Matthew Poole and continuators on Exodus 15

1 THen sang * Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD , and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD: for he hath triumphed gloriously, the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Moses composed the Song, and he together with the Israelites sung it.

Unto the honour and praise of God.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] 1. 20.

2 The LORD is my strength and song , and he is become my Salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation , my fathers God, and I will exalt him.

The matter or subject of the present song of praise.

A place for his service and worship, where he will dwell by his special presence.

Marginal references: Deu[illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ [illegible: 1 word]. 21. Psal. [illegible: 1 word]. 2. & [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1+ letters]. and 109. 1. and 118. 14. Isa. 12. 2.

3 The LORD is a man of war : the LORD is his Name.

An eminent Warriour, as the phrase is used 1 Sam. 17. 33. Thus an eloquent man is called a man of words, Exod. 4. 10. and a mighty man, a man of arm, Iob 22. 8.

4 Pharaohs chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the red sea.

With great force like an Arrow out of a Bow, as the Hebrew word signifies.

7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble .

By thy great and glorious power.

As easily and as speedily and as irrecoverably.

Marginal references: Isa. 5. 24. & 47. 14.

8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together: the floods stood upright as an heap: and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

Or, of thine anger, to wit, that vehement East-wind, ver. 10. and chap. 14. 21. which was raised by thine anger in order to the ruine of thine Enemies.

Heb. the streams, or the flowing waters, whose nature it is to be constantly in motion.

(i. e.) Hardned, stood still as if they had been frozen, and so they were a wall on both hands, chap. 14. 22.

(i. e.) The midst, as that word is used, Psal. 18. 16. and 46. 2. Ezek. 28. 2.

Marginal references: chap. 14. 21. Iob 4. 9. 2 Thes. 2. 8.

9 The Enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil: my lust shall be satisfied upon them: I will draw my sword, mine hand shall destroy them.

The lust of covetousness and revenge too.

Or, take possession of them and theirs, see of this word, Numb. 14. 12, 24.

Marginal references: Judg. 5. 30.; Or, repossess.

10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them, they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

Heb. Magnificent, or honourable, made so by being the instrument of thy glorious work.

Marginal references: ver. 5.

11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, amongst the Gods ? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness , fearful in praises , doing wonders?

So called and esteemed: or Princes or Potentates, as Psal. 29. 1. Ezek. 32. 21.

Or, Righteousness; thy power is great and glorious, but thou dost not abuse it to unrighteous and unworthy purposes, but to holy and honourable designs, to the punishment of wicked Tyrants, and to the vindication of thine oppressed and holy people.

In praise-worthy actions, the act being put for the object, as fear is put for a thing to be feared, as Psal. 14. 5. 1 Pet. 3. 14. Or, to be feared or had in reverence when thou art praised, to be both loved and feared at the same time.

Marginal references: 2 Sam. 7. 22. 1 King. 8. 23. Psal. 86. 8. Jer. 10. 6.; Or, mighty ones.

12 Thou stretchest out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.

Either 1. The Globe consisting of Earth and Water, which is here called Earth, as it is called the deep and the waters, Gen. 1. 2. Or, 2. The Earth is here put for the Sea, the other part of the same Globe, as the Soul is put for the body or the dead carcass, the other part of the man, Levit. 19. 28. and 21. 1. Numb. 6. 6, 9, 11. Or, 3. The Earth properly, either because many of them sunk into the mud at the bottom of the Sea, and were buryed in it: Or because after they were cast up upon the shore, they were buried by the Israelites in the Earth.

13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation .

(i. e.) Canaan, the place where not onely t[illegible: 1+ letters] shall dwell, but thou in and with them, See Psal. 78. 52, &c.

16 Fear and dread shall fall upon them, by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone, till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over which thou hast purchased.

Or, be as silent, they shall be so struck with amazement, that they shall be impotent both for speech and motion.

Marginal references: Deut. 2. 25. Josh. 2. 9.; chap 19. 5. Deut. 32. 9. 2 Sam. 7. 23. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 9.

17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O LORD, which thy hands have established .

