Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 2 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
1, God comforteth Moses, renewing his promise by his name Iehovah; 5, and remembrance of his covenant. 6, Hee sendeth him with these comforts unto Israel: 9, but they hearken not unto him. 11, He sendeth him againe to Pharaoh, though Moses is loth to goe. 14. The genealogie of Ruben, 15, of Simeon, 18, of Levi, of whom came Moses and Aaron. 28, A repeating of Moses mission to Pharaoh, and his exception against it.
AND Iehovah said unto Moses; Now shalt thou see what I will doe to Pharaoh; for by a strong hand shall hee send them away, and by a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.
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AND God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am Iehovah. And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaak, and unto Iakob, by (the name of) God Almightie: but by my name Iehovah was I not knowne to them. And also, I established my covenant with them, to give unto them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings, in the which they sojourned. And also, I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, whom the Egyptians keepe in servitude; and I have remembred my covenant. Therefore say thou unto the sonnes of Israel; I am Iehovah, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their servitude, and I will redeeme you with a stretched out arme, and with great judgments. And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God, and yee shall know that I am Iehovah your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, which I did lift up my hand to give it to Abraham, to Isaak, and to Iakob: and I will give it to you for an heritage, I am Iehovah. And Moses spake so unto the sonnes of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses, for anguish of spirit, and for hard servitude. And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying; Goe in, speake unto Pharaoh King of Egypt, that he send away the sonnes of Israel, out of his land. And Moses spake before Iehovah, saying, Behold, the sonnes of Israel have not hearkened unto mee; and how shall Pharaoh heare mee, and I am of uncircumcised lips? And Iehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the sonnes of Israel, and unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, to bring forth the sonnes of Israel out of the land of Egypt. These be the heads of their fathers houses: the sonnes of Ruben the first-borne of Israel; Enoch and Phallu, Hezron and Carmi; these be the families of Ruben. And the sonnes of Simeon; Iemuel, and Iamin, and Ohad, & Iachin, & Zohar, & Saul, the sonne of a Canaanitesse; these are the families of Simeon. And these are the names of the sonnes of Levi, acording to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the yeers of the life of Levi were an hundred seven and thirtie yeeres. The sons of Gershon, Libni & Shimei, according to their families. And the sonnes of Kohath, Amram, and Ishar, and Hebron, and Vzziel: and the yeeres of the life of Kohath were an hundred three and thirty yeers. And the sons of Merari, Mahali & Mushi: these are the families of Levi, according to their generations. And Amram tooke Iochebed his aunt unto him to wife, and she bare to him Aaron and Moses: and the yeeres of the life of Amram were an hundred seven and thirty yeeres. And the sonnes of Ishar; Korah and Nepheg and Zichri. And the sonnes of Vzziell; Misael and Elsaphan, and Sithri. And Aaron tooke Elisabet, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naasson, unto him to wife, and shee and she bare unto him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. And the sonnes of Korah; Assir and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhite. And Eleazar sonne of Aaron, tooke unto him one of the daughters of Putiel, unto him to wife, and she bare unto him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites, according to their families. This is that Aaron and Moses; unto whom Iehovah said, Bring out the sonnes of Israel from the land of Egypt, according to their armies. These are they which spake to Pharaoh King of Egypt, to bring out the sonnes of Israel from Egypt; this Moses, and Aaron. And it was, in the day when Iehovah spake unto Moses, in the land of Egypt: That Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying, I am Iehovah: speake thou unto Pharaoh King of Egypt, all that I speake unto thee. And Moses said before Iehovah; Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips; and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?
Annotations.
BY a strong hand] that is, by force and constraint, God even compelling him thereto by his judgments: …s verse 6. and Exod. 3. 20. This was fulfilled, Exod. 12. 31. 33. and 13. 3. 9. celebrated alwaies after, Deut. 6. 21. 22. and 26. 7. 8. Psal. 136. 10. 11. 12. Ier. 32. 20. 21. Dan. 9. 15.
foreign] Here beginneth the fourteenth Section or Lecture of the Law: called of the beginning of the third verse, And I appeared. See Gen. 6. 9. and 28. 10.
