Exodus 24

peated three times in tins chapter, ought to have been the more diligently observed by the Jews, and made them more fearful of entering into familiarity with idolaters. Who were of various sorts; for not only every nation had its proper and peculiar gods, but every city, town, house, nay, every man made themselves gods according to their fancy. It will surely be a snare unto thee.] Bring great calamities upon thee, and at last be thy ruin; as it is explained Josh, xxiii. It). Judg. ii. 3. For instead of driving out the seven nations, they brought Israel under their yoke, and grievously oppressed them; as we read in the story of the Judges, particularly in the fourth chapter. Jacob had piously done in former times, (Gen. xxxv. 14.) See Selden, lib. ii. de Jure N. et G. cap. 6. p. 185. up in the temple of the mother of the gods, (vid; Sam. Petitum Praefat. in Leg. Atticas.)

Exodus 24:1

JjLND he said unto Moses. When God had delivered the foregoing law unto Moses in the mount, where he was with him (xx. 21.) after he had spoken the ten commandments, he bade him go down (as we read here he did, ver. 3.) and set them before the people, (xxi. 1.) And when he had engaged them in a covenant to observe these laws (ver. 7. of this chapter), then to come up to him again; and bring Aaron, and the rest that are here mentioned, with him. Come up.] To receive further orders from the Divino Majesty; together with the two tables of stone. Unto the Lord.] To the mount, where the glory of the Lord appeared; and from whence he had spoken the ten words. Thou, and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, &c] But not all to the same nearness unto the Divine Majesty, as appears by the following verse. And seventy of the elders of Israel.] This seems to intimate, that there were more than seventy called elders: but these were the chief, being perhaps the heads of those families which came into Egypt, which were just seventy. (See xviii. 12.) For he doth not direct Moses how to choose them, (as Corn. Bertram observes, lib. de Repub. Jud. cap. 5.) but speaks as if they were well known, and distinguished from other persons, by the rank they held among them. And therefore called (ver. 11.) the nobles, or, as the Latin speaks, Magnates, seu optimates, the great men, of the best quality in Israel. The reason of their being thus called up to God was, to be witnesses of Moses’s ascending up to thd place where the Divine Majesty appeared; and that they also might have some sight of it, (ver. 10.) And worship ye afar off.] All of them, before they came to the mount, were, at a good distance from it, to fall down prostrate before God, that they might be possessed with such a holy reverence to him, as not to presume to approach nearer than they were ordered.

Exodus 24:2

And Moses alone shall come near the Lord. Unto the very top of the mount, where “the glory of the Lord abode, (ver. 16 — 18.) unto which none was admitted but himself. Who now came nearer than he had done before, (xx. 21.) for he went into the midst of the cloud, (ver. 18.) But they shall not come nigh.] Unto that part of the mount whither he went; but keep in a lower station. Neither shall the people go up with him.] But stay at the. bottom of the mount, (as they did before the giving the ten commandments, xix. 17.) below the place where the elders were. So I think Maimonid 3 rightly understands this place, in his More Nevoch. par. ii. cap. 32. where, speaking of the several degrees of prophecy, or familiarity with God, he observes that Moses was here placed in the supreme degree (he alone being allowed to come near the Lord); below him was Aaron placed; and below him Nadab and Abihu; and below them the seventy elders; and beneath them the rest of the people. Which is the meaning of that saying of their vise men, " Moses is a wall by himself, and Aaron a wall by himself:” that is, they were in separate apartments at this glorious appearance of God.

