Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 2 · Chapter 32 – Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXII. Ver. 1. Ʋp, Make us Gods]
A Aron might make a Calf, but the people made it a God, by adoring it.
Qui fingit ſacros auro vel marmore vultusMartial.
Non facit ille Deos; qui rogat, iste facit.
Ver. 2. Break off your golden ear-rings] Hereby hee hoped to break their deſign: but all in vain: for they were mad upon their Idols. Jer. 59.38.
Ver. 3. Brake off the golden ear-rings] which they had got of the Egyptians. Exod. 12.35. To make uſe of Heathen Autors for oſtentation, is to make a Calf of the treaſure gotten out of Egypt.
Ver. 4. A molten Calf] In imitation of the Egyptian Idol Apis, a Pied-bullock. A man may paſs through Ethiopia unchanged; but hee cannot dwel there, and not bee diſcolored.
Ver. 5. A feaſt to Jehovah] Whom theſe Idolaters pretended to worſhip in the golden Calf, as did alſo Jehu. 2 King. 10.16, 29. 2 Chron. 11.15. and as the Papiſts at this daie: but with what face can ſom of their Rabbins excuſe this people from Idolatrie?
Ver. 6. Roſe up to plaie] To dance about the Calf. Now, if they were ſo cheared and ſtrengthned by thoſe baneful bits, thoſe murthering morſels; ſhould not wee much more by God's ſpiritual proviſions, to dance as David did, to do his work with all our might?
Ver. 7. For thy people which thou broughteſt] God will own them no longer; they are now diſ-covenanted. The Saints by groſs ſins may loſe their jus aptitudinale, non jus haereditarium, their fitneſs for God's Kingdom; they may ſin away all their comfortables.
Ver. 8. They have turned aſide quickly] Moſes's back was but newly turned, as it were. I marvel that you are ſo ſoon removed, &c. Gal. 1.6. See the Note there. When wee have ſpent all our winde on our people, their hearts will bee ſtill apt to bee carried away with every winde of doctrine.
Ver. 9. A ſtiff-necked people] And ſo they are ſtill to this verie daie. Hierom complain's that in his time they thrice a daie curſed Chriſt in their Synagogue, Hieron. in Iſa. lib. 12. cap 49. tom. 5. & lib. 14 cap. 42.and cloſed up their praiers with Maledic Domine Nazaraeis. They are thought to adviſe moſt of that miſchief, which the Turk put's in execution againſt Chriſtians. They counterfeit Chriſtianitie in Portugal even to the degree of Prieſthood, and think they may do it, either for the avoiding of danger, or increaſing their ſubſtance. There are verie few of them that turn Chriſtians in good earneſt: Adeò in cordibus eorum radices fixit pertinacitas, River. Jeſuita Vapul. 322.So ſtubborn they are to this daie, and ſtiff-necked, their necks are wholly poſſeſt with an iron ſinew.
Ver. 10 Let mee alone] God is fain to beſpeak his own freedom: As if Moſes his devotion were ſtronger then God's indignation. Great is the power of Praier; able, after a ſort, to transfuſe a dead Palſie into the hand of Omnipotencie.
Ver. 11. Lord, why doth thy wrath] God offered Moſes a great fortune. Ver. 10. Hee tendering God's glorie refuſed, and make's requeſt for the people. It is the ingenuitie of Saints to ſtudie God's ends more then their own, and drown all ſelf-reſpects in his glorie.
Ver. 12. Repent of this evil] God's repenting is mutatio rei,non Dei; effect…s, non affectùs; facti, non conſilii; not a charge of his will, but of his work.
Ver. 13. Remember Abraham] Here Moſes neither invocateth the Patriarchs, nor allegeth their merits, but mind's God of his promiſe to them, and preſſeth the performance. In the want of other Rhethorick, let Chriſtians in their praiers urge this with repetition, Lord thou hast promiſed, thou haſt promiſed. Put the promiſes into ſuit, and you may have any thing. God cannot denie himſelf.
Ver. 14. And the Lord repented] See ver. 12. Moſes here had a hard pull, but hee carried it.
Ver. 15. Written on both their ſides] See the like in other myſtical books. Ezek. 2.10. Rev. 5.1.
Ver. 16. The work of God] The greater was the peoples loſs, brought upon them by their ſin.
Ver. 17. And when Ioſhua] who had waited in ſom part of the Mount, the return of his Maſter.
Ver. 19. And Moſes's anger waxed hot] Meekneſs in this caſe had been no better then mopiſhneſs. How bleſſedly blown up was Moſes here. [Hee ſaw the Calf, and the dancing] One Calf about another. It was a cuſtom among Papiſts, that men ſhould run to the Image of St Vitus, Joh. Manli. loc. com. 187.and there they ſhould dance all daie, uſque ad animae deliquium, till they fainted and fell into a ſwoun.
Ver. 20. And hee took the Calf] Wee may all wiſh ſtill as Ferus did, that wee had ſom Moſes to take away the evils of our times: Nam non unum tantùm vitulum, ſed multoshabemus, Wee have not one, but many ſuch Calvs.
Ver. 21. What did this people unto thee] The people ſinned by precipitancie; Aaron by popularitie.
Ver. 22. That they are ſet on miſchief] The whole world is ſo. 1 Ioh. 2.16. and 5.19. Quomodo Plautus, In fermento tota jacet uxor.
Ver. 23. Wee wot not what, &c.] See the danger of nonreſidencie.
Ver. 24. There came out this Calf] A verie poor excuſe. Somthing hee would have ſaid if hee had known what. Here hee hid his ſin as Adam. Iob 31.33. beeing too much his childe.