Vers. 3. Almighty] or Alsufficient: see Gen. 17. 1. The Greeke translateth, being theit God. The two titles here expressed, Ael, God; and Shaddai, Almighty; are not used in Scripture till Abrahams time, and in speech to him, Gen. 14. 18. and 17. 1. name Iehovah:] which name denoteth both Gods being in himselfe, and his giving of being unto (that is, the performance of) his word and promises; as is observed on Gen. 2. 4. in which latter respect he here saith, he was not knowne to their fathers by this name; (or as the Greeke and Chaldee translate, he manifested not, nor make knowne this name.) They being sustained by faith in Gods almighty power, without receiving the thing promised, Act. 7. 5. Heb. 11. 9. 10. But now their children should receive the promise, and so have full knowledge and experience of Gods power and goodnes, and of the efficacie of that his name Iehovah; which therefore they sung to his praise, upon their full deliverance from the Egyptians, Exod. 15. 3. So upon performance of further promises or judgements, he saith, they shall know him to be Iehovah, Esay 49. 23. and 52. 6. and 60. 16. Ezek. 28. 22. 23. 24. 26. and 30. 19. 25. 26. And Christ in whom all Gods promises are yea and Amen, 2 Cor. 1. 20. having fulfilled all things for our redemption, manifesteth himselfe by this name in the interpretation thereof, as that he is Alpha and Omega, th… beginning and the ending, the Lord who Is, and who was, and who Is to come, even the Almighty: Revel. 1. 8. 17. 18. Otherwise neither Abraham, nor Isaak, nor Iacob was without the knowledge of this name Iehovah altogether; for by it also in part, God revealed himselfe to them; as Gen. 15. 7. 8. and 26. 24. 25. and 28. 13. But as the glorious ministration of the Law, is said to have no glory, in respect of the excellent glory of the Gospel, 2 Cor. 3. 10. so this is spoken by comparison here. The Iewes of a long time have not used this name, but for it they reade Adonai, that is, Lord. One of themselves hath written thus; Why doe the Israelites pray in this world, and are not heard? Because they know not the plaine name [of God, which is Iehovah] in the world to come, [the world] of the Messias, God will make it knowne unto them, and then they shall be heard. Ialkut, in Psal. 91. This restimony is true upon them, not for the sound of the letters, but for the want of faith in Christ, who is called Iehovah our Iustice: Ierem. 23. 6. when they shall be converted unto him, God will heare them, Ioh. 16. 23.
Vers. 4. established] or, erected frame and sure: see Gen. 6. 18. this was done to Abraham, with expresse limitation of the time of Israels release out of Egypt, Gen. 15. 13. 18. sojournings] or, peregrinations, pilgrimage: see Gen. 17. 8. and 26. 3. and 35. 27.
Vers. 6. the burdens:] the Greeke saith, from the power: the Chaldee, from amidst the tribulation of the servitude of the Egyptians: so in verse 7. This merciemercy is remembred in Psal. 81. 7. firetched our] that is, lifted up on high, as both the Gr. and Chaldee doe explaine it: and it signifieth Gods might, and open manifestation, with continuancie of the same against Egypt, till the redemption of Israel were fully performed, Deut. 4. 34 2 King. 17. 36. Esay 9. 12. 17. 11.
Vers. 7. a God] or, for a God: this was the covenant with Abraham: see Gen. 17. 7.
Vers. 8. life up my hand] that is, sweare: as the Chaldee explaineth it, I sweare by my word to give it. Of this signe see Gen. 14. 22. Hereof is that speech, Iehovah hath sworne with his right hand, &c. Esay 62. 8. will give it] under which figure, eternall life in heaven was implied also to the faithfull; as is noted on Gen. 12. 5. which Paul confirmeth in Heb. 11. 10. 16. and the Hebrew Doctors say of this, that it signified the Ierusalem that is above. R. Menachem on Exod. 6.
