must have been painful and humiliating to the Egyptians while it
   must at the same time have strengthened the faith of the Israelites in
   the God of their fathers as the only object of worship.

   25-32. Pharaoh called for Moses, ... Go ye, sacrifice to your God in
   the land, &c.--Between impatient anxiety to be freed from this scourge
   and a reluctance on the part of the Hebrew bondsmen, the king followed
   the course of expediency; he proposed to let them free to engage in
   their religious rites within any part of the kingdom. But true to his
   instructions, Moses would accede to no such arrangement; he stated a
   most valid reason to show the danger of it, and the king having yielded
   so far as to allow them a brief holiday across the border, annexed to
   this concession a request that Moses would entreat with Jehovah for the
   removal of the plague. He promised to do so, and it was removed the
   following day. But no sooner was the pressure over than the spirit of
   Pharaoh, like a bent bow, sprang back to its wonted obduracy, and,
   regardless of his promise, he refused to let the people depart.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 9

   Ex 9:1-7. Murrain of Beasts.

   3-5. Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle--A fifth
   application was made to Pharaoh in behalf of the Israelites by Moses,
   who was instructed to tell him that, if he persisted in opposing their
   departure, a pestilence would be sent among all the flocks and herds of
   the Egyptians, while those of the Israelites would be spared. As he
   showed no intention of keeping his promise, he was still a mark for the
   arrows of the Almighty's quiver, and the threatened plague of which he
   was forewarned was executed. But it is observable that in this instance
   it was not inflicted through the instrumentality or waving of Aaron's
   rod, but directly by the hand of the Lord, and the fixing of the
   precise time tended still further to determine the true character of
   the calamity (Jer 12:4).

   6. all the cattle of Egypt died--not absolutely every beast, for we
   find (Ex 9:19, 21) that there were still some left; but a great many
   died of each herd--the mortality was frequent and widespread. The
   adaptation of this judgment consisted in Egyptians venerating the more
   useful animals such as the ox, the cow, and the ram; in all parts of
   the country temples were reared and divine honors paid to these
   domesticated beasts, and thus while the pestilence caused a great loss
   in money, it also struck a heavy blow at their superstition.

   7. Pharaoh sent ... there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites
   dead--The despatch of confidential messengers indicates that he would
   not give credit to vague reports, and we may conclude that some
   impression had been made on his mind by that extraordinary exemption,
   but it was neither a good nor a permanent impression. His pride and
   obstinacy were in no degree subdued.

   Ex 9:8-17. Plague of Boils.

   8. Take to you handfuls of ashes, &c.--The next plague assailed the
   persons of the Egyptians, and it appeared in the form of ulcerous
   eruptions upon the skin and flesh (Le 13:20; 2Ki 20:7; Job 2:7). That
   this epidemic did not arise from natural causes was evident from its
   taking effect from the particular action of Moses done in the sight of
   Pharaoh. The attitude he assumed was similar to that of Eastern
   magicians, who, "when they pronounce an imprecation on an individual, a
   village, or a country, take the ashes of cows' dung (that is, from a
   common fire) and throw them in the air, saying to the objects of their
   displeasure, such a sickness or such a curse shall come upon you"
   [Roberts].

   10. Moses took ashes from the furnace--Hebrew, "brick-kiln." The
   magicians, being sufferers in their own persons, could do nothing,
   though they had been called; and as the brick-kiln was one of the
   principal instruments of oppression to the Israelites [De 4:20; 1Ki
   8:51; Jer 11:4], it was now converted into a means of chastisement to
   the Egyptians, who were made to read their sin in their punishment.

   Ex 9:18-35. Plague of Hail.

   18. I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, &c.--The seventh
   plague which Pharaoh's hardened heart provoked was that of hail, a
   phenomenon which must have produced the greatest astonishment and
   consternation in Egypt as rain and hailstones, accompanied by thunder
   and lightning, were very rare occurrences.

   such as hath not been in Egypt--In the Delta, or lower Egypt, where the
   scene is laid, rain occasionally falls between January and March--hail
   is not unknown, and thunder sometimes heard. But a storm, not only
   exhibiting all these elements, but so terrific that hailstones of
   immense size fell, thunder pealed in awful volleys, and lightning swept
   the ground like fire, was an unexampled calamity.

   20, 21. He that feared the word of the Lord ... regarded not, &c.--Due
   premonition, it appears, had been publicly given of the impending
   tempest--the cattle seem to have been sent out to graze, which is from
   January to April, when alone pasturage can be obtained, and accordingly
   the cattle were in the fields. This storm occurring at that season, not
   only struck universal terror into the minds of the people, but
   occasioned the destruction of all--people and cattle--which, in neglect
   of the warning, had been left in the fields, as well as of all
   vegetation [Ex 9:25]. It was the more appalling because hailstones in
   Egypt are small and of little force; lightning also is scarcely ever
   known to produce fatal effects; and to enhance the wonder, not a trace
   of any storm was found in Goshen [Ex 9:26].

   27-35. Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto
   them, I have sinned--This awful display of divine displeasure did
   seriously impress the mind of Pharaoh, and, under the weight of his
   convictions, he humbles himself to confess he has done wrong in
   opposing the divine will. At the same time he calls for Moses to
   intercede for cessation of the calamity. Moses accedes to his earnest
   wishes, and this most awful visitation ended. But his repentance proved
   a transient feeling, and his obduracy soon became as great as before.

   31, 32. the flax and the barley was smitten, &c.--The peculiarities
   that are mentioned in these cereal products arise from the climate and
   physical constitution of Egypt. In that country flax and barley are
   almost ripe when wheat and rye (spelt) are green. And hence the flax
   must have been "bolled"--that is, risen in stalk or podded in February,
   thus fixing the particular month when the event took place. Barley
   ripens about a month earlier than wheat. Flax and barley are generally
   ripe in March, wheat and rye (properly, spelt) in April.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 10

   Ex 10:1-20. Plague of Locusts.

   1. show these my signs, &c.--Sinners even of the worst description are
   to be admonished even though there may be little hope of amendment, and
   hence those striking miracles that carried so clear and conclusive
   demonstration of the being and character of the true God were performed
   in lengthened series before Pharaoh to leave him without excuse when
   judgment should be finally executed.

   2. And that thou mayest tell ... of thy son, and of thy son's son,
   &c.--There was a further and higher reason for the infliction of those
   awful judgments, namely, that the knowledge of them there, and the
   permanent record of them still, might furnish a salutary and impressive
   lesson to the Church down to the latest ages. Worldly historians might
   have described them as extraordinary occurrences that marked this era
   of Moses in ancient Egypt. But we are taught to trace them to their
   cause: the judgments of divine wrath on a grossly idolatrous king and
   nation.

   4. to-morrow will I bring the locusts--Moses was commissioned to renew
   the request, so often made and denied, with an assurance that an
   unfavorable answer would be followed on the morrow by an invasion of
   locusts. This species of insect resembles a large, spotted, red and
   black, double-winged grasshopper, about three inches or less in length,
   with the two hind legs working like hinged springs of immense strength
   and elasticity. Perhaps no more terrible scourge was ever brought on a
   land than those voracious insects, which fly in such countless numbers
   as to darken the land which they infest; and on whatever place they
   alight, they convert it into a waste and barren desert, stripping the
   ground of its verdure, the trees of their leaves and bark, and
   producing in a few hours a degree of desolation which it requires the
   lapse of years to repair.

   7-11. Pharaoh's servants said--Many of his courtiers must have suffered
   serious losses from the late visitations, and the prospect of such a
   calamity as that which was threatened and the magnitude of which former
   experience enabled them to realize, led them to make a strong
   remonstrance with the king. Finding himself not seconded by his
   counsellors in his continued resistance, he recalled Moses and Aaron,
   and having expressed his consent to their departure, inquired who were
   to go. The prompt and decisive reply, "all," neither man nor beast
   shall remain, raised a storm of indignant fury in the breast of the
   proud king. He would permit the grown-up men to go away; but no other
   terms would be listened to.

   11. they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence--In the East, when a
   person of authority and rank feels annoyed by a petition which he is
   unwilling to grant, he makes a signal to his attendants, who rush
   forward and, seizing the obnoxious suppliant by the neck, drag him out
   of the chamber with violent haste. Of such a character was the
   impassioned scene in the court of Egypt when the king had wrought
   himself into such a fit of uncontrollable fury as to treat
   ignominiously the two venerable representatives of the Hebrew people.

   13-19. the Lord brought an east wind--The rod of Moses was again
   raised, and the locusts came. They are natives of the desert and are
   only brought by an east wind into Egypt, where they sometimes come in
   sun-obscuring clouds, destroying in a few days every green blade in the
   track they traverse. Man, with all his contrivances, can do nothing to
   protect himself from the overwhelming invasion. Egypt has often
   suffered from locusts. But the plague that followed the wave of the
   miraculous rod was altogether unexampled. Pharaoh, fearing
   irretrievable ruin to his country, sent in haste for Moses, and
   confessing his sin, implored the intercession of Moses, who entreated
   the Lord, and a "mighty strong west wind took away the locusts."

   Ex 10:21-29. Plague of Darkness.

   21-23. Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be
   darkness--Whatever secondary means were employed in producing it,
   whether thick clammy fogs and vapors, according to some; a sandstorm,
   or the chamsin, according to others; it was such that it could be
   almost perceived by the organs of touch, and so protracted as to
   continue for three days, which the chamsin does [Hengstenberg]. The
   appalling character of this calamity consisted in this, that the sun
   was an object of Egyptian idolatry; that the pure and serene sky of
   that country was never marred by the appearance of a cloud. And here,
   too, the Lord made a marked difference between Goshen and the rest of
   Egypt.

   24-26. Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the
   Lord--Terrified by the preternatural darkness, the stubborn king
   relents, and proposes another compromise--the flocks and herds to be
   left as hostages for their return. But the crisis is approaching, and
   Moses insists on every iota of his demand. The cattle would be needed
   for sacrifice--how many or how few could not be known till their
   arrival at the scene of religious observance. But the emancipation of
   Israel from Egyptian bondage was to be complete.

   28. Pharaoh said, ... Get thee from me--The calm firmness of Moses
   provoked the tyrant. Frantic with disappointment and rage, with
   offended and desperate malice, he ordered him from his presence and
   forbade him ever to return.

   29. Moses said, Thou hast spoken well.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 11

   Ex 11:1-10. Death of the First-born Threatened.

   1. the Lord said--rather, "had said unto Moses." It may be inferred,
   therefore, that he had been apprised that the crisis had now arrived,
   that the next plague would so effectually humble and alarm the mind of
   Pharaoh, that he would "thrust them out thence altogether"; and thus
   the word of Moses (Ex 10:29), must be regarded as a prediction.

   2, 3. Speak now in the ears of the people--These verses, describing the
   communication which had been made in private to Moses, are inserted
   here as a parenthesis, and will be considered (Ex 12:35).

   4. Thus saith the Lord, About midnight--Here is recorded the
   announcement of the last plague made in the most solemn manner to the
   king, on whose hardened heart all his painful experience had hitherto
   produced no softening, at least no permanently good effect.

   will I go out into the midst of Egypt--language used after the manner
   of men.

   5. And all the first-born in the land ... shall die--The time, the
   suddenness, the dreadful severity of this coming calamity, and the
   peculiar description of victims, among both men and beasts, on whom it
   was to fall, would all contribute to aggravate its character.

   the maid-servant that is behind the mill--The grinding of the meal for
   daily use in every household is commonly done by female slaves and is
   considered the lowest employment. Two portable millstones are used for
   the purpose, of which the uppermost is turned by a small wooden handle,
   and during the operation the maid sits behind the mill.

   6. shall be a great cry throughout all the land--In the case of a
   death, people in the East set up loud wailings, and imagination may
   conceive what "a great cry" would be raised when death would invade
   every family in the kingdom.

