The first plague of Egypt.

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B. C. 1491.

SHAP VỚI.

B. C. 1491.

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The waters turned into blood. 19 And the LORD spake unto | sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight A. M. 2513. Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy of his servants; and all the waters rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the that were in the river were turned to blood. waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon 21 And the fish that was in the river died their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon and the river stank, and the Egyptians 1 could all their pools of water, that they may be- not drink of the water of the river; and come blood; and that there may be blood there was blood throughout all the land of hroughout all the land of Egypt, both in Egypt. vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.

20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the

h

22 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; k as the LORD had said.

cv. 29; Rev. viii. 9.- h Ver. 18. i Ver. 11; chap. viii. 7, 8; Wisd. xvii. 7.—Prov. xxix. 1; Isa. xxvi. 11; Jer. v. 3; xxxvi. 24.

verse; loathe to drink of that for which they had been accustomed to long, and will rather choose to drink of well water, which in their country is detestable !”Observations, vol. iii., p. 564.

4 Chap. viii. 5, 6, 16; ix. 22; x. 12, 21; xiv. 21, 26.- Le Heb. gathering of their waters.- Chap. xvii. 5.- - Psa. lxxviii. 44; Verse 18. The Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water] The force of this expression cannot be well felt without taking into consideration the peculiar pleasantness and great salubrity of the waters of the Nile. "The water of Egypt,” says the Abbe Mas- Verse 19. That there may be blood-both in vessels crier, "is so delicious, that one would not wish the of wood, and in vessels of stone.] Not only the Nile heat to be less, or to be delivered from the sensation itself was to be thus changed into blood in all its of thirst. The Turks find it so exquisite that they branches, and the canals issuing from it, but all the excite themselves to drink of it by eating salt. It is water of lakes, ponds, and reservoirs, was to undergo a common saying among them, that if Mohammed had a similar change. And this was to extend even to the drank of it he would have besought God that he might water already brought into their houses for culinary never die, in order to have had this continual gratifi- and other domestic purposes. As the water of the cation. When the Egyptians undertake the pilgrim-Nile is known to be very thick and muddy, and the age of Mecca, or go out of their country on any other Egyptians are obliged to filter it through pots of a kind account, they speak of nothing but the pleasure they of white earth, and sometimes through a paste made shall have at their return in drinking of the waters of of almonds, Mr. Harmer supposes that the vessels of the Nile. There is no gratification to be compared to wood and stone mentioned above may refer to the prothis; it surpasses, in their esteem, that of seeing their cess of filtration, which no doubt has been practised relations and families. All those who have tasted of among them from the remotest period. The meaning this water allow that they never met with the like in given above I think to be more natural. any other place. When a person drinks of it for the The FIRST plague. The WATERS turned into BLOOD. first time he can scarcely be persuaded that it is not a water prepared by art; for it has something in it inexpressibly agreeable and pleasing to the taste; and it should have the same rank among waters that champaign has among wines. But its most valuable quality is, that it is exceedingly salutary. It never incommodes, let it be drank in what quantity it may this is so true that it is no uncommon thing to see some persons drink three buckets of it in a day without the least inconvenience! When I pass such encomiums on the water of Egypt it is right to observe that I speak only of that of the Nile, which indeed is the only water drinkable, for their well water is detestable and unwholesome. Fountains are so rare that they are a kind of prodigy in that country; and as to rain water, that is out of the question, as scarcely any falls in Egypt."

"A person," says Mr. Harmer, "who never before heard of the deliciousness of the Nile water, and of the large quantities which on that account are drank of it, will, I am sure, find an energy in those words of Moses to Pharaoh, The Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river, which he never observed before. They will loathe to drink of that water which they used to prefer to all the waters of the uni

Verse 20. All the waters-were turned to blood.] Not merely in appearance, but in reality; for these changed waters became corrupt and insalubrious, so that even the fish that were in the river died; and the smell became highly offensive, so that the waters could not be drank; ver. 21.

Verse 22. And the magicians did so] But if all the water in Egypt was turned into blood by Moses, where did the magicians get the water which they changed into blood? This question is answered in verse 24. The Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink, and it seems that the water obtained by this means was not bloody like that in the river: on this water therefore the magicians might operate. Again, though a general commission was given to Moses, not only to turn the waters of the river (Nile) into blood, but also those of their streams, rivers, ponds, and pools; yet it seems pretty clear from verse 20 that he did not proceed thus far, at least in the first instance; for it is there stated that only the waters of the river were turned into blood. Afterwards the plague At the commencement doubtless became general. therefore of this plague, the magicians might obtain other water to imitate the miracle; and it would not

The waters of the river

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B. C. 1491.

