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sting of sin, but the venom thereof rageth and reigneth, tormenting the conscience unto death, Rom. v. 12, 14, 21; iii. 20.

VER. 7.—WE HAVE SINNED,] The afflictions which God layeth upon his people, are a mean (through his grace) to bring them to the sight and acknowledgment of their sins, and seeking unto him, as it is said, When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned, and inquired early after God,' Ps. Ixxviii. 34. Yea, the wicked are often forced hereby, to confess and seek help of God, as did Pharaoh, Exod. ix. 27, 28. THAT HE TAKE AWAY,] Or, and let him take away the serpents; in Heb. the serpent, put for the multitude of them; as in Exod. viii. 6, the frog, is for frogs, and in Exod. viii. 17, the louse, for lice, and many the like. They desire the removing of the punishment, after repentance and confession of sin; without which, plagues are not only continued, but increased, Lev. xxvi. 21, 23, 24, 28. Howbeit God did not presently take away the serpents, but gave a remedy for such as were bitten, ver. 8, 9. MOSES PRAYED,] As at other times, so still he showeth himself an example of meekness, unmindfulness of injuries, and readiness to forgive the wrongs done unto him. Thus Samuel also did in like case, and said, 'Far be it that I should sin against the Lord, in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way,' 1 Sam. xii. 19, 23

VER, 8.-MAKE THEE A FIERY SERPENT,] Or, a burning serpent, Heb. saraph, which the Gr. translateth, a serpent: hereby is meant, a serpent of brass,' ver. 9, a similitude of one of those fiery serpents, a figure of Christ, as himself hath opened it, saying, 'As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up,' John iii. 14. For as this had the similitude of a serpent, but had no venom; so Christ had the similitude of a sinful man, 'yet without sin,' Heb. iv. 15. UPON A POLE,] Or, for a sign; the original nes signifieth an ensign or banner lifted up on high, and is here by the Gr. and Chald. translated a sign, meaning a pole or perch, which is usually set up for a sign or signification of something. And hereupon our Saviour useth the word of lifting up,' or 'setting on high,' in John iii. 14, meaning of his cross, upon which he was lifted up at his death, or of the preaching of him crucified: as elsewhere he likewise saith, When ye have lifted up the

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Son of man,' John viii. 28; and again, when

As

he signified what death he should die,' he said, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me,' John xii. 32. So the setting of this serpent on a pole or sign, was a figure unto them of Christ to be crucified, and preached unto the world for salvation. WHEN HE LOOKETH UPON IT, SHALL LIVE,] Or, then he shall see (or look upon) it, and he shall live; so implying both a commandment and a promise. And this was the reason of the putting it upon a pole, that the people which were far off might presently see it, every man from his place. the serpent lifted up, was a figure of Christ; so the looking upon it signified faith in Christ, as it is written, At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the holy One of Israel,' Is. xvii. 7. And thus our Lord himself expoundeth it, As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life,' John iii. 14, 15. Likewise among the Hebs. Thargum Jonathan explaineth it thus, "He shall look upon it and live, if his heart be attent unto the name of the word of the Lord." And Sol. Jarchi saith, "when they submitted their heart unto their Father which is in heaven, they were healed, otherwise they perished." SHALL LIVE,] That is, shall be healed, and have his life and health continued; as in Is. xxxviii. 21, 'he shall live,' that is, shall recover, or be cured. And by this recovery and continuance of natural life, was figured life eternal to all that believed in Christ, John iii. 15, who is the root of Jesse, standing up for an ensign of the people, whereunto the nations should seek,' Is. xi. 10. And the work of grace was hereby lively signified. As they that were bitten with these serpents, if they looked upon their sores, and not to the sign erected of God, they died: so they that are bitten with sin, if they fix their eyes thereon, though with repentance, and look not unto Christ, do despair and die, Matt. xxvii. 35. As they, if they sought to surgeons or physicians, or used salves or medicines of their own or others, perished: so whosoever seeketh to any but Christ, or endeavoureth by his own works or sufferings to have life with God, dieth in his sins, John viii. 24; Gal. v. 4. As the brazen serpent was an unlikely thing in human reason, to heal such deadly

VER. 9.-A SERPENT OF BRASS,] Which metal, besides that it is of a fiery colour, Ezek. i. 7; Rev. i. 15, and so might resemble the colour of the serpents; it is also strong and durable, and in that respect might figure out the strength of Christ, who was enabled by the power of the Godhead to endure and overcome all his tribulations, otherwise than any man could: whereupon Job saith in his sorrows, 'Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass?' Job vi. 12. But unto the prophet Christ showed himself a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass,' Ezek. xl. 3. UPON A POLE,] Or, for a sign, as in ver. 8. This was the work of Moses; whereupon it is said, As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,' John iii. 14, and it signified how Moses' law was our schoolmaster unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith,' Gal. iii. 24, by his writings, Christ is lifted up as an ensign unto all peoples, for he wrote of Christ, John v. 46, and by the rigour of his law, which urgeth satisfaction for sin, and curseth all transgressors, Christ was lifted up upon the cross, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,' who by his sacrifice for sin, condemned sin in the flesh,' Gal. iii. 10—13; Rom. viii. 3. IF A SERPENT,] Or, as the Gr. translateth, when a serpent bit a man; so that the serpents were not taken away from the people, as they desired, in ver. 7, but continued still as a chastisement, to nurture the disobedient people: only God provideth a remedy to heal the repentant and believing sinners. Wherefore also the brazen serpent was not left standing in that place, but they carried it along through the wilderness, even into the land of Canaan, where it continued many years, 2 Kings xviii. 4. Such is the work of grace towards us in this life, for neither are our sins utterly taken from us in this life, but

