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Moses. And he went, and met him | him, and all the g signs which he in e the mount of God, and kissed had commanded him. him.

28 And Moses f told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent

e ch. 3. 1. f ver. 15, 16.

phrase however should rather be rendered 'The Lord had said,' for the command had no doubt reached him some time previous, as Moses was yet in the neighborhood of the sacred mount where the vision appeared. Although the command is recited in the most general terms, 'Go into the wilderness,' yet we cannot doubt that detailed directions as to the particular place where he should meet his brother accompanied it.

¶ He went and met him in the mount of God. That is, in or at Horeb, called the Mount of God' for the reasons stated in the Note on Ex. 3. 1. Chal. 'In the mount where the Glory of the Lord had been revealed.' Aaron was now eighty-three years of age, though we are wholly unacquainted with his previous history. We have every reason to believe, however, from the fact that God selected him as the companion of Moses in so arduous an enterprise, and from his subsequent conduct and station, that his character was one of no ordinary stamp. While residing in Egypt he had been making progress in knowledge, in moral worth, and in influence among his countrymen. Like his brother, he had been maturing for the great work in which he was now to engage. And

kissed him. In remarking upon the interview between Joseph and Jacob, Gen. 46. 29, we observed that the phrase 'he fell on his neck' might be understood of both; and in like manner we cannot question but that the embrace of Moses and Aaron was mutual. Accordingly the Gr. renders it, 'They kissed each other.'

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28. And Moses told Aaron all the words, &c. To Moses it must have been highly gratifying, after a sojourn

29 And Moses and Aaron h went, and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel.

5 ver. 8, 9. h ch. 3. 16.

of forty years among strangers, to meet his own brother, to receive from him the welcome tidings of his family and nation, and to impart to his friendly ear the story of his own life during so long an interval. On the other hand, what pleasure must it have afforded to Aaron, to learn from the mouth of his brother the great designs of providence respecting themselves and their people? With what overflowings of heart would they join in a fraternal embrace and mingle their sighs and tears? With what ardor would their united prayers and vows and praises ascend to heaven? How confirmed the faith, how forward the zeal of each, strengthened and stimulated by that of the other? Well may they go on their way rejoicing. They are following God, and they must prosper.

29. Moses and Aaron went and gathered together. We do not learn that any doubt or hesitancy was evinced on the part of Aaron. Convinced by the intimations he had himself received, and by the scene of wonders which Moses had related to him, he is ready to go with his brother on their momentous errand, and as if to indicate the alacrity with which they now proceeded forward, passing in silence over all the intermediate details of their journey, we all at once find them in the midst of their countrymen. Before this, however, possibly before the meeting of the two brothers at Horeb, Moses had directed his wife and sons to return to his father-in-law Jethro. He doubtless had good reasons for this step, though we are left in ignorance what they were. At what time and under what circumstances they met again, we shall see in a subsequent part of the history.

30 i And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.

31 And the people k believed: and

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when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he m had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

1 ch. 3. 16. m ch. 2. 25. & 3. 7. n Gen. 24. 26. ch. 12. 27. 1 Chron. 29. 20. vincing demonstrations of the divine power in the miracles which they had witnessed; all conspired to produce in their breasts the deepest emotions of wonder and joy; a strong confidence in God; and an assurance that he was indeed about to show them mercy. In testimony of this, and as a solemn act of reverential gratitude, the whole assembly bowed their heads and worshipped. They accounted it not sufficient merely to ponder in their hearts these signal tokens of the divine interposition in their behalf, but were prompted to give expression to their feelings by appropriate outward signs. Such external acts of reverence are indeed of comparatively little account in the eyes of him who weighs the spirits, but as they are helps to our infirmities, and go to show more fully the entireness of our devotion to our heavenly benefactor, they are always acceptable in his sight when springing from the proper motive.

1 ver. 16. k ch. 3. 18. ver. 8, 9. 30. And Aaron spake, &c. Having assembled the elders Aaron begins, according to the divine appointment, v. 16, to act as 'spokesman' in delivering the message, while Moses at the same time, in the discharge of his appropriate office, performs the miraculous signs which were to be a seal of his commission. There can be no doubt that the rendering of our version, which ascribes the working of the signs to Aaron is erroneous. The pronoun 'he' should be inserted before 'did the signs,' to indicate that Moses and not Aaron is the true subject of the verb. Comp. v. 21.¶ In the sight of the people. As nothing has been hitherto said of the 'people,' but only of the elders,' we must either understand this of the elders alone, called 'people' in virtue of their representative character, or else we must suppose that a considerable body of the people, such as could be conveniently assembled, were present with the elders who acted in their -T And when they heard. Heb. name. The same remark is to be made 1 va-yishme-u, and they heard. respecting the term 'people' in the next Gr. Kat Emotɛvony ó dung kul exupn, and verse. The former is perhaps the most the people believed and rejoiced, that probable interpretation, not only be- the Lord, &c. That an import analogcause that mode of speech is common, ous to this, viz., that of a joyful hearbut because the act of solemn worship ing, is conveyed by the original term that ensued appears to have taken place would appear from 2 Kings, 20. 13, in a meeting; and if so, it must have 'And Hezekiah hearkened unto them,' been a meeting of a select number, and which in the parallel passage, Is. 39. 2, not of the whole nation, who cannot be is rendered,' And Hezekiah was glad of supposed to have been convened on the them.' We have before had occasion to occasion. The result was such as God remark that verbs of the senses frequenthad foretold, Ex. 3. 18. The return of ly imply the exercise of the affections. Moses after his long exile, in company See Note on Gen. 21. 17.-¶ Had visited. with his brother whom they well knew Had visited in mercy. See Note on Gen. and highly esteemed; the cheering na- 21.1. Chal. 'Had remembered.'-¶ Lookture of the message addressed to themed upon the affliction. Compassionate. in the name of the great I AM; the con- ly regarded. See Note on Ex. 2. 11.

