Notes on Exodus

Notes on Exodus
From the 1599 Geneva Bible Notes

Ex 1:1

1:1 Now {a}these [are] the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob. The Argument - After Jacob by God's commandment in Ge 46:3 had brought his family into Egypt, where they remained for four hundred years, and from seventy people grew to an infinite number so that the king and the country endeavoured both by tyranny and cruel slavery to suppress them: the Lord according to his promise in Ge 15:14 had compassion on his Church, and delivered them, but plagued their enemies in most strange and varied ways. The more the tyranny of the wicked raged against his Church, the more his heavy judgments increased against them, till Pharaoh and his army were drowned in the sea, which gave an entry and passage to the children of God. As the ingratitude of man is great, so they immediately forgot God's wonderful benefits and although he had given them the Passover as a sign and memorial of the same, yet they fell to distrust, and tempted God with various complaining and grudging against him and his ministers: sometimes out of ambition, sometimes lack of drink or meat to satisfy their lusts, sometimes idolatry, or such like. For this reason, God punished them with severe rods and plagues, that by his correction they might turn to him for help against his scourges, and earnestly repent for their rebellion and wickedness. Because God loves them to the end, whom he has once begun to love, he punished them not as they deserved, but dealt with them mercifully, and with new benefits laboured to overcome their malice: for he still governed them and gave them his word and Law, both concerning the way to serve him, and also the form of judgments and civil policy: with the intent that they would not serve God after as they pleased, but according to the order, that his heavenly wisdom had appointed.

(a) Moses describes the wonderful order that God observes in performing his promise to Abraham; Ge 15:14.

Ex 1:7

1:7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the {b} land was filled with them.

(b) He means the country of Goshen.

Ex 1:8

1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which {c} knew not Joseph.

Ex 1:10

1:10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and [so] {d} get them up out of the land.

(d) Into Canaan, and so we shall lose our conveniences.

Ex 1:12

1:12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And {e} they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

(e) The more God blesses his own, the more the wicked envy them.

Ex 1:15

1:15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one [was] {f} Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:

(f) These seem to have been the main of the rest.

Ex 1:19

1:19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew {g} women [are] not as the Egyptian women; for they [are] lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.

(g) Their disobedience in this was lawful, but their deception is evil.

Ex 1:21

1:21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he {h} made them houses.

(h) That is, God increased the families of the Israelites by their means.

Ex 1:22

1:22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall {i} cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

(i) When tyrants cannot prevail by deceit, they burst into open rage.

Ex 2:1

2:1 And there went a {a} man of the house of Levi, and took [to wife] a daughter of Levi.

(a) This Levite was called Amram, who married Jochebed in Ex 6:20.

Ex 2:3

2:3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and {b} put the child therein; and she laid [it] in the flags by the river's brink.

(b) Committing him to the providence of God, whom she could not keep from the rage of the tyrant.

Ex 2:8

2:8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the {c} child's mother.

Ex 2:11

2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was {d} grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.

(d) That is, was forty years old; Ac 7:23.

Ex 2:12

2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that [there was] no man, he {e} slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

(e) Being assured that God had appointed him to deliver the Israelites; Ac 7:25.

Ex 2:14

2:14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses {f} feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.

(f) Though by his fear he showed his weakness, yet faith covered it; He 11:27.

Ex 2:20

2:20 And he said unto his daughters, And where [is] he? why [is] it [that] ye have left the man? {g} call him, that he may eat bread.

(g) In which he demonstrated a thankful mind, which would reward the good done to his.

Ex 2:23

2:23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they {h} cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

(h) God humbles his by afflictions, that they should cry to him, and receive the fruit of his promise.

Ex 2:25

2:25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had {i} respect unto [them].

(i) He judges their causes or acknowledged them as his own.

Ex 3:1

3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the {a} mountain of God, [even] to {b} Horeb.

(a) It was so called after the law was given.
(b) Called also Sinai.

Ex 3:2

3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a {c} bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush [was] not consumed.

Ex 3:4

3:4 And when the {d} LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here [am] I.

(d) Whom he calls the angel in Ex 3:2.

Ex 3:5

3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: {e} put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest [is] {f} holy ground.

(e) Resign yourself to me; Ru 4:7, Jos 5:15.
(f) Because of my presence.

Ex 3:6

3:6 Moreover he said, I [am] the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was {g} afraid to look upon God.

(g) For sin causes man to fear God's justice.

Ex 3:7

3:7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which [are] in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their {h} taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

(h) Whose cruelty was intolerable.

Ex 3:8

3:8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land {i} flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

(i) Most plentiful of all things.

Ex 3:9

3:9 {k} Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

(k) He heard before, but now he would avenge it.

Ex 3:11

3:11 And Moses said unto God, Who [am] {l} I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

(l) He does not fully disobey God, but acknowledges his own weakness.

Ex 3:12

3:12 And he said, {m} Certainly I will be with thee; and this [shall be] a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

(m) Neither fear your own weakness, or Pharaoh's tyranny.

Ex 3:14

3:14 And God said unto Moses, I {n} AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

(n) The God who has always been, am, and shall be: the God almighty, by whom all things have their being, and the God of mercy, mindful of my promise.

Ex 3:18

3:18 And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may {o} sacrifice to the LORD our God.

(o) Because Egypt was full of idolatry, God would appoint them a place where they could serve him purely.

Ex 3:22

3:22 {p} But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put [them] upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.

(p) This example may not be followed generally: though at God's commandment they did it justly, receiving some recompence for their labours.

Ex 4:1

4:1 And Moses answered and said, {a] But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.

(a) God bears with Moses doubting, because he was not completely without faith.

Ex 4:5

4:5 {b} That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.

(b) This power to work miracles was to confirm his doctrine, and to assure him of his vocation.

Ex 4:9

4:9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the {c} water of the river, and pour [it] upon the dry [land]: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry [land].

Ex 4:13

4:13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand [of him whom] thou {d} wilt send.

(d) That is, the Messiah: or some other, that is more suitable than I.

Ex 4:14

4:14 And the {e} anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, [Is] not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.

(e) Though we provoke God justly to anger, yet he will never reject his own.

Ex 4:15

4:15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and {f} put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.

(f) You will instruct him what to say.

Ex 4:16

4:16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, [even] he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of {g} God.

(g) Meaning, as a wise counsellor and full of God's spirit.

Ex 4:20

4:20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the {h} rod of God in his hand.

(h) By which he wrought the miracles.

Ex 4:21

4:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will {i} harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

(i) By receiving my spirit and delivering him to Satan to increase his anger.

Ex 4:22

4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel [is] my son, [even] my {k} firstborn:

(k) Meaning, most dear to him.

Ex 4:24

4:24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and {l} sought to kill him.

(l) God punished him with sickness for neglecting his ordinances.

Ex 4:25

4:25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and {m} cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast [it] at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband [art] thou to me.

(m) This act was extraordinary: for Moses was very sick and God even then required it.

Ex 4:31

4:31 And the {n} people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

(n) So that Moses had experience of God's promise that he would have good success.

Ex 5:1

5:1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told {a} Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may {b} hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

(a) Faith overcomes fear, and makes men bold in their calling. {b} And offer sacrifice.

Ex 5:5

5:5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now [are] many, and ye {c} make them rest from their burdens.

Ex 5:6

5:6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their {d} officers, saying,

(d) Who were of the Israelites, and had charge to see them do their work.

Ex 5:9

5:9 {e} Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard {f} vain words.

(e) The more cruelly the tyranny rages, the nearer is God's help.
(f) Of Moses and Aaron.

Ex 5:21

5:21 And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to {g} put a sword in their hand to slay us.

(g) It is a grievous things for the servants of God to be accused of evil, especially by their brethren, when they do what their duty requires.

Ex 6:3

6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by [the name of] God Almighty, but by my name {a} JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

(a) By which he signifies that he will perform indeed that which he promised to their fathers: for this name declares that he is constant and will perform his promise.

