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them? or shall all the fishes of the sea be gathered together for them to suffice them.

"And Jehovah said unto Moses, Is Jehovah's hand waxed short? thou shalt see now, whether my word shall come to pass unto thee, or not. And Moses went out, and spake unto the people the words of Jehovah; and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and made them stand round about the tent. 25 And Jehovah came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him; and gave it unto the seventy men the elders; and it was when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not add. 26 And there remained two of the men

in the camp; the name of the one was Eldad; and the name of the second, Medad; and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tent, and they prophesied in the camp. in Josh. xvii. 16; Judg. xxi. 14. Here Moses showeth that the thing promised was impossible in man's judgment; both in respect of the multitude of men, and length of time: and therefore he mentioneth beasts and fishes which also are flesh, 1 Cor. xv. 39, but speaketh not of fowls, as thinking least of all that they should be filled with them: yet God sufficed them with such, ver. 31. So Philip said unto Christ, 'Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for (this multitude) that every one may have a little,' John vi. 7, 9.

VER. 23.-HAND WAXED SHORT,] That is, power abated; the Gr. expoundeth it, Shall not the Lord's hand be sufficient? the Chald. thus, Shall the word of the Lord be hindered? Hand is often used for 'power,' as being the instrument wherewith power is shewed, Deut. xxxii. 36; Josh. iv. 24; viii. 20, 'shortness' signifieth lessening; and is applied sometimes to the Lord's Spirit, as in Mic. ii. 7, is the Spirit of Jehovah shorttened?' Sometimes to his hand, as here, and in Is. lix. 1, Behold Jehovah's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save:' and in Is. 1. 2, 'Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver?' where the latter sentence explaineth the former.

VER. 25.-THEY PROPHESIED,] This was a gift and effect of God's Spirit upon them: and is elsewhere so explained; as, 'upon the handmaids in those days, I will pour out my Spirit,' Joel ii. 29, that is, 'I will pour out of my Spirit, and they shall prophecy,' Acts ii. 18. So in Acts xix. 2, 6. And when Saul was anointed to be king, the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied,' 1 Sam. x. 6, 10. Prophesying was not only a foretelling of things to come, but sometimes a declaring of the word of God unto the

people; see Exod. vii. 1; Gen xx. 7. And thus Paul saith, He that prophesieth, speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort,' 1 Cor. xiv. 3. Sometimes it was a singing of praise unto God; as they that prophesied with harps, with psalteries and with cymbals; to confess and to praise the Lord,' 1 Chron. xxv. 1, 3. DID NOT ADD,] That is, prophesied no more but that day, as God spake the ten commandinents, and added not,' that is, spake no more, or after such a manner to the people, Deut. lii. 2. Thus the Gr. here translateth, and they added no more: and Sol. Jarchi saith," they did not add, i. e. they prophesied not save that day only; so it is expounded in Siphre." Howbeit the Chald. translateth it, ceased not; in a contrary signification, which sometimes is in the Heb. words. But seeing the Chald. so expoundeth that also in Deut. v. 22, that the Lord ceased not,' which seemeth to mean a continuance till all those ten words were finished; we may likewise understand him here to mean a continuance for that day; (as Saul in Naioth prophesied all that day and all that night,' 1 Sam. xix. 24,) and not a continuance always; for this seemeth to be a temporary gift and miracle for confirmation of their office; as in 1 Sam. x. 6, 11.

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VER. 26.-MEDAD,] In Gr. Modad. THE SPIRIT,] In Chald. the spirit of prophecy. THAT WERE WRITTEN,] By Moses in a book; or in papers (as the Hebs. think) and so were appointed among the rest to come to the tabernacle, ver. 16, 24. BUT WENT NOT OUT,] For what cause, the scripture sheweth not: but by comparing this their fact with others, it is probable, that as Saul when he should have been made king, withdrew and hid himself among the stuff,' I Sam. x. 22, so these two, unwilling to take the charge upon them, withdrew their shoulders, and