Exodus 24:3

And Moses came. From the mount,wbcre he had received tho precepts mentioned in the three foregoing chapters. And told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments.] Some understand here by the words of the Lord, the ten commandments, called the ten words, (xxxviii. 18.) But these words the people heard spoken by God himself, and not by the report of Moses. Therefore 1 take these words to signify rather what he had spoken in the latter part of the foregoing chapter, from the twentieth verse to the end. And then by all the judgments, he means those laws which he had received for their good government in the twenty-first, twenty-second, and tho former part of the twenty-third chapters. And all the people answered with one voice, and said.] In all likelihood Moses had told the elders what God had. said to him; and they went and told it to the people, who gave the following answer to them. For thus it was before, (xix. 6, 7.) All the words that the Lord hath said will we do.] They had consented before in general, to do whatsoever God required of them, having owned him for their King and Governor; (xix. 6 — 8.) but now they consent in partiadar, after God had declared what he would have them do (in the twentieth chapter), and Moses had also reported the rest of the judgments delivered in the twenty-first, twentysecond, and twenty-third chapters.

Exodus 24:4

] And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. Both the ten commandments, and all the rest of the judgments delivered in the foregoing chapters. God, indeed, wrote the ten commandments himself: but for the present Moses made a record of them, that the people might not only hear, but read what they had to do. And rose up early in the morning.] The next morning, it is likely, after he had received those judgments, and delivered them to the people, and wrote them in a book; which was upon the seventh day of Sivan, as I observed, xx. 21. that is, on the sixth of our June, as Jac. Capellus reckons. Therefore on the eighth of Sivan he built the altar, &c. as it here follows. And builded an altar under the hill.] At the foot of the hill where the people were allowed to stand. This altar was to represent God, to whom sacrifices were offered upon it. And twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.] This was to represent all the people. The gentiles abusing such pillars to idolatrous uses, the erecting of them is afterward forbidden in the law. But before the building of the tabernacle, Moses here erects them, as

Exodus 24:5

And he sent young men of the children of Israeli These are said by the Hebrews to be the first-born, as Onkelos here expressly translates it, He sent the first-born: and the paraphrase ascribed to Uzielides follows him; adding this reason, because the Aaronical priests ivere not yet consecrated. The Arabic and Persian versions say the same, as Mr. Selden hath observed, (lib. i. de Succession. ad Pontif. cap. 1.) and most interpreters have been of the same mind. But I have often observed before (particularly xix. 22.) that I ^an see no proof of this, that they only officiated as priests: every man anciently, -in his own family, having a right to offer sacrifice, till the law of Moses restrained it to the family of Aaron. Therefore T take these young men to have been the choicest persons among them, whether first-born or others, who had been appointed to minister unto God. For Joshua, who is called here (ver. 13.) Moses’s minister, is, in Numb. xi. 28. called his young man. Such were fittest for all service; especially for that of sacrificing to God. For which they anciently chose the strongest and properest persons, as we see in the Greek story of Jason, (which our learned Dr. Spencer observes, p. 140.) whose sacrifices were led to the altar by the young men of his company, i. e. men of greatest strength and •beauty, (lib. i. Argonaut.) And this so far remained, after the priesthood was confined to the family of Aaron, that no man was permitted to officiate at the altar after he was fifty years of age; that is, when he was past his best (as we speak), the flower and strength of his age, (Numb. viii. 25.) Fortunatus Scacchus conjectures that there were twelve of these young men, one of each tribe, who offered in the. name of their brethren, (Myrothec. Sacr. Elaeochr. par. ii. cap. 59.) Which offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offer* wgs of oxen unto the Lord.] Though oxen are only mentioned, yet there were other creatures sacrificed, as appears from Hebr. xi. 19, 20. And in following times, peace-offerings might be either of calves, or lambs, or goats, as we find in Lev. iii. and so might burnt-offerings also; (see Lev. i.2.10.) Our learned primate Usher thinks also there were expiatory sacrifices offered, together with these burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and that in the first place; (ad A. M. 2513. mens. 3.)

