17 And they sinned yet more against A. M. 2989. him by provoking the Most High in the wilderness.

18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.

19 z Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God 5 furnish a table in the wilderness? 20 a Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh

14 In the day-time also he led them with a for his people? cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. 16 He brought "streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

b

21 Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

с

22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation :

captivity, was never brought out of obscurity, till but out of an inordinate and luxurious appetite. Yea, David fetched it from Kirjath-jearim.

Verses 10, 11. They kept not the covenant of God -Their cowardice was the effect of their unbelief and disobedience; and refused to walk in his law—|| Their disobedience was accompanied with obstinacy and contempt of God's laws. And forgat his works -Not historically, but practically. They did not so remember them as to love, and serve, and trust in that God, of whose infinite power and goodness they had had such ample experience.

they spake against God, &c.-At last they openly declared and manifested that distrust of his power which was in their hearts, saying, Can God furnish a table?—Is he able to provide, not only bare support and sustenance, but variety of nourishing and pleasant food, here in this barren wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock, &c.-It is true he hath brought water out of a rock for us in abundance; but can he give bread also?-Not such light food as this manna is, but more substantial bread, here where no corn grows? Can he provide flesh for his people?—Can he make an ample provision for all this multitude of such flesh as this place does not afford? They should have said, Lord, if thou wilt thou canst. For is any thing too hard for Omnipotence? When once the ordinary powers of nature are exceeded, and God has made bare his arm, and put forth his almighty power, we must conclude nothing is impossible with him.

Verses 12-15. Marvellous things did he in the field-That is, in the territory or jurisdiction, not excluding the city itself; of Zoan-An ancient and eminent city of Egypt. In the day-time he led them with a cloud-Which afforded them much comfort, both as a shadow from the scorching heat of the climate and season, and as a companion and director in their journey. He clave the rocks-He uses the plural number, because it was twice done, once in Rephidim, Exod. xvii. 6, and again in Kadesh, Num. xx. 1, 11. And gave them drink as out of the great-Such rude and insolent language highly incensed depths-In great abundance.

Verses 17-20. And they sinned yet more-Hebrew, bonbon, They added yet to sin against him. All these miraculous works did not alter their depraved nature; but it broke out into new and greater provocations; in the wilderness—In that very place where they were under such strong and singular obligations to obedience, both for the great things which God had then and there done for them, and from their dependance upon his favour and help for their safety and subsistence; where, indeed, without his singular providence, they had all perished. This was certainly a great aggravation of their sin and folly. And they tempted God-Desired a new trial and proof of his power, as the next verse shows. See Num. xi. 4. By asking meat for their lust-Not for their necessary subsistence, for which they had manna,

Verses 21, 22. The Lord heard, and was wroth

the Divine Majesty. So a fire was kindled against Jacob--He sent lightning from heaven to consume those whom he had before cherished, Num. xi. 1. Or, the expression may be taken figuratively for the fire of God's anger, as it follows. Observe, reader, God is a witness to all our murmurings and distrusts: he hears them, and is much displeased with them. To unbelievers our God is himself a consuming fire, and those that will not confide in the power of his mercy shall feel the power of his indignation, and be made to confess that it is a fearful thing to fall into his hands. Because they believed not in God |--Because, by this their distrust and murmuring, it appeared that they did not give credit to the revelation God had made of himself to them: for they durst not commit themselves to his care, nor venture themselves in his hands; and trusted not in his

24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

6

25 Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.

26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven and by his power he brought in the south wind.

B. C. 1015.

28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

29

So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;

30 They were not estranged from their lust but while their meat was yet in their mouths,

31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and 9 smote down the

27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, 10 chosen men of Israel.

salvation-That he could and would save them from the famine and destruction which they feared; they trusted not in the salvation he had begun to work for them; for, if they had, they would not thus have questioned its progress. Mark well, reader, those cannot be said to trust in God's salvation as their felicity at last, who cannot find in their hearts to trust in his providence for food convenient in the way to it.

