1. Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro. Heb. hayah roeh eth tzon, uus fceding the flock, or acting the shepherd towards. See Note on Gen. 37. 2. He who is before, Ex. 2. 18, called Reuel, is here denominated Jethro. Our reasons for thinking them the same person have already been given. In Num. 10. 29, he is called Raguel, and is expressly said to have

been the father of Hobab.-There is no

flock to the back side of the desert, and came to b the mountain of God even to Horeb.

b ch. 18. 5. 1 Kings 19. 8.

-T He led the

and lonely places have often been those
which God has selected for the most
signal displays of himself to his serv.
ants; nor is it superfluous to remark,
that such manifestations are usually
made, as here, not to the idle or sloth-
ful, but to those who are busied in the
duties of their calling.-
flock to the back side of the desert, &c
Gr. vro Tov εonμov, under the wilderness.
Vulg. Ad interiora deserti,' to the inte
rior parts of the desert. Chal. To the
place of fair pasturage in the desert.'
The expression is probably equivalent
to a great way into the desert.-

Came to the mountain of God, so called, not so much from its great height, as tall cedars are called cedars of God, &c. (see Note on Gen. 23. 6), as by anticipation, from several very remarkable events having afterward occurred upon this memorable mount tending to confer upon it a sacred character. It was here (1.) that God appeared to Moses in the bush; (2.) that he manifested his glory at the delivery of the law; (3.) that Moses with his rod brought water out of the rock; (4.) that by lifting up his hands he made Joshua to prevail against Amelek; (5.) that he fasted twice forty days and forty

doubt a very marked contrast between Moses in the court of Egypt, making his abode in a palace, and surrounded with all the splendors of royalty, and Moses a humble hireling shepherd, leading his flocks over the rough places of the desert, sleeping often in the open air, exposed to heat and to cold, to weariness and watchings, and living upon the coarsest fare. But as we know that he had voluntarily and deliberately made the exchange of one condition for the other, and as we know too the motives by which he had been governed in doing it, it would be no matter of surprise could we be assured, as was doubt-nights; (6.) that from hence he brought iess the fact, that he was as truly happy while thus traversing the rocky region of Midian, his tent his only shelter, as when treading the marble pavements of Egyptian halls, or reposing on couches of state, with a crowd of menials prompt to do his pleasure. As it was from a supreme regard to the glory of God that he had entered this humble sphere, so God was not unmindful of the sacrifices he had made, nor did he leave him without witness of his special favor. Desert

the two tables of the law; and (7.) that Elijah was vouchsafed a glorious vision. The Chal. renders it,' the mount where the Glory of the Lord was revealed.' - Even to Horeb. Heb. 2 horeb, i. e. dryness, from the character of the soil; it being a dry, sterile, bleak, rocky region. The names 'Horeb' and 'Sinai' are interchanged in the Scriptures: and modern travellers give such varied accounts of them, that we are left in great uncertainty with regard to their original

and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

The

2 And the Angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; c Deut. 33. 16. Isai 63. 9. Acts 7. 30. position. They may be considered as four score and five thousand.' parts of one vast eminence in the midst effect here described is very generally of the surrounding desert, the upper re- conceded to have been produced by a gion of which forms an irregular circle pestilential wind of the desert, which of thirty or forty miles in diameter. is personified, and termed an angel. So This region contains the highest moun- the pestilence which occurred in consetains of the peninsula, whose shagged quence of David's numbering the people, and pointed peaks, and steep and shat-2 Sam. 24. 15, 16, in like manner repretered sides, render it clearly distin- sented as the work of an angel. The guishable from all the rest of the coun-destruction of the first-born in Egypt, try in view. Abrupt cliffs of granite, from six to eight hundred feet in height, whose surface is blackened by the sun, surround the avenues leading to the elevated region, to which the name of Sinai, at the present day, is specifically applied. The cliffs enclose the mountain on three sides, leaving the east and north-east sides only, towards the gulf of Akaba, more open to the view. Fur-indignation and trouble by sending evil ther information respecting this remarkable mountainous tract will be given in tracing the course of the children of Israel in their march from Egypt to

