of devills, which comming out of the mouth of the Dragon, Beast, and False Prophet, (as here they came out of streames, rivers, and Ponds,) goe to the kings of the earth, (as these did into kings chambers, Psal. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 30.) to gather them to the battle of the grean day of God almighty, Rev. 16. 13. 14. Plime (in his ••at. Historie, booke. 8. c. 29.) speaking of no∣table documents of destruction by contemptible creatures, mentioneth a citie in France, that was (of old) driven away by frogs.
V. 7. did so] or, did likewise: see Exod. 7 11. 22.
V. 8. that he may take away] or, and let him remove: [unspec 7] [unspec 8] by this Pharaoh acknowledgeth both the grie∣vousnesse of this plague, (for he requested not the like for the first of the blood, Exod. 7. 23.) and that his Magicians could adde unto his plagues, but were not able to deliver him from any. Wherfore he is now forced to seeke helpe of that God, whom before he would not know, Exod. 5. 2. And when the Philistines land was plagued with mice, (as E∣gypt was now with frogges) they by counsell of their soothsayers, sent a sin-offring to the God of Israel, that they might be healed: and shunned hardnesse of hart, taking warning by this Pharaoh and the Egyptians, 1 Sam. 6. 2. 3. 6.
V. 9. Glorie over me.] in appointing me the time [unspec 9] when I shall intreat for thee: so the Greeke transla∣teth it, Appoint unto mee when I shall pray; and the Chaldee paraphraseth, Aske for thee a powerfull worke, and give thou the time, &c. The Hebr. pro∣perly signifieth to glorie over, or, to vaunt ones selfe against another: as Iudg. 7. 2. Esay 10. 15. In this speech Moses shewed both great faith in God, and humilitie towards the king. cut off] that is, de∣stroy, or kill. vers. 13. onely] or, as the Greeke translateth, but in the river. So Moses limiteth the measure of the release, the time he leaveth to Pharaohs choise, who by seeing the remainders of both plagues, (that frogs were in the river where fish had been before, Exod. 7. 21.) might be the more moved to keepe his promise, in letting Israel go. Therefore this deliverance is called but a brea∣thing, v. 15.
V. 12. because of] or, concerning the word (or busines, as the Chaldee translateth it) of the frogs: which the Gr. interpreteth, for the limited ending of the frogs, as he had appointed to Pharaoh. he had put] that is, God had laid as a plague: or, wch Moses had put un∣to Pharaoh, for choise of the time, v. 9. The Gr. fa∣voreth this latter sense; so do the words following.
V. 14. upon heaps] or, many heaps: Hebr. heapes, [unspec 14] heaps: of which phrase, see Gen. 14. 10. stanke] with dead frogs, as the river did before with dead fish, Exod. 7. 21. The Chaldee translateth, they stank upon the land. Hereby God recompensed the Egyp∣tians sin, in whose eies the savour of Israel did stink before, Exod. 5. 21. and there remained as yet a memoriall of their plague, the stinke wherof came up into their nostrils: and the ill favour of such un∣cleane spirits as were figured by these frogs, (Rev. 16. 13. 14.) is signified. The like is prophesied con∣cerning the Locusts, in Ioel. 2. 20. and the armie of Gog, Ezck. 39. 11. and all other enemies of the Church, Esay 34. 3.
V. 15. a breathing] or respiration, in Gr. a refre∣shing: [unspec 15] that 〈◊〉〈◊〉, some inlargement & respit from the plague, whe〈…〉〈…〉 with he was before so straitly afflic∣ted. The like word is used in Esth. 4. 14. heavy] unfit to understand, o••••y 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the word of God: see Exodus 7. 14. Thus neither the laying on of the plague, nor taking it off, could worke any good in Pharao〈…〉〈…〉 let favour bee shewed to the wicked, yet will hee not lea••••e righteousnesse, Esay 26. 10.
V. 16. thy rod:] the Gr. addeth, with thy hand, wch [unspec 16] the Heb. also expresseth in v. 17. And so in Exod. 10. 21. where Moses is bidden stretch, out his hand, seemeth to be meant his rod withall. Of this third plague, God gave Pharaoh no warning aforehand, as he did of the other two: but hastened his punish∣ment, as his sins increased; & bringeth this plague from the earth, which was neerer unto them than the waters. So of the fourth and fifth plagues, God gave thē warning beforehand; but not of the sixt, Exod. 9. 8. againe, of the sevēth & eighth plagues, he warned them, but not of the ninth, Exo. 10. 21. & at the tenth plague, the Israelites are sent away, Exod. 12. Moreover, these three first plagues, wch were from the waters and earth, cameby Aarons hand stretching out the rod, Exod. 7. 19. & 8. 5. 16. three which were from the heavens and aire, came by Moses stretching out his hand and rod, as the Haile, Exod. 9. 22. 23. the Locusts, Exod. 10. 12. 13. and the Darknesse, Exod. 10. 21. 22. Three came without the hand, either of Moses or Aaron, as the Mixed swarme, Exo. 8. 21. 24. the Murraine, Exod. 9. 3. ••and the death of the First borne, Exodus 12. 29. and one was by Moses hand, but not with the rod; as the plague of Boiles, Exodus 9. 8. 10.
V. 17. there were lice] Hebr. there was the lowse; [unspec 17] put generally for the multitude of this vermine; which being of the least sort of Gods creatures, did greatly plague the proud nation. This David re∣hearseth, among other Gods wonders in Egypt, Psal. 105. 31. Humane writers doe record, that the Priests of Egypt did shave their whole bodies, every third day, lest any lowse, or other filth, should breed up∣on them that served their gods, Herodot in Euterpe. So, with things which they superstitiously loath∣ed, did God plague them. The Greeke calleth this plague Sknipes, which are a kinde of small sting∣ing gnats: but by the Chaldee and others, they were lice.
V. 18. did so] that is, endevored to doe so, but could [unspec 18] not: and when men are said to doe things above their ability, it meaneth their labour and ende∣vour thereto: as Matt. 7. 13. enter in at the strait gate: that is, strive to enter, Luk. 13. 24.
V. 19. the finger:] that is, the worke, Spirit and po∣wer [unspec 19] of God; who is said, after the manner of men, to doe things by his hand and finger, Psam. 102. 26. and 8. 4. & 109. 27. 1 Sā 6. 9. To this speech Christ hath reference, when he refuted those that with∣stood his miracles, as these Magicians did Moses; If I with the finger of God cast out devils, Luk. 11. 20. which another Evangelist explaines to bee the spi∣rit of God, Matt. 12. 28. Here the cōfession of Iannes