1._And the Lord spoke unto Moses. _God, by closing up all the ways by which the Israelites might have escaped, now opens a course for His wonderful power, and by bringing them for one moment to despair, provided for the safety of His Church through a long period of time. This final act, then, marvel... [ Continue Reading ]
3._For Pharaoh will say. _God here explains to Hoses His design; although, in His engagements with Pharaoh, he had so often gained glorious victories, that the last act still remained to overwhelm him and his army in the sea. He says that Pharaoh, then, will be caught in riffs snare, so as to rush u... [ Continue Reading ]
5._And it was told the king. _Moses does not simply mean, that the king then first heard of the flight of the people, which had been anything but secret; but that the circumstances were reported to him, which stirred him up to make an attack upon them. When, then, he hears that the people fled in ha... [ Continue Reading ]
6._And he made ready his chariot. _Moses briefly describes the warlike preparation of Pharaoh, not only to magnify the greatness of God’s power in delivering the people, but also to show with what violent and obstinate audacity the wicked go forwards, when they give way to their depraved and crimina... [ Continue Reading ]
8._And the children of Israel went out. _(153) Moses indirectly reproves their too great security, which had freed them altogether from care and fear; and whence even the desire of calling on God had grown cold in them, as security always produces drowsiness and an idle spirit. Hence it came to pass... [ Continue Reading ]
10._And when Pharaoh drew nigh. _Moses implies that the alarm was greater from its suddenness, because no messenger had preceded, so that a very short time indeed was given them for preparation. There was, then, just ground for fear even in the bravest hearts, unless there had been something very ex... [ Continue Reading ]
11._Because there were no graves. _This (155) is the more proper sense; for the double negative is put for a single one. It is a bitter and biting taunt; for, not contented with preferring the graves of Egypt to the death which they feared, they scoffingly inquire how he could have thought of bringi... [ Continue Reading ]
13._And Moses said unto the people. _Although with his characteristic kindness Moses courteously exhorts them to be of good hope, yet it is not probable that he passed over in silence those wicked cries with which he saw that God was atrociously assailed. I conceive, then, that he discharged the dut... [ Continue Reading ]
15._And the Lord _(156) _said _I have used the praeter-pluperfect tense for the sake of avoiding ambiguity; for the reason is here given why Moses so confidently reproved the hesitation of the people, and promised that they should be safe under the present help of God; viz., because he had already b... [ Continue Reading ]
17._I will harden. _God once more affirms, for the greater exaltation of His own power, that He will harden the Egyptians, so that, as if devoted to destruction, they may cast themselves into the midst of the sea; which they certainly would never have done, unless He had guided their hearts by his s... [ Continue Reading ]
19._And the angel of God. _A sudden change which occurred to prevent a battle is here described; for the angel:, who used to go before the Israelites to show the way: turned to the other side, that he might be interposed between the two camps; and this, in two respects, because the pillar of fire sh... [ Continue Reading ]
21._And Moses stretched out. _We have already said that the passage was free and convenient for the Israelites by night, since the pillar of fire replenished their side with light: and certainly so great a multitude could not reach the opposite shore in an hour or two. The Israelites then passed ove... [ Continue Reading ]
24._And it came to pass, that, in the morning-watch. _In the morning the angel began to look upon the Egyptians, not that they had escaped his sight before; but for the purpose of destroying them by sudden submersion, though he had seemed previously to forget them, when hidden by the cloud. (157) An... [ Continue Reading ]
26._And the Lord said unto Moses. _Moses here relates how the sea, in destroying the Egyptians, had no less obeyed God’s command than when it lately afforded a passage for His people, for it. was by the uplifting of the rod of Moses that the waters came again into their place, as they had been befor... [ Continue Reading ]
28._And the waters returned. _In these two verses also Moses continues the same relation. It plainly appears from Josephus and Eusebius what silly tales Manetho (158) and others have invented about the Exodus of the people; for although Satan has attempted by their falsehoods to overshadow the truth... [ Continue Reading ]
31._And Israel saw. _After he has said that the Israelites saw the dead bodies spread upon the seashore, he now adds that in this spectacle God’s hand, (160) i.e., His power, appeared, because there was no difficulty in distinguishing between God’s wrath and His fatherly love, in preserving so mirac... [ Continue Reading ]