   7. against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his
   tongue--No town or village in Egypt or in the East generally is free
   from the nuisance of dogs, who prowl about the streets and make the
   most hideous noise at any passers-by at night. What an emphatic
   significance does the knowledge of this circumstance give to this fact
   in the sacred record, that on the awful night that was coming, when the
   air should be rent with the piercing shrieks of mourners, so great and
   universal would be the panic inspired by the hand of God, that not a
   dog would move his tongue against the children of Israel!

   8. all these thy servants shall ... bow down themselves unto me--This
   would be the effect of the universal terror; the hearts of the proudest
   would be humbled and do reverential homage to God, in the person of His
   representative.

   went out ... in a great anger--Holy and righteous indignation at the
   duplicity, repeated falsehood, and hardened impenitence of the king;
   and this strong emotion was stirred in the bosom of Moses, not at the
   ill reception given to himself, but the dishonor done to God (Mt 19:8;
   Eph 4:26).
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 12

   Ex 12:1-10. The Passover Instituted.

   1. the Lord spake unto Moses--rather, "had spoken unto Moses and
   Aaron"; for it is evident that the communication here described must
   have been made to them on or before the tenth of the month.

   2. this month shall be unto you the beginning of months--the first not
   only in order but in estimation. It had formerly been the seventh
   according to the reckoning of the civil year, which began in September,
   and continued unchanged, but it was thenceforth to stand first in the
   national religious year which began in March, April.

   3. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel--The recent events had
   prepared the Israelitish people for a crisis in their affairs, and they
   seem to have yielded implicit obedience at this time to Moses. It is
   observable that, amid all the hurry and bustle of such a departure,
   their serious attention was to be given to a solemn act of religion.

   a lamb for an house--a kid might be taken (Ex 12:5). The service was to
   be a domestic one, for the deliverance was to be from an evil
   threatened to every house in Egypt.

   4. if the household be too little for the lamb, &c.--It appears from
   Josephus that ten persons were required to make up the proper paschal
   communion.

   every man according to his eating--It is said that the quantity eaten
   of the paschal lamb, by each individual, was about the size of an
   olive.

   5. lamb ... without blemish--The smallest deformity or defect made a
   lamb unfit for sacrifice--a type of Christ (Heb 7:26; 1Pe 1:19).

   a male of the first year--Christ in the prime of life.

   6. keep it up until the fourteenth day, &c.--Being selected from the
   rest of the flock, it was to be separated four days before sacrifice;
   and for the same length of time was Christ under examination and His
   spotless innocence declared before the world.

   kill it in the evening--that is, the interval between the sun's
   beginning to decline, and sunset, corresponding to our three o'clock in
   the afternoon.

   7. take of the blood, and strike it on the two side-posts, &c.--as a
   sign of safety to those within. The posts must be considered of tents,
   in which the Israelites generally lived, though some might be in
   houses. Though the Israelites were sinners as well as the Egyptians,
   God was pleased to accept the substitution of a lamb--the blood of
   which, being seen sprinkled on the doorposts, procured them mercy. It
   was to be on the sideposts and upper doorposts, where it might be
   looked to, not on the threshold, where it might be trodden under foot.
   This was an emblem of the blood of sprinkling (Heb 12:24; 10:29).

   8. roast with fire--for the sake of expedition; and this difference was
   always observed between the cooking of the paschal lamb and the other
   offerings (2Ch 35:13).

   unleavened bread--also for the sake of despatch (De 16:3), but as a
   kind of corruption (Lu 12:1) there seems to have been a typical meaning
   under it (1Co 5:8).

   bitter herbs--literally, "bitters"--to remind the Israelites of their
   affliction in Egypt, and morally of the trials to which God's people
   are subject on account of sin.

   9. Eat not of it raw--that is, with any blood remaining; a caveat
   against conformity to idolatrous practices. It was to be roasted whole,
   not a bone to be broken, and this pointed to Christ (Joh 19:36).

   10. let nothing of it remain until the morning--which might be applied
   in a superstitious manner, or allowed to putrefy, which in a hot
   climate would speedily have ensued; and which was not becoming in what
   had been offered to God.

   Ex 12:11-14. The Rite of the Passover.

   11. thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your
   feet--as prepared for a journey. The first was done by the skirts of
   the loose outer cloth being drawn up and fastened in the girdle, so as
   to leave the leg and knee free for motion. As to the other, the
   Orientals never wear shoes indoors, and the ancient Egyptians, as
   appears from the monuments, did not usually wear either shoes or
   sandals. These injunctions seem to have applied chiefly to the first
   celebration of the rite.

   it is the Lord's passover--called by this name from the blood-marked
   dwellings of the Israelites being passed over figuratively by the
   destroying angel.

   12. smite ... gods of Egypt--perhaps used here for princes and
   grandees. But, according to Jewish tradition, the idols of Egypt were
   all on that night broken in pieces (see Nu 33:4; Isa 19:1).

   14. for a memorial, &c.--The close analogy traceable in all points
   between the Jewish and Christian passovers is seen also in the
   circumstance that both festivals were instituted before the events they
   were to commemorate had transpired.

   Ex 12:15-51. Unleavened Bread.

   15. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread, &c.--This was to
   commemorate another circumstance in the departure of the Israelites,
   who were urged to leave so hurriedly that their dough was unleavened
   (Ex 12:39), and they had to eat unleavened cakes (De 16:3). The
   greatest care was always taken by the Jews to free their houses from
   leaven--the owner searching every corner of his dwelling with a lighted
   candle. A figurative allusion to this is made (1Co 5:7). The exclusion
   of leaven for seven days would not be attended with inconvenience in
   the East, where the usual leaven is dough kept till it becomes sour,
   and it is kept from one day to another for the purpose of preserving
   leaven in readiness. Thus even were there none in all the country, it
   could be got within twenty-four hours [Harmer].

   that soul shall be cut off--excommunicated from the community and
   privileges of the chosen people.

   16. there shall be an holy convocation--literally, calling of the
   people, which was done by sound of trumpets (Nu 10:2), a sacred
   assembly--for these days were to be regarded as Sabbaths--excepting
   only that meat might be cooked on them (Ex 16:23).

   17. ye shall observe, &c.--The seven days of this feast were to
   commence the day after the passover. It was a distinct festival
   following that feast; but although this feast was instituted like the
   passover before the departure, the observance of it did not take place
   till after.

   19. stranger--No foreigner could partake of the passover, unless
   circumcised; the "stranger" specified as admissible to the privilege
   must, therefore, be considered a Gentile proselyte.

   21-25. Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, &c.--Here are
   given special directions for the observance.

   22. hyssop--a small red moss [Hasselquist]; the caper-plant [Royle]. It
   was used in the sprinkling, being well adapted for such purposes, as it
   grows in bushes--putting out plenty of suckers from a single root. And
   it is remarkable that it was ordained in the arrangements of an
   all-wise Providence that the Roman soldiers should undesignedly, on
   their part, make use of this symbolical plant to Christ when, as our
   Passover, He was sacrificed for us [Joh 19:29].

   none ... shall go out at the door of his house until the morning--This
   regulation was peculiar to the first celebration, and intended, as some
   think, to prevent any suspicion attaching to them of being agents in
   the impending destruction of the Egyptians; there is an allusion to it
   (Isa 26:20).

   26. when your children shall say, ... What mean ye by this
   service--Independently of some observances which were not afterwards
   repeated, the usages practised at this yearly commemorative feast were
   so peculiar that the curiosity of the young would be stimulated, and
   thus parents had an excellent opportunity, which they were enjoined to
   embrace, for instructing each rising generation in the origin and
   leading facts of the national faith.

   27, 28. the people bowed the head, and worshipped--All the preceding
   directions were communicated through the elders, and the Israelites,
   being deeply solemnized by the influence of past and prospective
   events, gave prompt and faithful obedience.

   29. at midnight the Lord smote all the first-born in the land of
   Egypt--At the moment when the Israelites were observing the newly
   instituted feast in the singular manner described, the threatened
   calamity overtook the Egyptians. It is more easy to imagine than
   describe the confusion and terror of that people suddenly roused from
   sleep and enveloped in darkness--none could assist their neighbors when
   the groans of the dying and the wild shrieks of mourners were heard
   everywhere around. The hope of every family was destroyed at a stroke.
   This judgment, terrible though it was, evinced the equity of divine
   retribution. For eighty years the Egyptians had caused the male
   children of the Israelites to be cast into the river [Ex 1:16], and now
   all their own first-born fell under the stroke of the destroying angel.
   They were made, in the justice of God, to feel something of what they
   had made His people feel. Many a time have the hands of sinners made
   the snares in which they have themselves been entangled, and fallen
   into the pit which they have dug for the righteous [Pr 28:10]. "Verily
   there is a God that judgeth in the earth" [Ps 58:11].

   30. there was not a house where there was not one dead--Perhaps this
   statement is not to be taken absolutely. The Scriptures frequently use
   the words "all," "none," in a comparative sense--and so in this case.
   There would be many a house in which there would be no child, and many
   in which the first-born might be already dead. What is to be understood
   is, that almost every house in Egypt had a death in it.

   31. called for Moses and Aaron--a striking fulfilment of the words of
   Moses (Ex 11:8), and showing that they were spoken under divine
   suggestion.

   32. also take your flocks, &c.--All the terms the king had formerly
   insisted on were now departed from; his pride had been effectually
   humbled. Appalling judgments in such rapid succession showed plainly
   that the hand of God was against him. His own family bereavement had so
   crushed him to the earth that he not only showed impatience to rid his
   kingdom of such formidable neighbors, but even begged an interest in
   their prayers.

   34. people took ... their kneading-troughs--Having lived so long in
   Egypt, they must have been in the habit of using the utensils common in
   that country. The Egyptian kneading-trough was a bowl of wicker or rush
   work, and it admitted of being hastily wrapped up with the dough in it
   and slung over the shoulder in their hykes or loose upper garments.

   35. children of Israel borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver--When
   the Orientals go to their sacred festivals, they always put on their
   best jewels. The Israelites themselves thought they were only going
   three days' journey to hold a feast unto the Lord, and in these
   circumstances it would be easy for them to borrow what was necessary
   for a sacred festival. But borrow conveys a wrong meaning. The word
   rendered borrow signifies properly to ask, demand, require. The
   Israelites had been kept in great poverty, having received little or no
   wages. They now insisted on full remuneration for all their labor, and
   it was paid in light and valuable articles adapted for convenient
   carriage.

   36. the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians--Such
   a dread of them was inspired into the universal minds of the Egyptians,
   that whatever they asked was readily given.

   spoiled the Egyptians--The accumulated earnings of many years being
   paid them at this moment, the Israelites were suddenly enriched,
   according to the promise made to Abraham (Ge 15:14), and they left the
   country like a victorious army laden with spoil (Ps 105:37; Eze 39:10).

   37. The children of Israel journeyed from Rameses--now generally
   identified with the ancient Heroopolis, and fixed at the modern
   Abu-Keisheid. This position agrees with the statement that the scene of
   the miraculous judgments against Pharaoh was "in the field of Zoan" [Ps
   78:12, 43]. And it is probable that, in expectation of their departure,
   which the king on one pretext or another delayed, the Israelites had
   been assembled there as a general rendezvous. In journeying from
   Rameses to Palestine, there was a choice of two routes--the one along
   the shores of the Mediterranean to El-Arish, the other more circuitous
   round the head of the Red Sea and the desert of Sinai. The latter Moses
   was directed to take (Ex 13:17).

   to Succoth--that is, booths, probably nothing more than a place of
   temporary encampment. The Hebrew word signifies a covering or shelter
   formed by the boughs of trees; and hence, in memory of this lodgment,
   the Israelites kept the feast of tabernacles yearly in this manner.

   six hundred thousand ... men--It appears from Nu 1:3 that the
   enumeration is of men above twenty years of age. Assuming, what is now
   ascertained by statistical tables, that the number of males above that
   age is as nearly as possible the half of the total number of males, the
   whole male population of Israel, on this computation, would amount to
   1,200,000; and adding an equal number for women and children, the
   aggregate number of Israelites who left Egypt would be 2,400,000.

