p I defire no further favour,T will no more offend nor need your pardon. q This Jeadly Plagne, Comprre 2 Krvgs 4. 40 and * Cor: 11. 23. Beſides it did deftrcy the Life of Herbs and Trees; yea of Beaſts and Men, either direC&ly, or at leaſt by conſequence, in de- priving them of the neceſſary Supports -f Lite. :
18 Andhe went out from Pharaoh, and intreated
the LORD. . ;
19 And the LORD turned a mighty ſrong weſt- windr, which took away the locuſts, and Þ cait thera s * into the Red-fſea t: there remained not one locutft in
all the coaſts of Egypt» : r Heb: 4 wind of the Sea, 7. e. coming from the Sea, called there the great Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, from whence came the- North-weſt Wind, which did-blow the Locuſts direQly into the Red-Sea. 5 Caſt them, as the Hebrew word ſignifies, with a great noiſe, - and with great force, ſo as they ſhould never riſe'again. to moleſt them, ' : Heb. The Sea of Bulruſbes, ſo called from the great number of Bul- ruſhes near its Shore ; or, The Sen of Bounds or Limits, q: d. the nar- row Sea, whereas they could ſee no Bounds nor Shore beyond the Mediterranean Sea. It was called the Arabian Gulf, and by othersthe Red-Sea, either from its Red Sand; or rather from Eſau, called alſo Edom, which ſignifies. Red, Gen: 25. 30. from whom as the ad- joyning Countrey was calied Edom, or Red, fo this was called the Rea-Sen. 20 But the LORD * hardned Pharaohs heart, ſo that he would not let the children of Ifrael go. 21 4 And the LORD faid unto Moſes, Stretch out thine hand towards heaven, thatthere may be darkneſs over the land of Egypt, + even darkneſs which may be
felt wo :
« It is an Hyperbolical Expreſſion,ſuch being very frequent both in Scripture and in *WH Authors. For Darkneſs being only a priva- tion, cannot be properly felt, yet it might be felt in its Cauſe, to
wit, thoſe thick and groſs Vapours which filled and infected the
EI ES HA
es —
& S
Air. But the place may be rendred thus, that theve may be dark toſs = ofter that ( fo the Hebrew Yau 1s ſometimes uſed, as Mich: 7, 3 ) the darkneſs (i e. the darkneſs of the Night, or the common and daily darkneſs ) is departed or removed, and the time of the day come ; *or ſo the root, from whence this word may be derived, ſignifies, Exod. 13. 22. And to this purpoſe the words are rendred by the Chaldee and Syiack, and ſome others ; and the ſenſe is, that che Darkneſs may continue inthe day-time as well as in the night. 22 And Moles ftretched forth his hand toward hea- ven: and there was a * thick darkneſs in all the land *pry1.,os; of Egypt three days. 28.
23+ They faw not one another x, neither roſe any | Ds from his place y for three days: * butall the children % trot 4 of Iſrael had light in their dwellings z. 2: es
x Becauſe theſe groſs and moiſt Fogs and Vapours did not only quite ſhut out the 1:ght of the heavenly Bodies, but alſo put out their Candles, or other artificial Lights, or at leaſt ſo da:ken rhem that men could have no benefit by them. y Place- here may be ta« ken, cither 1. More ſtri&ly and particularly ; 1o the ſenſeis, The horcour of that da: kneſs was fo gieat that they durit not remove at all, but ſtood or ſat where the darkneſs found them, like men aſto= nithed or affrighted, and therefore unmoveable,having their Minds diſturbed, being te:rified with their guilry Conſcicnces, which moſt affe&t men in the dark, ant; with the dreadful noiſes which they heard, W:/d.17 5. and with the Apparitions of evil Angels, as may ſeem from Pſa/m 78. 49. where the Plague of evil Angels is put 1ni:ead of this Plague of darkneſs, which therefore is omitted in that place » here all the reſt are reckoned up. O: rather 2. More largly, for their own Houſes or Dwellings, for ſo the Hebrew word 1s certainly uſe:!, Exod- 16. 29. So the ſenſe is, They did not ſtir abroad out of their Houſes upon their moſt neceſſary oc- caſions. Obj. He faith not that he could not go, but that they could not riſe from their place, which mzy ſeem to limit this expreſſion to their particular places. nſw; The word, to riſe, is commonly put for going abour any buſineſs; and here it is a pregnant word, as they call it, and implies going in it, none aroſe, viz. to SO Or remove jroz- his place, And 7:ij/ng cannot be preperly taken hcre for that particular poſture, unleſs we will ſuppoſe that this darkneſs four.d all men fitting, which is abſurd to imagine. z» Whereby they might have conveyed themſelves, and families. and goods a- way, as afrerwards they did 41 haſte ; but they waited for Moſes his Orders, and he for God's Command, and God intended to brin them forth, not by ſtealth, but in a more honourable and publick
Manner, in ſpight of all oppoſition.
24 4 Ard s Pharaoh called unto Moſes, and ſaid, Go ye,ſferve the LORD : only let your flocks and y ourherds be ſtayed 6 : let your little ones alſo go with you.
a Or, Therefore; os Then, to wit, after the da: kneſs was either wholly, or in patt removed. b either asa Pledge of your return after your Sacrifice is ended; or as a recor penſe for the Cattel which I have loit by yur means. c And conſcquent'y the Wo- men, whole help an {e;vice was neceſſary for their little ones in' divers regards
25 £AGAnd Moſzs faid, Thou muft give F us * alſo fa- fHeb. ma |
crifices, ang but i3t=offerings, that we may ſacrifice un 9 #914. toche LORD our God.
*7. e. Suffer us to take of our ovin Stock.
26 Our cattel atſo ſhall go with us, there ſhall not an hoof be left behind, for thereof muſt wetake to ſerve the LORD cur Ged: and we know not with what we muſt ſerve ti:® LORD until we come thither d.
a Wiiich was nor a Pretence, but a real Truth. For this being a folemn and extraordinary Sacrifice, by the expreſs and particulas appointment of od, they knew not either of what kinds, or in wiat nnmber or menner taerr Sacrifices muſt be offered. And for all theſe things they did not receive particular direQions till they came to Mount S727. :
27 T Bur tne LORD * hardned Pharaohs heart, and *Chap: 14: be would notlet them go. 4, 8:
28 And Pharaoh ſaid unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thy ſelf? ſee my face no more ; for in that day thou feeit my face, thou ſhale die.
29 And Moſes ſaid, Thou haſt ſpoken well e, I will ſee thy face again no more.