p Ver. 249 Ch. 8. 5, 6, 16. & 9. 2. & 10. 12, 21. & 14. 21, 2-r Heb. gathering of their waters.8 Ch. 17. 5.-t Psa. 78. 44. & 105. 29. Rev. 8. 9.

The ninth, the THICK DARKNESS, on the 10th day of Abib (April 30) now become the first month of the Jewish year, chap. x. 22. But see the note on chap. xii. 2.

The tenth, the SLAYING the FIRST-BORN, on the 15th of Abib, chap. xii. 29. But most of these dates are destitute of proof.

Verse 18. The Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water] The force of this expression cannot be well felt, without taking into consideration the peculiar pleasantness, and great salubrity of the waters of the Nile. "The water of Egypt," says the Abbé Mascrier, "is so delicious, that one would not wish the heat to be less, or to be delivered from the sensation of thirst. The Turks find it so exquisite, that they excite themselves to drink of it by eating salt. It is a common saying among them, that if Mohammed had drank of it, he would have besought God that he might never die, in order to have had this continual gratification. When the Egyptians undertake the pilgrimage of Mecca, or go out of their country on any other account, they speak of nothing but the pleasure they shall have, at their return, in drinking of the waters of the Nile. There is no gratification to be compared to this: it surpasses, in their esteem, that of seeing their relations and families. All those who have tasted of this water, allow that they never met with the like in any other place. When a person drinks of it for the first time, he can scarcely be persuaded that it is not a water prepared by art; for it has something in it inexpressibly agreeable and pleasing to the taste; and it should have the same rank among waters, that champaigne has among wines. But its most valuable quality is, that it is exceedingly salutary. It never incommodes, let it be drunk in what quantity it may: this is so true, that it is no uncommon thing to see some persons drink three buckets of it in a day, without the least inconvenience! When I pass such encomiums on the water of Egypt, it is right to observe, that I speak only of that of the Nile, which indeed is the only water drinkable, for their wellwater is detestable and unwholesome. Fountains are so rare, that they are a kind of prodigy in that country; and as to rain-water, that is out of the question, as scarcely any falls in Egypt."

A person," says Mr. Harmer, "who never before heard of the deliciousness of the Nile water, and of the large quantities which on that account are drunk of it, will, I am sure, find an energy in those words of Moses to Pharaoh -The Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river, which he never observed before. They will loathe to drink of that water which they used to prefer to all the waters of the universe; loathe to drink of that, for which they had been accustomed to long, and will rather choose to drink of well-water, which in their country is detestable!"-Observations, Vol. III. p. 564.

The FIRST plague-The WATERS turned into BLOOD. Verse 20. All the waters-were turned to blood] Not merely in appearance, but in reality; for these changed waters became corrupt and insalubrious, so that even the fish that were in the river died; and the smell became highly offensive, so that the waters could not be drunk, ver. 21. Verse 22. And the magicians-did so] But if all the water in Egypt was turned into blood by Moses, where did the magicians get the water which they changed into blood? This question is answered in ver. 24. The Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink, and it seems that the water obtained by this means was not bloody like that in the river: on this water, therefore, the magicians might operate. Again, though a general commission was given to Moses, not only to turn the waters of the (river) Nile into blood, but also those of their streams, rivers, ponds, and pools; yet it seems pretty clear, from ver. 20. that he did not proceed thus far, at least in the first instance; for it is there stated, that only the waters of the river were turned into blood. Afterward the plague doubtless became general. At the commencement, therefore, of this plague, the magicians might obtain other water to imitate the miracle; and it would not be difficult for them, by juggling tricks, or the assistance of a familiar spirit, (for we must not abandon the possibility of this use) to give it a bloody appearance, a fetid smell, and a bad taste. On either of these grounds, there is no contradiction in the Mosaic account, though some have been very studious to find one.