Ex 6:7

6:7 And I will {b} take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

(b) He means, concerning the outward calling, the dignity of which they lost later by their rebellion: but as for election to life everlasting, it is unchangeable.

Ex 6:9

6:9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened
(c) not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

Ex 6:12

6:12 And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who [am] of {d} uncircumcised lips?

(d) Or barbarous and rude in speech and by this word
(uncircumcised) is signified the whole corruption of man's nature.

Ex 6:14

6:14 These [be] the heads {e} of their fathers' houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these [be] the families of Reuben.

(e) This genealogy shows whom Moses and Aaron came from.

Ex 6:16

6:16 And these [are] the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi [were] an hundred {f} thirty and seven years.

(f) For he was 42 years old when he came into Egypt and lived there 94 years.

Ex 6:20

6:20 And Amram took him Jochebed his {g} father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram [were] an hundred and thirty and seven years.

(g) This type of marriage was later forbidden in the law; Le 18:12.

Ex 6:21

6:21 And the sons of Izhar; {h} Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.

(h) Moses and he were cousins, whose rebellion was punished in Nu 16:1.

Ex 6:23

6:23 And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of {i} Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

(i) Who was a prince of Judah, Nu 1:7.

Ex 6:26

6:26 These [are] that Aaron and Moses, to whom the LORD said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their {k} armies.

(k) For their families were so great, that they might be compared to armies.

Ex 6:30

6:30 And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I [am] of {l} uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?

(l) The disobedience both of Moses and of the people, shows that their deliverance came only from God's free mercy.

Ex 7:1

7:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a {a} god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

(a) I have given you power and authority to speak in my name and to execute my judgments on him.

Ex 7:4

7:4 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, [and] my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great {b} judgments.

(b) To strengthen Moses' faith, God promises again to punish most severely the oppression of his Church.

Ex 7:7

7:7 And Moses [was] {c} fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

Ex 7:11

7:11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the {d} sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

(d) It seems that these were Jannes and Jambres; 2Ti 3:8 so the wicked maliciously resist the truth of God.

Ex 7:15

7:15 Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by {e} the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.

(e) That is, the Nile river.

Ex 7:21

7:21 And the {f} fish that [was] in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. {f} To show that it was a true miracle, God plagued them in that which was most needed for the preservation of life.

Ex 7:22

7:22 And the magicians of Egypt did {g} so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.

(g) In outward appearance, after the seven days were ended.

Ex 8:2

8:2 And if thou refuse to let [them] go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with {a} frogs:

(a) There is nothing so weak that God cannot use it to overcome the greatest power of man.

Ex 8:6

8:6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of {b} Egypt.

(b) But Goshen, where God's people dwelt, was excepted.

Ex 8:8

8:8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, {c} Intreat 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.

Ex 8:13

8:13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs {d} died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.

(d) In things of this life God often hears the prayers of the just for the ungodly.

Ex 8:18

8:18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they {e} could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.

(e) God confounded their wisdom and authority in a thing most vile.

Ex 8:19

8:19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This [is] {f} the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

(f) They acknowledged that this was done by God's power and not by sorcery; Lu 11:20.

Ex 8:26

8:26 And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the {g} 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?

(g) For the Egyptians worshipped various beasts, ox, sheep and such like which the Israelites offered in sacrifice, a thing the Egyptians abhorred to see.

Ex 8:28

8:28 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not {h} go very far away: intreat for me.

(h) So the wicked instruct God's messengers how far they may go.

Ex 8:29

8:29 And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat 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 {i} deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.

(i) He could not judge his heart, but yet he charged him to do this honestly.

Ex 8:32

8:32 And Pharaoh {k} hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

(k) Where God does not give faith, no miracles can prevail.

Ex 9:4

9:4 And the LORD shall {a} sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all [that is] the children's of Israel.

(a) He will declare his heavenly judgment against his enemies, and his favour toward his children.

Ex 9:7

9:7 And Pharaoh {b} sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

(b) Into the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.

Ex 9:14

9:14 For I will at this time send all my plagues upon {c} thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that [there is] none like me in all the earth.

Ex 9:16

9:16 And in very deed for this [cause] have I raised thee up, for to shew [in] thee my power; and that my {d} name may be declared throughout all the earth.

(d) That is, that all the world may magnify my power in overcoming you.

Ex 9:19

9:19 Send therefore now, [and] {e} gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; [for upon] every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.

(e) Here we see though God's wrath is kindled yet there is a certain mercy shown even to his enemies.

Ex 9:21

9:21 And he that regarded not the {f} word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field.

(f) The word of the minister is called the word of God.

Ex 9:27

9:27 And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I {g} have sinned this time: the LORD [is] righteous, and I and my people [are] wicked.

(g) The wicked confess their sins to their condemnation, but they cannot believe to obtain remission.

Ex 9:30

9:30 But as for thee and thy servants, {h} I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God.

(h) Meaning that when they have their request, they are never better off, even though they make many fair promises, in which we see the practices of the wicked.

Ex 10:2

10:2 And that thou mayest tell in the {a} ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I [am] the LORD.

(a) The miracles would be so great, that they would be spoken of forever: where also we see the duty of parents toward their children.

Ex 10:3

10:3 And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse {b} to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.

(b) The purpose of affliction is that we humble ourselves with true repentance under the hand of God.

Ex 10:7

10:7 And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a {c} snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?

Ex 10:10

10:10 And he said unto them, Let {d} the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look [to it]; for {e} evil [is] before you.

(d) That is, I hope the degree of affection that the Lord has for you is no more than the degree to which I want to let you go.
(e) Punishment is prepared for you. Some read, "You intend some mischief".

Ex 10:16

10:16 Then Pharaoh called for {f} Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.

(f) The wicked in their misery seek God's ministers for help, even though they hate and detest them.

Ex 10:19

10:19 And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the {g} Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.

(g) The water seemed red, because the sand or gravel is red: the Hebrews call it the Sea of bulrushes.

Ex 10:21

10:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness [which] may be {h} felt.

(h) Because it was so thick.

Ex 10:26

10:26 Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an {i} hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not {k} with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.

(i) The ministers of God should not yield one iota to the wicked, in regards to their mission.
(k) That is, with what beasts, or how many.

Ex 10:28

10:28 And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in [that] day thou seest my face thou shalt {l} die.

(l) Though earlier he admitted Moses was just, yet again in his own heart he threatened to put him to death.

Ex 11:1

11:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague [more] upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let [you] go, he shall {a} surely thrust you out hence altogether.

(a) Without any condition, but with haste and violence.

Ex 11:5

11:5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that [is] behind {b} the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.

(b) From the highest to the lowest.

Ex 11:8

11:8 And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that {c} follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.

Ex 11:9

11:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; {d} that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.

(d) God hardens the hearts of the reprobate, that his glory by this might be set forth even more, Ro 9:17.

Ex 12:2

12:2 This {a} month [shall be] unto you the beginning of months: it [shall be] the first {b} month of the year to you.

(a) Called Nisan, containing part of March and part of April.
(b) Concerning the observation of feasts: as for other policies, they reckoned from September.

Ex 12:3

12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth [day] of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of [their] {c} fathers, a lamb for an house:

Ex 12:4

12:4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take [it] according to the number of the souls; every man according to his {d} eating shall make your count for the lamb.

(d) He will take as many as are needed to eat the lamb.

Ex 12:6

12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the {e} whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

(e) Every one his house.

Ex 12:9

12:9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast [with] fire; his {f} head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

(f) That is, all that may be eaten.

Ex 12:11

12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; [with] your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: {g} it [is] the LORD'S passover.

(g) The lamb was not the Passover, but signified it, as ordinances are not the thing itself which they represent, but rather they signify it.

Ex 12:14

12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a {h} memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance {i} for ever.

