Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, Chapter 32 · Questions · Question 37 – Question 47
QUEST. XXXVI. In what sense the Egyptians would say, The Lord brought them out to slay them.
Vers. 12. HE hath brought them out maliciously, or, of an evill minde; Iun. Or, for a mischiefe (rather,) Vatab. Oleast. To slay them in the mountaines. 1. Not because the Egyptians might imagine, that God could not slay them in Egypt, the constellations of heaven, and aspects of the planets hindring the destruction of the Hebrewes there, and serving fitly in the wildernesse and mountaines: for, seeing no such constellation could hinder the servitude of the Israelites, but that the Egyptians most cruelly oppressed them; much lesse could it prevent Gods judgements. And if the constellation had beene against the Hebrewes, after they were come out of Egypt into the desert: how came it to passe, that the red sea gave way unto them, the Egyptians there were drowned, Manna from heaven was given, and water out of the rocke? all these things were for Israel in the desert, and against the Egyptians, Tostat. quast. 18. 2. Neither doe the Egyptians so say, because some of their Astrologers, by calculating the time of the Hebrewes departure (as some Hebrewes affirme) did prognosticate, because they went, malo sydere, in an evill signe, that much bloud should be shed in Israel, and that many of them should die in the wildernesse: and therefore when Ioshua had circumcised the Israelites in Gilgal, the Lord said he had taken away the shame of Egypt, Iosh. 5.9. because that which the Egyptians had foretold was now turned, ad sanctitatem, non opprobrium, not to their shame, but their holinesse, and honour. Contra. 1. By shame is there meant no such thing, but onelyonly that their uncircumcision was then taken away, which is called the shame of Egypt; because therein they were like unto the uncircumcised Philistim…. 2. And if it had beene spoken in any such sense, this had beene to confirme, and justifie the superstitious calculations and prognostications of the Egyptians. 3. The Israelites indeed perished in the desert, but not all, onelyonly those which were above twentie yeare old: and they died not by any naturall death, which onelyonly may be foreseene, and in some sort by prognostication ghessed at; but their death was procured by their sinne: then as their sinne being an act of their will, could not by any such constellation bee foretold; so neither could their extraordinarie death caused by their sinne, be foreseene by any such meanes. And this being an act of Gods justice, like as mans will, and the acts thereof, are not wrought upon, nor ruled by constellations, much lesse are the Lords judgements, which he worketh most freely, Tostat. qu. 19.
3. Neither could the Egyptians say thus, as though the Lord could not have destroyed the Israelites in Egypt, seeing he plagued both the Egyptians and their gods; or that he could not for want of power have brought them into the land of Canaan, as the heathen would have objected, Numb. 14.16. For he that was able to overthrow Pharaoh and his host, and all the power of Egypt, and that wrought such great wonders for them in the desert, was of power sufficient to plant them in the land of Canaan, casting out their enemies before them, Tostat. qu. 17.
4. But the Egyptians of malice onelyonly, without any ground, nay against their owne knowledge, Occasione saltem levissima, licèt omnìa falsa cognoscerent, quaecun que tamen possent, in Deum Hebraeorum probra conjicerent; Upon a light occasion, although they knew all to be false, would upbraid what they could, the God of the Hebrewes, Tostat. qu. 18.
QUEST. XXXVII. Why Moses maketh mention in his prayer of Abraham, Isaak and Iacob.
Vers. 13. REmember Abraham, &c. 1. The Hebrewes thinke that mention is made of these three, to escape a treble punishment: as if the Lord were to bring downe fire from heaven upon them, Abraham was cast into the fire in Hur of the Chaldees: if the Lord would punish with the sword, Isaak had offered himselfe to be slaine in sacrifice by his father: if with exile and banishment, Iacob had before indured it; and therefore these three are mentioned, that by their merits and deserts, the people might escape these three judgements, Sic Lyran. Lippom. But Tostatus well refuteth this conceit: 1. Because these three are mentioned, as well when any blessing is craved of God, as when any judgement is prayed against: 2. God hath other judgements beside these, whereby to punish his people: therefore in other eases the mentioning of these had beene insufficient, Tostat. qu. 20.
