1032; probably of the this divine ambrosia. angels, conceived as having their food in man did eat], admitted to the table of angels.-provision He sent them to satiety], more than they needed, more than they could eat; which they ate till they were overfull and unable to eat any more, and indeed with a distaste for it. Str. IV. Syn. couplets. 26. Then He led on | guided by His strength], the former as dealing with willing servants, the latter as compelling reluctant ones, the east wind || the south wind]. The poet conceives that the two winds coöperated, thinking, doubtless, of a southeast wind.-27. And rained down flesh | fowl], the quails of Ex. 16, Nu. 11, in such great quantities that they are compared with dust || the sand of the sea]. According to Tristram : "The period when they were brought to the camp of Israel was in the spring, when on their northward migration from Africa. According to their well-known instinct, they would follow up the coast of the Red Sea until they came to its bifurcation at the Sinaitic Peninsula, and then would cross at the narrow part" (Nat. Hist. Bible, p. 231). A glossator enlarges upon the narrative by 28-30a. And let it fall in the midst of the camp, round about their dwellings], cf. Ex. 1613 Nu. 113,- and they ate and were satisfied, and their desire He brought them]. God gave them their desire to the full. — and their desire became loathing]. They ate so much of the flesh and became so satiated with it, that they could not eat any more; they loathed the sight of it. This is the most probable explanation of a difficult line, which is rendered in EV. after," they were not estranged from their lust," as if || with the line which begins the next Str. ; that is, before they had been surfeited, which is altogether improbable. Str. V. Synth. and syn. couplets.—30b. Their food was yet in their mouths], even while they were still eating.-31. And the anger of God went up], ascended as smoke from the nostrils. And He slew bowed down in death, the fattest of them || the choicest of Israel], cf. Nu. 113. The entire Pt. is given to this rebellion, the two miracles, and the consequences, showing the purpose of the author in warning the men of his generation lest they should repeat the offence. -- Pt. III., Str. I. Synth. and syn. couplets. 32. For all this], notwithstanding the previous historic experience, they sinned again], this Pt. beginning as the previous one v.1. And believed not in His wonders], in His power and ability to do wonders, cf. v.19.20-33. And He consumed their days], used up, exhausted the days of their life,—as a breath], as if they were a mere breath, breathed out and gone forever. And their years, of life, He made to haste away in suddenness], the most probable interpretation of a difficult text, correctly given by JPSV. This meaning is alone suited to the context. "In trouble" of PBV., AV., is without justification. The meaning: "in terror," RV.; "sudden terror," Kirk.; "dismay," Dr., is sustained by Lv. 2616 Is. 652, but is not suited to the context. Str. II. Syn. couplets.-34. If He slew them], in punishment for their sin, they sought Him || again diligently sought 'El], in petition for deliverance. -35. And remembered God their Rock 'El'Elyon their Redeemer]. It is altogether probable that God was the original object of the remembrance, and that His titles, "their Rock," cf. Dt. 32 Ps. 183, and "their Redeemer," às well as "Elyon," are in apposition with "God" || "'El." It is then a mistake to suppose that they are predicates, or that 'El 'Elyon is the compound divine name peculiar to Gn. 14. The insertion of the particle in the text was also a mistaken supposition that the clause is an objective one. A glossator now enlarges upon the infidelity of the people: 36-37. And they beguiled Him with their mouth, and with their tongue lied to Him], false professions of fidelity and obedience, and their mind was not steadfast with Him], cf. 578,- and they were not faithful in His covenant], cf. v.8. Str. III. Synth. and syn. couplets.-38. But He is compassionate], citation of Ex. 346 (J), cf. Ps. 8615 1038; add therefore to complete the line: and gracious. This is a general statement as to the character of God, in the form of the present, and not of the habitual past. — He covers over], as 651 79o: the later conception of cancelling, obliteration of sin, for the earlier one of forgiveness of Ex. 34. A glossator adds the object iniquity, which was no more needed than the object of the verb and destroys not, and so impairs the measure. And many times turns away His anger], so that it will not strike the people, cf. 85 10623 || and stirs not up any of His wrath], maintains a calm, serene attitude, and does not permit any stimulation or excitement of His wrath. These two phrases set forth two sides of the divine self-restraint in His attitude toward His sinning people. Str. III. Synth. and syn. couplets. -39. Then He remembered that they were flesh], a return to the historical narration. God remembers on His part, as His people on their part. They recognise Him as their Rock and their Redeemer. He recognises them in antithesis as flesh, frail and perishable; and as a mere breath passing away not to return]. Their breath, passing out of the flesh in death, returns no more to the flesh with its impulse of life. The counterpart of v.39 is 52, though separated by a long insertion. Inasmuch as God remembered that His people were flesh, to pass away in death, He treated them as such, and became to them as the shepherd of a feeble, helpless flock. He led on His people and guided them; like sheep || like a flock, in their journeys in the wilderness. A late editor, for a reason difficult to determine, inserted between v.39 and v.52 a pentameter extract from an older poem, describing the plagues of Egypt in accordance with the narrative of J, which alone this author seems to have known. How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness, grieved Him in the desert! They did not remember His hand, the day He redeemed them from the adversary; And slew their vines with hail, and their sycamores with frost; And gave over to the pestilence their cattle, and their herds to the flame of fever; And He smote all their first-born, the first of their strength. And He led them in confidence, but their enemies the sea covered. 