Exodus 24:6

And Moses took half the blood, and put it in basons. It may be a question, whether he speaks of the blood of all the sacrifices, or only of the expiatory (if there were any), or of the burnt-offerings, ox peace-offerings. But which way soever that be determined, this half of the blood, it is certain, was reserved to be sprinkled on the people, (ver. 8.) Concerning the word agganot, which we translate basons, the learned reader may consult Bochartus, in his Hierozoic. par. i. p. 549. And half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.] The altar representing God, (as was said before, ver. 4.) this blood sprinkled upon it, signified that he, for his part, engaged to be faithful in the covenant he now made with them, and they with him; by performing all the promises he had newly made them by Moses in the latter end of the foregoing chapter; especially those four great promises, of plenty, health, numerous offspring, and long life, (ver. 25, vol. I. 26.) together with the driving out the people of Canaan from before them, (ver. 27, &c.)

Exodus 24:7

And he took the book. Some have made it a difficulty to find what book this was; and have been pleased to fancy, that some book which Moses wrote is lost: when this plainly refers to what is said ver. 4. -where we read that " Moses wrote all the words of the Lord/* that is, the commandments and judgments mentioned in the four foregoing chapters. Which though they made no great volume, yet might be called a book in their language: for even the bill of divorcement, which they gave their wives (and was very short), is called by this name of sepher, a book, Deut. xxiv. 1. Of the covenant.] That they might remember upon what terms he would bestow upon them the forenamed blessings, he engages them in a solemn covenant to observe the commandments and judgments contained in this book.

Exodus 24:8

And Moses took the blood. That half of it which was in the basons, (ver. 6.) And sprinkled it on the people.] As he had sprinkled one half on the altar, in token God was a party in the covenant; so he sprinkled the other half on the twelve pillars, which represented the children of Israel, in token that they were the other party engaged in the same covenant. Thus our forenamed primate, and several others understand it: and it carries some show of probability in it. Yet I cannot think it unlikely, that it was sprinkled upon the seventy elders, by whom the people consented; if not upon all the people who stood next to the altar, and are here expressly mentioned. The apostle to the Hebrews (ix. 19.) saith, he sprinkled the book, as well as the people, which is not here mentioned, but supposed. Forwhen he went to sprinkle the blood, we must conceive he laid down the book, that he might be at more liberty for this other action; and perhaps he laid it on one of the pillars, where it was sprinkled, as they were, together witb.the people whom they represented. And said, Behold the blood of the covenant, tvhich the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.] Look upon yourselves as obliged by this blood, to observe all the commands which I have delivered to you in the words you have heard. For there were two ways of making covenants anciently; both which were here used. The first was, after a sacrifice had been offered, to sprinkle the blood of it upon both parties who were to be confederates: which was done here, (ver. 6. 8.) And secondly, the confederates thereupon proceeded to eat together some part of the sacrifice; which follows, (ver. 11.) where we find the elders of Israel (who represented the people) did eat and drink in the presence of God.

Exodus 24:9

Then went up 3Ioses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. These things being done, they went up into the mount as they were ordered, (ver. 1.) i. e. they went up to that part of the mount where Aaron, and his sons, and the elders, were appointed to come; but no further.

