Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 2 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Ver. 1. Let my People go]
THe verie ſame meſſage to a word, as before often. Auſtin perſwade's God's Meſſengers ſo long to inſiſt upon the ſame point, De D…ctrina Chriſtian….beating and repeating of it in the ſame words, till they perceiv by the geſture and countenance of the hearers that they underſtand and embrace it. Chryſoſtom at Antioch preached manie Sermons againſt ſwearing; and told the people (that ſeemed to bee wearie of that ſubject) that till they left their ſwearing, hee would never leav preaching againſt that ſin; foreign, ſaid Socrates.
Verſ. 3. Is upon thy Cattle] Both thoſe ad eſum, and thoſe ad uſum. Men ſin, theſe ſuffer, and therefore groan. Rom. 8.
Ver. 4. And there ſhall nothing die] It is fair weather oft with the Saints, when it is fouleſt with the wicked. God hideth his in the hollow of his hand. Pſal. 91. till the indignation bee overpaſt. Iſa. 26.20. Hee giv's the like charge of them as David did of Abſolom.2 Sam. 18.5.
Ver. 6. And all the cattel] That is, a great ſort of them, Non univerſ…liter ſod commaniter.not all. chap. 9.19.25. And this was the fifth of thoſe ten plagues, a number of perfection; to note that God therein did moſt perfectly adminiſter and execute his judgments.
Ver. 7. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened] like a Smith's anvil, hee grew harder for hammerine. There was little need to ſaie to Pharaoh as the Smith did to the Lantgrave of Thuring, Pet. Nicol. Gelſtronp.Dureſcite, dureſcite, O infe…x Lantgravi Hee hardned faſt enough.
Ver. 8. Sprinkle's it toward the heaven] in token that this plague ſhould in a ſpecial manner bee inflicted from heaven: The Philiſtims by their golden emrods acknowledged, that the emrods in their fleſh were from God. Hippocrates called the peſtilence foreign the divine diſeaſ, as wee call the ſpots thereof God's marks. The Falling ſickneſs was antiently called morbus ſacer, as an immediate hand of God. Life of K Edward 6. by Sir John Heywood, pag. 127.And what can wee conceiv leſs of the Sweating ſickneſs with which no ſtranger in England was touched: and yet the Engliſh were chaſed therewith, not onelyonly in England, but in other countries abroad: which made them like tyrants both feared and avoided wherever they came.
Ver. 9. A boil breaking forth] this Moſes threatneth to all diſobedient perſons. Deut. 28.27. Job's boils were rather probational then penal. So were Munſter's ulcers (medicinal they were howſoever) which hee ſhewed to his friend and ſaid, He ſunt gemmae & pretioſa ornamenta Dei, quibus Deus amicos ſuos ornat, ut eos ad ſe attrahat. Theſe bee thoſe gems and jewels wherewith God adorneth his beſt friends, that hee may bring them nearer to himſelf.
Ver. 11. For the boil was upon the Magicians] who were convicted, but not converted. Exod, 8.9. They ſtood ſtill to withſtand Moſes, as Balaam againſt the light of his own conſcience, was reſolved to curſ howſoever; and therefore went not aſide as at other times to ſpeak with God, but ſet his face toward the wilderneſs; Like a head-ſtrong horſ that get's the Bit in his teeth and run's away with his Rider.
Ver. 12. And the Lord hardned] See ver. 7. and chap. 4.21. &c.
Ver. 13. Let my people go] See ver. 1.
Ver. 14. All my plagues upon thine hart] Hart-plagues are the worſt plagues of all. A hard Hart is in ſom reſpects worſ then Hel: ſith one of the greateſt ſins is greater in evil then anie of the greateſt puniſhments.
Ver. 15. For now I will ſtretch out] His former preſervation was but a reſervation: and hee hath hitherto eſcaped with his life; not for anie love that God bare to him, but to ſhew his power on him. Wicked men may have common mercies and deliverances, but the Lord loveth the righteous. Pſal. 146.8.