   38. a mixed multitude went with them--literally, "a great rabble" (see
   also Nu 11:4; De 29:11); slaves, persons in the lowest grades of
   society, partly natives and partly foreigners, bound close to them as
   companions in misery, and gladly availing themselves of the opportunity
   to escape in the crowd. (Compare Zec 8:23).

   40. the sojourning of the children of Israel ... four hundred and
   thirty years--The Septuagint renders it thus: "The sojourning of the
   children and of their fathers, which they sojourned in the land of
   Canaan and in the land of Egypt." These additions are important, for
   the period of sojourn in Egypt did not exceed two hundred fifteen
   years; but if we reckon from the time that Abraham entered Canaan and
   the promise was made in which the sojourn of his posterity in Egypt was
   announced, this makes up the time to four hundred thirty years.

   41. even the selfsame day--implying an exact and literal fulfilment of
   the predicted period.

   49. One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the
   stranger--This regulation displays the liberal spirit of the Hebrew
   institutions. Any foreigner might obtain admission to the privileges of
   the nation on complying with their sacred ordinances. In the Mosaic
   equally as in the Christian dispensation, privilege and duty were
   inseparably conjoined.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 13

   Ex 13:1, 2. The First-born Sanctified.

   2. Sanctify unto me all the first-born--To "sanctify" means to
   "consecrate," to "set apart" from a common to a sacred use. The
   foundation of this duty rested on the fact that the Israelites, having
   had their first-born preserved by a distinguishing act of grace from
   the general destruction that overtook the families of the Egyptians,
   were bound in token of gratitude to consider them as the Lord's
   peculiar property (compare Heb 12:23).

   Ex 13:3-10. Memorial of the Passover.

   3. Moses said unto the people, Remember this day--The day that gave
   them a national existence and introduced them into the privileges of
   independence and freedom, deserved to live in the memories of the
   Hebrews and their posterity; and, considering the signal interposition
   of God displayed in it, to be held not only in perpetual, but devout
   remembrance.

   house of bondage--literally, "house of slaves"--that is, a servile and
   degrading condition.

   for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place--The
   emancipation of Israel would never have been obtained except it had
   been wrung from the Egyptian tyrant by the appalling judgments of God,
   as had been at the outset of his mission announced to Moses (Ex 3:19).

   There shall no leavened bread, &c.--The words are elliptical, and the
   meaning of the clause may be paraphrased thus:--"For by strength of
   hand the Lord brought you out from this place, in such haste that there
   could or should be no leavened bread eaten."

   4. month Abib--literally, "a green ear," and hence the month Abib is
   the month of green ears, corresponding to the middle of our March. It
   was the best season for undertaking a journey to the desert region of
   Sinai, especially with flocks and herds; for then the winter torrents
   had subsided, and the wadies were covered with an early and luxuriant
   verdure.

   5-7. when the Lord shall bring thee--The passover is here instituted as
   a permanent festival of the Israelites. It was, however, only a
   prospective observance; we read of only one celebration of the passover
   during the protracted sojourn in the wilderness [Nu 9:5]; but on their
   settlement in the promised land, the season was hallowed as a sacred
   anniversary [Jos 5:10], in conformity with the directions here given.

   8. thou shalt show thy son in that day, saying--The establishment of
   this and the other sacred festivals presented the best opportunities of
   instructing the young in a knowledge of His gracious doings to their
   ancestors in Egypt.

   9. it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, &c.--There is no
   reason to believe that the Oriental tattooing--the custom of staining
   the hands with the powder of Hennah, as Eastern females now do--is here
   referred to. Nor is it probable that either this practice or the
   phylacteries of the Pharisees--parchment scrolls, which were worn on
   their wrists and foreheads--had so early an existence. The words are to
   be considered only as a figurative mode of expression.

   that the Lord's law may be in thy mouth, &c.--that is, that it may be
   the subject of frequent conversation and familiar knowledge among the
   people.

   Ex 13:11-16. Firstlings of Beasts.

   12, 13. every firstling, &c.--the injunction respecting the
   consecration of the first-born, as here repeated, with some additional
   circumstances. The firstlings of clean beasts, such as lambs, kids, and
   calves, if males, were to be devoted to God and employed in sacrifice.
   Those unclean beasts, as the ass's colt, being unfit for sacrifice,
   were to be redeemed (Nu 18:15).

   Ex 13:17-21. Journey from Egypt.

   17. God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines,
   although that was near, &c.--The shortest and most direct route from
   Egypt to Palestine was the usual caravan road that leads by Belbeis,
   El-Arish, to Ascalon and Gaza. The Philistines, who then possessed the
   latter, would have been sure to dispute their passage, for between them
   and the Israelites there was a hereditary feud (1Ch 7:21, 22); and so
   early a commencement of hostilities would have discouraged or dismayed
   the unwarlike band which Moses led. Their faith was to be exercised and
   strengthened, and from the commencement of their travels we observe the
   same careful proportion of burdens and trials to their character and
   state, as the gracious Lord shows to His people still in that spiritual
   journey of which the former was typical.

   18. God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the
   Red Sea, &c.--This wondrous expanse of water is a gulf of the Indian
   ocean. It was called in Hebrew "the weedy sea," from the forest of
   marine plants with which it abounds. But the name of the Red Sea is not
   so easily traced. Some think it was given from its contiguity to the
   countries of Edom ("red"); others derive it from its coral rocks; while
   a third class ascribe the origin of the name to an extremely red
   appearance of the water in some parts, caused by a numberless multitude
   of very small mollusca. This sea, at its northern extremity, separates
   into two smaller inlets--the eastern called anciently the Elanitic
   gulf, now the gulf of Akaba; and the western the Heroopolite gulf, now
   the gulf of Suez, which, there can be no doubt, extended much more to
   the north anciently than it does now. It was toward the latter the
   Israelites marched.

   went up harnessed--that is, girded, equipped for a long journey. (See
   Ps 105:37). The Margin renders it "five in a rank," meaning obviously
   five large divisions, under five presiding officers, according to the
   usages of all caravans; and a spectacle of such a mighty and motley
   multitude must have presented an imposing appearance, and its orderly
   progress could have been effected only by the superintending influence
   of God.

   19. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him--in fulfilment of the oath
   he exacted from his brethren (Ge 50:25, 26). The remains of the other
   patriarchs (not noticed from their obscurity) were also carried out of
   Egypt (Ac 7:15, 16); and there would be no difficulty as to the means
   of conveyance--a few camels bearing these precious relics would give a
   true picture of Oriental customs, such as is still to be seen in the
   immense pilgrimages to Mecca.

   20. encamped in Etham--This place is supposed by the most intelligent
   travellers to be the modern Ajrud, where is a watering-place, and which
   is the third stage of the pilgrim-caravans to Mecca. "It is remarkable
   that either of the different routes eastward from Heliopolis, or
   southward from Heroopolis, equally admit of Ajrud being Etham. It is
   twelve miles northwest from Suez, and is literally on the edge of the
   desert" [Pictorial Bible].

   21, 22. the Lord went before them--by a visible token of His presence,
   the Shekinah, in a majestic cloud (Ps 78:14; Ne 9:12; 1Co 10:1), called
   "the angel of God" (Ex 14:19; 23:20-23; Ps 99:6, 7; Isa 63:8, 9).
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 14

   Ex 14:1-31. God Instructs the Israelites as to Their Journey.

   2. Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp--The
   Israelites had now completed their three days' journey, and at Etham
   the decisive step would have to be taken whether they would celebrate
   their intended feast and return, or march onwards by the head of the
   Red Sea into the desert, with a view to a final departure. They were
   already on the borders of the desert, and a short march would have
   placed them beyond the reach of pursuit, as the chariots of Egypt could
   have made little progress over dry and yielding sand. But at Etham,
   instead of pursuing their journey eastward with the sea on their right,
   they were suddenly commanded to diverge to the south, keeping the gulf
   on their left; a route which not only detained them lingering on the
   confines of Egypt, but, in adopting it, they actually turned their
   backs on the land of which they had set out to obtain the possession. A
   movement so unexpected, and of which the ultimate design was carefully
   concealed, could not but excite the astonishment of all, even of Moses
   himself, although, from his implicit faith in the wisdom and power of
   his heavenly Guide, he obeyed. The object was to entice Pharaoh to
   pursue, in order that the moral effect, which the judgments on Egypt
   had produced in releasing God's people from bondage, might be still
   further extended over the nations by the awful events transacted at the
   Red Sea.

   Pi-hahiroth--the mouth of the defile, or pass--a description well
   suited to that of Bedea, which extended from the Nile and opens on the
   shore of the Red Sea.

   Migdol--a fortress or citadel.

   Baal-zephon--some marked site on the opposite or eastern coast.

   3. the wilderness hath shut them in--Pharaoh, who would eagerly watch
   their movements, was now satisfied that they were meditating flight,
   and he naturally thought from the error into which they appeared to
   have fallen by entering that defile, he could intercept them. He
   believed them now entirely in his power, the mountain chain being on
   one side, the sea on the other, so that, if he pursued them in the
   rear, escape seemed impossible.

   5. the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the
   people, &c.--Alas, how soon the obduracy of this reprobate king
   reappears! He had been convinced, but not converted--overawed, but not
   sanctified by the appalling judgments of heaven. He bitterly repented
   of what he now thought a hasty concession. Pride and revenge, the honor
   of his kingdom, and the interests of his subjects, all prompted him to
   recall his permission to reclaim those runaway slaves and force them to
   their wonted labor. Strange that he should yet allow such
   considerations to obliterate or outweigh all his painful experience of
   the danger of oppressing that people. But those whom the Lord has
   doomed to destruction are first infatuated by sin.

   6, 7. he made ready his chariot--His preparations for an immediate and
   hot pursuit are here described: A difference is made between "the
   chosen chariots" and "the chariots of Egypt." The first evidently
   composed the king's guard, amounting to six hundred, and they are
   called "chosen," literally, "third men"; three men being allotted to
   each chariot, the charioteer and two warriors. As to "the chariots of
   Egypt," the common cars contained only two persons, one for driving and
   the other for fighting; sometimes only one person was in the chariot,
   the driver lashed the reins round his body and fought; infantry being
   totally unsuitable for a rapid pursuit, and the Egyptians having had no
   cavalry, the word "riders" is in the grammatical connection applied to
   war chariots employed, and these were of light construction, open
   behind, and hung on small wheels.

   10. when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their
   eyes--The great consternation of the Israelites is somewhat
   astonishing, considering their vast superiority in numbers, but their
   deep dismay and absolute despair at the sight of this armed host
   receives a satisfactory explanation from the fact that the civilized
   state of Egyptian society required the absence of all arms, except when
   they were on service. If the Israelites were entirely unarmed at their
   departure, they could not think of making any resistance [Wilkinson and
   Hengstenberg].

   13, 14. Moses said, ... Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation
   of the Lord--Never, perhaps, was the fortitude of a man so severely
   tried as that of the Hebrew leader in this crisis, exposed as he was to
   various and inevitable dangers, the most formidable of which was the
   vengeance of a seditious and desperate multitude; but his meek,
   unruffled, magnanimous composure presents one of the sublimest examples
   of moral courage to be found in history. And whence did his courage
   arise? He saw the miraculous cloud still accompanying them, and his
   confidence arose solely from the hope of a divine interposition,
   although, perhaps, he might have looked for the expected deliverance in
   every quarter, rather than in the direction of the sea.

   15-18. the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me?
   &c.--When in answer to his prayers, he received the divine command to
   go forward, he no longer doubted by what kind of miracle the salvation
   of his mighty charge was to be effected.

