Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 2 · Chapter 34

Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs · Biblical commentary 2 · Chapter 34

p. 141CHAP. XXXIV.

1, God willeth Moses to hew two tables of stone, on which he would write againe the words of the covenant. 4, Moses having done so, went up into the mount; 5, The Lord descendeth in a cloud, and proclaimeth his Name. 8, Moses worshippeth, and int…ateth God to goe with them. 10, God maketh a covenant with them, warning them, 12, of the Idolatry of the Canaanites. 16, and mariages with them. 18, He reneweth the commandement of the feast of unleavened bread, and of sanctifying their first-borne. 21, Of the Sabbath. 22, Of other feasts, and rites about sacrificing. 28, Moses after forty dayes in the mount, commeth downe with the Tables. 29, His face shineth, and he covereth it with a veile.

ANd Iehovah said unto Moses, Hew 1thee two Tables of stone, like the first: and I will write upon the Tables, the words which were on the first Tables which thou brakest. And bee thou ready in the morning: and come up in the morning, 2unto mount Sinai, and present thy selfe unto me there, upon the top of the mount. And let no man come up with thee; neither let any man bee seene, throughout all the 3mount: neither let the flockes nor herds feed before that mount. And he hewed two tables of stone like the first; and Moses rose 4up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as Iehovah had commanded him: and tooke in his hand the two tables of stone. And Iehovah descended in the cloud; and he stood with him there: and 5he proclaimed the name of Iehovah. And Iehovah passed by, before him, and he proclaimed: 6Iehovah, Iehovah; God, pittifull and gracious, long suffering, and much in mercy and truth. Keeping mercy, for 7thousands; forgiving iniquity, and trespass, and sinne: and that will not clearing cleare, (the guilty,) visiting the iniquity of the fathers, upon the sonnes, and upon the sonnes sonnes, unto the third, and unto the fourth generation. And Moses made-hast, and bended 8downe-the head toward the earth and bowed himselfe. And he said; If ô now I have found grace in thine eyes, ô Lord; let 9the Lord now goe amongst us: for it is a stiffe necked people; and pardon thou our iniquity and our sinne, and take us for thine inheritance. And he said: Behold, I, strike 10a covenant: before all thy people, I will doe marvels, which have not beene created in all the earth, or in any of the Nations: and all the people amongst which thou art, shall see the work of Iehovah, for it is a fearfull thing; which I doe with thee. Observe thou that 11which I command thee this day: Behold I drive out from before thee, the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Chethite, and the Pherizzite, and the Evite, and the Iebusite. Take heed to thy selfe; lest thou strike 12a covenant with the inhabitant of the land, into which thou entrest: lest hee bee for a snare in the midst of thee. But ye shall destroy 13their altars, and breake their pillars, and cut-downe their groves. For thou shalt 14not bow-downe thy selfe to another God: for Iehovah, whose Name is Iealous; hee, is a Iealous God. Lest thou strike a covenant 15with the inhabitant of the Land; and they goe a whoring after their gods, and sacrifice unto their gods; and he call thee, a… eat of his sacrifice. And thou take …. Daughters, unto thy Sons: and his daughter goe a whoring after then gods; and … thy sonnes goe-a-whoring after then g…. Thou shalt not make unto thee, any m… gods. The feast of unleavened cakes sh… thou keepe: seven dayes …on shalt eaten levened cakes, as I commanded thee; at th… appointed time, of the monethmonth of Abib: fo… in the monethmonth of Abib, thou camest out from Egypt.