The plague of the bloody waters may be considered as a display of retributive justice against the Egyptians, for the murderous decree, which enacted, that all the male children of the Israelites should be drowned in that river, the waters of which, so necessary to their support and life, were now rendered not only insalubrious, but deadly, by being turned into blood. As it is well known that the Nile was a chief object of Egyptian idolatry, (see on ver. 15.) and that annually they sacrificed a girl, or as others say, both a boy and girl, to this river, in gratitude for the benefits received from it, (Universal Hist. Vol. I. p. 178. fol. edit.) God might have designed this plague as a punishment for such cruelty; and the contempt poured upon this object of their adoration, by turning its waters into blood, and rendering them fetid and corrupt, must have had a direct tendency to correct their idolatrous notions, and lead them to acknowledge the power and authority of the true God.

Verse 25. And seven days were fulfilled] So we learn, that this plague continued at least a whole week.

Janis and Jambris; and in the Babylonian Telmud they are named Joanne and Mambre, and are represented as chiefs of the sorcerers of Egypt, and as having ridiculed Moses and Aaron for pretending to equal them in magical arts. And Rab. Tancum, in his Commentary, names them Jonos and Jombrus. If we allow the read

7.

CHAPTER VIII.

The plague of frogs threatened, 1, 2 The extent of this plague, 3, 4. Aaron commanded to stretch out his hand, with the rod, over the river and waters of Egypt, in consequence of which the frogs came, 5, 6. The magicians to let the people go, Pharaoh entreats Moses to remove the frogs, and promises to let the go, 8 Moses promises that they shall be removed from every part of Egypt, the river excepted, 11. Moses prays to God, and the frogs die throughout the whole land of Egypt, 12-14. Pharaoh finding himself respited, hardens his heart, 15. The plague of lice on man and beast. 16, 17. The magicians attempt to imitate this continues obstinate, 19. Moses is sent again to him to command him to let the miracle, but in vain, 19. They confess it to be the finger of God, and yet Pharaoh

people go, and in ease of disobedience he is threatened with swarms of flics, 20, 21. A promise made that the land of Goshen, where the Israelites dwelt, should be exempted from this plague, 22, 23. The flies, are sent, 24. Pharaoh senda for Moses

and Aaron, and offers to permit them to sacrifice in the land, 25. They refuse, and desire to go three days' journey into the wilderness, 26, 27. Pharaoh consents to let them go a little way, provided they would entreat the Lord to remove the flies, 23.

Moses consents, prays to God, and the flies are removed, 30, 31. After which, Pha

ragh yet hardened his heart, and refused to let the people go, 32.

ND the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto A Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith

a Ch. 3. 12, 18.b Ch. 7. 14. & 9. 2.

ings of the ancient editions of Pliny to be correct, he refers, in Hist. Nat. 1. xxx. c. 2. to the same persons, the names being a little changed-Est et alia magices factio a Mose et Jamne et Jotape Judæis pendens, sed multis millibus annorum post Zoroastrem. "There is also another faction of magicians, which took its origin from the Jews, Moses, Jamnes, and Jotapes, many thousands of years after Zoroaster;" where he confounds Moses with the Egyptian magicians; for the heathens having no just notion of the power of God, attributed all miracles to the influence of magic. Pliny also calls the Egyptian magicians Jews: but this is not the only mistake in his history; and as he adds, sed multis millibus annorum post Zoroastrem, he is supposed by some to refer to the Christians, and particularly the apostles, who wrought many miracles, and whom he considers to be a magical sect derived from Moses and the Jews; because they were Jews by nation, and quoted Moses and the prophets, in proof of the truth of the doctrines of Christianity, and of the divine mission of Christ.

Numenius, a Pythagorean philosopher, mentioned by Eusebius, names these magicians Jamnes and Jambres, and mentions their opposition to Moses; and we have already seen, that there was a tradition among the Asiatics, that Pharaoh's daughter had Moses instructed by the wise men Jannes and Jambres: see Abul Faraje, edit. Pococ. p. 26. Here then is a very remarkable fact, the principal circumstances of which, and the chief actors in them, have been preserved by a sort of universal tradition. See Ainsworth.