Verses 23, 24. Though he commanded the clouds, &c.-It was a great aggravation of their unbelief and distrust, that they had had great experience of his power and goodness to them. For he had given them undeniable proofs of both, and those not only from earth beneath, but from the heaven above, having commanded the clouds, as one that had given being to, and created them, to serve him and his people, and supply their wants. Ordinarily by their showers they contribute to the earth's producing corn; but now, when God so commanded them, they showered down corn themselves, which is therefore called here the corn of heaven. And opened the doors of heaven-In these words he compares heaven to a granary, or store-house, whereof God keeps the key, and either shuts or opens the doors of it, either gives or withholds provisions, as he sees fit.

Verse 25. Man did eat angels' food-Such as was given by the ministry of angels, and, as the Chaldee reads it, descended from the dwelling of angels. Or, it may be so called because of its excellence, such food as might suit angels, if they needed or could eat food, and such as had some resemblance or relation to the nature of angels, in regard of its heavenly original, its pure and refined substance, its vigour and efficacy in preserving and nourishing those who used it according to God's appointment. The Hebrew, n, lechem abirim, is literally, the bread of the mighty. So the margin reads it, Every one, even the least child in Israel, did eat the bread of the mighty. The common Israelites fed upon as palatable, wholesome, delicious, nourishing, strengthening, and invigorating food, as the greatest nobles and princes used to do. He sent them meat to the full-Which may refer either, 1st, To the flesh mentioned in

the following verses, which God gave them even to satiety or glutting, as he threatened he would do, Num. xi. 18-20. Or rather, 2d, To the manna, of which he is here speaking, which he gave them in such plenty, that their desire of other food could not proceed from their necessity, but merely from wantonness and lust. We must not neglect to observe here, that this manna, which was given to Israel by a miracle from heaven, was typical of that spiritual or living bread, or bread of life, that doctrine and merits of Christ, which, in due time, was to "come down from heaven to give life unto the world:" see John vi. 31-58. Hence it is termed by St. Paul spiritual meat, as the water out of the rock, emblematical of the Holy Spirit, is termed spiritual drink. Reader, see that thou apply for and partake of both, for both are necessary to thy salvation; and thus thou wilt be brought to feed on angels' food, literally and indeed, and shalt be made a happy partaker of everlasting felicity.

Verses 26-29. He caused an east wind to blow, &c.-First an eastern, and afterward a southern wind. He rained flesh, &c., and feathered fowls like as the sand--Hebrew, y, gnoph chanap, fowl of wing, or winged fowl; but God took away from them the use of their wings, and made them fall into the hands of the Israelites. And let it fall in the midst of their camp-Hebrew, n, machanehu, his camp; that is, either Israel's camp, or God's camp; for, seeing Israel was God's people, and he dwelt among them, their camp was his camp. He gave them their own desire-What they desired, both for quality and quantity.

Verses 30, 31. They were not estranged from their lust, &c.-Green translates the verse, But be fore they were averse to what they had desired, and while their meat was still in their mouths, the wrath of God, &c. The sense is, either, 1st, While their greedy appetite yet continued, and was not fully satisfied; before they began to loathe the meat, as they did afterward, Num. xi. 20. Or, 2d, Before they were deprived of their desired food; while they enjoyed it, and were still feeding upon it, as the next clause explains this, the wrath of God came upon them-His patience did not wait till that food

was spent, but he instantly let loose his wrath to punish them; and slew the fattest of them—The Hebrew word is rendered by Green, the wealthiest of them. Or, it may mean, the most healthy and strong, who probably were most desirous of this food, fed most eagerly upon it, and least suspected their own danger. And smote down-By a very great pestilence, the chosen men of Israel-The strongest and goodliest persons that were in Israel. Verse 33. Their days did he consume in vanity -In tedious and fruitless marches hither and thither, sometimes forward and sometimes backward, which they knew would never bring them, in their own persons, to their promised and much desired land; and their years in trouble-In manifold diseases, dangers, and perplexities. In such vanity and trouble were they condemned, by an irreversible doom, for their unbelief, distrust of God, their murmurings and rebellions against him, their idolatries and other sins, to wear out thirty-eight tedious years in that wilderness, which indeed were consumed in it: for in all those years there was not one step taken nearer Canaan, nor one stroke struck toward the conquest of it. Observe, reader, those that sin still must expect to be in trouble still; and the reason why we spend our days in so much vanity and trouble, why we live with so little comfort, and to little purpose, is because we live in sin, or do not live by faith.

