3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, dThey are en

d Ps. 71. 11.

have stretched along the shore for the extent of several miles, particularly if they were hemmed in between the sea and the mountains as we would conjecture; and if then when thus stretched out in one extensive line from north to south along the western shore of the gulf, the southern part of the body commenced the move into the dried passage in the sea, it necessarily follows that the point of passage must have been many miles below the termination of the inlet. This argument is conclusive to our minds that, consistently with their encampment along the sea coast, they must have passed many miles to the south of the end of the gulf, wherever the gulf then ended; and even if it terminated much more to the south than at present, we are still disposed to consider this position of the camp as the most probable, because most consistent with the 'shutting in,' the entangling,' and the other circumstances, which imply that, when the Egyptian host took them in the rear, their only way to es cape was through the sea.' Pict. Bible.

Between Migdol and the sea over against Baal-zepher. It is impossible to attain to any certainty in the location of these places, nor in fact is it clear what precise idea is to be affixed to the term 'before' in this connexion. We may doubtless be satisfied that the several places mentioned were all within the distance of ten or twelve miles of each other, and probably all in sight to some part of the host, which in a valley of no great width must have spread over at least that extent. Professor Stuart (Course of Heb. Study, Exc. IV.) thinks that Migdol is identical with the modern Ber Suez, or well of Suez. "This is a small place, strongly fortified in modern times, in order to secure the

tangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.

privilege of water for Suez. It is about three miles west from Suez; and in this low sandy plain, it must be altogether in view. If now in ancient times there was a similar castle or fortification at this well, (a thing altogether probable, considering the nearness of predatory Arabian Nomades), then Migdol was an appropriate name for the place. For although the regular Hebrew word for tower is 37 migdal, yet bran mig dol, from its derivation, seems to be altogether an equivalent for migdal; and therefore to mean tower, fortified place.'

3. Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel. Heb. amar libnë Yisraël, will say to the children of Israel; i. e. as to, respecting, the children of Israel. See this sense of the particle 'to' illustrated in the Note on Gen. 20. 2. Gr. Tepi Twv viwv.¶ They are entangled. Heb. nebukim, from

buk, to be perplexed, to wander about in perplexity, whether physically or mentally. Gr. #davwvrai, they rove about. The term occurs Est. 3. 15, 'The city of Shushan was perplexed ;' and also Joel. 1. 18, 'The herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture.' This sudden turn on the part of the Israelites would naturally lead Pharaoh to conclude that they had mistaken their way, and knew not what to do. But their apparent infatuation was the means of producing in him a real infatuation, which prompted him to pursue them to his ruin.- -T The wilderness hath shut them in. The host of Israel having entered this narrow pass between the mountains on one side, and the sea on the other, Pharaoh would suppose that by cutting off their retreat in the rear, they would have no means of escape except through the sea, and

this of course did not enter his thoughts. 'What seems to tend to the church's ruin, is often overruled to the ruin of the church's enemies.' Henry.

4. I will be honored upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host. Heb. 7 ikkabedah, I will be glorified. The ultimate scope to which all the counsels of Pharaoh were to be overruled is here stated; viz. the bringing of a larger measure of glory to the great name of God. This is in fact the end of all his judgments upon wicked men. As all creatures are made for his honor and glory, if they do not willingly and cordially render him his due, he will extort it from them in the righteous doom to which he condemns them. Comp. Ezek. 38. 22, 23.-T And they did so. That is, the Israelites did as they had been commanded relative to changing their route.