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27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his choice young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid thou them. 29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for me? but O who shall give that all the people of Jehovah were prophets; that Jehovah would give his Spirit upon them. 30 And Moses gathered himself into the camp; he, and the elders of Israel. 31 And there went forth a wind from Jehovah, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's

came not to the tabernacle: yet the Lord by his Spirit found them out: for whither shall men go from his spirit ? or whither shall they flee from his presence? Ps. cxxxix. 7. The Hebs. have here their uncertain conjectures Sol. Jarchi saith, "They were all written expressly by their names, and should have been taken by lots. For the count was made for the twelve tribes, out of every tribe six, except two tribes, of which were but five. Moses took seventy-two papers (or scrolls) and on seventy of them he wrote an elder, and on two, a part: and he chose six out of every tribe, so there were seventy and two. Then he said unto them, Take up your papers out of the basket. Whoso took up with his hand (a paper on which was written) an elder, he was sanctified (to that office:) but he in whose hand came up a part, unto him he said, the Lord will not have thee."

VER. 28.-OF HIS CHOICE YOUNG MEN,] In Gr. his chosen one: the Chald. saith, of his young men. The original word signifieth also youth: whereupon some translate it, the minister of Moses from his youth: but this seemeth not fit, for Moses's shepherd's life in Midian, from which he came but a little before this, argueth the contrary. FORBID THOU THEM,] This he spake of envious zeal for his master Moses' sake, (as the ver. following showeth ;) that he would not have the use of the gift of prophecy common; or, because they obeyed not Moses to come out as he commanded. So the disciples forbade one that cast out devils in Christ's name, because he followed not with them, Luke ix. 49, 50, Mark ix. 38. Thargum Jonathan explaineth it, my lord Moses, request mercy from before the Lord, and forbid them the spirit of prophecy.'

VER. 29.-ENVIEST THOU,] Or, hast thou envious zeal or jealousy for my sake? which is a prohibition, have it not: as 'think ye that I am come to give peace on earth? Luke xii, 51; that is, think it not,' Matt. x. 34. BUT O WHO SHALL GIVE,] Or, and O who, &c.; this is an earnest wish, as would God, or the like: the word and, setteth forth the

earnestness of his passion, as Acts xxiii. 3; Ps. ii. 6. HIS SPIRIT,] That is, the gifts of his spirit; as the Chald. saith, his spirit of prophesy.' So Paul wisheth that all the church could prophesy, and saith, follow after love, and zealously desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy, 1 Cor. xiv. 1.

VER. 30.-GATHERED,] That is, got himself, or as the Gr. saith, departed. THE ELDERS,] Who were authorised of God to be of the high counsel or synedrion with Moses and his assistants: and thus they differed from those inferior magistrates which had been appointed before by Jethro's advice, Exod. xviii. 21, 25. And as then all hard causes were brought unto Moses, Exod. xviii. 26; so after this, such causes were brought to the high court or synedrion first ordained here. This is showed by the Heb. canons in Talmud Bab. Sanhedrin, chap. 1; and Maim. in Sanhedrin, chap. v. thus: 66 they set up no king but by the mouth of the senate of seventy-one (elders:) neither make they any lesser synedrion for every tribe and for every city, but by the senate of seventy-one. Neither judge they a whole tribe revolted, (to idolatry,) nor a false prophet, nor the high priest in judgment of life and death, but by the great synedrion. But money matters are judged by the court of three judges. Likewise, they make (or judge) no elder rebellious, (Deut. xvii.) nor any city drawn to idolatry, (Deut. xiii.;) neither cause they the suspected woman to drink the bitter water, (Num. v.) but in the great synedrion. Neither do they add unto (or enlarge) the city or the court-yard, neither go they forth to permitted war," &c. [whereof see the notes on Deut. xx. 1,] but by the great synedrion; as it is said, (in Exod. xviii. 22,) every great matter they shall bring unto thee.'