SO

Verses 34, 35. When he slew them-Or condemned them to be slain; then they sought him--Confessed their sin, begged pardon, and prayed to him to deliver them from the threatened destruction. When some were slain, others, in a fright, cried for mercy, and promised to be obedient in future. And they returned-Namely, from their idols, unto the outward worship of God: or, being moved with fear, they ceased, for the present, from their grossly wicked courses, but stopped short of true repentance, and a thorough conversion to God. And inquired early after God-Speedily and earnestly sought to him for deliverance from their temporal calamities and troubles, and for safety and comfort, as even wicked men, in such cases, frequently do. And they remembered that God was their rockTheir support and defence, and therefore, as they now found they needed him, they would flee for help to him; and the high God their Redeemer

of the people.

B. C. 1015.

36 Nevertheless they did P flatter him A. M. 2989. with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.

37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant. 38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a times turned he his anger away, * and did not stir up all his wrath.

t

• Exod. xv. 13; Deut. vii. 8; Isaiah xli. 14; xliv. 6; lxiii. 9. P Ezek. xxxiii. 31. Verse 8. Num. xiv. 18, 20.- Isa. xlviii. 9.- 2 Kings xxi. 29.

Who had brought them out of Egypt, and wrought out many deliveranees for them, and to whom therefore they might still apply for aid in their distresses. They considered that he, and he alone, had preserved them in all their former exigences, and that he only could now help them, and not those idols, nor the creatures which they had preferred before him: and therefore, being driven by absolute necessity, they fled to him for relief.

Verses 36, 37. Nevertheless, they did flatter him with their mouth--As if they thought, by mere fair speeches, to prevail on Him who searches the heart, and requires truth in the inward parts, to revoke the sentence gone out against them, or remove the judgment under which they suffered. And they lied unto him with their tongue-They made glorious but false professions and protestations of their sincere resolutions of future obedience. For their heart was not right with him-All their confessions and petitions were but hypocritical and forced, and did not proceed from hearts truly upright and grieved for their former offences, and firmly resolved to turn unto the Lord. Neither were they steadfast in his covenant--They discovered their hypocrisy, by their apostacy from God, as soon as their danger was past.

Verse 38. But he, being full of compassion-Of pity for them amidst their sins and miseries; forgave their iniquity-Not simply and absolutely, for in that sense it is undeniably certain from the Holy Scriptures, God pardons none but true penitents, such as these were not; but respectively, and so far as not to destroy them at that time, (which he had threatened to do,) as the next words limit and explain the expression. He remitted their punishment, for iniquity is often put for the punishment of iniquity. Hebrew, y, jechapper gnavon, he expiated their iniquity. He accepted their atonement, or their professed repentance, so far as to compensate it with a removal of this outward and present affliction, as he did also to wicked Ahab upon his humiliation. And this God does for the encouragement of true penitents, who may hence learn how much greater and better recompenses they may expect and shall receive from God. And did not stir up all his wrath-But set bounds to it; and though he chastened them, yet he would not utterly destroy them, as they deserved.

42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them 12 from the enemy.

43 How he had 13 wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:

u Psa. ciii. 14, 16. Gen. vi. 3; John iii. 6.— - Job vii. 7, 16; James iv. 14. 11 Or, rebel against him. z Verse 17; Psa. xcv. 9, 10; Isa. vii. 13; lxiii. 10; Eph. iv. 30; Heb. iii. 16, 17. Num. xiv. 22; Deut. vi. 16.- b Verse 20. 12 Or, from affliction. - Verse 12; Psa. cv. 27, &c.— 13 Heb. set.