2. Yet Tostatus also misseth the marke, saying, that I… meritis istorum fiebat salus posteris eorum, For the merits of these, their posteritie were preserved; for Abraham himselfe was not justified by merits, but by faith, as the Apostle sheweth, Rom. 4. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousnesse: therefore much lesse was his posteritie saved by his merits.
3. Therefore Moses in bringing in Abraham, Isaak and Iacob only, putteth God in minde of the promises made unto them, which proceeded onelyonly of the meere grace and favour of God toward them, as the Lord himselfe saith, Because the Lord loved you, and because he would keepe the oath, which hee had sworne to your fathers, the Lord hath brought you out with a mightie hand, Deut. 7.8. Simler. Osiander.
QUEST. XXXVIII. How the Israelites are promised to possesse the land of Canaan for ever.
Vers, 13. THey shall inherit it for ever. 1. This promise, that the Israelites should inhabit the land of Canaan for ever, may diversly be understood: 1. It is taken for a long time, not limited nor determined: and so they enjoyed that land many yeares, about 1400. Tostat. qu. 20. 2. Or it may bee likewise understood during the time of the Law and ceremonies, which were to continue but untill Christ: as Aarons Priesthood is said to be for ever, chap. 28.43. and the keeping of the Passeover is said to be an ordinance for ever, Exod. 12.17. Tostat. 3. Or it may be applyed to the spirituall seed of Abraham, which are the heires of the true Canaan, Genevens. a… not. Gen. 13. vers. 14. 4. But in these temporall promises a secret condition rather must be supplyed: that if they had continued in obedience to Gods Commandements, then they should have had a perpetuall inheritance in Canaan. And this is the best interpretation, as appeareth by the like, Psal. 132.10. If thy sonnes keepe my covenant, and my testimonies, which I shall teach them, thy sonnes also shall sit upon thy throne for ever. Tostat. qu. 20. See this question handled more at large, Hexapl. in Genes. cap. 13. vers. 12.
QUEST. XXXIX. How the Lord is said to repent.
Vers. 14. THen the Lord repented of the evill. 1. This is spoken foreign, according to the passions and affections of men: yet foreign, as it is convenient to understand of God; who seemeth to repent and change, sin… motu, quod nos sine motu nostri non possumus facere; without any motion or passion at all, which wee cannot doe without passion, Iun. Wee could not understand how the Lord turneth from his wrath, unlesse the Scripture should speake to our capacitie, Pelarg. 2. So indeed the Lord is immutable and unchangeable in himselfe: but, Dicit se mut…re sententiam, non in homines▪ sed in opera, quae mutata sunt; He is said to change his sentence, not toward men, but in respect of the workes or things that are changed: For God is not angrie with men, but with their sins, which ceasing to be, nequaquam p…nit quod mutatum est, God punisheth not that which is changed, Hierom. God is said to repent, cum rem mutet, consilium non mutet, when he changeth the thing, not his counsell,In Dan. cap. 5… Gloss. interlin. 3. But it will bee said, that God is here changed indeed, that whereas hee purposed to destroy Israel at once, yet he doth it not at Moses intercession. It may bee answered: 1. That God here had determined no such thing, sed loquebatur per modum optantis, but he spake after a wishing manner, let me alone, Tostat. qu. 20. 2. We must understand that the divine sentence is of two sorts; one is foreign, with a condition: such was the proclamation against Niniveh, that within fortie dayes they should be destroyed; and the message sent by Isaiah to Ezekiah that he should die: for in these sentences there was a secret condition included, in the one of the Ninivites repentance, in the other of Ezechiahs intercession: so there is here a condition understood, that the Lord would bee intreated by Moses. The other kinde of sentence is absolute, without any condition; such was the decree for the destruction of the old world by water, and of the overthrow of Pharaoh and his host in the red sea, B…rh.
