_And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness._ Ver. 1. _That they may hold a feast._] "That they may serve me." Exo 4:23 "Let us keep the feast," _εορταζωμεν_ _, _ 1Co 5:8 which is... [ Continue Reading ]
And Pharaoh said, Who [is] the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. Ver. 2. _Who is the Lord?_] God's attributes either show what he is, or who he is. To the question of Moses - What he is? - God gave a short answer, "I am." To this... [ Continue Reading ]
And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. Ver. 3. Three days' journey,] viz., to mount Horeb. They made it three months' journey... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. _Ver 4. Let the people from their works._] Moses talks of sacrifice; Pharaoh of work. Anything seems due work to a carnal mind, saving God's service; nothing superfluo... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now [are] many, and ye make them rest from their burdens._ Ver. 5. _The people of the land now are many._] _Et nihil agendo male agere discent._ Iphicrates never suffered his soldiers to be out of employment; but, if out of military services, he set... [ Continue Reading ]
And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, Ver. 6. _And Pharaoh commanded._] He raged the more for the message of dismission: so, wholesome admonitions make ill men worse. Corruptions increase and get bigger by the law. Rom 7:8... [ Continue Reading ]
Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. Ver. 7. _Ye shall no more give the people straw._] _Speculum tyrannidis semper augescentis atque invalescentis._ "The matter mends with us," said those martyrs in prison, "as sour ale d... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish [ought] thereof: for they [be] idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go [and] sacrifice to our God._ Ver. 8. _For they be idle._] I heard a great man once say, saith Luther, _Necesse est ot... [ Continue Reading ]
Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words. Ver. 9. _And not regard vain words._] Vain lying words. So this profane prince calleth and counteth the word of God. "What is truth?" saith Pilate, scoffingly.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. Ver. 10. _I will not give you straw._] Cold comfort! Things commonly go backward with the saints before they come forward, as the corn groweth downwar... [ Continue Reading ]
Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished. Ver. 11. _Yet not aught._] Such hard service puts Satan his slaves to, and yet they rejoice in their bondage.... [ Continue Reading ]
So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. Ver. 12. _So the people were scattered._] So are most people now-a-days busied about trash and trifles, neglecting the one thing necessary. In the enthronisation of the Pope before he puts on hi... [ Continue Reading ]
And the taskmasters hasted [them], saying, Fulfil your works, [your] daily tasks, as when there was straw. Ver. 13. _And the taskmasters._] Who were Egyptians, as the officers under them were Israelities, and beaten. Exo 5:14... [ Continue Reading ]
And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, [and] demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore? Ver. 14. _Were beaten._] It is the misery of those that are trusted with author... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? Ver. 15. _Came and cried unto Pharaoh._] They did not rail upon him to his face, as the Janizaries did _a_ in an uproar upon Bajazet II, their prince, saying that they wou... [ Continue Reading ]
There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants [are] beaten; but the fault [is] in thine own people. Ver. 16. _But the fault is in thine own people._] _Effugiunt corvi, vexat censura columbas._ As a man is friended, so is his matter ended. And w... [ Continue Reading ]
But he said, Ye [are] idle, [ye are] idle: therefore ye say, Let us go [and] do sacrifice to the LORD. Ver. 17. _Ye are idle._] _See Trapp on "_ Exo 5:4 _"_ _See Trapp on "_ Exo 5:8 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
Go therefore now, [and] work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks. Ver. 18. _Yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks._] Or be miserably beaten, if but one be missing. The Spaniards, besides other intolerable burdens and bondages that they lay upon the poor... [ Continue Reading ]
And the officers of the children of Israel did see [that] they [were] in evil [case], after it was said, Ye shall not minish [ought] from your bricks of your daily task. Ver. 19. _In evil case._] For their evil courses. Ezekiel 23:8 _; Ezekiel 20:5_ _; _ Eze 20:7-8 Jos 24:14 It is written as a heav... [ Continue Reading ]
And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: Ver. 20. _And they met Moses._] How ready are we to mistake the grounds of our afflictions, and to cast them upon false causes! The Sareptan told the prophet that he had killed her son. 1Ki 17:18... [ Continue Reading ]
And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. Ver. 21. _The Lord look upon you._] Thus we have seen dogs in a chase bark at their best frien... [ Continue Reading ]
And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou [so] evil entreated this people? why [is] it [that] thou hast sent me? Ver. 22. _And Moses returned unto the Lord._] He turned aside, as it were to speak with a friend, and to disburden himself in God's bosom. This is the saints'... [ Continue Reading ]
For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all. Ver. 23. _Neither hast thou delivered._] Here Moses himself was too short spirited. He considered not, belike, that God's promises do many times bear a long date, neith... [ Continue Reading ]