Chap. XXXIV. ver. 1. — How thee two tables &c.] By this renewal of the Law, God shewed that He was reconciled to Israel. As the Israelites had been wilfully blind, had they not seen God’s anger in the tables broken; so could they not but esteem it a good sign of grace that God gave them His testimonies. There was nothing, wherein Israel surpassed all the rest of the world more than in this privilege; the pledge of His covenant, the Law, written with God’s own hand. What a favour then is it, where God bestows His Gospel upon any nation! That was but “a killing letter,” 3 Cor. iii. 6: this is “the power of God unto salvation,” Rom. i. 16. Bp. Hall.

The skin of his face shone] Shot forth radiant beams of light, as the Hebrew properly expresses it. Parkhurst. The Latin Vulgate renders it “horned;” by confining the sense of the Hebrew word, which signifies in general “rayed.” From mistaking that translation, the Italian painters, whom others have ignorantly followed, are wont to represent Moses with horns, instead of rays of glorious light. Pyle.

If the flesh of Moses, in this mortal perishable body, so shined by conversing with God forty days in Sinai, what shall be our glory, when, clothed with incorruptible bodies, we shall converse with Him for ever in the highest heaven! Bp. Hall.

— Moses put the vail upon his face] Finding that the Israelites durst not look upon it. That which should have comforted, affrights them; yea, Aaron himself, that before went up into the mount to see and speak with God, now is afraid to see him that had seen God: such a fear there is in guiltiness, such confidence in innocency! When the soul is once cleared from sin, it shall run to that glory with joy, the least glimpse of which now appals it, and sends it away in terror. How could the Israelites now do otherwise than think, “How shall we abide to look God in the face, since our eyes are dazzled with the face of Moses?” And well may we still argue, “If the image of God, which He hath set in the fleshly forehead of authority, daunt us, how shall we stand before the dread tribunal of Heaven?” Bp. Hall.

Chap. XXXV. ver. 5. Take ye from among you an offering &c.] We read that many among the children of Israel, both men and women, brought voluntary “offerings unto the Lord” for the work of the tabernacle. The early Christians imitated their example, as soon as they durst; and, after the superfluous ornaments of the following age were justly disapproved, valuable presents have been made in the reformed Church of England for the greater solemnity and beauty of Divine service. Distinguished honour is due, by reason, Scripture, and the consent of mankind, to sacred things. Indeed, every thing publick, though of a civil nature only, and still more of a religious, ought to exceed, in point of dignity, that which belongs to mere private use; and the neglect of this rule both shews, and will increase, a

Readiness of the people to offer gifts. Bezaleel and Aholiah are called. Before CHRIST 1491.

Chap. XXXVIII. ver. 8. — looking-glasses] Looking-glasses, or, as it should rather be rendered, mirrors, were formerly made of brass, tin, silver, &c. and a mix-

ture of brass and silver. There are some still extant of silver which are much esteemed. The mirrors of the ancients were generally round. Calmet.

The court. The sum of that the people offered. Before CHRIST 1491. door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Exodus 34:5

5. — proclaimed the name of the Lord.] Here “the name of the Lord” signifies those adorable perfections or attributes, which are, as it were, the proper denomination and character of the Divine Nature. Dr. S. Clarke.

Exodus 34:7

7. — that will by no means clear the guilty;] Without repentance. Dr. Wells. The words have been translated also, “In extirpating He will not extirpate:” and so they still belong to the lovingkindness of God, as all the foregoing do; signifying, that when He doth punish, He will not utterly destroy and make desolate. Bp. Patrick. See the notes on Numb. xiv. 18, and Jer. xxx. 11.

Although there be several other names and properties of God, commonly attributed to Him in His Holy Word, yet they are all included in one or other of those here given. This great essential name, JAMOVAN, The LORD, used singly, signifies what He is in Himself, without respect to His creatures: where it is used with the word GOD, it seems to denote all those perfections, which He manifests in the creation and government of the world. And so the LORD God is the same, as if He had said, The Lord, the Almighty, All-wise, All-good Creator, Preserver, and Governour of all things: this He speaks of Himself, with reference to the whole creation. But the rest of the properties here mentioned, as His mercy, His grace, His longsuffering, His abundance in goodness or bounty, and truth. His keeping mercy for thousands, His forgiving iniquities, transgression, and sin, &c. have all respect to mankind in a particular manner. And by the last, namely, His “forgiving,” or, as the word signifies, His taking away “iniquity, transgression, and sin,” He intimates His special love to them, in sending His Son, “the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.” Bp. Beveridge.