VER. 31.-A WIND,] God made an east wind to pass forth in heaven; and brought on a south wind by his strength,' Ps. lxxviii. 26. BROUGHT QUAILS,] Such fowls as he had fed them with before, in Exod. xvi. 13; them now God again brought swiftly, and as

journey on that side, round about the camp: and as it were two cubits above the face of the earth. 32 And the people stood up all that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails; he that gathered least, gathered ten homers: and spreading they spread them for themselves round about the camp. 33 The flesh was yet between their teeth; it was not yet cut off, when the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the people, and Jehovah smote the people with a very great plague. And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people that lusted. 35 From Kibroth-hattaavah, the people journeyed unto Hazeroth: and they were in Hazeroth.

with violence; which the Chald. translateth
made to fly. LET THEM FALL,] Or, spread
them abroad; so this word is Englished in
1 Sam. xxx. 16. Two CUBITS,] Sol. Jarchi
saith, **
they flew so high as against a man's
heart, that he was not toiled in getting them,
either by reaching high or by stooping low.

VER. 32.-TEN HOMERS,] Or, ten heaps,
as the Chald. translateth: for the Heb. homer
sometimes signifieth an heap, as in Exod.
viii. 3; sometimes a kind of measure con-
taining ten ephahs or bushels, Ezek. xlv. 11;
the which measure is called also a cor, Ezek.
xlv. 14; and so Thargum Jerusalem inter-
preteth it here. Thus also the Gr. translat-
eth it ten cors; (for of the Heb. cor, the Gr.
coros, in Luke xvi. 7; and Lat. corus are
derived.) And Chazkuni here explaineth it,
"ten homers; there are in an homer thirty
seahs (or pecks,) so ten homers contain three
hundred seahs: lo he that gathered least, had
every day ten seahs." Of the seah or peck,
see the notes on Gen. xviii. 6. This abun-
dance of fowls was miraculous, whereupon it
is said, God rained flesh upon them as
dust; and feathered fowls as the sand of the
sea,' Ps. lxxviii. 27. And with these they
filled their greedy lust; (' feeding themselves
without fear,' as Jude ver. 12;) though the
Lord had threatened to punish them, ver. 20.
VER. 33. NOT YET CUT OFF,] To wit,
from their mouth, that is, not taken from
them, which the Gr. translateth before it
(that is, the flesh) failed. Thus the phrase
is opened in Joel i. 5, the new wine is cut
off from your mouth;' that is, taken away
from you.
Or, by cutting may be meant
chewing. The psalmist alleging this, saith,
⚫ they were not estranged from their desire;
Vol. II.

B

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the meat was yet in their mouth when the anger of God came up against them,' &c. Ps. lxxviii. 30, 31. And here Chazkuni observeth how they were plagued of God, "after that he had sufficed all of them with flesh; that men should not say he had not plagued them, but because he was not able to suffice them all with flesh. A VERY GREAT PLAGUE,] Or, vehement great smiting: Abr. Ezra writeth, that it was the pestilence: God gave them their request when they lusted for flesh; but sent leanness into their soul,' Ps. cvi. 14, 15. The anger of God came up against them, and slew of the fat of them; and smote down the choice young men of Israel,' Ps. lxxviii. 31.

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VER. 34. HE CALLED,] meaning, Moses called, and by the name of the place, left a memorial of their sin and punishment, for a warning to them after, Deut. ix. 22; and to us, that we should not lust after evil things as they lusted,' 1 Cor. x. 6. Or, as the Gr. translateth it, the name of the place was called;' see ver. 3. KIBROTH-HATTAAVAH,] That is, as the Gr. expoundeth it, graves (or monuments) of lust. Where lust may be used for the men that lusted; as circumcision, in Rom. ii. 26, is for men circumcised; pride, for the proud man, Jer. 1. 31, 32; Ps. xxxvi. 12; and many the like. See the notes on Gen. xlv. 7.

VER. 35.-WERE IN HAZEROTH,] Or, Chatseroth, in Gr. Aseiroth; here they were that is, abode or continued, (as Daniel was, that is, continued, Dan. i. 21; and they were, that is, continued there, Ruth i. 2.) The cause of which abode, was a new trouble which Moses' sister and brother raised against him, Num. xii.

CHAP. XII.

1. Mary and Aaron speak against Moses about his wife and office. 4. The Lord calleth them all before him, justifieth Moses, magnifieth his office, rebuketh the murmurers, and departeth in anger. 10. Mary is made a leper, Aaron confesseth sin, Moses prayeth God to heal her. 14. The Lord commandeth her to be shut out of the camp seven days. 15. The people's journey is stayed till she was brought in again; then they go on into Pharan.

