Exodus 8

Exodus 8:15

But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite. That he was freed from the great strait in which he was. For the Hebrew word for respite, signifies breathing or enlargement; and makes the sense to be this: that when the burden that pressed him was taken off, so that he could take his breath, he was of another mind, &c. He hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them, Sec] Was not so good as his word, (ver. 8.) but returned to his former resolution, not to let Israel go. Which resolution grew so much more stubborn and obstinate, than it had been before; by how much the plague of the frogs had softened his heart, and inclined it to yield to God, more than the two former miracles had done.

Exodus 8:16

And the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron. The Lord seems to have given Pharaoh no warning of this plague; but to have inflicted it immediately upon the removal of the frogs, viz. on the twenty-seventh day of the sixth month. For his breach of faith was such a high’ provocation, that he deserved no other treatment, but a more notable judgment. Smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice.] - Some would have the Hebrew word cinnim to signify gnats, or some such kind of creature. Thus many of the ancients understand it; and Artapanus calls it Zwov tl TTT-qvov, a flying sort of living creature: which made such ulcers by its biting, as no medicine could cure. (See Eusebius, lib. ix. Praepar. Evang. p. 425.) But Bochartus hath sufficiently proved that our translation is right; and that out of the very text. For gnats, and such-like insects, are bred in fenny places; but these were brought out of the dust of the earth.

Exodus 8:17

Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod. He still is the instrument to execute all the judgments which Moses denounced; as he was his mouth to deliver all the messages he carried to Pharaoh. And smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice.] This shewed the lice were not a natural production; for’ they come out of the sweat and filth of men’s bodies, and of other living creatures. In man and beast.] This proves they were lice; which stick fast both to men and beasts. AVhereas gnats, though they sting sorely, cannot be said to be in man and beast: for they are a most restless’creature, continually buzzing about, and never settling constantly in one place. And there were various sorts of these lice: for beasts do not breed the same that men do: nor have all beasts alike; but some are peculiar to horses, others to oxen, others to sheep, and others to SAvine and dogs. All the dust of the land became lice.] That is, nothing could be seen but lice, where dust was before. Or, lice were mingled every where with the dust. Throughout all the land of Egypt.] Not of Goshen (it is very probable), which was inhabited mostly by Israelites.

Exodus 8:18

And the magicians did so, &c. Attempted and endeavoured to do so: by using their wonted invocations and rites of incantation. For the common saying among the Jews is very frivolous, that demons have no power over creatures so small as lice. The meaning of which, Gaulmyn thinks, they themselves did not understand; which, according to the principles of the ancient magic, was this; that all animals had a particular genius presiding over them, by whose assistance their worshippers could do any thing among that sort of creatures. But this is meant only of perfect animals, not.of insects (among whom they reckoned lice), which had no such heavenly power waiting on them. But if there had been any such notions then, these magicians sure would have understood it; and not fruitlessly have attempted that which they had no hope to produce. But they could not.] Though they had counterfeited the former wonders; yet here a stop is put to their power, so that they themselves confess their weakness. So there were lice upon man, and upon beast.] This seems to suggest, that since they could not produce any new lice, they attempted to remove those which Moses had brought upon the country. But they failed in that also: for, notwithstanding all that they could do, both men and beasts

Exodus 8:19

Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God. The same with what is called, in other places of Scripture, the hand of God, (Psal. cix. 27.) that is, his power. There are those (particularly Bochartus) who think these magicians did not, by these words, give glory to God: but thought to save their own credit with Pharaoh, by telling him that it was not MoseS or Aaron who were too hard for them, but a Divine power superior to them all. To this purpose Jonathan. But they ought then to have been sensible that the power which they dealt withal was far from being supreme: being unable to assist them upon all occasions. And, no doubt, God intended to confound them, by taking that time to disable theui when they least expected it.’ For why should not their power have extended to such a small thing as this, when they had done greater? But God would not let them always abuse Pharaoh with their illusions; and gave them a check, when they thought themselves most sure of success. And Pharaolis heart was hardened.] One would have rather expected to have heard, that his heart began to relent, when he saw his magicians not only puzzled, but quite baffled; so that they owned Moses acted by a power above theirs. But this it w r as, not to stick to the good resolutions which had lately been wrought in him, (ver. S.) from which he not only revolted, but grew more resolute not to yield to God. The effect of which was this further induration: it being natural for evil men, who resist the means of their cure, to grow worse and worse affected. This miracle also of the lice, being more loathsome to Pharaoh than terrible, might haply be the reason (as Dr. Jackson conjectures) that he did not entreat Moses and* Aaron to pray for him: as he had done upon the sight of the frogs; and as he straightway did after he felt the next plague of the flies. I cannot but add also this further reflection of his, (book x, on the Creed, chap. xl.) that though the finger of God was very remarkable in producing the lice, which the magicians could not, yet it was no way remarkable in hardening Pharaoh’s heart. For it is neither said, nor intimated, that the finger of God hardened it; but Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, that is, remained obstinate. The cause of which was his not hearkening to them, as it had been be- Tore, (ver, 15.)