All that openeth the wombe, is mine: 19and all thy cattell that is male; that which openeth (the wombe;) of oxe and of sheepe. And that which openeth (the wombe) of an 20asse thou shalt redeeme with a lambe; and if thou wilt not redeeme it, then thou shalt breake the necke of it: Every firstborne of thy Sonnes thou shalt redeeme; and they shall not appeare before me, empty. Sixe 21dayes, thou shalt labour, and in the seventh day, thou shalt cease: in eating-time▪ and in harvest, thou shalt cease. And thou shalt 22observe to thee, the feast of weekes: of the first fruits of Wheat harvest: and the feast of ingathering, at the revolution of the yeer. Three times in the yeere, every male of 23thee shall appeare, before the face of the Lord, Iehovah, the God of Israel. For I 24will cast out the nations, from before thee, and will inlarge thy border: and no man shall desire thy land: when thou goest up, to appeare before the face of Iehovah thy God three times in the yeere. Thou shalt not 25slay the blood of my sacrifice, with levened bread: neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the Passeover, remaine unto the morning. The first of the first fruits of thy Land 26thou shalt bring into the house of Iehovah p. 142thy God: Thou shalt not seeth a kid in his mothers milke.

And Iehovah said unto Moses, Write for 27thee these words: for after the Tenor of these words, I have stricken a covenant with thee, and with Israel. And hee was there 28with Iehovah, Forty dayes and forty nights, hee did eate no bread, nor drinke water: and he wrote upon the Tables the words of the covenant; the tenne words. And it 29was when Moses came downe from mount Sinai, and the two Tables of Testimony in Moses hand, when he came downe from the mount: that Moses knew not, that the skinne of his face shone, when he spake with him. And Aaron, and all the Sonnes of Israel, 30saw Moses: and behold, the skinne of his face shone: and they feared to come nigh unto him. And Moses called unto them, 31and Aaron, and all the Rulers of the Congregation, returned unto him: and Moses spake unto them. And afterward, all the 32Sonnes of Israel came nigh: and hee commanded them, all that Iehovah had spoken, with him, on mount Sinai. And Moses 33made an-end of speaking with them: and he put a veile upon his face. And when Moses 34went in before Iehovah to speake with him, he tooke off the veile, untill hee came out, and spake unto the Sonnes of Israel, that which he was commanded. And the sons 35of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses face shone: and Moses did put the veile againe upon his face, untill he went in to speake with him.

Annotations.

HEw thee] or, Hew unto thy selfe, whereas the 1former tables were the worke of God himselfe, Exod. 32. 16. See the notes on Exod. 31. 18. Here followeth the renewing of the covenant, between God and his people: rehearsed againe in Deut. 10. 1. &c. and I] The Greeke here addeth, and come thou up unto me into the mount, and I, &c. So Moses himselfe repeateth it, in Deut. 10. 1.

Vers. 2. present thy selfe] or, stand for me there, that is, wait till I come downe, as vers. 5. and then 2(as the Chaldee translateth) stand before me there. And this being to be done in the morning, it was a signe of mercy, Psal. 90. 14. and 30. 6. and 5. 4.

Vers. 3. before] the Greeke translateth, neere the mount, see Exod. 19. 12. 13. with the annotations.

Vers. 5. descended] by a manifestation of his glorious presence. The Chaldee saith, was revealed, 5See Exod. 19. 18. … be proclaimed] that is, the Lord did proclaime; as hee promised, Exod. 33. 19. Or it may be understood of Moses, and translated, he called on the name of Iehovah: for so the Hebrew phrase sometimes signifieth, as Gen. 12. 8.

