the bands of his arms and his hands were] 6 And Pharao said to him: Go up and loosed, by the hands of the mighty one of bury thy father according as he made thee Jacob: thence he came forth a pastor, the stone of Israel. 25 The God of thy father shall be thy helper, and the Almighty shall bless thee with the blessings of heaven above, with the blessings of the deep that lieth beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb. 26 The blessings of thy father are strengthened with the blessings of his fathers: until the desire of the everlasting hills should come; may they be upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Nazarite among his brethren. 27 Benjamin a ravenous wolf, in the morning shall eat the prey, and in the evening shall divide the spoil. 28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: these things their father spoke to them, and he blessed every one, with their proper blessings. 29 And he charged them, saying: I am now going to be gathered to my people: bury me with my fathers in the double cave, which is in the field of Ephron the Hethite, 30 Over-against Mambre in the land of Chanaan, which Abraham bought together with the field, of Ephron the Hethite for a possession to bury in. swear. 7 So he went up, and there went with him all the ancients of Pharao's house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt. 8 And the house of Joseph with his brethren, except their children, and their flocks and herds, which they left in the land of Gessen. 9 He had also in his train chariots and horsemen: and it was a great company. 10 And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is situated beyond the Jordan: where celebrating the exequies with a great and vehement lamentation, they spent full seven days. 11 And when the inhabitants of Chanaan saw this, they said: This is a great mourning to the Egyptians. And therefore the name of that place was called, The mourning of Egypt. 12 So the sons of Jacob did as he had commanded them. 23 And carrying him into the land of Chanaan, they buried him in the double cave which Abraham had bought together with the field for a possession of a burying place, of Ephron the Hethite over-against Mambre. 31 There they buried him, and Sara his wife: there was Isaac buried with Rebecca 14 And Joseph returned into Egypt with his wife there also Lia doth lie buried. his brethren, and all that were in his com32 And when he had ended the command-pany, after he had buried his father. ments, wherewith he instructed his sons, he drew up his feet upon the bed, and died: and he was gathered to his people.+ CHAP. L. The mourning for Jacob, and his interment. Joseph's kindness towards his brethren. His death. AND when Joseph saw this, he fell upon his father's face weeping and kissing him. 2 And he commanded his servants the physicians, to embalm his father. 15 Now he being dead, his brethren were afraid, and talked one with another: Lest perhaps he should remember the wrong he suffered, and requite us all the evil that we did to him. 16 And they sent a message to him, saying: Thy father commanded us before he died, 17 That we should say thus much to thee from him: I beseech thee to forget the wickedness of thy brethren, and the sin and malice they practised against thee: we also pray thee, to forgive the servants of the God of thy father this wickedness. And when Joseph heard this, he wept. 3 And while they were fulfilling his commands, there passed forty days: for this was the manner with bodies that were embalmed, and Egypt mourned for him seventy days. 18 And his brethren came to him: and 4 And the time of the mourning being ex-worshipping prostrate on the ground they pired, Joseph spoke to the family of Pharao: said: We are thy servants. If I have found favour in your sight, speak in the ears of Pharao: 5 For my father made me swear to him, saying: Behold I die: thou shalt bury me in my sepulchre which I have digged for myself in the land of Chanaan. So I will go up and bury my father, and return. Supra, 23. 17.-† A. M. 2315. Supra, 47. 29. Ante C. 1689. 19 And he answered them: Fear not; can we resist the will of God? 20 You thought evil against me: but God turned it into good, that he might exalt me, as at present you see, and might save many people. 21 Fear not: I will feed you and your The Naza Ver. 26. The blessings of thy father, &c. That eminence of their wisdom and holiness. is, thy father's blessings are made more prevalent rite. This word signities one separated: and agrees and effectual in thy regard, by the additional strength to Joseph, as being separated from, and more emithey receive from his inheriting the blessings of his nent than, his brethren. As the ancient Nazarites progenitors Abraham and Isaac. The desire of the were so called from their being set aside for God, and everlasting hills, &c. These blessings all looked for-vowed to him. ward towards Christ, called the desire of the ever- Ver. 29. To be gathered to my people. That is, I lasting hills, as being longed for, as it were, by the am going to die, and so to follow my ancestors that whole creation. Mystically, the patriarchs and pro- are gone before me, and to join their company in phets are called the e: erlasting hills, by reason of the another world, children. And he comforted them, and will visit you after my death, and will make spoke gently and mildly. 