5. It was told the king that the people had fled. Pharaoh could not be ignorant that the Israelites had left Egypt, for the avowed purpose of holding a sacrifice in the desert, as they had gone out with his permission, and their departure had been hastened by his own people. But this he seems not to have regarded as a 'flight.' He is now, however, informed that they had 'fled ;' i. e. that they discovered a very different intention from that of going three days' journey into the wilderness and returning again, as he had been led to expect. He now understood that they had no intention of returning. It was in this sense that Pharaoh learned that they had 'fled.' He probably received his

b Ps. 105. 25.

information from some of the mixt multitude who returned upon the route being changed, for which they could see no reason, and therefore concluded it not safe to trust themselves longer to such an uncertain guidance.¶ And the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned, &c. This inexorable mon arch was left in a previous chapter stricken with terror and dismay at the death of the first-born. We saw him overpowered by that signal display of divine wrath against him, and inwardly constrained to send away the Israelites in haste out of his dominions. We could fain have hoped that the terrible chastisement he had already experi enced would have been sufficient to humble the pride of his spirit, and bring him in penitence and prayer to the footstool of divine mercy. Bnt, alas! the power of a reprobate sense shows itself as strong as ever. Every conviction and alarm had passed away from his obdurate mind, like breath from the polished surface of a mirror. He repented indeed, but only that he had let them go. He repented that he had been obedient to the command of God, and he would retract his permission. Pride, resentment, avarice, reassumed their empire over his heart, and goaded him on to the mad attempt to recover his escaping captives. His subjects, so far as they had a profitable interest in the labors of the Israelites, would naturally share in the feelings of the king, and the intimation of loss would not fail to alarm those who had 'lent' to the He brews their 'jewels of silver and jewels

10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and marks, 'We do not agree with those who think that the king of Egypt came upon the encamped Hebrews through the valley of Bedea, in the plain at the mouth of which they were encamped. As he was so glad to find how they had 'entangled themselves in the land,' he was not likely to take a course which would deprive him of all the advantages derivable from their apparent oversight. This he would do by coming upon them through the valley of Bedea, for this would have left open to them the alter. native of escaping from their position by the way they entered; whereas, by coming the same way they had come, he shut up that door of escape; and if they fled before him, left them no other visible resource but to march up the valley of Bedea, back to Egypt, before the Egyptian troops. That this was really the advantage to himself which the king saw in their position, and that it was his object to drive them before him back to Egypt through this valley, or to destroy them if they offered to resist, we have not the least doubt: and it is unlikely that he would take any road but that which would enable him to secure these benefits.' To this view of the subject we do not object as far as the main body of Pharaoh's army is concerned. They would no doubt pursue the Hebrew caravan in the same route which it travelled, but as the Egyptians doubtless kept themselves informed of every movement of the Is raelites, we would suggest the probability that a detachment of Pharaoh's forces took their march through the valley of Tih, in order to intercept their escape through that avenue. They would thus be effectually hemmed in on every side, and no possible mode of extrication remained for them, unless

n

they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

n Josh. 24. 7. Neh. 9.9. Ps. 34. 17. & 107.6.

the sea opened to let them pass through it. The Egyptians being satisfied that they had secured their prey, and that it was impossible for their fugitive bondsmen to escape, were in no haste to assail them. They were themselves also probably wearied by their rapid march. They therefore encamped for the night

for it was towards evening when they arrived intending, no doubt, to give effect to their intentions in the morning.

10. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, &c. However much reason we have before had to wonder at the obstinacy and unbelief of Pharaoh, we have here occasion to vent our astonishment at the unbelief of those in whom we should least expect it. The sight of their old oppressors struck the Israelites with terror. Pervaded by a general panic, their faith and their courage seemed to desert them at once. They deplored the rash adventure in which they had engaged, and their servile minds looked back with regret and envy upon the enslaved condition under which they had so recently sighed. But wherefore did they now give way to fear? Could they not look back upon the wonders which God had wrought for them so short a time before? Could they not remember the recent death of all the first-born in Egypt? Could they not fix their eye on the pillar of cloud, and encourage them. selves in that immediate token of God's presence with them and his care for them? True indeed, they were in a strait, a very great strait, and their peril was imminent. They were surrounded with dangers on all sides. The moun tains, the sea, the pursuing hosts of Egypt pressed close upon them on every hand. In ordinary circumstances there was no doubt, occasion for the greatest