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19:1 [Impiis autem usque in novissimum sine misericordia ira supervenit. Praesciebat enim et futura illorum :
*H But as to the wicked, even to the end there came upon them wrath without mercy. For he knew before also what they would do:


Ver. 1. Knew. God foresaw the malice of the Egyptians against his people, but as not the author of it. W.

19:2 quoniam cum ipsi permisissent ut se educerent, et cum magna sollicitudine praemisissent illos, consequebantur illos, poenitentia acti.
*H For when they had given them leave to depart and had sent them away with great care, they repented and pursued after them.


Ver. 2. Care. Lit. "solicitude," (H.) so that they would not allow them time to prepare victuals.

19:3 Adhuc enim inter manus habentes luctum, et deplorantes ad monumenta mortuorum, aliam sibi assumpserunt cogitationem inscientiae, et quos rogantes projecerant, hos tamquam fugitivos persequebantur.
For whilst they were yet mourning, and lamenting at the graves of the dead, they took up another foolish device: and pursued them as fugitives whom they had pressed to be gone:
* Footnote * Exodus 14 : 5 And it was told the king of the Egyptians that the people was fled: and the heart of Pharao and of his servants was changed with regard to the people, and they said: What meant we to do, that we let Israel go from serving us?
19:4 Ducebat enim illos ad hunc finem digna necessitas ; et horum quae acciderant commemorationem amittebant, ut quae deerant tormentis repleret punitio :
*H For a necessity, of which they were worthy, brought them to this end: and they lost the remembrance of those things which had happened, that their punishment might fill up what was wanting to their torments:


Ver. 4. Necessity. God permitted them to be blinded by their own obstinacy. C. — They rushed headlong into the channel of the Red Sea. H.

19:5 et populus quidem tuus mirabiliter transiret, illi autem novam mortem invenirent.
And that thy people might wonderfully pass through, but they might find a new death.
19:6 Omnis enim creatura ad suum genus ab initio refigurabatur, deserviens tuis praeceptis, ut pueri tui custodirentur illaesi.
*H For every creature, according to its kind was fashioned again as from the beginning, obeying thy commandments, that thy children might be kept without hurt.


Ver. 6. Beginning. It seemed susceptible of any form; and the elements appeared to be of another nature. The fire burnt in water, the sea retired, &c. C. v. 21. and xvi. 24.

19:7 Nam nubes castra eorum obumbrabat, et ex aqua quae ante erat, terra arida apparuit, et in mari Rubro via sine impedimento, et campus germinans de profundo nimio :
*H For a cloud overshadowed their camps and where water was before, dry land appeared, and in the Red Sea a way without hindrance, and out of the great deep a springing field:


Ver. 7. Field. Like a meadow, (C.) germinans, "growing grass." Sept. H. — Pliny (xiii. 25.) attests, that "the Red Sea, and all the eastern ocean, are full of wood." The Hebrews passed with as much ease as in a desert, (Ps. cv. 9. Is. lxiii. 13.) or place of pasture, while the sea seemed to be in quest of other channels. C. Gen. i. 9. H.

19:8 per quem omnis natio transivit quae tegebatur tua manu, videntes tua mirabilia et monstra.
Through which all the nation passed which was protected with thy hand, seeing thy miracles and wonders.
19:9 Tamquam enim equi depaverunt escam, et tamquam agni exsultaverunt, magnificantes te, Domine, qui liberasti illos.
For they fed on their food like horses, and they skipped like lambs, praising thee, O Lord, who hadst delivered them.
19:10 Memores enim erant adhuc eorum quae in incolatu illorum facta fuerant : quemadmodum pro natione animalium eduxit terra muscas, et pro piscibus eructavit fluvius multitudinem ranarum.
For they were yet mindful of those things which had been done in the time of their sojourning, how the ground brought forth flies instead of cattle, and how the river cast up a multitude of frogs instead of fishes.
19:11 Novissime autem viderunt novam creaturam avium, cum, adducti concupiscentia, postulaverunt escas epulationis.
And at length they saw a new generation of birds, when being led by their appetite, they asked for delicate meats.
* Footnote * Exodus 16 : 13 So it came to pass in the evening, that quails coming up, covered the camp: and in the morning a dew lay round about the camp.
* Footnote * Numbers 11 : 31 And a wind going out from the Lord, taking quails up beyond the sea brought them, and cast them into the camp for the space of one day's journey, on every side of the camp round about, and they flew in the air two cubits high above the ground.
19:12 In allocutione enim desiderii ascendit illis de mari ortygometra : et vexationes peccatoribus supervenerunt, non sine illis quae ante facta erant argumentis per vim fulminum : juste enim patiebantur secundum suas nequitias.]
*H For to satisfy their desire, the quail came up to them from the sea: and punishments came upon the sinners, not without foregoing signs by the force of thunders: for they suffered justly according to their own wickedness.


