Излазак 9:29 Коментар

In this chapter we have an account of three more of the plagues of Egypt. I. Murrain among the cattle, which was fatal to them (Exo 9:1-7). II. Boils upon man and beast (Exo 9:8-12). III. Hail, with thunder and lightning. 1. Warning is given of this plague (Exo 9:13-21). 2. It is inflicted, to their great terror (Exo 9:22-26). 3. Pharaoh, in a fright, renews his treaty with Moses, but instantly breaks his word (Exo 9:27, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 9 This chapter relates the plague of murrain upon the cattle, and which yet was not upon the cattle of the Israelites, Exo 9:1 and the plague of boils and blains on man and beast, Exo 9:8 and Pharaoh's heart being hardened, Moses is sent to him with a message from the Lord, threatening him that all his plagues should come upon him, and particularly the pestilence, if he would not let Israel go; and signifying, that to show his power in him, and declare his name throughout the earth, had he raised him up, and a kind of amazement is expressed at his obstinacy and pride, Exo 9:12, and he is told that a terrible storm of hail should fall upon the land, and destroy all in the field; wherefore those that regarded the word of the Lord got their cattle within doors, but those that did not took no care of them, Exo 9:18 and upon Moses's stretching out his hand, when ordered by the Lord, the storm began, and destroyed every thing in the field throughout the land, excepting the land of Goshen, Exo 9:22 upon which Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron, acknowledged his sin, and the justice of God, begged they would entreat for him, which Moses did; but when the storm was over, Pharaoh's heart was still more hardened, and he refused to let the people go, Exo 9:27.

But as for thee, and thy servants,.... Notwithstanding the confession of sin he had made, and his earnest request that the Lord might be entreated to remove this plague, and though he had been assured it would be removed: I know that ye will not yet fear the Lord God: they had not feared him yet; the confession of sin made did not arise from the true fear of God, but from a dread of punishment, and when delivered from this plague, the goodness of God would have no such effect as to cause him and his servants to fear the Lord; or "I know, that before ye were afraid of the face of the Lord God" (n), which Kimchi (o) and Ben Melech interpret thus,"I know that thou and thy servants, before I pray for you, are afraid of the face of the Lord God, but after I have prayed, and the thunders and rain are ceased, ye will sin again;''and so they did. (n) "priusquam timeretis", Tigurine version. (o) Sepher Shorash, rad.

The Lord sends Moses to Pharaoh to inform him that, if he did not let the Israelites depart, a destructive pestilence should be sent among his cattle, Exo 9:1-3; while the cattle of the Israelites should be preserved, Exo 9:4. The next day this pestilence, which was the fifth plague, is sent, and all the cattle of the Egyptians die, Exo 9:5, Exo 9:6. Though Pharaoh finds that not one of the cattle of the Israelites had died, yet, through hardness of heart, he refuses to let the people go, Exo 9:7. Moses and Aaron are commanded to sprinkle handfuls of ashes from the furnace, that the sixth plague, that of boils and blains, might come on man and beast, Exo 9:5, Exo 9:9; which having done, the plague takes place, Exo 9:10. The magicians cannot stand before this plague, which they can neither imitate nor remove, Exo 9:11. Pharaoh's heart is again hardened, Exo 9:12. God's awful message to Pharaoh, with the threat of more severe plagues than before, Exo 9:13-17. The seventh plague of rain, hail, and fire threatened, Exo 9:18. The Egyptians commanded to house their cattle that they might not be destroyed, Exo 9:19. These who feared the word of the Lord brought home their servants and cattle, and those who did not regard that word left their cattle and servants in the fields, Exo 9:20, Exo 9:21. The storm of hail, thunder, and lightning takes place, Exo 9:22-24. It nearly desolates the whole land of Egypt, Exo 9:25, while the land of Goshen escapes, Exo 9:26. Pharaoh confesses his sin, and begs an interest in the prayers of Moses and Aaron, Exo 9:27, Exo 9:28. Moses promises to intercede for him, and while he promises that the storm shall cease, he foretells the continuing obstinacy of both himself and his servants, Exo 9:29, Exo 9:30. The flax and barley, being in a state of maturity, are destroyed by the tempest, Exo 9:31; while the wheat and the rye, not being grown up, are preserved, Exo 9:32. Moses obtains a cessation of the storm, Exo 9:33. Pharaoh and his servants, seeing this, harden their hearts, and refuse to let the people go, Exo 9:34, Exo 9:35.