Exodus 8:20

And the Lord said nnto Moses, Rise tip early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh. As he had ordered Jiim to do, before he sent the second plague, (vii. 15.) Lo, he cometh fprth to the water.) This confirms what was said there, that in the morning it was usual with him to walk out by the river; cither or his refreshment, or for his devotion. Perhaps that, after washing, he might worship the rising sun. For Moses is commanded to rise up early in the morning; and present himself before him. And say nnto him, Thussaith the Lord, Let my people go, &c] The same message he had often sent him, (vii. 10, 17. viii. 1.) together with an admonition and warning of his danger: which God had not given him before the last plague, (ver. 1G.)

Exodus 8:21

Behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, &c. The Hebrew word aroh being generally thought to come from a word which signifies to mingle, interpreters commonly think it denotes a mixture of several sorts of creatures. And some take it, as w r e seem here to do, for all manner of flies; which Aquila calls yajjinijav, all sorts of insects. Others take it, as it is in our margin, for a tmsti hire of noisome beasts: and so the author of the Life and Death of Moses; God sent lio?is, wolves, bears, and leopards, and such-like wild beasts, which killed not only their cattle in the field, but their children in their houses. And SO JosephllS expounds it, §r\pia iravTOta koI TroXvrpoTra. But Bochartus hath confuted this notion by very good arguments, in his Hierozoicon, (par. ii. lib. iv. cap. 15.) where he shews no words have more significations than the Hebrew word arab: which signifies not only to mingle, but, among many other things, to obscure and darken. Fromwhence the even-time is called ereb. And therefore, with great reason, he approves of the LXX. version, who translate it Kwofxvia, a flesh-fly, very bold and troublesome; being not easily drove away: which infests dogs, very much, especially about the flaps of their cars. Some take it for that large black fly which fastens upon beasts, and sucks their blood, called aroh, from its black colour: as. oreb from thence signifies a crow. And so Philo describes this fly, called cynomya, that it is as impudent as a dog; and makes its assaults with great violence, like a dart; fastening its teeth so deep in the flesh, and sticking so close that it makes cattle run mad. This plague the Jews say (in the forenamed book of the Life of Moses) was sent upon the Egyptians, because of the hard service they made the Israelites undergo, in feeding their cattle.

Exodus 8:22

And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, &c. Here now the distinguishing mercy of God to the Israelites is plainly expressed; which is to be understood in the foregoing plagues. And the Hebrew word, as well as the Chaldee, signifies, I will make a wondrous difference. So Jonathan, in that da)’, I will work a miracle in the land of Goshen: for, indeed, it w r as a marvellous thing, that countries so near one another should be in such a different condition at the same time. And it w r as the more wonderful, because there was such store of cattle in Goshen, whose dung is apt to breed flies. That thou mayest know that I cm the Lord in the midst of the earth.] ^Vho governs all things here below; or, that have a special care of my people. For so Bochart understood by earth, the land of Goshen. In the midst of which God is said to be, because he defended and delivered them from this sore calamity which their neighbours suffered. For thus this phrase is used in many places, (Deut. vii. 22, xxiii. 14. Psal. xlvi, G, &c.) And thus Cour. Pellicanus

Exodus 8:23

J will pat a division between thy people and my people, &c. It is repeated again, because it was a remarkable thing, and denoted the Israelites to be God’s peculiar people; for whom’he had a singular favour. Which is the reason that this mercy is called here a redemption (as the word in the Hebrew signifies, which we translate division J, because God exempted and delivered the Israelites from those flies,which sorely infested all the rest of Pharaoh’s domiiJons. To-morrow shall this sign be.] The finger of God was so remarkable in the last plague, (ver. 19.) that his contemptuous disregard of it was very provoking: so that God would forbear no longer than till the next morning, before he scourged him with his new judgment. Which was very grievous and noisome, as appears by the following words; especially by his willingness to grant more than he had done before, that he might be rid of it.

