Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, Chapter 33 · Questions · Question 39 – Question 43
QUEST. XXXIX. How the Lord is said to proclaime his name.
Vers. 19. I Will proclaime the name of Iehovah before thee. 1. Here then appeareth the great errour of the Latine translation, which, chap. 34. vers. 5. readeth, that Moses proclaimed the name of the Lord, whereas Moses is not there in the originall. 2. Augustine here taketh the active for the passive,Qu…st. 154. and thus interpreteth it, that God would so bring it about, ut vocetur Deus in omnibus gentibus, that he should be called God among all nations. 3. The Gloss. interlinear. thus expoundeth: Invocabor in nomine Filii per Praedicatores & Apostolos; I will be called upon in the name of my Sonne by the Preachers and Apostles. 4. The author of the scholasticall historie thus: Faciam me vocari Deum vostrum ex miraculis: I will cause my selfe to be called your God by my miracles. But whereas the Lord speaketh here of the proclaiming of his name at this time, as it followeth afterward, chap. 34.6. these three last expositions being referred to the time to come, cannot stand in this place.
5. R. Salom. hath here a fabulous conceit, that God had written on his back-parts thirteene of his names, which Moses did read as the Lord passed by: for the same word kara signifieth as well to read, as to crie out and proclaime. But beside that this conceit is frivolous, it is against the text; for the word karathi is in the first person, the Lord saith, I will proclaime.
6. Lyranus hath another curious collection, who understandeth it, de vocatione electorum in divina natura existemium; of calling the elect in the knowledge of God by their names. As though Moses in this cleare sight of Gods glorie, did see the names of Gods elect.
Burgensis confuteth this exposition, as being both against the text, for the Lord speaketh of proclaiming his owne name, not of the names of the elect: and beside, Moses asked no such thing; nor yet doth God reveale unto his servants the number of the elect.
Matthias Thoring taketh upon him in defence of Lyranus, to confute Burgensis, but his reply is verse unsufficient: the two first reasons of Burgensis are verie evident; to the third he answereth: that seeing Moses saw a representation of the Divine Essence, he saw also, relucentia in ipsa, those things which did appeare and shine in that brightnesse; and yet it followeth not that hee should see all: hee might see in that glorious representation, the election of some, though not of all: for this hee saith, was one of the errours condemned at Paris, Quod omnis videns verbum & relucentia in verbo, videt omnia, quae verbum; That he which seeth the Word, and all things shining in the Word, doth see all which the Word seeth.
Contra. 1. But if, as they imagine, Moses then saw in Gods glorie, and now the Saints in heaven see in Christ, as in a glasse, the names of the elect, then must they see all their names: as in a glasse one cannot but see whatsoever is represented therein. 2. And yet it followeth not, that he which so seeth should see all which the Word seeth, for the Word seeth more than is represented, as they imagine, in the reflexion of the brightnesse thereof.
6. The meaning then is this: Deus promulgabit nomen suum; God will publish his name. It was a great benefit that God yeeldeth himselfe in part to be seene; but it is a greater that he revealeth himselfe by his voice: Multa enim visiones frigida sunt, sisermo non accesserit; For many visions are but cold, if there be no word added thereunto, Calvin. Per strepet in auribus nomen Domini, &c. The name of God shall sound in his eares, Borrh. And God will manifest himselfe in that name, in quojam Mosi innotuit, wherein he was made knowne to Moses already, namely, Iehovah; Gallas. And beside in the hearing of Moses, recitabit omnia epitheta & cognomina, he will rehearse all his epithetes and other names, as it followeth, chap. 34.6. Ferus, Osiander. And all this was both for Moses better understanding, that those things which were represented, per gloriosam illam, by that glorious resemblance, should more fully bee declared to Moses, Burgens. As also, Vocabo coram te, ut videa… manifeste, &c. I will call before thee, that thou mayest see manifestly, that which yet thou seest but darkly, Rupertus. The Lord by calling stirred up Moses attention. And further, it was a watch-word to Moses, when he should see God: the Lord, when his glorie was passed by, should then crie, tr…sit, aut adest Dominus, now the Lord passeth by, or is present, Oleaster. Dominus est coram te, the Lord is now before thee, Vatab. And then, and not before, Moses should looke out upon God, as he passed by.
QUEST. XL. Why these words are added, I will shew merciemercy, &c.
Vers. 19. FOr I will shew merciemercy, &c. 1. Oleaster giveth this reason of these words, that in this speech the Lord performeth that which he said before, that he would shew him all his good: Quod maximè in misericordia consistit; which chiefly consisteth in merciemercy. So also Ferus. But if all the Lord… good had consisted herein, in shewing merciemercy, then superfluous mention should have beene made afterward of his justice, chap. 34.7. not holding the wicked innocent, &c. 2. Osiander taketh it to be an exposition of the former words, I will proclaime my name, that is, declare what my will is toward men, in shewing merciemercy to those on whom I will have merciemercy. But this is not the whole will of God, for he doth visit the iniquitie of the fathers upon the children, to the third and fourth generation, as well as he reserveth merciemercy to thousands. 3. Tostatus thinketh, that hereby Moses is admonished not to thinke, that this grace was shewed him for his owne merits. But Moses ascribeth all to the favour and grace which hee found with God, vers. 12.