B. C. 1491.

23 And Pharaoh turned and went | the river for water to drink; for they A. M. 2513. into his house, neither did he set could not drink of the water of the river. 1 his heart to this also. 25 And "seven days were fulfilled, after

24 And all the Egyptians digged round about that the LORD had smitten the river.

1 Ver. 3. m Ver. 18, 21.

2 Sam. xxiv. 13.

with the Egyptian magicians; for the heathens, having no just notion of the power of God, attributed all miracles to the influence of magic. Pliny also calls the Egyptian magicians Jews; but this is not the only mistake in his history; and as he adds, sed multis millibus annorum post Zoroastrem, he is supposed by some

who wrought many miracles, and whom he considers to be a magical sect derived from Moses and the Jews, because they were Jews by nation, and quoted Moses and the prophets in proof of the truth of the doctrines of Christianity, and of the Divine mission of Christ.

be difficult for them, by juggling tricks or the assistance of a familiar spirit, (for we must not abandon the possibility of this use,) to give it a bloody appearance, a fetid smell, and a bad taste. On either of these grounds there is no contradiction in the Mosaic account, though some have been very studious to find one. The plague of the bloody waters may be considered | to refer to the Christians, and particularly the apostles, as a display of retributive justice against the Egyptians, for the murderous decree which enacted that all the male children of the Israelites should be drowned in that river, the waters of which, so necessary to their support and life, were now rendered not only insalubrious but deadly, by being turned into blood. As it is well known that the Nile was a chief object of Egyptian idolatry, (see on ver. 15,) and that annually they sacrificed a girl, or as others say, both a boy and a girl, to this river, in gratitude for the benefits received from it, (Universal Hist., vol. i., p. 178, fol. edit.,) God might have designed this plague as a pun-raje, edit. Pococ., p. 26. Here then is a very remarkishment for such cruelty and the contempt poured upon this object of their adoration, by turning its waters into blood, and rendering them fetid and corrupt, must have had a direct tendency to correct their idolatrous notions, and lead them to acknowledge the power and authority of the true God.

:

Verse 25. And seven days were fulfilled] So we learn that this plague continued at least a whole week.

Numenius, a Pythagorean philosopher, mentioned by Eusebius, names these magicians, Jamnes and Jambres, and mentions their opposition to Moses; and we have already seen that there was a tradition among the Asiatics that Pharaoh's daughter had Moses instructed by the wise men Jannes and Jambres; see Abul Fa

able fact, the principal circumstances of which, and the chief actors in them, have been preserved by a sort of universal tradition. See Ainsworth.

When all the circumstances of the preceding case are considered, it seems strange that God should enter intò any contest with such persons as the Egyptian magicians; but a little reflection will show the absolute necessity of this. Mr. Psalmanazar, who wrote the Account of the Jews in the first volume of the Universal History, gives the following judicious reasons for this: "If it be asked," says he, "why God did suffer the Egyptian magicians to borrow power from the devil to invalidate, if possible, those miracles which his servant wrought by his Divine power, the

cessary that these magicians should be suffered to exert the utmost of their power against Moses, in order to clear him from the imputation of magic or sorcery; for as the notion of such an extraordinary art was very rife, not only anong the Egyptians, but all other nations, if they had not entered into this strenuous competition with him, and been at length overcome by him, both the Hebrews and the Egyptians would have been apter to have attributed all his miracles to his skill in magic, than to the Divine power.

THE Contention between Moses and Aaron and the magicians of Egypt has become famous throughout the world. Tradition in various countries has preserved, not only the account, but also the names of the chief persons concerned in the opposition made by the Egyp-following reasons may be given for it: 1. It was netians to these messengers of God. Though their names are not mentioned in the sacred text, yet tradition had preserved them in the Jewish records, from which St. Paul undoubtedly quotes 2 Tim. iii. 8, where, speaking of the enemies of the Gospel, he compares them to Jannes and Jambres, who withstood Moses. That these names existed in the ancient Jewish records, their own writings show. In the Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel on this place they are called 'D' Jants and Jambris; and in the Babylonian Talmud they are named Joanne and Mambre, and are represented as chiefs of the sorcerers of Egypt, and as having ridiculed Moses and Aaron for pretending to equal them in magical arts. And Rab. Tanchum, in his Commentary, names them Jonos and Jombrus. If we allow the readings of the ancient editions of Pliny to be correct, he refers, in Hist. Nat., 1. xxx., c. 2, to the same persons, the names being a little changed: Est et alia magices factio, a Mose et Jamne et Jotape Judæis pendens, sed multis millibus annorum post Zoroastrem; "There is also another faction of magicians which took its origin from the Jews, Moses, Jamnes, and Jotapes, many thousands of years after Zoroaster;" where he confounds Moses

"2. It was necessary, in order to confirm the faith of the wavering and desponding Israelites, by making them see the difference between Moses acting by the power of God, and the sorcerers by that of Satan.

"3. It was necessary, in order to preserve them afterwards from being seduced by any false miracles from the true worship of God."

To these a fourth reason may be added: God permitted this in mercy to the Egyptians, that they might see that the gods in whom they trusted were utterly incapable of saving them; that they could not undo or counteract one of the plagues sent on them by the power of Jehovah; the whole of their influence ex

Moses is again sent to Pharaoh.