Verse 39. For he remembered they were but flesh -He considered the corruption of their nature, which inclined them to evil, and was pleased to make that a reason for his sparing them. See the same argument used to a like purpose, Gen. viii. 21. Or, rather, flesh here signifies the frailty and infirmity of their nature, as the next clause seems to interpret this. He considered how weak, and frail, and short-lived they were, and that they could not continue long, but would die of themselves, and moulder into dust; and that if he did not restrain his wrath, but proceeded to destroy any considerable number of them, the whole nation must soon become extinct, and the promises to Abraham and the other patriarchs fail of accomplishment. A wind that passeth away, and cometh not again-That are quickly cut off, and when once they are dead never return to this life.

Verses 41, 42. And limited the Holy One of Israel -Prescribing to him what proofs he should give of his power and presence with them, and what methods he should take in leading them and providing for them; directing him what to do, and when, and in what manner, to do it, and murmuring if he did not always grant their particular and various desires. They remembered not his hand-How strong it is, and how it had been stretched out for them; or the great and glorious works of his hand on their behalf. Nor the day-That remarkable and never to be forgotten day, that self-same day, as it is called, Exod. xii. 41, which God had fixed four hundred years before, Gen. xv. 13; when he delivered them from the enemy-Namely, from their greatest enemy, the tyrant Pharaoh, that zealously and unweariedly sought their ruin. There are some days, made remarkable by signal deliverances, which || ought never to be forgotten; for the remembrance of them is calculated to encourage us in our greatest straits.

Verses 43-48. How he had wrought his signs in Egypt-Here the Psalm goes back to the subject of Israelitish ingratitude, (mentioned verses 11, 12,) in order to introduce an account of the miracles wrought in Egypt previous to Israel's deliverance

d

brought upon the Egyptians.

44 And had turned their rivers into A. M. 2989. B. C. 1015. blood: and their floods, that they could not drink.

e

45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust. 47 He 14 destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore-trees with 15 frost.

h

48 iHe 16 gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to 17 hot thunder-bolts.

d Exod. vii. 20; Psa. cv. 29.- e Exod. viii. 24; Psa. cv. 31. Exod. viii. 6; Psa, cv. 30.- - Exod. x. 13, 15; Psa. cv. 34, 35. h Exodus ix. 23, 25; Psalm cv. 33.-14 Heb. killed.- 15 Or, great hailstones. - Exod. ix. 23-25; Psa. cv. 32.- 16 Heb. He shut up. -17 Or, lightnings.

from thence.

"These miracles," says Dr. Horne, were intended to evince the superiority of Jehovah over the elements and powers of nature, which at that time were objects of worship among the Egyptians, but plainly appeared to act, at the command of Moses, in subordination to their great Creator, the God of the Hebrews. In the heavens, on the earth, and in the waters, supremacy and independence were demonstrated to belong to him only: fire and air, thunder and lightning, wind, rain, and hail obeyed his words; rivers became blood, and their inhabitants perished; insects and animals left their wonted habitations, to destroy vegetables, or torment man: so that wherever the gods of Egypt were supposed to reside, and to exert their influences in favour of their votaries, in all places, and all circumstances, victory declared for Jehovah. Hence modern as well as ancient idolaters may learn not to put their trust in the world, but in him who made, and who can and will destroy it; whose power can render the most insignificant of his creatures instruments of his vengeance, and in a moment arm all the elements against sinners; and whose mercy will employ that power in the final salvation of the church; when, as the author of the book of Wisdom expresseth it, 'He shall make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies, and the world shall fight for him against the unwise."" Had turned the rivers into blood-The several branches and streams of the river Nile, and those many rivulets which they drew from it. He sent divers sorts of flies, which devoured them—Or, destroyed them, which they were able to do by their numerous stings; for these flies were doubtless extraordinary in their nature, and their poisonous and hurtful qualities, as well as in their number: and the same is to be supposed concerning the frogs here mentioned, which also might destroy the people by corrupting their meats and drinks, and by infecting the air with putrefaction. He gave also their labour unto the locusts-That is, the fruit of their labour, the herbs and corn which had sprung up. He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamoretrees-Or, wild fig-trees, which were there in great

abundance. Under these and the vines, all other trees are comprehended. And this hail and frost not only destroyed the fruits of the trees, but in many instances the trees themselves. He gave up also their cattle to the hail-Hebrew, 10, vajasgeer, he shut up, as in a prison, that they could not escape it; and their flocks to hot thunderbolts-Hebrew, ah, lareshapim, prunis ignitis, to burning coals. He alludes to the fire mingled with hail, Exod. ix. 23, 24.

of God's people.

