Does it appear from any other part of the sacred narrative that Zipporah and her children were sent back to Midian instead of accompanying Moses into Egypt? Ex. 18. 2--5.

What command was in the mean time given to Aaron, and what is said as to the result? v. 27, 28. And the Lord said;' rather, 'the Lord had said.'-' Go into the wilderness; doubtless giving him, at the same time, more detailed directions as to the particular place of the wilderness where he should meet his brother.'Mount of God;' i. e. Horeb; so called for the reason specified in the note on Ch. 3. 1. Chal. 'in the mount where the glory of the Lord had been revealed.'

How did the brothers then proceed to execute their commission, and with what results? v. 2931.

'Aaron spake;' whom God, v. 16. had ordained to act as spokesman for Moses.-' And did the signs;' i. e. Moses did; as had been appointed, v. 17. The signs particularly intended were those before mentioned, v. 3-7.-'And when they heard; Heb. and they heard ;' i. e. gladly heard; received the intelligence with grateful hearts. Gr. 'and they rejoiced that the Lord had visited.' Thus where one writer, 2 Kings 20.13. says, 'and Hezekiah hearkened unto them,' another, alluding to the same event, says, Is. 39.2. "And Hezekiah was glad of thein.' As before remarked, verbs of the senses very frequently imply the exercise of the affections.---' Had visited';' i. e. in mercy; Chal. 'had remembered.'---' Looked upon the affliction;' i. e. compasionately regarded. See note on Ex. 2. 11.

HEADS OF PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS.

V. 1. Even good men, under an infirmity of faith, may suggest things contrary to God's express promise. They are prompted to tax others with unbelief from the power of unbelief in themselves.

V. 2. When God questions his creatures, it is not for the sake of learning but of teaching.

V. 3. The extraordinary displays of Divine power are somewhat terrible even to those for whose encouragement and comfort they are put forth. 'Moses fled.' V. 5. True miracles are the work only of the true God, and they are wrought not to excite idle wonder, but to confirm faith. That they may believe.'

V. 8. Miracles have 'voices' which should command the faith and obedience of those for whom they are designed. V. 10. When the soul is backward to the service of God the heart is fertile in suggesting grounds of exemption. But the Lord indulge those excuses in his weak servants, that he may multiply satisfaction to their doubts. V. 11. The hand of God is to be especially acknowledged in the perfections or defects of the human faculties, whether bodily or mental.

V. 14. When the promises and reasonings of the Most High fail to persuade men, his anger sometimes drives them from their excuses.

V. 14. Those who decline the labor and hazard connected with the call of God to a special service, may thereby forfeit and forego a blessing of which they little dream. 'Is not Aaron thy brother (to be) the Levite?'

V. 15. The Almighty, had it pleased him, could originally have given to Moses utterance and eloquence, but he chose rather to associate Aaron as his assistant, dispensing variously his gifts, so that one may stand in need of another: even as the members of the body cannot say one to another, 'I have no need of thee.'

V. 17. A shepherd's staff, armed with the authority of God, is an overmatch for the sceptre of kings.

V. 18. Holy familiarity with God will never generate a contemptuous disregard for those whom we are bound in the relations of life to honor.

V. 24. Jehovah himself may meet his dearest servants as an adversary, but it is to remind them of some gross neglect of duty. He then may ostensibly 'seek to kill,' when his real purpose is save alive.

V. 24. From the case of Moses, we may learn that it is dangerous neglecting the sacramental ordinances of the Church.

CHAPTER V.

WHAT did Moses and Aaron proceed to do in the prosecution of their mission, and with what reception did they meet? v. 1, 2.

'Moses and Aaron went in;' accompanied, in all probability, by a number of the elders of Israel. Ch. 3. 18.That they may hold a feast unto me.' The primary import of the original word, 'Hâgag,' is to dance, rendered, Ps. 107. 27. 'reel to and fro,' probably from the fact that the staggering motion of men in a ship, tossed by a tempest, resembled that of dancers. In a secondary sense, it is applied to keeping a feast religiously, which was marked by eating, drinking, dancing, and mirth. The term is here, therefore, used synecdochally for all the attendant ceremo nies of a sacred festival, in which were worship and sacrifice; for which reason the phrase is rendered by the Chal. that they may sacrifice before me.'-'In the wilderness ;' a retired place was rendered proper from the peculiar religious usages of the Hebrews, which were different from those practised or allowed among the Egyptians.'Who is the Lord,' &c. rather,' who is Jehovah--I know not Jehovah.' There is a special reason why this title should here be rendered, verbatim, Jehovah,' rather than 'Lord,' viz. that it is mentioned as the peculiar name of the God of Israel, whereas the title 'Lord,' was common to the hea then deities, many of them being called ' Baalim,' or 'Lords.' This makes Pharaoh's answer more emphatic, Who is Jehovah?'-a name of which he had never before heard. Chal. The name of Jehovah is not revealed to me, that I should obey his word.' Targ. Jon. 'I have not found in the book of the angels (gods) the name of Jehovah written: I fear him not. That I should obey;' Heb. 'that I should hear.'