QUEST. XL. Whether Moses at this time was kept in suspense, or indeed obtained pardon for the people.
Vers. 14. REpented of the evill, which he threatned to doe unto his people. 1. Some thinke that an foreign is here to be admitted, because Moses obtaining nothing at this time, but at his second intreatie, as is shewed in the end of the chapter: Et nullo accepto veniae responso suspensum venisse; And that he came downe in suspence, having received no answer for any pardon, Calvin, Gallas. But it is not like that Moses would have given over and gone away, till he had knowne the Lords minde in part.
2. Iunius thinketh, that Deus distulit, donec Moses vidisset, God onelyonly deferred his sentence, till Moses had seene what might bee done with the people; and, consilium fustinuit, suspended his counsell. But the Text sheweth more, that God at Moses request actually repented of the evill which hee had threatned: Moses therefore is here put out of doubt for that, that the people at this time should not be destroyed.
3. Cajetan thinketh that Moses onelyonly intreated, quod non tunc fiat punitio, quam populus meretur, that the people at that time be not punished as they deserved. But Moses reasons tend to that end, that the people at all should not utterly be destroyed, because of Gods promise made to Abraham, Isaak and Iacob: and so much he obtained.
4. But Oleaster goeth somewhat too farre, that Moses did not onelyonly intreat God not to punish; sed ut cum poenite at voluisse punire, but that he would repent him that hee had purposed to punish. But that had beene too great boldnesse in Moses to have presumed so farre; and it was enough that he by his prayer obtained a pardon of that great punishment.
5. Wherefore Moses obtained only by his prayer now at this time, that the Lord mitigated his sentence, ne… totum populum per dere velir, that he would not destroy the whole people, Marb…ch. and hee only repenteth of the evill which was threatned: that is, ne totaliter deleret, that hee would not wholly destroy them: yet God might not withstanding consume them, per partes; by parts as hee did afterward in the desart: for if Moses had obtained an absolute and generall pardon, hee needed not have sollicited the Lord againe, as he did in the end of the chapter; nay, he continued his supplication unto God for the people fortie dayes and fortie nights, Deut. 9.29. Tostat. qu. 20.
QUEST. XLI. What was written in the tables of stone.
Vers. 15. THe tables were written, &c. 1. Some Hebrewes thinke, that beside the morall Law, which consisted of ten Commandements, there was written the exposition, as a commentarie of the Law. But that is not like: 1. Because the Commandements being certaine, evident, and knowne principles, grounded upon the light of nature, needed not to receive any exposition by the Law-giver himselfe; but afterw…rd the same were explaned, and amplified by Moses. 2. If there had beene any such exposition, Moses when hee declared to the people the ten Commandements, Deut. 5. would not have omitted them, being a part of Gods writing. 3. Seeing the tables were to be kept in the Arke, never to be brought into the peoples sight, it was requisite, if there had beene any such exposition, that it should have beene set downe in some of Moses bookes, that the people might have taken knowledge thereof, Tostat. qu. 22.
2. Therefore there was no such exposition, nor any other thing written in the tables, beside the ten Commandements: 1. Not because, as some thinke, there were yet no other lawes delivered to the people: for it is evident, that Moses before hee came downe from the mount, when the Lord had uttered with his owne voice the ten Commandements, received also other lawes, judiciall and ceremoniall of the Lord, as they are set downe, chap. 21, 22, 23. and writ them in a booke, and read them to the people, Exod. 24. therefore other lawes were given before to Moses, before hee came downe with the tables of stone. 2. And the reason which Isidore giveth, why the ten Commandements were there only written, is both curious and without ground: Vt per eundem numerum figura crucis exprimeretur, that the figure of the crosse might be thereby expressed: for the Roman X signifieth ten, and doth also represent the figure of the crosse: for neither doth this figure in the Hebrew tongue signifie ten, neither was there any such figure written in the tables.