22 And he dwelt in Egypt with all his father's house: and lived a hundred and ten years. And he saw the children of Ephraim to the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasses were born on Joseph's knees. 23 After which he told his brethren: † God Num. 32. 39.-† Heb. 11. 22.— Exod. 13. 19. you go up out of this land, to the land which he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 24 And he made them swear to him, saying: God will visit you, carry my bones with you out of this place: 25 And he died being a hundred and ten years old. And being embalmed he was laid in a coffin in Egypt. Jos. 24. 32.—§ A. M. 2369. Ante C. 1635. THE BOOK OF EXODUS. The Second Book of Moses is called Exodus, from the Greek word ExODOS, which signifies going out: be cause it contains the history of the going out of the children of Israel out of Egypt. The Hebrews, from the words with which it begins, call it VEELLE SEMOTH: These are the names. It contains transactions for 145 years; that is, from the death of Joseph to the erecting of the tabernacle. CHAP. I. The Israelites are multiplied in Egypt. They are oppressed by a new king, who commandeth all their male children to be killed. TH THESE are the names of the children of Israel, that went into Egypt with Jacob: they went in, every man with his household:* 2 Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda, 3 Issachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin, 4 Dan, and Nephtali, Gad and Aser. 5 And all the souls that came out of Jacob's thigh, were seventy: †but Joseph was in Egypt. 6 After he was dead, and all his brethren, and all that generation, 7 The children of Israel increased, and sprung up into multitudes, and growing exceedingly strong they filled the land. 8 In the mean time there arose a new king over Egypt, that knew not Joseph: 9 And he said to his people: Behold the people of the children of Israel are numerous and stronger than we. 10 Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply and if any war shall rise against us, join with our enemies, and having overcome us, depart out of the land. 11 Therefore he set over them masters of the works, to afflict them with burdens, and they built for Pharao cities of tabernacles, Phithom and Ramesses. 12 But the more they oppressed them, the more they were multiplied, and increased: 13 And the Egyptians hated the children of Israel, and afflicted them and mocked them: 14 And they made their life bitter with hard works in clay, and brick, and with all Gen. 46. 8.-† Gen. 46. 27. CHAP. I. Ver. 11. Of tabernacles, or of storehouses Ver. 21. Because the midwives feared God, &e. www manner of service, wherewith they were overcharged in the works of the earth. 15 And the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews: of whom one was called Sephora, the other Phua, 16 Commanding them: When you shall do the office of midwives to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery is come: if it be a man-child, kill it: if a woman, keep it alive. 17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded, but saved the men-children. 18 And the king called for them and said: What is that you meant to do, that you would save the men-children? 19 They answered: The Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women: for they themselves are skilful in the office of a midwife; and they are delivered before we come to them. 20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he built them houses. 22 Pharao therefore charged all his people, saying: Whatsoever shall be born of the male sex, ye shall cast into the river: whatsoever of the female, ye shall save alive. CHAP. II. Moses is born and exposed on the bank of the river ; where he is taken up by the daughter of Pharao, and adopted for her son. He killeth an Egyptian, and fleeth into Madian; where he marrieth a wife. AFTER this there went a man of the house of Levi; § and took a wife of his own kindred. 2 And she conceived, and bore a son; Acts, 7. 17.-§ Infra, 6. 