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What was the reply of Moses and Aaron, and what the rejoinder of the king? v. 3–5.

Let us go three days journey.' They dissemble the de

sign of forsaking Egypt altogether, perhaps with a view to learn from the manner in which he treated a smaller request, what prospect of success they would have in urging a greater. In this they stated no falsehood, but merely concealed a part of the truth.-'Lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.' The original word for 'pestilence,' 'Deber,' is in repeated instances in theSeptuagint rendered by Thanatos,' death. Thus, Levit. 26. 25. I will send the pestilence among you;' Gr. 'the death.' Deut. 28. 21. The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee;' Gr. 'the death.' Ezek. 33. 27. They that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence ;' Gr. of 'the death.' This usage, a parallel to which occurs in the Chaldee paraphrase, is tranferred to the N. T. and is of great impurtance to the right understanding of the following passages; Rev. 2. 23. 'I will kill her children with death; 1. e. with pestilence, by which is sometimes meant any kind of premature or violent death; death out of the common course of nature. Rev. 6. 8. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword, and with hunger (famine), and with death (i. e. pestilence), and with the beasts of the earth.' So also, probably, Rev. 21. 4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death ;' i. e. violent death; death occasioned by sudden and fatal casualties or judgments; for that this portion of scripture does not describe a state of happiness in which its subjects shall be absolutely immortal may be gathered from the language of Isaiah, ch. 65. 19, 20, referring to the same future period. And the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days; for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old, shall be accursed.'-'Wherefore do ye-let the people from their works?' Heb. 'Cause to cease.' Gr. 'Why do ye divert the people?' It will be observed that Pharaoh takes no notice of what Moses and Aaron had said to him respecting the liberation of the people, but treats them merely as the disturbers of the peace of his kingdom, and as endeavouring to excite sedition among his subjects. The same thing was laid to the charge of Christ and the Apostles; Luke 23. 2. 'And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this

fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar.' Acts, 24. 5. For we have found this man a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world.'-' Behold, the people of the land now are many,' &c. q. d. if the people are already increased to such a multitude notwithstanding all the methods taken to prevent it, how much more numerous and formidable will they soon become if suffered to cease from their labor.'

What additional orders did he then give to the task-masters and the officers? v. 6-9.

'Task-masters of the people and their officers.' These 'task-masters,' lit. exactors,' constituting the highest grade of officers, were Egyptians appointed to exact labor of the Israelites. But those termed 'officers,' appear, v. 14-16. to have been Israelites set over their brethren. The latter term is rendered in the Gr. Scribes,' i. e. probably men who executed written decrees, or rendered written accounts of their official services, answering with considerable exactness to our modern 'sheriffs.' It is, however, certain that they were under-officers to the task-masters.-'Ye shall no more give to the people straw to make brick.' Commentators have doubted for what particular purpose straw was made use of by the Egyptians 'in making brick, some supposing it to be employed for fuel in burning the brick, and others that it was cut or chopt fine and mixed with the clay to give more consistency and firmness to the brick when taken from the kiln. The probability is that it was used for both purposes. The Gr. term 'Achuron,' by which the Heb. 'Teben' is here rendered, signifying properly straw instead of chaff, occurs Mat. 3. 12. He will gather his wheat into the gar ner; but he will burn up the chaff (straw) with unquenchable fire;' intimating that when the wheat was separated, the straw was of no farther use, except as fuel for fires. Kypke, in his note on this passage, has the following observation: The Jews and other nations burnt straw and stubble, instead of wood, in cooking their meats, in heating their furnaces, and in other uses:' for which he cites the Symposiacks of Plutarch. 'Those who melt gold work it by a fire kindled with straw.' The same thing is