When all the circumstances of the preceding case are considered, it seems strange that God should enter into any contest with such persons as the Egyptian magicians; but a little reflection will show the absolute necessity of this. Mr. Psalmanezar, who wrote the account of the Jews, in the first volume of the Universal History, gives the following judicious reasons for this:-"If it be asked," says he, "why God did suffer the Egyptian magicians to borrow power from the devil to invalidate, if possible, those miracles which his servant wrought by his divine power; the following reasons may be given for it: 1. It was necessary that these magicians should be suffered to exert the utmost of their power against Moses, in order to clear him from the imputation of magic or sorcery; for as the notion of such an extraordinary art was very rife, not only among the Egyptians, but all other nations; if they had not entered into this strenuous competition with him, and been at length overcome by him, both the Hebrews and the Egyptians would have been apter to have attributed all his miracles to his skill in magic, than to the divine power.

"Secondly. It was necessary, in order to confirm the faith of the wavering and desponding Israelites; by making them see the difference between Moses acting by the power of God, and the sorcerers by that of Satan.

"Thirdly. It was necessary, in order to preserve them afterward from being seduced by any false miracles from the true worship of God."

To these a fourth reason may be added: God permitted this in mercy to the Egyptians, that they might see that the gods in whom they trusted, were utterly incapable of saving them; that they could not undo or counteract one of the plagues sent on them by the power of Jehovah; the whole of their influence extending only to some superficial imitations of the genuine miracles wrought by Moses in the name of the true God. By these means, it is natural to conclude, that many of the Egyptians, and perhaps several of the servants of Pharaoh, were cured of their idolatry; though the king himself hardened his heart against the evidences which God brought before his eyes. Thus God is known by his judgments: for in every operation of his hand, his design is to enlighten the minds of

men, to bring them from false dependances to trust in himself alone; that being saved from error and sin, they may become wise, holy, and happy. When his judgments are abroad in the earth, the inhabitants learn righteousness.-See the note on chap. iv. 21.

NOTES ON CHAPTER VIII.

The SECOND plague FROGS. Verse 1. Let my people go] God, in great mercy to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, gives them notice of the evils he intended to bring upon them, if they continued in their obstinacy. Having had, therefore, such warning, the evil might have been prevented by a timely humiliation and return to God.

Verse 2. If thou refuse] Nothing can be plainer, than that Pharaoh had it still in his power to have dismissed the people; and that his refusal was the mere effect of his own wilful obstinacy.

With frogs] D tseparedêim. This word is of doubtful etymology: almost all interpreters, both ancient and modern, agree to render it as we do, though some mentioned by Åben Ezra think the crocodile is meant; but these can never weigh against the conjoint testimony of the ancient versions. Parkhurst derives the word from D tsaphar, denoting the brisk action or motion of the light, and y yada, to feel, as they seem to feel or rejoice in the light, croaking all the summer months, yet hiding themselves in the winter. The Arabic name for this animal is very nearly the same with the Hebrew,

zifa,

io zafdâ, where the letters are the same, the resch being omitted. It is used as a quadriliteral root in the Arabic language, to signify froggy, or containing frogs, see Golius. But the true etymology seems to be given by Bochart, who says the word is compounded of a a bank, and ɛ radâ, mud, because the frog delights in muddy or marshy places; and that from these two words, the noun zafdâ, is formed, the re being dropped. In the Batrochomyomachia of Homer, the frog has many of its epithets from this very circumstance; hence Aμvoxes, delighting in the lake; Bogbopaxons, lying or engendering in the mud; II and Iris, belonging to the mud, walking in the mud, &c. &c.