(h) Of the benefits received for your deliverance.
(i) That is, until Christ's coming: for then ceremonies will end.

Ex 12:18

12:18 In the first [month], on the fourteenth day of the month at {k} even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.

(k) For in ancient times they counted in this way, beginning the day at sunset till the next day at the same time.

Ex 12:23

12:23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the {l} destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite [you].

(l) The angel sent by God to kill the first born.

Ex 12:25

12:25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the {m} land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.

(m) The land of Canaan.

Ex 12:27

12:27 That ye shall say, It [is] the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people {n} bowed the head and worshipped.

(n) They gave God thanks for so great a benefit.

Ex 12:30

12:30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for [there was] {o} not a house where [there was] not one dead.

(o) Of these houses, in which any first born lived, either of men of beasts.

Ex 12:32

12:32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and {p} bless me also.

(p) Pray for me.

Ex 12:37

12:37 And the children of Israel journeyed from {q} Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot [that were] men, beside children.

(q) Which was a city in Goshen; Ge 47:11.

Ex 12:38

12:38 And {r} a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, [even] very much cattle.

(r) Which were strangers, and not born from the Israelites.

Ex 12:41

12:41 And it came to pass at the end of the {s} four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

(s) From Abraham's departing from Ur in Chaldea to the departing of the children of Israel from Egypt are 430 years.

Ex 12:43

12:43 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This [is] the ordinance of the passover: {t} There shall no stranger eat thereof:

(t) Unless he is circumcised, and professes your religion only.

Ex 12:49

12:49 One {u} law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

(u) They that are of the household of God, must be all joined in one faith and religion.

Ex 13:3

13:3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of {a} bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this [place]: there shall no leavened bread be {b} eaten.

(a) Where they were in most cruel slavery.
(b) To signify that they did not have time to leaven their bread.

Ex 13:4

13:4 This day came ye out in the month {c} Abib.

Ex 13:6

13:6 Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the {d} seventh day [shall be] a feast to the LORD.

(d) Both the seventh and the first day were holy, as in Ex 12:16.

Ex 13:8

13:8 And thou shalt shew thy son {e} in that day, saying, [This is done] because of that [which] the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.

(e) When you celebrate the feast of unleavened bread.

Ex 13:9

13:9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee {f} upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD'S law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.

(f) You will constantly remember it, as you would of a thing that is in your hand, or before your eyes.

Ex 13:13

13:13 And every firstling of an {g} ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou {h} redeem.

(g) This is also understood about the horse and other beasts which were not offered in sacrifice.
(h) By offering a clean beast in sacrifice; Le 12:6.

Ex 13:17

13:17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not [through] the way of the land of the Philistines, although that [was] near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they {i} see war, and they return to Egypt:

(i) Which the Philistines would have made against them by blocking their passage.

Ex 13:18

13:18 But God led the people about, [through] the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up {k} harnessed out of the land of Egypt.

(k) That is, not secretly but openly and as the word signifies, set in order by five and five.

Ex 13:21

13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a {l} cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

(l) To defend them from the heat of the sun.

Ex 14:2

14:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they {a} turn and encamp before {b} Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.

(a) From toward the country of the Philistines.
(b) So the Sea was before them, mountains on either side, and the enemies at their back: yet they obeyed God, and were delivered.

Ex 14:4

14:4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will {c} be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I [am] the LORD. And they did so.

Ex 14:7

14:7 And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and {d} all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.

(d) Josephus writes that besides those chariots, there were 50,000 horsemen, and 80,000 footmen.

Ex 14:8

14:8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an {e} high hand.

(e) With great joy and boldness.

Ex 14:10

14:10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore {f} afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

(f) They who earlier had rejoiced in their deliverance, being now in danger, are afraid.

Ex 14:12

14:12 [Is] not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let {g} us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For [it had been] better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

(g) Such is the impatience of the flesh, that it cannot wait for God's appointed time.

Ex 14:14

14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall {h} hold your peace.

(h) Only put your trust in God without grudging or doubting.

Ex 14:15

14:15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore {i} criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

(i) Thus in temptation faith fights against the flesh, and cries with inward groanings to the Lord.

Ex 14:20

14:20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness [to them], but it gave {k} light by night [to these]: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

(k) The cloud gave light to the Israelites, but to the Egyptians it was darkness, so that their two groups could not join together.

Ex 14:24

14:24 And it came to pass, that in the morning {l} watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,

(l) Which was about the last three hours of the night.

Ex 14:27

14:27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD {m} overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

(m) So, using the water, the Lord saved his own and drowned his enemies.

Ex 14:31

14:31 And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his {n} servant Moses.

(n) That is, the doctrine which he taught them in the Name of the Lord.

Ex 15:1

15:1 Then {a} sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

(a) Praising God for the overthrow of his enemies, and their deliverance.

Ex 15:2

15:2 The LORD [is] my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he [is] my God, and I will {b} prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.

(b) To worship him in it.

Ex 15:3

15:3 The LORD [is] a {c} man of war: the LORD [is] his {d} name.

Ex 15:7

15:7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against {e} thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, [which] consumed them as stubble.

(e) Those who are enemies to God's people are his enemies.

Ex 15:11

15:11 Who [is] like unto thee, O LORD, among the {f} gods? who [is] like thee, glorious in holiness, {g} fearful [in] praises, doing wonders?

(f) The scripture often so calls the mighty men of the world.
(g) Who ought to be praised with all fear and reverence.

Ex 15:13

15:13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people [which] thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided [them] in thy strength unto thy holy {h} habitation.

(h) That is, into the land of Canaan, or into mount Zion.

Ex 15:17

15:17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine {i} inheritance, [in] the place, O LORD, [which] thou hast made for thee to dwell in, [in] the Sanctuary, O Lord, [which] thy hands have established.

(i) Which was mount Zion, where later the temple was built.

Ex 15:20

15:20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with {k} dances.

(k) Signifying their great joy: a custom the Jews observed in certain situations, Jud 11:34 but it should not be used as a means to justify our wanton dances.

Ex 15:21

15:21 And Miriam {l} answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

(l) By singing the same song of thanksgiving.

Ex 15:22

15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of {m} Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

(m) Which was called Etham, Nu 33:8.

Ex 15:25

15:25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, [which] when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there {n} he proved them,

(n) That is, God, or Moses in God's name.

Ex 15:26

15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is {o} right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I [am] the LORD that healeth thee.

(o) Which is, to do only what God commanded.

Ex 16:1

16:1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of {a} Sin, which [is] between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

(a) This is the eighth place in which they had camped, there is another place called Zin, which was the 33rd place in which they camped, and is also called Kadesh, Nu 33:36.

Ex 16:3

16:3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh {b} pots, [and] when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

(b) It is a hard thing for the flesh not to complain against God when the stomach is empty.

Ex 16:4

16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every {c} day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

Ex 16:7

16:7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; {d} for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what [are] we, that ye murmur against us?

(d) He did not give them Manna because they complained, but because of his promise.

Ex 16:8

16:8 And Moses said, [This shall be], when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what [are] we? your murmurings [are] not against us, but against the {e} LORD.

(e) He that condemns God's ministers, condemns God himself.

Ex 16:15

16:15 And when the children of Israel saw [it], they said one to another, It [is] {f} manna: for they wist not what it [was]. And Moses said unto them, This [is] the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

(f) Which signifies a part, portion, or gift: also meat prepared.

Ex 16:16

16:16 This [is] the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, {g} an omer for every man, [according to] the number of your persons; take ye every man for [them] which [are] in his tents.

(g) Which contains about half a gallon in our measure.

Ex 16:18

16:18 And when they did mete [it] with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no {h} lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

(h) God richly feeds everyone, and no one can justly complain.

Ex 16:20

16:20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and {i} stank: and Moses was wroth with them.

(i) No creature is so pure, but being abused it turns to our destruction.