Exodus 8:24

And the Lord did so. Here is no mention of Aaron’s stretching out his rod (as at other times), but this was done immediately by God himself: that the Egyptians might not imagine there was any secret virtue in the rod; but ascribe all to the Divine power. This plague was threatened about the twenty-eighth day of the sixth month; and inflicted on the twonty-ninth: and removed on the thirtieth. And there came a grievous sivarm of flies, &c] Or, a vast number of flies: for so the word caved (which we here translate grievous or heavy) is used in Gen. 1. 9. See there. And the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.] We are to understand here, by the land, the inhabitants of the land: whose blood these flies silcked, and left such a poison in it, that their bodies swelled, and many of them died. So the Psalmist understood it,(lxxviii.45.) There is something like this recorded in heathen stories; particularly, they say, that when Trajan made war upon the Agarans, he was so assaulted with flies, when he sat down to eat, that he looked upon them as sent by God, and desisted from his enterprise. And that whole countries have been infested with them, appears from a number of gods that were worshipped, because they were supposed to have drove them away, at Acaron, and several other places mentioned by the learned Huetius (in the place above quoted), from whence came the names of Jupiter,‘A-irofxvtoG and MutwSfjc, and of Hercules, Mvaypog, &c.

Exodus 8:25

And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, &c. Sent a messenger to call them to him. Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.] He had consented to let them sacrifice, when he last sent for them, (ver. 8.) But he named no place: and also quickly repented of the concession. But now he determines it in the land of Goshen; where he grants them licence to offer public sacrifice. But this Moses tells -him (in the next verse) was not fit for them to accept; nor was it what God demanded. Ver. 2G. And Moses said, It is not meet so to do.] Besides that this is not the thing that God requires, it is not prudent, because it is not safe fqr us to do it. For tve shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord oxer God.] There is no indication, that I can vol. i f find, of any such sottish idolatry now among the Egyptians, as was, it is certain, in after-ages, but what seems to be suggested in this place; which learned men have generally interpreted, as if the sense was this: " Wc must sacrifice to our God, oxen, sheep, and goats, which the Egyptians worship and adore: and that would be such an abominable thing in their account (to kill their gods) that it would give them the highest provocation/’ Thus both the Chaldee interpreters, the Syriac, St. Jerome, and others: which Bochartus himself approves of in his Hierozoic. par. i. lib. ii. cap. 34. and 53. and more largely, par. ii. lib. iv. cap. 17. But there is an objection lies against this interpretation, that long after Moses’s time the Egyptians themselves did offer all the forementioned creatures to their gods: for Herodotus relates (in his Euterpe, cap. xli.) after what manner they sacrificed an ox in his timo: and though some parts of the country abstained from sheep, yet they sacrificed goats; as, on the contrary, others abstained from goats and sacrificed sheep. (See upon Gen. xliii. 12.) Therefore it may be a question, whether these words do not refer only to the rites and ceremonies of sacrificing; and to the qualities and condition of the beasts which are offered: about which, the Egyptians in after-ages were every curious. Tor the same Herodotus tells us (in the same book, cap. xxxviii.) how the sacrifices w T ere examined by the priest, and none allowed to be cnTered but those which had his mark upon them. And so Plutarch, (in his book de Isid. et Osir.) that the Egyptians, thinking Typho to have been red,* sacrificed only such oxen as were of a red colour: making such an accurate scrutiny, tWe k$v fxiav ty$ rplxa fxtXaivav rj Xtvicriv, aSvrov nytivSai, that if a beast were found to have one hair black or white, it ivas judged unfit for sacrifice. The forenamed Herodotus, indeed, saith, they would not sacrifice cows, because they were sacred to Isis: which shews that in his time there was great superstition about such creatures; so that none durst offer the least violence to them. But, as we have no evidence, that in the days of Moses they were infested with such opinions, so their sacrificing such creatures, as the Jews did long after his days, and all mankind had done from the beginning, seems to be a prejudice against that sense of the words which is generally put upon them. But there were so many various ways of sacrificing in the world, that it is very probable the Egyptians differed very much from the Israelites: who might offer also (it is likely) such creatures as the Egyptians thought unclean; whereby they iniglit be enraged at their profaneness. - Maimonides fancies the Egyptians worshipped the sign or constellation called Aries; and that this was the occasion of this speech: for which I can see no reason, (More Nevochim, par. iii. cap. xlvi.) And will they not stone us?] We cannot gather from hence, that there was such a punishment among the Egyptians as stoning men to death. For he doth not speak here of punishment by their laws; but of what might happen from a popular fury.

Exodus 8:27

TKe will go three days 9 journey into the wilderness, &c. So God had directed them; and it was not lawful for them to sacrifice in any place but where he appointed. Philo gives this reason why they Ayere to go into a solitary place, there to receive commands from God 2C