A frog is in itself a very harmless animal: but to most people, who use it not as an article of food, exceedingly loathsome. God, with equal ease, could have brought crocodiles, bears, lions, or tigers, to have punished these people and their impious king, instead of frogs, lice, flies, &c. But had he used any of those formidable animals, the effect would have appeared so commensurate to the cause, that the hand of God might have been forgotten in the punishment; and the people would have been exasperated, without being humbled. In the present instance, he shows the greatness of his power, by making an animal, devoid of every evil quality, the means of a terrible affliction to his enemies. How easy is it, both to the justice and mercy of God, to destroy or save by means of the most despicable and insignificant of instruments! Though he is the Lord of hosts, he has no need of powerful armies, the ministry of angels, or the thunder-bolts of justice, to punish a sinner, or a sinful nation: the frog or the fly in his hands, is a sufficient instrument of vengeance.

Verse 3. The river shall bring forth frogs abundantly] The river Nile, which was an object of their adoration, was here one of the instruments of their punishment. The expression, bring forth abundantly, not only shows the vast numbers of those animals which should now infest the land, but it seems also to imply, that all the spawn or ova of those animals, which were already in the river and marshes, should be brought miraculously to a state of perfection. We may suppose, that the animals were already in an embryo existence, but

ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.

6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Entreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD.

k

9 And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I entreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?

n

10 And he said, " To-morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest

Psa. 73. 45. & 105. 30.-h Ch. 5. 11. Wisd. 17. 7.-i Ch. 9. 28. & 10. 17. Numb. 21.7. 1 Kings 13. 6. Acts 8. 21.--k Or, Have this honour over me, &c.—l Or, against when.-m feb. to cut off.-n Or, against to-morrow.

multitudes of them would not have come to a state of perfection, had it not been for this miraculous interference. This supposition will appear the more natural, when it is considered that the Nile was remarkable for breeding frogs, and such other animals, as are principally engendered in such marshy places as must be left in the vicinity of the Nile, after its annual inundations.

Into thine ovens] In various parts of the east, instead of what we call ovens, they dig a hole in the ground, in which they insert a kind of earthen pot, which having sufficiently heated, they stick their cakes to the inside, and when baked, remove them, and supply their places with others, and so on. To find such places full of frogs, when they came to heat them in order to bake their bread, must be both disgusting and distressing in the extreme.

Verse 5. Stretch forth thine hand-over the streams, over the rivers The streams and rivers here may refer to the grand divisions of the Nile in the lower Egypt, which were at least seven, and to the canals by which these were connected, as there were no other streams, &c. but what proceeded from this great river.

Verse 6. The frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.] In some ancient writers, we have examples of a similar plague. The Abderites, according to Orosius, and the inhabitants of Paeonia and Dardania, according to Athenæus, were obliged to abandon their country, on account of the great numbers of frogs, by which their land was infested.

Verse 7. The magicians did so] A little juggling or dexterity of hand might have been quite sufficient for the imitation of this miracle, because frogs in abundance had already been produced and some of these kept in readiness, might have been brought forward by the magicians, as proofs of their pretended power, and equality in influence to Moses and Aaron.

Verse 9. Glory over me] by ND hithpaer âlai. These words have greatly puzzled commentators in general; and it is not easy to assign their true meaning. The Septuagint render the words thus, Tažni węg5 μs moti, &c. appoint unto me when I shall pray, &c. The constitue mihi quando of the Vulgate is exactly the same; and in this sense almost all the versions understood this place. This countenances the conjectural emendation of Le Clerc, who, by the change of a single letter, reading ann hithbaer, for on hithpaer, gives the same sense as that in the ancient versions. Houbigant, supposing a corruption in the original, amends the reading thus, by attah baar alai-Dic mihi quo tempore, &c. "Tell me when thou wishest me to pray for thee," &c. which amounts to the same in sense, with that proposed by Le Clerc. Several of our English versions preserve the same meaning; so in the Saxon Heptateuch Lerecte me anne an dagan; so in Becke's Bible 1549-" And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Appoint thou the time unto me." This appears to be the genuine import of the words, and the sense taken in this way is strong and good. We may conceive Moses addressing Pharaoh in this way-"That thou mayest be persuaded that Jehovah alone is the inflicter of these plagues; appoint the time when thou wouldest have the present calamity removed, and I will pray unto God, and thou shalt plainly see, from his answer, that this is no casual affliction, and that in continuing to harden thy heart and resist, thou art sinning against God." Nothing could be a fuller proof that this

know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.