Exodus 24:10

And they saw the God of Israel. When Moses is commanded to cpme near unto the Lord, (ver. 2.) Maimonides acknowledges it may be understood of his local approach to the pla^e where the light or glory of God then appeared, (More Nevoch. par. i. cap. IS.) And therefore it is something strange that he expounds the elders’ 2N Microsoft® [chap. XXIV, seeing God, of their apprehension of him by their understanding; and not rather of their beholding some glimpse of that visible majesty which was on the top of the mount. For that, I doubt not, is the meaning, as appears by what follows. And so the Chaldee expounds it, They saw the glory of the God of Israel; surrounded, wo may well suppose, with a heavenly host of angels, attending upon the Schcchinah, or Divine Majesty, as it was also called. And there was wider his feet.] This hath made sorao conceive, that this visible glory appeared in the form of a man, with his back towards them, standing upon a shining pavement. But this is contrary to Deut. iv. 15. For though that bo spoken of another time and place, viz. the giving of the law, which all the people heard, but saw no similitude; yet, if the elders had afterward seen a similitude, it would have spoiled Moses’s argument, they being the representatives of the people. This glorious light, therefore, far surpassing all other, had no form, nor could be described by any?frt: and consequently, by its feet is meant only the lower part of it; which rested, as it were, upon a most glorious pavement. And thus the Divine Majesty is said to have had a footstool (which was the cover of tho ark), though it had no human shape. As it’were a paved work of sapphire-stone.] The glorious majesty of God was represented as having under it a pavement suitable to itself, very bright and shining. For there is a sort of sapphire called xp^oo-nyrje, spotted with little points, or pricks of gold, which shine like stars interspersed in the body of it. (See Salmasius in Solinum, p. 131. 203.) Such was this pavement, as we may gather from the following words. And as it were the body of heapen in its clearness.] As clear as the purest and serenest sky, when it is all spangled with stars. All which signifies, as 1 take it, that the glory of the Lord appeared far above the glory of the sun, in its greatest brightness, upon a pavement sparkling like the stars in the heaven, when it is most clear. The LXX. instead of the words saw the God of Israel, have, saw rbv rowov the place of the God of Israel. As if they saw a throne, upon which there was a visible majesty, beyond all description. And if this be admitted, then this throne may well be said to have feet, standing upon such a glorioifs pavement. And so they translate it in the next verse, where this is repeated.

Exodus 24:11

And upon the nobles of the children of Israel. i.e. The elders beforementioned, (ver. 1. 9.) called here atzilim, to signify that they were the prime and choicest persons among the Israelites. For atzal signifies to separate; and consequently atzilim imports men distinguished from others, either by their birth, office, or some excellent qualities. lie laid not his hand.] Did not hurt them. Whereas it was the common opinion, that they who saw God (though it was by one of his angels) should presently die. The splendour of that glorious light was so dazzling, that it was a singular favour it did not put out their eyes, as the light wherein St. Paul saw our Saviour did his. )Ye are told, (ver.] 7.) " The sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire." Which might pat them in fear, perhaps, they had been scorched by it, when it flashed out upon them; but they found not the least hurt by it. Thus Jonathan saith in his paraphrase upon the thirty-second chapter, that when Moses delayed to come down from the mount the people fancied him to be burnt up by the fire, which shone from the presence of God, which there appeared. This sight of God, which he vouchsafed to the elders, was in all likelihood to convince them that he was among 1 them, and had spoken to them, and sent them the precepts beforementioned by the hand of Moses. Also they saw God, and did eat and drink.] After they had seen God, they were so far from receiving any harm, that they feasted with him upon the rclips of the peaceofferings, with great joy and gladness. Or we may suppose, that the glory of the Lord shone upon them, as they sat down to eat and drink, in token of their fulL consent to the covenant how made, (for so tho custom was of making covenants, Gen.xxiv.30. xxxi.54.) and that notwithstanding they continued to finish their feast, not being dispirited (as good men were sometimes afterwards with glorious visions, Dan. x. 8. 16, 17.) but rather strengthened and made more vigorous. The word for saw in this verse is different from that in the former; importing, I suppose, that this appearance of God to them lasted somo time.

