{"commentary":{"id":"adam-clarke","name":"Adam Clarke Bible Commentary","website":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Clarke","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/","licenseNotes":null,"licenseNotice":null,"englishName":"Adam Clarke Bible Commentary","language":"eng","textDirection":"rtl","sha256":"92e28c9363c876d215e296f2fe04abb3ab7e34a2aacebdf06bd62ae79c6e3dba","availableFormats":["json"],"listOfBooksApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/books.json","listOfProfilesApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/profiles.json","numberOfBooks":57,"totalNumberOfChapters":854,"totalNumberOfVerses":13318,"totalNumberOfProfiles":0,"languageName":"English","languageEnglishName":"English"},"book":{"id":"EXO","commentaryId":"adam-clarke","name":"Exodus","commonName":"Exodus","introduction":"The name by which this book is generally distinguished is borrowed from the Septuagint, in which it is called εξοδος, Exodus, the going out or departure; and by the Codex Alexandrinus, εξοδος αιγιπτου, the departure from Egypt, because the departure of the Israelites from Egypt is the most remarkable fact mentioned in the whole book. In the Hebrew Bibles it is called ואלה שמות Ve-Elleh Shemoth, these are the names, which are the words with which it commences. It contains a history of the transactions of 145 years, beginning at the death of Joseph, where the book of Genesis ends, and coming down to the erection of the tabernacle in the wilderness at the foot of Mount Sinai. In this book Moses details the causes and motives of the persecution raised up against the Israelites in Egypt, the orders given by Pharaoh to destroy all the Hebrew male children, and the prevention of the execution of those orders through the humanity and piety of the midwives appointed to deliver the Hebrew women. The marriage of Amram and Jochebed is next related; the birth of Moses; the manner in which he was exposed on the river Nile, and in which he was discovered by the daughter of Pharaoh; his being providentially put under the care of his own mother to be nursed, and educated as the son of the Egyptian princess; how, when forty years of age, he left the court, visited and defended his brethren; the danger to which he was in consequence exposed; his flight to Arabia; his contract with Jethro, priest or prince of Midian, whose daughter Zipporah he afterwards espoused. While employed in keeping the flocks of his father-in-law, God appeared to him in a burning bush, and commissioned him to go and deliver his countrymen from the oppression under which they groaned. Having given him the most positive assurances of protection and power to work miracles, and having associated with him his brother Aaron, he sent them first to the Israelites to declare the purpose of Jehovah, and afterwards to Pharaoh to require him, in the name of the Most High, to set the Israelites at liberty. Pharaoh, far from submitting, made their yoke more grievous; and Moses, on a second interview with him, to convince him by whose authority he made the demand, wrought a miracle before him and his courtiers. This being in a certain way imitated by Pharaoh's magicians, he hardened his heart, and refused to let the people go, till God, by ten extraordinary plagues, convinced him of his omnipotence, and obliged him to consent to dismiss a people over whose persons and properties he had claimed and exercised a right founded only on the most tyrannical principles. The plagues by which God afflicted the whole land of Egypt, Goshen excepted, where the Israelites dwelt, were the following: - 1. He turned all the waters of Egypt into blood. 2. He caused innumerable frogs to come over the whole land. 3. He afflicted both man and beast with immense swarms of vermin. 4. Afterwards with a multitude of different kinds of insects. 5. He sent a grievous pestilence among their cattle.6. Smote both man and beast with boils.7. Destroyed their crops with grievous storms of hail, accompanied with the most terrible thunder and lightning.8. Desolated the whole land by innumerable swarms of locusts. 9. He spread a palpable darkness all over Egypt; and, 10. In one night slew all the first-born, both of man and beast, through the whole of the Egyptian territories. What proved the miraculous nature of all these plagues most particularly was, 1st, Their coming exactly according to the prediction and at the command of Moses and Aaron. 2dly, Their extending only to the Egyptians, and leaving the land of Goshen, the Israelites, their cattle and substance, entirely untouched. After relating all these things in detail, with their attendant circumstances, Moses describes the institution, reason, and celebration of the passover; the preparation of the Israelites for their departure; their leaving Goshen and beginning their journey to the promised land, by the way of Rameses, Succoth, and Etham. How Pharaoh, repenting of the permission he had given them to depart, began to pursue them with an immense army of horse and foot, and overtook them at their encampment at Baal-zephon, on the borders of the Red Sea. Their destruction appearing then to be inevitable, Moses farther relates that having called earnestly upon God, and stretched his rod over the waters, they became divided, and the Israelites entered into the bed of the