2 Chron. 20. 33. 9 And not to [And might not] be as their foreEzek. 20, 18, &c. fathers, a faithless and stubborn generation, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit cleaveth not stedfastly unto God: Luke 22. 56, &c. 2 Kings 17.14, 15. Deut. 32. 18. Jer. 2. 32. Neh. 9. 10. Ex. 14.22: 15.8. Ex. 13. 21: 14. 24. Ex. 17. 6. 10 Like as the children of Ephraim, who, being harnessed [armed], and carrying bows, turned themselves back in the day of battle. 11 They kept not the covenant of God, and would not walk in his law; 12 But forgat what he had done, and the wonderful works that he had shewed for them. 13 Marvellous things did he in the sight of our forefathers, in the land of Egypt, even in the field of Zoan. 14 He divided the sea, and let them go through: he made the waters to stand on an heap: 15 In the day-time also he led them with a cloud, and all the night through with a light of fire: 16 He clave the hard rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink thereof, as it had been out of the great depth: 9 Their forefathers. Those ancestors seem intended, who, having been miraculously delivered from the bondage of Egypt, perished, through their disobedience, in the wilderness.- -Cleaveth. See on Psalm xxxii. 4. Bib. ver.-" was not stedfast with God." 10 Like as, &c. The Psalmist manifestly does refer to some definite circumstance, and one which occurred during the wandering in the wilderness; but our search for it must be useless, since, after all, we have only conjecture to rest upon; besides, it may not even have been recorded in the scriptures. See on Psalm cv. 18. The Ephraimites are particularly declared to be unworthy of imitation, because, though harnessed, that is, armed for battle (see on Psalm iii. 3), and, of course, at the command of God, they impiously refused to take part in the impending encounter. il They kept not, &c. This and the succeeding verse contain the reasons for the disobedience and cowardice just mentioned. The Ephraimites would not observe the covenant entered into by God with their nation at Sinai: his holy law they rebelliously despised: his wonderful miracles, in Egypt and at the Red sea, they had already forgotten. Some persons, however, understand these expressions of "their forefathers." Ver. 9. 13 Zoan. It appears from Num. xiii. 22, that Zoan was one of the most ancient cities of Egypt. 16 As it had been, &c. God gave them water out of " the hard rocks" in as great abundance, as if they had been supplied from the deep 17 He brought waters out of the stony rock, | Num. 20. 8, 11. so that it gushed out like the rivers. 18 Yet, for all this, they sinned more against him, and provoked the most Highest in the wilderness. 19 They tempted God in their hearts, and required [by asking] meat for their lust. 20 They spake against God, also, saying, Shall [Can] God prepare a table in the wilderness? 1 Cor. 10. 4. Deut. 9. 22. Ex. 16. 2, &c. Num. 11. 4. 21 He smote the stony rock, indeed, that Gen. 18. 12, &c. the water gushed out, and the streams flowed withal; but, can he give bread also, or provide flesh for his people? 22 When the Lord heard this, he was wroth: Num. 11. 1. 10. so the fire was kindled in Jacob, and there came up heavy displeasure against Israel; 23 Because they believed not in God, and Jude 5. put not their trust in his help [salvation]. 24 So he commanded the clouds above, and Gen. 7. 11. opened the doors of heaven. Mal. 3. 10. John 6. 31, &c. 25 He rained down manna also upon them Ex. 16. 14, 15. for to eat, and gave them food from heaven. 26 So man did eat angels' food, for he sent them meat enough. sea. The miraculous sending of the manna and quails (ver. 25, 28.) occurred before the cleaving of the rocks. 18 The most Highest. See on Psalm ix. 2. 19 They tempted God. Through discontent and want of faith they rashly sought to try the power of the Almighty, by demanding to be furnished with such provisions, as the inhabitants of cultivated countries lived upon. Ver. 21. For the performance of an additional miracle would thus be needed, inasmuch as they were then in the wilderness. -For their lust. Not to sustain their bodies, but to pamper their appetites. 