Ex 16:22

16:22 And it came to pass, [that] on the sixth day they gathered {k} twice as much bread, two omers for one [man]: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.

(k) Which would serve for the Sabbath and the day before.

Ex 16:25

16:25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day [is] a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not {l} find it in the field.

(l) God took away the opportunity for their labour, to signify how holy he would have the Sabbath kept.

Ex 16:27

16:27 And it came to pass, [that] there {m} went out [some] of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.

(m) Their unfaithfulness was so great, that they did exactly the opposite of God's commandment.

Ex 16:31

16:31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it [was] like {n} coriander seed, white; and the taste of it [was] like wafers [made] with honey.

(n) In form and figure, but not in colour; Nu 11:7.

Ex 16:33

16:33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a {o} pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.

(o) Of this vessel read He 9:4.

Ex 16:34

16:34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the {p} Testimony, to be kept.

(p) That is, the Ark of the covenant that is, after the Ark was made.

Ex 16:36

16:36 Now an omer [is] the tenth [part] of an {q} ephah.

(q) Which measure contained about five gallons.

Ex 17:1

17:1 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in {a} Rephidim: and [there was] no water for the people to drink.

(a) Moses does not note every place where they camped as in Numbers 33, but only those places where some notable thing was done.

Ex 17:2

17:2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye {b} tempt the LORD?

(b) Why do you distrust God? Why do you not look for comfort from him without complaining to us?

Ex 17:4

17:4 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to {c} stone me.

(c) How ready the people are to slay the true prophets for their own purposes and how slow they are to take up God's cause against his enemies and false prophets.

Ex 17:7

17:7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the {d} LORD among us, or not?

(d) When in adversity we think God is absent, then we neglect his promise and make him a liar.

Ex 17:8

17:8 Then came {e} Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

(e) Who came from Eliphaz, son of Esau, Ge 36:12.

Ex 17:9

17:9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the {f} hill with the rod of God in mine hand.

(f) That is, Horeb, which is also called Sinai.

Ex 17:11

17:11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let {g} down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

(g) So that we see how dangerous a thing it is to cease in prayer.

Ex 17:14

17:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this [for] a memorial {h} in a book, and rehearse [it] in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

(h) In the book of the law.

Ex 17:15

17:15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it {i} Jehovahnissi:

(i) That is, the Lord is my banner as he declared by holding up his rod and his hands.

Ex 18:2

18:2 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had {a} sent her back,

(a) It may seem that he sent her back for a time to her father for her impatience, lest she should be a hinderance to his calling, which was so dangerous, Ex 4:25.

Ex 18:5

18:5 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the {b} mount of God:

(b) Horeb is called the mount of God, because God did many miracles there. So Peter calls the mount where Christ was transfigured, the holy mount: for by Christ's presence it was holy for a time, 2Pe 1:18.

Ex 18:6

18:6 And he {c} said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.

Ex 18:10

18:10 And Jethro said, {d} Blessed [be] the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

(d) By this it is evident that he worshipped the true God, and therefore Moses did not refuse to marry his daughter.

Ex 18:11

18:11 Now I know that the LORD [is] greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly {e} [he was] above them.

(e) For they that drowned the children of the Israelites, perished themselves by water.

Ex 18:12

18:12 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law {f} before God.

(f) They ate in the place, where the sacrifice was offered: for part was burnt, and the rest eaten.

Ex 18:15

18:15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of {g} God:

(g) That is, to know God's will, and to have justice executed.

Ex 18:19

18:19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to {h} God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:

(h) You judge in difficult cases, which cannot be decided without consulting with God.

Ex 18:21

18:21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people {i} able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place [such] over them, [to be] rulers of thousands, [and] rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

(i) What manner of men ought to be chosen to bear office.

Ex 18:24

18:24 So Moses {k} hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.

(k) Godly counsel should always be obeyed, even if it comes from our inferiors, for to such God often gives wisdom to humble those that are exalted, and to declare that one member has need of another.

Ex 18:27

18:27 And Moses {l} let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.

(l) Read Nu 10:29.

Ex 19:1

19:1 In the {a} third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same {b} day came they [into] the wilderness of Sinai.

(a) Which was in the beginning of the month of Sivan, containing part of May and part of June.
(b) That they departed from Rephidim.

Ex 19:3

19:3 And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of {c} Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;

Ex 19:4

19:4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and [how] I bare you on {d} eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.

(d) For the eagle by flying high, is out of danger, and by carrying her birds on her wings rather than in her talons declares her love.

Ex 19:10

19:10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and {e} sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,

(e) Teach them to be pure in heart, as they show themselves outwardly clean by washing.

Ex 19:15

19:15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at [your] {f} wives.

(f) But give yourselves to prayer and abstinence, that you may at this time attend only upon the Lord, 1Co 7:5.

Ex 19:18

19:18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount {g} quaked greatly.

(g) God used these fearful signs, that his law would be held in greater reverence, and his majesty even more feared.

Ex 19:19

19:19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a {h} voice.

(h) He gave authority to Moses by plain words, that the people might understand him.

Ex 19:24

19:24 And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the {i} priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.

(i) Neither dignity nor multitude have authority to pass the bounds that God's word prescribes.

Ex 20:1

20:1 And God {a} spake all these words, saying,

(a) When Moses and Aaron were gone up, or had passed the bounds of the people, God spoke thus out of the mount Horeb, that all the people heard.

Ex 20:3

20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods {b} before me.

(b) To whose eyes all things are open.

Ex 20:5

20:5 Thou shalt not {c} bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a {d} jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me;

(c) By this outward gesture, all forms of service and worship to idols is forbidden.
(d) And will have revenge on those who condemn my honour.

Ex 20:6

20:6 And shewing mercy unto {e} thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

(e) So ready is he rather to show mercy than to punish.

Ex 20:7

20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in {f} vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

(f) Either by swearing falsely or rashly by his Name, or by condemning it.

Ex 20:8

20:8 Remember the sabbath day, {g} to keep it holy.

(g) Which is by meditating the spiritual rest, by hearing God's word, and resting from worldly labours.

Ex 20:12

20:12 Honour thy {h} father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

(h) By parents it is also meant all that have authority over us.

Ex 20:13

20:13 Thou shalt not {i} kill.

(i) But love and preserve your brother's life.

Ex 20:14

20:14 Thou shalt not {k} commit adultery.

(k) But be pure in heart, word and deed.

Ex 20:15

20:15 Thou shalt not {l} steal.

(l) But study to save his goods.

Ex 20:16

20:16 Thou shalt not bear false {m} witness against thy neighbour.

(m) But further his good name, and speak truth.

Ex 20:17

20:17 Thou shalt not {n} covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that [is] thy neighbour's.

(n) You may not so much as wish his hinderance in anything.

Ex 20:20

20:20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to {o} prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

(o) Whether you will obey his precepts as you promised in Ex 19:8.

Ex 20:26

20:26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy {p} nakedness be not discovered thereon.

(p) Which might be by his stooping or flying up of his clothes.

Ex 21:2

21:2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for {a} nothing.

(a) Paying no money for his freedom.

Ex 21:3

21:3 If he {b} came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.

(b) Not having wife nor children.

Ex 21:4

21:4 If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her {c} master's, and he shall go out by himself.

Ex 21:6

21:6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the {d} door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for {e} ever.

(d) Where the judges sat.
(e) That is, to the year of Jubile, which was every fiftieth year.

Ex 21:7

21:7 And if a man {f} sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

(f) Forced either by poverty, or else with the intent that the master should marry her.

Ex 21:8

21:8 If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall {g} he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

(g) By giving another money to buy her from him.

Ex 21:9

21:9 And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her {h} after the manner of daughters.

(h) That is, he shall give his dowry.

Ex 21:10

21:10 If he take {i} him another [wife]; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

(i) For his son.

Ex 21:11

21:11 And if he do not these {k} three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.

