Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, [even] to Horeb. Ver. 1. _To the backside of the desert,_] Here it was that Moses wrote the book of Genesis, and that of Job too, as some... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush [was] not consumed._ Ver. 2. _And the Angel of the Lord._] Christ, that Angel of the Covenant, and of the great council. _ And the bush wa... [ Continue Reading ]
And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. Ver. 3. _I will now turn aside, and see._] Moses came out of curiosity, but was called by God: so do many to the ordinances for novelty, as the Jews did to John Baptist; or for some other minister respect; t... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here [am] I. Ver. 4. _And when the Lord saw, &c._] God "meeteth him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness." Isa 64:5 _Acti; agimus._ The miller cannot command... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest [is] holy ground. Ver. 5. _Draw not nigh._] Be not rash, but reverent. Heathens could say, _Non loquendum de Deo sine lumine._ God will be sanctified of all that draw nigh unto him. Lev 10:2... [ Continue Reading ]
Moreover he said, I [am] the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. Ver. 6. _Hid his face._] So did the seraphims, with a double scarf, as it were. Isa 6:2 Let a man but see God, and his plumes will... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which [are] in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; Ver. 7. _For I know their sorrows._] That is a sweet support to a sinking soul, that God knows all, and bears a part. "Your heav... [ Continue Reading ]
And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusit... [ Continue Reading ]
Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Ver. 9. _The oppression wherewith._] We are oft more beholden to our enemies' insolency than to any innoceney of our own. Deu 32:27... [ Continue Reading ]
Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. Ver. 10. _That thou mayest bring forth._] Which, though as unlikely to be done as to remove a rock with his shoulder, yet, setting upon it in God's strength, he effecte... [ Continue Reading ]
And Moses said unto God, Who [am] I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? Ver. 11. _Who am I?_] Worth is modest: the proud man asketh, Who am I not? παντα ποιειν εδωυαμτω, _Curi Maioris sepulchro inscriptum refert Arrianus._ Worth with mo... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this [shall be] a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. Ver. 12. _This shall be a token unto thee._] So he had a double sign, for his fuller and further cor... [ Continue Reading ]
And Moses said unto God, Behold, [when] I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What [is] his name? what shall I say unto them? Ver. 13. _What is his name?_] God is above all name, all notion. When Manoah... [ Continue Reading ]
_And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you._ Ver. 14. _I AM THAT I AM._] Heb., I will be that I will be. The Septuagint render it Eγω ειμι ο ων, _I am He that is._ Agreeably hereunto, Plato calleth God το ον and... [ Continue Reading ]
And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this [is] my name for ever, and this [is] my memorial unto all generations. Ver. 15. _Unto all generati... [ Continue Reading ]
Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and [seen] that which is done to you in Egypt: Ver. 16. _The God of Abraham, &c._] His friends, with whom h... [ Continue Reading ]
And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. Ver. 17. _I have said, I will bring you up._] And now I am come t... [ Continue Reading ]
And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our... [ Continue Reading ]
And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. Ver. 19. _Will not let you go._] A sturdy rebel he was; but God tamed him, and took him down by those ten plagues, comprised in these four verses - “Fit cruor ex undis, conspurcant omnia ranae; Dat pulvis cimices,... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. Ver. 20. _And after that he will let you go._] When he dare hold you no longer; when I have sufficiently tamed him and taught him, as Gideon "taught the men o... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: Ver. 21. _I will give this people favour._] It is God that fashioneth men's spirits, and speaketh ofttimes for them in the hearts of their greatest enemies.... [ Continue Reading ]
But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put [them] upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians. Ver. 22. _Ye shall spoil the Egyptians._] By a special dispen... [ Continue Reading ]