CHAPTER 1
1. Now these are the names [shemoth] of the children of Israel who came into Egypt along with Yaaqov--every man came in with his household:2. Reuven, Shim'on, Levi, and Yehudah,
3. Yissachar, Z'vulun, and Binyamin,
4. Dan and Nafthali, Gad and Asher.
5. And all the souls that had come from Yaaqov were seventy souls; [including]Yoseyf, who was[already] in Egypt.
Deut. 32:7-8 tells us that Yahweh divided the nations according to the number of the sons of Israel. That is why there are 70 nations listed in Genesis 10. When Y'shua sent out His disciples on two occasions, he sent 12 (representing the twelve tribes of Israel) the first time (Luk. 9:1) and 70 (representing all the nations of the world) the second time (Luk. 10:1).
[Year 2309 from creation/1691 BC]
6. Then Yoseyf died, and [so did] all his brothers and all of that generation.
7. But the descendants of Israel were fruitful and grew to be very many. They multiplied, and there were so many of them that the land was overflowing with them.
As the descendants of Israel became wealthy, they began to leave from their calling of taking care of flocks; they outgrew Goshen, and shepherds were not welcome in other parts of Egypt, so they did not all do this anymore.
The Israelites are Made Slaves
8. Then a new king rose to power over Egypt who was not familiar with Yoseyf,The Pharaoh in Yoseyf's day was probably one of the Hyksos (a group that had Shem as their ancestor, just as Israel did) took over Egypt for a time. A new dynasty of true Egyptians (descendants of Cham) had taken the land back by this time. The church also forgot it was made up of the lost sheep of the House of Israel (also known as the House of Yoseyf), and has also enslaved some sons of Yaaqov to serve its own goals.9. And he told his countrymen, "Look! The descendants of Israel are becoming stronger and more numerous than we are.
10. "Come on! Let's be smart in our dealings with [this group], so [they] won't get so big that they can team up with our enemies if there is a battle, and make war against us, and go up out of the land."
11. So they appointed taskmasters over them, to decrease their strength through forced labor, and they constructed storehouse cities for Pharaoh--Pithom and Raamses.
Some have decided that since Raamses was the name of the city they were building, the Pharaoh in power at that time was Raamses (a king known from secular history). But this does not allow the Egyptian and Israelite time lines to match up. The name Raamses was instead based on the name of the Egyptian deity Ra.12. But the more they put pressure on them, the larger their numbers became, and they burst forth all the more, and they began to feel a sickening dread in regard to the descendants of Israel.
Only tremendous pressure brings out the purest oil in olives, and this is the only kind of oil allowed to be used in the Temple.13. So the Egyptians forced the children of Israel to very hard work,
14. and made their lives bitter with very hard labor--in mortar and brick and all sorts of field work. All the service with which they enslaved them was with cruelty.
15. Then the king of Egypt talked with the midwives of the Hebrews (one of whom was named Shifrah, and the second, Puah),
Shifrah means "beautiful" and Puah means "splendid" (glittering).16. and gave them orders: "When you help the Hebrew women have their babies, and see them on the birthing-stools, if it is a son, you must kill him, but if it is a daughter, she may be allowed to live."
Birthing stoolswere a special seat women sat on to make it easier when having their babies.17. But the midwives respected Elohim, and they did not do what the king told them, but let the boys live.
18. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why are you acting this way and keeping the boy babies alive?"
19. But the midwives told Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian ones, but [they] are strong and quick; before the midwife gets to them, they give birth."
20. For this reason Elohim treated the midwives with favor, and the people multiplied and became very numerous.
21. And since the midwives respected Elohim, He built up their households..
22. So Pharaoh commanded all his [own] people, "You must throw every son that is born into the River, but you may let every daughter live."
The Nile River was considered a god by the Egyptians. So they did not say directly that they were to kill them, but rather that they should let the river-god decide who it wanted to survive. Y'chezqEl (Ezekiel) 29:3 tells us that Pharaoh considered himself to be still a greater god, who had created the Nile himself. That is why he thought he could tell the Nile to make the decision.