(k) Neither marry her himself, nor give another money to buy her, nor bestow her on his son.

Ex 21:13

21:13 And if a man lie not in wait, but {l} God deliver [him] into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.

(l) Though a man be killed unawares, yet it is God's providence that it should so be.

Ex 21:14

21:14 But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine {m} altar, that he may die.

(m) The holiness of the place should not defend the murderer.

Ex 21:18

21:18 And if men strive together, and one smite another with a {n} stone, or with [his] fist, and he die not, but keepeth [his] bed:

(n) Either far away from him or near.

Ex 21:19

21:19 If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote [him] be {o} quit: only he shall pay [for] the loss of his time, and shall cause [him] to be thoroughly healed.

(o) By the civil justice.

Ex 21:21

21:21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not {p} be punished: for he [is] his money.

(p) By the civil magistrate, but before God he is a murderer.

Ex 21:22

21:22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart [from her], and yet no {q} mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges [determine].

(q) Or, "death": of the mother or child in the event she miscarries. Also the death on the unborn infant.

Ex 21:24

21:24 {r} Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

(r) The execution of this law only belonged to the magistrate, Mt 5:38.

Ex 21:27

21:27 And if he smite {s} out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

(s) So God revenges cruelty in the even the least things.

Ex 21:28

21:28 If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely {t} stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox [shall be] quit.

(t) If the beast be punished, much more shall the murderer.

Ex 21:30

21:30 If there be laid on him a {u} sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

(u) By the next of the kindred of him that is so slain.

Ex 21:32

21:32 If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty {x} shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

(x) Read Ge 23:15.

Ex 21:34

21:34 The owner of the pit shall {y} make [it] good, [and] give money unto the owner of them; and the dead [beast] shall be his.

(y) This law forbids not only to hurt, but to beware lest any be hurt.

Ex 22:1

22:1 If a man shall steal an {a} ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

(a) Either a great beast of the herd, or a small beast of the flock.

Ex 22:2

22:2 If a thief be found {b} breaking up, and be smitten that he die, [there shall] no blood [be shed] for him.

(b) Breaking a house to enter in, or undermining.

Ex 22:3

22:3 If the sun be risen upon him, [there shall be] {c} blood [shed] for him; [for] he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.

Ex 22:8

22:8 If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, [to see] whether he have {d} put his hand unto his neighbour's goods.

(d) That is, whether he has stolen.

Ex 22:11

22:11 {e} [Then] shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept [thereof], and he shall not make [it] good.

(e) They should swear by the name of the Lord.

Ex 22:13

22:13 If it be torn in pieces, [then] let him bring {f} it [for] witness, [and] he shall not make good that which was torn.

(f) He shall show some part of the beast or bring in witnesses.

Ex 22:15

22:15 [But] if the owner thereof [be] with it, he shall not make [it] good: if it [be] an hired [thing], it {g} came for his hire.

(g) He that hired it shall be free by paying the hire.

Ex 22:24

22:24 And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your {h} wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

(h) The just plague of God on the oppressors.

Ex 22:27

22:27 For that [is] his covering only, it [is] his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he {i} crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I [am] gracious.

(i) For cold and necessity.

Ex 22:29

22:29 Thou shalt not delay [to offer] the {k} first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.

(k) Your abundance of your corn.

Ex 22:31

22:31 And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat [any] flesh [that is] torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it {l} to the dogs.

(l) And so have nothing to do with it.

Ex 23:2

23:2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to [do] evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause {a} to decline after many to wrest [judgment]:

(a) Do that which is godly, though few favour it.

Ex 23:4

23:4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely {b} bring it back to him again.

(b) If we are bound to do good to our enemies beast, how much more to our enemy himself, Mt 5:44.

Ex 23:5

23:5 If thou see the {c} ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.

(c) If God commands us to help our enemy's donkey under his burden, will he suffer us to cast down our brethren with heavy burdens?

Ex 23:7

23:7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and the {d} innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.

(d) Whether you are the magistrate or are commanded by the magistrate.

Ex 23:9

23:9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the {e} heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

(e) For since he is a stranger, his heart is sorrowful enough.

Ex 23:13

23:13 And in all [things] that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make {f} no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

(f) Neither by swearing by them, nor speaking of them, Ps 16:4, Eph 5:3.

Ex 23:15

23:15 Thou shalt keep the feast of {g} unleavened bread:
(thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)

(g) That is, Easter, in remembrance that the angel passed over and spared the Israelites, when he slew the first born of the Egyptians.

Ex 23:16

23:16 And the {h} feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the {i} feast of ingathering, [which is] in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.

(h) Which is Whit Sunday, in token that the law was given 50 days after they departed from Egypt.
(i) This is the feast of tabernacles, signifying that they lived for 40 years in the tents or the tabernacles in the wilderness.

Ex 23:18

23:18 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with {k} leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.

(k) No leavened bread will be in your house.

Ex 23:19

23:19 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his {l} mother's milk.

(l) Meaning, that no fruit should be taken before just time: and by this all cruel and wanton appetites are controlled.

Ex 23:21

23:21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my {m} name [is] in him.

(m) I will give him my authority, and he will govern you in my name.

Ex 23:24

23:24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt {n} utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.

(n) God commands his own to not only not worship idols, but to destroy them.

Ex 23:25

23:25 And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy {o} bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

(o) That is, all things necessary for this present life.

Ex 23:27

23:27 I will send my {p} fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.

(p) I will make them afraid of your coming and send my angel to destroy them, as in Ex 35:2.

Ex 23:31

23:31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea {q} of the Philistines, and from the {r} desert unto the {s} river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.

(q) Called the Sea of Syria.
(r) Of Arabia called desert.
(s) That is, Ephraim.

Ex 24:1

24:1 And he {a} said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.

(a) When he called him up to the mountain to give him the laws, beginning at the 20th chapter till now.

Ex 24:3

24:3 {b} And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.

(b) When he had received these laws in mount Sinai.

Ex 24:5

24:5 And he sent young {c} men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.

Ex 24:8

24:8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled [it] on the people, and said, Behold the {d} blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.

(d) Which signifies that the covenant broken cannot be satisfied without shedding of blood.

Ex 24:10

24:10 And they {e} saw the God of Israel: and [there was] under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in [his] clearness.

(e) As perfectly as their infirmities could behold his majesty.

Ex 24:11

24:11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he {f} laid not his hand: also they saw God, and {g} did eat and drink.

(f) He did not make them afraid, nor punish them.
(g) That is, rejoiced.

Ex 24:12

24:12 And the LORD {h} said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee {i} tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach {k} them.

(h) The second time.
(i) Signifying the hardness of our hearts, unless God writes his laws in it by his Spirit, Jer 31:33, Eze 11:19, 2Co 3:3, He 8:10,10:16
(k) That is, the people.

Ex 24:17

24:17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD [was] like {l} devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

(l) The Lord appears like devouring fire to carnal men: but to them that he draws with his Spirit, he is like pleasant sapphire.

Ex 25:2

25:2 {a} Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

(a) After the moral and judicial law he gives them the ceremonial law that nothing should be left to man's invention.

Ex 25:3

25:3 And this [is] the offering which ye shall {b} take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,

(b) For the building and use of the tabernacle.

Ex 25:5

25:5 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and {c} shittim wood,

Ex 25:6

25:6 Oil for the light, spices for {d} anointing oil, and for sweet incense,

(d) Ordained for the priest.

Ex 25:8

25:8 And let them make me a {e} sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

(e) A place both to offer sacrifice, and to hear the law.

Ex 25:16

25:16 And thou shalt put into the ark the {f} testimony which I shall give thee.

(f) The stone tables, the rod of Aaron and manna which were a testimony of God's presence.

Ex 25:17

25:17 And thou shalt make a {g} mercy seat [of] pure gold: two cubits and a half [shall be] the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

(g) There God appeared mercifully to them: and this was a figure of Christ.