11 And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only.

12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses P cried unto the LORD, because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.

13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.

14 And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.

r

15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust

o Ch. 9. 14. Deut. 33. 26. 2 Sam. 7. 22. 1 Chron. 17. 20. Paa. 86. 8. Isai. 46. 9. Jer. 10. 6, 7-p Ver. 30. Ch. 9. 33. & 10. 18. & 32 11. James 5. 16, 17, 18-r Eccles. 8. 11. Ch. 7. 14.

plague was supernatural, than the circumstance of Pharaoh's being permitted to assign himself the time of its being removed, and its removal at the intercession of Moses, according to that appointment. And this is the very use made of it by Moses himself, ver. 10. when he says-Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God; and that, consequently, he might no longer trust in his magicians, or in his false gods.

Verse 14. They gathered them together upon heaps] The killing of the frogs was a mitigation of the punishment; but the leaving them to rot in the land, was a continual proof that such a plague had taken place, and that the displeasure of the Lord still continued.

The conjecture of Calmet is at least rational: he supposes that the plague of flies originated from the plague of frogs: that the former deposited their ora in the putrid masses, and that from these the innumerable swarms afterward mentioned were hatched. In vindication of this supposition, it may be observed, that God never works a miracle when the end can be accomplished by merely natural means: and in the operations of Divine Providence we always find, that the greatest number of effects possible, are accomplished by the fewest causes. As therefore the natural means for this fourth plague had been miraculously provided by the second, the Divine Being had a right to use the instruments which he had already prepared.

The THIRD plague-LICE.

Verse 16. Smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice] If the vermin commonly designed by this name be intended, it must have been a very dreadful and afflicting plague to the Egyptians, and especially to their priests, who were obliged to shave the hair off every part of their bodies, and to wear a single tunic, that no vermin of this kind might be permitted to harbour about them. See Herod. in Euterp. ch. xxxvii. p. 104. edit. Gale. Of the nature of these insects, it is not necessary to say much. The common louse is very prolific. In the space of twelve days a full-grown female lays one hundred eggs, from which, in the space of six days, about fifty males, and as many females, are produced. In eighteen days these young females are at their full growth, each of which may lay one hundred eggs, which will be all hatched in six days more. Thus in the course of six weeks, the parent female may see 5000 of its own descendants! So mightily does this scourge of indolence and filthiness increase!

But learned men are not agreed on the signification of the original word □ kinnim, which different copies of the Septuagint render axis, xiis, and xvnois, gnats; and the Vulgate renders seiniphes, which signifies the

same.

Mr. Harmer supposes he has found out the true meaning in the word tarrentes, mentioned by Vinisauf, one of our ancient English writers; who, speaking of the expedition of king Richard I. to the Holy Land, says, that "while the army were marching from Cayphas to Cæsarea, they were greatly distressed every night by certain worms called tarrentes, which crept on the ground, and occasioned a very burning heat, by most painful punctures: for being armed with stings, they conveyed a poison, which quickly occasioned those who were wounded by them to swell; and was attended with the most acute pain." All this is far-fetched. Bochart has endeavoured to prove, that the

21 Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send a swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

22 And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there: to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.

23 And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to-morrow shall this sign be.

t Pa. 105 31.-u Ch. 7. 11. Luke 10. 18. Wisd. 17. 7. 2 Tim. 3. 8, 9.w1 Sam. 6. 3, 9. Paa 8. 3. Matt. 12 23 Luke 11. 20.-x Ver. 15.-y Ch. 7. 15.z Ver. 1.

