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Its firft in- HOWEVER, it must be obferved, that this ceremony fiitution. of eating the paffover, as well as the method of doing it,

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had been prescribed by GOD to Mofes, and by him communicated to the Ifraelites, during thefe tranfactions that paffed between him and the king of Egypt, though they are poftponed to the twelfth chapter, to prevent the breaking the feries of those wonders which God had wrought by him. The account which he has given us of this inftitution, is prefaced with a command from GoD, that that month, which was then the fixth of the year, according to the common or civil computation, fhould from thenceforth be the first month in the year in the facred

hail mixed with fire, with which their flax and barley were fmitten (29), but their wheat and rice were not hurt, not being yet out of the ground. Whence Nic. Fuller, lib. iii. mifcel. 1. rightly obferves, p. 389, that this plague happened in the month Abib.

About the 7th day Mofes threatened them with an 8th plague, and accordingly fent it the day following, viz. that of locufts to devour all; which plague he removed about the 9th day (30).

The month Abib, which hitherto was the seventh month, was from this time forward made the first month of the whole year (31), for a memorial of their departure out of Egypt; from the beginning of which month the epocha of the Jewish calendar is from thence forward deduced (32), though the end of the former account fell on the middle of the

(29) Ibid. v. 18. ad 32. xii. 2. & xiii. 4. (32) Exod. xii. 3. ad 21. 25 ad 29. & c. xi. 1, 4, 8.

month.

Upon the 10th day of this now first month, which was the thirtieth of April, according to the Julian calendar, upon Thursday, was inftituted the feaft of the paffover, and fweetbread; to wit, the pafchal lamb was chofen and killed on the fourteenth day (33).

Mofes now brings upon them the ninth plague of three days darkness (34); and, upon the 14th day, which was May the fourth, upon Monday with us, which was the laft time he fpoke with Pharaoh, Mofes foretold him the tenth plague which fhould come upon him; namely, the deftruction of all the first-born, which came to pass the night following; and then, turning himself away in great anger, departed from him (35). At the evening of this day was the paffover ce lebrated (36).

(31) Exod

(30) Exod. x. 4. ad 19. Num. ix. 1, 2. Conf. cum Exod. xl. 17. (33) (34) Ibid. x. 21,& feq.

(36) Ibid, xii, ad ver. 28.

(35) Ibid. ver.

calendar ;

calendar (K); and that all the other fealts of the year,.. which were afterwards to be inftituted, fhould be regulated by that of the paffover, the celebration of which the The order reader may fee in the place quoted in the margin. This and maninjunction was to be perpetual, but on this night they ner of it. were moreover to fave the blood of the lamb in a bafon, and sprinkle the two fide-pofts and cross-poft of their doors with it, that the deftroying angel might leave their houses untouched, when he paffed by to deftroy the firft-born of Egypt, and to execute the divine vengeance on their gods, whether it were their princes, who, in the language of Scripture, are often called gods, or thofe animals which that fuperftitious nation worshiped. In memory of which great deliverance, they were to keep this feaft of unlea-Unleaven vened bread feven days, that is, from the fourteenth day ed bread. at even, until the twenty-first day at even; during which, whofoever was found among them eating of leavened bread, whether he was an Ifraelite, or a ftranger, was to be cut off from Ifrael. The first and last of these seven days were to be kept holy, and free from all manner of work. Laftly, no stranger was to be admitted to eat of the paffover, unless he confented to be circumcifed. As for the Ifraelites, they were ftrictly to remember this great and glorious night, and to inftruct their children in the meaning of this inftitution, that they might likewise perpetuate the memory of it to future ages.

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THE people, whom fo many dire judgments on the The IfraelEgyptians had rendered more tractable, received Mofes sites obey, orders with the utmoft refpect, and went to put them-and kill felves in readiness to execute them (L). the palloTHE Ver.

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a Exod. xii. 3, & feq.

(K) This month, which is called in the Hebrew Abib, and had been till then the feventh month, and continued fo to be in the fecular year, became from that day forward the first month of the facred year, in memory of this wonderful departure out of the land of Egypt (37) and from the beginning of this month the epocha of the Jewish or fa

cred calendar was from thence-
forward deduced, though the
end of the former account fell
on the middle of the month
(38).

(L) Thefe commands may
be properly reduced to three
heads; viz. firft, to gather
themselves from all the corners
of the kingdom into the land
of Gohen; it being unreason-
able to fuppofe, that fuch a
(38) Numb.ix. 1, 2. with Exod.

(37) Exod. xii. 2. with xiii. 4. xl. 17. Vid. Uh, ann. fub A. M. 1519.

THE night, which was to prove fo joyful to them, and fo fatal to their enemies, being come, and GOD's commands being punctually obeyed, whilft both fides were in the greatest tranquillity, the Egyptians thinking now all the plagues paft, and Pharaoh flattering himself, that Mofes's threatening against the first-born had proved abortive, because four days were elapfed fince it was denounced, whereas he used to give him but one day's warning in the former plagues; and, on the other hand, the Ifraelites keeping themfelves in the profoundest filence, knowing what horrid flaughter was to be made among the The firf Egyptians; in the middle, we fay, of that very night, GoD born of the fent his deftroying minifters, who fuddenly difperfed themEgyptians felves all over the kingdom, and fmote all the firft-born fain by the with immediate death, from the firft-born who fat on defroying Pharaoh's throne, to the firft-born of the imprisoned capangel. tive, and even to that of the meaneft animal in the land. The firft expedient this affrighted monarch could Mofes and think of, was to fend immediately for Mofes and Aaron; Aaronfent who, being fettled at Ramefes, not far from his capital for,and or-city, were foon brought to him, who, inftead of his

dered to

depart.