Ex 25:29

25:29 And thou shalt make the {h} dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: [of] pure gold shalt thou make them.

(h) To set the bread upon.

Ex 25:31

25:31 And thou shalt make a candlestick [of] pure gold: [of] beaten {i} work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.

(i) It shall not be molten, but beaten out of the lump of gold with the hammer.

Ex 25:39

25:39 [Of] a {k} talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.

(k) This was the talent weight of the temple, and weighed 120 pounds.

Ex 26:1

26:1 Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle [with] ten curtains [of] fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: [with] cherubims of {a} cunning work shalt thou make them.

(a) That is, of most cunning or fine work.

Ex 26:4

26:4 And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge {b} in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of [another] curtain, in the coupling of the second.

(b) On the side that the curtains might be tied together.

Ex 26:5

26:5 Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that [is] in the coupling of the {c} second; that the loops may take hold one of another.

Ex 26:7

26:7 And thou shalt make curtains [of] goats' [hair] to be a {d} covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.

(d) Lest rain and weather should mar it.

Ex 26:9

26:9 And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the {e} sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle.

(e) That is, five on the one side, and five on the other, and the sixth should hang over the door of the tabernacle.

Ex 26:12

26:12 And the {f} remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.

(f) For these curtains were two cubits longer than the curtain of the tabernacle so that they were wider by a cubit of both sides.

Ex 26:14

26:14 And thou shalt make a {g} covering for the tent [of] rams' skins dyed red, and a covering above [of] {h} badgers' skins.

(g) To be put on the covering that was made of goats hair.
(h) This was the third covering of the tabernacle.

Ex 26:24

26:24 And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be {i} coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.

(i) The Hebrew word signifies twins declaring that they should be as perfect and well joined as possible.

Ex 26:32

26:32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim [wood] overlaid with gold: their {k} hooks [shall be of] gold, upon the four sockets of silver.

(k) Some read "heads of the pillars".

Ex 26:33

26:33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy [place] and the {l} most holy.

(l) In which only the high priest entered and only once a year.

Ex 26:35

26:35 And thou shalt set the table {m} without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.

(m) Meaning, in the holy place.

Ex 26:36

26:36 And thou shalt make an {n} hanging for the door of the tent, [of] blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.

(n) This hanging or veil was between the holy place, and there where the people were.

Ex 27:1

27:1 And thou shalt make an {a} altar [of] shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof [shall be] three cubits.

(a) For the burnt offering.

Ex 27:2

27:2 And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of {b} the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.

(b) Of the same wood and matter not fastened to it.

Ex 27:9

27:9 And thou shalt make the {c} court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward [there shall be] hangings for the court [of] fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side:

Ex 27:10

27:10 And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets [shall be of] brass; the hooks of the pillars and their {d} fillets [shall be of] silver.

(d) They were certain hoops or circles to beautify the pillar.

Ex 27:13

27:13 And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward [shall be] {e} fifty cubits.

(e) Meaning curtains of fifty cubits.

Ex 27:14

27:14 The hangings of one {f} side [of the gate shall be] fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.

(f) Of the door of the court.

Ex 27:19

27:19 All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the {g} pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, [shall be of] brass.

(g) Or stakes, with which the curtains were fastened to the ground.

Ex 27:20

27:20 And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive {h} beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.

(h) Such as comes from the olive, when it is first pressed or beaten.

Ex 28:2

28:2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for {a} glory and for beauty.

(a) By which his office may be known to be glorious and excellent.

Ex 28:3

28:3 And thou shalt speak unto all [that are] wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to {b} consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

(b) Which is to separate him from the rest.

Ex 28:4

28:4 And these [are] the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an {c} ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

Ex 28:8

28:8 And the {d} curious girdle of the ephod, which [is] upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; [even of] gold, [of] blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

(d) Which went about his upmost coat.

Ex 28:10

28:10 Six of their names on one stone, and [the other] six names of the rest on the other stone, according to {e} their birth.

(e) As they were in age, so should they be graven in order.

Ex 28:12

28:12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod [for] stones of {f} memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

(f) That Aaron might remind the Israelites of God.

Ex 28:14

28:14 And two chains [of] pure gold {g} at the ends; [of] wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.

(g) Of the bosses.

Ex 28:15

28:15 And thou shalt make the breastplate of {h} judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; [of] gold, [of] blue, and [of] purple, and [of] scarlet, and [of] fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.

(h) It was so called, because the high priest could not give sentence in judgment without that on his breast.

Ex 28:16

28:16 {i} Foursquare it shall be [being] doubled; a span [shall be] the length thereof, and a span [shall be] the breadth thereof.

(i) The description of the breastplate.

Ex 28:23

28:23 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on {k} the two ends of the breastplate.

(k) Which are upmost toward the shoulder.

Ex 28:26

28:26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the {l} two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which [is] in the side of the ephod inward.

(l) Which are beneath.

Ex 28:29

28:29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy [place], for a memorial before the LORD continually.

(m) Aaron will not enter into the holy place in his own name, but in the name of all the children of Israel.

Ex 28:30

28:30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the {n} Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.

(n) Urim signifies light, and thummim perfection: declaring that the stones of the breastplate were most clear, and of perfect beauty: by urim also is meant knowledge, and thummim holiness, showing what virtues are required in the priests.

Ex 28:36

28:36 And thou shalt make a plate [of] pure gold, and grave upon it, [like] the engravings of a signet, {o} HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

(o) Holiness belongs to the Lord: for he is most holy, and nothing unholy may appear before him.

Ex 28:38

28:38 And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may {p} bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

(p) Their offerings could not be so perfect, but some fault would be in them: which sin the high priest bore and pacified God.

Ex 28:41

28:41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and {q} consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.

(q) Or "fill their hands", by giving them things to offer and therefore admit them to their office.

Ex 28:43

28:43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy [place]; that they {r} bear not iniquity, and die: [it shall be] a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

(r) In not hiding their nakedness.

Ex 29:3

29:3 And thou shalt put them into one basket, and {a} bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams.

(a) To offer them in sacrifice.

Ex 29:5

29:5 And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the {b} robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod:

(b) Which was next under the Ephod.

Ex 29:10

29:10 And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall {c} put their hands upon the head of the bullock.

Ex 29:18

29:18 And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it [is] a burnt offering unto the LORD: {d} it [is] a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

(d) Or, savour of rest, which causes the wrath of God to cease.

Ex 29:20

29:20 Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put [it] {e} upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

(e) Meaning the soft and lower part of the ear.

Ex 29:21

29:21 And thou shalt take of the blood that [is] {f} upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle [it] upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.

(f) With which the Altar must be sprinkled.

Ex 29:22

29:22 Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul [above] the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that [is] upon them, and the right shoulder; for it [is] a {g} ram of consecration:

(g) Which is offered for the consecration of the high priest.

Ex 29:26

29:26 And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration, and wave it {h} [for] a wave offering before the LORD: and it shall be thy part.

(h) This sacrifice the priest did move toward the East, West, North, and South.

Ex 29:27

29:27 And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the {i} heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, [even] of [that] which [is] for Aaron, and of [that] which is for his sons:

(i) So called because it was not only shaken to and fro, but also lifted up.

Ex 29:28

29:28 And it shall be Aaron's and his sons' by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it [is] an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their {k} peace offerings, [even] their heave offering unto the LORD.

(k) Which were offerings of thanksgiving to God for his benefits.

Ex 29:33

29:33 And they shall eat those things {l} wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate [and] to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat [thereof], because they [are] holy.

(l) That is, by the sacrifices.

Ex 29:36

29:36 And thou shalt offer every day a bullock [for] a sin offering for {m} atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.

(m) To appease God's wrath that sin may be pardoned.