3. These reasons rather may be yeelded, why the morall precepts only were written in these tables: 1. Because these onelyonly the Lord pronounced with his owne mouth, the other were delivered by Moses. 2. The morall precepts are most evident and manifest, as grounded upon the light of nature. 3. They were so pronounced, as that all the people were witnesses thereof, and therefore least exception could be taken unto them, Tostat. quaest. 21.
QUEST. XLII. Why there were but two tables, neither more, nor fewer.
THe two tables, &c. The reasons why there were two tables were these: 1. Because if all the Commandements had beene written in one table of stone, it would have beene too large, and so too heavie and cumbersome for Moses to beare; whereas being now divided in two, they need not bee so great in thicknesse, or bredth, and so were more portable for Moses, that he might carrie them without a miracle, which some Hebrewes vnnecessarily conceive: for they being tables of stone, in forme and fashion made like unto writing tables, but larger, not thicke or grosse, but plaine, and of no great thicknesse, but so much as might suffice for the depth of the letters, might well bee taken up, and borne in Moses hand. 2. But the speciall reason of this division of the tables into two, is to distinguish the Commandements, which concerned our dutie toward God, and the other towards our neighbour: The first being written in one table, and the other in the second, Tostat. qu. 23.
QUEST. XLIII. How the tables were written on both sides.
Vers. 15. THey were written on both sides. 1. R. Salomon thinketh that each table was so written, that the letters might appeare on both sides; and so be read indifferently on each side. But this opinion is improbable: for two unlikely things are here presupposed; one that the stone whereof the tables were made was transparent, that what was on the one side written might be discerned on the other: and beside, whereas the letters appearing on the backside must be read backward: these letters by another miraculous worke must on both sides appeare all one.
2. Lyran. Tostatus, and Lippoman thinke, that the tables were written each on both sides: as in the first table there might be the three first Commandements, which Tostatus maketh but two, graven on the one side, and the fourth on the other: so in the second, foure on the one side, and two on the other, which he divideth into three: or he thinketh that the same Commandements might be written on the inside, and repeated againe on the outside. So also Gallasius, aversa & adversa parte scriptas fuisse, that they were written on the neare and ofward side, both of them: such writing the Greekes call foreign ▪ written behinde, and before. But the words of the text will not beare this sense, for thus the tables should have been written on their foure sides: whereas it is said, they were written, mishene, on the two sides.
3. Therefore the meaning is no other but this, that these tables were written on the two sides, namely, the two inward, or foresides. And so Oleaster noteth by the signification of the word gheber, which he pronounceth without any asperation at all, eber ▪ which signifieth properly, not the side, but the forepart, because so the word ghabar, or abar, signifieth to goe over, or passe on before. So also Vatablu… translateth, ab utraque faecie, on both the foresides. And thus the writing might better be preserved, one table lapping over another like unto a booke, Oleaster. But this further may be gathered, that these tables were written full within, that no spare place was left, which signified that the Law of God was perfect: Et nullum locum nobis relictum aliquid addendi, That no place was left for us to adde any thing to his Law, Simler.
QUEST. XLIV. Why the tables are called the worke of God.
Vers. 16. ANd these tables were the worke of God, and this writing was the writing of God. 1. Some Hebrewes thinke, because it is said before, vers. 15. that they were written, and here againe mention is made of the writing; that the first writing was of the Commandements only, the second was the exposition of the Commandements. But that there was no such exposition, is shewed before, quest. 41. 2. But in that the tables are said, both to be the worke of God, and writing of God, to signifie that God both prepared those tables, and was the writer also; he was both artifex tabularum & scriptor ▪ the workman of the tables and the writer, Cajetan. The second tables were fact… opere Mosis, made by Moses workmanship, and written onelyonly by God, Tostat. qu. 23. 3. And whereas they are said to be Gods worke, we are not to thinke with some, that these tables of stone were of purpose now created of God anew: Vocatur factio Dei non creatio, sed delatio; The worke of God is not said to bee the creation, but the fashioning and preparing of them, Tostat. 4. And this was not done by the worke of Angels, as Tostatus thinketh, aut scalpello, non calamo, or was graven with a knife, not written with a pen, Cajetan. For the Lord needed no such instruments: but it was written with the finger of God, chap. 31.8. that it, as Ambrose expoundeth, Spiritu suo dedit legem, He gave his Law by his Spirit,Lib. 3. de spirit. s…nct. cap. 2. whereby it is written in the fleshie tables of our hearts. See more, chap. 31. vers. 18.