D kinnim of the text may mean lice in the common acceptation of the term, and not gnats. 1. Because those in question sprang from the dust of the earth, and not from the waters. 2. Because they were both on men and cattle, which cannot be spoken of gnats. 3. Because their name comes from the radix po kun, which signifies to make firm, fix, establish, which can never agree to gnats, flies, &c. which are ever changing their place, and are almost constantly on the wing. 4. Because kinnah, is the term by which the Talmudists express the louse, &c. See his Hierozoicon, vol. II. c. xvii. col. 571. The circumstance of their being in man and in beast, agrees so well with the nature of the acarus sanguisugus, commonly called the tick, belonging to the seventh order of insects called APTERA, that I am ready to conclude this is the insect meant. This animal buries both its sucker and head equally in man or beast; and can with very great difficulty be extracted, before it is grown to its proper size, and filled with the blood and juices of the animal on which it preys. When fully grown, it has a glossy black oval body: not only horses, cows, and sheep, are infested with it, in certain countries, but even the common people, especially those who labour in the field, in woods, &c. I know no insect to which the Hebrew term so properly applies. This is the fired, established insect, which will permit itself to be pulled in pieces rather than let go its hold; and this is literally nona ba-adam uba-behemah, IN man and in beast, burying its trunk and head in the flesh of both. In woodland countries, I have seen many persons as well as cattle, grievously infested with these

insects.

Verse 18. The magicians did so] That is, they tried the utmost of their skill, either to produce these insects, or to remove this plague; but they could not-no juggling could avail here, because insects must be produced which would stick to and infix themselves in man and beast, which no kind of trick could possibly imitate; and to remove them, as some would translate the passage, was to their power equally impossible. If the magicians even acted by spiritual agents, we find from this case, that these agents had assigned limits, beyond which they could not go: for every agent in the universe is acting under the direction or control of the Almighty.

Verse 19. This is the finger of God] That is, the power and skill of God are here evident. Probably, before this, the magicians supposed Moses and Aaron to be conjurers, like themselves; but now they are convinced, that no man could do these miracles which these holy men did, unless God were with him. God permits evil spirits to manifest themselves in a certain way, that men may see that there is a spiritual world, and be on their guard against seduction. He, at the same time, shows that all these agents are under his control, that men may have confidence in his goodness and power.

The FOURTH plague-FLIES. Verse 21. Swarms of flies upon thee] It is not easy to ascertain the precise meaning of the original word he-arab: as the word comes from ay arab, he mingled, it may be supposed to express a multitude of various sorts of insects. And if the conjecture be admitted, that the putrid frogs became the occasion of this plague, different insects laying their eggs in the bodies of those dead animals, which would soon be hatched, (see on ver. 14.) then the supposition, that a multitude of different kinds of insects is meant, will seem the more probable. Though

f

25 And Pharaoh called for Moses and for

a Or, a mixture of noisome beasts, &c.-b Ch. 9 4, 6, 26. & 10. 23. & 11. 6, 7. & 12 13.- Heb. a redemption.- Úr, by to-morrow. Psa. 78. 15. & 105. 31. Wis. 16. 9. Or, destroyed.

the plague of the locusts was miraculous, yet God both brought it and removed it by natural means. See chapter x. 13-18, 19.

Bochart, who has treated this subject with his usual learning and ability, follows the Septuagint, explaining the original by xuvo, the dog-fly, which must be particularly hateful to the Egyptians, because they held dogs in the highest veneration; and worshipped Anubis under the form of a dog. In a case of this kind, the authority of the Septuagint is very high, as they translated the Pentateuch in the very place where these plagues happened. But as the Egyptians are well known to have paid religious veneration to all kinds of animals and monsters, hence the poet, Omnigenumque deum monstra, et latrator Anubis.

I am inclined to favour the literal construction of the word; for as y êreb, chap. xii. 38. expresses that mired multitude of different kinds of people who accompanied the Israelites in their departure from Egypt: so here, the same term being used, it may have been designed to express a multitude of different kinds of insects, such as flics, wasps, hornets, &c. &c. The ancient Jewish interpreters suppose, that all kinds of beasts and reptiles are intended, such as wolves, lions, bears, serpents, &c. Mr. Bate thinks the raven is meant, because the original is so understood in other places; and thus he translates it in his literal version of the Pentateuch; but the meaning already given is the most likely. As to the objection against this opinion, drawn from ver. 31. there remained not one, it can have very little weight, when it is considered, that this may as well be spoken of one of any of the different kinds, as of an individual of one species.