AND Mary and Aaron spake against Moses, because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had taken: for he had taken an Ethiopian woman. 2 And they said, Hath Jehovah spoken only indeed by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And Jehovah heard

VER. 1.-MARY,] In Heb. Mirjam; in Gr. Miriam; she was a prophetess, sister of Moses and Aaron, Exod. xv. 20; and she. it was that began the quarrel, as in the original it appeareth, Mary she spake ;' therefore she, not Aaron, was plagued with leprosy, v. 10. As Satan prevailed first with Eve, then by her with Adam, Gen. i. 3; so here first with Mary, and then by her, with Aaron the high priest. And as the former sin of lust for flesh began among the baser sort, Num. xi. 4; so this sin of ambition and vain glory began among the chiefest of the church: for these three, Moses, Aaron, and Mary, were the chief guides whom God sent before his people, Micah vi. 4. BECAUSE,] Or, upon occasion, for the sake. ETHIOPIAN,] Heb. Cushite; which the Gr. translateth Ethiopian. This seemeth to be no other than Zipporah the Midianitess, whom Moses had married, Exod. ii. 16, 21; and because the Midianites dwelt in Cush his land, they were called Cushites (or Ethiopians) and it may be also because they were tawny coloured like them. For otherwise Cush was the son of Cham, Gen. x. 6; whereas Midian was the son of Abraham, the son of Shem, Gen. xxv. 1, 2. The Chald. instead of Cushith, saith Fair, which may be spoken by the contrary. Josephus, Philo, and some others take this wife not to be Zipporah, but another Ethiopian. TAKEN,] To wit, to wife, that is, married: so in 1 Chron. ii. 19, 21; 2 Chron. xi. 20; Neh. vi. 18; x. 30. By this it seemeth, the marrying of that woman (who was not of the stock of Israel, and who hindered him from circumcising his son, Exod. iv. 24-26,) was the occasion of their murmuring. Howbeit, the Heb. doctors make his not companying

with his wife, to be the occasion: for that he being a prophet, daily conversant with the Lord, and frequenting his tabernacle, abstained from her lest he should have legal pollution, which would have kept him from the sanctuary, Lev. xv. 16-31. Compare also Exod. xix. 15. Thus the Chald. expoundeth it, for he had put away (or abstained from) the fair wife which he had taken." And Sol. Jarchi thus, "for he had taken a Cushite woman, and had now put her away."

VER. 2.-BY MOSES,] Or in Moses; as speaking of inward revelation by the Spirit: the Thargum called Jonathan's, paraphraseth thus ; hath the Lord spoken only indeed with Moses, who is separated from copulation of the bed," meaning with his wife. ALSO BY us,] Or, in us as David said 'the Spirit of Jehovah spake in me,' 2 Sam. xxiii. 2. Here Sol. Jarchi addeth for explanation, "hath he not spoken also by us, and yet we have not separated ourselves from the way of the earth;" meaning, from mutual society, such as is between man and wife; a phrase taken from Gen. xix. 31. But it may be understood, as before is noted, that they would not have Moses esteemed the only prophet, who had so stained himself by marriage with a strange woman. Their drift was by disgrac ing Moses for his infirmity, to grace and advance themselves; against which it is said, let us not be desirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another,' Gal. v. 26. HEARD IT,] That is, took notice of this their speech, to reprove and punish it. So of Reuben's sin, it is said, Israel heard it,' Gen. xxxv. 22. Or, God is said to hear it, as a witness of that which it may be they murmured in secret: as in Ps. lix. 8, 'swords

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it. Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.

