tion of the rod, and the action of the serpent, instead of appearing as unmeaning wonders, stand before us as great miracles, remarkable for their appropriateness and significancy. Moses and Aaron appear before Pharaoh, and in the name of Jehovah demand the liberation of the Hebrews. Pharaoh requires them to prove that they have been thus sent from God, by working some miracle in attestation of their mission. This request was responded to; Aaron casts his rod upon the ground, and it becomes a serpent. At the sight of this superhuman act, Pharaoh evinces no amazement, his council betray no marks of surprise; the magicians, sorcerers, and wise men, were called in, and " they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." (Exod. vii. 11, 12.) The plain sense of the narrative clearly is, that what Moses had done, the magicians also did. In this first essay, therefore, the servants of Jehovah appeared rather to disadvantage; for what Moses and Aaron did in one instance, every one of the magicians effected severally; what they did as of set purpose, with design, and having had ample time for preparation, the magicians equalled, when called in suddenly and without notice or time for preparation.* In one respect only, the advantage appeared to lie with Moses and Aaron: their rod swallowed up those of the magicians. In order to apprehend the force and effect of this, it is necessary to call to mind "that the SERPENT was the most expressive symbol of divinity with the Egyptians."+ This result of the miracle, therefore, plainly indicated the superior power of the God of the Hebrews. But, notwithstanding this, as the magicians had imitated the Hebrew prophets in the production of these creatures, Pharaoh was unsubdued, and refused to let the people go.

See note I, p. 60.

+ DEANE on the Serpent, p. 129. The worship of the serpent was, in the early history of Egypt, "an important and conspicuous part of her idolatry. The serpent entered into the Egyptian religion under all his characters,- -AN EMBLEM OF DIVINITY, A CHARM, AN ORACLE, and A GOD." (Idem, p. 119.)

The first effort having proved ineffectual, Moses was again sent to Pharaoh in the morning as he went out to the water; and, repeating, by divine authority, the demand for the release of the Israelites, was commissioned to announce that, in case of refusal, he would smite the waters of the river, and turn them into blood. This was done. The monarch was inflexible; and all the waters of the river and of the pools were turned into blood, so that all the fish died, and the streams became putrid; and the people were compelled to dig wells, because they could not drink of the water of the river. In this instance also did Jehovah execute judgment against the gods of Egypt. The Nile was not only regarded as the great source of the fertility of the land, and the noblest ornament of the country; it was approached with sacred veneration, and worshipped as a god; as were also several of its finny inhabitants. Here, then, was another display of the miraculous power of God, apparently fully adapted to put to shame the idolatrous system of Egyptian worship. But in this case, as in the former, the magicians also "did so with their enchantments; so Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not hearken to the words of Moses and Aaron. This plague lasted seven days.

وو

Again Moses was sent unto Pharaoh, and commanded to inflict another plague, of which, like the former, the Nile was the scene of action. The rod of Aaron having been stretched over the river and pools of water, a multitude of frogs were brought up over the land in such numbers, that the receptacles of provisions, the most retired rooms, even the bed-chambers, were polluted and infested with these creatures. Is it possible to conceive of a more pointed or painful rebuke of the reptile worship, for which Egypt had so early in its history become infamous? In this case, again, the magicians imitated the working of divine power: they also brought up frogs upon the land. It is remarkable that in each case they aimed at copying the works of Moses; they never appear to have endeavoured to avert or remove the painful inflictions with which the country was visited. In the present instance, however, for the first

time, Pharaoh submitted to solicit a removal of the plague; but, when relieved, he persisted in his refusal to liberate the oppressed people.

The third plague covered man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt with lice. This infliction fell on the priesthood with a violence, of which at present a very faint estimate can be formed. "To conceive the severity of this miracle, as a judgment on their idolatry, we must recollect their utter abhorrence of all kinds of vermin, and their extreme attention to external purity, above every other people perhaps that have hitherto existed on the face of the earth. On this head they were more particularly solicitous, when about to enter into the temples of their gods; for Herodotus informs us that their priests wore linen garments only that they might be daily washed, and, every third day, shaved every part of their bodies, to prevent lice or any species of impurity from adhering to those who were engaged in the service of the gods. This plague, therefore, whilst it lasted, rendered it impossible for them to perform any part of their idolatrous worship, without giving such offence to their deities, as they imagined, could never be forgiven. Hence we find, that, on the production of the lice, the priests and magicians perceived immediately from what hand the miracle had come; for it was probably as much from this circumstance, as from its exceeding their own art to imitate, that they exclaimed, This is the finger of God.""*

Here, however, the power of the magicians terminated : they exerted themselves with their enchantments to bring forth lice; "but they could not." Hitherto they had exercised a more than human power; but this now fails them, and they from henceforth admit that Moses and Aaron alone act under the influence of the power of God.

