And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. Ver. 1. _They will not believe me._] They had formerly refused him, "and thrust him away." Exo 2:14 Act 7:27 And so they might again, if he had not... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the LORD said unto him, What [is] that in thine hand? And he said, A rod._ Ver. 2. _A rod._] Heb., _Matte,_ in answer to _Maze,_ What is that? an elegant antonomasia in the original. This is ordinary in both Testaments; the penmen whereof, many of them, were, as Cicero saith of Demetrius Phale... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. Ver. 3. _And it became a serpent._] So doth the word to those that cast away the care of it; it stings them with unquestionable conviction and horror. With this rod Moses should... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: Ver. 4. _Take it by the tail._] Which was dreadful to be done, because of the antipathy and likely danger; but faith fortifies the heart against th... [ Continue Reading ]
That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. Ver. 5. _That they may believe._] Miracles are sufficient testimonies of an extraordinary calling from God, provided that they be true miracles (not such as... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand [was] leprous as snow. Ver. 6. _Put now thine hand._] Here was sign upon sign, as Exodus 3:12. So low stoops the Most High to our meanness. And do... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his [other] flesh. Ver. 7. _As his other flesh._] To show him that God, by small means, could bring about great matters, and that in a mom... [ Continue Reading ]
And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. Ver. 8. _The voice of the first sign._] God's signs have a voice, and words. Psa 105:27 They speak not only to our eyes, but ears; as those... [ Continue Reading ]
And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour [it] upon the dry [land]: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry [land]. Ver. 9. _Shall become... [ Continue Reading ]
And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I [am] not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I [am] slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. Ver. 10. _I am not eloquent._] Heb., A man of words, a master of speech - ηγουμενος λογου - as Paul was. Act 14:12 He had n... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Ver. 11. Who hath made man's mouth?] There is no mouth into which God cannot put fit words. Balaam's ass was enabled by God to convince his master. Whereas by a... [ Continue Reading ]
Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. Ver. 12. _I will be with thy mouth._] _See Trapp on "_ Mat 10:19 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand [of him whom] thou wilt send. Ver. 13. _By the hand of him whom thou wilt._] Or, shouldst send: by that excellent speaker the Messiah, _cuius dicere est facere._ Thus when God had answered all Moses's objections, he frowardly denies to go notwi... [ Continue Reading ]
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, [Is] not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. Ver. 14. _And the anger of the Lord._] And no wonder: _Patien... [ Continue Reading ]
And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. Ver. 15. _Will teach you._] _See Trapp on "_ Exo 4:11 _"_ _See Trapp on "_ Exo 4:12 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, [even] he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. Ver. 16. _And he shall be thy spokesman._] God hath made me ill-favoured in this world, and without grace in the sight of men, said Tyndale to Frit... [ Continue Reading ]
And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs. Ver. 17. _Wherewith thou shalt do signs._] God, of his freewill, joining his operation thereunto; as likewise he doth to the outward signs in the two sacraments: and hence their energy, which else would be none.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which [are] in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace. Ver. 18. _Whether they be yet alive._] Which if they be, though in a low co... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life. Ver. 19. _For all the men are dead._] Here the Lord lays his finger upon the sore. This was that pad in the straw, the thing that made Moses hang off as he did; however he pretended the pe... [ Continue Reading ]
And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. Ver. 20. _Upon an ass._] This may argue his poverty, as Zechariah 9:9. Especially if he had but one ass for the whole family.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. Ver. 21. _But I will harden his heart._] With a judiciary penal hardness. And thus... [ Continue Reading ]
And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel [is] my son, [even] my firstborn: Ver. 22. _Even my firstborn._] And so "higher than the kings of the earth." Psa 89:27... [ Continue Reading ]
And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, [even] thy firstborn. Ver. 23. _Let my son go._] God commanding Pharaoh to let go his people, and yet hardening his heart that he would not let them go, is not contrary to himsel... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Ver. 24. _And sought to kill him._] To do justice upon him, according to Genesis 17:14, and as upon one that was an unfit man to take care of the Church, having no better ordered his own house. 1Ti 3:5 God pas... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast [it] at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband [art] thou to me. Ver. 25. _Surely a bloody husband._] A peevish wife, whose frowardness is either _tollenda_ or _toleranda,_ cured or carried patiently, _ne coniugium... [ Continue Reading ]
So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband [thou art], because of the circumcision. Ver. 26. _A bloody husband thou art._] This peal she rings oft in his ears, and so taught him patience. “Coniugium humanae divina Academia vitae.” Certain it is that we are a bloody spouse to Christ: the Ch... [ Continue Reading ]
And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him. Ver. 27. _And the Lord said unto Aaron._] To this religious family rather than to any other, God appeareth: which mercy is remembered, 1 Samuel 2:27 . _ Met him in the mo... [ Continue Reading ]
And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him. Ver. 28. _And Moses told Aaron._] So clouds, when full, pour down, and the spouts run, and the eaves shed, and the presses overflow. Aromatical trees sweat out their precious oils: and as... [ Continue Reading ]
And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: Ver. 29. _And Moses and Aaron._] So Zerubbabel and Jehoshua; Paul and Barnabas; the other disciples "by two and two"; Mar 6:7 the two faithful witnesses; Rev 11:3 both for more authority, and for mutual help an... [ Continue Reading ]
And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. Ver. 30. _And did the signs._] Moses did; or Aaron, by his command and appointment.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped. Ver. 31. _They bowed their heads._] An ordinary gesture among the Jews then: as at this day, the reverence they sh... [ Continue Reading ]