CHAPTER 2: A Deliverer is Born
1. Now a man from the house of Levi went ahead and married a daughter of Levi,2. and the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and when she saw that he was well [tempered], she kept him hidden for three months.
3. When she could no longer keep him hidden, she took a basket-boat made of papyrus reeds for him, and smeared it with tar and pitch. And she put the boy in it, and set it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile.
4. And his sister stood a little ways off to find out what would [be done to him].
5. Then Pharaoh's daughter came down to take a bath in the river, and her attendants were walking along the riverside. When she saw the ark among the rushes, she sent her attendant to capture it.
6. Then she opened it and saw the child, and lo and behold, a crying little boy! And she had pity on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrew boys!"
She would have known he was a Hebrew because he was circumcised. The princess, schooled in the ways of the Egyptians to consider the Nile a god, must have known there was something special about the child who "the river brought"in this strange black egg-like object. The river, which had swallowed up many Hebrew boys' lives, appeared to have let this one live, and in the Egyptians' eyes this miracle would make him seem very special--something the river-god brought.7. And his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call a woman for you--a nurse from among the Hebrew women--so she can nurse the little boy for you?
There were many women who had given birth but were not able to nurse their sons who had been taken away to be killed.8. And Pharaoh's daughter told her, "Go!" So the young maiden went and called the boy's mother.
This way Moshe was taught the ways of YAHWEH from his earliest days.9. Then Pharaoh's daughter told her, "Take this boy away and nurse him for me, and I will pay you." So the woman took the child and nursed him.
10. And the boy grew bigger; then she brought him to the daughter of Pharaoh, and he became her son, and she called his name Moshe, saying, "Because I drew him out from the water."
Moshe means “brought out”. Moshe would also himself bringthe whole people of Israel out of Egypt through water![About the year 2397 from creation/1603 B.C.]
11. And during those days Moshe grew up. Then he went out to his relatives and saw their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian man beating a Hebrew man--[one] of his brothers.
He still remembered who he really was.12. And he turned here and there and saw that there was no man, and he knocked [down] the Egyptian man and hid him in the sand.
13. And he went out on the second day, and lo and behold, two men--[both] Hebrews--were fighting. And he said to the evil [guilty] one, "Why should you hit your neighbor?"
14. But he said, "Who put you [as] a man over us--as a prince and a judge? Do you say [this because you want] to kill me, like you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moshe was afraid, and thought, "So what happened has been found out about after all!" 15. When Pharaoh heard about this, he made a search to kill Moshe, so Moshe ran away from Pharaoh's presence, and settled in the land of Midyan, and he sat down by a well.
Midyan is in northwestern Saudi Arabia along the northeastern shore of the Red Sea--still useable for pastureland although there is nothing but desert beyond the mountains behind it. Sha'ul (Paul) also went into Arabia right after he learned how the Messiah made a difference in what type of Hebrew he was meant to be. (Galatians 1)16. Now the priest of Midyan had seven daughters, and they came along and drew [from the well] to water their father's flocks.
So many things in Scripture happen at wells, especially men finding their wives. It happened with Yitzhaq (by proxy), Yaaqov, and even the Messiah met a woman who would become part of his "bride”. One of these seven also became Moshe's wife.17. And the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moshe rose up and freed them, and watered their flocks.
This connects us to the passages about the evil shepherds [pastors] who kept the sjeep from getting any water (which often represents the Torah) inaccessible to the sheep. (Isaiah 56:11; Jeremiah 50:6; Ezekiel 34:2) Y'shua’s name is from the same word as "freed". He delivered us by “rising up” from the dead. (I Corinthians 15)18. When they came back to their father Re'uel, he said, "Why have you come back so quickly today?"
Re'u-El means: "Elohim is his friend."19. And they said, "An Egyptian rescued us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew water for us and watered the flock."
