CHAP XI. _The fire of the Lord consumes part of the camp: the manna is loathed: seventy elders are appointed to assist Moses: quails are given in wrath; and many of the people are slain._ _Before Christ 1490._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE PEOPLE COMPLAINED— The _when_ inserted here much flattens the sense, and leads the mind to wrong ideas respecting this event. Read it thus, exactly conformable to the Hebrew, and the spirit of the passage will appear. _Now the people greatly murmured: it was evil in the ears of the Lord... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIRE WAS QUENCHED— Εκοπασε, the LXX. _it ceased._ Scheuchzer is of opinion, as also is Le Clerc, that this destruction might be wrought by one of those fiery, blasting winds, which are incident to those countries, and mentioned in Scripture, Ezekiel 17:10; Ezekiel 19:12 and by one of which Theve... [ Continue Reading ]
NAME OF THE PLACE TABERAH— The reason of the name _Taberah,_ or _burning,_ is given, as usual, in the next clause; _because the fire of the Lord burnt among them:_ see 1 Corinthians 10:11 where the apostle applies this part of the sacred history for the instruction of Christians. REFLECTIONS.—From... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MIXT MULTITUDE— See Exodus 12:38. Infected by the example of this _mixed multitude,_ the children of Israel _returned again_ to their former murmurings, and bemoaned themselves for the want of the provisions they had fed upon in Egypt. "Their sin," says Bishop Kidder, "was much aggravated upon t... [ Continue Reading ]
WE REMEMBER THE FISH, &C.— The author of the observations remarks, that the fish of Egypt are eaten, in common, with pleasure by the inhabitants of that country; but that in April and May, which is the hot season there, they scarce eat any thing else but fish, with pulse and herbs; the great heat ta... [ Continue Reading ]
OUR SOUL IS DRIED AWAY— This expression is of the same import with that of the Psalmist; _my heart is—withered like grass._ The word נפשׁ _nepesh,_ as we have before observed, is often used for the merely animal life, (see Genesis 2:7.) and the _drying away_ here mentioned, may refer to their want o... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MANNA WAS AS CORIANDER-SEED, &C.— This description of the manna, its excellence as a food, its immediate descent from God, and the easiness of its procural, appear to be subjoined by the sacred writer, to shew the ingratitude and luxury of the people in despising so agreeable a food. REFLECTIONS... [ Continue Reading ]
AS A NURSING-FATHER BEARETH THE SUCKING CHILD— This is a very lively expression to denote that tenderness and fatherly affection which princes ought to have for their people; and, on the other side, as expressive an emblem of the perverseness of the Israelites, wayward as an infant, which rises up w... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM NOT ABLE TO BEAR ALL THIS PEOPLE ALONE— Though Moses, by Jethro's advice, had appointed several persons to assist him, Exodus 18:21 yet all the weighty and difficult causes were still brought before himself, to whom also the last appeal was to be made in every cause.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF THOU DEAL THUS WITH ME, KILL ME, &C.— "If I must carry this heavy burden to the end of my days, I entreat of thee, O my God! as an especial grace, that thou wouldst hasten my last moment, _that I may not see my wretchedness;_—that I may not see myself reduced to still greater evils." To see d... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, GATHER UNTO ME— Though it cannot be denied that the remonstrance of Moses was rather over-passionate, and favoured much of human imperfection, yet, gracious and condescending, the Lord is pleased to shew no signs of displeasure, but gratifies the request of Moses, by or... [ Continue Reading ]
SAY THOU UNTO THE PEOPLE, SANCTIFY YOURSELVES— Houbigant well observes, that the original word here might, with propriety, be rendered, _be ye ready:_ the word is so used Jeremiah 6:4; Jeremiah 12:3; Jeremiah 51:28. Having answered the request of Moses in the former verses, the Lord now proceeds to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES SAID, THE PEOPLE AMONGST WHOM I AM— There is a striking similarity between the present passage and the account we have in the Evangelists of our Saviour's feeding the multitude with the five loaves and two fishes. See particularly John 6:5; John 6:71.... [ Continue Reading ]
IS THE LORD'S HAND WAXED SHORT?— That is to say, Is the divine power diminished?—Have I lost any thing of my power since I created the universe? REFLECTIONS.—God answers the requests both of Moses and of the people, but with very different regards; Moses in mercy, the people in judgment. 1. Moses... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE SPIRIT RESTED UPON THEM, THEY PROPHESIED— Concerning the meaning of the word _prophet,_ we have spoken in the note on Genesis 20:7. _To prophesy,_ says Dr. Hammond, is a large word; and, besides the foretelling of future events, which is the ordinary notion of it, it signifies, SECONDLY, _T... [ Continue Reading ]
ELDAD, AND—MEDAD: AND THE SPIRIT RESTED UPON THEM, &C.— Mr. Saurin observes, that this prophecy of Eldad and Medad has given handle to an impostor to forge a work under the name of the former: the author of the Book of Hermes says, he borrowed an oracle from thence. Witsius is of opinion, that St. J... [ Continue Reading ]
JOSHUA—THE SERVANT OF MOSES, &C.— See Exodus 33:11. Joshua, it should seem, thought that these men's prophesying, or teaching in the camp, tended to make those gifts common, and to disparage Moses in the eyes of the people: or, perhaps, he thought that it tended to breed a schism, by calling the peo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WENT FORTH A WIND FROM THE LORD, &C.— See Exodus 16:13. As we have met with no commentator who has explained this passage so well and fully as the author of the observations, we here subjoin his very judicious and entertaining remarks. The famous Ludolphus, and after him Bishop Patrick, an... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHILE THE FLESH WAS YET BETWEEN THEIR TEETH, &C.— It is impossible to determine, as Calmet justly remarks, how many days they used this food, or what was the plague wherewith the Lord smote them. Some say that this plague was a pestilence, others a consumption, others a fire, such as that spoken... [ Continue Reading ]
KIBROTH-HATTAAVAH— The reason of which name, as usual, is given in the next clause; _because there they_ buried _the people that_ lusted. REFLECTIONS.—The people now obtain their desire, and suffer for their lust. 1. God sends them flesh to eat. Now they have enough, and riot in plenty; but when t... [ Continue Reading ]