Exodus 24:12

And the Lord said unto Moses. He called to him, perhaps with an audible voice, from the place where they saw his glory; that they might know how familiar he was with God, and might more readily receive whatsoever commands he brought from him. Come up to vie into the?nount.] To the top of the mount, where the glory of the Lord was, (ver. 17.) For hitherto Moses had gone no further than the rest; but was with them when they did eat and drink before the Lord. And be there.~] Stay with me there, (ver. 18.) And I will give thee tables of stone.] Not only the Jews, but Epiphanius also, fancy these tables were made of sapphire, from what was said ver. 10. But the words signify plainly enough that they were of stone. And a law and commandments which I have written.] From this place the Jews endeavour to establish their unwritten or oral law, i.e. their traditions; which, they say, were now delivered, together with the tables of stones. So Maimonides, in his preface to Jad Chazeka; “AH the precepts which were given to Moses on Mount Sinai were given with their explications; according to what is said, I will give thee tables, of stone, and a law and commandments: w r here by the law is meant the written law, and the commandments denote the explication of it, which we call the oral law.” Thus he, and others of them, directly against the text itself, which saith expressly, both of the law and the commandments here mentioned, that they were vjritten. (See Selden, lib. ii. de Synedr. cap. 1G.) Therefore, by law and commandments, we are to understand nothing else^but (lie law contained in the ten commaiidments. TJiat thou mayest teach them.] Instruct the people to observe them as the most sacred of all other precepts; being MTitten, as well as spoken, by God himself, who taught men by this example, how to preserve their laws. For Aristotle saith in his Problems, that in old time men being ignorant how to write, ySov rovg vofiovg, 3Va fit) iTrtkaStovraL, were wont to sing their laws, that they might not be forgotten. It being the invention of the Corybantes, Itrravm XWovg (as Theopompus speaks), to set up pillars, and engrave their laws upon them. Which Solon at last WTote on wooden tables, called “A 5or*c and Kup/3«c, which were laid

Exodus 24:13

And Moses rose «p. From among the elders; with whom he -was before. And hisminister Joshua.] Who attended him further than the elders; but not into the place where he -went. For God intending him to be Moses’s successor, seems to admit him unto a nearer familiarity than anyone else besides Moses. And Moses went tip into the mount of God.] The place where the Divine glory appeared. But Joshua stayed for him in some low r part of the mountain, expecting his return. For he did not go up to the top of the mount, as appears from the thirty-second chapter; where Moses’s descent from thence being mentioned, Joshua is not named till it be said that Moses was come down from the mount, (ver. 15. 17.) He went with them therefore till he entered into the cloud, and then he stayed as it were at the door waiting for his return.

Exodus 24:14

And he said unto the elders. Before he left them, he gave them this order. Tarry ye here for us.] Not in the place where they had seen God, and did eat and drink with him; whither the people might not come: but rather in the camp, or some place near it, whither the people might upon occasion resort to them. Unto which place Moses seems to have w T alked with them from the mount, before he returned to go up into it; or, at least pointed them unto it with his finger, that they might there wait for him. Until we come again to you.] He could not tell how long God would detain him; and therefore commauds them to govern the people till his return to them. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you.] Who seem to have been of greatest authority next to himself; and were with him in the mount when the Israelites fought with Amalek, (chap, xvii.) If any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.] In all causes, which were too hard for the elders to determine, he directs them to go to Aaron and Hur, as they were wont to do to him. By this it appears, that these seventy elders were some of the judges appointed by the advice of Jethro, (xviii. 22.) which he continued to follow, and orders them to observe in his absence.

Exodus 24:15

And Moses went up into the mount. Having said this, he and Joshua left them; and ho went into the higher part of the mount. And a cloud covered the mount.] That part of it where he was: so that the people, and Joshua also, lost the sight of him. Ver. 1G. And the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount SinaL] That visible majesty which shone in extraordinary splendour, was settled for the present upon the top of this mount. And the cloud covered it.’] i. e. Covered the glory of the Lord, not the mount, as Abeh Ezra observes. For the cloud was not the glory of the Lord, but encompassed and covered it: so that for six days nothing but the cloud appeared to the Israelites: till on the seventh day the cloud was rent (as I take it) or opened; and the glory of the Lord appeared like flaming fire. Six days.] Thus long it was hidden in a cloud, so that xMoses himself could not see it, but remained wrapped up in darkness; which might have astonished him, if he had not been supported by the Divine power, and a comfortable sense of God, who had often appeared to him and conversed familiarly with him. And the seventh day he called unto Moses.] The second time (for he had called to him before to come up to him, ver. 12.) commanding him to approach into his glorious presence. Out of the midst of the cloud.] Where the Divine glory was, and now broke out and appeared, I suppose, unto Moses. Some think the seventh day might be the sabbath, upon which God chose to appear to him.

