And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: Ver. 1. _For I have hardened his heart._] As he that brings in a light blinds an owl; or as he that pours on water kindles the lime whereupon... [ Continue Reading ]
And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I [am] the LORD. Ver. 2. _And that thou mayest tell._] The memory of God's _magnalia,_ his great works, must be transmitt... [ Continue Reading ]
And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me. _Ver 3. How long wilt thou refuse?_] God thinks long of the time that men misspend and waste in wicke... [ Continue Reading ]
Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast: Ver. 4. _Else, if thou refuse._] Men should look up with David, and see the punishing angel over their heads with a drawn sword, and submit. And if not, Balaam's ass shall condemn them for their des... [ Continue Reading ]
And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field: Ver. 5. _And they shall cover._] For "they go forth... [ Continue Reading ]
And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh. Ver. 6. _And he turned... [ Continue Reading ]
And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed? Ver. 7. And Pharaoh's servants said unto him.] They were convinced and mollified, though he was not. "Whom he will... [ Continue Reading ]
And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: [but] who [are] they that shall go? Ver. 8. _And Moses and Aaron were brought, &c._] Something the tyrant would seem to yield to his counsellors, and not to deal by them as the Persian monarchs,... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we [must hold] a feast unto the LORD._ Ver. 9. _For we must hold a feast._] _See Trapp on "_ Exo 5:1 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look [to it]; for evil [is] before you. Ver. 10. _Let the Lord be so with you._] In cursing them, he unwittingly blessed them. Exodus 12:30,31 _; _ Exo 13:21-22 Cursing men are cursed men. But God's peop... [ Continue Reading ]
Not so: go now ye [that are] men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence. Ver. 11. _Not so,_] q.d., I will watch you for that what should children do sacrificing? Them I will retain, as pledges of your return.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, [even] all that the hail hath left. Ver. 12. _Even all that the hail hath left._] How easily can God straiten, yea, starve us al... [ Continue Reading ]
And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all [that] night; [and] when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. Ver. 13. _An east wind._] The proper and ordinary office whereof is to purge the air.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous [were they]; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. Ver. 14. _And the locusts went up._] As a formidable army. See a graphical description of a like pl... [ Continue Reading ]
For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt. Ver. 15. _S... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you._ Ver. 16. _I have sinned against the Lord._] A fair confession, but forced and extorted. Thus the toad, if beaten on the belly, will vomit up his venom, and the malefactor on th... [ Continue Reading ]
Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only. Ver. 17. _Now therefore forgive._] Moses must forgive his sin: God is not in all his thoughts. David cries, _Peccavi; _ Pharaoh, _Perii:_ David, "Against thee, th... [ Continue Reading ]
And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD. Ver. 18. _And he went out._] The wisdom from above is "gentle, easy to be intreated," ready to every good work. Jam 3:17 The devils are called _Shegnirim,_ rough and rugged.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt. Ver. 19. _A mighty strong west wind._] Rupertus calls the winds _mundi scopas,_ the besoms wherewith God sweeps his great house of th... [ Continue Reading ]
But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go. Ver. 20. _But the Lord hardened._] _See Trapp on "_ Exo 10:1 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness [which] may be felt. Ver. 21. _Stretch out thine hand._] Here was no warning. See Exodus 8:16. As good, the more unexpected, is the more welcome; so evil, the more su... [ Continue Reading ]
And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: Ver. 22. _Thick darkness._] It was thick indeed, that might be felt: _a_ so thick and foggy were the vapours that caused it. _ a_ ψηλαφητον ακοτος. - _Sept._... [ Continue Reading ]
_They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings._ Ver. 23. _They saw not one another._] That they might know the worth of light, by the want of it. One being asked whether light was pleasant, answered, τυφλου το... [ Continue Reading ]
And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you. Ver. 24. _Called unto Moses,_] viz., When the darkness was over: though some think that, even during the darkness, Pharaoh - such was his madhess - r... [ Continue Reading ]
And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God. Ver. 25. _Thou must give us also sacrifices._] God gave Noah of every clean beast seven, for sacrifice likely, but of every unclean two only. Gen 7:2... [ Continue Reading ]
Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither. Ver. 26. _Not a hoof._] God's law must be kept as the apple of our eye. Pro 7:2 A dispensatory consc... [ Continue Reading ]
And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in [that] day thou seest my face thou shalt die. Ver. 28. _Get thee from me._] Evermore when God's messengers are abandoned, destruction is at next door by. "I know that the Lord hath a purpose to destroy th... [ Continue Reading ]
And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more. Ver. 29. _Thou hast spoken well,_] q.d., When I see thee next, do thy pleasure by me. _a_ This was an act of faith in him, whereby he "feared not the wrath of the king." Heb 11:27 So when Valens, the Arian Emperor, threatened... [ Continue Reading ]