Ver. 25. Aaron bad made them naked] As Aaron's ingraving inſtrument write's down his ſin: ſo the Confeſſion of other more ingenious Jews proclaim's the Iſraëlites, ſaying that No puniſhment befalleth thee, O Iſraël, Moſ. Gerund.in which there is not an ounce of this Calf.
Ver. 26. Let him com] This word through haſte and earneſtneſs Moſes omitteth. The Chaldee and Greek verſions ſupplie it.
Ver. 27. Slaie ever…e man his brother] Not all that they met with, (for ſo they might have ſlain the innocent) but all that were chief in the tranſgreſſion. In the war againſt the Waldenſes in France, the Pope's great Armie took one populous Citie and put to the ſword ſixtie thouſand, among whom were manie of their own Catholicks. For Arnoldus the Ciſtercian Abbat (beeing the Pope's Legat in this great war) commanded the ſouldiers ſaying, Caedite eos: novit enim Dominus qui ſunt ejus: Caeſar. Heiſterbuchenſis hiſt. lib. 5. cap. 2….Kill them one with another: for the Lord knoweth who are his. This was fine Popiſh Juſtice.
Ner. 28. About three thouſand] Chieftains and ring-leaders.
Ver. 29. Conſecrate your ſelvs] Regain that bleſſing which your father Levi loſt. Gen. 49.5, 7.
Ver. 30. And now I will go up unto the Lord] As angrie as hee was, hee could praie for them: As when our children, through their own fault have got ſom ſickneſs, for all our angrie ſpeeches wee go to the Phyſician for them.
Ver. 31. Made them gods of gold] Sin muſt not bee confeſſed in the lump onelyonly, and by whole ſale, but wee muſt inſtance the particulars.
Ver. 32. Blot mee I praie thee] God never revealed his love to Moſes more, then when hee thus earneſtly praied for God's people. Joab never pleaſed David better, then when hee made interceſſion for Abſolom.
Ver. 33. Blot out] Cut him out of the roll of the living.
Ver. 34. I will viſit] I will paie them home for the new and the old.
Ver. 35. They made] See the Note on Verſ 1.
CHAP. XXXIII. Ver. 1. Which thou haſt brought]
SEE the Note on Chap. 32.7.
Ver. 3. I will not go up] ſc. By thoſe viſible ſigns of my gratious preſence, Hoſ. 9.11.as heretofore.
Ver. 4. They mourned] As good cauſ they had: for wo bee unto thee when I depart from thee.
Ver. 5. And conſume thee] God's threatnings are cordial, but conditional. Minatur Deus ut non puniat. Furie is not in mee, Iſa. 27.4. Hee puniſheth not till there bee no other remedie. 2 Chron. 36.16. as the bee ſtin'gs not till provoked.
Ver. 6. Stript themſelvs] As in a daie of reſtraint.
Ver. 7. Afar off from the camp] In token of God's deep diſpleaſure, and departure from them.
Ver. 8. And looked after Moſes] To ſee what ſucceſs, what accepta…: as David looked up after his praier, to ſee how it ſped. Pſalm. 5.3.
Ver. 10. Roſe up and worſhipped] Though obnoxious; they would not deſpair of merciemercy. See 1 Sam. 12.20, 21, 22.
Ver. 12. See, thou ſaieſt unto mee] See (ſaith one) how Moſes here encroacheth upon God. Mr. Bu…r.God had don much for him, hee muſt have more. Verſ 13. Shew mee now thy waie, &c. This God grant's him. Verſ 14. This ſerv's not the turn, hee muſt have more yet. Verſ 16. Well, hee hath it. Verſ 17. Is hee ſaid? No, hee muſt yet have more. Verſ 18. I beſeech thee ſhew mee thy glorie. It's don. Verſ 19. Is hee ſatisfied yet? No. Chap. 34.9. God muſt pardon the ſin of his people too; and take them and him for his inheritance: This fruit of his favor hee muſt needs bee intreated to add to the reſt, &c.
Ver. 13. That I may know thee] Moſes knew more of God then anie man; hee was but newly com down from the Mount, and at the Tabernacle door God ſpake with Moſes face to face, as a man ſpeaketh unto his friend. Verſ 11. The more a man know's of God, the more deſirous hee is to know him.
Ver. 14. I will give thee reſt] Full content of minde in the ſenſ of my preſence, and light of my countenance.
Ver. 15. If thy preſence go not with mee] What is it to have the air without light? What was all Mordecai's honor to him, when the King frowned upon him?
Ver. 16. So ſhall wee bee ſeparated] Heb. Marvellouſly ſeparated. The ſeparation of the Saints is a wonderful ſeparation. See Deut. 4.7. Iſa. 20.6. where Judea is for this cauſ called an Iſle.
Ver. 17. I know thee by name] As Princes do their favorites, who eaſily forget others, as Saul did David.1 Sam. 17.55.
Ver. 18. Shew mee thy glorie] None ever knew God's glorie; our cockle-ſhell can never comprehend this ſea, yet it may bee apprehended that it is incomprehenſible.
Ver. 19. I will make all my goodneſs] My glorious goodneſs. Thus Moſes may have what hee will of God. The King is not hee that can do anie thing againſt you, ſaid Zedekiah to his Courtiers. Jer. 38.5.
Ver. 20. Thou canſt not ſee my face] Otherwiſe then in his words and works. Rom. 1.20. As wee cannot ſee the Sun in rota, in the circle, but in the beams. Rab. Maimon.Som have been Mercabah velo harocheb (as the Hebrew's ſpeak) the charret in which God rode, but not the rider in it: they ſaw ſom created Image, Glorie, whereby hee teſtified his more immediate preſence, but not himſelf. [No man ſhall ſee mee and live] But bee oppreſt and ſwallowed up with Majeſtie: as the ſight of the eie is dazled with the ſun; or a cryſtal-glaſs broken with the fire.