Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 2 · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. Ver. 1. Ʋnto the wilderneſs of Sin]
SO called becauſ it bordered upon the citie of Sin, whereof ſee Ezek. 30.15.16. With Ezek. 20.35, 36. Or of the manie brambles that grew therein.
Ver. 2. And the whole Congregation] The moſt part of the people. Diaconos paucitas honorabiles fecit, ſaith Hierom: ſic & veros Iſraëlitas.
Ver. 3. To kill this whole Aſſemblie] Thus diſcontent will ſaie anie thing: neither careth it how true the charge bee, but how ſtinging and ſtabbing.
Ver. 4. I will rain bread from heaven] Not hell from heaven, as once hee did upon Sodom. If thine enemie hunger, feed him, as God here doth.
Ver. 5. On the ſixth daie they ſhall prepare] The Jews preparation to the Sabboth began at three a clock in the afternoon. Buxtorf. Synagog.The beſt and wealthieſt of them, even thoſe that had manie ſervants, did with their own hands further the preparation: So that ſomtimes the maſters themſelvs would chop hearbs, ſweep the houſ, cleav wood, kindle the fire, &c.
Ver. 6. That the Lord] And not wee without his autoritie: ſo that in murmuring againſt us, yee have ſet your mouthes againſt heaven. Caveant foreign Grudg not, behold the Judg ſtandeth before the doore.
Ver. 7. Jam 5.9.Yee ſhall ſee the glorie of the Lord] Shining in that wonderful work of his, the bread from heaven. Confer Num. …4.21. I…b. 11.40.
Ver. 8. In the evening fleſh to eat &c] Never was Prince ſo ſerved in his greateſt pomp, as theſe rebellious Iſraëlites. How good ſhall wee finde him then to thoſe that pleat him?
Ver. 9. For hee hath heard your murmurings] Now then what will you do, ſith God riſeth up. And ſith hee vi…teth, what will yee anſwer? I…b. 31.14.
Ver. 10. Toward the wilderneſs] Where the cloud was in the forefront of their armies.
Ver. 11. And the Lord ſpake] i. e. Hee …ad before ſpoken.
Ver. 12. And in the morning] They have their fleſh at Even, and bread in th… morning. God will bee waited on, and give the conſummation of his bleſſings at his leiſure. The cloud emptie's not it ſelf at a ſuddain burſt, but diſſolve's upon the earth, drop after drop.
Ver. 13. The dew laie round] i. e. The Manna that came down in the dew, as Chriſt the bread of life doth in the Miniſterie of the word. See Deut. 32.2.
Ver. 14. The dew that laie] And covered the Manna: whence that promi…e of hidden Manna. Revel. 2.17.
Ver. 15. Lib: 26. cap. 14.It is Manna] i. e. What ſhall I call? Herba Anonymus non inveniendo…nomen, invenit, ſaith Plinie: ſo Manna. Others interpret Manna, a portion, an admirable gift, or meat prepared.
Ver. 16. Everie man according to his eating] Thus they were inured in diem vivere, as Quintilian ſaith the birds do, to de▪ pend upon God for their daily bread.
Ver. 17. Som more, ſom leſs] ecundùm proportionem arithmeticam, ſed non ſecundum proportionem ceome…icam. as a man had more or leſs mouthes in his familie to …eed.
Ver. 18. Hee that gathered much] See the Note on 2 Cor. 8.15.
Ver. 19. Let no man leav of it, &c.] It was to bee gathered in the morning, and not kept till the morrow. I made baſte and delaied not, ſaith David. Pſal. 119 60.
Ver. 20. Left of it untill, &c.] Eit…er through diſtru…, or curioſitie.
Verſ. 21. It melted] Or putrefied, faded, diſolved. Som Papiſts derive their Maſs from this root: and well it may bee; nam per eam omnis pietas liquefacta eſt & diſſoluta, ſaith Rivet: for it is the utter bane of all good, as beeing a maſs or heap of abhominations.
Verſ. 22. And told Moſes] As fearing that the people had not don ſo well, as indeed they did: or as deſirous of further direction.
Verſ. 23. Laie up for you &c.] This is no plea for the Popiſh keeping of their breaden God in a pyx, for here was a command ſo to do, leſt the Sabbath ſhould bee profaned: but for the other, there is none.
Verſ. 24. Till the morning] The Sabbath-morning wherein it putrified not, but continued ſound and ſavorie by the ſpecial hand of God; that they might keep the Sabbath; as it appear's here they did, before the Law given at Sinai. Papiſts preſs the ſanctification of the Sabbath as a meer humane inſtitution in religious worſhip. Our Anti-ſabbatarian Prelates took this text for an Anticipation onelyonly, and made little account of the fourth commandment, which Spalato had taught them was don awaie, &c.
Ver. 25. Eat that to daie] So ſhall thoſe that labor in the Lord reſt, and feaſt in heaven. Thus the Rabbines moralize it.
Ver. 27. And it came to paſs] See the Note on ver. 20. Som unrulie beaſts (maſterleſs monſters) will bee breaking over the hedg: but the Law will hamper them.
Ver. 28. How long refuſe yee] The rulers are ſhent for the peoples unrulineſs. [To keep my commandments] For in breaking that one of the Sabbath, they had broken all: the whole Law is but one copulative. See Jam. 2.10.
Ver. 29. Hath given you the Sabbath] And a great gift it was. Nehe. 9.14. Were it not for the weekly ſabbath wee ſhould all run wilde. [Abide yee everie man in his place] Sabbath coming from Shabath to ceaſ or reſt, hath ſom affinitie with Jaſhabh to ſit ſtill, and with Shabath to worſhip and give praiſ, to ſhew, that this reſt muſt be ſanctified: for elſ it is but Aſinorum ſabbatum, as One ſaith, the Sabbath of the Ox and Aſs. for theſe alſo muſt reſt.
Ver. 30. So the people reſted] According to their cuſtom, though probably intermitted for a ſeaſon in Egypt, dureing their hard ſervitude. D. prideaux.Sed rationem reddat qui poteſt (ſaith a learned Doctor) quare, ante legem promulgatam, in die ſeptimo ceſſavit Manna, niſi quia, ad exemplum Domini, ab ipſius mundi primordio invaluiſſet ſabbati obſervatio. This ceaſing of Manna on the ſeventh day ſhew's that the Sabbath was kept from the begining.
Ver. 31. And the taſte of it] It had not all manner of good taſtes, according to everie man's appetite; as Wiſd. 16.20, 21. It is ſaid, but as Num. 11.8. Elſ why ſhould the people luſt and murmur, as there they did. ver. 4, 5.
Ver. 32. Fill an omer] Monuments and memorials of God's great mercies are to bee ſet up, leſt (as it fare's with children) Eaten bread bee ſoon forgotten.Strabo Geog.
Ver. 33. Take a pot] A golden pot. Heb. 9.4. Strabo writeth, that the Metapontini (after a plentiful harveſt which had much enriched them) dedicated to Apollo at Delphos foreign an harvest of gold.
Ver. 34. To bee kept] For the uſe of ſucceeding ages, in the moſt holie places: ſo Chriſt, glorified in his humanitie, abide's for ever. Heb 7.
Ver. 35. Ʋntill they came] So till wee com to heaven, ſhall wee have need of Ordinances.
Ver. 36. Of an Ephah] Or of a buſhel: a plentiful allowance: ſee the Note on Ioh. 2.7.