20. which was a venial sin; but for their fear of God, and their humanity: but this reward was only temporal, in building them houses, that is, in establishing *and seeing him a goodly child, hid him three months. ↑ 3 And when she could hide him no longer, she took a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and pitch: and put the little babe therein, and laid him in the sedges by the river's brink, 4 His sister standing afar off, and taking notice what would be done. 5 And behold the daughter of Pharao came down to wash herself in the river: and her maids walked by the river's brink. And when she saw the basket in the sedges, she sent one of her maids for it: and when it was brought, 6 She opened it and seeing within it an infant crying, having compassion on it she said: This is one of the babes of the Hebrews. 7 And the child's sister said to her: Shall I go and call to thee a Hebrew woman, to nurse the babe? 8 She answered: Go. The maid went and called her mother. 9 And Pharao's daughter said to her: Take this child and nurse him for me: I will give thee thy wages. The woman took, and nursed the child: and when he was grown up, she delivered him to Pharao's daughter. 10 And she adopted him for a son, and called him Moses, saying: Because I took him out of the water. 11 In those days after Moses was grown up, he went out to his brethren: and saw their affliction, and an Egyptian striking one of the Hebrews his brethren. 12 And when he had looked about this way and that way, and saw no one there, he 17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: and Moses arose, and defending the maids, watered their sheep. 18 And when they returned to Raguel their father, he said to them: Why are ye come sooner than usual? 19 They answered: A man of Egypt delivered us from the hands of the shepherds: and he drew water also with us, and gave the sheep to drink. 20 But he said: Where is he? why have you let the man go? call him that he may eat bread. 21 And Moses swore that he would dwell with him. And he took Sephora his daughter to wife: 22 And she bore him a son, whom he called Gersam, saying: I have been a stranger in a foreign country. And she bore another, whom he called Eliezer, saying: For the God of my father, my helper hath delivered me out of the hand of Pharao. 23 Now after a long time the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel groaning, cried out because of the works: and their cry went up unto God from the works. 24 And he heard their groaning, and remembered the covenant which he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 And the Lord looked upon the children of Israel, and he knew them. CHAP. III. God appeareth to Moses in a bush, and sendeth him to deliver Israel.. slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. NOW Moses fed the sheep of Jethro his 13 And going out the next day, he saw, father-in-law, the priest of Madian: two Hebrews quarrelling: and he said to and he drove the flock to the inner parts of him that did the wrong: Why strikest thou the desert, and came to the mountain of thy neighbour? God, Horeb. T 14 But he answered: Who hath appointed thee prince and judge over us: wilt thou kill me, as thou didst yesterday kill the Egyptian? Moses feared, and said: How is this come to be known? 2 ** And the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he saw that the bush was on fire and was not burnt. 3 And Moses said: I will go and see this 15 And Pharao heard of this word and great sight, why the bush is not burnt. sought to kill Moses: but he fled from his 4 And when the Lord saw that he went sight, and abode in the land of Madian, and forward to see, he called to him out of the he sat down by a well. midst of the bush, and said: Moses, Moses. And he answered: Here I am. 16 And the priest of Madian had seven daughters, who came to draw water: and when the troughs were filled, desired to water their father's flocks. 5 And he said: Come not nigh hither, put off the shoes from thy feet: for the place, whereon thou standest is holy ground." *Heb. 11. 23.—† A. M. 2433. Ante C. 1571. Infra, 18. 2. and 3. 1. Par. 23. 15.-¶ A. M. 2513. CHAP. II. Ver. 10. Moses or Moyses, in the Egyptian Ver. 18. Raguel. He had two names, being also tongue, signifies one taken or saved out of the water. called Jethro, as appears from the first verse of the Ver. 12. He slew the Egyptian. This he did by following chapter. Ver. 22. a particular inspiration of God; as a prelude to his Gersam, or Gershom. This name sigdelivering the people from their oppression and bon-nifies a stranger there: as Eliezer signities the help of dage. He thought, says St. Stephen, Acts, vii. 25. God. that his brethren understood that God by his hand would Ver. 25. Knew them; that is, he had respect to save them. But such particular and extraordinary them, he cast a merciful eye upon them. examples are not to be imitated. CHAP. III. Ver. 2. The Lord appeared. That Ver. 15. Madian. A city and country of Arabia, is, an angel representing God, and speaking in his which took its name from Madian the son of Abra-name, ham, by Cetura, and was peopled by his posterity. 