CHAPTER V.

my people go, that they may hold

AND afterward Moses and Aarona a feast unto me in the wilder

went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus ness. saith the LORD God of Israel, Let

CHAPTER V.

The present chapter ushers in the history of the controversy between God and Pharaoh, and its fearful issue in the utter destruction of the daring rebel who had presumed to set himself in array against his Maker. While the inci'dents mentioned in the close of the preceding chapter were transpiring, Pharaoh was sitting proudly and securely on his throne, surrounded by his obedient subjects, and wholly ignorant of the portentous movement which was taking place in the midst of the wretched bondsmen to whom he was wringing out the waters of a full cup of affliction. He had heard, indeed, of Moses and his singular history. He had been told of his living so long at the court of his predecessor, as the adopted son of the daughter of the king; of his high character and attainments, and his great influence among his countrymen; of his strange abandonment of his conspicuous station, and of the circumstances which led to his flight from Egypt. But if he were still living, he supposed him to be an insignificant exile in some foreign land from which he would never dare again to return. Little did he think that this outcast Israelite was now so near him, having come in the strength of Omnipotence to rescue the oppressed from his grasp and to overwhelm him and his host in utter destruction.

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1. Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, &c. They were doubtless accompanied on this occasion by a number of the elders of Israel, to give more weight and solemnity to the demand. Comp. Ex. 3. 18.- ——¶ Thus saith the Lord God of Israel. Moses in addressing the elders of Israel is directed to call God the God of their fathers; but in addressing Pharoah the title employed

6

a ch. 10. 9.

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is, the God of Israel,' and this is the first time the title occurs in that connexion in the Scriptures. He is indeed in Gen. 33. 20, called 'the God of Israel,' the person, but here it is Israel, the people. Though now a poor, afflicted, and despised people, yet God is not ashamed to be called their God.' As such he commands Pharaoh to let them go. Whatever claim their oppressor had set up to their persons or services, it was a downright and daring usurpation which God, their rightful Lord and Sovereign, would not tolerate for a moment. Here therefore he moves towards their deliverance, and may be considered as virtually saying in the language of the prophet, Is. 52. 5, 6, Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord. Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold it is I.'.

·

hold a feast unto me.

6

T That they may

-yaho יהגו .Heb

gu. The primary import of the original word 1 hagag is to dance, rendered, Ps. 107. 27, reel too and fro,' probably from the fact that the staggering motion of men in a ship, tossed by a tempest, resembled that of dancers. In a secondary sense, it is applied to keeping a feast religiously, which was marked by eating, drinking, dancing, and mirth. The term is here, therefore, used synecdochally for all the attendant ceremonies of a sacred festival, in which worship and sacrifice were prominent; for which reason the phrase is rendered by the Chal. 'that they may sacrifice be fore me.'- -T In the wilderness. A retired place was rendered proper from the peculiar religious usages of the He

2 And Pharaoh said, b 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. 3 And they said, d The God of the

b2 Kings 18. 35. Job 21. 15. c ch. 3. 19. d ch. 3. 18.

brews, which were different from those practised or allowed among the Egyptians.

2. Who is the Lord, &c. Rather, 'Who is Jehovah? I know not Jehovah.' There is a special reason why this title should here be rendered, verbatim, 'Jehovah,' rather than 'Lord,' viz. that it is mentioned as the peculiar name of the God of Israel, whereas the title 'Lord,' was common to the heathen deities, many of them being called 'Baalim,' or 'Lords.' This makes Pharaoh's answer more emphatic, 'Who is Jehovah?'-a name of which he had never before heard. Chal. 'The name of Jehovah is not revealed to me, that I should obey his word.' Targ. Jon. 'I have not found in the book of the angels (gods) the name of Jehovah written: I fear him not.' The reply of Pharaoh is, upon the best construction, marked by a tone of insolence and contempt for which we can find no excuse. Yet it would perhaps be unjust to charge upon him an intentional act of impiety, for he was no doubt a worshipper of the gods of Egypt. But he would intimate that he considered Moses and Aaron as the setters-forth of a strange god, whose claims he would not deign to admit. That the poor outcast slaves, who existed by his sufferance, and labored for his pleasure, should have a God of such authority as to prescribe laws for him, was not to be endured. It is as if he had said, 'Who is this unheard-of deity that you call 'Lord?' What greater or better is he than my gods? What have I to do with him? Why should I care for him? He is not the God whom I serve?' From the degraded and de7