ufual threatening and upbraidings, was urgent and preffing for their departure with their children, cattle, and all they had. The Egyptians likewife were no lefs impatient to fee their backs, fearing left every minute of their stay should prove their laft. The Ifraelites found them as ready to lend them the most valuable things they had, as

vaft multitude, amounting (as
we shall shew in the fequel)
to upwards of two millions
and an half of fouls,could be all
contained in that little fpot of
ground; fo that it required no
fmall difpatch to communicate
the orders of their departure
to them all. Secondly, To
get all the rich things they
could from the Egyptians; and
this required fecrecy, fince it
is not probable, that the E-
gyptians would have proved fo
generous, if they had fufpect-
ed, that this journey was any

other than a religious one, that was to laft but a few days. Thirdly, to eat the paffover at the time, and with all the ceremonies, that had been prefcribed; and this was to take up fome time, four days at leaft. However, Providence fo ordered it, that they were all ready on that night. And the Pfalmift tells us (1), that, notwithstanding the great number of their old men, women and children, there was not one feeble perfon among all their tribes.

(1) Pf. cv. 37.

them felves

Year of

the flood

857

1491.

themselves were to borrow them; and Mofes, who was too well acquainted with Pharaoh's changeable temper to ftay till he relaxed, made all the hafte he could to put it out of his power; and, having fettled the best order he could among that vaft multitude, and in the general confufion that then reigned, he gave the fignal for their de parture long before break of day. Leaving therefore the Bef. Chr. Egyptians to mourn for, and bury their dead, and loaden with their spoils, they began their march under the conduct of Providence, and of Mofes, being to the number The numof fix hundred thousand men able to bear arms, befides ber of the old men, women and children, fervants, and an innume- Ifraelites rable multitude of ftrangers, who joined themselves to them, that went and followed them in their march (M.) As foon as they out of were arrived at Succoth, Mofes made them encamp according Egypt. to their tribes and families, which was likewise the order in which they had been directed to march. It is to be obferved here, that the distance from Ramefes to the utmoft borders of Egypt on the fide of the land of Canaan, was not much above threefcore miles, fo that Mofes could, in a few days march, have brought them out of Pharaoh's territories; yet God fo ordered it, that they

(M) They had continued in Egypt from the time of Jacob's first coming thither, to this very day, which was the fame day of the fame month and week, viz. Monday (1), the fpace of two hundred and fifteen years, though Mofes, computing it from the firft coming of Abraham into Canaan, reckons it four hundred and thirty years, as has been already fhewn (2). There was yet one main thing wanting, viz. the fecuring of a fufficient quantity of provifions for all that multitude; and perhaps they expected to have had time enough to have got it before their march, but the Egyptians drove them away with fuch desperate eagerness, that the people

were forced to carry their
pafte with them unleavened,
with which they baked them
felves cakes upon the coals;
and what other provifion they
could get, they took with
them undreffed, and marched
from Ramefes, Mofes's dwel-
ling-place, to their firft en-
campment at Succoth (3). Jo-
Sephus tells us (4), that their
dough, and other provifion,
which they carried from Egypt,
lafted them a whole month;
but it is not likely, that they
would load themfelves with fuch
luggage, which in all probabi-
lity they knew not how to
preferve fo long, when they
had fo much better things to
carry out of the fpoils of the
Egyptians.

(2) Vid. fupra, p. 253-255, (K).
(4) Antiq. l. ii. c. 15.

(1) Uber's Ann. fub A. M. 2513. (3) Exod. xii. p. tot. VOL. III.

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were

were full forty years before they fet their foot upon the borders of the promised land.

The firstWHILST they continued at Succoth, which was their born of first encampment, Mofes was commanded by GOD to Ifrael con-confecrate the firft-born of men and beafts to him; the fecrated. firft born of men were to be redeemed at the price of

five fhekels, that is, of the fanctuary, which was worth double the common one, that is, about two fhillings and fix-pence; fo that the whole fum amounted to about twelve fhillings and fix-pence; which money was afterwards to be given to the priefts. This redemption was founded not only upon the right which God has over all his creatures, but more particularly upon the account of his having fpared the first-born of the Ifraelites, when he fmote thofe of the Egyptians, which was, as it were, the feal and finifhing ftroke of his wonderful judgments on that proud and cruel nation (N.)

MOSES had ftill another care, which was to fettle the order of their march in fo regular a method, that there

(N) This law, concerning the first-born of men, did not at all regard the women; for if the first-fruits of a marriage proved a female, no redemption was to be paid for her. Secondly, as to that of beafts, it extended only to the clean; the unclean ones were to be either redeemed by a clean one, as an afs by a lamb, or to be killed, and flung away. They were ordered to teach the reafon of this law of redemption to their children and grandchildren, that their pofterity might never be at a lofs to account for it, nor the wonders which were wrought in favour of them be forgot. Among all the cares which Mofes and Aaron had, they did not forget to bring Jofeph's Coffin and bones with them, purfuant to the oath which that patriarch had exacted from them. The Jews

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tell us, they placed them in a new fumptuous, cart, or open herfe, which they made to march under the guard and conduct of the tribes of Ephraim and Manaffeh his two children (5). They likewife affirm, that every tribe brought the bones of the heads of their family with them: but though they are not always to be credited in matters of this nature, and Jofephus doth not feem to have dreamed of fuch an act of filial piety, or elfe he would in all probability have recorded it; yet St. Stiphen feems to allude to fome fuch tradition among them; when he faid, that Jacob and the fathers went down into Egypt, and were carried over into Sichem, and laid in the fepulcre which Abraham bought of the fons of Emmor (6).

(5) Vid. Elle Shemoth Rabbab, Se&t. NN NNI & rabbin, mult. (6) Acts vii. 15, 16.

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