Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 2 · Chapter 10 – Chapter 11
CHAP. X. Ver. 1. For I have hardened his Heart]
AS hee that bring's in a light, blinde's an Owl; or as hee that powr's on water kindle's the Lime whereupon it is powred: ſo the Lord by publiſhing his commands and by doing his miracles hardened the heart of Pharaoh; who, for his wilful rebellion was juſtly forſaken of God, and delivered up to his own heart, which is ſomwhat worſ them to bee delivered up to the divel.
Ver. 2. And that thou maieſt tell] The memorie of God's (magnalia) great works muſt bee tranſmitted to poſteritie: Ʋt nati natorum & qui naſcentur ab illis, that after-Ages may hear and fear this great God. See 1 Sam. 4. ver 8.
Ver. 3. How long wilt thou refuſe] God think's long of the time that men miſſpend and waſte in wicked courſes Jer. 4.14. and 13.27. It is a ſavorie ſaying of Bernard, Totum vitae meae tempus perdidi, quia perditè vixi: the time of my looſneſs I have utterly loſt.
Ver. 4. Elſ if thou refuſe] Men ſhould look up with David, and ſee the puniſhing Angel over their heads with a drawn ſword, and ſubmit. As if not Balaam's A…s ſhal condemn them for their deſperate Lewdneſs: for hee fell down before the Angel. Si qu…ties peccent homiues, &c.[I will bring the locuſts] God hath treaſuries of plagues for the obſtinate, neither c…n hee bee (as the Poet feared of his Jupiter) poſſibly exhauſted.
Ver. 5. And they ſhall cover] For they go forth by heaps. Pro. 30.27. and huge multiudes. Jud 6.5. [And ſhall eat everie tree] See Joel 1.7. Plin. lib. 11. cap. 29.
Ver. 6. And hee turned himſelf] No man may turn himſelf to go out of the great Turk's preſence, Turk. Hiſt.but muſt go backward till hee bee out of the room. Diſſention talling out between Queen Elizabeth and the Earl of Eſſex about a fit man for Government of Ireland, hee uncivilly turned his back, as it were in contempt with a ſcornful look: Camden's Eliſ. fol. 494.Shee, waxing impatient, gave him a cuff on the ear; bidding him com again when ſhee ſent for him, &c. But Moſes may not bee imagined to have ſo turned himſelf.
Ver. 7. And Pharaob's ſervants ſaid unto him] They were convinced and mollified, though hee was not. Whom Hee will God hardeneth. Rom 9.18. [How long ſhall this man bee a ſnare unto us?] Hee was not the ſnare, but their own ſin. Pre. 29.6. Howbeit hee muſt bear the blame. As if ſom ſond people ſhould accuſe the Herald or the Trumpet as the cauſ of their war: oras if ſom ignorant peaſant, when hee ſee's his fowls bathing in his Pond, ſhould crie out of them as the cauſſes of foul weather.
Ver. 8. And Moſes and Aaron were brought, &c.] Somthing the tyrant would ſeem to yield to his Counſellors, and not to deal by them as the Perſian Monarchs, who were wont to adviſe with their Peers: but if anie of them delivered that which was contrarie to the King's minde, flagris caedebantur, Keckerman.they were whipped: which is a puniſhment alſo uſually inflicted at this daie by the great Turk, even upon the greateſt Baſſa's of the Court, Tu…k. Hiſt.upon the leaſt diſpleaſure.
Ver. 9. For wee muſt hold a Feaſt] See the Note on Exodus 5. ver. 1.
Ver. 10. Let the Lord bee ſo with you] In curſing them, hee unwittingly bleſſed them. Exod. 12.30, 31. and 13.21, 22. See Pſal. 109.28. Curſing men are Curſed men. But God's people fare the better for beeing curſed. Let them curſ but do thou bleſs, is not more a Praier then a Prophecie.
Ver. 12. Even all that the hail hath left] How eaſily can God ſtraiten, yea, ſtarv us all, if hee but ſend forth his forraging Armies. Joel 1.6.
Ver. 13. An Eaſt-winde] The proper and ordinarie office whereof is to purge the air.
Ver. 14. And the locuſts went up] As a formidable armie: ſee a graphical deſcription of a like plague threatned. Joel 2.4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
Ver. 16. I have ſinned againſt the Lord]. A fair confeſſion, but forced and extorted. Thus the toad, if beaten on the bellie, will vomit up his venom, and the malefactor on the rack will utter all. But as water heated, if taken off the ſire, Ariſtot. Meteor. 1.12.will ſoon return to its natural coldneſs, yea becom colder after heating then before; ſo hypocrites heats are not kindely from the Spirit, but violent from the outward fire of God's judgments: therefore when that is out, theſe are gone.
Ver. 17. Now therefore forgive] Moſes muſt forgive his ſin: God is not in all his thoughts. David crie's peccavi Pharnob perii: David, Againſt Thee, Thee onelyonly have I ſinned: Pharaoh crie's to Moſes to pardon his ſin. Man may forgive the treſpaſs, but God onelyonly the tranſgreſſion.
