The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 1 — Section 218

pcnr beforo him once more, nnd warn him of pect something fe.r more terrible God will further and yet more terrible visitations which send all his ple.gues-evcry worst form of evil were impencling. The long message (vers. -in rapid succession; e.nd will send them against his heart. Each will strike e. blow 13---19) is without any previous parallel, and on the.t perverse and obdurate hearl--eRch contains mnttor celculated to make an impres- w~ stir b_is no.tore to iu; inmost depths. Con- sion even upon the most callous of mortals. science will wake up e.nd in.sist on being heard. ]!'irst there is an announcement that God is All the nnmerous brood of selfish fears and about to send "all his plagues" upon king and alarms will bestir themselves. He will tremble e.1:1d be amazed and perplexed. He will foreg~ people (ver. 14); then e. eolemn we.ruing that his pride and humble himself, and beg the Is- a pestilence might he.ve been sent which would raelites to be gone, and even intreat that, ere have swept both king and people from the they depe.rt, the leaders whom he has so long fa.co of the ee.rth (ver. 15); and finally (ver. opposed, will give him their blessing (eh. x a. 18) an announcement of the actual judgment 32). The.t thou mayest know. Pharaoh was himself to be convinced that the Lord God of immediately impending, which is to be e. hail- Israel was, at any rate, the greatest of all gods. storm of a severity never previously kn-0"1\"ll in He was not likely to desert at once and alto- Egypt, e.nd but rarely experienced elsewhere. gether the religion in which he had been Pho.re.oh is moreover told that the whole ob- bronght up, or to regard its gods as non- ject of his he.ving been ellowed by God to con- existent. But he might be persuaded of one thing- that Jehovah was far above them. tinue in existence is the glory about to accrue And this he practically acknowledges in vers to his name from the exhibition of his power 27 and 28. in the deliverance of his people (ver. 16). A Ver. 15.-For now I will stretch out my peculiar fee.tore of the plague is the warning hand. It is general! y agreed by modem : vcr. 19) whereby those who believed the words writers that thia translatiou fails to give the of Moses, were enabled to· escape a great part true sense of the original God does not here e.nnonnce what he is going to do, but what of the ill effecb! of the storm. It is e. remark- he might have done, and would have done, but able indication of the impression made by the for certain considerations. Translate, "For previous ple.gues, the.t the warning we.s taken now might I have stretched out my hand, and by e. considerable number of the Egyptians, smitten thee and thy people with pestilence; who by this means saved their cattle and their e.Bd then thou hadst been cut off from the ee.rth." Scripture shows that pestilence is slaves (ver. 20). The injury caused by always in God's power, and may at any time the plague was very great. The flax and be let loose to scourge his foes, and sweep barley crops, which were the most advanced, them into the pit of destruction. (See Lev. suffered complete destruction. Men and beasb! xxvi. 25; Num. xi. 33; xiv. 12; xvi. 46; were wounded by the hail-stones, which might 2 Sam. xxiv. 13---15, etc.) He had not done now what he might have done, and what have been-e.s hail-stones sometimes are- Pharaoh's obstinacy might well have pro- jagged pieces of ice; and some were even voked him to do ; o.nd why? On acconnt of killed, either by the hail (see Josh. x. 11 J, or the considerations contained in the next by the lightning which accompe.nied it. Even verse. trees were damaged by the force of the storm, Ver. 16.-And in very deed, etc. Rather, "But truly for this cause he.ve I caused thee to which destroyed the foliage 11I1d broke the stand," i.e., "kept thee alive and sustained thee branches. in the position thou occupiest," for to shew Ver. 13.-Rise up early. Compare eh. vii. to thee my power-i.e., to impress thee, if it 15, 11I1d viii. 20. The practice of the EgyptillII is possible that thou canst be impressed, with kings to rise early and proceed at once to the the greatness of my power, and the foolishness dispatch of business is noted by Herodotus of any e.ttempt to resist it, e.nd also that my (ii. 173). It is 11 common practice of oriento.1 name may be deola.red throughout all the monarchs. And say unto him. The same ee.rth - i.e., that attention me.y be called message is constantly repeated in the same widely among the neighbouring nations to words e.s a. token of God's uncho.ngingness. the great truth that there is really but one See eh. viii. 1-20; ix. 1; x. 3; etc. God, who elone can deliver, and whom it is Ver. 14.-1 will at this time send all my impossible to resist. ple.gues upon thine heart. A very emphatic Ver. 17.-As yet. Rather "still." And announcement. At this time contre.sb! the the whole verse should be rendered-" Dost immedie.te future with the pe.st, and tells thou still oppose thyself a.go.inst my people, so Pharaoh that the hour of mild WII.Illings and as 11ot to let them go." The verb translated slight plagues is gone by. Now he is to ex- "oppose"-(" exalt" in the A.V }-is stricUy  208 THE DOOK OF F.XODU& [err. 1x. 18-26,