Exodus 24:17

And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire, on the top of the mount, in the eyes of the children of Israel. It broke out of the cloud, after six days, so that the people saw it like flaming fire. To which the Psalmist seems to allude, (PsaL xcvii. 2,3.)’< Clouds and darkness are round about him, and fire goeth before him,” &c. Thus the gloTy of the Lord is described in other places, as within a cloud, and sometimes breaking out of it, (Exod. xl. 35.) where the cloud is said to be upon the tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord to fill it with; which (ver. 38.) is described like fire. (See also Numb. xvi. 42.) And thus, at its first appearing, there w r as a pillar of a cloud and of fire led them, (xiii. 21.) And it sometimes appearing in an amazing brightness, beyond that of the sun; and sometimes being wrapped up in as thick a cloud: God is likewise said both to dwell in light and in thick darkness, (1 Kings viii. 12.)

Exodus 24:18

And Moses went into the midst of the cloud. From whence the Lord had called to him, (ver. 16.), Therefore he broke through the thick cloud into the very presence of God, which was in a secret part of the cloud, called the midst of it. And gat him up into the mount.] To the top of it, where the glory of the Lord appeared to him in the -midst of the cloud; the external parts of which and the fire only being seen by the people. And Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights^] That he might receive the two tables of stone, and the gift of prophecy (as Elmacinus, an Arabian Christian, adds), with directions for the making the tabernacle, and all things belonging to it, and the service to be performed there by the priest, apparelled according to Divine prescription, &c. which follow in the ensuing chapters: where Moses relates w r hat orders God gave him about every thing relating to his Divine service. And it need not seem strange, as Clemens Alexandrinus excellently speaks, (lib. i. Stromat. p. 351.)- that Moses received his laws from God; when the Greeks pretend the same of theit Minos: only they say he went into" Jupiter’s cave, and was nine years there in learning the laws which he gave him; when Moses was but forty days in the mount, where God visibly appeared. They believed also that Lycurgus received his laws from Apollo; and Zaleucus (as Plato, Aristotle, and divers others whom he mentions, say) received his from Minerva. All this was firmly believed among them, who, in not acknowledging the divinity of Moses’s ministration, were very ungrateful; for his was the archetype 9 as he speaks, or pattern, of what was pretended in their stories. Forty days and forty nights.] It may be a question, whether the six days that he remained in the cloud, before the 2N2 Microsoft® 27G [chap. XXV Lord called him higher, be included in these forty days; or were only preparatory to his nearer access to God. They may well bo both: for it is not said he was in the midst of the cloud forty days nnd forty nights; but that ho was so long in the mount. Part of which time wm spent in the <lark cloud, and the rest in the bright presenco of God, in the midst of the cloud: and in all that space he did neither cat nor drink, (xxxiv. 28. Deut. ix. 9.) God could, if he had pleased, have revealed to him all his mind in a less time: but the method of the Divine wisdom is to do all things gradually. For instance, the substance of a child in the womb (saith the author of Schalsch. Hakkabalah) is not perfected in less time than forty weeks, in all which time it receives no meat nor drink (at the mouth we must understand him), and so many days did the Divine power work in Moses to form him into a new essence (as his words are), and give him a full comprehension of all that God communicated to him. And all this time he neither did eat nor drink; for these actions (says that Jew) -prejudice the understanding; which God intended to exalt, by depressing the bodily faculties and powers: which for want of meat and drink were brought down very low, that the understanding might be raised and lifted up. And thus we find, in aftertimes, that Daniel chastened his body for three whole w r eeks together, the better to dispose him for heavenly vision, (x. 2, 3. 12.) This ascent of Moses from the cloudy part of the mount to the fiery top of it was upon the fourteenth of Sivan: and we may suppose, as Jacobus Capellus doth, that the cloud accompanied him, as he went up, to defend him from the circumambient flame.