> Bdoximacey wus, “273 ;—“ proved me.” This word is seldom used in an ill sense, as the former is almost continually. a is to have experience, upon search, investigation, and trial, Ps. cxxxix. 23. The experience, therefore, that they had of the power of God upon their temptations, is that which by this word is in- tended. ‘They “ proved me,” and found by trial that I was in the midst of them.’
Kal cidov ra epee peovy "by ASDA; and saw my works.” “And saw my work,” in the psalm, 54 is rendered by xe/. It signifies “also,” “ moreover,”
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VER. 7-11.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 11
somewhat above a mere conjunction; and so doth x/, most frequently “ quin- etiam.” Some suppose it may be here taken for “ etsi,” “ etiamsi,” “ although.” ‘They tempted me, and proved me, “ although they saw my works.”’ And so these words are placed as an aggravation of their sin in tempting of God, distrusting of him, after they had had such experience of his power and goodness, in those mighty works of his which they saw. But the order of things also seems to be intended. First they tempted God,—“They tempted me.” Then they had an experience of his power,—*“ They proved me;” and that by the production of his mighty works which they saw. For generally all the works of God in the wil- derness, whether of mercy or judgment, were consequents of, or ensued upon the people’s tempting of him. Such was his bringing water out of the rock, and sending of quails and manna. The people murmured, chode, strove, tempted; then the power of God was manifested and the works were wrought which they saw. So were the judgments that he wrought and executed on Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and on the spies that brought up an evil report on the land, with those that adhered unto them. ‘This order and method of things is here expressed. They tempted God by their complaints, repinings, murmurings, seditions, unbelief, weariness of their condition, with impatient desires and wishings after other things. Here- upon they had frequent trials of the power, care, and faithfulness of God; as also of his holiness, and indignation against their sins, All these were made manifest in the mighty works of providence, in mercies and judgments which he wrought amongst them, and which they saw. They had them not by report or tradition, but saw them with their own eyes, which was a great aggravation of their unbe- lief. Jarchi refers this to the works of God in Egypt only; but this is contrary to our apostle, although they are not to be excluded: Num. xiv. 22, “They have seen my glory, and my miracles” (my glorious works), “ which I did in Egypt, and in the wilderness.”
Tesoupenovre éry,—forty years.” Here the apostle finisheth the sense of the words, referring them to what goes before: ‘They saw my works forty years.? The psalmist, as was before observed, placeth these words in the be- ginning of the next verse, and makes them to respect the season of God’s indig- nation against them for their sins; "2¥ 5°72°8,—“forty years wasI grieved.” By the apostle, the space of time mentioned is applied unto the people’s seeing of the works of God; by the psalmist, to God’s indignation against them. And these things being absolutely commensurate in their duration, it is altogether indifferent to which of them the limitation of time specified is formally applied; and the apostle shows it to be indifferent, in that in the 17th verse of this chapter he ap- plies the space of time unto God’s being grieved with them, as here unto the people’s sin: “ With whom was he grieved forty years?” Only, it may be, the apostle made this distinction of the words to intimate, that the oath of God against the entering of that people into his rest was not made after the end of forty years, as the order of the words in the psalm seems toimport: “ Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It isa people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: unto whom I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest.” They seem to intimate, that God thus sware in his wrath after he had been grieved with them forty years. But they do but seem so: really they only declare that it was the same people with whom he was grieved concerning whom he sware; for the oath of God here intended is that mentioned, Num. xiv. 20-23. The people falling into a high sedition and murmuring, upon the report of the spies that were sent to search the land, the Lord sware by himself that that whole generation should wander forty years in that wilderness, until they were all consumed. Now, this was upon the next year after their coming up out of Egypt, and after which the forty years of their provocations and God’s indignation ensued. But these things, as to time, were of
12 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. III.