EXPOSl'l'ION. Vers. S---15.-Ilow long the plague of froge of doors, nnintentionally killed by men, But endured, we are not told. Probably every the vacancies ma.de were constantly filled; dfort was made, short of intentioD.Jl.lly killing aud there seemed no prospect of the infliction !hem, to get rid of them. Snakes, and chame- passing away. The influence of hill counsel- leons, and ibises would destroy IWl.Ily-othera lors would under these circumstances be would be crw;hed beneath wheels .trampled on brought to bear upon the mind of the Pharaoh by animili, squeezed to death by the opeWDg r -ne wowd be warned that his subjects wcro Oll. VIII. 8-Hi.] 'rHE BOOK OF EXODUS. 187
attributing their sufferings to his obstinacy- the event corresponds with the time agreed he would be recommended-perhaps pressed- upon. to yield, and would find in the annoyance Ver. 12.-Moses cried unto the Lord. The which he individually endured a strong motive ~xpression. used is a. strong one, and seems to for compliance. Accordingly, he after a while imply specml earnestness in the prayer. Moses had ventured to fix e. definite time for the sent for the two Israelite chiefs, and me.de the removal of the plague, without (so far as request recorded in the text appears) any special command of God. Hence earnest prayer (as Kalisch notes) was doubly Ver. 8.-Intrea.t the Lord-i.e., "Intreat necessary. (Compare I Kings xviii. 36, 37.) your God, Jehovah, who has sent this plague, Ver. 13.-The villages. The translation and can doubtless take it a.way." An a.cknow- "courts" or "court-yards," is preferred by ledgment of Jehova.h's power is now for the some. HoosP.s in Egypt had generally a first time forced from the reluctant king, who court-yard attached to them. has hitherto boasted that " he knew not Ver. 14.-They gathered them together Jehovah" (eh. v. 2). I will let the people go. npon heaps. Literally " heaps upon heaps." The royal word is passed. A positive promise And the la.nd stank. Even when the relief is ma.de. If the Phare.oh does not keep his came, it was not entire relief. The putrefac- word, he will outrage even Egyptian mora.Jity tion of the dead bodies filled the whole land -he will be without excuse. with a. fetid odour. Ver. 9.-Moses se.id 11llto Pharaoh, Glory Ver. 15.-When Pharaoh saw that there over me. Probably a phrase of ordinary cour- ~as respite, Literally, "a taking of breath," tesy, meaning-" I submit to thy will-have i.e., "a. breathing-space." He hardened his the honour of my submission." When shall I heart, He became hard and mereiless once intrea.t l Literally "For when "-i.e., "for more, believing that the danger was past, and what date she.II I make my prayer to God?" not expecting any fresh visitation. As And so Phara.oh's answer is not "To-morrow," Isaiah savs-" Let favour be shewed to the as in the Authorised Version, but " For to- wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness " morrow." Thy houses. It would seem that (x:xvi. 10). Ba.d men "despise the riches of the frogs had invaded more than one palace of God's goodness and forbearance, o.nd long- the Phare.oh. He had perhaps quitted Tanis, saffering, not knowing that the goodness of and gone to Memphis, when the plague came; God lea.deth them to repentance.'' In this but the frogs pursued him there. way, they "tree.sure up to themselves wrath Ver. 10.-To-morrow. See the comment on against the da.y of wrath and revelation of the ver. 9. Tha.t thou ma.yest know. Moses righteoWI jndgment of God" (Rom. ii. 4, 5), accepts the date fixed by the Pharaoh, and either in this world or in the world to come. makes au appeal to him to recognise the un- As the Lord had as.id. See eh. iii. 19 ; iv. 21 ; approachable power and glory of Jehovah, if vii. 4.
HOMILETICS. Vers. 8-13.-God's mercy when men repent ever so little. The object of the judg- ments, as well as of the goodness of God is " to lead men to repentance " (Rom. ii. 4). He "wouldeth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should be converted and live" (Ezek. xx.xiii. 11). His cry is ever, " Why will ye die, 0 house of Israel?" And sometimes His judgments -have their proper effect on men, partially at any rate. .Ahab repented to some extent when woe was denounced upon his house by Elijah-he "rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and weut softly" (1 Kings x.xi. 27). The Ninevites "repented at the preaching of Jonah "-the king" proclaimed a fast," and "rose from his throne, and put his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and lay in ashes "-the people moreover, "put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them" (Jon. iii. 5-7). A.nd so Pharaoh seems to have repented, in a certain sense, at this time. He abated his pride, and came down from the high position which he had assumed, sent for God's ministers, begged their prayers, and promised compliance with the Divine commands. Probably he was not conscious to himself of insincerity. His spirit was humbled-he was convinced of the power of Jehovah-he believed in the Divine mission of Moses o.nd Aaron-he promised, intend- ing to perform; and God, though knowing well how short-lived his repentance would be, suffered himself to be intreated, took away His heavy hand, and gave to Pharaoh, as He gave to Ahab and to the Ninevites, "a breathiug Rpace." ,ve see by this, that such is the mercy of God, s11ch His lo,e f•Jr sinners who are not yet wholly hardened, that Ile 188 THE BOOK OF EXODUS, [rn, vm. 16-19,
looks with favour on the slighest relenting, the least indication of a desire to turn a.way from sin, fornake it, and turn to righteousness. And this divine pattern must be followed liy His ministers. '!'hey must not assume that any professed repentance is insincere. 'l'hey may have their own private belief, as M ,ses doubtless had; but it is their business to welcome the first show of penitence; to come when the sinner asks their aid, to give him the benefit of their prayers, to seek to obtain for him a remission or alleviation ot God's judgruent-s. And further, they will do ~·ell to imitate the humility and courtesy of Moses. " A proud look and high stomach" on their part are unsuitable when the sinner abases himself. It is their duty, and their highest wisdom, to be "all things to all men "-to meet repentance half-way-to assist it, forward it, encourage it. No doubt, repentance under the pressure of judgment-such, e.g., as sickness-is in itself 1mspicious and doubtful; but the wise minister will keep his doubts to himself, and bend his whole mind to the fixing, furthering, and deepening of the repentance, so tho.t (if possible) it may isr,ue in a real conversion of the soul to God.