He still looks like a Gentile and still speaks Egyptian. Y'shua's "body", now being called out from among the Gentiles, is still not recognized as a Hebrew by the other descendants of Avraham. (These women were descendants of Midyan, who was a son of Avraham through his third wife, Q'turah.)20. And he said to his daughters, "So where is he? Why have you left the man behind? Call him and let him eat some bread!"
21. And Moshe agreed to dwell with the man, and he gave her his daughter Tsipporah [as a wife],
He was away from Egypt, but still not with the people of Israel. Yet this time in the wilderness did train him to lead flocks, since he was going to have to be the "shepherd" of people who were hard to deal with. Tsipporah means "a small bird", perhaps a "sparrow".22. and she bore a son, and called his name Gershom, because he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land."
Gershom means "foreigner there".23. Now over the course of many days, a king of Egypt died, and the descendants of Israel groaned from the hard work, and they cried out for help, and their outcry reached Elohim because of their labor.
24. And Elohim heard their groaning, and Elohim remembered His covenant with Avraham, with Yitzhaq, and with Yaaqov.
25. And Elohim saw the descendants of Israel, and Elohim recognized [them].
CHAPTER 3: The Burning Bush
[Year 2437 from creation/1563 B.C.]
1. Now Moshe was tending the flock of Yithro, his in-law, priest of Midyan, and he guided the flock to the far side of the pastureland, and came upon the mountain of the Elohim, that is, Horev.
Horev means "a dried-up place". It was later also known as Mt. Sinai. Paul tells us it is in Arabia (Galatians 4:25), so the traditional location in the Sinai Peninsula is not the correct one; Moshe would not lead his flock some 150 miles away from Midyan to pasture them. It is more likely Jabal al-Lawz in Saudi Arabia, very close to Midyan, and whose top is blackened by fire, but it is not volcanic.
2. Then the Messenger [of] YAHWEH appeared to him in a flash of fire from the middle of the thornbush, and he watched it and, lo and behold, the bush was on fire, burning, but the bush was not burned up.
Moshe had spent 40 years in this region and would be familiar with anything common there. So it seemed as unusual to him as it does to us:
3. So Moshe said, "Well, I'm going to go out of my way to see this amazing thing--why the thornbush is not burned up!"
4. Now when YAHWEH saw that he had gone out of his way to consider [it], Elohim began calling to him from the middle of the bush. Now He said, "Moshe! Moshe!" And he said, "Here I am!"
5. But He said, "Do not come near here. Pull your sandals off your feet, because the place on which you are standing is set-apart ground."
This was the angel (messenger) of YAHWEH here, since YAHWEH Himself cannot take on any form, not even a flame. As Adam and Chavvah walked barefoot in the Garden of Eden, which was later walled off as holy ground, like the Temple, Moshe is brought allowed to step in for a short time and again hear the voice that spoke there. He is barefoot so he will have direct contact with the sand—a picture of the descendants of Avraham. Priests also later went barefoot in the Temple, where YAHWEH's presence was also revealed by fire.6. And He said, "I am the Elohim of your father--the Mighty One of Avraham, of Yitzhaq, and of Yaaqov." So Moshe concealed his face, because he was afraid to look upon Elohim.
7. Then YAHWEH said, "I have paid close attention to to the misery of My people who are in Egypt, and have listened with interest to its cry from being pressed hard, because I am familiar with its sadness.
8. "And I have come down to snatch them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and bring them up out of that land to a pleasant and roomy land--to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Kanaanites, the Chittites, the Emorites, the Prizzites, the Chiwites, and the Y'vusites.
9. "And now the cry of the children of Israel has reached Me, and I have noticed the cruelty with which the Egyptians are pressing them down."
10. "So come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, and you must lead my people, the descendants of Israel, out from Egypt."
