even thus be he shaken out.' Job, 38. 13. That it might take hold of the ends of the earth that the wicked might be shaken out of it.' The same original word occurs, ts. 136. 15. in allusion to this same event, through translated as here overthrow.'

How does the narrative of this tremendous judgment conclude? v. 29-31.

'Saw the Egyptians dead; Heb. 'saw the Egyptian as a dead corpse upon the lip of the sea; the whole nation being spoken of as an individual.-'Saw that great work ;' Heb 'saw that great hand;' i. e. that great hand-work. Chal. the power of the great hand.'

HEADS OF PRACTICAL REFLECTION.

V. 2. Though in the way of redemption, the people of God are often brought into straits utterly inexplicable to hu

man reason.

V. 5. The wicked are as prone to repent of their well-doing as the righteous of their ill-doing. 'Why have we done this?'

V. 9. The enemies of good men sometimes overtake and come close upon their intended victims, and yet are unable to harm them.

V. 10. Confused cries for mercy and deliverance are the natural product of sudden fear.

V. 11. Benefactors of their race are not to be surprised if
their motives should be most slanderously traduced.
V. 12. It is the malignity of unbelief to resist and repent of
God's work of redemption in our behalf.

V. 13. Critical occasions sometimes occur in which men are required to be silent spectators of the mighty work of God.

V. 16. Promises to the church are threatenings to its enemies.

V. 20. The very same means which the hand of God employs in enlightening his people may result in darkening his foes. Thus the Gospel.

V. 23. Miraculous mercies shown to the righteous sometimes embolden the wicked in the presumptuous hope of being equally favored.

V. 25. Men are not unfrequently brought to the conviction that God fights against them, and attempt to escape out of his hand when it is too late.

V. 30. The partial deliverance of the Lord's people in their straits shall be perfected in full salvation.

V. 31. Jehovah and his ministers are believed and rejected together.

CHAPTER XV.

How did Moses and the Israelites celebrate their deliverance?

'Then sang Moses; Heb. 'Shall or will sing.' As the verb in the original is in the future, perhaps the suggestion may not be wholly groundless, that it is hereby implied that this song was to serve as a model for the triumphal songs of the church in subsequent ages, somewhat as the Lord's prayer is designed as a model for the prayers of his disciples in every period of the world. Accordingly we find it said of those, Rev. 15. 2, 3. who had obtained a victorious deliverance from the thraldom of the beast, that they sung the song of Moses and the Lamb, in evident allu. sion to the sublime pean here recorded; And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image and over his mark, and over the number of his name stand on the sea of glass (rather at, or by, the sea, as the Israelites here stood by the Red Sea), having the harps of God (as the women here had timbrels, v. 20.) And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb. This is the most ancient song extant in any language, as those ascribed to Linus, Musaeus, and Orpheus, have a date of three hundred years subsequent to this. Its poetical merits are of the very first order, being conceived in a vein of grandeur and sublimity scarcely to be paralleled. 'I will sing;' intimating that although the song was to be sung by the whole company, yet each one

was to appropriate the burden of it to himself individually. Triumphed gloriously.' Heb. 'excelling, he excelleth;" i. e. he hath highly exalted himself. Gr. Gloriously was he glorified.' Chal. He exalted himself above the excellent ones, and excellence is his.' The leading idea of the Heb. term is that of displaying grandeur, pre-eminence, and magnificence.

·

What are the principal subjects constituting the matter of praise contained in this song? v. 1-13. V. 2. 'The Lord ;' Heb. 'Jah,' one of the distinguishing titles of the Most High, a contraction of Jehovah,' occurring here for the first time in the scriptures, and seldom met with except in the poetical books. We find it, Ps. 68. 4. 'Extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH.' It enters also into the composition of the Heb. phrase 'Halleluiah.' i. e. Hallelu,' praise ye, 'Jah,' the Lord, which is retained by the Holy Spirit in Rev. 19. 1-4; 'And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying, Alleluia, &c.' intimating, probably, by the use of a Hebrew word that at the period alluded to in the prophecy, the Jewish nation, or a portion of them, shall have become united with the Christian church, and shall be heard uttering the praises of God in their own language. My strength;' to whose assistance this deliverance is to be ascribed. Gr.' my helper.'-'My song;' i.e. the subject, theme, or burden of my song.- -"Will prepare him an habitation.' Chal. Will build him a sanctu ary;' a prophetical intimation of the rearing of the sacred edifice of the tabernacle. Some, however, maintain that the word comes from a root signifying to adorn, in which case the sense of the expression is, I will pay him becoming honor. Gr. I will glorify him.' As this honor, however, was to consist mainly in the dedication to him of a place of worship, both senses of the term very nearly harmonize.