Canaan.

per

Ex. 12. 23, 29, is doubtless to be viewed
in the same light. Though cut off by
the direct supernatural judgment of
the Most High, yet the agency
sonified and represented as a destroying
angel. The language of the Psalmist
Ps. 78. 49, undoubtedly requires the
same construction; ' He cast upon them
the fierceness of his anger, wrath and

angels among them ;' i. e. the judgments of the plagues. In the New Testament the same mode of speech occurs, Acts, 12. 23, And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave 2. The angel of the Lord appeared not God the glory, and he was eaten of unto him, &c. Of the scriptural import worms, and gave up the ghost.' Here the of the word 'angel' we have given a judgment itself, the fatal disease with somewhat extended view in the Note which Herod died, was the angel intend on Gen. 16. 7, with which compare Note ed in the text. But if such language on Gen. 24. 7. It is properly a term of was used in reference to vindictive judg office, and not of nature, and is used to ments extraordinarily inflicted, there is denote not only human and spiritual no reason to doubt that merciful visita messengers, but also any of the imper- tions, or in fact any kind of rare, wonsonal agents, such as winds, fires, pesti- | derful, and astounding occurrences that leuces, remarkable dispensations, &c., | happen somewhat out of the ordinary which serve as a medium to make course of providence, should be set forth known the divine will, or to illustrate in a similar figurative or symbolical the divine operation in nature or provi- diction. Thus when it is said, Dan. 6. 22, dence. In fact, one of the most frequent that God had sent his Angel and shut uses of the term is as a personification the lions' mouths, that they should not of divine judgments. Thus 2 Kings, hurt Daniel,' it is not necessary to un19. 35, And it came to pass that the derstand the literal presence of an angel, Angel of the Lord went out and smote or spiritual being, but simply, that by in the canip of the Assyriaus an hundred the special interposition or influence of

midst of a bush. This appeared to Moses a natural fire burning with great vehemence in the midst of the.bush, yet we may suppose it to have been the supernatural fiery splendor which constituted the Shekinah, the symbol of the divine presence. The Hebrew word for 'bush,' (properly bramble bush) is O seneh, and from the 'bush' here mentioned, in connexion with the divine appearance, the Jewish writers, not improbably, suppose that this mountain and desert were afterwards called by the Israelites Mount Sinai,' and the wilderness of Sinai. Thus in Pirke Eliezer, ch. 41, 'From the beginning of the world this Mount was called Horeb, and when God appeared unto Moses out of the midst of the bramble-bush, from the name of the bramble (Sench) it was called Sinai.'-The incident which so much excited the wonder of Moses is generally supposed to have been designed as a representation of the con

the Almighty, the ravenous beasts were restrained from acting according to their instincts The principle on which, this interpretation rests is well expressed by Reland (Dissert. de Samarit. 7. § 7.), 'That with whatever instrument God unites his own virtue, so as to animate it, and to work in, with, and by it, that instrument is called an angel.' Accord. ingly, even a dream, a vision, a voice from heaven, may be so denominated. But the appellation seems to be in a particular manner bestowed upon the theophanies, or special divine manifestations of which we so frequently read in the Old Testament as made to the patriarchs and prophets. The Shekinah, or visible material symbol of glory, is undoubtedly, in repeated instances, called the angel of the Lord, inasmuch as it was the medium or vehicle through which the Divinity was pleased to reveal himself to the outward senses. Thus the Shekinah in the pillar of cloud and fire which guided the march of thedition of the Israelites in Egypt. The Israelites is called, Ex. 14. 19, the angel of the Lord. At the same time, in all such cases an intelligent agent, a spiritual being, or, in other words, Jehovah himself, is doubtless to be considered as really but invisibly present in and associated with the visible emblem. Thus, in the present instance, the appearance, the preternatural light or fire in the burning bush, we suppose to be what is truly and primarily meant by the angel of the Lord; but it is clear from the sequel that in and under this outward symbol there was present the divine personage who styles himself, v. 6, 'the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob,' and who is also, v. 7, expressly called 'Jehovah' (Lord). This is still farther manifest from Deut. 33. 16, where Moses, in blessing the tribes in the name of the Lord, invokes upon Joseph'the good will of him that dwelt in the bush.' Still farther confirmation of this view will be given as we proceed - ————¶ In a flame of fire out of the