Ver. 16. Have I raiſed thee up] Heb. I have conſtituted and ſet thee up as a But-mark, that I may let flie at thee and follow thee cloſe with plague upon plague, till I have beaten the verie breath out of thy bodie. See Prov. 16.4. Rom. 9.17.
Ver. 17. As yet exalteſt thou thy ſelf] q. d. No amendment yet? A ſore ſign of a veſſel of wrath fitted to deſtruction. It is ill with the bodie when phyſick will either not enter, or not ſtaie with us.
Ver. 18. Such as hath not been in Egypt] Dio maketh mention of a ſhower of blood and of water, Dio in Aug.that fell in Egypt a little before it was ſubjected by Auguſtus, in quae loca ne ſtilla quidem aquae antè ceciderat ſaith hee, where never anie drop of water (much leſs of blood) ever fell before.
Ver. 19. Jam. 2.13.Send therefore now] Here merciemercy rejoiceth againſt judgment, Solinus.if by anie means hee might bee wrought upon. Sed Rhinoceros interimi potest, capi non poteſt. It was paſt time of daie to do Pharaoh good.
Ver. 20. Hee that feared the Lord] As few will do till they feel his hand. Bradford.But they that tremble not in hearing, ſhal bee cruſh't to pieces in feeling ſaid that Martyr.
Ver. 21. And hee that regardeth not] This was (doubtleſs) the greater number, Qualis Rex, talis grex. This was a juſt preſage and deſert of ruin, not to bee warned.
Ver. 22. Stretch forth thy hand] i. e. Thy rod in thine hand. ver. 23.
Ver. 23. And the fire ran along upon the ground] ſuch hail-ſtones and coals of fire wee alſo read of Pſal. 18.13, 14, 15. Iſa. 30.30, 31. and in the Roman hiſtorie, when Marcus Antonius the Philoſopher fought with the Quades, foreignand by the praiers of the thundering legion (as they were afterwards called) of the Chriſtians rain was obtained to the refreſhing of the Roman armie, ingens grando complura que fulmin… in hoſtes ceciderunt: Ita que Dio in vita M. Ant. Phil.licebat videre in eodem loco aquam ignem que ſimul de coelo cadere, atque obcam cauſam, Romanos valere ac bibere. Quados exuri & penitùs interire. i. e. A huge hail and manie light-bolts fell upon the enemie: Fire and water fell at once from heaven, the Romans drank of the water and were relieved, the Quades were burn't by the fire, and periſhed.
Ver. 25. And break everie tree of the field! Here was ſtrages & clades horrenda, yet Pharaoh's heart is not broken, Aug.but remain's obdurate. Perdidiſtis fructum afflictionis, was an heavie charge. Ducklings ſtoop and dive at anie little ſtone thrown by a man at them; yet ſhrink not at the heavens great thunder.
Ver. 26. OnelyOnly in the land of Goſhen] See the note on chap. 8. ver. 23. Dio reports further of the fire forementioned, ver. 23. That that fire from heaven either fell not at all upon the Romans; or, if it did, it was preſently quenched: neither did the waters help the Quades, Dio ubi ſupràbut inflamed them as if it had been oil, ſo that they called for water to cool them, when the rain fell upon them; and wounded their own bodies to quench the fire with their blood.
Ver. 27. The Lord is righteous] See the note on chap. 5. ver. 2.
Ver. 28. I will let you go] But though hee ſpake thus fair, Prov. 26.25.believ him not: for there are ſeven abominations in his heart: No ſooner was Pharaoh off the rack, but hee bite's in his confeſſion, and retract's his promiſe.
Ver. 29. I will ſpread abroad mine hands] viz In praier; holding up and out the palmes of the han…, as thoſe do that exſpect to receiv an almes, in a having manner: So did Solomon. 2 Chron. 6.13. See Pſalm. 143.6. Ezr. 9.9. [That the earth is the Lords] See the note on ver. 14.
Ver. 30. That yee will not yet fear] Howb…it I will praie for you, and you ſhall feel the fruit of it. Thus God is good to the juſt and unjuſt. Matt. 5.
Ver. 34. But ſinned yet more] As iron is verie ſoft and malleable, while in the fire: but ſoon after return's to its former hardneſs. So here.