k

almost a year. In the first three days was transacted what is recorded in the xix. xx. xxi. xxii. xxiii.

He supposes that bejom hazzeh refers to the month, and intimates that the Israelites came to Sinai on the day of the month the same in number with the month, or on the third day of the third month: see his Annals. Other writers imagine that the words bejom hazzeh signify no more, than that they came to Sinai on the very day they left Rephidim, and that the intimation here intended is, that from Rephidim to Sinai was the journey of but one day. Vid. Pool's Synop. in loc. There are some, who would render the verse to this purpose, On the third new moon after the exit, on the very day, i. e. of the moon, &c. so as to fix the coming to Sinai to be on the first day of this third month. But to this it is obvious to answer: the word van must be here translated month, and not new moon; for 1. The Israelites coming out of Egypt in the middle of the first month, the first day of the third month could be only the second, and not the third new moon after their exit. 2. The sacred writers never use such an expression, as is here before us; for on the first day of a month (beachad lachdesh) is on the first day of the month. See Gen. viii. 5. 13. Exodus xl. 2. Levit. xxiii. 24. Numbers i. 1. xxxix. 1. xxxiii. 38. Deut. i. 3. Ezra iii. 6. Nehem. viii. 2. Ezek. xxvi. 1. xxxi. 1. xlv. 18, &c.; and thus Moses would most probably have here written, if the first day of the month had been here intended by him.

k They came to Sinai on the fifteenth of the third month, in the first year of the exit, and they left Sinai on the twentieth day of the second month of the second year; so that they stayed here eleven months and five days.

chapters of Exodus.' And Moses probably spent some days in writing down the laws and judgments which GOD had given them;" after which he built an altar, offered sacrifices, and read what he had written in the book," and the people entered into the most solemn engagement to perform what was written in it. After this, Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up some part of the mountain, and they saw the God of Israel," and worshipped him. And Moses, upon God's commanding it, having given Aaron and Hur the charge of the people, went with Joshua up to the top of the mount, and was on the mount forty days and forty nights; during which time he received the directions and commands contained in Exodus xxv. and in the following chapters to the end of the xxxist.

It may be here asked, how and in what sense, did Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the elders see the God of Israel? No man hath seen GoD at any time. It seems hard to imagine, how the infinite GoD can be cloathed in shape, and bounded within the li mits of a form or figure; so as to become the object of sight to a mortal eye. The wise heathens apprehended insuperable difficulties in any such supposition ;" and

* Ως δε και σώματος ανθρωπινες και ωρας εςι τις θεω και δαιμονι κοινωνία και χαρις, εργον ηδη και τέτω πεισθηναι. Plut. in Numa, p. 62.

it must be confessed, that some of the versions of the Bible do not render the passage literally. The LXX translate it, They saw the place where there stood the GOD of Israel, and Onkelos, They saw the glory of the God of Israel. And the commentators, from what Moses in another place remarks to the Israelites, that they had seen no manner of similitude, generally conclude, that he did not intend here to intimate, that he or the nobles of Israel did really and visibly see GOD. But I would beg leave to offer to the reader some thoughts which occur to me, whenever I read this passage.

b

1. I cannot but observe, that Moses does not say, that he and the nobles of Israel saw the invisible God; the expression is, that they saw the God of Israel.* No man indeed hath ever seen the invisible GoD,* nor can see him; but the God of Israel, the divine person, who is many times stiled in the old Testament the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the GOD of Jacob, frequently appeared to them, and was in after-ages made flesh, and for about three and thirty years dwelt on earth amongst men. 2. That this person appeared to the patriarchs of old in a real body, was evident to them by the same infallible

↳ 1 Tim. vi. i6.

Exodus iii. 6. See vol. ii.

2. and Gen. xvii. 1,

Gen. xxvi. 24. xxviii. 13.

b. 9. See Acts vii.

▲ See vol. i. b. 5.

John, i. 14.

.

proofs as those, by which he shewed himself alive to his disciples after his passion. After he was risen from the dead, he was seen by the disciples, speaking to them; and so he was in divers places, and at sundry times to Abraham," to Isaac, and to Jacob. The disciples not only beheld him, but felt, and handled him, and were as sure that he was really with them, as they were that a Spirit hath not flesh and bones, as they saw him have. In like manner Jacob experienced as sensible a presence, when he wrestled with him. Whilst the disciples believed not but wondered, he said unto them, have ye here any meat? and they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of a honeycomb, and he took it, and did eat before them." Agreeably hereto, when THE LORD," with two angels accompanying him, appeared unto Abraham in the plains of Mamre, after Abraham had the calf dressed, and set it before them, whilst he stood by them under the tree, They did eat. Now from all these passages, I think, I see it to have been real and indisputable fact, that the person who is here stiled the God of Israel, did frequently, for a short or at longer space of time, according to his own good-will and pleasure, assume and unite himself to a real body, and thereby appear visible to such persons, as he

thought fit to manifest himself to in this manner; and consequently that he might be thus seen by Moses and the elders on the mount. His appearance on the mount was indeed glorious," attended with a splendor in which he had not before been seen by man; and perhaps something like it afterwards was his transfiguration before the three disciples. But the text of Moses does in no wise suggest, that he and the elders saw the God of Israel in all his glory. Moses indeed did afterwards desire thus to see him; but was answered, that he was not capable of it; and accordingly at that time, while the glory of the LORD passed by him, Moses was put in a clift of the rock, and the LORD covered him with his hand, while he passed by.. But here, upon the nobles of Israel he laid not his hand." They had an unintercepted view of his appearance; and consequently he appeared to them, with a lesser degree of glory, such as men might see and live.

As to what may be pretended of the wise and learned heathens; that they by the light of nature would have judged such an appearance as is here spoken of, absurd and impossible; I would observe, that it is indeed true, that their earliest philosophy led them to think, that the lights of heaven were the gods that governed the world; and to ascribe no human shape