we have forgiveness of them by the blood of Christ, 1 John i. 7-10; Jam. iii. 2: neither are our tentations and afflictions wholly removed, though we beseech the Lord therefore; but we receive grace from him, which is sufficient for us, and his 'strength is made perfect in weakness,' 2 Cor. xii. 7-9. WHEN HE BEHELD,] Or, and if he beheld (or looked unto) the serpent of brass, then he lived: where Thargum Jonathan addeth again, "and directed his heart to the name of the word of the Lord, then he lived." And the author of the Book of Wisdom, speaking of this serpent, (which he calleth a sign of salvation') saith, 'He that turned himself towards it, was not saved by the thing that he saw, but by thee [O God] that art the Saviour of all,' Wisdom xvi. 6, 7. This showeth the truth of God's promises and signs, that they give life to them that obey and believe in Christ: and when God promiseth to pour out the Spirit of grace upon his people, it is with these words, They shall look upon me whom they have pierced,' Zech. xii. 10. Thus the just shall live by his faith,' Hab. ii. 4, and he that heareth the word of Christ, and believeth on him that sent him, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life,' John v. 24. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord,' Rom. vi. 23.

VER, 10-OBOTH,] Of these places and journeys, see Num. xxxiii., where they are reckoned in order; for here some are named, and others omitted.

VER. 11.-BEFORE MOAB,] Before the Moabites' country. The posterity of Moab and Ammon the sons of Lot, Gen. xix. 36 -38, had vanquished the giants (called Emims and Zamzummims) which before dwelt in those parts, and succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead, Deut. ii. 10, 11, 20, 21. Through the wilderness, along by their coasts did Israel pass, but were forbid. den to war with them, or with the Edomites, Deut. ii. 5, 9, 19.

VER. 12.-THE VALLEY OF ZARED,] Or, the bourn of Zared, or Zered: which word bourn (as also the Heb. nachal) is both a valley, and a river running through a valley: and so this Zared was a river or brook also, over which Israel passed: see Deut. ii. 13. VER. 14. IT IS SAID,] Heb. it shall be said.

The time to come, noteth a continued or common saying; so he speaketh as of a known speech. THE BOOK,] Or, the narration, (the rehearsal) of the wars of Jehovah: what book this was, is uncertain; whether some writing of Israel, not now extant; or, some writing of the Amorites, which contained songs and triumphs of their king Sihon's victories; out of which Moses may cite this testimony, as Paul sometimes doth out of heathen poets, Acts xvii. 28; Tit. i. 12. VAHEB,] This is thought by some to be the name of the king of Moab, whom Sihon vanquished, ver. 26, by others, to be the name of a place or city. The Gr. interpreters bere mistaking a Z for a V (which in Heb, are one like another) read it Zoob, and give this sense, "Therefore it is said in the book, The war of the Lord hath set on fire (or burned) Zoob, and the brooks of Arnon." The Chald. paraphrast (whom others also follow) taketh it for no proper name, but expoundeth it thus: "The wars that the Lord did at the Red sea, and the mighty works at the brooks of Arnon." IN A WHIRLWIND,] Or, with a tempest; understand, the Lord (by the war of Sihon against Moab) hath consumed Vaheb in a whirlwind, or with a tempest. So wars are often set forth by the similitude of fire, tempest, whirlwinds, and the like; as, 'I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rahab, and it shall devour the paiaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind,' Amos i. 14, and, Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, &c. with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire,' Is. xxix. 6, and again, The Lord will come with fire, and with chariots like a whirlwind,' Is. Ixvi. 15. So in Nah. i. 3; Is. v. 28; Jer. iv. 13. And thus the Gr. explaineth it, "The war of the Lord hath set Zoob on fire." Some take the Heb. suphah (which VOL. II.

usually signifieth whirlwind or storm) to be here the name of a place, the same that is called suph in Deut. i. 1, which also is the name of the Red sea, as is noted on Exod. x. 9, so the Chald. interpreteth it, the Red sea. AND THE BROOKS,] Or, the bourns of Arnon, to wit, the Lord hath consumed, or (as in ver. 28,) the flame hath consumed the bourns of Arnon. It may also be expounded, "The Lord warred with Vaheb in a whirlwind, and with the brooks of Arnon." Moses intendeth by this testimony, to show how the Israelites had right to this country: for it being sometimes Moab's land, with whom Israel might not meddle, Deut. ii. 9, the Lord had before Israel's coming, stirred up the spirit of Sihon king of the Amorites, to fight against the king of Moab, and to take this part of his country from him, as is after mentioned, Num. xxi. 28, 29. Then Israel coming, and being commanded of God to war against the Amorites, Deut. ii. 24, took it again out of Sihon's hand, and so became lawful possessor of this land by conquest. This right Jephthah defended for Israel, when after many years the Ammonites (brethren to Moab) required these lands to be restored again; see the story in Judg. xi. 12, 1327. For the Moabites and Ammonites were neighbours; and Chazkuni noteth on Num. xxi. 23, that, "As Sihon had taken the land of Moab on the south side, from Jordan unto the river Arnon; so he had taken on the north-side, the land of the sons of Ammon unto Jabbok: and for this cause it was unlawful for Israel (to possess it:) and this is that which our doctors have said, Moab and Ammon were purified by Sihon."

VER. 15.-AND THE STREAM,] Or, the shedding the effusion of the brooks. This ver. seemeth to be a continuance of the former testimony out of the book of the wars of Jehovah, to show the limits and bounds of this country which Sihon had won, and how it was distinguished from Moab's land. AR,] A city of Moab, ver. 28, called in Gr. Er. LEANETH UPON THE BORDER,] That is, as the Gr. explaineth it, lieth by, or is adjoined to the borders of Moab.

VER, 16. FROM THENCE TO BEER,] Or,