11. But Moshe said to Elohim, "Who am I to go to Pharaoh, and to bring the descendants of Israel out from Egypt?"
12. So He said, "Because I will be with you, and this will be the proof to you that I have sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, you will serve Elohim on this mountain."
13. Then Moshe said to the Elohim, "Look here; When I come to the descendants of Israel and tell them, ‘[The] Elohim of your ancestors has sent me to you', they will say to me, ‘What is His name?' What shall I tell them?"
14. So Elohim said to Moshe, "I will be what I will be!" Moreover, He said, "This is what you shall say to the descendants of Israel: ‘"I will be" has sent me to you.'
I will be: the same word in the phrase,"I will be with you" in v. 12. It could also mean, "I am becoming what I am becoming". It is a name that looks forward, and would give them hope of leaving their place of bondage.15. Then, again, Elohim told Moshe, "This is what you must say to the descendants of Israel: ‘Yahweh, the Elohim of your ancestors--the Elohim of Avraham, the Elohim of Yitzhaq, and the Elohim of Yaaqov--has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be brought to mind continuously for perpetuity.
Yahweh means "the One who was, is, and will be".16. "Go and gather the leaders of Israel together, and tell them, ‘Yahweh, the Elohim of your ancestors (the Elohim of Avraham, Yitzhaq, and Yaaqov) has presented Himself to me to say, "I have paid close attention to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt,
17. "‘"and I have said, ‘I will bring you up out of the humiliating treatment in Egypt to the land of the Kanaanites, the Chittites, the Emorites, the P'rizzites, the Chiwites, and the Y'vusites--a land flowing with milk and honey.' 18. "‘"And they will listen to your voice, and you will come (you along with the elders of Israel) unto the king of Egypt, and tell him, ‘Yahweh, the Elohim of the Hebrews, has met up with us. So now, please let us go three days' journey into the desert, so we may [make a] sacrifice to Yahweh our Elohim.'"'
Listen to: the Hebrew word includes the fact that they obeyed. Hebrews means "crossers-over".19. "Now I am aware that the king of Egypt will not let you go, not even [when pushed] by a strong hand,
20. "So I will stretch forth My hand and give Egypt a push with all My amazing actions which I will demonstrate in the heart of its land, and after that he will send you away.
21. "And I will give this people charm in the eyes of Egypt, so that what will happen is that you will not leave empty [handed],
22. "but each woman must ask her neighbor and from the one staying in her house to lend her things made of silver or of gold, and clothes, and you must put them on your sons and daughters; this way you will save [what belonged to] Egypt."
CHAPTER 4
1. Then Moshe answered by saying, "But, look. [What if] they won't trust me or pay attention to my voice, but they say, ‘YAHWEH didn't appear to you!'"?2. So YAHWEH said to him, "What's that in your hand?" And he said, "A rod!"
A shepherd's rod usually had events from his whole life carved into it, so his rod represented his identity.3. Then he said, "Throw it on the ground!" So he threw it on the ground, and it turned into a snake, and Moshe ran away from in front of its face.
4. Then YAHWEH told Moshe, "Stretch out your hand, and grab it by the tail!" So he stretched out his hand and held onto it tightly, and it became a rod in his hand.
It is very hard to control a snake when holding it by the tail. But YAHWEH is telling Moshe not to leave his life under the serpent's control.5. "[This was] so that they would believe that YAHWEH--the Elohim of Avraham, the Elohim of Yitzhaq, and the Elohim of Yaaqov--has appeared to you."
6. Then YAHWEH spoke to him again: "Put your hand inside your [clothing]." So he brought his hand to his chest, and when he brought it out, lo and behold, it was full of leprosy, like snow!
In some ways a person with leprosy is like a dead body--not to be touched. His hand represents his works. It shows that by his own strength he could not do anything worth paying attention to, but by YAHWEH’s power He could do something great—miracles!7. Then He said, "Put your hand back inside your [clothing]." So he put his hand back to his chest, and, sure enough, it went back to being like his other skin.
