A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Exodus · Chapter 4 – Chapter 5
CHAP. IV.
Verſ. 1. ANd Moſes anſwered and ſaid, But behold, they will not believe me, &c.]
That is, at firſt perhaps they will not believe me this; being ſuppoſed, what ſhall I do then? Conſidering that the Lord had now immediately before told Moſes that the Iſraelites would hearken to him, chap. 3. 18. they ſhall heark…n to thy voyce, we cannot well think that Moſes did now abſolutely queſtion the truth of what God had ſaid, but that on…ly he objected that it may be at firſt, till they ſaw ſomething to move thereto, they would be ſhy of giving credit to his words; and ſo intimated his deſire to know what in that caſe he ſhould do. And this indeed he had cauſe enough to ſuſpect, becauſe by reaſon of Pharaohs great power they were like enough to doubt much at firſt, eſpecially whether Moſes would be able to reſcue them from their bondage, the rather, becauſe they regarded him ſo little at firſt, when upon his ſlaying of an Egyptian in the defence of an Iſraelit…, he ſuppoſed his brethren would have underſtood, how that God by his hand would deliver them, as Stephen ſaid, Act. 7. 25.
Verſ. 3. And he ſaid, caſt it on the ground, &c.]
The generall end of this, and the other following ſignes, was to confirm the faith of the Iſraelites concerning the calling of Moſes; the more ſpeciall end of this firſt miracle of turning his rod into a ſerpent, and then into a rod again, was to aſſure both Moſes and the Iſraelites that God could and would make his ſhepherds crook, ſo baſe and contemptible in it ſelf, terrible as a ſerpent to Pharaoh, but comfortable to the Iſraelites, that is, that the rod of his government ſhould affright the one, but be the means of much good and happineſſe unto the other.
Verſ. 6. Put now thine hand into thy boſome, &c.]
The end of this ſigne was alſo to put them in mind of Gods almightie power, who was able thus ſuddenly to change things, whereby both the Iſraelites might be comforted, remembring that however they had been deſpiſed and abominable in the ſight of the Egyptians, yet God was able to give them favour in their ſight, and however to reſtore them to their former libertie by an outſtretched arm; and withall Moſes might be encouraged, as conſidering, that however his eſtate might now ſeem baſe and contemptible, even as a thing leprous and vile, yet God was able to make him a glorious inſtrument of Iſraels deliverance.
Verſ. 10. O my Lord, I am not eloquent, &c.]
That is, I am not a man of a free and ready ſpeech, as it is fit they ſhould be that are implyed in ſuch a ſervice, but of a ſlow ſpeech, and a ſlow tongue. Nor doth this contradict, if thus underſtood, that which S. Stephen ſaid of Moſes, Acts 7. 22. that he was mightie in words and in deeds: for a man that is of greateſt abilitie to ſpeak wiſely, learnedly, and perſwaſively, may yet have ſome great imperfection in regard of his utterance and pronunciation: and ſo it ſeems it was with Moſes, though he were an excellent ſpeaker for the ſubſtance of that which he ſpake, yet ſome defect he had in regard of his utterance, which ſome conceive to have been that he was of a ſtammering tongue, and thereto apply that which he afterwards ſaid, How ſhall Pharaoh heare me, who am of uncircumciſed lippes, chap. 6. 12.
Verſ. 12. I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou ſhalt ſay.]
It is evident that the imperfection of Moſes ſpeech and utterance continued after this; for ſtill we ſee he complained of his uncircumciſed lippes, chap. 6. 30. and becauſe of this Aaron was his ſpokeſman, in delivering Gods meſſage unto Pharaoh▪ This therefore which the Lord here ſayes to Moſes, I will be with thy mouth, is not meant of helping him of that naturall imperfection in his ſpeech, but that God would direct him what he ſhould ſay, and ſo proſper him in his meſſage, that his ſlowneſſe of ſpeech ſhould be no hinderance to him, but that he ſhould with comfort to his people, and terrour to their enemies, diſpatch the buſineſſe which God had impoſed upon him.
Verſ. 14. And he ſaid, Is not Aaron the Levite, thy brother? I know that he can ſpeak well, &c.]
Thus was Moſes comforted, hearing that his brother Aaron, from whom he had been abſent now fourty years, was ſtill living and well; and withall encouraged by knowing that he ſhould have him joyned with him in commiſſion, of whoſe fidelity he could make no queſtion, and whom he knew of good abilities for the delivering of their meſſage to Pharaoh.
Verſ. 16. And thou ſhalt be to him in ſtead of God.]
That is, thou ſhalt as from God, and in Gods ſtead, make known to him what he ſhall ſay unto Pharaoh.
Verſ. 18. And Moſes went and returned to Jethr… his father in law, and ſaid unto him, Let me go, &c.]
