Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with

you.

And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with. what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.

But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.

And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no

more.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards

he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether. Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.

And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people.

And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.

And all these thy servants shall 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.

Question.-What are we to understand by the words, "I have made thee a god unto Pharaoh?" Answer. The words did not mean that Moses was to claim to be a god and call upon Pharaoh to worship him, but that he was to speak to him with the authority of God Himself; to deliver a message which no man could send; not to claim the deliverance of the Israelites as a leader chosen by the people might claim it, but to demand it as an act of obedience to the Lord Almighty. Aaron

was to be his prophet, that is speak for him, as the prophets of God announced His purposes to His people.

Q-Is it not strange that the Egyptian magicians should have been able to imitate the wonders which Moses and Aaron performed?

A. They were only able to imitate them sufficiently to deceive the ignorant people about them; they were clever jugglers and knew how to perform many of the

tricks which are commonly exhibited, more especially in Eastern countries. The Indian jugglers are able to exhibit tricks of this kind which the most intelligent European spectators are unable to explain. Perhaps these magicians were priests, or attendants at the temples, where delusions were constantly exhibited to impress the ignorant people with a sense of the power and wisdom of the priests. There can be no doubt that the priests were acquainted with many scientific facts, which have been rediscovered in modern times, and were able to produce some very striking effects by their acquaintance with optics and acoustics (the sciences of the law of sight and sound). The story shows that, although at first they were able to imitate the wonders performed by Moses, they afterwards failed entirely. They could throw down serpents which they had concealed about them, and what at first appears a very striking instance of their power, turning water into blood, may be explained if we consider the words of the story. Moses and Aaron turned "all the waters that were in the river" into blood, but the magicians perhaps changed the water contained in some small vessels into blood, or some liquid having the appearance of blood, a trick similar to one very commonly performed by jugglers. Q.-Was it not strange that the frogs should go into the bedchambers and ovens ?

A.-There were no upper stories to Egyptian houses, and the ovens were holes dug in the ground. Q.-The words of Moses to Pharaoh, "Glory over me," are difficult. How are we to understand them?

A.-There are various translations of the phrase. In some ancient versions of the Scriptures it reads, "Appoint me a time," intimating that, if Pharaoh would repent, Moses was ready to pray God to remove the plague. The reply of Pharaoh," To morrow," makes it probable that this is the real meaning of the words. Q.-Were the insects mentioned the same as those to which the names are now applied?

A. It is thought by some that the first mentioned were gnats, or even mosquitoes. These are known in all hot countries, but at that time of the year, about February, when the climate is cool, must have been a great plague, especially when appearing in very great numbers. By "flies," a word which our translators used because the exact nature of the plague is not mentioned in the original, which speaks only of "swarms," it is possible that a species of winged beetle was meant. Q-It is said that in consequence of the plague of murrain "all the cattle of Egypt died," and yet the plague of hail, which came a few days afterwards, killed the cattle which were in the field. How do these statements agree?

A.-It is not uncommon for the word "all" to be used for the greater part. There are several examples in other parts

A. The word means, "in blossom." Flax was a very important crop in Egypt, linen being the chief material for clothing.

Q.-Are we to understand that the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not obey Him?

A.—We should rather understand that God permitted his heart to remain hardened. "The heart of man is desper ately wicked," and the Lord sometimes allows bad men to appear to be successful for a time, so that they become more hardened, but judgment comes at last. In one of the parables of Jesus we are taught that the tares are allowed to grow up with the wheat, but that in the end they will be cast into the fire. God's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor His ways our ways; but "shall not the Judge of all the earth do right ?" Q.-The Israelites were commanded to borrow jewels of silver and gold of the Egyptians; was it intended that they should come back to Egypt to return these things?

A.-Our translators appear to have misunderstood the word used in the original. "Ask" would be nearer the proper meaning. The Egyptian people had suffered greatly from the plagues, and probably did not share the desire of Pharaoh to keep the Israelites in Egypt. The Egyptian kings possessed absolute power, and the people had no share in the government of the country; they could not, therefore, assist the Israelites, except by supplying them with things necessary to help them on their way. They had a great respect for Moses, who had showed such wonderful power, for it is said that he was great in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people.

Q.-Was there any reason why the firstborn of the cattle should be destroyed as well as the firstborn of the Egyptian people?

A.-Some animals were worshipped in Egypt, especially the bull, cow, goat, ram, cat, and the bird ibis. To show, therefore, that even those animals considered most sacred were as nothing before the power of the Lord, was a striking lesson to the Egyptians, as showing how valueless were the gods they worshipped. The Lord afterwards said, "Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment.' The sculptures and pictures of ancient Egypt show how general was the worship of animals in that country.

would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: and if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats and ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.

And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S

passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of

Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a

feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night,