   19. the angel of God--that is, the pillar of cloud [see on [18]Ex
   13:21]. The slow and silent movement of that majestic column through
   the air, and occupying a position behind them must have excited the
   astonishment of the Israelites (Isa 58:8). It was an effectual barrier
   between them and their pursuers, not only protecting them, but
   concealing their movements. Thus, the same cloud produced light (a
   symbol of favor) to the people of God, and darkness (a symbol of wrath)
   to their enemies (compare 2Co 2:16).

   21. Moses stretched out his hand, &c.--The waving of the rod was of
   great importance on this occasion to give public attestation in the
   presence of the assembled Israelites, both to the character of Moses
   and the divine mission with which he was charged.

   the Lord caused ... a strong east wind all that night--Suppose a mere
   ebb tide caused by the wind, raising the water to a great height on one
   side, still as there was not only "dry land," but, according to the
   tenor of the sacred narrative, a wall on the right hand and on the left
   [Ex 14:22], it would be impossible on the hypothesis of such a natural
   cause to rear the wall on the other. The idea of divine interposition,
   therefore, is imperative; and, assuming the passage to have been made
   at Mount Attakah, or at the mouth of Wady Tawarik, an east wind would
   cut the sea in that line. The Hebrew word kedem, however, rendered in
   our translation, "east," means, in its primary signification, previous;
   so that this verse might, perhaps, be rendered, "the Lord caused the
   sea to go back by a strong previous wind all that night"; a rendering
   which would remove the difficulty of supposing the host of Israel
   marched over on the sand, in the teeth of a rushing column of wind,
   strong enough to heap up the waters as a wall on each side of a dry
   path, and give the intelligible narrative of divine interference.

   22. the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea, &c.--It is
   highly probable that Moses, along with Aaron, first planted his
   footsteps on the untrodden sand, encouraging the people to follow him
   without fear of the treacherous walls; and when we take into account
   the multitudes that followed him, the immense number who through
   infancy and old age were incapable of hastening their movements,
   together with all the appurtenances of the camp, the strong and
   steadfast character of the leaders' faith was strikingly manifested
   (Jos 2:10; 4:23; Ps 66:6; 74:13; 106:9; 136:13; Isa 63:11-13; 1Co 10:1;
   Heb 11:29).

   23. the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the
   sea--From the darkness caused by the intercepting cloud, it is probable
   that they were not aware on what ground they were driving: they heard
   the sound of the fugitives before them, and they pushed on with the
   fury of the avengers of blood, without dreaming that they were on the
   bared bed of the sea.

   24, 25. Lord looked ... through ... the cloud, and troubled them--We
   suppose the fact to have been that the side of the pillar of cloud
   towards the Egyptians was suddenly, and for a few moments, illuminated
   with a blaze of light, which, coming as it were in a refulgent flash
   upon the dense darkness which had preceded, so frightened the horses of
   the pursuers that they rushed confusedly together and became
   unmanageable. "Let us flee," was the cry that resounded through the
   broken and trembling ranks, but it was too late; all attempts at flight
   were vain [Bush].

   27. Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, &c.--What
   circumstances could more clearly demonstrate the miraculous character
   of this transaction than that at the waving of Moses' rod, the dividing
   waters left the channel dry, and on his making the same motion on the
   opposite side, they returned, commingling with instantaneous fury? Is
   such the character of any ebb tide?

   28. there remained not so much as one of them--It is surprising that,
   with such a declaration, some intelligent writers can maintain there is
   no evidence of the destruction of Pharaoh himself (Ps 106:11).

   30. Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore, &c.--The tide
   threw them up and left multitudes of corpses on the beach; a result
   that brought greater infamy on the Egyptians, but that tended, on the
   other hand, to enhance the triumph of the Israelites, and doubtless
   enriched them with arms, which they had not before. The locality of
   this famous passage has not yet been, and probably never will be,
   satisfactorily fixed. Some place it in the immediate neighborhood of
   Suez; where, they say, the part of the sea is most likely to be
   affected by "a strong east wind" [Ex 14:21]; where the road from the
   defile of Migdol (now Muktala) leads directly to this point; and where
   the sea, not above two miles broad, could be crossed in a short time.
   The vast majority, however, who have examined the spot, reject this
   opinion, and fix the passage, as does local tradition, about ten or
   twelve miles further down the shore at Wady Tawarik. "The time of the
   miracle was the whole night, at the season of the year, too, when the
   night would be about its average length. The sea at that point extends
   from six and a half to eight miles in breadth. There was thus ample
   time for the passage of the Israelites from any part of the valley,
   especially considering their excitement and animation by the gracious
   and wonderful interposition of Providence in their behalf" [Wilson].
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 15

   Ex 15:1-27. Song of Moses.

   1. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel--The scene of this
   thanksgiving song is supposed to have been at the landing place on the
   eastern shore of the Red Sea, at Ayoun Musa, "the fountains of Moses."
   They are situated somewhat farther northward along the shore than the
   opposite point from which the Israelites set out. But the line of the
   people would be extended during the passage, and one extremity of it
   would reach as far north as these fountains, which would supply them
   with water on landing. The time when it was sung is supposed to have
   been the morning after the passage. This song is, by some hundred
   years, the oldest poem in the world. There is a sublimity and beauty in
   the language that is unexampled. But its unrivalled superiority arises
   not solely from the splendor of the diction. Its poetical excellencies
   have often drawn forth the admiration of the best judges, while the
   character of the event commemorated, and its being prompted by divine
   inspiration, contribute to give it an interest and sublimity peculiar
   to itself.

   I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed
   gloriously--Considering the state of servitude in which they had been
   born and bred, and the rude features of character which their
   subsequent history often displays, it cannot be supposed that the
   children of Israel generally were qualified to commit to memory or to
   appreciate the beauties of this inimitable song. But they might
   perfectly understand its pervading strain of sentiment; and, with the
   view of suitably improving the occasion, it was thought necessary that
   all, old and young, should join their united voices in the rehearsal of
   its words. As every individual had cause, so every individual gave
   utterance to his feelings of gratitude.

   20. Miriam the prophetess--so called from her receiving divine
   revelations (Nu 12:1; Mic 6:4), but in this instance principally from
   her being eminently skilled in music, and in this sense the word
   "prophecy" is sometimes used in Scripture (1Ch 25:1; 1Co 11:5).

   took a timbrel--or "tabret"--a musical instrument in the form of a
   hoop, edged round with rings or pieces of brass to make a jingling
   noise and covered over with tightened parchment like a drum. It was
   beat with the fingers, and corresponds to our tambourine.

   all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances--We
   shall understand this by attending to the modern customs of the East,
   where the dance--a slow, grave, and solemn gesture, generally
   accompanied with singing and the sound of the timbrel, is still led by
   the principal female of the company, the rest imitating her movements
   and repeating the words of the song as they drop from her lips.

   21. Miriam answered them--"them" in the Hebrew is masculine, so that
   Moses probably led the men and Miriam the women--the two bands
   responding alternately, and singing the first verse as a chorus.

   22. wilderness of Shur--comprehending all the western part of
   Arabia-Petręa. The desert of Etham was a part of it, extending round
   the northern portion of the Red Sea, and a considerable distance along
   its eastern shore; whereas the "wilderness of Shur" (now Sudhr) was the
   designation of all the desert region of Arabia-Petręa that lay next to
   Palestine.

   23. when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the
   waters--Following the general route of all travellers southward,
   between the sea and the tableland of the Tih ("valley of wandering"),
   Marah is almost universally believed to be what is now called Howarah,
   in Wady Amarah, about thirty miles from the place where the Israelites
   landed on the eastern shore of the Red Sea--a distance quite sufficient
   for their march of three days. There is no other perennial spring in
   the intermediate space. The water still retains its ancient character,
   and has a bad name among the Arabs, who seldom allow their camels to
   partake of it.

   25. the Lord showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters,
   the waters were made sweet--Some travellers have pronounced this to be
   the Elvah of the Arabs--a shrub in form and flower resembling our
   hawthorn; others, the berries of the Ghurkhud--a bush found growing
   around all brackish fountains. But neither of these shrubs are known by
   the natives to possess such natural virtues. It is far more likely that
   God miraculously endowed some tree with the property of purifying the
   bitter water--a tree employed as the medium, but the sweetening was not
   dependent upon the nature or quality of the tree, but the power of God
   (compare Joh 9:6). And hence the "statute and ordinance" that followed,
   which would have been singularly inopportune if no miracle had been
   wrought.

   and there he proved them--God now brought the Israelites into
   circumstances which would put their faith and obedience to the test
   (compare Ge 22:1).

   27. they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water--supposed to be
   what is now called Wady-Ghurandel, the most extensive watercourse in
   the western desert--an oasis, adorned with a great variety of trees,
   among which the palm is still conspicuous, and fertilized by a copious
   stream. It is estimated to be a mile in breadth, but stretching out far
   to the northeast. After the weary travel through the desert, this must
   have appeared a most delightful encampment from its shade and verdure,
   as well as from its abundant supply of sweet water for the thirsty
   multitude. The palm is called "the tree of the desert," as its presence
   is always a sign of water. The palms in this spot are greatly increased
   in number, but the wells are diminished.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 16

   Ex 16:1-36. Murmurs for Want of Bread.

   1. they took their journey from Elim--where they had remained several
   days.

   came unto the wilderness of Sin--It appears from Nu 32:1-42, that
   several stations are omitted in this historical notice of the journey.
   This passage represents the Israelites as advanced into the great
   plain, which, beginning near El-Murkah, extends with a greater or less
   breadth to almost the extremity of the peninsula. In its broadest part
   northward of Tur it is called El-Kaa, which is probably the desert of
   Sin [Robinson].

   2. the whole congregation ... murmured against Moses and Aaron--Modern
   travellers through the desert of Sinai are accustomed to take as much
   as is sufficient for the sustenance of men and beasts during forty
   days. The Israelites having been rather more than a month on their
   journey, their store of corn or other provisions was altogether or
   nearly exhausted; and there being no prospect of procuring any means of
   subsistence in the desert, except some wild olives and wild honey (De
   32:13), loud complaints were made against the leaders.

   3. Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of
   Egypt--How unreasonable and absurd the charge against Moses and Aaron!
   how ungrateful and impious against God! After all their experience of
   the divine wisdom, goodness, and power, we pause and wonder over the
   sacred narrative of their hardness and unbelief. But the expression of
   feeling is contagious in so vast a multitude, and there is a feeling of
   solitude and despondency in the desert which numbers cannot dispel; and
   besides, we must remember that they were men engrossed with the
   present--that the Comforter was not then given--and that they were
   destitute of all visible means of sustenance and cut off from every
   visible comfort, with only the promises of an unseen God to look to as
   the ground of their hope. And though we may lament they should tempt
   God in the wilderness and freely admit their sin in so doing, we can be
   at no loss for a reason why those who had all their lives been
   accustomed to walk by sight should, in circumstances of unparalleled
   difficulty and perplexity, find it hard to walk by faith. Do not even
   we find it difficult to walk by faith through the wilderness of this
   world, though in the light of a clearer revelation, and under a nobler
   leader than Moses? [Fisk]. (See 1Co 10:11, 12).

   4. Then said the Lord unto Moses--Though the outbreak was immediately
   against the human leaders, it was indirectly against God: yet mark His
   patience, and how graciously He promised to redress the grievance.

   I will rain bread from heaven--Israel, a type of the Church which is
   from above, and being under the conduct, government, and laws of
   heaven, received their food from heaven also (Ps 78:24).

   that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no--The
   grand object of their being led into the wilderness was that they might
   receive a religious training directly under the eye of God; and the
   first lesson taught them was a constant dependence on God for their
   daily nourishment.