sea, and passed over to the opposite shore. Pharaoh and his host madly pursuing in the same track, the rear of their army being fairly entered by the time the last of the Israelites had made good their landing on the opposite coast. Moses stretching his rod again over the waters, they returned to their former channel and overwhelmed the Egyptian army, so that every soul perished. Moses next gives a circumstantial account of the different encampments of the Israelites in the wilderness, during the space of nearly forty years: the miracles wrought in their behalf; the chief of which were the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night, to direct and protect them in the wilderness; the bringing water out of a rock for them and their cattle; feeding them with manna from heaven; bringing innumerable flocks of quails to their camp; giving them a complete victory over the Amalekites at the intercession of Moses; and particularly God's astonishing manifestation of himself on Mount Sinai, when he delivered to Moses an epitome of his whole law, in what was called the Ten Words or Ten Commandments. Moses proceeds to give a circumstantial detail of the different laws, statutes, and ordinances which he received from God, and particularly the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, and the awful display of the Divine Majesty on that solemn occasion; the formation of the Ark, holy Table and Candlestick; the Tabernacle, with its furniture, covering, courts, etc., the brazen Altar, golden Altar, brazen Laver, anointing oil, perfume, sacerdotal garments for Aaron and his sons, and the artificers employed on the work of the Tabernacle, etc. He then gives an account of Israel's idolatry in the matter of the golden calf, made under the direction of Aaron; God's displeasure, and the death of the principal idolaters; the erection and consecration of the Tabernacle, and its being filled and encompassed with the Divine glory, with the order and manner of their marches by direction of the miraculous pillar; with which the book concludes.","order":2,"numberOfChapters":40,"sha256":"40ba3e956510cb56019cd4a4cb9b5c35c98c7abc25e6dd193d6fc14a98b6dee1","firstChapterNumber":1,"firstChapterApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/EXO/1.json","firstChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"adam-clarke","book":"EXO","chapter":1},"lastChapterNumber":40,"lastChapterApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/EXO/40.json","lastChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"adam-clarke","book":"EXO","chapter":40},"totalNumberOfVerses":705},"chapter":{"number":35,"content":[{"type":"verse","number":1,"content":["And Moses gathered - The principal subjects in this chapter have been already largely considered in the notes on chapters 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31, and to those the reader is particularly desired to refer, together with the parallel texts in the margin."]},{"type":"verse","number":3,"content":["Ye shall kindle no fire - The Jews understand this precept as forbidding the kindling of fire only for the purpose of doing work or dressing victuals; but to give them light and heat, they judge it lawful to light a fire on the Sabbath day, though themselves rarely kindle it-they get Christians to do this work for them."]},{"type":"verse","number":5,"content":["An offering - A terumah or heave-offering; see Lev 7:1, etc. , Exo 35:6\nSee, on these metals and colors, Exo 25:3 (note), Exo 25:4 (note), etc."]},{"type":"verse","number":7,"content":["Rams' skins, etc. - See Exo 25:5."]},{"type":"verse","number":8,"content":["Oil for the light - See Exo 25:6."]},{"type":"verse","number":9,"content":["Onyx stones - See Exo 25:7."]},{"type":"verse","number":11,"content":["The tabernacle - See Exo 25:8."]},{"type":"verse","number":12,"content":["The ark - See Exo 25:10-17."]},{"type":"verse","number":13,"content":["The table - See Exo 25:23-28."]},{"type":"verse","number":14,"content":["The candlestick - See Exo 25:31-39."]},{"type":"verse","number":15,"content":["The incense altar - The golden altar, see Exo 30:1-10."]},{"type":"verse","number":16,"content":["The altar of burnt-offering - The brazen altar, see Exo 27:1-8."]},{"type":"verse","number":17,"content":["The hangings of the court - See Exo 27:9."]},{"type":"verse","number":19,"content":["The clothes of service - Probably aprons, towels, and such like, used in the common service, and different from the vestments for Aaron and his sons. See these latter described Exo 28:1, etc."]},{"type":"verse","number":21,"content":["Every one whose heart stirred him up - Literally, whose heart was lifted up - whose affections were set on the work, being cordially engaged in the service of God."]},{"type":"verse","number":22,"content":["As many as were willing-hearted - For no one was forced to lend his help in this sacred work; all was a free-will offering to the Lord.\nBracelets - חח chach, whatever hooks together; ornaments for the wrists, arms, legs, or neck.\nEar-rings - נזם nezem, see this explained Gen 24:22 (note).\nRings - טבעת tabbaath, from טבי taba, to penetrate, enter into; probably rings for the fingers.\nTablets - כומז cumaz, a word only used here and in Num 31:50, supposed to be a girdle to support the breasts."]