6 And he said: I am the God of thy Israel, to the king of Egypt, and thou shalt father, the God of Abraham, the God of say to him: The Lord God of the Hebrews hath called us: we will go three days' journey into the wilderness, to sacrifice unto the Lord our God. Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Moses hid his face: for he durst not look at God. 7 And the Lord said to him: I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of the rigour of them that are over the works: 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, but by a mighty hand. 20 For I will stretch forth my hand, and will strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst of them: after these he will let you go. 8 And knowing their sorrow, I am come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians, and to bring them out of that land into a good and spacious land, into a 21 And I will give favour to this people, land that foweth with milk and honey, to in the sight of the Egyptians: † and when the places of the Chanaanite, and Hethite, you go forth, you shall not depart empty: and Amorrhite, and Pherezite, and Hevite, 22 But every woman shall ask of her and Jebusite. neighbour, and of her that is in her house, 9 For the cry of the children of Israel is vessels of silver and of gold, and raiment : come unto me: and I have seen their afflic-and you shall put them on your sons and tion, wherewith they are oppressed by the daughters, and shall spoil Egypt. Egyptians. 10 But come, and I will send thee to Pharao, that thou mayst bring forth my people, the children of Israel out of Egypt. II And Moses said to God: Who am I that I should go to Pharao, and should bring M CHAP. IV. Moses is empowered to confirm his mission with miracles: his brother Aaron is appointed to assist him. OSES answered and said: They will not believe me, nor hear my voice, forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? but they will say: The Lord hath not ap12 And he said to him: I will be with thee:peared to thee. and this thou shalt have for a sign, that I 2 Then he said to him: What is that thou have sent thee: When thou shalt have holdest in thy hand? He answered: A rod. brought my people out of Egypt, thou shalt offer sacrifice to God upon this mountain. 13 Moses said to God: Lo, I shall go to the children of Israel, and say to them: The God of your fathers hath sent me to you. If they should say to me: What is his name? What shall I say to them? 3 And the Lord said: Cast it down upon the ground. He cast it down, and it was turned into a serpent: so that Moses fled from it. 4 And the Lord said: Put out thy hand and take it by the tail. He put forth his hand, and took hold of it, and it was turned into a rod. 5 That they may believe, saith he, that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared to thee. 14 God said to Moses: I AM WHO AM. He said: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: HE WHO IS, hath sent me to you. 15 And God said again to Moses: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abra- 6 And the Lord said again: Put thy hand ham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Ja-into thy bosom. And when he had put it cob, hath sent me to you: this is my name into his bosom, he brought it forth leprous for ever, and this is my memorial unto all as snow. generations. 16 Go, gather together the ancients of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared to me, saying: Visiting I have visited you: and I have seen all that hath befallen you in Egypt. 17 And I have said the word to bring you forth out of the affliction of Egypt, into the land of the Chanaanite, the Hethite, and the Amorrhite, and Pherezite, and Hevite, and Jebusite, to a land that floweth with milk and honey. 18 And they shall hear thy voice: and thou shalt go in, thou and the ancients of • Mat. 22. 32. Mark, 12. 26. Luke, 20. 37. Ver. 14 I am whe an. That is, I am being itself, eternal, self-existent, independent, infinite; ithout beginning, end, or change; and the source of all other beings. Ver. 22. Shall spoil, &c. That is, you shall strip, and take away the goods of the Egyptians. This was 7 And he said: Put back thy hand into thy bosom. He put it back, and brought it out again, and it was like the other flesh. 8 If they will not believe thee, saith he, nor hear the voice of the former sign, they will believe the word of the latter sign. 9 But if they will not even believe these two signs, nor hear thy voice: take of the river water, and pour it out upon the dry land, and whatsoever thou drawest out of the river, shall be turned into blood. 10 Moses said: I beseech thee, Lord, I am not eloquent from yesterday and the day before: and since thou hast spoken to thy servant, I have more impediment and slowness of tongue. Infra, 11. 