   13-31. at even the quails came up, and covered the camp--This bird is
   of the gallinaceous kind [that is, relating to the order of
   heavy-bodied, largely terrestrial birds], resembling the red partridge,
   but not larger than the turtledove. They are found in certain seasons
   in the places through which the Israelites passed, being migratory
   birds, and they were probably brought to the camp by "a wind from the
   Lord" as on another occasion (Nu 11:31).

   and in the morning ... a small round thing ... manna--There is a gum of
   the same name distilled in this desert region from the tamarisk, which
   is much prized by the natives, and preserved carefully by those who
   gather it. It is collected early in the morning, melts under the heat
   of the sun, and is congealed by the cold of night. In taste it is as
   sweet as honey, and has been supposed by distinguished travellers, from
   its whitish color, time, and place of its appearance, to be the manna
   on which the Israelites were fed: so that, according to the views of
   some, it was a production indigenous to the desert; according to
   others, there was a miracle, which consisted, however, only in the
   preternatural arrangements regarding its supply. But more recent and
   accurate examination has proved this gum of the tarfa-tree to be
   wanting in all the principal characteristics of the Scripture manna. It
   exudes only in small quantities, and not every year; it does not admit
   of being baked (Nu 11:8) or boiled (Ex 16:23). Though it may be exhaled
   by the heat and afterwards fall with the dew, it is a medicine, not
   food--it is well known to the natives of the desert, while the
   Israelites were strangers to theirs; and in taste as well as in the
   appearance of double quantity on Friday, none on Sabbath, and in not
   breeding worms, it is essentially different from the manna furnished to
   the Israelites.

   32-36. Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations--The mere
   fact of such a multitude being fed for forty years in the wilderness,
   where no food of any kind is to be obtained, will show the utter
   impossibility of their subsisting on a natural production of the kind
   and quantity as this tarfa-gum [see on [19]Ex 16:13]; and, as if for
   the purpose of removing all such groundless speculations, Aaron was
   commanded to put a sample of it in a pot--a golden pot (Heb 9:4)--to be
   laid before the Testimony, to be kept for future generations, that they
   might see the bread on which the Lord fed their fathers in the
   wilderness. But we have the bread of which that was merely typical (1Co
   10:3; Joh 6:32).
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 17

   Ex 17:1-7. The People Murmur for Water.

   1. the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin--In the
   succinct annals of this book, those places only are selected for
   particular notice by the inspired historian, which were scenes
   memorable for their happy or painful interest in the history of the
   Israelites. A more detailed itinerary is given in the later books of
   Moses, and we find that here two stations are omitted (Nu 33:1-56).

   according to the commandment of the Lord, &c.--not given in oracular
   response, nor a vision of the night, but indicated by the movement of
   the cloudy pillar. The same phraseology occurs elsewhere (Nu 9:18, 19).

   pitched in Rephidim--now believed, on good grounds, to be Wady Feiran,
   which is exactly a day's march from Mount Sinai, and at the entrance of
   the Horeb district. It is a long circuitous defile about forty feet in
   breadth, with perpendicular granite rocks on both sides. The wilderness
   of Sin through which they approached to this valley is very barren, has
   an extremely dry and thirsty aspect, little or no water, scarcely even
   a dwarfish shrub to be seen, and the only shelter to the panting
   pilgrims is under the shadow of the great overhanging cliffs.

   2, 3. the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we
   may drink, &c.--The want of water was a privation, the severity of
   which we cannot estimate, and it was a great trial to the Israelites,
   but their conduct on this new occasion was outrageous; it amounted even
   to "a tempting of the Lord." It was an opposition to His minister, a
   distrust of His care, an indifference to His kindness, an unbelief in
   His providence, a trying of His patience and fatherly forbearance.

   4. Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this
   people?--His language, instead of betraying any signs of resentment or
   vindictive imprecation on a people who had given him a cruel and
   unmerited treatment, was the expression of an anxious wish to know what
   was the best to be done in the circumstances (compare Mt 5:44; Ro
   12:21).

   5. the Lord said unto Moses, &c.--not to smite the rebels, but the
   rock; not to bring a stream of blood from the breast of the offenders,
   but a stream of water from the granite cliffs. The cloud rested on a
   particular rock, just as the star rested on the house where the infant
   Saviour was lodged [Mt 2:9]. And from the rod-smitten rock there
   forthwith gushed a current of pure and refreshing water. It was perhaps
   the greatest miracle performed by Moses, and in many respects bore a
   resemblance to the greatest of Christ's: being done without ostentation
   and in the presence of a few chosen witnesses (1Co 10:4).

   7. called the name of the place--Massah ("temptation"); Meribah
   ("chiding," "strife"): the same word which is rendered "provocation"
   (Heb 3:8).

   Ex 17:8-16. Attack of Amalek.

   8. Then came Amalek--Some time probably elapsed before they were
   exposed to this new evil; and the presumption of there being such an
   interval affords the only ground on which we can satisfactorily account
   for the altered, the better, and former spirit that animated the people
   in this sudden contest. The miracles of the manna and the water from
   the rock had produced a deep impression and permanent conviction that
   God was indeed among them; and with feelings elevated by the conscious
   experience of the Divine Presence and aid, they remained calm,
   resolute, and courageous under the attack of their unexpected foe.

   fought with Israel--The language implies that no occasion had been
   furnished for this attack; but, as descendants of Esau, the Amalekites
   entertained a deep-seated grudge against them, especially as the rapid
   prosperity and marvellous experience of Israel showed that the blessing
   contained in the birthright was taking effect. It seems to have been a
   mean, dastardly, insidious surprise on the rear (Nu 24:20; De 25:17),
   and an impious defiance of God.

   9. Moses said unto Joshua--or, "Jesus" (Ac 7:45; Heb 4:8). This is the
   earliest notice of a young warrior destined to act a prominent part in
   the history of Israel. He went with a number of picked men. There is
   not here a wide open plain on which the battle took place, as according
   to the rules of modern warfare. The Amalekites were a nomadic tribe,
   making an irregular attack on a multitude probably not better trained
   than themselves, and for such a conflict the low hills and open country
   around this wady would afford ample space [Robinson].

   10-12. Moses ... went up ... the hill ... held up his hand--with the
   wonder-working rod; Moses acted as the standard bearer of Israel, and
   also their intercessor, praying for success and victory to crown their
   arms--the earnestness of his feelings being conspicuously evinced amid
   the feebleness of nature.

   13. Joshua discomfited Amalek--Victory at length decided in favor of
   Israel, and the glory of the victory, by an act of national piety, was
   ascribed to God (compare 1Jo 5:4).

   14-16. Write this for a memorial--If the bloody character of this
   statute seems to be at variance with the mild and merciful character of
   God, the reasons are to be sought in the deep and implacable vengeance
   they meditated against Israel (Ps 83:4).
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 18

   Ex 18:1-27. Visit of Jethro.

   1-5. Jethro ... came ... unto Moses, &c.--It is thought by many eminent
   commentators that this episode is inserted out of its chronological
   order, for it is described as occurring when the Israelites were
   "encamped at the mount of God." And yet they did not reach it till the
   third month after their departure from Egypt (Ex 19:1, 2; compare De
   1:6, 9-15).

   6. and thy wife, and her two sons--See Ex 4:20.

   7. Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, &c.--Their salutations
   would be marked by all the warm and social greetings of Oriental
   friends (see on [20]Ex 4:27)--the one going out to "meet" the other,
   the "obeisance," the "kiss" on each side of the head, the silent
   entrance into the tent for consultation; and their conversation ran in
   the strain that might have been expected of two pious men, rehearsing
   and listening to a narrative of the wonderful works and providence of
   God.

   12. Jethro ... took a burnt offering--This friendly interview was
   terminated by a solemn religious service--the burnt offerings were
   consumed on the altar, and the sacrifices were peace offerings, used in
   a feast of joy and gratitude at which Jethro, as priest of the true
   God, seems to have presided, and to which the chiefs of Israel were
   invited. This incident is in beautiful keeping with the character of
   the parties, and is well worthy of the imitation of Christian friends
   when they meet in the present day.

   13-26. on the morrow ... Moses sat to judge the people, &c.--We are
   here presented with a specimen of his daily morning occupations; and
   among the multifarious duties his divine legation imposed, it must be
   considered only a small portion of his official employments. He appears
   in this attitude as a type of Christ in His legislative and judicial
   characters.

   the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening,
   &c.--Governors in the East seat themselves at the most public gate of
   their palace or the city, and there, amid a crowd of applicants, hear
   causes, receive petitions, redress grievances, and adjust the claims of
   contending parties.

   17. Moses' father-in-law said unto him, The thing ... is not good--not
   good either for Moses himself, for the maintenance of justice, or for
   the satisfaction and interests of the people. Jethro gave a prudent
   counsel as to the division of labor [Ex 18:21, 22], and universal
   experience in the Church and State has attested the soundness and
   advantages of the principle.

   23. If thou shalt do this thing, &c.--Jethro's counsel was given merely
   in the form of a suggestion; it was not to be adopted without the
   express sanction and approval of a better and higher Counsellor; and
   although we are not informed of it, there can be no doubt that Moses,
   before appointing subordinate magistrates, would ask the mind of God,
   as it is the duty and privilege of every Christian in like manner to
   supplicate the divine direction in all his ways.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 19

   Ex 19:1-25. Arrival at Sinai.

   1. In the third month--according to Jewish usage, the first day of that
   month--"same day."--It is added, to mark the time more explicitly, that
   is, forty-five days after Egypt--one day spent on the mount (Ex 19:3),
   one returning the people's answer (Ex 19:7, 8), three days of
   preparation, making the whole time fifty days from the first passover
   to the promulgation of the law. Hence the feast of pentecost, that is,
   the fiftieth day, was the inauguration of the Old Testament church, and
   the divine wisdom is apparent in the selection of the same reason for
   the institution of the New Testament church (Joh 1:17; Ac 2:1).

   2. were come to the desert of Sinai--The desert has its provinces, or
   divisions, distinguished by a variety of names; and the "desert of
   Sinai" is that wild and desolate region which occupies the very center
   of the peninsula, comprising the lofty range to which the mount of God
   belongs. It is a wilderness of shaggy rocks of porphyry and red
   granite, and of valleys for the most part bare of verdure.

   and there Israel camped before the mount--Sinai, so called from Seneh,
   or acacia bush. It is now called Jebel Musa. Their way into the
   interior of the gigantic cluster was by Wady Feiran, which would lead
   the bulk of the hosts with their flocks and herds into the high valleys
   of Jebel Musa, with their abundant springs, especially into the great
   thoroughfare of the desert--the longest, widest, and most continuous of
   all the valleys, the Wady-es-Sheikh, while many would be scattered
   among the adjacent valleys; so that thus secluded from the world in a
   wild and sublime amphitheatre of rocks, they "camped before the mount."
   "In this valley--a long flat valley--about a quarter of a mile in
   breadth, winding northwards, Israel would find ample room for their
   encampment. Of all the wadys in that region, it seems the most suitable
   for a prolonged sojourn. The 'goodly tents' of Israel could spread
   themselves without limit" [Bonar].

   3-6. Moses went up unto God--the Shekinah--within the cloud (Ex 33:20;
   Joh 1:18).

   Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, &c.--The object for which
   Moses went up was to receive and convey to the people the message
   contained in these verses, and the purport of which was a general
   announcement of the terms on which God was to take the Israelites into
   a close and peculiar relation to Himself. In thus negotiating between
   God and His people, the highest post of duty which any mortal man was
   ever called to occupy, Moses was still but a servant. The only Mediator
   is Jesus Christ [1Ti 2:5; Heb 12:24].

   6. ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests--As the priestly order was
   set apart from the common mass, so the Israelites, compared with other
   people, were to sustain the same near relation to God; a community of
   spiritual sovreigns.

   an holy nation--set apart to preserve the knowledge and worship of God.

   7, 8. Moses came and called for the elders of the people--The message
   was conveyed to the mighty multitude through their elders, who,
   doubtless, instructed them in the conditions required. Their unanimous
   acceptance was conveyed through the same channel to Moses, and by him
   reported to the Lord. Ah! how much self-confidence did their language
   betray! How little did they know what spirit they were of!