Ver. 18. And hee went out] The wiſdom from above is gencle, eaſie to bee intreated, readie to everie good work. The Divels are called Shegnirim, rough and rugged.
Ver. 19. A mightie ſtrong Weſt-winde] Rupertus call's the windes mundi ſcopas, the beeſoms wherewith God ſweep's his great houſ of this world: Like as his ſpiritual houſe (the hearts of his people) hee ſweep's off all foul luſts (thoſe helliſh locuſts) with that ruſhing mightie winde ſpoken of. Act. 2.2.
Ver. 20. But the Lord hardned] See the Note on ver. 1.
Ver. 21. Stretch out thy band] Here was no warning. See Exod. 8.16. as good, the more unexſpected, is the more welcom; ſo evil the more ſudden, the more terrible.
Ver. 23. They ſaw not one another] That they might know the worth of light, by the want of it. One being asked whither light was pleaſant? foreign.anſwered, That's a blinde man's queſtion. Little do wee prize this excellent creature.
Ver. 24. Called unto Moſes] viz. when the darkneſs was over: though ſom think that, even during the darkneſs, Pharaoh (ſuch was his madneſs) raged againſt God, and menaced Moſes.
Ver. 25. Thou muſt give us alſo ſacrifices] God gave Noah of everie clean beaſt ſeven (for ſacrifice likely) but of everie unclean two onelyonly. Gen. 7.2.
Ver. 26. Not an boof] God's Law muſt bee kept as the apple of our cie. Prov. 7.2. A diſpenſatorie conſcience is an evil conſcience. Repentance make's clean work: as the Flood drown'd all, even Noab's friends alſo.
Ver. 28. Get thee from mee] Evermore when God's meſſengers are abandoned, deſtruction is at next door by. I know that the Lord hath a purpoſe to deſtrole thee. See 2 Chron. 36.16.
Ver. 29. Thou haſt ſpoken well] q.d. When I ſee thee next, do thy pleaſure by mee. This was an act of faith in him, whereby hee feared not the wrath of the King. foreignHeb. 11.27. So when Valens the Arrian Emperor threatned Baſil with bonds and baniſhment, Pueris illa terriculamenta proponat, ſaid hee, Let them threaten boies with thoſe fray-bugs. The Emperor may take away my life, but not my faith; my head, but not my crown.
CHAP. XI. Ver. 1. One plague more upon Pharaoh]
WHo, after the hardneſs of his impenitent heart treaſured up to himſelf wrath. Rom. 2.5. God ſtrike's ſtill upon the thick boſſes of his b…ckler. Job. 15.26. When men are no whit better by afflictions, and worſ with admonitions, God finde's it time to ſtrike home.
Ver. 2. Borrow of his neighbor] This was an extraordinarie command, and may not bee made a preſident but in the ſame caſe, and upon the ſame warrant. The Law-giver onelyonly can diſpenſ with his own Law. Ordinarily it is the wicked that borroweth, and paieth not again. Pſal. 37.21.
Ver. 3. Was verie great in the Land of Egypt] Great hee was both in gift and autoritie; ſo that for his ſake the Iſraëlites might have what they would of the Egyptians: It was not here as once at Rome, Calamitas noſtra Magnus eſt: Sic Mimus olim de Pompeio, plaudente populo Romano tam eleganti ſoloeciſmo.
Ver. 4. And Moſes ſaid] ſ…il. before hee went out of Pharaoh's preſence: for afterwards hee ſaw his face no more. chap. 10. ver. 29.
Ver. 5. That ſitteth upon his throne] As co-partner in the Kingdom. Our Henrie the ſecond crowned his eldeſt ſon Henrie, while hee was yet alive. But this young King, through diſcontent, fell into a fever, whereof hee died before his father; who caſt him away firſt by his indulgence, and after by his rigor, not ſuffering him to bee what himſelf had made him. [That it behinde the Mil] The hand-mil, which they drove before them. Judg. 16.21. Iſa. 47.2. Mat. 24.41.
Ver. 6. Agreat crie] Becauſ in everie houſ there ſhal bee a dead corpſ, and ſo a Conclamatum eſt. They had made Iſraël crie: and God uſually retaliate's ſpoil to ſpoil. Exek. 39.10. number to number. Iſa. 65.11, 12. choice to choice. Iſa. 66.3, 4. crie to crie. Jam. 5.1, 4. &c.
Ver. 7. Shall not a dog move his tongue] And yet how many dead dogs do now adaies bark and ſnarl at the Iſraël of God? Canina ſacundia.which, nevertheleſs, is not without God. 2 Sam. 16.9, 10. who will one daie make iniquitie to ſtop her mouth. Job 5.16. Why ſhould this dead dog curſ? ſaid Abiſhal.
Ver. 8. In a great anger] Heb. In heat of anger▪ wherewith in the cauſ of God hee was bleſſedly blown up. Meekneſs here had been but mopiſhneſs.
Ver. 9. That my wonders] See the note on Rom. 9.17.
Ver. 10. Did all theſe wonders] But all was worſ then ſpilt upon him: he was even ſet in ſin, and reſolved never to remove; God had a hand in it.