;; to turn away his wrath, leſt he ſhould deſtroy rhe. þ He declared his intention in expreſs words, as Exod. 32+ 15, and elſewhere. i God had made an hedge or wall about them ; but they had made a gap or breach in it by their ſins, at which the Lord, who was now juſtly become their Enemy, might enter to deſtroy them z which he had certainly done, it Moſes by his pres vailing interceſſion had not hindred him. See Dear. g« 12. and 10s 10. Itis a Metaphor from a Beſieged City, where' the Enemy in- deavours to make a breach in the Walls, and thereby to enter into the City ; which he wil do, unleſs ſome valiant Champion ſtand in the gap to oppoſe him. . : 24 Yea, they deſpiſed & || the pleaſant land /; they [ Heb. believed not his'word m: land if i
k Preferring Egypt and their former Bondage before it Numb.ſ#*: 14+ 3» 4- and not thinking it worthy of a little hazard and diff- culty in taking the poſleſſion of it. / Canaan, which was ſo not only in truth, Deut: 11. 11, 12. Jer. 3. 19: Ezek: 20. 6. but even by the Relation of thoſe ſpies, who diſcouraged them from entring into it. 2 z, e. His promile of giving them the land, and ſubduing all their Enemies before them 3 which they knew by late and mas»
was urged by Mes Numb. 14. 13, &c.
*EX. 14-21. + PL. 136. TJ: Ia.63. 01,12, 15+
derneſs r. s As ſecurely asif they had walked upon the dry Land.
* He rebuked the red ſea alfo, and it was dried up: ſo he led them throughthe + depths as through the wil-
nifold experience, that God was both able and willing to do- 25 * But murmured in their tents, and hearkned not unto the voice of the Lord ». » To Gods command, which was; that they ſhould boldly and confidently enter ango at: 26 | Theres
*Ny, 14
Flal. Cyt-
il
*Nt 3, 1
INy 33:
[.24
eb, f
of db
g, 146
| Pſa]. CVI. P
I
fNu; 34: 26 7 Therefore he lifred up bis hand o againſt them, 23, © overthrow them in the wiiderneſs:
o Hetwore, as this Phraſe is commonly uſed, as Gen, 14+. 22.
Dent. 22. 4%« Nchem, 9. i5. Revel: ro. 5, 6. of rhis dreadful and irrevocable Sentence and Oarh of God, ſee Numbe 14+ FOES | 3 ha 4 _ *- {fo y T [ Feb: 9 27 || * To overthrow their feed p alſo among the Na- make them tIONS, and to {catter them in the lands, fall. Þ He ſware alſo ( though not at the ſame time ) that he would *P[44:11? punith their Sins, not only in their perſons, bur alſo in their Po- Erck: 20: tterity. See Exod. 20. 5.and 32: 34+ Levit. 26. 33. others refer 230 this to the ſame Oath and Hiſtory, Namb. 14+ becauſe God inten- ded at firſt to deſtroy both Parents and Children, even the whole Nation, v. 12. 15. though afterwards upon Ms/es his Interceſſion, he Imited the Judgment to that Generation. Bur that Deſtruttion threatned, was by the PeSilence, wv. 12. not, as here, by Captivity and baniſhment. Beſides; God ſaid that v. 18. bur he did nor {wear it, but tie Oath came afterward, v. 21, *Nu:255 28 * They joined themſelves q allo unto Baal-peor, 3 © and ate the facrifices of the dead r. | Rb 9 Towit, in Worſhip, whereby they had an Union and Com- RV32:14. union with him, as Gods people have with God in a&s of his Worſhip. And this phraſe feems alſo to note their carnal Copu- lation with the Danghrers of Moab in the Temple, or to the Honour of Baal peor. r Which were offered to Idols, which he calls dead, in oppolition to the true and living God, and by way of contempr, and to note the ſottiſhneſs of Jdolaters who worſhipped lifelets things, as ſtocks and ſtones, or dead Men. And ſome learned Men conceive that this is ſpoken with particular regard to Baal-P-or,or the Lurd of Peor, a place ſo called, who had been a perſon of great em-nency in thoſe parts, and therefore was worſhipped according to the cuſtom of the Heathens, after his Deathy by Sacrifices and feaſts appointed for his Honour and Memory, : ; 2, Lhus they provoked bim to anger with their in- ventions : and the plague brake in upon them. 30 } Then ſtood upPhinehas and executed judgment, and /o the plague was ftayed. 31 And rhat was counted unto him for righteoul-
neſs s, unto al' generations forevermore.
s And although thar action of his mig't ſeem harſh, and raſh, and irregular, as being done by a private perſon and a Priett, and s ajl wing tie Delinquents no ſpace for Repentance, it was ac- Ccepred and rewar ied by God as an Act of Juirice and Þiery agree- abic to his mind, and proceeding from a ſincere zeal for Gods ho- nour, and for the: good of Gods people ; and God gave him a pu- blick te:timony of his approbation ro be recorded to all Generati- ons and the prieſthood ro be continued to him and his 1n all ſuc- ceeding Generations. of al/ which ſee Numb. 25.
22 * They angered him alſo at che waters of irife,ſo
har it went ill with Moſes for their ſakes 7.
: Or, becauſe of them, upon occaſion of their unbelief and mur- mouring, wherety he was provoked to ſpeak unadvitedly, as it here follows.
23 Becauſe they provoked his ſpirit, ſo chat he ſpake
unadviſcdly « with his lips.
u So this word is thought to ſignifie, Lev. 5. 4. Prov. 12 18. Or, he ſpake, as the word commonly ſignifies. Not that it was in it ſelf a Sin to ſpeak, but becauſe he ſpake when he ſhould have been ſilent 3 or he ſpake to the people, when God commanded him only to ſpeak to the Rock, Numb. 20 8. 9, io. or, he ſpake, to wit, the provocation of his Spirit, or ſuch w+:rds as were agreeable ro It, and mig »t be expected from it. He mentions not here what Myſecs ſpake, becauſe rhat was fully known from the Hitrory, and bec-uſe he would throw a Vail over Moſes his infirmity, and rather 1mply than exprels his faulr,
34 + They did nor deſtroy the nations, || concerning
tJudg.r. whom x the Lord commanded them.
21427. x i, ee Concerning whoſe deſtruction : or rather, which thing to
IDeu;732:; wit, to deſtroy thoſe Canaanirith Nations for in the Hebrew there is nothing but 4jher, which ſgnifies only,either whom or which.
#Nu:25:7,
*Num;2o 412, 13.
FJud:1:21; & :2: & Jearned their works. J 5, 6, 9 In theic Habitations and Negotiations, as alſo in Marriages.
36 And they ſerved their idols which were a tnare |
unto them »&. .
z Which Idols were an occaſion of their falling both into further and greater Sins: as it follows v. 37, 38. and into. utter ruine, as this phraſe alto notes, Ex1d. 23. 33. Judge 2- 12, &Cs
37 Yea, Þ they ſacrificed their fons and cheir daugh-