burning bush,' says Philo,' was a symbol of the oppressed, and the flaming fire of the oppressors; that what was burning but not consumed, did portend that these who were afflicted by the violence of their enemies should not perish; and that the attempts of their enemies should be frustrated; and that the present troubles of the afflicted should have a good issue.' There they were oppressed and cruelly treated, bound down with bondage, and suffer. ing every grievance that malice could devise and power effect to wear out their strength and diminish their num bers. They were in a furnace of fire, and in themselves but as briars and thorns compared with those that kindled it. But they were nevertheless not destroyed; nay, they were still flourish. ing; the nation continued to shoot forth vigorous branches, and a numerous offspring surrounded them in spite of their enemies. And whence this wonder, this apparent contradiction to the coinmon

3 And Moses said, I will now turn | he turned aside to see, God called aside, and see this great sight, e unto him out of the midst of the why the bush is not burnt. bush, and said, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here am I.

5 And he said, Draw not nigh❘ thy feet; for the place whereon hither: fput off thy shoes from off thou standest is holy ground.

f ch. 19. 12. Josh. 5. 15. Acts 7. 33.

cious gospel. Whatever they heard, they heard not the things which have come to our ears. Whatever were the promises given to them, we are in pos

couragement granted to them, we have still greater afforded to us in every part of the work which we have to do, in every trial and danger to which we may be exposed. Let us then hear the voice of God speaking to us in the gospel, where no phenomenon of fire intimi dates our spirits. Let us hearken in faith to all its declarations, and yield implicit obedience to all its commands.

-T Here am I. A common expres sion indicative of readiness to hearken or obey. See Note on Gen. 22. 1.

dread, and the sanctified curiosity, with which his spirit was touched. The phraseology shows that the term 'Lord' here is used interchangeably with Angel,' carrying with it the idea of some-session of better. Whatever the cove. thing visible, or in other words of the nant made with the fathers, a better Shekinah. God might have called to one has been established with us their him without any such tokens of rever-spiritual descendants. Whatever the enence on the part of Moses, but he does not see fit to make his communications to heedless minds. The desire of Moses to be taught,' says Calvin, 'as indicated by his drawing near, is especially worthy of note. It often happens that God meets us in vain because we perversely spurn so great a grace. Let us learn from the example of Moses, as often as God, by any sign, invites us to himself, sedulously to attend, nor stifle the offered light by our sluggishness.' The vouchsafement of visions of this nature was never intended to inspire a 5. Draw not nigh hither. That is, fruitless wonder or alarm in the minds approach not any nearer than thou art. of holy men. They were always sub- The scrutiny of mere curiosity was reservient to some great moral end, and pelled; an undue familiarity was not for the most part were attended with permitted; a deep and awful reverence some express instructions in which the was enjoined. He was forbidden to apbeholder was deeply concerned. It had proach too nigh unto God. The deepest now been a long time since any such awe which can possibly fill the soul is personal intercourse with the Deity had called for when a worm of the dust is been enjoyed by any of the chosen peo- admitted to stand within the precincts ple. No instance of the kind is recorded of the divine presence. We are indeed as having taken place since God was favored to live under a milder dispen pleased to speak to Jacob to encourage sation than was Moses, one under which him to go down into Egypt; but now we are not only bidden to draw nigh after a lapse of two hundred years God unto God,' but assured that he will again condescends to appear and to draw nigh unto us.' We do not now converse with Moses, in order to en- draw nigh unto a burning bush or a courage, him to go back to the same flaming mount, but to a mercy seat country to bring his people out of it. to which we are commanded to come We We are ready to say that those favored with filial boldness to obtain all needed men of old were happy in being per- grace. Yet even here there is nothing mitted to enjoy such immediate inter- to warrant an unhallowed familiarity, course with God; but happier are we nothing to abate the most profound rev. who enjoy the full revelation of the pre-erence and godly fear when we enter