Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, Chapter 33 · Questions · Question 31 – Question 33
QUEST. XXXI. Whether Moses here rested in Gods answer, or begged any thing further.
Vers. 15. IF thy presence goe not with us. 1. Calvin taketh this to be a confirmation of the Lords former grant: and that Moses embracing the Lords answer, saith thus much in effect; that if the Lord should not so doe, grant them his presence, it were better for them to perish there, than to goe any further: he therefore taketh them to bee deceived, who thinke, diversum aliquid hic notari, that some divers thing is here noted than before: for in the same sense the Lord is said to goe before them, and to goe with them in the middest of them.
But in that the Lord saith againe, vers. 17. I will doe this thing also which thou hast said: it is evident that Moses added somewhat to his former request, and begged somewhat which was not yet granted: though Calvin thinketh it is but the repetition of the same thing, tollenda dubitationis causa, to take from Moses all doubting: So also Oleaster. 2. Some doe thinke that Moses here asketh a divers thing from that which the Lord granted, where there are divers opinions. 1. Lyranus taketh it, that whereas God promised to goe before Moses, he further entreateth that hee would totum populum praecedere, goe before, not him only, but all the people, &c. But the Lords promise was generall, that his presence should goe before, not expressing whom: and Moses request, (which the Lord yeeldeth unto) wherein hee maketh mention of the people, vers. 13. sheweth that the Lord so meant, that hee would be a guide to all the people.
2. Cajetan saith, because the Lord had promised only in generall, My face shall goe, not expressing whether, ant… eos, cum eis, post eos, before them, with them, or behinde them: now he entreateth that hee would goe with him. But Moses repeating Gods words, doth put to no such limitation▪ only hee saith, If thy presence goe not, carrie us not hence: by which repeating of Gods words, Moses knew well enough that God promised to goe before them.
3. Rupertus therefore and Tostatus follow this sense, that because the Lord by his presence might understand some Angell, he presseth God yet further, that he would goe himselfe with them. But this answer is granted upon the oversight of the Latine translation, which readeth here, If thou wilt not goe before: whereas in the originall it is, being well translated, If thy presence goe not. So that Moses by Gods presence understandeth God himselfe, as hee expoundeth, vers. 16. shall it not bee when thou goest with us?
4. Wherefore in this reply Moses partly confirmeth the Lords answer, by shewing the inconvenience that would follow, that it were better for them to remaine there still, than without Gods presence to goe on, and offer themselves to infinite danger: partly hee intreateth that God would not onelyonly goe before them, as he did before others of the Heathen, whom he used in his service, as he raised and stirred up Cyrus, Isai. 45. 1, 2.whom he conducted: as the Lord saith by his Prophet, Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus his anointed, whose right hand I have holden to subdue nations before him, &c. I will goe before thee, and make the crooked strait, &c. But that the Lord would also dwell among them in his Tabernacle, as he purposed. And therefore the Lord herein condescending to Moses, saith afterward, vers. 17. I will doe this also which thou hast said, that is, Non solum praibo, sed vobiscum ero; I will not only go before you, but with you also, Gallas. So Moses also in saying, that the people may have preheminence, entreateth, ut non cesset Deus facere signa coram gentibus, that the Lord would not cease still to doe signes and wonders for his people before the nations, that they may know that God is among them, Ferus, Simlerus, Osiander. For the faithfull are not satisfied, nisi Deum totum habeant, unlesse they have God wholly and all, Ferus.
QUEST. XXXII. Why Moses addeth, Carrie us not hence: seeing even in that place also they had need of Gods protection.
Vers. 15. CArrie us not hence, 1. Calvin so understandeth Moses here, as though hee should meane, that it were better, perire in deserto, to perish in the desart, than to goe forward without Gods presence. But Moses by no meanes would have wished the perishing of the people, for whose preservation he intreated so earnestly before, wishing himselfe rather to be raced out of Gods booke, than them to perish.
2. Rupertus draweth it to a mysticall sense: Carrie us not hence, &c. Quid attinet nos vivere, &c. To what end should we live and beget children, unlesse thou come, which onelyonly canst regenerate unto life those which are borne to death, &c. He applyeth it to the comming of the Messiah: but the phrase here used, Carrie us not hence, sheweth that Moses here speaketh of going into the land of Canaan: for otherwise the Messiah might have beene given unto them as well in this place, as in Canaan.
3. His meaning therefore is, melius esse iter non ingredi, that it were better for them not to goe thence at all, unlesse God would be their guide, Simler. not to stirre one foot from thence.
4. Which Moses speaketh not, as though they needed not Gods protection and preservation there, but because they were subject to many more dangers in walking forward still: for they were to passe by the countries of divers nations, who would suspect them, as having a purpose to invade their land: whereas now remaining still, they should not be molested of any, Tostat. qu. 16.
QUEST. XXXIII. Why it is added, People upon the earth.
Vers. 16. ALL the people that are upon the earth. 1. This is not added by way of distinction, as though there were any people under the earth: they which are gone out of the world are called people,Genes. 2…. as Abraham is said to be gathered unto his people, but not properly, because they are spirits, and not men: in hell there can be no people, because there is no order, nor communitie: as where a people is, there is a mutuall communitie, and they are governed by Law: nor yet in heaven is there said to bee a people properly, their bodies being laid aside, their spirits only there living in bliffe.
2. Neither are those which are called Antipodes, which dwell on the other side of the earth, under, but upon the earth as we are.
3. Sed positum est ex superabundantia; This is added of abundance, for more plaine evidence and demonstration, Tostat. qu. 16.