Verse 6. passed by] that is, as the Chaldee translateth, 6caused his Majesty (Shecinah) to passe by. Whereupon the Hebrewes, comparing this with Exod. 33. 19. 22. say, The Shecinah (or divine-Majesty) called I, passed by. R. Menachem on Exod. 34. So they held this Shecinah, to be one with the Father. See after on vers. 9. he proclaimed] that is, God proclaimed, Exod. 33. 19. But Thargum Ierusalemy referreth it to Moses, saying; And the glory of the Majesty of the Lord passed before him, and Moses prayed and said, &c. Howbeit Moses him-selfe saith, the Lord spake these words, Numb. 14. 17. 18. And so other of the Hebrewes understand it, as before, that Shecinah (the Divine-presence) proclaimed these properties. R. Menachem. Iehovah, Iehovah, &c.] Here all Gods goodnesse passed before Moses, and was proclaimed, according to the promise, Exod. 33. 19. the three first titles signifying God in his Essence or Being, distinguished in three persons, 1 Iohn 5. 7. God] in Hebrew Ael, which signifieth Mighty: see Gen. 14. 18. pittifull] or, compassionate; of tender mercy. These next seven attributes, shew Gods affection toward repentant and beleeving sinners, 1 in pittying their misery; 2 shewing favour and grace unto them, though unworthy; 3 long suffring their infirmities; 4 of much mercy and bounty, in doing them good; 5 of much truth, in fulfilling his promises unto them; 6 and extending the like mercy to their children, even to the thousand generation; 7 and forgiving their sinnes of all sorts: wherin the blessednesse of man consisteth, Psalm. 32. 1. 2. Rom. 4. 6. 7. 8. long suffring] or, long … he be angry: Hebrew, long of anger (or, of nostrith) mercy] or, bounteousnesse, kindnesse, which David six and twenty times in one Psalme, confesseth to endure for ever, Psal. 136. Compare also Neh. 9. 17. Ion. 4. 2. Psal. 103. 7. 8. 9. &c.

Vers. 7. for thousands] that is, (as Tharg… Ierusalemy 7explaineth it) for a thousand generations: See Exod. 20. 6. The Greek translateth, and doing many unto thousands. not clearing cleare] that is, … will in no wise cleare, (or acquit, hold innocent;) to wit, the guilty person, as the Greeke version addeth; or (as the Chaldee saith) them that convert not. Also the Ierusalemy Thargum expoundeth it, hee will not clear sinners in the day of the great Iudgement. The like defect is in Num. 14. 18. Nahum 1. 3. and in other like speeches, as Lev. 19. 18. which sometime the Scripture it selfe supplyeth, as is noted on Gen. 4. 20. and 24. 33. And these two last attributes are in respect of Gods dealing with the wicked; unto whom he imputeth no righteousnesse, for their good; but inflicteth punishment upon them and theirs, unto perdition. Yet this his justice upon the wicked, is a part of his goodnesse towards his people, as it is said, The just shall rejoyce, when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet, in the blood of the wicked, Psalm. 58. 11. visiting] that is, punishing; see Exod. 20. 5. sonnes] to wit, of the wicked, or rebellious, as the Chaldee here addeth. And Thargum Ierusalemy saith, remembring the p. 143sinnes of wicked fathers, upon the rebellious sonnes, unto the third generation, and unto the fourth generation.

Vers. 8. bowed himselfe] or, worshipped, fell prostrate: Thargum Ierusalemy expoundeth it, he confessed 8and lauded God. See the notes on Exod. 4. 31.

Vers. 9. now goe] or, I pray thee goe, to wit, with the signes of his presence, in the cloudy fiery pillar. 9The Chaldee saith, Let the Majesty of the Lord goe. By the Majesty (or Divine-presence) of the Lord, which the Hebrewes call She…inah, wee may well understand Christ: for the Hebrews usually distinguish this from God the Father; and say, there is no comming before the blessed and most high King, without Shecinah. R. Menachem on Levit. 10. Our Saviour more plainly saith, No man commeth unto the Father, but by me, Ioh. 14. 6. Of him the ancient Iewes seeme to speake, under this name Shecinah; though at this day they despise their salvation. See before, on Exod. 33. 14. 15. and 34. 6. and 14. 19. for it is] or, though it be a stiffe necked people, yet pardon thou, &c. For in the time of favourable-acceptation, it was well with them; by Shecinah (the Divine-majesty) that tooks pitty upon them: saith R. Menachem. take us for inheritance] or, inherit (possesse) thou us: which the Greeke translateth, we shall be thine. This is the blessednesse of a people, that God chuseth them to bee his inheritance; as Psalm. 33. 12. Zach. 2. 12. and God doth inherit or possesse, those whom hee subdueth unto his obedience, and ruleth over them, Psal. 82. 2. Levit. 25. 46.