VOL. I

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.

spised character of the people of Israel, he no doubt formed his estimate of the God whom they professed to serve, and concluded that he was no more entitled to reverence as a deity, than they were to respect as a people.- T That I should obey his voice. Heb. pa yu eshma bekolo, should hearken to his voice. See Note on Gen. 16. 3.

3. The God of the Hebrews hath met with us. Heb. 13 pɔ nikra alenu, lit. is called upon us, i. e. is invoked and worshipped by us. And accordingly the Chal. has, 'The God of the Jews is invoked upon us.' But the other versions vary. Gr.' The God of the Hebrews hath called us.' Syr.' The God of the Hebrews has appeared unto us.' Arab. The command of the God of the Hebrews is come unto us.' It is on the whole most probable that nikra, is used by change of letters for nikrah, hath met, the very phrase which occurs Ex. 3. 18.-¶ Let us go three days' journey, &c. Instead of reproaching Pharaoh, or threatening him with the judgments of heaven, they adopt a style of humble and respectful entreaty, 'We pray thee; at the same time representing that the journey they proposed was not a project formed among themselves, but a measure enjoined upon them by the God of their nation, and one which they dared not decline. In saying this it is true they dissemble the design of forsaking Egypt altogether, perhaps with a view to learn from the manner in which he treated a smaller request, what prospect of success they would have in urging a greater. In this they stated no falsehood, but merely concealed a part of the

4 And the king of Egypt said unto works? get you unto your e burthem, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their

dens.

e ch. 1. 11.

days; for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old, shall be accursed.'— This intimation of danger to themselves in case of their neglecting to comply with the divine injunction, would administer a seasonable hint to Pharaoh. For if he were a God so jealous of his honor as to punish his own people for such a delinquency, even when they were forcibly prevented from obeying, how much reason had he to fear the visitations of his wrath, if he openly bade him defiance? It was evidently no very great thing for Pharaoh to have yielded, had he complied with the request of Moses and Aaron. Considering the benefits he had derived from the labors of the Israelites, he might well have allowed them this short respite for a religious service. But when men's pride and passions are roused, reason and humanity might as well make their plea to the deaf adder as to them.

truth. As to the moral character of this part of their conduct see Note on Gen. 12. 13.- —¶ Lest he fall upon us with pestilence, &c. Heb. 7 baddeber. Gr. μη ποτε συναντηση ημιν θανατος n povos, lest death or slaughter meet us. The original word for pestilence' is here, as in numerous cases elsewhere, rendered in the Gr. by favaros death. Thus Levit. 26. 25, I will send the pestilence among you.' Gr. 'the death.' Deut. 28. 21, 'The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee.' Gr.' the death.' Ezek. 33. 27, 'They that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.' Gr. of 'the death.' This usage, a parallel to which occurs in the Chaldee paraphrase, is transferred to the New Testament, and is of great | importance to the right understanding of the following passages; Rev. 2. 23, 'I will kill her children with death;' 1. e. with pestilence, by which is sometimes meant any kind of premature or violent death; death out of the common 4. Wherefore do ye let the people course of nature. Rev. 6. 8,' And power from their works? That is, why do was given unto them over the fourth ye hinder, or, literally, cause to desist. part of the earth to kill with the sword, Gr. wari dian-pepere rov daov, wherefore and with hunger (famine), and with do ye divert, or turn away, the people death (i. e. pestilence), and with the from their works? It will be observed beasts of the earth.' So also, probably, that Pharaoh takes no notice of what Rev. 21. 4, ' And God shall wipe away Moses and Aaron had said to him reall tears from their eyes; and there specting the liberation of the people, shall be no more death;' i. e. violent but treats them merely as the disturbers death; death occasioned by sudden and of the peace of his kingdom, and as enfatal casualties or judgments; for that deavoring to excite sedition among his this portion of Scripture does not de- subjects. The same thing was laid to scribe a state of happiness in which its the charge of Christ and the apostles; subjects shall be absolutely immortal Luke, 23. 2, ' And they began to accuse may be gathered from the language of him, saying, We found this fellow perIsaiah, ch. 65. 19, 20, referring to the verting the nation, and forbidding to same future period; And the voice of give tribute to Cæsar.' Acts, 24. 5, weeping shall be no more heard in her,' For we have found this man a pestinor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his

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lent fellow and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world.'- - Get you unto your bur

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