Verse 22. I will sever in that day] hiphliti, has been translated by some good critics, I will miraculously separate-so the Vulgate, faciam mirabilem—“I will do a marvellous thing.' And the Septuagint, apa∞, I will render illustrious the land of Goshen in that day; and this he did, by exempting that land and its inhabitants, the Israelites, from the plagues, by which he afflicted the land of Egypt.

Verse 23. And I will put a division] D peduth, a redemption, between my people and thy people: God hereby showing, that he had redeemed them from those plagues to which he had abandoned the others.

Verse 24. The land was corrupted] Every thing was spoiled, and many of the inhabitants destroyed; being probably stung to death by these venomous insects. This seems to be intimated by the Psalmist-"He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which DEVOURED them," Psal. lxxviii. 45.

In ancient times, when political, domestic, and personal cleanliness was but little attended to, and offal of different kinds permitted to corrupt in the streets, and breed vermin, flies multiplied exceedingly; so that we read in ancient authors of whole districts being laid waste by them; hence different people had deities, whose office it was to defend them against flies. Among these we may reckon Baalzebub, the fly-god of Ekron; Hercules, muscarum abactor, Hercules, the expeller of flies, of the Romans; the Muagrus of the Eleans, whom they invoked against pestilential swarms of flies: and hence Jupiter, the supreme god of the heathens, had the epithets of As. and Mus, because he was supposed to expel flies, and defend his worshippers against them.-See Dodd.

Verse 25. Sacrifice to your God in the land.] That is,

Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.

26 And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice & the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?

27 We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us.

28 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: entreat for me.

Verse 26. We shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians] That is, the animals which they hold sacred, and will not permit to be slain, are those which our customs require us to sacrifice to our God: and should we do this in Egypt, the people would rise in a mass, and stone us to death. Perhaps few people were more superstitious than the Egyptians. Almost every production of nature was an object of their religious worship: the sun, moon, planets, stars, the river Nile, animals of all sorts, from the human being to the monkey, dog, cat, and ibis, and even the onions and leeks which grew in their gardens. Jupiter was adored by them under the form of a ram; Apollo under the form of a crow; Bacchus under that of a goat; and Juno under that of a heifer. The reason why the Egyptians worshipped those animals, is given by Eusebius, viz. that when the giants made war on the gods, they were obliged to take refuge in Egypt, and assume the shapes, or disguise themselves under different kinds of animals, in order to escape. Jupiter hid himself in the body of a ram; Apollo in that of a crow; Bacchus in a goat; Diana in a cat; Juno in a white heifer; Venus in a fish; and Mercury in the bird ibis; all which is summed up by Ovid in the following lines:

These animals, therefore, became sacred to them on account of the deities, who, as the fable reports, had taken refuge in them. Others suppose, that the reason why the Egyptians would not sacrifice or kill those creatures, was their belief in the doctrine of the metempsychosis, or transmigration of souls; for they feared lest, in killing an animal, they should kill a relative or a friend. This doctrine is still held by the Hindoos.

Verse 27. And sacrifice to the Lord, as he shall command us] It is very likely, that neither Moses nor Aaron knew as yet in what manner God would be worshipped; and they expected to receive a direct revelation from him, relative to this subject, when they should come into the wilderness.

Verse 28. I will let you go—only ye shall not go very far away] Pharaoh relented, because the hand of God was heavy upon him; but he was not willing to give up his gain. The Israelites were very profitable to him; they were slaves of the state, and their hard labour was very productive; hence he professed a willingness, first to tolerate their religion in the land, (ver. 25.) or to permit them to go into the wilderness, so that they went not far away, and would soon return. How ready is foolish man, when the hand of God presses him sore, to compound with his Maker! He will consent to give up some sins, provided God will permit him to keep others.

