1._These are the words. _These two latter passages properly belong to the _supplements, _wherein God afterwards more clearly and familiarly illustrated the Law previously given by Him; they comprehend also exhortations, by which He subdued the people’s minds to obedience, and eulogies, by which He c... [ Continue Reading ]
6._The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb. _In this Second Narration, Moses expressly declares that God not only gave them a visible sign, by uplifting the cloud, but that He also verbally commanded the people to leave Mount Sinai, and to set about the performance of the rest of their journey. God sa... [ Continue Reading ]
9._And I spoke unto you at that time. _He does not here say that the counsel was suggested to him from another quarter, as to the appointment of the judges; but, perhaps, he dared not mention any name to these proud and perverse people, lest they should reject the thing which was otherwise good, fro... [ Continue Reading ]
13._Take you wise men. _Hence it more plainly appears that those who were to preside in judgment were not appointed only by the will of Moses, but. elected by the votes of the people. And this is the most desirable kind c f liberty, that we should not be compelled to obey every’ person who may be ty... [ Continue Reading ]
16._And I charged your judges. _This charge is not found in Exodus 18:0, where the only object of Moses was to point out the origin of the alteration; but now omitting the praise of his father-in-law, he merely recalls to the recollection of the Israelites what he did with them. The sum, however, of... [ Continue Reading ]
27._And ye murmured in your tents. _Elsewhere he says that they also wept; here he only speaks of their murmuring, which better suited his reproof. He then reminds them how malignant had been their ingratitude and perversity in upbraiding God on account of the special blessing which He had conferred... [ Continue Reading ]
29._Then I said unto you, Dread not. _He here omits the address of Caleb and Joshua: since he only states briefly the heads of what he had spoken to the people. He merely shows that, when he endeavored to recall them to their right senses, his efforts and pains were ineffectual. Moreover, he reasons... [ Continue Reading ]
31._And it, the wilderness where thou hast seen. _The constant course of God’s grace is here commemorated; from whence they might safely infer, that He, who had pursued them with so many benefits, would still be the same in this crowning act. He, therefore, uses the image of _bearing, _because the w... [ Continue Reading ]
32._Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord. He _signifies that they had been most prejudiced observers of the works of God, since His power, so often experienced and. so thoroughly understood, had not aroused them to confidence in Him. For in the word דבר, _dabar, _which we have translated _t... [ Continue Reading ]
34._And the Lord heard the voice of your words. _I have shown elsewhere what is meant by God’s hearing, _i.e., _that nothing can be concealed from Him, but that tie will take account of and judge all our words and deeds And this is worthy of our observation; for men would never dare to murmur agains... [ Continue Reading ]
37._Also the Lord was angry with me. _It is in no cowardly spirit that he transfers to them the guilt of unfaithfulness, which he had confessed for himself; but, since he had only fallen in consequence of being overwhelmed by their obstinate wickedness, he justly reproaches them with the fact that G... [ Continue Reading ]
39._Moreover, your little ones. _I have already shown that God so tempered His judgment that, whilst none of the guilty should escape with impunity, still His faithfulness should remain sure and inviolable, and that the wickedness of men should not make void the covenant which He had made with Abrah... [ Continue Reading ]
41._Then ye answered and said unto me. _The repentance was too late, which impelled the Israelites to their unseasonable effort of activity; although, as I have above explained, they did not truly and seriously repent, since, when they ought patiently to have borne the chastening of God, they endeav... [ Continue Reading ]
45._And ye returned and wept before the Lord. _He here appeals to the testimony of their own conscience; for they never would have been brought to weeping and prayers, except by the force of their own feelings. Since, then, they were abundantly convinced, that a just punishment was inflicted upon th... [ Continue Reading ]