Vers. 10. he said] the Greeke explaineth it, the 10Lord said unto Moses. strike] that is, make, to wit, with thee, as the Greeke explaineth it. marvels] in Greeke, glorious things: and so the Euangelist useth the word, Luke 13. 17. the people rejoyced for all the glorious things that were done by Iesus: where the Syriak hath, marvelous things. So in Iob 5. 9. Exod. 33. 16. This promise seemeth to concerne the marvelous workes, which God after did before all Israel, in the dayes of Iosua: as when the Sunne and moone stood still in the midst of heaven, &c. Ios. 10. 12. 13. of which it is there said, Is not this written in the booke of Iasher? which the Chaldee there expoundeth, the booke of the Law: as being a thing whereof Moses here wrote. created] the Greeke saith, done: and creating is the making or doing of a new marvelous and glorious thing: as Gen. 1. 1. Numb. 16. 30. a fearfull thing] or, he is fearfull, meaning God: but the Gr. expounds it, they are marvelous things. with thee] that is, as the Greeke translateth, to thee; meaning all Israel; as the words following manifest; or, with thee, meaning Moses; that is, by thy hand; as Paul saith, not I, but the grace of God with me, 1 Cor. 15. 10.

Vers. 11. Observe thou] or, keepe for thy selfe: for 11thine owne good. Amorite] that is, Amorites, &c. as the Chaldee translateth. See Gen. 10. 16. Exod. 23. 23. 28.

Verse 12. snare] or cause of thy ruine. See Exod. 23. 33.

Vers. 13. pillars] or, standing images, statues: see 13Exod. 23. 24. groves] which they used to consecrate to their gods, offring sacrifice under greene trees, Deut. 12. 2. 2 King. 16. 4. So among other heathens, trees and groves were the Temples of their gods, saith Pliny hist. booke 12. chap. 1. And in the Romane Lawes of the 12 Tables, in the 2 law of Religion, it was commanded to have groves in the fields. For this cause, Israel is here bidden to cut them downe, and in Deut. 12. 3. to burne them: and were also forbidden to plant any grove, or any tree neere unto the altar of the Lord, Deut. 6. 21.

Vers. 14. other god] to the idols of the peoples, as the 14Chaldee expoundeth it.

Vers. 15. goe a-whoring] that is, commit idola…y, 15which is spirituall whoredome, Ier. 3. 9. and so the Chaldee explaineth it here, to erre after their errors: that is, their idols. he] that is, the inhabitant aforesaid; put for all and every of the inhabitants: therefore the Greeke translateth, they call; and so after. Compare Num 25. 1. 2. Prov. 9. 13. 15.

Vers. 17. molten gods] or, gods of metall: Hebrew 17of melting. So Levit. 19. 4. Exod. 20. 23.

Vers. 18. as I] or, which I commanded: but the 18Hebrew asher, is put for caasher: as in Exodus 23. 15. and so the Greeke translateth it here.

Abib] in Greeke, the monethmonth of new fruits. See Exod. 13. 4.

Vers. 19. is mine] or, shall be mine: that is, sanctified 19unto me: see Exodus 13. 2. 12. that which openeth] or, the first borne, as the Greeke and Chaldee here translateth it. See Exod. 13. 12. 13. and 22. 29. 30.