Ex 29:40

29:40 And with the one lamb a {n} tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an {o} hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine [for] a drink offering.

(n) That is, an Omer, read Ex 16:16.
(o) Which is about a pint.

Ex 29:43

29:43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and [the tabernacle] shall be sanctified by my {p} glory.

(p) Because of my glorious presence.

Ex 29:46

29:46 And they shall know that I [am] the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: {q} I [am] the LORD their God.

(q) It is I the Lord, that am their God.

Ex 30:1

30:1 And thou shalt make an altar {a} to burn incense upon: [of] shittim wood shalt thou make it.

(a) Upon which the sweet perfume was burnt, Ex 30:34.

Ex 30:2

30:2 A cubit [shall be] the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits [shall be] the height thereof: the horns thereof [shall be] {b} of the same.

(b) Of the same wood and matter.

Ex 30:6

30:6 And thou shalt put it {c} before the vail that [is] by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that [is] over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.

Ex 30:7

30:7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he {d} dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.

(d) Meaning, when he trims them, and refreshes the oil.

Ex 30:9

30:9 Ye shall offer no {e} strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering {f} thereon.

(e) Otherwise made them this, which is described.
(f) But it must only serve to burn perfume.

Ex 30:12

30:12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man {g} a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when [thou] numberest them.

(g) By which he testified that he redeemed his life which he had forfeit, as is declared by David, 2Sa 24:1.

Ex 30:13

30:13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the {h} shekel of the sanctuary:
(a shekel [is] twenty gerahs:) an half shekel [shall be] the offering of the LORD.

(h) This shekel was worth two common shekels: and the gerah about 12 pence at a rate of five shillings sterling to an ounce of silver.

Ex 30:15

30:15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when [they] give an offering unto the LORD, {i} to make an atonement for your souls.

(i) That God should be merciful to you.

Ex 30:19

30:19 For Aaron and his sons shall {k} wash their hands and their feet thereat:

(k) Signifying that he that comes to God must be washed from all sin and corruption.

Ex 30:21

30:21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute {l} for ever to them, [even] to him and to his seed throughout their generations.

(l) So long as the priesthood shall last.

Ex 30:23

30:23 Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred {m} [shekels], and of sweet cinnamon half so much, [even] two hundred and fifty [shekels], and of sweet {n} calamus two hundred and fifty [shekels],

(m) Weighing so much.
(n) It is a type of reed with a very sweet savour within, and it is used in powders and odours.

Ex 30:26

30:26 And thou shalt anoint the {o} tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,

(o) All things which belong to the tabernacle.

Ex 30:32

30:32 Upon {p} man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make [any other] like it, after the composition of it: it [is] holy, [and] it shall be holy unto you.

(p) Neither at their burials nor otherwise.

Ex 30:33

30:33 Whosoever compoundeth [any] like it, or whosoever putteth [any] of it upon {q} a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.

(q) Either a stranger or an Israelite, save only the priests.

Ex 30:34

30:34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and {r} onycha, and galbanum; [these] sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like [weight]:

(r) In Hebrew, Sheheleth: which is a sweet kind of gum and shines as the nail.

Ex 31:2

31:2 See, I {a} have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

(a) I have chosen and made meet, Ex 35:30.

Ex 31:3

31:3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of {b} workmanship,

(b) This shows that handicrafts are the gifts of God's spirit, and therefore ought to be esteemed.

Ex 31:6

31:6 And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are {c} wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;

Ex 31:8

31:8 And the table and his furniture, and the {d} pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense,

(d) So called, because of the cunning and art used in them, or because the whole was beaten out of the piece.

Ex 31:11

31:11 And the {e} anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy [place]: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.

(e) Which was only to anoint the Priests and the instruments of the tabernacle, not to burn.

Ex 31:13

31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, {f} Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it [is] a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that [ye] may know that I [am] the LORD that doth sanctify you.

(f) Though I command that these works be done, yet I do not want you to break my Sabbath days.

Ex 31:14

31:14 Ye shall keep the {g} sabbath therefore; for it [is] holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth [any] work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

(g) God repeats this point because the whole keeping of the law stands in the true use of the sabbath, which is to stop working and so obey the will of God.

Ex 31:17

31:17 It [is] a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he {h} rested, and was refreshed.

(h) From creating his creatures, but not from governing and preserving them.

Ex 31:18

31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables {i} of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

(i) By which he declared his will to his people.

Ex 32:1

32:1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up,
(a) make us gods, which shall go before us; for [as for] this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

(a) The root of Idolatry is when men think that God is not present, unless they see him physically.

Ex 32:2

32:2 And Aaron said unto them, {b} Break off the golden earrings, which [are] in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring [them] unto me.

(b) Thinking that they would rather abandon idolatry, than give up their most precious jewels.

Ex 32:3

32:3 And all the people brake off the {c} golden earrings which [were] in their ears, and brought [them] unto Aaron.

Ex 32:4

32:4 And he received [them] at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a {d} molten calf: and they said, These [be] thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

(d) They remembered the sins of Egypt, where they saw calves, oxen and serpents worshipped.

Ex 32:8

32:8 They {e} have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These [be] thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

(e) By which we see the need we have to pray earnestly to God, to keep us in his true obedience, and to send us good guides.

Ex 32:10

32:10 Now {f} therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

(f) God shows that the prayers of the godly hold back his punishment.

Ex 32:13

32:13 Remember {g} Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit [it] for ever.

(g) That is, your promise made to Abraham.

Ex 32:16

32:16 And the tables [were] the work of God, and {h} the writing [was] the writing of God, graven upon the tables.

(h) All these repetitions show how excellent a thing they defrauded themselves of by their idolatry.

Ex 32:20

32:20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt [it] in the fire, and ground [it] to powder, and strawed [it] upon the water, and made the children of Israel {i} drink [of it].

(i) Partly to despise them for their idolatry, and partly so they would have no opportunity to remember the calf later.

Ex 32:25

32:25 And when Moses saw that the people [were] {k} naked;
(for Aaron had made them naked unto [their] shame among their enemies:)

(k) Both destitute of God's favour, and an occasion for their enemies to speak evil of their God.

Ex 32:27

32:27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, [and] go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and {l} slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.

(l) This fact did so please God, that he turned the curse of Jacob against Levi to a blessing, De 33:9.

Ex 32:29

32:29 For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his {m} son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.

(m) In revenging God's glory we must have no partiality to person, but lay aside all carnal affection.

Ex 32:32

32:32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, {n} out of thy book which thou hast written.

(n) He esteemed the glory of God so much, that he preferred it even to his own salvation.

Ex 32:33

32:33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my {o} book.

(o) I will make it known that he was never predestined in my eternal counsel to life everlasting.

Ex 32:34

32:34 {p} Therefore now go, lead the people unto [the place] of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.

(p) This demonstrates how grievous a sin idolatry is, seeing that at Moses prayer God would not fully remit it.

Ex 33:1

33:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, [and] {a} go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:

(a) The land of Canaan was surrounded by hills: so those who entered it, must go up by the hills.

Ex 33:5

33:5 For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye [are] a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know {b} what to do unto thee.

(b) That I may either show mercy if you repent, or else punish your rebellion.

Ex 33:7

33:7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the {c} Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, [that] every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which [was] without the camp.

(c) That is, the tabernacle of the congregation: so called because the people turned to it, when they needed to be instructed of the Lord's will.

Ex 33:11

33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses {d} face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

(d) Most clearly and familiarly of all others, Nu 12:7,8 De 34:10

Ex 33:12

33:12 And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by {e} name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.

(e) I care for you and will preserve you in your calling.

Ex 33:14

33:14 And he said, My {f} presence shall go [with thee], and I will give thee rest.

(f) Signifying that the Israelites would exceed all other people, through God's favour; Ex 33:16.

Ex 33:18

33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy {g} glory.

(g) Your face, your substance, and your majesty.