Entreat for me.] Exactly similar to the case of Simon Magus, who, like Pharaoh, fearing the Divine judgments, begged an interest in the prayers of Peter, Acts viii. 24. Verse 31. The Lord did according to the word of Moses] How powerful is prayer! God permits his servants to prescribe even the manner and time in which he shall work.

He removed the swarms] Probably by means of a strong wind, which swept them into the sea.

Verse 32. Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also] See ver. 15. This hardening was the mere effect of his self-determining obstinacy. He preferred his gain to the will and command of Jehovah; and God made his obstinacy the means of showing forth his own power and providence, in a supereminent degree.

1. As every false religion proves there is a true one, as A copy, however marred or imperfect, shows that there

29 And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will entreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to-morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD. 30 And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and m entreated the LORD.

31 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.

32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

k Ver. 8. Ch. 9. 28 1 Kings 13. 6.-1 Ver. 15.-m Ver. 12-n Ver. 15. Ch. 4. 21.

was an original from which it was taken; so false miracles prove that there were genuine miracles, and that God chooses, at particular times, for the most important purposes, to invert the established order of nature, and thus prove his omnipotence and universal agency. That the miracles wrought at this time were real, we have the fullest proof. The waters, for instance, were not turned into blood in appearance merely, but were really thus changed. Hence the people could not drink of them; and as blood in a very short time, when exposed to the air, becomes putrid, so did the bloody waters, therefore all the fish that were in the river died.

2. No human power or ingenuity could produce such frogs as annoyed the land of Egypt. This also was a real, not an imaginary plague. Innumerable multitudes of these animals were produced for the purpose; and the heaps of their dead carcasses, which putrefied and infected the land, at once demonstrated the reality of the miracle. 3. The lice, both on man and beast through the whole land, and the innumerable swarms of flies, gave such proofs of their reality, as to put the truth of these miracles out of question for ever. It was necessary that this point should be fully proved, that both the Egyptians and Israelites might see the finger of God in these awful works.

4. To superficial observers only do "Moses and the magicians appear to be nearly matched." The power of God was shown in producing and removing the plagues. In certain cases, the magicians imitated the production of a plague; but they had no power to remove any. They could not seem to remove the bloody colour, nor the putrescency from the waters, through which the fish were destroyed; though they could imitate the colour itself—they could not remove the frogs, the lice, or swarms of flies, though they could imitate the former and latter they could, by dexterity of hand, or diabolic influence, produce serpents; but they could not bring one forward that could swallow up the rod of Aaron. In every respect they fall infinitely short of the power and wonderful energy evidenced in the miracles of Moses and Aaron. The opposition, therefore, of those men, served only as a foil to set off the excellence of that power by which these messengers of God acted.

5. The courage, constancy, and faith of Moses, are worthy of the most serious consideration. Had he not been fully satisfied of the truth and certainty of his divine mission, he could not have encountered such a host of difficulties; had he not been certain of the issue, he could not have persevered amidst so many discouraging circumstances; and had he not had a deep acquaintance with God, his faith in every trial must have necessarily failed. So strong was this grace in him, that he could even pledge his Maker to the performance of works concerning which he had not as yet consulted him! He therefore let Pharaoh fix the very time on which he would wish to have the plague removed; and when this was done, he went to God by faith and prayer, to obtain this new miracle; and God, in the most exact and circumstantial manner, fulfilled the word of his servant.

6. From all this, let us learn that there is a God who worketh in the earth-that universal nature is under his control-that he can alter, suspend, counteract or invert its general laws, whensoever he pleases-and that he can save or destroy by the most feeble and most contemptible instruments. We should therefore deeply reverence his eternal power and Godhead, and look with respect on every creature he has made, as the meanest of them may, in his hand, become the instrument of our salvation or our ruin.

7. Let us not imagine, that God has so bound himself to work by general laws, that those destructions cannot take place which designate a particular Providence. Pharaoh and the Egyptians are confounded, afflicted, routed, and ruined, while the land of Goshen and the Israelites are free from every plague! No blood appears in their