no stipulated hire. They would not necessarily be continuous, and Dr. Kennicott arranges them as follows:-First, Jacob served Laban fourteen years for his two daughters; next, there was a long period of twenty years, during which he took care of Laban's flocks, receiving from them maintenance for himself and family, but acquiring no separate wealth; finally, after Joseph's birth, Jacob rebelled at this treatment, and determined to go back to his father, but was prevailed upon to remain, on the promise of receiving for himself all the speckled sheep and goats.

This explanation is confirmed by the curious phrase in verse 41: "This (second) twenty years was for me in thy house." The other twenty years were for Laban's sole good, and made him a wealthy man; but the fourteen years for the two maidens, and the six for the cattle. were, Jacob says, "for me." They were mine, spent in attaining to the fulfilment of my own purposes. In the Speaker's Commentary, the following table is given as a probable arrangement of the chief events in Jacob's life:

In this table there are only two dates to which I should venture to take exception. First, it is not probable that Dan and Naphtali were born during the seven years which followed upon Jacob's marriages. Rachel would resort to an expedient so painful to a wife only in despair at her own barrenness, and in envy of her sister's fruitfulness. The giving of Bilhah must have taken place during the twenty years of unpaid service. Next, Benjamin could scarcely have been born in the very year following the return from Padan-aram; for after the interview with Esau, Jacob goes to Succoth, and thence to Shechem, where he buys a plot of ground. We learn, nevertheless, that Jacob, when Dinah was wronged, had not been there long, from what Hamor and Shechem said to the citizens (chap. xxxiv. 21, 22). From Shechem, Jacob next goes to Beth-el, and dwells there" (xxxv. 1), but after some little stay, moves southward, towards the home of his father; and it was near Bethlehem that Benjamin was born. Most certainly Jacob would keep steadily in view his return to Isaac; but the events between the flight from Haran and Rachel's death at Bethlehem, are too many to be crowded into a year. On the other hand, Rachel's age warns us that Benjamin's birth could not have happened long after her arrival in Canaan. If, then, we place it in the hundredth year of Jacob's life, and the thirty-fourth of his marriage, two things follow -the first, that Rachel was very young at her marriage, and a mere child when Jacob first met her; the second, that Jacob must have spent about twenty years with Isaac at Hebron before the latter's death.

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ΤΟ

I. Title.-The Hebrews knew the five books of the Pentateuch by their initial word or words, Bereshith, Ve-éleh shemoth, Vay-yikra, &c.; but as this kind of nomenclature was unknown to the Greeks, the Alexandrian translators had to devise new titles, which should be intelligible to those for whom their translation was made. Following a method which was at once natural and familiar to the Hellenic world by its very early application to the Iliad of Homer,1 they named the several parts of the work from their contents, and gave to the second book, very happily, the title it still bears of "Exodos," "departure,' outgoing,' or "setting forth," since a main subject of the narrative is the "outgoing" of the Israelites from Egypt. Jerome, in his translation of the Bible, preserved the word, merely Latinising it into "Exodus"; and the acceptance of his version by the Western Church has led to the general adoption of the name used by him among the nations of Western Europe.

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II. Contents, Design, and General Plan of the Book. Although the outgoing of the Israelites from Egypt is one of the principal matters treated of in the Book of Exodus, yet it was not the sole, nor even the main, purpose of the writer to give an account of that remarkable passage of history. His purpose was a wider and grander one. It embraced a space of time anterior to even the first preparations for departure, and another subsequent to the completion of the journey and escape. It was theocratic rather than historic. It was to "give an account of the first stage in the fulfilment of the promises made by God to the patriarchs with reference to the growth of the children of Israel," by tracing their development from a family into a tribe, and from a tribe into a nation. Genesis left Israel in Egypt a family or "house" (Gen. 1. 22); Exodus leaves them a nation of above two millions of souls, organised under chiefs (Exod. xviii. 21-24), with a settled form of worship, a priesthood, a code of laws, and a judicature. It finds them still a family (chap. i. 1-6); it leaves them the people of God (chap. xxxiii. 13). By the entrance of the glory of the Lord" into the tabernacle (chap. xl. 34) the theocracy is completed-God locally dwells with His people as their Ruler, Director, and Guide. The nation receives its Head, and becomes a kingdom" (chap. xix. 6). It is still nomadic-it has no settled country-but it is an organised whole.

