Ver. 1. And the Lord spake.] God hath a saying to such as he hath saved: and what it is, see Exodus 13:2.
Ver. 2. It is mine.] By right of redemption also. He that is saved is “not his own”; (1 Corinthians 6:19) but his that saved him. Servati sumus ut serviamus. (Luke 1:74) God hath sworn we shall do so, (Luke 1:73) or else never come to his kingdom. (Psalms 95:11)
Ver. 3. Remember.] Heb., To remember, indefinitely; q.d., Remember perpetually, and commemorate.
Ver. 4. In the month Abib.] The flowery month, as Micarius calls it. [See Trapp on “Ex 12:2”]
Ver. 5. A land flowing with milk and honey.] Where fulness may breed forgetfulness, saturity, security.
Ver. 6. Seven days.] Figuring our whole life.
Ver. 7. [See Trapp on “Ex 12:19”] [See Trapp on “Ex 12:20”]
Ver. 8. And thou shalt show.] [See Trapp on “Ex 12:26”]
Ver. 9. And for a memorial] [See Trapp on “Mt 23:5”]
Ver. 10. From year to year.] The Chaldee hath it, From time to time. We have the Lord’s Supper, that sweet ordinance wherein Christ “kisseth us with the kisses of his lips,” and giveth us a privy seal of his love, much oftener: yet not so oft as the primitive Christians, who had it weekly: whence it was called Panis hebdomadarias. Yea, Basil tells us, that they ate the Lord’s Supper three or four times a week—viz., on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Lord’s-days: but that was a time of persecution.
Ver. 11. Land of the Canaanites.] A general name to all those seven accursed nations.
Ver. 12. The males shall be the Lord’s.] This God did, that with the firstborn son, commonly best beloved, he might draw all the love to himself.
Ver. 13. And every firstling of an ass.] This God would not have paid him in kind, eo quod asinus tardum et pigrum auimal, as Bellarmine gives the reason. The zealous God hates dulness. Tardis mentibus virtus non facile committitur. Tusc. Quaest., lib. v.
Ver. 14. That thou shalt say unto him.] Plantas tenellas frequentius adaguare proderit, young plants must be often watered. Primas. Greg. Mag.
Ver. 15. Would hardly let us go.] Heb., Was hard to send us away, He had as leave have been knocked on the head almost as have done it. It was morely extorted, as sour juice is wrung out of a crab apple. It was an honest prayer of an ancient, Domine duc me quo non volo.
Ver. 16. Frontlets.] Phylacteries. See on Matthew 23:5,6. The right use of them was memorative: the superstitious use, preservative against the power of sin.
Ver. 17. That God led them not.] He carefully chose their way out of Egypt; not the nearer, but the safer. He tempts not above what we are able: but so orders the matter, that evils are not ready for us till we for them.
Ver. 18. God led the people about.] Philo writeth, that it was not much above three days’ journey from Egypt to Canaan the other way: Sed Dei voluntas est summa necessitas. Tertul.
Ver. 19. And Moses took the bones of Joseph.] And with those, as it is likely, the bones of the other patriarchs too. (Acts 7:16)
Ver. 20. From Succoth.] Their first rendezvous. (Exodus 12:37)
Ver. 21. And the Lord, &c.] See Psalms 105:39 Isa 4:5,6. God protects, directs, and every way suits the necessities of his people.
Ver. 22. He took not away.] This is reckoned, as well it might, for a great mercy, by those holy Levites in Nehemiah 9:19. The Romans’ Vibilia was but an imaginary deity; and her help in this kind a mere fancy.