Vers. 20. with a lambe] a living lambe, of the 20sheepe or goats, and no other beast; as is noted on Exod. 13. 13. and the lambe was to be given to the Priest, Num. 18. 8. 15. The Hebrewes say, It might be redeemed with a lambe, whether male or female, unblemished or blemished, small or great, If a man have no lambe to redeeme it with, hee may redeeme it with the value of it, and give the price to the Priest. The Law commandeth not a Lambe, to make it heavier upon him, but lighter. For if hee have the firstling of an Asse, which is worth ten shekels, he may redeeme it with a lambe worth a quarter of a shekell. But the price in money, is from three zuzims and upward: [that is, three quarters of a shekell; for one zoz is the fourth part of a shekell.] If the price be lesse then three zuzims, they redeeme it not therewith: and a good eye (that is, a liberall person) giveth not lesse then a shekell. Maimony in treat, of Firstfruits, Chap. 12. Sect. 10. &c. breake the necke] the Chaldee saith, kill it. They might have no use or benefit of the Asse till it was redeemed. If hee sold it before it was redeemed, the price was unlawfull. If it dyed before it was redeemed, or if the necke was broken, it was buried. For it was unlawfull to make benefit of it, even after the necke was broken, because it was not redeemed. Therefore if hee redeemed it not, but gave the Asse it selfe to the Priest; it was unlawfull for the Priest to put it to any service, vntill it was redeemed with a lambe. Maimony ibidem, Chap. 12. Sect. 4. they shall not appeare] or, my face shall not be seene: to wit, by any man: the Greeke saith, thou shalt not appeare. empty] without an oblation: see Exod. 23. 15.

Vers. 21. labour] or, serve: see the notes on Exodus p. 1442120. 9. For this in Exod. 23. 12. is written, sixe dayes thou shalt doe thy workes.

Vers. 22. observe to thee] Hebr. doe to thee: meaning 22observe, or make holy, celebrate. According to this phrase, is, to doe the Sabbath day, Exod. 31. 16. Deut. 5. 15. to dee the Passeover, Deut. 16. 1. Matt. 26. 18. to doe the feast of Boothes, Deut 16. 13. and the like. The Greeke translateth, Thou shalt doe (that is, observe) to me. of weeks] or, of sevens: a feast seven weeks after the Passeover, called Pentecost, Lev. 23. 15. 16. Act. 2. 1. it was also called harvest, Exod. 23. 16. revolution] or, circumvolution, circuit; that is, the returne; as the revolution of the yeere, 2 Chron. 24. 23. is explained to be the returne of it, 1 King. 20. 26. when the old yeere endeth, and the new beginneth. This was in the seventh monethmonth, which we call September: see the notes on Exod. 23. 16.

Vers. 23. every male of thee] or, all thy male-kind: see Exod. 23. 17. Deut. 16. 16.

Vers. 24. no man] to wit, of thy neighbours or 24enemies round about thee, shall have the heart, to set upon thy coasts, when all the men are gathered before me.

Vers. 25. not slay] for sacrifice, as in Exodus 23. 18. see the notes there. sacrifice] in Greeke, sacrifices: 25meaning of the Passeover, as after is explained. Hence the Hebrewes gather their rite of purging Leven out of their houses, before the Passeover: they expound it thus: Thou shalt not slay the Passeover, whiles Leven yet remaineth. Now the killing of the Passover, is the fourteenth (of Abib) after midday. Maimony treat, of Levened and Unlevenedbread, Chap. 2. Sect. 1. See more in the notes on Exod 12. vers. 15. and vers. 10.

Vers. 26. first] or, beginning of the fruits: see Ex. 2623. 19. a kid] in Greeke, a lambe: in Chaldee, thou shalt not eate flesh with milke: and the Ierusalemy Thargum addeth, not to boyle nor to eat flesh and milke mixed together. See Exod. 23. 19.

Vers. 27. tenour] Hebrew, the mouth of these words: which the Chaldee expounds, the speech of these 27words. have stricken] or, doe strike, that is, make: for these precepts were both given before, and now repeated.