In tracing the steps of this change, the author of the book pursues the ordinary historical and chronological method. Having recapitulated (from Gen. xlvi.)

1 See Herod. ii. 116; and compare Heyne, Excurs. ad Hom. Iliad. xxiv. § 2, p. 787.

2 Keil, Commentary on the Old Testament, Vol. I., p. 415.

the family of Jacob, and mentioned the death of Joseph (chap. i. 1-6), he sketches rapidly the condition of the descendants of Jacob during the period which intervened between Joseph's decease and the birth of Moses, dwelling especially on the rapid increase of the Israelites (verses 7, 12, 20), and relating incidentally the steps in the "affliction" to which they were subjected by the Egyptians, according to God's prophecy to Abraham (Gen. xv. 13). From this he passes to the birth, providential escape, and bringing up of Moses, their pre-destined deliverer, and to the circumstances which compelled him to quit Egypt, and become an exile in the land of Midian. The call and mission of Moses are next related, together with the circumstances of his return from Midian to Egypt, the consent of Jethro to his departure (chap. iv. 18), the circumcision of Eliezer (ib. 24—26), the meeting with Aaron (ib. 27, 28), and the acceptance of Moses for their leader by the people (ib. 29-31). The account of Moses' first application to Pharaoh follows, and its result— the increase of the people's burthens, with their consequent despair, and the despondency of Moses (chaps. v., vi. 1-13). After a genealogical parenthesis (chap. vi. 14-27), the narrative of the struggle between Moses and Pharaoh is resumed, and carried on through five chapters (chaps. vii.-xi.), which contain the account of all the "plagues of Egypt," except the last, and exhibit in a strong light the tergiversation and final obduracy of Pharaoh. The crisis now approaches, and in preparation for it the Passover is instituted, with full directions for its continued observance (chap. xii. 1— 28). The blow then falls-the firstborn are slain-and the Israelites are not only allowed to depart, but are sent out of Egypt "in haste" (chap. xii. 33), laden with presents from those who wished to expedite their departure (ib. 35, 36). The account of the "Exodus" itself is then given, and the journey traced from Rameses, by way of Succoth and Etham, to Pi-hahiroth, on the western shore of the Red Sea (chaps. xii. 37— xiv. 4). Upon this follows an account of the pursuit made by Pharaoh, of the miraculous passage of the sea by the host of Israel, and the destruction in the returning waters of the entire Egyptian chariot and cavalry force (chap. xiv. 5-31). This portion of the narrative is appropriately concluded by the song of triumph sung by Moses and Miriam (chap. xv. 1—21).

Israel being now in safety, the account of their journey is resumed. Their line of march is traced through the wilderness of Shur to Marah (chap. xv. 22-26); from Marah to Elim (ib. 27); thence through the wilderness of Sin to Rephidim (chap. xvii. 1); and from Rephidim to Sinai (chap. xix. 42). On the march occur the murmuring and miracle at Marah (chap. xv. 23-25); the giving of the quails and of manna (chap. xvi. 4-36); the great battle with the Amalekites at

Rephidim (chap. xvii. 8-13); and the visit of Jethro to Moses, with his advice, and the consequent organisation of the people (chap. xviii. 1-27).

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The scene of the rest of Exodus is Sinai and the plain at its northern base. In chap. xix. the author describes the preparations made for the giving of the fundamental law, which is then explicitly stated in four chapters (chaps. xx.—xxiii.), and consists of the Decalogue (chap. xx. 1-17) and the Book of the Covenant" (chaps. xx. 22-xxiii.). In chap. xxiv. he tells of the acceptance of the covenant by Israel (verses 3-8), and of the first ascent of Moses into the mount (verses 9-18). After this, seven chapters (chaps. XXV.-xxxi.) relate the directions there given to Moses by God with respect to the mode in which He would be worshipped, and the house" which He would have constructed for Him. In chap. xxxii. Israel's apostacy is related, together with its immediate punishment; and in chap. xxxiii. we have an account of the steps taken by Moses to obtain from God a renewal of the forfeited covenant. In chap. xxxiv. the writer relates the circumstances of Moses' second ascent into the mount, and declares the terms upon which the covenant was renewed. The construction of the various parts of the tabernacle and of the priestly garments is then given in five chapters (chaps. xxxv.—xxxix.); and the work concludes with an account in one chapter (chap. xl.) of the setting up of the tabernacle, and the entrance of the "Glory of God" into it.

