25 And he cried unto the LORD : and the LORD ſhewed him a * tree, which when he had caſt into the waters, the waters were made {weet b: there he made for then a ſtatute and an ordinance c, and there * he
roved them X*. |
b Not ſo much, by any vertue m that Tree, as by the Power of God who uſed this, rather as a ſign to the [raelites, than'as ian In- firument to himſelf in. this Work. c God, or Moſes in God's Name, and by his Order, conſtiruted and pub'iſhed to them a Stature. Which ſeemsto be underſto-d not of any particular Statute or Law, as that concerning the Sabbath, or their Duty to their Parents, or the like ; for the ſpecifying of their Duties 1s reſerved to another time and place ; but of a general Law or Rule ÞÞrmerly given, and now ſolemnly renewed by Moſes at Gods command, like that given to Abraham their Father, Gen; 17. 1, Walk before me and be pirfetF,
”
Is Then the Dukes of Edom ſhall be amazed : * the
: ' 7 : | , 5 .. bs a 4 = > a<&- x4 4 - . \ 4 - e % 4; ” E - J PE 61 M8 FF) we." . Js 2
ww.
Chap. XVI.
God having thus far performed his part of that Covenant m:de with Abraham and his Seed, to bring them our of Egypr towards Canaan, tells them that he expe&s,and requires of them their Obſervance of the Condition of that Covenant, and gives them this indefinite and univerſal Law or Precept, that they ſhould obey and fulhll all the commands u hich God had already laid upon them or their Parents, and which he ſhould hereafter reveal to them. This ſenſe may be gathered our of the following verſe, wherein he explains what he
meant by this Sratute, even all God's Stztutes or Commanaments,
which if they would keep, he engageth himſelf to preſerve and deliver them. So it is only a change of the Number, the Singular,
Statute, being put for the Plural, Statutes, which is a Figure very
frequently uſed both in Scripture, and in other Aut-ors. God ha- ving now eaſed them of the hard and iron Yoke of the Egyprians,puts
his ſweet and eaſy Yoke upon them ; and having undertaken to be
their King, and Prote&or, and Captain, he claims their ſubjection
to himſelf, and to his Laws or Statutes. * Or, tryed them, 1. e. the
Iſraelites, There he tryed both their Faith by the difficulry now
mentioned, viz. their want of Water, and their future Obedience
by this general command, which he is about to branch forth into
divers particulars.
26 And ſaid, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and will do that which
[is right in his ſight, and wilt give ear to his command-
ments, and keep all his ſtatutes, * I will put none * Deut: 7: of theſe diſeaſes upon thee 4, which I have brought ;?
upon the Egyptians 3 for I am the LORD * that a healeth thee e 103:3-and
r Or, be as filent ; they ſhall be ſo ſtruck with amazement, that , Soul and Body.
80, where the Temple was to be built; which is here put for the whole |
4 Nor other Evils or Plagues; but on the contrary, I will bleſs 147:3. thee with all manner of bleflings. Under one branch or part of the bleſſings of God's Covenant, he includes all the reſt by a very com« mon Synecdoche. e Or, thy Phyſician, for all thy Maladies both of
27 4 * And they came to Elim, where were twelve * Numb:
17 Thou thalt bring them in,and * plant them inthe wells of water, and threeſcore and ten palm-trees f, 3* 9 ; mountain - of thine inheritance ; in the place, O Lord, ' and they encamped there by the waters. which thou haſt made for thee to dwell in; in the ſan- |} |
þ
f Which were both pleaſant for their ſhade, and refreſhing for their ſweet Fruit. Thus the Iſraelites are obliged and encouraged to the Obedience commanded, by being pur into better circum- ſtances tian they were under in their laſt {tation.
CHAP. XVL
The children of Iſrael ſojourn in the wilderneſs of Sin, rt. Murmur againſt Moſes, 2, 3. God promiſes to ſupply their wants with bread from hea= wen, 4 ÞAQAnd diretts about preparing this bread, 5. Moſes reproves the people for murmuring, 7, 8. Appoints them to come before the Lord, & God's glory appeareth in the clould, ro=---12. He ſendeth quails, 13. and manna, 15. Every one gather a quantity, 16===18. The command about keeping it, 19. is alſobeyed, 20. The time of gathering, 21, Ther increaſing the quantity on the ſixth aty, 22-==-24+ The command concerning the ſabbath, 25, 26. diſobeyed, 27, for which God is angry, 28. Moſes's counſel, 29. They reſt, 30. The name of the \ bread, 31. The command concerning the preſervation of the manna, 32, The time of the manna'”s continuance, 35.
33- A N D they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Iſrael came
:& unto the wilderneſs of Sin 64, which is berween Elim ' and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the ſecond month,
|
[0
2 Either 1» The Women, laſt ſpoken of, and then it is an Enz1- *
after their departirg out of the land of Egypt.
a Though not immediately ; for there is another Stage of theirs by the Red-Sea, mentioned Numb: 33. 10. ( in which Chapter Moſes deſigned exa&ly ro ſet down all their Stations) but omitted here, becauſe nothing rema:kable happened in it ; and Moſes in this place deſigned to record only the memorable Paſſages. b A great Wil- derneſs bet:veen the Red-Sea and Mount Sinai, but differing from that Sin mentioned Numb. 20: 1. *
2 And the whole congregation of the children of Iſrael murmured c, againſt Moſes and Aaron in the wilderneſs.
c For want of Meat, as appears from the following Verſe, their Provitions brought out of Egypr being now ſpent. |
3 And the children of Iſrael ſaid unto them, Would
to God we had died by the hand of the LORD din the land' of Egypt, * when we fat by the fleih-pots, * Numb: and when we did cat bread to the full e : for ye have 2+ 5: brought us forth into this wilderneſs to kill this whole aſſembly with hunger f,