2. and 12. 35. not authorizing theft or injustice: but was a just disposal made by Him, who is the great lord and master of all things; in order to pay the children of Israel some part of what was due to them from the Egyptians for their labours, 11 The Lord said to him: Who made] man's mouth? or who made the dumb and the deaf, the seeing and the blind? did not I? 12 Go therefore,* and I will be in thy mouth: and I will teach thee what thou shalt speak. 13 But he said: I beseech thee, Lord, send whom thou wilt send. 14 The Lord being angry at Moses, said: Aaron the Levite is thy brother, I know that he is eloquent: behold he cometh forth to meet thee, and seeing thee shall be glad at heart. 15 Speak to him, and put my words in his mouth and I will be in thy mouth, and in his mouth, and will shew you what you must do. went in, and said to Pharao: FTER these things Moses and Aaron Thus 16 He shall speak in thy stead to the peo-saith the Lord God of Israel: Let my people ple, and shall be thy mouth: but thou shalt be go that they may sacrifice to me in the desert. to him in those things that pertain to God. 2 But he answered: Who is the Lord, that 17 And take this rod in thy hand, where- should hear his voice, and let Israel go? I with thou shalt do the signs. know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel I go. 18 Moses went his way, and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him: I 3 And they said: The God of the Hewill go and return to my brethren into brews hath called us, to go three days' jourEgypt, that I may see if they be yet alive. [ney into the wilderness and to sacrifice to the Ad Jethro said to him: Go in peace. Lord our God: lest a pestilence or the sword 19 And the Lord said to Moses, in Ma-fall upon us. dian: Go, and return into Egypt: for they are all dead that sought thy life. The king of Egypt said to them: Why do you Moses and Aaron draw off the people from their works? Get you gone to your 20 Moses therefore took his wife, and his sons, and set them upon an ass: and re-burdens. turned into Egypt, carrying the rod of God in his hand. 21 And the Lord said to him as he was returning into Egypt: See that thou do all the wonders before Pharao, which I have put in thy hand: I shall harden his heart, and he will not let the people go. 22 And thou shalt say to him: Thus saith the Lord: Israel is my son, my first-born. 23 I have said to thee: Let my son go, that he may serve me, and thou wouldst not let him go: behold I will kill thy son, thy first-born. 24 And when he was in his journey, in the inn, the Lord met him, and would have killed him. 25 Immediately Sephora took a very sharp stone, and circumcised the foreskin of her son, and touched his feet, and said: A bloody spouse art thou to me. 26 And he let him go after she had said: A bloody spouse art thou to me, because of the circumcision. 27 And the Lord said to Aaron: Go into the desert to meet Moses. And he went forth to meet him in the mountain of God, and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord, by which he had sent him, and the signs that he had commanded. Mat. 10. 20.—† Infra, 7. 2. 5 And Pharao said: The people of the land is numerous: you see that the multitude is increased: how much more if you give them rest from their works? 6 Therefore he commanded the same day the overseers of the works, and the task-masters of the people, saying: 7 You shall give straw no more to the people to make brick, as before; but let them go and gather straw. 8 And you shall lay upon them the task of bricks, which they did before, neither shall you diminish any thing thereof: for they are idle, and therefore they cry, saying: Let us go and sacrifice to our God. 9 Let them be oppressed, with works, and let them fulfil them: that they may not regard lying words. 10 And the overseers of the works and the task-masters went out and said to the people: Thus saith Pharao, I allow you no straw: 11 Go, and gather it where you can find it: neither shall any thing of your work be diminished. 12 And the people was scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather straw. 13 And the overseers of the works pressed them, saying: Fulfil your work every day as before you were wont to do when straw was given you. A. M. 2513. Ante C. 1491. CHAP. IV. Ver. 21. I shall harden, &c. Not Ver. 24. The Lord met him, and would have killed by being the efficient cause of his sin: but by him. This was an angel representing the Lord, who withdrawing from him, for his just punishment. the dew of grace, that might have softened his sort; and so suffering him to grow harder and rder. treated Moses in this manner, for having neglected the circumcision of his younger son: which his wife understanding, circumcised her child upon the spot, [upon which the angel let Moses go. |