   9-15. The Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come ... in a thick cloud,
   &c.--The deepest impressions are made on the mind through the medium of
   the senses; and so He who knew what was in man signalized His descent
   at the inauguration of the ancient church, by all the sensible tokens
   of august majesty that were fitted to produce the conviction that He is
   the great and terrible God. The whole multitude must have anticipated
   the event with feelings of intense solemnity and awe. The extraordinary
   preparations enjoined, the ablutions and rigid abstinence they were
   required to observe, the barriers erected all round the base of the
   mount, and the stern penalties annexed to the breach of any of the
   conditions, all tended to create an earnest and solemn expectation
   which increased as the appointed day drew near.

   16. on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and
   lightnings, &c.--The descent of God was signalized by every object
   imagination can conceive connected with the ideas of grandeur and of
   awe. But all was in keeping with the character of the law about to be
   proclaimed. As the mountain burned with fire, God was exhibited as a
   consuming fire to the transgressors of His law. The thunder and
   lightning, more awful amid the deep stillness of the region and
   reverberating with terrific peals among the mountains, would rouse the
   universal attention; a thick cloud was an apt emblem of the dark and
   shadowy dispensation (compare Mt 17:5).

   the voice of a trumpet--This gave the scene the character of a
   miraculous transaction, in which other elements than those of nature
   were at work, and some other than material trumpet was blown by other
   means than human breath.

   17. Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with
   God--Wady-er-Raheh, where they stood, has a spacious sandy plain;
   immediately in front of Es Suksafeh, considered by Robinson to be the
   mount from which the law was given. "We measured it, and estimate the
   whole plain at two geographical miles long, and ranging in breadth from
   one-third to two-thirds of a mile, or as equivalent to a surface of one
   square mile. This space is nearly doubled by the recess on the west,
   and by the broad and level area of Wady-es-Sheikh on the east, which
   issues at right angles to the plain, and is equally in view of the
   front and summit of the mount. The examination convinced us that here
   was space enough to satisfy all the requisitions of the Scripture
   narrative, so far as it relates to the assembling of the congregation
   to receive the law. Here, too, one can see the fitness of the
   injunction to set bounds around the mount, that neither man nor beast
   might approach too near, for it rises like a perpendicular wall." But
   Jebel Musa, the old traditional Sinai, and the highest peak, has also a
   spacious valley, Wady Sebaiyeh, capable of holding the people. It is
   not certain on which of these two they stood.

   21. the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people--No sooner had
   Moses proceeded a little up the mount, than he was suddenly ordered to
   return, in order to keep the people from breaking through to gaze--a
   course adopted to heighten the impressive solemnity of the scene. The
   strict injunctions renewed to all, whatever their condition, at a time
   and in circumstances when the whole multitude of Israel were standing
   at the base of the mount, was calculated in the highest degree to
   solemnize and awe every heart.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 20

   Ex 20:1-26. The Ten Commandments.

   1. And God spake all these words--The Divine Being Himself was the
   speaker (De 5:12, 32, 33), in tones so loud as to be heard--so distinct
   as to be intelligible by the whole multitude standing in the valleys
   below, amid the most appalling phenomena of agitated nature. Had He
   been simply addressing rational and intelligent creatures, He would
   have spoken with the still small voice of persuasion and love. But He
   was speaking to those who were at the same time fallen and sinful
   creatures, and a corresponding change was required in the manner of
   God's procedure, in order to give a suitable impression of the
   character and sanctions of the law revealed from heaven (Ro 11:5-9).

   2. I am the Lord thy God--This is a preface to the ten
   commandments--the latter clause being specially applicable to the case
   of the Israelites, while the former brings it home to all mankind;
   showing that the reasonableness of the law is founded in their eternal
   relation as creatures to their Creator, and their mutual relations to
   each other.

   3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me--in My presence, beside, or
   except Me.

   4, 5. Thou shalt not make ... any graven image ... thou shalt not bow
   down thyself to them--that is, "make in order to bow." Under the
   auspices of Moses himself, figures of cherubim, brazen serpents, oxen,
   and many other things in the earth beneath, were made and never
   condemned. The mere making was no sin--it was the making with the
   intent to give idolatrous worship.

   8. Remember the sabbath day--implying it was already known, and
   recognized as a season of sacred rest. The first four commandments [Ex
   20:3-11] comprise our duties to God--the other six [Ex 20:12-17] our
   duties to our fellow men; and as interpreted by Christ, they reach to
   the government of the heart as well as the lip (Mt 5:17). "If a man do
   them he shall live in them" [Le 18:5; Ne 9:29]. But, ah! what an if for
   frail and fallen man. Whoever rests his hope upon the law stands debtor
   to it all; and in this view every one would be without hope were not
   "the Lord our Righteousness" [Jer 23:6; 33:16] (Joh 1:17).

   18-21. all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings--They were
   eye and ear witnesses of the awful emblems of the Deity's descent. But
   they perceived not the Deity Himself.

   19. let not God speak with us, lest we die, &c.--The phenomena of
   thunder and lightning had been one of the plagues so fatal to Egypt,
   and as they heard God speaking to them now, they were apprehensive of
   instant death also. Even Moses himself, the mediator of the old
   covenant, did "exceedingly quake and fear" (Heb 12:21). But doubtless
   God spake what gave him relief--restored him to a frame of mind fit for
   the ministrations committed to him; and hence immediately after he was
   enabled to relieve and comfort them with the relief and comfort which
   he himself had received from God (2Co 1:4).

   22, 23. the Lord said unto Moses--It appears from De 4:14-16, that this
   injunction was a conclusion drawn from the scene on Sinai--that as no
   similitude of God was displayed then, they should not attempt to make
   any visible figure or form of Him.

   24. An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me--a regulation applicable
   to special or temporary occasions.

   25. thou shalt not build it of hewn stone, &c.--that is, carved with
   figures and ornaments that might lead to superstition.

   26. by steps--a precaution taken for the sake of decency, in
   consequence of the loose, wide, flowing garments of the priests.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 21

   Ex 21:1-6. Laws for Menservants.

   1. judgments--rules for regulating the procedure of judges and
   magistrates in the decision of cases and the trial of criminals. The
   government of the Israelites being a theocracy, those public
   authorities were the servants of the Divine Sovereign, and subject to
   His direction. Most of these laws here noticed were primitive usages,
   founded on principles of natural equity, and incorporated, with
   modifications and improvements, in the Mosaic code.

   2-6. If thou buy an Hebrew servant--Every Israelite was free-born; but
   slavery was permitted under certain restrictions. An Hebrew might be
   made a slave through poverty, debt, or crime; but at the end of six
   years he was entitled to freedom, and his wife, if she had voluntarily
   shared his state of bondage, also obtained release. Should he, however,
   have married a female slave, she and the children, after the husband's
   liberation, remained the master's property; and if, through attachment
   to his family, the Hebrew chose to forfeit his privilege and abide as
   he was, a formal process was gone through in a public court, and a
   brand of servitude stamped on his ear (Ps 40:6) for life, or at least
   till the Jubilee (De 15:17).

   Ex 21:7-36. Laws for Maidservants.

   7-11. if a man sell his daughter--Hebrew girls might be redeemed for a
   reasonable sum. But in the event of her parents or friends being unable
   to pay the redemption money, her owner was not at liberty to sell her
   elsewhere. Should she have been betrothed to him or his son, and either
   change their minds, a maintenance must be provided for her suitable to
   her condition as his intended wife, or her freedom instantly granted.

   23-25. eye for eye--The law which authorized retaliation (a principle
   acted upon by all primitive people) was a civil one. It was given to
   regulate the procedure of the public magistrate in determining the
   amount of compensation in every case of injury, but did not encourage
   feelings of private revenge. The later Jews, however, mistook it for a
   moral precept, and were corrected by our Lord (Mt 5:38-42).

   28-36. If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die--For the purpose
   of sanctifying human blood, and representing all injuries affecting
   life in a serious light, an animal that occasioned death was to be
   killed or suffer punishment proportioned to the degree of damage it had
   caused. Punishments are still inflicted on this principle in Persia and
   other countries of the East; and among a rude people greater effect is
   thus produced in inspiring caution, and making them keep noxious
   animals under restraint, than a penalty imposed on the owners.

   30. If there be laid on him a sum of money, &c.--Blood fines are common
   among the Arabs as they were once general throughout the East. This is
   the only case where a money compensation, instead of capital
   punishment, was expressly allowed in the Mosaic law.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 22

   Ex 22:1-31. Laws concerning Theft.

   1-4. If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep--The law respects the theft
   of cattle which constituted the chief part of their property. The
   penalty for the theft of a sheep which was slain or sold, was fourfold;
   for an ox fivefold, because of its greater utility in labor; but,
   should the stolen animal have been recovered alive, a double
   compensation was all that was required, because it was presumable he
   (the thief) was not a practised adept in dishonesty. A robber breaking
   into a house at midnight might, in self-defense, be slain with
   impunity; but if he was slain after sunrise, it would be considered
   murder, for it was not thought likely an assault would then be made
   upon the lives of the occupants. In every case where a thief could not
   make restitution, he was sold as a slave for the usual term.

   6. If fire break out, and catch in thorns--This refers to the common
   practice in the East of setting fire to the dry grass before the fall
   of the autumnal rains, which prevents the ravages of vermin, and is
   considered a good preparation of the ground for the next crop. The very
   parched state of the herbage and the long droughts of summer, make the
   kindling of a fire an operation often dangerous, and always requiring
   caution from its liability to spread rapidly.

   stacks--or as it is rendered "shocks" (Jud 15:5; Job 5:26), means
   simply a bundle of loose sheaves.

   26, 27. If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge,
   &c.--From the nature of the case, this is the description of a poor
   man. No Orientals undress, but, merely throwing off their turbans and
   some of their heavy outer garments, they sleep in the clothes which
   they wear during the day. The bed of the poor is usually nothing else
   than a mat; and, in winter, they cover themselves with a cloak--a
   practice which forms the ground or reason of the humane and merciful
   law respecting the pawned coat.

   28. gods--a word which is several times in this chapter rendered
   "judges" or magistrates.

   the ruler of thy people--and the chief magistrate who was also the high
   priest, at least in the time of Paul (Ac 23:1-5).
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 23

   Ex 23:1-33. Laws concerning Slander, &c.

   1. put not thine hand--join not hands.

   2. decline--depart, deviate from the straight path of rectitude.

   3. countenance--adorn, embellish--thou shalt not varnish the cause even
   of a poor man to give it a better coloring than it merits.

   10. six years thou shalt sow thy land--intermitting the cultivation of
   the land every seventh year. But it appears that even then there was a
   spontaneous produce which the poor were permitted freely to gather for
   their use, and the beasts driven out fed on the remainder, the owners
   of fields not being allowed to reap or collect the fruits of the
   vineyard or oliveyard during the course of this sabbatical year. This
   was a regulation subservient to many excellent purposes; for, besides
   inculcating the general lesson of dependence on Providence, and of
   confidence in His faithfulness to His promise respecting the triple
   increase on the sixth year (Le 25:20, 21), it gave the Israelites a
   practical proof that they held their properties of the Lord as His
   tenants, and must conform to His rules on pain of forfeiting the lease
   of them.

   12. Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt
   rest--This law is repeated [Ex 20:9] lest any might suppose there was a
   relaxation of its observance during the sabbatical year.

   13. make no mention of the name of other gods, &c.--that is, in common
   conversation, for a familiar use of them would tend to lessen horror of
   idolatry.

   14-18. Three times ... keep a feast ... in the year--This was the
   institution of the great religious festivals--"The feast of unleavened
   bread," or the passover--"the feast of harvest," or pentecost--"the
   feast of ingathering," or the feast of tabernacles, which was a
   memorial of the dwelling in booths in the wilderness, and which was
   observed in the seventh month (Ex 12:2). All the males were enjoined to
   repair to the tabernacle and afterwards the temple, and the women
   frequently went. The institution of this national custom was of the
   greatest importance in many ways: by keeping up a national sense of
   religion and a public uniformity in worship, by creating a bond of
   unity, and also by promoting internal commerce among the people. Though
   the absence of all the males at these three festivals left the country
   defenseless, a special promise was given of divine protection, and no
   incursion of enemies was ever permitted to happen on those occasions.