CHAP. VIII. Frogs, the second plague, threatened.

tending only to some superficial imitations of the genu- | God is known by his judgments: for in every operaine miracles wrought by Moses in the name of the true God. By these means it is natural to conclude that many of the Egyptians, and perhaps several of the servants of Pharaoh, were cured of their idolatry; though the king himself hardened his heart against the evidences which God brought before his eyes. Thus

tion of his hand his design is to enlighten the minds of men, to bring them from false dependences to trust in himself alone; that, being saved from error and sin, they may become wise, holy, and happy. When his judgments are abroad in the earth, the inhabitants learn righteousness. See the note on chap. iv. 21.

9-11.

CHAPTER VIII.

The plague of frogs threatened, 1, 2. The extent of this plague, 3, 4. Aaron commanded to stretch ou his hand, with the rod, over the river and waters of Egypt, in consequence of which the frogs came, 5, 6. The magicians imitate this miracle, 7. Pharaoh entreats Moses to remove the frogs, and promises to let the people go, 8. Moses promises that they shall be removed from every part of Egypt, the river excepted, Moses prays to God, and the frogs die throughout the land of Egypt, 12-14. Pharaoh, finding himself respited, hardens his heart, 15. The plague of lice on man and beast, 16, 17. The magicians attempt to imitate this miracle, but in vain, 18. They confess it to be the finger of God, and yet Pharaoh continues obstinate, 19. Moses is sent again to him to command him to let the people go, and in case of disobedience he is threatened with swarms of flies, 20, 21. A promise made that the land of Goshen, where the Israelites dwelt, should be exempted from this plague, 22, 23. The flies are sent, 24. Pha raoh sends for Moses and Aaron, and offers to permit them to sacrifice in the land, 25. They refuse, and desire to go three days' journey into the wilderness, 26, 27. Pharaoh consents to let them go a little way, provided they would entreat the Lord to remove the flies, 28. Moses consents, prays to God, and the flies are removed, 29-31. After which Pharaoh yet hardened his heart, and refused to let the people go, 32.

NOTES ON CHAP. VIII.

The SECOND plague-FROGS.

Verse 1. Let my people go] God, in great mercy to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, gives them notice of the evils he intended to bring upon them if they continued in their obstinacy. Having had therefore such warning, the evil might have been prevented by a timely humiliation and return to God.

Verse 2. If thou refuse] Nothing can be plainer than that Pharaoh had it still in his power to have dismissed the people, and that his refusal was the mere effect of his own wilful obstinacy.

With frogs] Dy tsepardeim. This word is of doubtful etymology: almost all interpreters, both ancient and modern, agree to render it as we do, though some mentioned by Aben Ezra think the crocodile is meant; but these can never weigh against the conjoint testimony of the ancient versions. Parkhurst derives the word from 3 tsaphar, denoting the brisk action, or motion of the light, and yr yada, to feel, as they seem to feel or rejoice in the light, croaking all the summer months, yet hiding themselves in the winter. The Arabic name for this animal is very nearly the same with the Hebrew No zafda, where the letters are the same, the resch being omitted. It is used as a quadriliteral root in the Arabic language, to signify froggy, or containing frogs: see Golius. But the true etymology seems to be given

go,

2 And if thou brefuse to let them A. M. 2513. B. C. 1491. behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:

3 And the river shall bring forth frogs

b Chap. vii. 14; ix. 2.- c Rev. xvi. 13.

by Bochart, who says the word is compounded of xio zifa, a bank, and Erada, mud, because the frog delights in muddy or marshy places; and that from these two words the noun

zafda is formed,

there being dropped. In the Batrochomyomachia of Homer, the frog has many of its epithets from this very circumstance. Hence Auvoxapıç, delighting in the lake; Bopẞopokoiтns, lying or engendering in the mud; Inλevs and Inλoßarns, belonging to the mud, walking in the mud, &c., &c.

A frog is in itself a very harmless animal; but to most people who use it not as an article of food, exceedingly loathsome. God, with equal ease, could have brought crocodiles, bears, lions, or tigers to have punished these people and their impious king, instead of frogs, lice, flies, &c. But had he used any of those formidable animals, the effect would have appeared so commensurate to the cause, that the hand of God might have been forgotten in the punishment; and the people would have been exasperated without being humbled. In the present instance he shows the greatness of his power by making an animal, devoid of every evil quality, the means of a terrible affliction to his enemies. How easy is it, both to the justice and mercy of God, to destroy or save by means of the most despicable and insignificant of instruments! Though he is the Lord of hosts he has no need of powerful armies, the ministry of angels, or the thunderbolts of justice, to punish a sinner or a sinful nation; the frog or the

EXODUS.

A. M. 2513. abundantly, which shall go up and up, and covered the come into thine house, and into Egypt.

athy bed-chamber, and upon thy bed, and 7 And the magicians did so with their into the house of thy servants, and upon thy enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the people, and into thine ovens, and into thy land of Egypt. kneading-troughs:

Into thine ovens] In various parts of the east, in-attah baar alai-Dic mihi quo tempore, &c., "Tell stead of what we call ovens they dig a hole in the ground, in which they insert a kind of earthen pot, which having sufficiently heated, they stick their cakes to the inside, and when baked remove them and supply their places with others, and so on. To find such places full of frogs when they came to heat them, in order to make their bread, must be both disgusting and distressing in the extreme.