- Now, it doth not denote only that particular provocation, when God in an especial manner entered his caveat against them that they should not enter into his rest, seeing not only the psalmist in this place, but also our apostle, verse 17, directly refers it to the frame of his mind towards them during the whole forty years. He was wearied by them, and grew weary of them.
Th yevex axalvy, “that generation ;” a 72, “in the generation,”—that is, “ with that generation.” “% is an age of man, or rather the men of one age: Eccles. i. 4, * One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh,’—that is, the menof oneage. See Deut. xxxii. 7. Sois yeveq, asin Homer’s Iliad, vi. 146:—
Oin ep QUAAwY vyeven, ToInde xa) dydpare
And when it is taken for “tas” or “seculum,” it doth not primarily intend a duration of time, but the persons living in that time. Herodotus, in Euterpe, reckons thirty years to a yevee, a “ generation.” So doth Plutarch also in De Defect. Oraculorum. The generation here denotes no limited season, but com- priseth all the persons that came up out of Egypt above twenty years of age, who all died within the space of forty years afterwards.
*Ael whavavras rH xcpdie, “They always err in heart;” 57 322 "2A b2,« They are a people erring in heart.” The words of the psalmist are ‘somewhat ones by the apostle, but the sense is absolutely the same, for, taking the people to be sufficiently signified, he adds a word to denote the constant course of their pro- vocations,—* always,” on all occasions, in every trial. Not in any one condition did they give glory to God, neither in their straits nor in their deliverances, neither in their wants nor in their fulness, but continually tempted and provoked him with their murmurings and unbelief. 57 nab yh py, « Populus errantes corde,” or “ errantium corde;” that is, “ populus vecors,” « a foolish, unteach- able people.” 2 is most usually “so to err as to wander out of the way:” Isa. lili. 6; Gen. xxxvii. 15; Prov. vii. 25. And in Hiphil, it is “to cause to err or wander,” “to seduce,” “ to draw aside:” Hos. iv. 12; Isa. xix. 13. And it is pro- perly rendered by whavew and rrAwvaowes, which have both a neuter and active signification, —“ to err,” “to wander,’ and “to seduce” or “ draw aside:” whence awhavos is “ erro,” “ vagabundus,” “a wanderer,” “a vagabond;” and also “ de- ceptor,” “seductor,” “impostor,” “a seducer,” “a deceiver,” or “impostor.” In both which senses the Jews blasphemously applied it unto our Lord Jesus Christ, Matt. xxvii. 63. The words, then, denote not a speculative error of the mind, a mistake or misapprehension of what was proposed unto them,—in which sense the terms of error and erring are most commonly used,—but a practical aberration or wandering by choice from the way of obedience made known unto them; and therefore they are said “ to errin their heart,” +7 ~apd/z. For though that be commonly taken in the Scripture for the entire principle of moral ope- rations, and so compriseth the mind and understanding, yet when an immediate respect is had unto duties and sins, it hath an especial regard to the affections
14 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [cHapP. III.
and desires of the heart; so that to “err in heart,” is, “through the seductions and impulsions of corrupt affections, to have the mind and judgment corrupted, and then to depart from the ways of obedience.”
Abrol 02 abn eyvasay ros dovs wov,—* and they have not known my ways; ” "207 TN? OT, The apostle renders 1 by dé, an adversative, “ but;” which is frequently used for xa/, “and,” as it is rendered by ours. Yet an opposition may also be intimated, “They have not known.” It is said before that they “saw the works of God,” which were parts of his “ ways;” and his laws were made known unto them. Of these two parts do his ways consist,—the ways of his providence, and the ways of his commands; or the ways wherein he walketh towards us, and the ways wherein he would have us walk towards him. And yetit is said of this people, that “they knew not his ways.” As we said, therefore, before concerning their error, so we must. now say concerning their ignorance, that it is not a Simple nescience that is intended, but rather an affected dislike of what they did see and know. It seems to be made up of two parts:—First, They did not so spiritually and practically know the mind, will, and intention of God in them, as thereon to believe in him, to trust him, and to honour him. This is the knowledge of God which is required in the law and promised in the coye- nant. Secondly, In that light and knowledge which they had of the ways of God, they liked them not, they approved them not, they delighted not in them. And this is the constant intention of that word to “ know,” where the object of it is God, his ways, or his will.
‘Og Buooe ey rH coyn Hov,—© SO I sware in my wrath;” "[22%2-"%8. The use of the word "=8 is so various, as that it may denote either the persons spoken unto or the reason of the things spoken. The Vulgar Latin in some copies reads in this place, “ quibus,” “to whom,” as though it had taken d¢ for ofs, but com- monly, “ sicut;” ds is often put for adore, “ quapropter,” ‘so that.” So Beza, * whereupon,” “ for which cause” or “ reason,”’—the consideration of the state, condition, and multiplied miscarriages of that people that came out of Egypt.