Moſes did not ask his father in law leave to go into Egypt, as queſtioning whether he ſhould obey Gods command in going, unleſſe he would give him leave; but onelyonly as judging it fit that he ſhould acquaint his father in law with his purpoſe, and crave his approbation, and not go rudely away with his daughter and her children without giving him any notice beforehand of it, eſpe…ially conſidering that he had no cauſe at all to ſuſpect either the wiſdome or courteſie of his father in giving him liberty. Moſes therefore was not herein to be blamed; rather his modeſty and humilitie herein diſcovered was worthy admiration, who after ſo glorious a Viſion was no way puffed up with it, but carried himſelf in ſuch an humble and lowly manner towards his father in law. As for his alledging no other reaſon to Jethro for his returning into Egypt, but onelyonly his deſire to viſit and ſee his brethren, Let me go I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and ſee whether they be yet alive, therein alſo his modeſty was diſcovered, in that he could forbear to tell his father in law of the glorious viſion he had ſeen, and the honourable imployment which God had put upon him; and likewiſe his wiſdome in managing this buſineſſe: for doubteleſſe he did purpoſely conceal this, that hewas ſent to fetch the Iſraelites out of Egypt, both becauſe he judged it not fit to impart this ſecret to Jethro, who was not of the ſtock of Iſrael though a godly man, before he acquainted the Iſraelites themſelves with it; and likewiſe eſpecially leſt the difficultie and danger of the work ſhould make his father in law unwilling to let him go.
Verſ. 19. And the Lord ſaid unto Moſes in Midian, &c.]
To wit, either before he had asked his fathers leave, or after that. The other appearing of God to Moſes was in Horeb, this in Midian; but whether this his appearing to Moſes in Midian were before he asked leave to go or after, we cannot certainly conclude: if it were after that, then either Moſes, even after leave obtained from Jethro, yet haſtened not his journey as was fitting, and therefore by this ſecond apparition God quickned him again; or elſe he took it that in the firſt viſion in the burning buſh, God had onelyonly called him to the work of going into Egypt for the deliverance of the Iſraelites, but had not expreſſely told him the time when he ſhould go, and ſo he waited till now that in this ſecond viſion in the land of Midian God again appeared to him, and commanded him immediately to go thither, adding this encouragement to what he had ſaid before, that all the men were dead which ſought his life. And doubtleſſe all the time of his ſojourning with his father in law in Midian, he thought of what God had formerly revealed to him in Egypt, concerning the Lords imploying him in that ſervice; onelyonly he waited to ſee when God would call him thereto: and that happely might be the reaſon why in ſo many years he did not ſend to know in what condition his brethren were in Egypt, becauſe he was reſolved wholly to caſt himſelf herein upon the providence of God, and to do nothing without direction from him.
Verſ. 20. And Moſes took his wife and his ſonnes, &c.]
Hereby it appears that Moſes either carryed his wife and his children into Egypt, or at leaſt that he was upon his journey intending to carry them with him thither: Indeed, as evident it is, when Moſes went with the Iſraelites out of Egypt, his wife and children were with his father in law in Midian: for Exod. 18. 5. it is ſaid▪ that Jethro his father in law met him in the wilderneſſe when he encamped at the mount of God, and brought his wife and his ſonnes thither to him. It ſeems therefore that either when he was upon the way going thither, he ſent them back again to Jethro (perhaps upon the occaſion of the following ſtory of the circumciſing of his ſonne) or at leaſt that when he was in Egypt, finding ſome inconvenience in their being there, he took order to return them to the ſafe cuſtodie of his father in law, that himſelf might the more freely and wholly intend the buſineſſe he had undertaken.
And Moſes took the rod of God in his hand.]
It was doubtleſſe the ſame rod or ſhepherds crook which Moſes uſed at other times to carry in his hand, and which he had in his hand when God ſpake to him out of the burning buſh; onelyonly it is here called the rod of God, becauſe it was that wherewith God had appointed that Moſes ſhould work ſo many glorious miracles, and ſo to intimate that it was meerely of God and not of any power in Moſes or in the rod that ſo many ſtrange things were done by it.
Verſ. 21. But I will harden his heart, that he ſhall not let the people go.]
See ch…p. 7. 13.
Verſ. 22. Thus ſaith the Lord, Iſrael is my ſonne, even my firſt-born, &c.]
