_MOSES STILL EXCUSES HIMSELF: GOD ENDUES HIM WITH THE POWER OF WORKING MIRACLES; AND APPOINTS AARON TO BE HIS SPOKESMAN. MOSES RETURNS INTO THE LAND OF EGYPT, TAKES WITH HIM ZIPPORAH HIS WIFE, AND IS WELL RECEIVED BY THE ISRAELITES._ _Before Christ 1491._... [ Continue Reading ]
MOSES ANSWERED—BEHOLD, THEY WILL NOT BELIEVE ME— The plain meaning of these words, as is evident from the miracles which God immediately wrought, and gave Moses also power to perform, is, that his bare word would be insufficient to convince the people, without some extraordinary signs to confirm the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID—WHAT IS THAT? &C.— This is a proof, among many others, that questions are frequently asked in the sacred Scripture, not merely for the purpose of information: the Lord could not be ignorant what Moses had in his hand. This remark may be useful for the rightly understanding of many... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID, PUT THINE HAND, &C.— The leprosy was generally reckoned a disease incurable by human art. See Celsus, lib. 5: ch. 28. The inflicting, therefore, and instantaneously curing this disease, was a demonstrative proof of Divine power. See Leviticus 13:3. Numbers 12:10. 2 Kings 5:27. Bishop Pa... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THEY WILL BELIEVE THE VOICE OF THE LATTER SIGN— This perhaps might be better rendered, _they MAY believe;_ for GOD doth not so much foretel what _will_ happen, as what is the purpose and design of these miracles: asserting, that, if the first do not prevail with some, the second may: against bo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES SAID—I AM NOT ELOQUENT— St. Stephen, Acts 7:22 says, that Moses was _mighty in words,_ as well as in _deeds:_ an expression, which is also used, Luke 24:19 of Christ, who is called _a prophet, mighty in deed and word:_ by which is evidently meant, the excellence of each in legislation; the... [ Continue Reading ]
SEND, I PRAY THEE, BY THE HAND OF HIM WHOM THOU WILT SEND— The word שׁלח _shelach,_ being very similar to שׁילה _shilah,_ Genesis 49:10 which is universally agreed, as we have observed, to mean the Messiah; very many Christian interpreters have thought, that Moses here entreats of GOD to commit this... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, HE COMETH FORTH TO MEET THEE— This latter part of the verse would be rendered more properly, _behold, he shall come forth to meet thee:_ and _when he shall see thee, he shall rejoice in his heart:_ and, perhaps, the phrase, _he cometh forth to meet thee,_ or _to thy meeting,_ may imply the r... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL BE TO THEE INSTEAD OF A MOUTH; AND THOU SHALT BE TO HIM INSTEAD OF GOD.— The meaning of this is very evident from the context, without recourse to those subtleties and vain distinctions which some have made. _"Thou shalt be to him a God,_ in the same manner as he shall be to thee, a mouth;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES WENT, AND RETURNED, &C.— Thus commissioned by the Almighty, Moses determines immediately to enter upon his office: and, therefore, without informing Jethro of his main design, as that, perhaps, might have retarded it; he urges his desire to go and see whether his brethren (that is, most pr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ROD OF GOD— It is so called, because it was, in the hand of Moses, the symbol of Divine Power, and the instrument by which he wrought all the prodigies that signalized his ministry.... [ Continue Reading ]
GOEST TO RETURN— Houbigant renders this, _And the Lord said unto him, when he was returning into Egypt._ The Vulgate renders it in the same manner. _I WILL HARDEN HIS HEART_— For a full explication of this phrase, see the note on ch. Exodus 9:34.... [ Continue Reading ]
ISRAEL IS MY SON, &C.— See Psalms 89:27; Psalms 2:7. This phrase is expressive of God's peculiar regard and favour to the people of Israel; whom he had chosen and adopted, as it were, to share the first and greatest privileges of his children, and to be the grand repositories of his best blessings t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, &C.— The best account which can be given of the extraordinary event here related, is, that Moses having deferred the circumcision of one of his sons, perhaps out of compliance with his wife; God was highly offended with him for such neglect; not only, because Moses knew that no... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD SAID, &C.— For Moses's farther comfort, God sends Aaron to meet him. The interview was affectionate; and, Moses having informed him of God's commission, they proceed together, and are received with joy by the elders and people. _Note;_ 1. The comfortable meeting of friends is a mercy, but t... [ Continue Reading ]