Vers. 28. he] that is, God wrote, vers. 1. 28ten words] that is, ten commandements, which therefore we call of the Greeke name, the Decalogue. Ten, is often used for many; as ten times, meane many times, Gen. 31. 7. Iob 19. 3. ten men, Zach. 8. 23. and ten women, Lev. 26. 26. and ten thousands, Heb. 12. 22. that is, many: and as other numbers are made of ten, by reduplication; so all other writings of the Law and Prophets, depend upon these ten words: so by this number ten, God gave a perfect and compleat Law. And Words, are used for whole sentences, or commandements: as Paul saith also, one word, Cal. 5. 14. when he rehearseth a commandement; and that is called the Word of God, in Marke 7. 13. which another calleth the Commandement of God, Matt. 15. 6. These ten words, were according to the first writing, and to the words which were spoken before, in the day of the Assembly, Deut. 10. 4.

Vers. 29. shone] which the Greeke translateth, was glorious, and so the Apostle alleadgeth it, in 2 Cor. 3. where, by glory, is meant, shining brightnesse, as in 1 Cor. 15. 41. there is one glory of the Sun, and another glory (that is, brightnesse) of the Moone, &c. and the Israelites could not behold the face of Moses, for the glory (that is, the brightnesse) of his countenance, 2 Cor. 3. 7. and the earth was lightned with the glory of the Angell, Rev. 18. 1. The Chaldee also translateth, Moses knew not that the brightnesse of the glory of his face was multiplied. The Latine version saith, Moses face was horned; mistaking the word: for of the Hebrew Karan, which is to shine, or cast forth glorious beames, the name Keren or Horne is derived: in which sense the Latine translated it here, and gave occasion unto the ignorant, to paint Moses face with two hornes like an Oxe, whereby this glorious mystery hath been obscured, and turned to a fable. For the glory of Moses face, signified the glory of the Law which he preached, 2 Cor. 3. 7. &c.

Vers. 30. feared] for Moses his ministration was death and condemnation, 1 Cor. 3. 7. 9. (because the Law giveth knowledge of sin, and causeth wrath, Rom. 3. 20. and 4. 15.) and therefore the more bright and glorious that it is, the more terrour it striketh in all mens hearts, there being a weaknesse and impossibility in all men, to do the same, Rom. 8. 3. For Aaron himselfe, and all the Rulers were afraid of Moses, as well as the other people: even as at the first giving of the Law, Moses himselfe, with all the people, were affrighted, and trembled, Exodus 19.

Vers. 33. and he put] or, and hee had put a veil: 33but the Greeke translateth, And when he had ceased speaking unto them, he put a veil, &c. that is, after this first communing with them, when hee knew the cause of their feare, he put on a veil (or covering:) which signified the obscurity of the Law; whose first, true, and proper meaning and end, could not easily be discerned: also the darknesse that is in all mens hearts naturally, till God take away the veil and hardnesse that is upon them. For so the Apostle speaketh of a double veile, one outward in the Law, another inward in the heart, 2 Cor. 3. 13. 14. &c. And as without a veil the people could not heare Moses; so except the Law be veiled, and hath as it were a new face upon it, the naturall man cannot endure the glory of it: so terrible it is to the conscience of sinners. R. Menachem here observeth how the former Ancients of Israel, at the reading of the Booke of the Law, covered their faces, and said; hee that heareth from the mouth of the reader, is as hee that heareth from the mouth of Moses.

Vers. 34. tooke off the veil] whereof there was no use in the sight of God; who doth not onelyonly know himselfe the use and end of his Law; but sheweth the same also to others; which was likewise here figured; for when men shall be turned to the Lord, the veile shall be taken away, 2 Cor. 3. 16.

Vers. 35. put the veil againe on] hereby signifying the continuall glory of his ministery, and infirmity of the people; till both of them be done a way. p. 145Which is accomplished by the Gospell, the ministration of the Spirit, and of righteousnesse, which exceeds in glory, so that Moses ministery hath no glory in this respect: for Christ taketh away the veil, so that we may both stedfastly looke to the end of the Law, which is abolished; and all of us with unveiled face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, 1 Cor. 5. 8. 18.