   19. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk--A prohibition
   against imitating the superstitious rites of the idolaters in Egypt,
   who, at the end of their harvest, seethed a kid in its mother's milk
   and sprinkled the broth as a magical charm on their gardens and fields,
   to render them more productive the following season. [See on [21]De
   14:21].

   20-25. Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the
   way--The communication of these laws, made to Moses and by him
   rehearsed to the people, was concluded by the addition of many
   animating promises, intermingled with several solemn warnings that
   lapses into sin and idolatry would not be tolerated or passed with
   impunity.

   21. my name is in him--This angel is frequently called Jehovah and
   Elohim, that is, God.

   28. I will send hornets before thee, &c. (See on [22]Jos 24:12)--Some
   instrument of divine judgment, but variously interpreted: as hornets in
   a literal sense [Bochart]; as a pestilential disease [Rosenmuller]; as
   a terror of the Lord, an extraordinary dejection [Junius].

   29, 30. I will not drive ... out ... in one year; lest the land become
   desolate--Many reasons recommend a gradual extirpation of the former
   inhabitants of Canaan. But only one is here specified--the danger lest,
   in the unoccupied grounds, wild beasts should inconveniently multiply;
   a clear proof that the promised land was more than sufficient to
   contain the actual population of the Israelites.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 24

   Ex 24:1-18. Delivery of the Law and Covenant.

   3, 4. Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord--The
   rehearsal of the foregoing laws and the ten commandments, together with
   the promises of special blessings in the event of their obedience,
   having drawn forth from the people a unanimous declaration of their
   consent, it was forthwith recorded as the conditions of the national
   covenant. The next day preparations were made for having it (the
   covenant) solemnly ratified, by building an altar and twelve pillars;
   the altar representing God, and the pillars the tribes of Israel--the
   two parties in this solemn compact--while Moses acted as typical
   mediator.

   5. young men--priests (Ex 19:22), probably the oldest sons of
   particular families, who acted under the direction of Moses.

   oxen--Other animals, though not mentioned, were offered in sacrifice
   (Heb 9:18-20).

   6. Moses took half of the blood ... sprinkled--Preliminary to this was
   the public reading of the law and the renewed acceptance of the terms
   by the people; then the sprinkling of the blood was the sign of solemn
   ratification--half on each party in the transaction.

   8. Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people--probably on
   the twelve pillars, as representing the people (also the book, Heb
   9:19), and the act was accompanied by a public proclamation of its
   import. It was setting their seal to the covenant (compare 1Co 11:25).
   It must have been a deeply impressive, as well as instructive scene,
   for it taught the Israelites that the covenant was made with them only
   through the sprinkling of blood--that the divine acceptance of
   themselves and services, was only by virtue of an atoning sacrifice,
   and that even the blessings of the national covenant were promised and
   secured to them only through grace. The ceremonial, however, had a
   further and higher significance, as is shown by the apostle (see as
   above).

   9. Then went up Moses, and Aaron--in obedience to a command given (Ex
   24:1, 2; also Ex 19:24), previous to the religious engagement of the
   people, now described.

   Nadab, and Abihu--the two oldest sons of Aaron [Ex 6:23].

   seventy of the elders--a select number; what was the principle of
   selection is not said; but they were the chief representatives, the
   most conspicuous for official rank and station, as well as for their
   probity and weight of character in their respective tribes.

   10. And they saw the God of Israel--That there was no visible form or
   representation of the divine nature, we have expressly intimated (De
   4:15). But a symbol or emblem of His glory was distinctly, and at a
   distance, displayed before those chosen witnesses. Many think, however,
   that in this private scene was discovered, amid the luminous blaze, the
   faint adumbrated form of the humanity of Christ (Eze 1:26; compare Ga
   3:24).

   sapphire--one of the most valuable and lustrous of the precious
   gems--of a sky-blue or light azure color and frequently chosen to
   describe the throne of God (see Eze 1:26; 10:1).

   11. upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand--The
   "nobles," that is, the elders, after the sprinkling of the blood, were
   not inspired with terror in presence of the calm, benign, radiant
   symbol of the divine majesty; so different from the terrific
   exhibitions at the giving of the law. The report of so many competent
   witnesses would tend to confirm the people's faith in the divine
   mission of Moses.

   eat and drink--feasted on the peace offering--on the remnants of the
   late sacrifices and libations. This feast had a prophetic bearing,
   intimating God's dwelling with men.

   12. I will give thee tables of stone--The ten commandments, which had
   already been spoken, were to be given in a permanent form. Inscribed on
   stone, for greater durability, by the hand of God Himself, they were
   thus authenticated and honored above the judicial or ceremonial parts
   of the law.

   13. Moses went up into the mount of God--He was called to receive the
   divine transcript. Joshua was taken a little higher, and it would be a
   great comfort for the leader to have his company during the six days he
   was in patient waiting for the call on the seventh or sabbath day.

   14. he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us--There is a circular
   valley or hollow a good way up on the brow of Jebel Musa, which was
   their halting place, while he alone was privileged to ascend the
   highest peak. The people stood below, as in the "outer court," the
   elders in the "holy place," Moses, as a type of Christ, in "the holy of
   holies."

   18. Moses went into the midst of the cloud--the visible token of God's
   presence. Divine grace animated and supported him to enter with holy
   boldness.

   Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights--The six days spent
   in waiting are not included. During that protracted period he was
   miraculously supported (De 9:9), on a peak scarcely thirty paces in
   compass.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 25

   Ex 25:1-40. Concerning an Offering.

   1. the Lord spake unto Moses, &c.--The business that chiefly occupied
   Moses on the mount, whatever other disclosures were made to him there,
   was in receiving directions about the tabernacle, and they are here
   recorded as given to him.

   2. bring me an offering of every man that giveth it willingly,
   &c.--Having declared allegiance to God as their sovereign, they were
   expected to contribute to His state, as other subjects to their kings;
   and the "offering" required of them was not to be imposed as a tax, but
   to come from their own loyal and liberal feelings.

   3. this is the offering which ye shall take of them--the articles of
   which the offerings should consist.

   brass--rather copper, brass being a composite metal.

   4. goats' hair--or leather of goats' skin.

   5. badgers' skins--The badger was an unclean animal, and is not a
   native of the East--rather some kind of fish, of the leather of which
   sandals are made in the East. [See on [23]Ex 39:34 and [24]Eze 16:10.]

   shittim wood--or Shittah (Isa 41:19), the acacia, a shrub which grows
   plentifully in the deserts of Arabia, yielding a light, strong, and
   beautiful wood, in long planks.

   7. ephod--a square cloak, hanging down from the shoulders, and worn by
   priests.

   8. a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them--In one sense the
   tabernacle was to be a palace, the royal residence of the King of
   Israel, in which He was to dwell among His people, receive their
   petitions, and issue His responses. But it was also to be a place of
   worship, in which God was to record His name and to enshrine the mystic
   symbols of His presence.

   9. According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the
   tabernacle--The proposed erection could be, in the circumstances of the
   Israelites, not of a fixed and stable but of a temporary and movable
   description, capable of being carried about with them in their various
   sojournings. It was made after "the pattern" shown to Moses, by which
   is now generally understood, not that it was an unheard-of novelty, or
   an entirely original structure, for it is ascertained to have borne
   resemblance in form and arrangements to the style of an Egyptian
   temple, but that it was so altered, modified, and purified from all
   idolatrous associations, as to be appropriated to right objects, and
   suggestive of ideas connected with the true God and His worship.

   10. an ark--a coffer or chest, overlaid with gold, the dimensions of
   which, taking the cubit at eighteen inches, are computed to be three
   feet nine inches in length, two feet three inches in breadth.

   11. a crown--a rim or cornice.

   12. rings--staples for the poles, with which it was to be carried from
   place to place.

   15. staves shall be in the rings of the ark--that is, always remain in
   the rings, whether the ark be at rest or in motion.

   16. the testimony--that is, the two tables of stone, containing the ten
   commandments, and called "the testimony," because by it God did testify
   His sovereign authority over Israel as His people, His selection of
   them as the guardians of His will and worship, and His displeasure in
   the event of their transgressing His laws; while on their part, by
   receiving and depositing this law in its appointed place, they
   testified their acknowledgment of God's right to rule over them, and
   their submission to the authority of His law. The superb and elaborate
   style of the ark that contained "the testimony" was emblematic of the
   great treasure it held; in other words, the incomparable value and
   excellence of the Word of God, while its being placed in this chest
   further showed the great care which God has ever taken for preserving
   it.

   17. thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold--to serve as a lid,
   covering it exactly. It was "the propitiatory cover," as the term may
   be rendered, denoting that Christ, our great propitiation [1Jo 2:2;
   4:10], has fully answered all the demands of the law, covers our
   transgressions, and comes between us and the curse of a violated law.

   18. two cherubim--The real meaning of these figures, as well as the
   shape or form of them, is not known with certainty--probably similar to
   what was afterwards introduced into the temple, and described in Eze
   10:8-22. They stretched out their wings, and their faces were turned
   towards the mercy seat [Ex 25:20], probably in a bowing attitude. The
   prevailing opinion now is, that those splendid figures were symbolical
   not of angelic but of earthly and human beings--the members of the
   Church of God interested in the dispensation of grace, the redeemed in
   every age--and that these hieroglyphic forms symbolized the qualities
   of the true people of God--courage, patience, intelligence, and
   activity.

   22. there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from
   above the mercy seat--The Shekinah, or symbol of the Divine Presence,
   rested on the mercy seat, and was indicated by a cloud, from the midst
   of which responses were audibly given when God was consulted on behalf
   of His people. Hence God is described as "dwelling" or "sitting"
   between the cherubim.

   23. table of shittim wood--of the same material and decorations as the
   ark [see on [25]Ex 25:5], and like it, too, furnished with rings for
   the poles on which it was carried [Ex 25:26]. The staves, however, were
   taken out of it when stationary, in order not to encumber the priests
   while engaged in their services at the table. It was half a cubit less
   than the ark in length and breadth, but of the same height. [See on
   [26]Ex 25:10.]

   24. crown--the moulding or ornamental rim, which is thought to have
   been raised above the level of the table, to prevent anything from
   falling off.

   29. dishes--broad platters.

   spoons--cups or concave vessels, used for holding incense.

   covers--both for bread and incense.

   bowls--cups; for though no mention is made of wine, libations were
   undoubtedly made to God, according to Josephus and the rabbins, once a
   week, when the bread was changed.

   to cover withal--rather, "to pour out withal."

   30. showbread--literally, presence bread, so called because it was
   constantly exhibited before the Lord, or because the bread of His
   presence, like the angel of His presence, pointed symbolically to
   Christ. It consisted of twelve unleavened loaves, said traditionally to
   have been laid in piles of six each. This bread was designed to be a
   symbol of the full and never-failing provision which is made in the
   Church for the spiritual sustenance and refreshment of God's people.

   31. candlestick--literally, "a lamp bearer." It was so constructed as
   to be capable of being taken to pieces for facility in removal. The
   shaft or stock rested on a pedestal. It had seven branches, shaped like
   reeds or canes--three on each side, with one in the center--and worked
   out into knobs, flowers, and bowls, placed alternately [Ex 25:32-36].
   The figure represented on the arch of Titus gives the best idea of this
   candlestick.

   33. knops--old spelling for "knobs"--bosses.

   37. they shall light the lamps ... that they may give light--The light
   was derived from pure olive oil, and probably kept continually burning
   (compare Ex 30:7; Le 24:2).

   38. tongs--snuffers.

   39. a talent of pure gold--in weight equivalent to 125 lbs. troy.

