the LORD, neither will I let I[frael go. * : - d I am the Soveraign Lord of Egypt, and I own no ſuperiour here, 3 And they ſaid, The God ofthe Hebrews hath met with'use f Let us go, we pray thee, three days journey into the deſart, and ſacrifice unto the. LORD our God, leſt he fall upon us f with peſtilence, or with the ſword, e ( i e.) Hath appeared tous lately, and laid this command upon us. Others, is called upon 5, i.e. his name is called upon us, or we are called by his name. But why ſhould Moſes fo ſolemnly tell that to Pharaoh which all the people knew, to wit, that the Hebrews did worſhip the God of the Hebrews ? Andour Tranſlation is confirmed by comparing with Exod: 3. 18: where this very Meſſage is pre- ſcribed. f Left he puniſh, either us, if we diſobey his command, or the, if thou hindereſt us from obeyingit: Bur this latter they only imply, as being eaſily gathered from the former. _ 4 And the King of Egypt faid unto them, Where- fore do ye, Moſes and Aaton, let the people from
their works ? Get you unto your burdens g. | g Either 1. Ye, the Elders of 7-ael, who are here come with Moſes and Aaron ; ſee Yerſ: 1. Or, 2+ Ye, Miſes and Aayon. So far am I from granting the Liberty which you deſire for the people, that as a juſt puniſhment upon you for your ſeditious Attempt, I command you alſo to go with the reſt, and to take your ſhare in their burthens, and to perform the Task which ſhall be required of you. And thar ſo cruel a Tyraric did not proceed further againſt them, muſt be aſcribed to the mighty Power of God, who governs the Spirits, and reſtrains the hands of the greateſt Kings, when he pleaſeth. 5 And Pharaoh ſaid, Behold, the people of the land now are many h, and you make them reſt from their
burdens. b The 1/r2elites in this Land are very numerous, ' end therefore it were a madneſs in me to permittnem all to meet and ' go together, as you deſire, which may rend to the ruin of my whole Kingdom, and Probably it 1s deſigned by you to that purpoſe. Or, Therefore your injury to me is the greater, in attempting to rob me af the benefit of their Labours. . This I prefer, becauſe it ſuits beſt with the following words. | 6 And Pharaoh commanded the ſame day the task-maſters of the people, and their officers,* ſaying, * The Task-maſters were: Egyptians, and the Officers were 1/raelites, Under-officers ro them, Yerſ:; 14, 15, 19. 7 Ye thall no more give the people ſtraw to make
'þ brick z as heretofore : let them. go and gather ſtraw-for
themſelves, : ; The Straw was uſed either to mingle with the Clay, that it to cover the Clay when it was formed
| Might not be £0 brittle ; or
M 2 ante
:
29 And Moſes and Aaron went, and gathered.
, All of them whom they could eaſily and quickly bring toge-.
char he had looked upon their afflition, then * they , (__ 12. 27.
© Job-,
- hs IX - S C - %
21. IS,
#*
EF” me TY p Chap. V. | Af * +*nto Bricks, that the heat of the Sun tnight not dry them too _
; iohr hor Countrey ; or Tor rew — —_—_— Bag pare © Bricks <B. Straw being abundant there, and much uſed for that purpoſe. : k
? And the tale of the bricks which they did make heretofore ye ſhall Jay upon them : you ſhall not dimi- niſh ought thereof: for they be idle, therefore they cry, | ſaying, Let ns go «nd ſacrifice to our God. _ | \ *9 f Let there more work be laid upon the _ | _ that they may labour therein, andlet them not regar | the . E-. | | — gy DENG £ of Miſes and 4aron, which are vain, or _ bh : | which they falſly pretend to come from God, when it 15 only an1 deſign of their own to advance themſelves by raiſing ſedition.
io And the task-maſters of the people went our, and their officers, and they ſpake to the people, ſaying, Thus ſaith Pharaoh, I will not give you ſtraw.
11 Go ye, get youſtraw where you can find it : yet not ought of your work ſhall be diminiſhed.
12 So the people were ſcattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt *, to gather ſtubble inſtead of ſtraw. _ |
* (:.e.) All that part of it ; which is a very uſual Synecdoche.
12 And the task-maſters haſted hem, ſaying, Fulfill your works, your + daily tasks, as when there was
raw. ;
14 And the officers of the children of Krael, which Pharaoh's task-maſters had ſet over them, were beaten, and demanded, - Wherefore have ye nor fulfilled your | eask in making brick, both yeſterday, and to day, as
heretofore ? ' Fe
15 Then the officers of the children of Ifracl came
and cried unto Pharaoh, ſaying, Wherefore dealeſt thou thus with thy ſervants ? |
' x6 There is no ſtraw given unto thy ſervants, and they ſay to us, Make brick : and behold, thy ſervants are beaten ; but the fault is in thine own people /.
»1 (i.e. ) The FEgyption Task-maſters, who by ſending us abroad to gather Straw, hinder us from doing the work which they require; And ſo they are both unjuſt and unreaſonable. They charge the Tisk-maſters, not the King, either in civility and duty, caſting his fault vpn the Inſtruments ; or becauſe they did not know, orat beſt nor believe that this was the King's AQ; Others. Thypeople, z. e. the Egyptians, make themſelves guilty, and will bring the vengeance of God upon them for their cruelty. |
17 But he ſaid, Ye are idle, ye are idle therefore ye ſay, Letus go and do ſacrifice to the LORD.
13 Go therefore now «nd work, for there ſhall no Rtraw be given you : yet {ball ye deliver the tale of
' Þricks. X be »
19 And the officers of the children of Iſrael did ſee that they werein evil caſe »z, after ir was ſaid, Ye ſhall not miniſh eygh: from your bricks of your daily task.
- Oc, looked upon them with ſadneſs, or with an evil eye, i.e. with
a ſorrowful and augry countenance, 2s taoſe that could obtain no xelaxation for themſelves, or for their Brethren.
20 Andthey met Moſes and Aaron, who ſtood in the way, as they f came forth from Pharaoh :
7 The Officers who went to pour out their complaints to Pharaoh, Perſe 16.
21 And they ſaid unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge, becauſe you have made our favour | + Heb. ts | to beabhored in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes | fink. of his ſervants, to put a ſword in theirhand'to ſlay us ». Gen: 34: _ 2 To give them, what they have long ſought and thirſted after, 30 - - T0 wir, an occaſion to deſtroy and root us our. | E .. 22 Ard Moſes returned unto the LORD o, and ſaid, - LORD, wherefore haſt thou /o evil intreated this
people p ? Why is it that thou haft ſenc me ?