Many ſeverall reaſons may be given why the Iſraelites might be called Gods firſt-born ſonne, to wit, 1. to intimate how dear they were to God, even as mens firſt-born children are uſually to them; 2. in regard of their preheminence and dignity above all other Nations that were at that time upon the face of the earth; 3. with reſpect to the Gentiles, that were afterwards to become the people of God, and to be received into the covenant of being Gods ſonnes and daughters, the Iſraelites being firſt admitted to this peculiar priviledge of being Gods people; ſo that thoſe of the Gentiles that were afterwards received to this dignity were but as Iſraels younger brothers; 4. becauſe the root of primogeniture reſted in them, in that he was to be born of this people who was to be the firſt-born among many brethren, Rom. 8. 29. But the chief reaſon, and that which I conceive was principally intended in this place is, becauſe God had choſen the Iſraelites to be his peculiar people, and heirs, as his firſt-born, of the land of Canaan, the type of the heavenly inheritance, wherein they were to live under the laws and governmeut of God unto the coming of the promiſed Meſſias: for if we mark it, this is alledged as the ground why Pharaoh was bound to let the Iſraelites go. Now their being received into a covenant of adoption did not inferre any neceſſity of being freed from Pharaohs ſervice; but Gods chuſing them to be his firſt-born people that were to inherit Canaan, and there to live under his government, could not ſtand with their continuance under the tyranny of Pharaoh: and therefore upon this ground Pharaoh is required to diſmiſſe the Iſraelites, Iſrael is my ſonne even my firſt-born; and I ſay unto thee, Let my ſonne go that he may ſerve me, &c.
Verſ. 24. The Lord met him, and ſought to kill him, &c.]
How the Lord endangered the life of Moſes, whether by ſickneſſe, or rather by appearing with a ſword drawn in his hand, it is not expreſſed: it is therefore ſufficient for us to know, that Moſes was in danger to be killed by the hand of the Lord, and that the cauſe was at the ſame time by the Lord himſelf revealed to him; for though this be not expreſſed yet it is clearly enough implyed: for why elſe ſhould his wife ſo readily circumciſe her ſonne, had it not been told them that their neglecting hitherto to circumciſe that their ſonne was the cauſe of Moſes danger. And this the Lord did not till now that he was upon his way going into Egypt, partly for the tryall of his faith, to ſee whether upon this occaſion he would turn his back upon that great ſervice to which God had called him; and partly becauſe there was now a neceſſity of doing it, there being a manifeſt incongruity in it, that he ſhould undertake to be as a judge and governour of Gods circumciſed people, himſelf neglecting this badge of the covenant in his own child.
Verſ. 25. Then Zipporah took a ſharp ſtone, and cut off the foreskin of her ſonne. &c.]
To wit, Eliezer, her youngeſt ſonne: whence it ſeems probable (eſpecially if we obſerve how his wife at this time carries her ſelf) that Moſes had hitherto neglected the circumciſing of this his youngeſt ſonne, becauſe ſhe was ſo highly diſpleafed at the circumciſing of the firſt.
CHAP. V.
Verſ. 1. ANd afterward Moſes and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, &c.]
They went to Pharaoh, and with them ſome good number of the Iſraelites: verſ. 4. Wherefore do you Moſes and Aaron let the people from their works? g…t you unto your burdens.
Verſ. 3. Leſt he fall upon us with p…ſtilence, &c.]
Herein Moſes and Aaron do not onelyonly diſcover to Pharaoh, that it ſtood them upon to do what in them lay that they might obey God in this which he required of them, even to prevent the judgement which otherwiſe they might well fear he would bring upon them; but withall likewiſe they covertly intimate to him how juſtly he might fear leſt the Lord ſhould bring the ſame or ſome greater judgements upon him, and his people, if he ſhould refuſe to let them go, as God had commanded him.
Verſ. 6. And Pharaoh commanded the ſame day the taskmaſters of the people, &c.]
The taskmaſters were doubtleſſe Egyptians, appointed to require and receive from the Iſraelites the work, which for the kings ſervice they were enjoyned to do; but their officers, here mentioned with them, were Iſraelites, appointed to have the overſight of their brethren in their labour, and to ſee that every one did the task that was ſet them as is evident, verſ. 14. And the officers of the children of Iſrael, which Pharaohs taskmaſters had ſet over them were beaten, &c. becauſe the people had not done their task.
Verſ. 7. Ye ſhall no more give the people ſtraw to make brick, &c.]
For in making brick they uſed ſtraw, both for covering their new-made bricks, that they might not be parched and chapped with the ſunne before they came to be dryed by the fire; and alſo for firing in their kilnes where they burnt their bricks.
Verſ. 8. And the tale of the bricks which they did make heretofore, &c.]
That is, though ſome of them be ſent about the countrey to gather ſtraw where they can get it, yet thoſe that are left to make the bricks ſhall make the full number of bricks which they did all make before: and thus did Pharaoh ſeek to make the Iſraelites hate and abhorre Moſes and Aaron, as the cauſe of this miſery that was fallen upon them.