God maketh a covenant with the Israelites.

which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.

Exodus 34:16

16. — go a whoring after their gods.] The Scriptures frequently speak of idolatrous worship as uncleanness: partly, in compliance with the Jewish idiom, which calls any thing, that is detestable, filthy and unclean; the persons of that people being rendered unholy by corporal pollutions: partly, by reason of the very unchaste actions and rites, by which many of the heathen idols were served: but especially, because it was an alienation of the hearts and bodies of the Jews from the God of Israel, who had, as it were, chosen that Church as His spouse on earth. Abp. Teniem.

Exodus 34:17

17. — chapiters] Or heads of the pillars.

Exodus 34:18

18. — the height in the breadth] This is an Hebrew way of speaking, signifying the height of the hanging itself; its breadth, when it lay along, was called its height when it was hung up. Bp. Patrick.

Exodus 34:21

21. Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh &c.] If labour of any sort could be ordinarily permitted on this day, it must be that of cultivating the earth, and gathering in the fruits of it: the proper seasons for which, especially for the latter, may otherwise be lost. And accordingly allowances of this kind have been formerly granted by law. But they have been found so little needful, and so liable to abuse, that these laws have

thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me ¹ empty. † Chap. 23. 15.

21. This is the sum] This, which follows at ver. 24, &c. is the sum of all the materials, gold, silver, brass, &c. which were employed in building the tabernacle. Bp. Patrick.

— for the service of the Levites,] Rather, by the ministry of the Levites, whom Moses appointed to take the account of all the expenses. Bp. Patrick.

Exodus 34:24

24. — neither shall any man desire thy land, &c.] He tells them, that there shall be no danger of their country being invaded by their enemies, when their males are gone to worship God. Bp. Patrick. See the note on Deut. xvi. 16.

25. — twenty and nine talents,] The talent contained 3000 shekels; and the talent of gold is computed to have been worth £5075. 15s. 7d. Thus the amount of the gold here mentioned (twenty-nine talents and 730 shekels) was nearly £150,000 of our money. Bp. Cumberland.

25, 26. It appears that there were 603,550 men, who gave a bekah, or half a shekel apiece; which amounts to 301,775 shekels: and, as this is called (at ver. 25) 100 talents, and 1775 shekels, it is shewn that the talent was equal to 3000 shekels. The whole sum of the silver is reckoned nearly £35,300 of our money. Bp. Cumberland.

28. — of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five

Exodus 34:29

29. — the two tables of testimony] The Ten Com- Moses’ face shineth. CHAP. XXXIV, XXXV. The free gifts for the tabernacle. Before CHRIST 1601.

Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

Exodus 34:35

35. — the skin of Moses’ face shone:] To reward and strengthen the faith of Moses, God was pleased, at his request, to grant him a fuller view of the Divine glory or presence, than he had hitherto; and, to confirm his authority with the people, on his return after the second conference of forty days, He imparted to him a portion of that glory: for the face of Moses shone so, that Aaron, and all the people, were afraid to come nigh him, until he had put a vail on his face to hide its brightness. This was an honour, never vouchsafed to mortal before; nor afterwards, till Christ, the Prophet like Moses, in His transfiguration also on mount Tabor: when Moses again beheld the glory of the LORD, min-

CHAP. XXXV. Before CHRIST 1601.

35. Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart,] This seems to be so often repeated for the purpose of increasing the confidence of the Israelites in the workmen, and of shewing that Bezaleel and Aholiah were fit to be

Before CHRIST 1491. f Chap. 30. 22. g Chap. 31. 2. The liberality of the people restrained. CHAP. XXXV, XXXVI. The covering of skins.

work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.

CHAP. XXXVI.