B. C. 1015.

53 And he led them on safely, so A. M. 2989. that they feared not: but the sea • overwhelmed 20 their enemies.

54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.

r

S

55 He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

t

56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

• Exod. xiv. 27, 28; xv. 10.-20 Heb. covered.-P Exod. xv. 17.-9 Psa. xliv. 3.- - Psa. xliv. 2.— Josh. xiii. 7; xix. 51; Psa. cxxxvi. 21, 22. - Judg. ii. 11, 12.

removing every obstacle that mercy had thrown in the path of justice, he made a way for his indignation, which then rushed forth like a fiery stream. Hebrew, 15 'no', He weighed a path to his anger, that is, he made a most smooth, even, and exact path, as if he had done it by weight and measure, that so his anger might pass swiftly and freely, without interruption. The phrase also may be intended to signify the wisdom and justice of God in weighing out their plagues proportionably to their sins; that is, he did not cast his anger upon them rashly, but by weight: it was weighed with the greatest exactness, in the balances of justice: and though he exercised great severity toward them, it was only such as was answerable to their great and barbarous cruelty toward his people. For in his greatest displeasure he never did, nor ever will do, any wrong to any of his creatures. The path of his anger is always weighed. He spared not their soul from death-But suffered death to ride in triumph among them; and gave their life over to the pestilence-Which cut off the thread of life immediately. And smote all the firstborn in Egypt"An unlimited commission was given to the de

Verse 49. He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger-Anger in the highest degree, wrath and indignation, the cause, and trouble, (tribulation and anguish, Rom. ii. 8, 9,) the effect. These he cast upon them from on high, and did not spare. By sending evil angels among them-Hebrew, лn, mishlachath, the sending of evil angels, or, of the angels, or messengers, of evil things; namely, as most commentators understand it, the angels whom God employed in producing these plagues. The reader must observe, that " some of the Egyptian plagues having been specified in the foregoing verses, others of them are here thrown together, and the whole scene is affirmed to have been a full display of wrath and vengeance, executed upon the oppres-stroyer, who, at midnight, passed through the land, sors of the church by evil angels, agents, or messengers; whether, by this expression, we understand the material instruments of divine displeasure, or angels employed as ministers of vengeance, or the actual appearance and ministration of evil spirits, suffered to torment the wicked in this world, as they certainly will do in the next. Tradition seems to have favoured this last opinion, since the author of the book of Wisdom, above referred to, describes the Egyptian darkness as a kind of temporary hell, in which there appeared to the wicked, whose conscience suggested to them every thing that was horrible, 'a fire kindled of itself, very dreadful; they were scared with beasts that passed by, and hissing of serpents; and they were vexed with monstrous apparitions, so that they fainted, and died for fear; while over them was spread a heavy night, an image of that darkness which should afterward re-like sheep-Distinguishing between them and the ceive them,'" Wisdom xvii. Egyptians, as a shepherd divideth between the sheep

and gave the fatal stroke in every house." "While all things," says the author of the book of Wisdom, chap. xviii. 14, "were in quiet silence, and that night was in the midst of her swift course, thine almighty word leaped down from heaven out of thy royal throne, as a fierce man of war into the midst of a land of destruction, and brought thine unfeigned commandment as a sharp sword, and, standing up, filled all things with death: and it touched the heaven, but it stood upon the earth." Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants, and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt; "and universal consternation reigned, inferior only to that which is to extend its empire over the world, when the trumpet || shall sound, and the dead shall be raised.”—Horne. Verses 52-54. But made his own people go out

Verses 50, 51. He made a way to his anger-By || and the goats, having set his own mark upon these