I will spread abroad my hands - That is, I will make supplication to God that he may remove this plague. This may not be an improper place to make some observations on the ancient manner of approaching the Divine Being in prayer. Kneeling down, stretching out the hands, and lifting them up to heaven, were in frequent use among the Hebrews in their religious worship. Solomon kneeled down on his knees, and spread forth his hands to heaven; Ch2 6:13. So David, Psa 143:6 : I stretch forth my hands unto thee. So Ezra: I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God; Ezr 9:5. See also Job Job 11:13 : If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thy hands towards him. Most nations who pretended to any kind of worship made use of the same means in approaching the objects of their adoration, viz., kneeling down and stretching out their hands; which custom it is very likely they borrowed from the people of God. Kneeling was ever considered to be the proper posture of supplication, as it expresses humility, contrition, and subjection. If the person to whom the supplication was addressed was within reach, the supplicant caught him by the knees; for as among the ancients the forehead was consecrated to genius, the ear to memory, and the right hand to faith, so the knees were consecrated to mercy. Hence those who entreated favor fell at and caught hold of the knees of the person whose kindness they supplicated. This mode of supplication is particularly referred to in the following passages in Homer: - Των νυν μιν μνησασα παρεζεο, και λαβε γουνων. Iliad i., ver. 407. Now therefore, of these things reminding Jove, Embrace his knees. Cowper. To which the following answer is made: - Και τοτ' επειτα τοι ειμι Διος ποτι χαλκοβατες δω, Και μιν γουνασομαι, και μιν πεισεσθαι οΐω. Iliad i., ver. 426. Then will I to Jove's brazen-floor'd abode, That I may clasp his knees; and much misdeem Of my endeavor, or my prayer shall speed. Id. See the issue of thus addressing Jove, Ibid., ver. 500-502, and ver. 511, etc. In the same manner we find our Lord accosted, Mat 17:14 : There came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him γονυπετων αυτον, falling down at his knees. As to the lifting up or stretching out of the hands, (often joined to kneeling), of which we have seen already several instances, and of which we have a very remarkable one in this book, Exo 17:11, where the lifting up or stretching out of the hands of Moses was the means of Israel's prevailing over Amalek; we find many examples of both in ancient authors. Thus Homer: - Εσθλον γαρ Δυ χειρας ανασχεμεν, αι κ' ελεησῃ. Iliad xxiv., ver. 301. For right it is to spread abroad the hands To Jove for mercy. Also Virgil: - Corripio e stratis corpus, Tendoque supinas ad coelum cum voce manus, et munera libo Aeneid iii., ver. 176. I started from my bed, and raised on high My hands and voice in rapture to the sky; And pour libations. Ptt. Dixerat: et Genua Amplexus, genibusque volutans Haerebat. Ibid., ver. 607. Then kneel'd the wretch, and suppliant clung around My knees with tears, and grovell'd on the ground. Id. - media inter numina divum Multa Jovem Manibus Supplex orasse SUPINIS. Ibid. iv., ver. 204. Amidst the statues of the gods he stands, And spreading forth to Jove his lifted hands. Id. Et Duplices cum voce Manus ad sidera Tendit. Ibid. x., ver. 667. And lifted both his hands and voice to heaven. In some cases the person petitioning came forward, and either sat in the dust or kneeled on the ground, placing his left hand on the knee of him from whom he expected the favor, while he touched the person's chin with his right. We have an instance of this also in Homer: Και ρα παροιθ' αυτοιο καθεζετο, και λαβε γουνων Σκαιῃ· δεξιτερῃ δ' αρ' ὑπ' ανθερεωνος ἑλουσα. Iliad i., ver. 500. Suppliant the goddess stood: one hand she placed Beneath his chin, and one his knee embraced. Pope. When the supplicant could not approach the person to whom he prayed, as where a deity was the object of the prayer, he washed his hands, made an offering, and kneeling down, either stretched out both his hands to heaven, or laid them upon the offering or sacrifice, or upon the altar. Thus Homer represents the priest of Apollo praying: - Χερνιψαντο δ' επειτα, και ουλοχυτας ανελοντο. Τοισιν δε Χρυσης μεγαλ' ευχετο, χειρας ανασχων. Iliad i., ver. 449. With water purify their hands, and take The sacred offering of the salted cake, While thus, with arms devoutly raised in air, And solemn voice, the priest directs his prayer. Pope. How necessary ablutions of the whole body, and of the hands particularly, accompanied with offerings and sacrifices were, under the law, every reader of the Bible knows: see especially Exo 29:1-4, where Aaron and his sons were commanded to be washed, previously to their performing the priest's office; and Exo 30:19-21, where it is said: "Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands - that they die not." See also Lev 17:15. When the high priest among the Jews blessed the people, he lifted up his hands, Lev 9:22. And the Israelites, when they presented a sacrifice to God, lifted up their hands and placed them on the head of the victim: "If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord - of the cattle of the herd, and of the flock - he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering, and it shall be accepted for him, to make atonement for him;" Lev 1:2-4. To these circumstances the apostle alludes, Ti1 2:8 : "I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." In the apostle's word επαιροντας, lifting up, there is a manifest reference to stretching out the hands to place them either on the altar or on the head of the victim. Four things were signified by this lifting up of the hands. 1. It was the posture of supplication, and expressed a strong invitation - Come to my help; 2. It expressed the earnest desire of the person to lay hold on the help he required, by bringing him who was the object of his prayer to his assistance; 3. It showed the ardor of the person to receive the blessings he expected; and 4. By this act he designated and consecrated his offering or sacrifice to his God. From a great number of evidences and coincidences it is not unreasonable to conclude that the heathens borrowed all that was pure and rational, even in their mode of worship, from the ancient people of God; and that the preceding quotations are proofs of this.