QUEST. XLV. How many precepts each table contained.
COncerning the order observed in the writing of the Commandements in the tables, there are divers opinions: 1. Some thinke that the negative precepts were written in one table, and the affirmative in another. But this cannot be admitted, for these causes: 1. There are but two affirmative precepts, the fourth concerning the Sabbath, and the fifth, Honour thy father and mother: so it would follow, that two precepts should onelyonly be in one table, and eight in another; and so the one table must needs be very large, …he other very little. 2. Thus also the precepts which concerne our dutie toward God, and the other belonging to our neighbour, should bee mingled together. 3. And the greatest inconvenience of all is, that the order of the Commandements should be inverted, and that they were not written in the same order wherein they were delivered, Tostat. qu. 24.
2. Rab. Sal…mon, and so also Iosephus doe thinke, that five Commandements were written in the first table, and five in the second: and to the foure first they joyne the fifth, Honour thy father, &c. in the first table. But by this meanes the precepts of divers kindes, which command love toward God and our neighbour, should be put together, which are better distinguished into two tables.
3. Tostatus with other, doe distinguish the Commandements well in respect of the tables; placing in the first those which containe our dutie toward God, and in the second, those which are to bee practised toward our neighbour: but the Commandements he rightly divideth nor, making of the two first but one, and so counting but three in the first table, and dividing the last into two, which is but one. But these two points are handled before at large, that it were superflous to treat of them here againe: the first, quest. …, 10. generall, before the Commandements, chap. 20. and the second, quest. 1. upon the 10. Commandement.
4. Wherefore the Commandements are thus best sorted: that to the first belong foure, prescribing our dutie toward God; to the second six, touching our neighbour: the last, Thou shalt not covet, &c. being but one intire precept, as is shewed in the places before quoted.
QUEST. XLVI. Whether the writing of the tables were the first writing in the wo…ld.
Vers. 16. ANd the writing, &c. Ferus inferreth upon this, Quòd▪ Deus fuerit primus author scripturae & literarum, &c. That God was the first author of writing and letters: 1. Because Cadmus that is said to have invented the letters among the Greekes, was long after, in the time of Oth…iel, one of the Judges; and Nicostrata, or Carmentis, which found out the Latine letters, was in the time of Iair; another of the Judges. 2. And it was fit that no other should be the author of so profitable a thing, but God: for there is nothing that bringeth us neerer to the knowledge of God, than writing: therein is contained the historie of things past and present, and the declaration of things to come. And thereby God speaketh unto us, and declareth his will. 3. So this is the third gift that God hath given unto man, to bring him to the knowledge of himselfe: the first is to meditate in the minde, of God: the second to expresse the meditation of our minde by speech: the third to commit to writing, sic Ferus. Wherein, as Ferus in some thing collecteth well, that the invention of the Hebrew letters was more ancient than the times of Cadmus, or Carmentis, and that so profitable an invention came from God: yet two things hee affirmeth, the one being uncertaine, whether this invention proceeded from God, media…ely, or immediately: the first is more probable, as other arts of graving and working in brasse, and such like, were invented by men, Gen. 4. yet through Gods gifts: the other is untrue, that this writing of the tables was first of all: for before this, chap. 24. it is said, that Moses wrote all the words of the Lord in a booke. And although Moses is held to have beene the most ancient writer in the world, as is proved before, qu. 7. in 2. Exod. yet it is like, and verie probable, that letters and writing were in use before Moses time: as is likewise shewed before, quest. 13. upon the second chapter.