17. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my fin onely this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death onely.

17. This death: This Plague of the well be called Death; Locufts, which may either because they killed Men, as well

as the Hail (as is affirmed, wifd. 16. 9.) or elfe, because they did destroy the remaining fupports of Life.

18. And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD..

19. Caft: Heb. Faftned: They were fo caft, that as to the event of things it was as if they had been faftened. Red-fea:

19. And the LORD turned a mighty strong weft-wind, which took away the locufts, and caft them into the Red fea there remained not one locuft in all the coafts of E gypt. the Sea of Rush, fo called, 'tis probable, from the Rufhes or Flaggs that grew about it. It was called the Red-fea because it bordered upon the Country of Edom, which in the Hebrew Tongue fignifies Red, 1 King. 9. 26. Gen. 25. 30.

In the Hebrew it is

20. But the LORD hardned Pharaoh's heart, fo that be would not let the children of Ifrael go.

21. And the LORD faid unto Mofes, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt; even darkness which may be felt.

21. Even darkness which may be felt: Heb. That one may feel darkness. This we call Palpable Darkness, and it pro

ceeds from the thick Mifts and Foggs of the Air. But the Hebrew word being derived from a word that fignifies to feel or to remove, the Chaldee renders it in the latter fenfe thus, After the darkness of the night was gone; inti mating that the day' fhould be turned into dark night.

22. And Mofes ftretched forth his hand toward hea ven: and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.

23. They

23. They faw not one another, neither rofe any from his place for three days: but all the children of Ifrael had light in their dwellings.

23. Neither rofe any from his place : i. e. Not to any

confiderable distance. See ch. 16. 29. But all, &c. wifd8. 1.

24. And Pharaoh called unto Mofes, and faid, Go ye, ferve the LORD; onely let your flocks and your herds be Stayed let your little ones alfo go with you.

25. Us: Heb. In

25. And Mofes faid, Thou must give us alfo facrifices, and burnt-of- to our hands. ferings, that we may facrifice unto the LORD our God.

26. Our cattel alfo fhall go with us: there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to ferve the LORD our God: and we know not with what we muft ferve the LORD, untill we come thither.

26. With what we must ferve the LORD, untill we come thither: i. e. What Beafts we may be obliged to offer up, till God give his Command.

27. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.

28. And Pharaoh faid unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thy felf, fee my face no more: for in that day thou feeft my face, thou shalt die.

29. And Mofes faid, Thou haft Spoken well, I will fee thy face a gain no more.

29. I will fee thy face again no more: Mofes hence feems to have spoken the fol

lowing words (c. 11.) where he foretells the death of the Firft-born, before he went out of Pharaoh's prefence.

CHAP. XI.

The ARGUMENT.

The Ifraelites are directed to ask of their Neighbours Jewels of Gold and Silver. God gives them Favour with the Egyptians. Pharaoh is threatened with the death of the Firft-born. Mofes leaves Pharaoh in great anger.

I.

ND the LORD faid unto Mofes, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he fhall let you go, he hall furely thruft you out bence altogether.

1. SAID: Or, had faid. As it may be rendred, and is Gen. 12. 1. See Exod. 10. 29. and verf. 8. of this Chapter. Thrust you ont: Ch. 12.31, 33.

2. Speak now in the ears of the 2. Borrow: Or, people, and let every man borrow Ask, or, Beg. What of his neighbour, and every woman they received was a of her neighbour, jewels of filver, gift; agreeably hereunto it is faid, The and jewels of gold. Lord gave the people favour in the fight of the Egyptians, v. 3. The Greek and Latin render it to the fame fenfe; and Jofephus tells us, That the Egyptians honoured the Hebrews with Gifts, partly to haften their departure: and partly upon the core of that familiarity which was between them as Neighbours, Jof Antiq. 1. 2. c.5.] See the Notes on ch. 3. v. 22. Jewels: Ch. 3.22. and 12. 35.

3. And the LORD gave the people favour in the fight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Mo

fes was very great in the land of Egypt; in the fight of Pharaoh's fervants, and in the fight of the people.

4. And Mofes faid, Thus faith

the LORD, About mid-night will I go out into the midst of Egypt.

4. About midnight:

Ch. 12. 29.

5. And

And all the firft-born in the land of Egypt fhall die, from the firft-born of Pharaoh, that fitteth upon his throne, even unto the first born of the maid-fervant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beafts.

5. That fitteth upon his throne: i. e. Who was to have fat his Kingdom, or, to upon the Throne of reign after him; to which fenfe the Chal dee renders the words Behind the mill: It

was the custom to put Slaves to grind in a Mill. See Judg. 16.21.

6. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, fuch as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.

7. But against any of the children of Ifrael fhall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beaft: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Ifrael.

8. And all these thy fervants fhall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee; and after that I will go out and he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.

7. Move his tongues i. e. The Ifraelites were quiet and undifturbed. vid. Fof.

10.21.

8. That follow thee: Heb. That is at thy feet: That are with thee, faith the Chaldee: Agreat anger: Heb. Heat of Anger.

9. And the LORD faid unto Mofes, Pharaoh fhall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.

10. And Mofes and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh and the LORD hardned Pharaoh's heart, So that he would not let the children of Ifrael go out of bis land.

324

CHAP. XII.

The ARGUMENT.

The beginning of the Year is changed. The Paffover inftituted. The Rites of this first Paffover. The Feaft of Unleavened-bread, and the time of it. The meaning of the Paffover to be taught. The First-born of the Egyptians flain. The Egyptians haften the Ifraelites out of Egypt. They come to Succoth. The time when they left Egypt. Rules concerning the Paffover.

ND the LORD Spake unto Mofes and Aaron in the land of Egypt, faying,

likely it might be before 2. This month fall be unto you the beginning of months: it hall be the first month of the year to

you.

2. This month: It is called Abib, c.13.4 And afterwards was called Nifan, Esth. 3.7. it answers to our March. The first month of the year: i.e. Of the Sacred, not of the Civil Year. It is certain, the seventh Month or Tifri (which anfwers to our September) was even after this, the firft Month of the Year (and very probable it is, that it was fo from the beginning in all refpects) infome accounts. Tifri began the Civil Year, and was reckoned the firft Month with respect to the Sabbatical Year, and Jubilee. Vid. c.23.16. c.34.22. Lev.25. 8, 9. But then this Month was the beginning of the Sacred or Ecclefiaftical Year, and with respect to the Holy Days and Festivals which God appointed. To you: Not in all refpects, but to you elpecially in the fenfe before explained, and with a particular reference to their Redemption out of Egypt. It was at this time that our Lord Jefus Chrift fuffered for our Redemption, Joh. 18. 28. And there is a Tradition among the Jews, That as they were redeemed from Egypt on the fifteenth day of Nifan, fo they fhould on the fame day be redeemed by the Meffias.

3. Speak