'My father's God ;' col. sing, implying the whole line of his paternal ancestry.-V. 3. A man of war ;' i. e. a noble warrior; as the word 'man' in connection with other appended terms, often has the import of eminence or excellence. Thus 'a man of arm,' is a mighty man; 6 a man of words,' an eloquent man, &c. Chal. the Lord, a victor of wars.' Gr. 'a breaker of wars.'-'The Lord (Jehovah) is his name ;' i. e. he has shown his nature to be

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Jehovah; or in other words, he has now actually been to his people all that he promised to be in announcing to them his significant name, 'Jehovah.'-V. 4. ' Cast into the sea.' The Heb. word for 'cast' is mostly applied to the hurling of darts or arrows, and Aben Esra, a Jewish commentator, remarks that it is designed here to imply, that God cast the chariots and the hosts of Pharaoh into the sea with as much swiftness and ease as one would emit an arrow from the bow.-Chosen captains;' Heb. 'the choice of his captains.' i. e. the best, the flower of them.-V. 5. Sank as a stone;' unable to stay themselves by swimming, or ever after to rise again. În v. 10. it is, 'sank as lead;' thus alluded to Neh. 9. 11. Their persecutors thou throwest into the deeps as a stone into the mighty waters.' An analogous judgment is denounced against the Babylon of the Apocalypse, the spiritual Egypt. Rev. 18. 21. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great mill-stone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city, Babylon, be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.'-V. 7. 'Them that rose up against thee;' Heb. 'thy risers-up.' See note on Ex. 1. 8. So near is the relation between Gcd and his people that what is done to them he accounts as done to himself.-V. 8. Blast of thy nostrils;' or, Heb. ' wind or spirit of thine anger;' the same word in the original signifying both nostril' and 'anger;' from the effect of anger in inflating the nostrils. This has respect to the stormy wind mentioned, ch. 14. 26, 27. Thus Job, 4. 9. 'By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.' So it is said of the 'man of sin,' 2 Thes. 2. 8. that the Lord will consume him by the spirit of his mouth.'-V. 8. 'Were congealed;' a strong poetical expression not to be understood literally, but denoting that the waters maintained themselves in an upright position, with as much stability as if they had been converted to a wall of ice.-V. 9. My lust shall be satisfied upon them.' Heb. ' my soul shall be filled with them.' As to this peculiar signification of the word soul, see note on Gen. 23. 7, 9.- My hand shall destroy them;' or, Heb. 'repossess them,' bring them back again to slavery. The original is used sometimes for destroying or disinheriting, as Num. 14. 12. 'I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them;' and sometimes for causing to inherit, or taking pos

session, as Num. 14. 24. Him will I bring into the land whereunto he went; and his seed shall possess it.' The Chal. here renders it 'destroy,' the Gr. shall have dominion, or shall lord it.'-V. 11. Amongst the gods;' or Heb. 'Amongst the mighty ones, the potentates' (Elohim); so are the princes of this world called. Glorious in holiness;' Gr. Glorified among thy holy ones, or saints.'V. 12. The earth swallowed them.' Earth' is here taken in its generic import for 'globe,' which does not regard the distinction of land and water.--V. 13. Hast guided.' The original in its legitimate sense signifies to guide gently, softly, and with care, as a good shepherd does his flock. It is the word used by the prophet, Is. 40. 11 'He shall gather the lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.' Very pertinent to this are the words of the Psalmist, Ps. 77. 20. Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.' Although here employed in the past tense, as though the leading were accomplished, the meaning is, thou hast guided them thus far toward the land of Canaan, where thou shalt eventually have a tabernacle or temple for thy holy habitation.' Gr. Thou hast called them in strength to thy holy lodging.'

What effect is this judgment represented as having on the surrounding nations? v. 14-16. 'Inhabitants of Palestina ;' i. e. the Philistines.-' Dukes of Edom; Heb. Allooph,' duke; for some remarks on the genuine signification of this word see note on Gen. 36. 16. Till thy people pass over;' i. e. till they pass the limits of the land of Canaan, and enter upon their inheritance.' The Jordan is intended, and not the Red Sea. Chal. Until thy people, O Lord, shall have passed over Arnon and Jordan.Which thou hast purchased;' or gotten, acquired, become possessed of. The original 'Kânâh' signifies to obtain either by purchase, by generation, or by any other mode of acquisition, but more especially the former. Thus, Deut. 32. 6. Is not he thy father that hath bought thee?' Ps. 74. 2. Remember thy congregation which thou hast purchased of old ;' and the Apostle, 2 Pet. 2. 1. speaks of such as deny the Lord that bought them.' The Chal. renders the present passage,' which thou hast redeemed.'