III. Divisions.-Primarily, the work divides itself into two portions:-1. An historical narrative of the fortunes of Israel from the death of Joseph to the arrival of the nation in front of Sinai (chaps. i.xix.). 2. A didactic portion, containing all the most essential points of the Law and of the worship (chaps. xx.-xl.). This didactic portion is, however, historical in its setting, and is intermixed with some purely historical sections, as especially chap. xxiv. and chaps. xxxii., xxxiii.

Part I. may be sub-divided as follows:Section. Chap.

1. i.

The oppression of Israel in Egypt. The birth, escape from death, and bringing up of Moses. His first attempt to deliver his people, and flight to Midian.

The call and mission of Moses, and his return to Egypt.

The first interview between Moses and Pharaoh, with its result-the increase of the people's burthens, their despair, and the despondency of Moses.

The genealogy of Moses and Aaron.

The efforts made by Moses, under Divine guidance, to overcome the obstinacy of Pharaoh. The first

nine "plagues of Egypt." The institution of the Passover.

The tenth plague, and its conse

quences.

The departure from Egypt, and the journey to Pi-hahiroth.

The pursuit of Pharaoh. The passage of the Red Sea. Great destruction of the Egyptians.

The song of triumph sung by Moses and Miriam.

The journey of the Israelites from the Red Sea to Rephidim. The victory over the Amalekites. Jethro's visit to Moses.

Arrival of Israel before Mount Sinai, and preparations made for the giv. ing of the Law.

Part II. contains the following sub-divisions: Section. Chap.

1.

xx. 1

Delivery of the Decalogue.

Words of the "Book of the Covenant."

Acceptance of the covenant, and ascent of Moses into the mount. Instructions given to Moses with respect to the structure of the tabernacle, and the consecration and attire of the priests.

Infraction of the covenant by the idolatry of the calf, and renewal of it through the intercession of Moses.

Construction of the tabernacle and its furniture. Making of the "holy garments." Erection of the tabernacle, and entrance of the "Glory of God" into it.

IV. Date of the Composition.-The antiquity of the Book of Exodus is evidenced by the simplicity of its constructions, and the occurrence in it of a certain number of extremely archaic forms. Its composition by an eye-witness of most of the events which it relates is indicated by the vividness with which they are portrayed, and the details and unnecessary minutia into which the writer enters. The descriptions of the effect of the hail upon the Egyptian standing crops (chap. ix. 31, 32), of the character and appearance of the manna (chap. xvi. 14-31), and of the descent of Jehovah upon Mount Sinai (chaps. xix. 16-19, xx. 18) have all the appearance of being by an eye-witness. Who but an eye-witness would note the exact number of the wells at Elim, and of the palm-trees that grew about them (chap. xv. 27) ? Or the fact that the first tables of stone were "written on the one side, and on the other" (chap. xxxii. 15)? Or the circumstance that Moses and Joshua heard the sound of the idol feast in honour of the golden calf before they got sight of it (ibid. 17— 19) What Israelite of later times would have presumed to fix the exact date of the setting forth from Elim as "the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt" (chap. xvi. 1)? Or to state that Miriam and the Israelite women accompanied their song of triumph "with timbrels (chap. xv. 20)? Or to give the precise position of Pi-hahiroth as "between Migdol and the sea, over against Baal-zephon" (chap. xiv. 2)? Who but an eye-witness would have noticed that the locusts were taken away by "a strong west wind," or would have ventured to state that "there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt" (chap. x. 19)? Little graphic touches strongly indicative of the eye-witness are such as the following:- Zipporah cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his fect' (chap. iv. 25). "Aaron met Moses in the mount of God, and kissed