MURRAIN OF BEASTS. (Exo 9:1-7) Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle--A fifth application was made to Pharaoh in behalf of the Israelites by Moses, who was instructed to tell him that, if he persisted in opposing their departure, a pestilence would be sent among all the flocks and herds of the Egyptians, while those of the Israelites would be spared. As he showed no intention of keeping his promise, he was still a mark for the arrows of the Almighty's quiver, and the threatened plague of which he was forewarned was executed. But it is observable that in this instance it was not inflicted through the instrumentality or waving of Aaron's rod, but directly by the hand of the Lord, and the fixing of the precise time tended still further to determine the true character of the calamity (Jer 12:4).

The fifth plague consisted of a severe Murrain, which carried off the cattle (מקנה, the living property) of the Egyptians, that were in the field. To show how Pharaoh was accumulating guilt by his obstinate resistance, in the announcement of this plague the expression, "If thou refuse to let them go" (cf. Exo 8:2), is followed by the words, "and wilt hold them (the Israelites) still" (עוד still further, even after Jehovah has so emphatically declared His will).

Moses promised that his request should be granted, that he might know "that the land belonged to Jehovah," i.e., that Jehovah ruled as Lord over Egypt (cf. Exo 8:18); at the same time he told him that the fear manifested by himself and his servants was no true fear of God. יי מפּני ירא denotes the true fear of God, which includes a voluntary subjection to the divine will. Observe the expression, Jehovah, Elohim: Jehovah, who is Elohim, the Being to be honoured as supreme, the true God.