40-43. Syn. and synth. couplets. -40-41. How often], exclamation of wonder; in the || positive statement: again and again], as JPSV.; a verb with auxiliary force, incorrectly rendered in EV'. as "they turned again," away from God. - they rebelled || grieved], cf. Is. 6310|| tempted], as v.18.56 95° 106 Ex. 1727 Nu. 14 (J) Dt. 616, to which a glossator adds in , followed by EV., “provoked," in 6, V, "spurned."-in the wilderness || in the desert], the region of the wanderings of Israel, as v.17. 19. the Holy One 22 20 of Israel], divine name of Is.12, cf. 7122 8919.-42. They did not remember], cf. v., - His hand], the lifting it for their redemption, cf. Ex. 30,- the day He redeemed them from the adversary], probably the day of the crossing of the sea. 43. When He put His miracles || His marvels], those enumerated in the subsequent context, in Egypt | in the country of Zoan], cf. v.12. sq. 44-48. A series of six plagues, those of J.-44. When He turned their canals into blood, that they could not drink of their streams], as Ex. 717. 20. —45. And sent forth swarms of flies and devoured them], as Ex. 817 sq.; combined in the same line with : and frogs and destroyed them], as Ex. 727-29 81-9.—46. And gave their increase to the caterpillar, and their labour to the locust], plague of Ex. 104 sq.-47. And slew their vines with hail and their sycamores with frost], plague of Ex. 918 sq.-48. And gave over to pestilence their cattle, and their herds to the flame of fever], the cattle plague of Ex. 939. H, sustained by most Vrss., therefore by early txt. err. of a single letter, makes this line to continue the plague of v.7 in the use of "hail" for " pestilence," and so interprets the following noun as "hot thunderbolts," instead of "the flame of fever "; and omits the cattle plague; all of which is improbable. A late glossator generalises in 49-50. He sends forth], graphic imperfect of the past, || levels a path for], to give it direct and swift course, the heat of His anger || His anger]. This is intensified by the heaping up of other terms: overflowing wrath, and indignation and distress. The divine anger as directed against the enemies of His people is in striking antithesis to the restraint of His anger toward His people, though by a different author, v.38. a mission of angels of evils], not evil angels in the ethical sense, as distinguished from good; but in the physical sense, as executing or bringing evil upon men, angels of punishand did not spare their life from death, with the antithesis: but their life gave over to the pestilence]. This glossator is thinking of the pestilence of P, which is more extended than the cattle plague of J.—51. and smote], continuation of the aorists of v.4, all of their first-born, the first of their strength], the final plague of Ex. 1149, cf. Ps. 1056. To this a glossator adds, at the expense of the measure: in the tents of Ham], a phrase a.λ. and late; cf., however, 105.7 1062 for "land of Ham." This ment. 44-48 extract concludes with 53, And led them in confidence, to which a glossator adds, without dread. In antith. with which, their enemies the sea covered. Str. IV. continues v.39.52 in synth. couplets. -54. And He brought them to His sacred border], the border or boundary of the holy land; not "the border of His sanctuary” of EV3, as if it referred to the temple; so also mountain does not refer to Mount Zion, but to the mountainous land, which is characteristic of Palestine, Nu. 131. Dt. 17, Jos. 112.—that His right hand had gotten], by conquest from its original inhabitants through the stretching forth of His right hand as the valiant champion and war-god of His people. — 55. And drave out nations before them], dispossessed them and expelled them from the land to give place to His people, and allotted them], in accordance with the narrative Jos. 23, cf. Ps. 105",— the inheritance by measure], each portion of the people having measured out to them a part of the common inheritance. A glossator adds: and made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents. Pt. IV., Str. I. Syn. couplets. 56. Then they tempted || rebelled against], as v.17-18. 40-41; but there in two syn. lines, here compressed by a prosaic scribe into a prose sentence, which may be restored to its original form as a couplet by inserting again in the first line, and again and again in the second line. A glossator adds the legalistic phrase: and they did not keep His testimonies], using the legal term of P.—57. And drew back || turned aside], the former explained ethically as dealt treacherously like their fathers, cf. 4419; the latter by the simile, like a deceitful bow], which springs the wrong way in time of need; phrase used elsw. Ho. 716, probably also with corrected text v.. To this a glossator adds: 58. And provoked Him to anger with their high places, and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images], the constant Deuteronomic charge against Israel in the redaction of the ancient histories, that they were unfaithful to Yahweh in worship at the ancient high places instead of at the central altar at Jerusalem, and in their use of images in His worship. 59 is also a gloss in the same tone. - God heard, and was furious; and refused Israel altogether]. This last is not harmonious with the subsequent couplet; and so some have thought that the original was Ephraim instead of Israel. |