There is much uncertainty as to the instrument selected to inflict the fourth plague. Our translation calls them "flies." The original word is 7, which comes from the term arab, "to be mingled." It has therefore

* GLEIG's edition of STACKHOUSE's "History of the Bible," vol. i. p. 473.

been conjectured that, on this occasion, not one, but many kinds of harassing and destructive insects were employed to accomplish the divine purpose. Bochart, following the Septuagint, explains the original by xuvóμvia, "dog-fly," which is supposed to have been specially hateful to the Egyptians, because of their profound reverence for the god Anubis. But this opinion has been greatly shaken by Sir Gardiner Wilkinson, who has shown that Anubis had not the head of a dog, but of a jackal. Still, as the dog was a sacred animal with the ancient Egyptians, Bochart's opinion has some weight. But, whatever may be the exact truth with respect to these points, it appears probable that this plague was intended as a curse on all the animal-worship of Egypt. This was so extensive, that a poisonous fly resting on all animals without distinction must have exhibited the weakness of these imaginary gods, and the folly of their worship, in the most affecting manner. *

It is further probable that the instrument of this afflictive visitation was itself a deity. Baalzebub, which signifies, "the lord" or "god of flies," was the tutelary deity of Ekron in Philistia, a place near to Egypt, where he appears. to have been worshipped as a defence against these noxious. insects, as the Eleans adored Jupiter, whom they invoked against pestilential swarms of flies; and hence this supreme god of the Heathens had the epithets of 'Anóμvios and Muións, because he was supposed to expel flies and defend his worshippers against them.† And there is reason for believing that something very analogous to this obtained in Egypt. The genius of the lower country was worshipped under the resemblance of a winged asp. In this form it is sculptured on one of the tombs of the kings at Thebes.‡ Thus it is probable that, while this plague was spreading universal suffering and distress, and inducing the most terrible disorder upon the whole range of animal-worship, it was inflicted under a form which was extensively regarded

* WILKINSON'S "Ancient Egypt," vol. v. p. 260. + DR. ADAM CLARKE, in loc.

WILKINSON'S " Ancient Egypt," vol. v. pp. 45, 81.

with idolatrous veneration. How terrible were these visitations on a nation so proud of its power, wisdom, and religion as were the ancient Egyptians !

Under the operation of this plague, the first intimation is given of the land of Goshen, and the property of the Israelites, being exempted from the common calamity. As cattle constituted the principal possessions of the Hebrews, this was a most important distinction. It pointed out the object of the scourge, and greatly increased the weight of the plague, when all the cattle, and even the animal gods, of Egypt were sent writhing in torture, while, close by, the flocks and herds of Israel fed unmolested, and basked in enjoyment.

On this occasion Pharaoh began to feel the weight of the chastisement to which he had exposed himself and his people. He called Moses and Aaron, and gave them leave to sacrifice to their God, but not to leave the country. This elicited a reply from Moses which showed very clearly the prominence ascribed throughout the whole of this contest to animal-worship. He said, "It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?" (Exod. viii. 26.) This appears to refer to the fact that the Egyptians at that time worshipped those animals which the Hebrews would have to sacrifice. It is indeed to be noticed, that an objection has been taken to this interpretation, on the ground that the Egyptians themselves practised animal sacrifice. To this, however, it is quite a sufficient answer, that while some animals were held universally sacred, others were only worshipped in certain localities; so that an animal sacred in one district was sometimes slain in another. Moses certainly understood the case; and his answer appears to have been admitted as pertinent and proper.

The fifth plague appears still further illustrative of the great fact, that in these inflictions God had special and vindictive regard to the abominable system of animal-worship. On this occasion a very grievous murrain destroyed the