   40. look that thou make them after their pattern--This caution, which
   is repeated with no small frequency in other parts of the narrative, is
   an evidence of the deep interest taken by the Divine King in the
   erection of His palace or sanctuary; and it is impossible to account
   for the circumstance of God's condescending to such minute details,
   except on the assumption that this tabernacle was to be of a typical
   character, and eminently subservient to the religious instruction and
   benefit of mankind, by shadowing forth in its leading features the
   grand truths of the Christian Church.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 26

   Ex 26:1-37. Ten Curtains

   1. cunning work--that is, of elegant texture, richly embroidered. The
   word "cunning," in old English, is synonymous with "skilful."

   2. length--Each curtain was to be fifteen yards in length and a little
   exceeding two in breadth.

   3. The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another, &c.--so
   as to form two grand divisions, each eleven yards wide.

   6. taches--clasps; supposed in shape, as well as in use, to be the same
   as hooks and eyes.

   7-13. curtains of goats' hair--These coarse curtains were to be one
   more in number than the others, and to extend a yard lower on each
   side, the use of them being to protect and conceal the richer curtains.

   14. a covering ... of rams' skins dyed red--that is, of Turkey red
   leather. [See on [27]Ex 39:34.]

   15-30. thou shalt make boards ... rear up the tabernacle according to
   the fashion ... which was showed thee--The tabernacle, from its name as
   well as from its general appearance and arrangements, was a tent; but
   from the description given in these verses, the boards that formed its
   walls, the five (cross) bars that strengthened them, and the middle bar
   that "reached from end to end," and gave it solidity and compactness,
   it was evidently a more substantial fabric than a light and fragile
   tent, probably on account of the weight of its various coverings as
   well as for the protection of its precious furniture.

   36. an hanging for the door of the tent--Curtains of rich and elaborate
   embroidery, made by the women, are suspended over the doors or
   entrances of the tents occupied by Eastern chiefs and princes. In a
   similar style of elegance was the hanging finished which was to cover
   the door of this tabernacle--the chosen habitation of the God and King
   of Israel. It appears from Ex 26:12, 22, 23, that the ark and mercy
   seat were placed in the west end of the tabernacle, and consequently
   the door or entrance fronted the east, so that the Israelites in
   worshipping Jehovah, turned their faces towards the west; that they
   might be thus figuratively taught to turn from the worship of that
   luminary which was the great idol of the nations, and to adore the God
   who made it and them [Hewlett].
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 27

   Ex 27:1-21. Altar for Burnt Offering.

   1, 2. altar of shittim wood--The dimensions of this altar which was
   placed at the entrance of the sanctuary were nearly three yards square,
   and a yard and a half in height. Under the wooden frame of this
   chest-like altar the inside was hollow, and each corner was to be
   terminated by "horns"--angular projections, perpendicular or oblique,
   in the form of horns. The animals to be sacrificed were bound to these
   (Ps 118:27), and part of the blood was applied to them.

   3. shovels--fire shovels for scraping together any of the scattered
   ashes.

   basons--for receiving the blood of the sacrifice to be sprinkled on the
   people.

   fleshhooks--curved, three-pronged forks (1Sa 2:13, 14).

   fire-pans--A large sort of vessel, wherein the sacred fire which came
   down from heaven (Le 9:24) was kept burning, while they cleaned the
   altar and the grate from the coals and ashes, and while the altar was
   carried from one place to another in the wilderness [Patrick, Spencer,
   Le Clerc].

   4. a grate of network of brass--sunk latticework to support the fire.

   four brazen rings--by which the grating might be lifted and taken away
   as occasion required from the body of the altar.

   5. put it under the compass of the altar beneath--that is, the grating
   in which they were carried to a clean place (Le 4:12).

   6, 7. staves ... rings--Those rings were placed at the side through
   which the poles were inserted on occasions of removal.

   9-19. the court of the tabernacle--The enclosure in which the edifice
   stood was a rectangular court, extending rather more than fifty yards
   in length and half that space in breadth, and the enclosing parapet was
   about three yards or half the height of the tabernacle. That parapet
   consisted of a connected series of curtains, made of fine twined linen
   yarn, woven into a kind of network, so that the people could see
   through; but that large curtain which overhung the entrance was of a
   different texture, being embroidered and dyed with variegated colors,
   and it was furnished with cords for pulling it up or drawing it aside
   when the priests had occasion to enter. The curtains of this enclosure
   were supported on sixty brazen pillars which stood on pedestals of the
   same metal, but their capitals and fillets were of silver, and the
   hooks on which they were suspended were of silver also.

   19. pins--were designed to hold down the curtains at the bottom, lest
   the wind should waft them aside.

   20, 21. pure oil olive beaten--that is, such as runs from the olives
   when bruised and without the application of fire.

   for the light ... Aaron and his sons--were to take charge of lighting
   it in all time coming.

   21. shall order it from evening to morning--The tabernacle having no
   windows, the lamps required to be lighted during the day. Josephus says
   that in his time only three were lighted; but his were degenerate
   times, and there is no Scripture authority for this limitation. But
   although the priests were obliged from necessity to light them by day,
   they might have let them go out at night had it not been for this
   express ordinance.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 28

   Ex 28:1-43. Appointment to the Priesthood.

   1. take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him--Moses
   had hitherto discharged the priestly functions (Ps 99:6), and he
   evinced the piety as well as humility of his character, in readily
   complying with the command to invest his brother with the sacred
   office, though it involved the perpetual exclusion of his own family.
   The appointment was a special act of God's sovereignty, so that there
   could be no ground for popular umbrage by the selection of Aaron's
   family, with whom the office was inalienably established and continued
   in unbroken succession till the introduction of the Christian era.

   2-5. holy garments--No inherent holiness belonged either to the
   material or the workmanship. But they are called "holy" simply because
   they were not worn on ordinary occasions, but assumed in the discharge
   of the sacred functions (Eze 44:19).

   for glory and for beauty--It was a grand and sumptuous attire. In
   material, elaborate embroidery, and color, it had an imposing splendor.
   The tabernacle being adapted to the infantine aid of the church, it was
   right and necessary that the priests' garments should be of such superb
   and dazzling appearance, that the people might be inspired with a due
   respect for the ministers as well as the rites of religion. But they
   had also a further meaning; for being all made of linen, they were
   symbolical of the truth, purity, and other qualities in Christ that
   rendered Him such a high priest as became us.

   6-14. ephod--It was a very gorgeous robe made of byssus, curiously
   embroidered, and dyed with variegated colors, and further enriched with
   golden tissue, the threads of gold being either originally interwoven
   or afterwards inserted by the embroiderer. It was short--reaching from
   the breast to a little below the loins--and though destitute of
   sleeves, retained its position by the support of straps thrown over
   each shoulder. These straps or braces, connecting the one with the
   back, the other with the front piece of which the tunic was composed,
   were united on the shoulder by two onyx stones, serving as buttons, and
   on which the names of the twelve tribes were engraved, and set in
   golden encasements. The symbolical design of this was, that the high
   priest, who bore the names along with him in all his ministrations
   before the Lord, might be kept in remembrance of his duty to plead
   their cause, and supplicate the accomplishment of the divine promises
   in their favor. The ephod was fastened by a girdle of the same costly
   materials, that is, dyed, embroidered, and wrought with threads of
   gold. It was about a handbreadth wide and wound twice round the upper
   part of the waist; it fastened in front, the ends hanging down at great
   length (Re 1:13).

   15-29. thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work--a
   very splendid and richly embroidered piece of brocade, a span square,
   and doubled, to enable it the better to bear the weight of the precious
   stones in it. There were twelve different stones, containing each the
   name of a tribe, and arranged in four rows, three in each. The
   Israelites had acquired a knowledge of the lapidary's art in Egypt, and
   the amount of their skill in cutting, polishing, and setting precious
   stones, may be judged of by the diamond forming one of the engraved
   ornaments on this breastplate. A ring was attached to each corner,
   through which the golden chains were passed to fasten this brilliant
   piece of jewelry at the top and bottom tightly on the breast of the
   ephod.

   30. thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and
   Thummim--The words signify "lights" and "perfections"; and nothing more
   is meant than the precious stones of the breastplate already described
   (compare Ex 39:8-21; Le 8:8). They received the name because the
   bearing of them qualified the high priest to consult the divine oracle
   on all public or national emergencies, by going into the holy
   place--standing close before the veil and putting his hand upon the
   Urim and Thummim, he conveyed a petition from the people and asked
   counsel of God, who, as the Sovereign of Israel, gave response from the
   midst of His glory. Little, however, is known about them. But it may be
   remarked that Egyptian judges wore on the breast of their official
   robes a representation of Justice, and the high priest in Israel long
   officiated also as a judge; so that some think the Urim and Thummim had
   a reference to his judicial functions.

   31-33. the robe of the ephod all of blue--It was the middle garment,
   under the ephod and above the coat. It had a hole through which the
   head was thrust, and was formed carefully of one piece, such as was the
   robe of Christ (Joh 19:23). The high priest's was of a sky-blue color.
   The binding at the neck was strongly woven, and it terminated below in
   a fringe, made of blue, purple, and scarlet tassels, in the form of a
   pomegranate, interspersed with small bells of gold, which tinkled as
   the wearer was in motion.

   34. a golden bell and a pomegranate--The bells were hung between the
   pomegranates, which were said to have amounted to seventy-two, and the
   use of them seems to have been to announce to the people when the high
   priest entered the most holy place, that they might accompany him with
   their prayers, and also to remind himself to be attired in his official
   dress, to minister without which was death.

   36-38. plate--literally, a petal of a flower, which seems to have been
   the figure of this golden plate, which was tied with a ribbon of blue
   on the front of the mitre, so that every one facing him could read the
   inscription.

   37. mitre--crown-like cap for the head, not covering the entire head,
   but adhering closely to it, composed of fine linen. The Scripture has
   not described its form, but from Josephus we may gather that it was
   conical in shape, as he distinguishes the mitres of the common priests
   by saying that they were not conical--that it was encircled with
   swathes of blue embroidered, and that it was covered by one piece of
   fine linen to hide the seams.

   39. coat of fine linen--a garment fastened at the neck, and reaching
   far down the person, with the sleeves terminating at the elbow.

   girdle of needlework--a piece of fine twined linen, richly embroidered,
   and variously dyed. It is said to have been very long, and being many
   times wound round the body, it was fastened in front and the ends hung
   down, which, being an impediment to a priest in active duty, were
   usually thrown across the shoulders. This was the outer garment of the
   common priests.

   40. bonnets--turbans.

   42. linen breeches--drawers, which encompassed the loins and reached
   half way down the thighs. They are seen very frequently represented in
   Egyptian figures.
     __________________________________________________________________

   CHAPTER 29

   Ex 29:1-35. Consecrating the Priests and the Altar.

   1. hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office--The act of
   inaugurating the priests was accompanied by ceremonial solemnities well
   calculated not only to lead the people to entertain exalted views of
   the office, but to impress those functionaries themselves with a
   profound sense of its magnitude and importance. In short, they were
   taught to know that the service was for them as well as for the people;
   and every time they engaged in a new performance of their duties, they
   were reminded of their personal interest in the worship, by being
   obliged to offer for themselves, before they were qualified to offer as
   the representatives of the people.

   this is the thing that thou shalt do--Steps are taken at the beginning
   of a society, which would not be repeated when the social machine was
   in full motion; and Moses, at the opening of the tabernacle, was
   employed to discharge functions which in later periods would have been
   regarded as sacrilege and punished with instant death. But he acted
   under the special directions of God.

   4-9. Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the
   tabernacle--as occupying the intermediate space between the court where
   the people stood, and the dwelling-place of Israel's king, and
   therefore the fittest spot for the priests being duly prepared for
   entrance, and the people witnessing the ceremony of inauguration.

   wash them with water. And ... take the garments--The manner in which
   these parts of the ceremonial were performed is minutely described, and
   in discovering their symbolical imp