Vers. 9. anguish] Hebrew, shortnesse, that is, anger, griefe and discouragement of spirit; that they could not patiently endure their troubles: the Greeke translateth it, pusill…imity, or feeblenesse of minde. So the short of spirit, is opposed to the man slow to wrath, Prov. 14. 29. and shortnesse of spirit in Iob, was trouble and discouragement, Iob 21. 4. A like phrase is, of shortnesse of soule, whereof see Numb. 21. 4. And this griefe and discouragement of Israel was so great, that they wished rather to bee let alone that they might serve the Egyptians, than to have any further proceeding in this businesse, Exod. 14. 12. servitude] or bondage, which was upon them, as the Chaldee addeth: the Greeke translateth for hard works. And this was the outward cause, added to their inward discouragement and little faith.
Vers. 12. of uncircumcised lips] Hebrew, superfluous, (or uncircumcised) of lips: that is, as the Gr. translateth, not eloquent; as the Chaldee saith, of an heavy speech; the same which Moses complained before, in Exod. 4. 10. but figuratively spoken: as having uncircumcised lips, that is, many superfluous words, or unsanctified: and so unfit to speake to the King. So Esaias complained of polluted lips, Esay 6. 5. Of this word superfluous, See Gen. 17. 11.
Vers. 13. unto] that is, as the Greeke addeth, to goe unto. to bring forth] that is, that they might bring forth; so ver. 27. see the notes on Gen. 6. 19. Thus Gods worke and faithfulnesse was not hindred by mens unfaithfulnesse: neither was Israel saved for their owne righteousnesse; who from the first to the last, shewed themselves rebellious, as Moses after telleth them, Deut. 9. 4. 5. 6. 7. 24.
Ver. 14. heads] that is, as the Greeke translateth, chiefe governors, or captaines. This genealogie following; is to shew the natural stocke of Moses and Aaron Levites, verse 26. 27. and the time of Israels deliverance, according to Gods promise, verse 16. 18. 20. Enoch] Hebrew Chanoch: in Greeke Enoch: see Gen. 46 9. &c.
Ver. 16. 137. yeeres] This mans age with his sons, ver. 18. and Nephewes, verse 20. serve for the opening of that speech concerning Israels peregrination, Ex. 12. 40. see the notes there.
Vers. 20. his aunt] that is, his fathers sister; as saith the Chaldee paraphrase in the Masorites Bible: but the Chaldee set out by Arias Mont. hath, the daughter of his fathers sister; and the Greeke saith, the daughter of his fathers brother: neither of them well; for she was the daughter of Levi, Exod. 2. 1. and so sister to Amrams father.
Vers. 21. Korah] he proved a rebell against Moses, Numb. 16. 1. &c.
Vers. 22. Vzziel] of him and his two sonnes mention is made in Levit. 10. 4. where he is called Aarons uncle.
Vers. 23. Elisabet] so the Greeke writeth this name, and the new Testament, Luk. 1. 5. and so we in English: the Hebrew soundeth it Elishebangh. She was of the tribe of Iudah, being the Prince Naassons sister; Numb. 2. 3. 1 Chron. 2. 3. 10. Nadab and Abihu] these dyed before the Lord by a fire, Levit. 10. 1. 2. Eleazar] hee succeeded his father Aaron in the high priesthood: Numb. 20. 25. 26. &c. Of the priests that were of him and his brother Ithamar, see 1 Chron. 24.
Vers. 25. Phinehas] of him, see Numb. 25. 7. &c.
Ver. 26. their armies] or, their hosts: that is, not confusedly, but their ordered troups, being increased to many thousands, and called the hosts of the Lord, Exod. 12. 37. 41. and 7 4. These were after ordered according to their tribes, Numb. 10. 14. 15. &c. Of the word host, or army, see Gen. 2. 1.
Vers. 27. to bring] that is, that they might bring, as verse 13.
Vers. 30. of uncircumcised] Greek of a small voice Chaldee of an heavy speech; see before verse 12. and Exod. 4. 10.