3. Therefore it is rather yeelded as a reason of the Lords grace and favour, extended here unto Moses, 1. Which some apply thus, that the Lord hereby gave Moses like privilege, as to the Fathers, Abraham, Isaak and Iacob, that as he shewed merciemercy to them, so likewise he would unto Moses, that he should not need to alleage the merits of the Fathers, as he had done before, Lyranus. But Moses urged not the merits of the Fathers before, he onelyonly insisted upon Gods promise made unto them. 2. Some thinketh that the Lord here maketh a reservation and exception of the people: that though hee shewed this favour to Moses, yet he would doe with the rest as he thought good, Gallas. 3. But Calvin commeth neerer the sense, making this a reason, why the Lord shewed this glorious vision more unto Moses, than to any other, because it was his good pleasure. So also Simler. Likewise Iunius, Non omnino & omnibus sed quibus, quando & quantum decretum est, &c. God doth not thus reveale himselfe to all, and at all times, but to whom, when, and how much he hath decreed from all eternitie. 4. Out of this place brought in upon this particular occasion, the Apostle, à singulari causa ad universalem accommodat, doth of a singular matter make a generall doctrine, Rom. 9.15. Iun. That God cannot be thought to be unjust, si aliis prateritis alios eligat, if he chuse some, pretermitting others, Calvin. 5. And here Moses minde is elevated and lifted up to consider, who it is, in whom the Lord saith, I will have merciemercy, in Messia me…, in my Messiah, Borrh.
QUEST. XLI. Why the word is here doubled.
BUt why the same word is repeated, I will shew merciemercy, on whom I will shew merciemercy: Quaest. 154. in Exod.1. Augustine giveth this reason, Deus suae misericordiae firmitatem, ista repetitione m…nstravit; God would by this repetition shew the stablenesse and surenesse of his merciemercy: as when Amen, Amen is doubled, and as Pharaoh had two dreames of the same thing.
2. But here is more than a bare repetition: if the Lord had said, I will have merciemercy, I will have merciemercy, then there had beene nothing but a bare iteration: therefore Calvin better observeth, that this kinde of doubling and repeating the same words is used in all languages, abi causa investigati…nem excladere volumus, when we will have no other cause sought out, as Pilate said, What I have written, I have written.
3. Though there is no great difference in the signification of these words, I will shew merciemercy, &c. and have compassion, &c. yet in the originall they are distinguished: for the first word is cha…n, which signifieth to give, to bestow, to shew grace; the other is racham, that betokeneth to be inwardly moved with pitie and compassion, Oleaster. The first then signifieth that favour which is seene in bestowing of gifts, the other in remitting of sinnes and delivering from evill.
QUEST. XLII. Of the divers kindes of merciemercy which the Lord sheweth.
I Will shew merciemercy. There is merciemercy of divers sorts. 1. First there is a generall merciemercy, which the Lord extendeth toward all, both good and bad, as in granting the Sunne and raine indifferently to all. 2. There is a peculiar merciemercy toward his owne children, which also is shewed in divers manner. 1. As in the remission of great sinnes, as David prayeth, as Psal. 51.1. Have merciemercy upon mee according to thy loving kindnesse, &c. 2. There is merciemercy also seene in forgiving sinnes of ignorance, as S. Paul saith, I was received to merciemercy, because I did it ignorantly, 1 Tim. 1.13. 3. There is a merciemercy, which they taste of that are in Gods favour, and doe love him, which is seene not only in the remission of sinnes, but in the heaping of blessings upon them: as the Lord sheweth merciemercy unto thousands, upon them that love him. 4. And merciemercy is also exercised toward them, which being unable to performe any thing of themselves, are thereunto assisted and aided by grace, as the Apostle saith, It is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but in God that sheweth merciemercy, Rom. 9.16. This merciemercy here mentioned is of that kinde which is peculiar to Gods chosen, Procopius.
QUEST. XLIII. Of the divers kindes of visions and sights of God.
Vers. 20. THou canst not see my fate. That wee may arise by degrees to come to the handling of Moses Sinai sight: first is to be premised, the consideration of the divers wayes and kindes of the vision or sight of God. We are said to see either with the eyes of our bodies, or with the eyes of our minde; and each of these hath a threefold distinction or difference: for there is of each an ordinarie, or extraordinarie sight in this life, but the same imperfect, and in the next a perfect sight: so there are six kindes of visions in all, three of the body, and three of the minde.
First, concerning the ordinarie sight of the body. 1. It is that whereby wee see and behold sensible things, which are object to the eye, which discerneth nothing but that which is of a finite and circumscriptible nature. 2. The extraordinarie, when God in vision sheweth him in some externall forme and shape, which is of two sorts, either in corporali speci…, in some corporall shew: Quod voluntas elegit non quod natura formavit; Which it pleased God to chuse not of natures forming, Augustine. The other is in humani corporis veritate, in the assumption of a true humane body: so Christ was seene in humane flesh. 3. Then in the next world, when our bodies shall be glorified, wee shall see more perfectly, as Iob saith,Iob 19.26. I shall see God in my flesh.
Secondly, the sight of the soule also is divers. 1. There is an ordinarie sight, which is of two sorts, either common, which is the sight and knowledge of God that commeth by the creatures, Rom. 1.20. or peculiar to the children of God, which is the sight of him by faith, whereby the heart is purified, Acts 25.9. and the eyes of the minde cleared.
2. There is an extraordinarie sight and illumination by the minde, as when God did manifest himselfe unto the Prophets, by inward visions and revelations. As when Peter fell into a trance, and saw that foure cornerd sheet, Acts 10.
3. And in the next life, our inward sight of God shall be perfected, as Saint Paul saith,1 Cor. 13.13. Now wee see thorow a glasse darkly, but then face to face: now wee know in part, but then shall wee know even as wee are knowne. Now in order it shall be discussed, by which of these kindes of vision God may be seene and apprehended of man.