22 When the Lord, &c. It ought to be no cause for surprise, that an Eastern writer ascribes to Jehovah the faculties and passions of a Ver. 60. See on Psalm iv. 7: vi. 1. man. 23 Because, &c. Since they were not convinced of God's might, nor believed, that he could preserve their lives without the aid of such food, as they perversely desired. 26 Angels' food. Heavenly food; for it appeared to descend from heaven, the supposed habitation of the angels. Ver. 25. Psalm cv. 39. Still, because the Deity is poetically described, as having a river, which supplies the earth with showers (Psalm LXV. 10), we may almost conceive the angels, by a similar kind of figure, to be here represented, as requiring nourishment, and as imparting a portion of their food to relieve the necessities of man. Psalm L. 12, 13. Num. 11. 31. Num. 11. 32. Num. 11. 19, 20. Ps. 106. 15. Num. 11. 33. Luke 16. 31. Num. 14. 33, &c. Isai. 26. 8, &c. Isai. 63. 9. Luke 3. 7, 8. 27 He caused the east wind to blow under heaven, and, through his power, he brought in the south-west wind. 28 He rained flesh upon them as thick as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea. 29 He let it fall among their tents, even round about their habitation. 30 So they did eat, and were well filled; for he gave them their own desire, they were not disappointed of their lust. 31 But, while the meat was yet in their mouths, the heavy wrath of God came upon them, and slew the wealthiest [fattest] of them; yea, and smote down the chosen [young] men, that were in Israel. 32 But, for all this, they sinned yet more, and believed not [for] his wondrous works. 33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. 34 When he slew them, they sought him, and turned them early, and enquired after God. 35 And they remembered that God was their strength [rock], and that the high God was their redeemer. -For he sent, &c. The Israelites did not only "eat angels' food,” were well filled" with it (ver. 30), for he sent, &c. but " 28 As thick as dust. The amazing clouds of fine dust or sand, which a violent wind raises in the deserts of the East, constitute the point of comparison. 30 They were not, &c. They were permitted to enjoy that, which they had sought after with so much eagerness. 31 The wealthiest of them. Those, who, from the strong and healthy state of their bodies, seemed to be ensured against the influence of disease, and, consequently, in an eminent degree, against immediate death.- -The chosen men. Perhaps, to the idea of personal excellence, must be added that of youth. 32 And believed not, &c. Though he had done so many miracles for their sakes, they yet rebelled against him continually; nor did even severity of punishment render them the more disposed to trust implicitly in his divine power and goodness. 33 In vanity. They were doomed to fruitless wanderings in the wilderness, during the long period of forty years, their expectation of entering into the promised land being never fulfilled to them. 34 Early. See on Psalm XLvi. 5. 35 The high God. The God, who was superior to all other gods. Psalm XLvi. 10. 36 Nevertheless, they did but flatter him Ezek. 33. 31. with their mouth, and dissembled with him in Acts 5. 3. their tongue; John 6. 66. 37 For their heart was not whole with him, Hos. 6. 4. neither continued they stedfast in his covenant. 38 But he was so merciful, that he forgave their misdeeds, and destroyed them not; Num. 14. 8, 20. 39 Yea, many a time turned he his wrath 1 Kings 21. 29. away, and would not suffer his whole displeasure to arise. 40 For he considered, that they were but flesh; and that they were even a wind, that passeth away, and cometh not again. 41 Many a time did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert. 42 They turned back, and tempted God, and moved the Holy One in Israel. 43 They thought not of his hand, and [nor] of the day, when he delivered them from the hand of the enemy; 44 How he had wrought his miracles in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan. 45 He turned their waters into blood, so that they might [could] not drink of the rivers. Isai. 48. 9. Rom. 2. 4. Ephes. 4. 30. Num. 14. 4. Deut. 6. 16, &c. Jer. 32. 21, &c. Neh. 9. 10. Ex. 7. 20. 46 He sent lice among them, and devoured Ex. 3. 