Either 1. In the Country of Canaan, which is a mountainous Country, full of Hills and Vallies, Deut. 11. 11. not like Egypt, a plain and low Country. Or 2. in and about the Mount of Moriah, where the Temple was to be built, which is here put for the whole Land, it being the most eminent part of it, round about which the people were planted, and to which they were frequently to resort.

Will certainly build and establish, i. e. cause to be built and established. The past tense for the future to note the certainty of it, according to the style of the Prophets.

Marginal references: Psal. 44. 2. and 80. 8.

20 And Miriam the Prophetess , the sister of Aaron took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her, with timbrels and with dances .

So called either in a general sense because she was an instructer of other Women in the praise and service of God: Or in a more special sense, because she had the spirit of Prophesie. See Numb. 12. 2. and Mic. 6. 4.

Quest. Why not of Moses also? Answ. 1. She might be Moses his sister onely by one Patent, Aarons by both. 2. She was best known to the people by her relation to Aaron, with whom she had lived for many years, when Moses was banished.

According to their antient custom in publick solemnities. See Iudg. 11. 34. and 21. 21. 1 Sam. 18. 6. 2 Sam. 6. 14, 21. Ier. 31. 4, 13.

Marginal references: Psal. 68. 25.

21 And Miriam answered them , sing ye to the LORD: for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Either 1. The Women, last spoken of, and then it is an Enallage of the Gender. Or 2. The men, spoken of before. They sung by turns or by parts, either the same words, being repeated, or some other words of a like nature added. See 1 Chron. 16. 41. 2 Chron. 5. 13. Esra. 3. 11.

22 So Moses brought Israel from the red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur : and they went three dayes in the wilderness, and found no water.

So usually called, Gen. 16. 7. and by the Israelites Etham, as may be gathered by comparing this place with Numb. 33. 8. for both there and here it is said they went three days in this Wilderness.

25 And he cryed unto the LORD: and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet : there he made for them a statute and an ordinance , and there he proved them .

Not so much by any vertue in that tree, as by the power of God who used this rather as a sign to the Israelites, than as an instrument to himself in this work.

God or Moses in Gods name and by his order constituted and published to them a statute. Which seems to be understood not of any particular Statute or Law, as that concerning the Sabbath, or their duty to their Parents, or the like, for the specifying of their duties is reserved to another time and place, but of a general Law or Rule formerly given and now solemnly renewed by Moses at Gods command, like that given to Abraham their Father, Gen. 17. 1. Walk before me and be perfect. God having thus far performed his part of that Covenant made with Abraham and his seed, to bring them out of Egypt towards Canaan, tells them that he expects and requires of them their observance of the condition of that covenant, and gives them this indefinite and universal Law or Precept, that they should obey and fulfill all the commands which God had already laid upon them or their Parents, and which he should hereafter reveal to them. This sense may be gathered out of the following verse, wherein he explains what he meant by this Statute, even all Gods Statutes or Commandements, which if they would keep, he engageth himself to preserve and deliver them. So it is onely a change of the number, the singular, Statute, being put for the plural, Statutes, which is a figure very frequently used both in Scripture and in other Authors. God having now eased them of the hard and iron yoke of the Egyptians, puts his sweet and easie yoke upon them, and having undertaken to be their King and Protector and Captain, he claims their subjection to himself and to his Laws or Statutes.

Or, tryed them, i. e. the Israelites. There he tried both their Faith by the difficulty now mentioned, viz. their want of water, and their future obedience by this general command which he is about to branch forth into divers particulars.

Marginal references: Eccles. 38. 5.; chap. 16. 4.

26 And said, if thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his Commandements, and keep all his Statutes: I will put none of these diseases upon thee , which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD * that healeth thee .

Nor other evils or plagues: But on the contrary, I will bless thee with all manner of blessings. Under one branch or part of the blessings of Gods covenant he includes all the rest, by a very common Synecdoche.

Or, Thy Physitian, for all thy maladies, both of Soul and Body.

Marginal references: Deut. 7. 15.; ▪ chap. 23. 25. Psal. 103. 3. & [illegible: 1 word]. 3.

27 And they came to Elim: where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees , and they encamped there by the waters.

Which were both pleasant for their shade and refreshing for their sweet fruit. Thus the Israelites are obliged and encouraged to the obedience commanded by being put into better circumstances than they were under in their last station.

Marginal references: Numb. 33. 9.