Ex 33:19

33:19 And he said, I will make all my {h} goodness pass before thee, and I will {i} proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew {k} mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

(h) My mercy and fatherly care.
(i) See Ex 34:6,7.
(k) For finding nothing in man that deserves mercy, he will freely give his.

Ex 33:20

33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and {l} live.

(l) For Moses did not see his face in full majesty, but as man's weakness could bear.

Ex 33:21

33:21 And the LORD said, Behold, [there is] a place by {m} me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

(m) In mount Horeb.

Ex 33:23

33:23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my {n} back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

(n) As much of my glory as in this mortal life you are able to see.

Ex 34:6

34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and {a} proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

(a) This refers to the Lord, and not to Moses proclaiming: as Ex 33:19.

Ex 34:9

34:9 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; {b} for it [is] a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

(b) Seeing the people are of this nature, the rulers need to call on God that he would always be present with his Spirit.

Ex 34:12

34:12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a {c} snare in the midst of thee:

Ex 34:13

34:13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their {d} groves:

(d) Which pleasant places they chose for their idols.

Ex 34:17

34:17 Thou shalt make thee no {e} molten gods.

(e) As gold, silver, brass, or anything that is molten: in this is condemned all types idols, no matter what they are made of.

Ex 34:20

34:20 But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if 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 {f} empty.

(f) Without offering something.

Ex 34:22

34:22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering {g} at the year's end.

(g) Which was in September, when the days got shorter, that is, the end of their calendar year.

Ex 34:24

34:24 For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man {h} desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year.

(h) God promises to defend them and theirs, who obey his commandment.

Ex 34:26

34:26 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not {i} seethe a kid in his mother's milk.

(i) See Ex 23:19, De 14:21.

Ex 34:28

34:28 And he was there with the LORD {k} forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

(k) This miracle was to confirm the authority of the law, and should not be followed any more than other miracles.

Ex 34:34

34:34 But when Moses went in {m} before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel [that] which he was commanded.

(m) Which was in the tabernacle of the congregation.

Ex 35:2

35:2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy {a} day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.

(a) In which you shall rest from all bodily work.

Ex 35:10

35:10 And every wise {b} hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded;

(b) See Ex 28:3.

Ex 35:12

35:12 The ark, and the staves thereof, [with] the mercy seat, and the vail of the {c} covering,

Ex 35:19

35:19 The {d} cloths of service, to do service in the holy [place], the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office.

(d) Such as belong to the service of the tabernacle.

Ex 35:25

35:25 And all the women that were {e} wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, [both] of blue, and of purple, [and] of scarlet, and of fine linen.

(e) Who were witty and expert.

Ex 35:26

35:26 And all the women {f} whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' [hair].

(f) That is, who were good spinners.

Ex 35:29

35:29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made {g} by the hand of Moses.

(g) Using Moses as a minister of it.

Ex 35:35

35:35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner {h} of 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.

(h) Belonging to graving or carving, or such like.

Ex 36:1

36:1 Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the {a} sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded.

(a) By the sanctuary he means all the tabernacle.

Ex 36:3

36:3 And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it [withal]. And {b} they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.

(b) Meaning, the Israelites.

Ex 36:5

36:5 And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring {c} much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make.

Ex 36:8

36:8 And every wise hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains [of] fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: [with] {d} cherubims of cunning work made he them.

(d) Which were little pictures with wings in the form of children.

Ex 36:19

36:19 And he made a {e} covering for the tent [of] rams' skins dyed red, and a covering [of] badgers' skins above [that].

(e) These two were above the covering of goat's hair.

Ex 36:20

36:20 And he made boards for the tabernacle [of] shittim wood, {f} standing up.

(f) And to bear up the curtains of the tabernacle.

Ex 36:27

36:27 And for the sides of the tabernacle {g} westward he made six boards.

(g) Or, toward the Mediterranean Sea, west of Jerusalem,

Ex 36:35

36:35 And he made a {h} vail [of] blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: [with] cherubims made he it of cunning work.

(h) Which was between the sanctuary and the holiest of holies.

Ex 36:37

36:37 And he made an {i} hanging for the tabernacle door [of] blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of needlework;

(i) Which was between the court and the sanctuary.

Ex 37:2

37:2 And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a {a} crown of gold to it round about.

(a) Like battlements.

Ex 37:8

37:8 One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the [other] end on that side: out {b} of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

(b) Of the same material that the mercyseat was.

Ex 37:24

37:24 [Of] a {c} talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.

Ex 38:4

38:4 And he made for the altar a brasen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the {a} midst of it.

(a) So that the gridiron or grate was half as high as the altar and stood within it.

Ex 38:8

38:8 And he made the laver [of] brass, and the foot of it [of] brass, of the {b} lookingglasses of [the women] assembling, which assembled [at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

(b) R. Kimbi says that the women brought their looking glasses, which were of brass or fine metal, and offered them freely for the use of the tabernacle: which was a bright thing and of great majesty.

Ex 38:21

38:21 This is the sum of the tabernacle, [even] of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, [for] the service of the {c} Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest.

Ex 38:23

38:23 And with him [was] Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a {d} cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.

(d) Or, a graver, or carpenter, Ex 36:4.

Ex 38:29

38:29 And the brass of the offering [was] seventy {e} talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels.

(e) Read the weight of a talent, Ex 25:39.

Ex 39:1

39:1 And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made {a} cloths of service, to do service in the holy [place], and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses.

(a) As coverings for the ark, the candlestick, the altars and such like.

Ex 39:6

39:6 And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as {b} signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.

(b) That is, of very fine and curious workmanship.

Ex 39:12

39:12 And the third row, {c} a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.

Ex 39:14

39:14 And the stones [were] according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, {d} according to their names, [like] the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.

(d) That is, every tribe had his name written on a stone.

Ex 39:22

39:22 And he made the robe of the {e} ephod [of] woven work, all [of] blue.

(e) Which was next under the Ephod.

Ex 39:23

39:23 And {f} [there was] an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, [with] a band round about the hole, that it should not rend.

(f) Where he could put his head through.

Ex 39:34

39:34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the {g} vail of the covering,

(g) So called, because it hung before the mercyseat and covered it from sight Ex 35:12.

Ex 39:37

39:37 The pure candlestick, [with] the lamps thereof, [even with] the lamps to be {h} set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light,

(h) Or, which Aaron dressed and refreshed with oil every morning Ex 30:7.

Ex 39:42

39:42 According to all that the LORD {i} commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.

(i) Signifying that in God's matters man may neither add, nor diminish.

Ex 39:43

39:43 And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses {k} blessed them.

(k) Praised God for the peoples diligence and prayed for them.

Ex 40:2

40:2 On the {a} first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.

(a) After that Moses had been 40 days and 40 nights in the mountain, that is, from the beginning of August to the tenth of September, he came down, and caused this work to be done: which when finished, was set up in Abib, half March and half April.

Ex 40:5

40:5 And thou shalt set the altar {b} of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the {c} hanging of the door to the tabernacle.

(b) That is, the altar of perfume, or to burn incense on.
(c) This hanging or veil was between the sanctuary and the court.

Ex 40:15

40:15 And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing {d} shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.

(d) Till both the priesthood and the ceremonies should end, which is at Christ's coming.

Ex 40:17

40:17 And it came to pass in the first month in {e} the second year, on the first [day] of the month, [that] the tabernacle was reared up.

(e) After they came out of Egypt, Nu 7:1.

Ex 40:20

40:20 And he took and put the {f} testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark:

(f) That is, the tables of the law; Ex 31:18,34:29.

Ex 40:28

40:28 And he set up the hanging [at] the {g} door of the tabernacle.

(g) Between the sanctuary and the court.

Ex 40:38

40:38 For {h} the cloud of the LORD [was] upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

(h) Thus the presence of God preserved and guided them night and day, till they came to the land promised.

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