6, 16. them up; and frogs to destroy them. 41 Many a time, &c. No fewer than ten times did the Israelites murmur against Jehovah, whilst they sojourned in the wilderness. Num. xiv. 22. 42 They turned back, &c. Sometimes they were disposed even to return back into Egyptian slavery; at others, they presumed to distrust God's ability to save them, and, therefore, demanded more proofs of his power; by which various instances of rebellion they constantly provoked that “Holy One,” who had taken up his abode in the midst of Israel. 43 They thought not, &c. They remembered not the wonderful things, which he had done for them in Egypt before their eyes, both as signs of his might, and as evidences of his ready protection. 45 The rivers. These, probably, are the numerous channels, into which the waters of the Nile were suffered to flow for the purposes of irrigation. From the effects of the present miracle the Egyptians must have experienced extreme mortification, since the water of their celebrated river was universally used for drinking, being regarded by them as uncommonly wholesome and delicious. 46 Lice. It is said, that our old translators have here given a wrong meaning to the original word, and that it ought to have been rendered, as it is in the Bible version, "divers sorts of flies." The Ex. 10. 13, &c. Ex. 9. 23, &c. Ps. 105. 32. 1 Kings 22. 21, 22. Rom. 2. 8, 9. Job 27. 22. 2 Pet. 2. 4, &c. 47 He gave their fruit unto the caterpillar, and their labor unto the grasshopper [locust]. 48 He destroyed their vines with hail-stones, and their mulberry-trees with the frost [sycomore-trees with great hail-stones]. 49 He smote their cattle also with hailstones, and their flocks with hot thunder-bolts. 50 He cast upon them the furiousness of his wrath, anger, displeasure, and trouble; and sent evil angels among them. 51 He made a way to his indignation, and spared not their soul from death; but gave their life over to the pestilence, order of these miracles is not accurately observed.- -To destroy them. First, by defiling all things, and rendering even their dwellings loathsome, which, to so cleanly a people as the ancient Egyptians, must have been a serious annoyance (Exod. viii. 4); and then, by tainting the air with their stench. Besides, the prodigious number of frogs made the fruits of the earth unfit for use, and thus threatened to bring a famine on the land. 47 Their fruit-their labor. The produce of those fields and vineyards, which, with so much labor, they had sown and planted. Deut. xxviii. 33. Psalm cv. 43: cxxviii. 2. 48 Their vines. The vine is not now cultivated in Egypt to any great extent, yet this verse, notwithstanding the controversy on the subject, seems to afford an evident proof, that it was so, (at least, throughout some particular district,) in former times. Gen. XL. 9. Psalm LXXx. 8: cv. 33. The ancient Egyptian paintings, about which there can be no mistake, shew the whole process of cultivating the vine, gathering grapes, and making wine, as common usages.Their mulberry-trees. The sycomore (not sycamore, for this is altogether different, though, in consequence of a typographical error, often confounded with it in our Bibles,) was the name of a tree, common in Egypt, but growing also in Judea. Amos vii. 14. Luke xix. 4. This tree resembled the mulberry in its leaves, and the fig in its fruit; and on its produce the inferior ranks of people, for the most part, lived. The Psalmist refers to but one sort, still he clearly means every kind, of valuable tree. 50 He cast upon them, &c. Some only of the plagues having been mentioned, the remainder are here thrown together, and described in general terms.- -Evil angels. The plagues themselves may be intended (Judg. ix. 23. Jer. xxix. 17); or, the spiritual ministers of the divine vengeance. Tradition favors the notion, that evil spirits actually appeared to the Egyptians. Wisd. xvii. 51 He made a way, &c. The image now employed is taken from the actions of one, who causes a straight and smooth path to be made, along which he may proceed without impediment. Isai. XL. 3.The pestilence. The death of the first-born by the destroying angel may very allowably be regarded, as the effect of a pestilence, since |