Ver. 12. Thunders. Which took place at the destruction of Sodom, for their warning. C.

19:13 [Etenim detestabiliorem inhospitalitatem instituerunt : alii quidem ignotos non recipiebant advenas ; alii autem bonos hospites in servitutem redigebant.
For they exercised a more detestable inhospitality than any: others indeed received not strangers unknown to them, but these brought their guests into bondage that had deserved well of them.
19:14 Et non solum haec, sed et alius quidam respectus illorum erat, quoniam inviti recipiebant extraneos.
*H And not only so, but in another respect also they were worse: for the others against their will received the strangers.


Ver. 14. In another. Lit. "but there was another respect (or punishment) of them, because unwillingly they received strangers." Gen. xix. 1. H. — The Amorrhites would not admit the Israelites. Num. xxi. 21. W.

19:15 Qui autem cum laetitia receperunt hos qui eisdem usi erant justitiis, saevissimis afflixerunt doloribus.
*H But these grievously afflicted them whom they had received with joy, and who lived under the same laws.


Ver. 15. Laws. Or "rights," justitiis. The Hebrews acknowledged the civil authority (M.) of Pharao, though they adopted not his religion. C. xviii. 4. H.

19:16 Percussi sunt autem caecitate : sicut illi in foribus justi, cum subitaneis cooperti essent tenebris, unusquisque transitum ostii sui quaerebat.
But they were struck with blindness: as those others were at the doors of the just man, when they were covered with sudden darkness, and every one sought the passage of his own door.
* Footnote * Genesis 19 : 11 And them, that were without, they struck with blindness from the least to the greatest, so that they could not find the door.
19:17 In se enim elementa dum convertuntur, sicut in organo qualitatis sonus immutatur, et omnia suum sonum custodiunt : unde aestimari ex ipso visu certo potest.
*H For while the elements are changed in themselves, as in an instrument the sound of the quality is changed, yet all keep their sound: which may clearly be perceived by the very sight.


Ver. 17. Changed. The meaning is, that whatever changes God wrought in the elements by miracles in favour of his people, they still kept their harmony by obeying his will. Ch. — He answers the objection of philosophers, who argued against the possibility of miracles, as being against the established laws of nature. But they induce no more confusion than the various strings of a harp, when they are touched with skill, though they have each their respective name and sound. The ancients frequently compared the harmony of the universe to a musical instrument. See plut. Macrob. som. ii. — Sight. Sept. add, "of what happened" (H.) in those miraculous changes.

19:18 Agrestia enim in aquatica convertebantur, et quaecumque erant natantia, in terram transibant.
*H For the things of the land were turned into things of the water: and the things that before swam in the water passed upon the land.


Ver. 18. Water. Men, &c. passed through the Red Sea, while frogs got into houses.

19:19 Ignis in aqua valebat supra suam virtutem, et aqua extinguentis naturae obliviscebatur.
The fire had power in water above its own virtue, and the water forgot its quenching nature.
19:20 Flammae e contrario corruptibilium animalium non vexaverunt carnes coambulantium, nec dissolvebant illam, quae facile dissolvebatur sicut glacies, bonam escam. In omnibus enim magnificasti populum tuum, Domine, et honorasti, et non despexisti, in omni tempore et in omni loco assistens eis.]
*H On the other side, the flames wasted not the flesh of corruptible animals walking therein, neither did they melt that good food, which was apt to melt as ice. For in all things thou didst magnify thy people, O Lord, and didst honour them, and didst not despise them, but didst assist them at all times, and in every place.


Ver. 20. Therein. For the punishment of the Egyptians. C. xvi. 18. C. — Food. Manna. Ch. — Sept. "immortal food," ambrosia. H. — Place. This conclusion agrees very well with the preceding observations. But it seems some thing should be said respecting the original petition for wisdom; whence we conclude, with Grotius, that the work is imperfect: (C.) though this is by no means clear, as the prayer is sufficiently expressed in the nine first chapters, if not in the whole book, and God answers it, 3 K. ix. H.

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