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* And Jehovah said suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Mary, Come out ye three unto the tent of the congregation, and they three went out. 5 And Jehovah came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tent, and called Aaron and Mary and they two came forth. " And he said, Hear now my words: if there shall be a prophet among you, I Jehovah will make myself known unto him in a vision, I will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, he is faithful in all mine

are in their lips, for who (say they) doth hear? and in Ps. Iv. 20, God will hear and afflict them.' See also Ps. xciv. 7, 8, 9. VER. 3.-MEEK,] The original word hath affinity with affliction and lowliness, for by affliction, this virtue is furthered, Lam. iii. 27-30; and is seated in the heart and spirit, as the apostle mentionetha meek and quiet spirit, 1 Pet. iii. 4. As Moses, so Christ is set forth for an example of meekness, Matt. xxi. 5; xi. 29. It is a virtue which keepeth a mean in anger, and avenging of ourselves when we are offended, wronged, and contemned. ABOVE ALL THE MEN,] Or, more than any man. This commendation the Spirit of God giveth of Moses, though by Moses' own pen (as the apostle also writeth in his own behalf, 2 Cor. xi. 5, 6, 10, 22, &c.; xii. 11, 12;) although Moses is noted to have been very angry sundry times, Exod. xi. 8; xvi. 20; xxxii. 19; Lev. x. 16; Num. xvi. 15; xxxi. 14; xx. 10, 11; com. pared with Ps. cvi. 32, 33.

VER. 4.-SAID SUDDENLY,] So showing the greatness of his displeasure against them, which suffered no delay, Ps. lxiv. 7; Prov. vi. 15; Is. xxx. 13; and preventing any that might think Moses complained to God and sought revenge. Thus God who will be a swift witness against evil doers, Mal. iii. 5; suddenly rose to plead the cause of his meekest servant. Compare Ps. 1. 19, 20, 21. YE THREE,] Both parties are judicially summoned to appear before the Lord in the tent of his habitation; as he riseth up to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth,' Ps. lxxvi. 9. So in Num. xvi. 16.

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VER. 5.-CAME DOWN,] In Chald, revealed himself: see Gen. xi. 5. OF THE CLOUD,] As the throne of his glory, out of which he used to appear and speak unto them, Ps. xcix. 7; Num. xvi. 42. Unto these appearances those visions of John hath reference, Rev. x. 1, 2, 3; xiv. 14, &c.

VER, 6.-A PROPHET AMONG YOU,] Or, of you; Heb. your prophet: which the Chald. expoundeth, "if there shall be prophets to (or among) you." What this word

prophet meaneth, see in the notes on Gen. xx. 7; Exod. vii. 1. I JEHOVAH,] So the Chald. also explaineth it: or it may be interpreted, of Jehovah; that is, a prophet of the Lord so the Gr. translateth, a prophet of you to the Lord. IN A VISION,] Or, by a vision or sight; that is, as the Chald. saith, in visions; su God appeared to Abraham the prophet in a vision, Gen. xx. 7; xv. 1; aud to Jacob, Gen. xlvi. 2; to Ezekiel, Ezek. i. 1; to Daniel, Dan. viii. 2; and others, Job iv. 13; 2 Cor. xii. 1; Acts ii. 17; whereupon a prophesy is called a vision, Is. i. 1; Obad. i. 1; Nahum i. 1. IN A DREAM,] Chald. in dreams: another way by which God revealed his word to the prophets, Gen. xxxi. 11; Deut. xiii. 1; 1 Kings iii. 5; Jer. xxiii. 25, 28, 32. Dreams are in the night, and then as it were in darkness God spake with the other prophets; but as R. Menachem here noteth," it was not so with Moses, for God spake not with him but by day." Moreover, dreams and visions do soon vanish and fly away, Job xx. 8.

VER. 7.-NOT so,] Is not such a prophet that I should speak to him by dreams and visions. FAITHFUL IN ALL MINE HOUSE,] That is, in all my church; for the house of God is expounded the church of the living God,' 1 Tim. iii. 15; and so the Chald. here translateth it" in all my people ;" and Jonathan," in all the house of Israel my people:" and Chazkuni explaineth it thus, "all the men of my house hold him for faithful.” This is further opened by the apostle, saying, 'consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him that made him, as also Moses was in all his house, &c. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after, but Christ as the Son over his own house; whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end,' Heb. iii, 1-6. Touching Moses' faithfulness, and the confidence that Israel reposed in him, see the notes on Exod. xix. 9.

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