to. Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his feafon from year to year.

11. And it fhall be when the LORD fhall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and fhall give it thee.

12. That thou shalt fet a-part unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix: and every firstling that cometh of a beast, which thon the males fhall be the

haft

LORD's.

13.

And every firstling of an afs thou shalt redeem with a lamb and if thou wilt not redeem it then thou shalt break his neck: and all the first-born of man amongst =thy children fhalt thou redeem.

12. That thou: Ch.

22. 29. and 34. 19. Ezek.44.30. Set apart: Heb Caufe to halt not reckon it pafs over: 1. e. Thou thine own,but God's Vid. Levit. 27. 32.

13. Of an Afs Of unclean beafts Numb. 18. 15. The Afs is named, that ry common among creature being ve them, Jud. 10.4. and 12. 14. And the Afs therefore feems named here as a moft common Beast, and comprehending other Creatures that were not fit for Sacri fice: And Philo the few, when he mentions this Law, reckons Horfes, Affes and Camels, and fuch-like, [de Sa= cerdot. Honor. l.] Lamb: Or, Kid; vid. ch. 12.3.

15. And it came to pafs when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD flew all the first-born in the Land of Egypt, both the firft-born of man, and the firftborn of beast: therefore I facrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firft born of my children I redeem.

16. And

16. And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.

16. And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: See verse 9. Hence the Jews, un

derstanding these words literally, took up a cuftom of ufing their Phylacteries, (Matt. 23.5.) which they wore on their Hands and Foreheads. These were made of Skins of a clean Beaft, in which were written four Tracts or little Sections of their Law; viz. Deut. 6. 4. to the end of v.9. Exod. 13. 1. to the end of v. 10. Exod. 13. 11. to the end of v. 16. Deut. 11. 13. to the end of v. 21.

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 faid, Left peradventure the people repent when they fee war, and they return to Egypt.

:

18. But God led the people about, through the way of the wil. derness of the Red fea and the children of Ifrael went up barneffed out of the land of Egypt.

19. And Mofes took the bones of Fofeph with him: for he had traitly worn the children of Ifrael, faying, God will furely vifit you; and ye fball carry up my bones away bence with you.

18. Harneffed: Or, by five in a rank: i.e. They went in good order, and having their 'Loins girded.

See ch. 12. 11.

19. The bones of Jofeph': Vid. Act.7.16. God will, &c. Gen. 50.25. Josh.24.32.

20. And they took their jour- 20. They took, &c. ney from Succoth, and encamped in Numb. 33. 6. Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.:

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

21. The LORD: Numb. 14. 14. Deut. 1.33. Nehem. 9. 19. Pfal. 78. 14. 1 Cor. 10. 1. He is called

the Angel of God,

ch. 14.

ch. 14. 19. And it is fuppofed that he is the Son of God, it being faid that they tempted Chrift in the Wilderness, 1 Cor. 10. 9. And Philo the few thinks it credible that a certain invifible Angel accompanied the Cloud as the Conductor of the People; Whom (fays he) we may not fee with bodily eyes. [Vid. Phil. de Vit. Mof. L. 1.] And there is ground for this opinion of his from this place, compared with ch. 14. 19. where it is faid, And the Angel of God which went before the Camp of Ifrael removed and went behind them: And the Pillar of the Cloud went from before their face, and food behind them.

22. He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

22. The Pillar: The Pillar of a Cloud and of Fire feem to be but one Pillar, ch. 14. 19, 20, 24.

Spread as a Cloud by day, and having the appearance of Fire by night, for the guidance of the People.

CHA P. XIV.

The ARGUMENT.

The Ifraelites are directed in their Journey. Pharaoh pursues them. The Ifraelites are much afraid. Mofes endeavours to quiet them. The Angel and Cloud remove behind the Camp of Ifrael. The Ifraelites pafs through the Red fea; the Egyptians following them, are drowned.

was a mountainous and fleep place: For he tells us, that the Egyptians fhut up the Hebrews that they could not elcape between steep Mountains on the one hand, and the Sea on the other. [Vid. Jofeph. Ant. 1. 2. c. 6.] Abravenel will have Pibabiroth to referr to a Village, from whence the Red fea falls into a Channel called Hiroth: Be it as it will the Hebrews are in a trait. Between Migdol and the Sea Migdol fignifies a ftrong Fort. And this fpeaks the ftrait in which the Hebrews were, having the Sea on one fide, and a strong Fort to receive their Enemies on the other. Baal-zephon: This feems to be the place of an Idol, called Baal; and Abravenel tells us it ftood on the North-fide of Migdol. And then it might for that cause be called Zephon, that word fignifying the North.

19

3. For Pharaoh will fay of the children of Ifrael, They are entang led in the land, the wilderness hath Shut them in

4. And I will harden Pharaoh's beart, that he fhall follow after them, and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his boft; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did fo.

:

5. And it was told the king of Egypt, that the people fled and the heart of Pharaoh and of his fervants was turned against the people, and they said, Why bave we done this, that we have let Ifrael go from ferving us? · 6. And he made ready bis chariot, and took his people with him.

7. And he took fix hundred chofen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.

8. And the LORD hardned the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and be pursued after the children of Ifrael: and the children of Ifrael went out with an high hand.

8. With an high hand: Openly and boldly, and in good order, not like Fugitives, ch. 13. 18. 9. But

9. But the Egyptians purfued 9 Egyptians: Vid. after them (all the horses and cha riots of Pharaoh, and

Josh 246. & Mac.4.9. horse-men, and his army) and overtook them encamping by the fea, befide Pihahiroth before Baal zephon.

10. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Ifrael lift up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them, and they were fore afraid and the children of Ifrael cried out unto the LORD.

11. And they said unto Mofes, Because there were no graves in Egypt, haft thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore haft thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

12. Is not this the word that 12. Is not this: we did tell thee in Egypt, faying, Ch. 6. 9.

Let us alone, that we may ferve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to ferve the Egyptians, then that we should die in the wilderness.

13. And Mofes faid unto the people, Fear ye not, ftand still, and Jee the falvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have feen to day, ye fhall fee them again no more for ever.

13. And Mofes faid, &c. There is a Tradition among the ple in this great trait Jews, that the peowere divided into four feveral Sects and Opinions. The first were for running in

to the Sea; The fecond for returning into Egypt; The third for fighting the Egyptians; The fourth for lifting up their Voice, and by their Shrieks and Out-cries confounding their Enemies; And that Mofes fpeaks to the People with refpect to their divided Opinions. To the first in thefe words, Fear ye not, ftand ftill, and fee the Salvation of the Lord. To the fecond he faid, For the Egyptians, whom have feen to day, ye shall fee them again no more for ever. To the third, The Lord fhall fight for you. To the fourth, And ye shall hold your peace. [Vid. Targ. Jon. & Hierofol. in loc.1 For the Egyptians whom ye have feen to day: Or, For whereas you have feen the Egyptians to day: i. e. They

ye

Z z

fhould