},{"type":"verse","number":25,"content":["All the women that were wise-hearted did spin - They had before learned this art, they were wise-hearted; and now they practice it, and God condescends to require and accept their services. In building this house of God, all were ambitious to do something by which they might testify their piety to God, and their love for his worship. The spinning practiced at this time was simple, and required little apparatus. It was the plain distaff or twirling pin, which might be easily made out of any wood they met with in the wilderness."]},{"type":"verse","number":27,"content":["The rulers brought onyx stones - These being persons of consequence, might be naturally expected to furnish the more scarce and costly articles. See how all join in this service! The men worked and brought offerings, the women spun and brought their ornaments, the rulers united with them, and delivered up their jewels! and all the children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, Exo 36:29."]},{"type":"verse","number":30,"content":["The Lord hath called by name Bezaleel - See this subject discussed at large in the note on Exo 28:3 (note), where the subject of superseding the work of the hand by the extra use of machinery is particularly considered.\n1. From the nature of the offerings made for the service of the tabernacle, we see of what sort the spoils were which the Israelites brought out of Egypt: gold, silver, brass, blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, rams' skins dyed red, what we call badgers' skins, oil, spices, incense, onyx stones, and other stones, the names of which are not here mentioned. They must also have brought looms, spinning wheels, instruments for cutting precious stones, anvils, hammers, furnaces, melting-pots, with a vast variety of tools for the different artists employed on the work of the tabernacle, viz., smiths, joiners, carvers, gilders, etc.\n2. God could have erected his tabernacle without the help or skill of man; but he condescended to employ him. As all are interested in the worship of God, so all should bear a part in it; here God employs the whole congregation: every male and female, with even their sons and their daughters, and the very ornaments of their persons, are given to raise and adorn the house of God. The women who had not ornaments, and could neither give gold nor silver, could spin goat's hair, and the Lord graciously employs them in this work, and accepts what they can give and what they can do, for they did it with a willing mind; they were wise of heart - had learned a useful business, their hearts were lifted up in the work, Exo 36:21, and all felt it a high privilege to be able to put only a nail in the holy place. By the free-will offerings of the people the tabernacle was erected, and all the costly utensils belonging to it provided. This was the primitive mode of providing proper places for Divine worship; and as it was the primitive, so it is the most rational mode. Taxes levied by law for building or repairing churches were not known in the ancient times of religious simplicity. It is an honor to be permitted to do any thing for the support of public worship; and he must have a strange, unfeeling, and ungodly heart, who does not esteem it a high privilege to have a stone of his own laying or procuring in the house of God. How easily might all the buildings necessary for the purpose of public worship be raised, if the money that is spent in needless self-indulgence by ourselves, our sons, and our daughters, were devoted to this purpose! By sacrifices of this kind the house of the Lord would be soon built, and the top-stone brought on with shouting, Grace, grace unto it!"]}],"introduction":"Moses assembles the congregation to deliver to them the commandments of God, Exo 35:1. Directions concerning the Sabbath, Exo 35:2, Exo 35:3. Free-will offerings of gold, silver, brass, etc., for the tabernacle, Exo 35:4-7. Of oil and spices, Exo 35:8. Of precious stones, Exo 35:9. Proper artists to be employed, Exo 35:10. The tabernacle and its tent, Exo 35:11. The ark, Exo 35:12. Table of the shew-bread, Exo 35:13. Candlestick, Exo 35:14. Altar of incense, Exo 35:15. Altar of burnt-offering, Exo 35:16. Hangings, pins, etc., Exo 35:17, Exo 35:18. Clothes of service, and holy vestments, Exo 35:19. The people cheerfully bring their ornaments as offerings to the Lord, Exo 35:20-22; together with blue, purple, scarlet, etc., etc., Exo 35:23, Exo 35:24. The women spin, and bring the produce of their skill and industry, Exo 35:25, Exo 35:26. The rulers bring precious stones, etc., Exo 35:27, Exo 35:28. All the people offer willingly, Exo 35:29. Bezaleel and Aholiab appointed to conduct and superintend all the work of the tabernacle, for which they are qualified by the spirit of wisdom, Exo 35:30-35."},"thisChapterLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/EXO/35.json","thisChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"adam-clarke","book":"EXO","chapter":35},"nextChapterApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/EXO/36.json","nextChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"adam-clarke","book":"EXO","chapter":36},"previousChapterApiLink":"/api/c/adam-clarke/EXO/34.json","previousChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"adam-clarke","book":"EXO","chapter":34},"numberOfVerses":19}