1._Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people _I have used the pluperfect tense; (360) for the reason is here given, whereby Moses was stirred up to such vehemence in prayer, viz., because, although God had not altogether abandoned the care of the people, still He had renounced His covenant, and h... [ Continue Reading ]
4._And when the people heard these evil tidings _Hence it more clearly appears that, as I have said, it was like a thunderbolt to them when God withdrew Himself from the people; for this divorce is more fatal than innumerable deaths. It might indeed at first sight seem delightful to be the masters o... [ Continue Reading ]
7._And Moses took the tabernacle _This was a sign of the divorce between God and the Israelites, that the tabernacle should be removed from the camp and pitched at a distance, as if God were tired of His connection with them. He had promised as a special blessing that He would dwell in the midst of... [ Continue Reading ]
11._And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face _Moses will hereafter be dignified by this distinction, where God would declare the difference between him and other Prophets. (Numbers 12:8.) Familiar intercourse is therefore described in this phrase, as if it were said that God appeared to Moses by a... [ Continue Reading ]
12._See, thou, sayest unto me, Bring up this people _Moses is still diligently engaged in endeavoring to reconcile the people, for the fuller promise was inserted by way of anticipation. Since the revolt, however, God had promised no more than that He would give the land to the people; but although... [ Continue Reading ]
14._And he said, My presence shall go with thee _We gather from this answer what the desire of Moses was, for God, in accepting his prayer, affirms in one word that He will go before them as He was wont, and this was a sure pledge of His presence in no ordinary manner. For although the whole world i... [ Continue Reading ]
15._And he said unto him, If thy presence go not _Moses accepts what is accorded to him, whilst at the same time he signifies that it would be better and more desirable for him to perish in the desert than to go any further without the manifest token of God’s presence; and this he confirms in the fo... [ Continue Reading ]
17._And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also _He adds nothing new, but confirms by repetition what He had just said, in order to remove all doubt. Still He declares that He is induced by no other reason than by the gratuitous favor wherewith He had embraced Moses. This, therefore, is... [ Continue Reading ]
18._And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory _Thus far the desires of Moses had been confined within the limits of moderation and sobriety, but now he is carried beyond due bounds, and longs for more than is lawful or expedient; for it is plain from his repulse that he had inconsiderately proc... [ Continue Reading ]
19._And he said, I will make all my goodness pass _At the outset He declares how far He has listened to Moses; but a limitation is presently added to prevent excess. Thus his prayer is not altogether rejected, but only so far as he was too eagerly set on beholding the perfection of God’s glory. The... [ Continue Reading ]
20._And he said, Thou canst not see my face _Moses had indeed seen it, but in such a mode of revelation, as to be far inferior to its full effulgence. Long before the birth of Moses, Jacob had said, “I have seen God face to face,” (Genesis 32:30;) and to Moses, as I have lately shewn, a still cleare... [ Continue Reading ]
21._And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me _This description may illdeed appear puerile, but it is well adapted to our imperfection; nor will any despise it who is duly conscious of his own imbecility and ignorance. There seems to be a contradiction between these two things, that the beau... [ Continue Reading ]