8. "Now if they happen to not believe you or obey the voice of the first proof, then they will trust the witness of the second proof.
9. "But if it just so happens that they don’t even trust these two special proofs or listen to your voice, then take some water from the [Nile] River and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you take from the river will become blood on the dry land.
10. Then Moshe said to YAHWEH, "Oh, my Master! I am not a man of words, neither from yesterday nor the day before, nor since you have spoken to Your servant, because I am heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue."
He was slow at speaking Hebrew, since he was a young child when he began living in places where he would speak Egyptian all the time, and he has spent 40 more years with the Midyanites.11. But YAHWEH said to him, "Who has made a mouth for human beings? And who decides [whether someone will be] mute or deaf, clear-sighted or blind? Isn't it I, YAHWEH?"
He is in control of all that happens, even what seems bad to us. (Yeshayahu/Isa. 45:7)12. "So now go, and I will be with your mouth, and will teach you what to say."
13. But he said, "Excuse me, Master. Please send by the hand [that] you want to send!"
14. Then YAHWEH' became angry at Moshe, and said, "Isn't Aharon the Levite your brother? Certainly he can speak the language! And besides, look! He's even coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
Talk the talk: i.e., speak the Hebrew language. The rabbis say that YAHWEH called Aharon "the Levite" here because Moshe was originally to have been the high priest, but because of his unbelief and unwillingness, he was made the Levite and Aharon the high priest.15. "Moreover, you will speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. In addition, I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will give you instructions about what you shall do.
16. "And he will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were a mouth for you, and you will be like an Elohim to him.
17. "You shall also take this staff in your hand to perform the special proofs."
18. So Moshe departed and returned to his in-law Yithro and told him, "Let me go back now to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive." So Yithro told Moshe, "Go in peace."
19. Then YAHWEH said to Moshe in Midyan, "Go [ahead] and return to Egypt, because all the people [who were] seeking [to take] your life are dead."
The dream of Yoseyf, husband of Miryam, Y'shua's mother, echoes this closely (Matt. 2:20), except that there he was called out of Egypt rather than into Egypt.20. So Moshe took his wife and his sons, and made them ride on the donkey, and he retuned to the land of Egypt. And Moshe took the rod of Elohim in his hand.
21. Then YAHWEH told Moshe, "As you are going back to Egypt, think about all the miraculous signs I have put in your hand, and do them in front of Pharaoh. But I will make his heart hard, and he will not let the people go.
22. Then you must tell Pharaoh, "Thus says YAHWEH: ‘Israel is my firstborn son.
23. "‘And I told you to let My son go and allow him to serve Me, but you refused to let him go. Look, I am about to kill your [own] firstborn son!"
24. Now along the way, at a place where he stopped to spend the night, YAHWEH met him and demanded to kill him.
Moshe failed to circumcise his son, but someone who leads YAHWEH's people must himself be totally obedient.25. So Tsipporah got a sharp stone, cut off her son's foreskin, made it touch his feet, and said, "Because you are a bridegroom of bloods to me!"
26. So He let it drop. But she said, "A bridegroom of bloods" because of the circumcision.
27. Then YAHWEH told Aharon, "Go into the pastureland to meet Moshe." So he went, and met him at the mountain of the Elohim, and he kissed him.
28. Then Moshe told Aharon all the words of YAHWEH who had sent him, and all the proofs that he had appointed to him.
29. Then Moshe and Aharon went and gathered all the elders of the children of Israel,
30. and Aharon spoke all the words which YAHWEH had said to Moshe, and performed the special proofs in the sight of the people.
31. And the people believed! When they heard that YAHWEH had looked after the children of Israel, and that He had paid attention to their trouble, they bowed their heads and laid themselves down on their faces [in worship].
CHAPTER 5
1. Then afterward, Moshe and Aharon came and said to Pharaoh, "This is what YAHWEH, the Elohim of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go so they can celebrate a festival to Me in the unplanted land.'"2. But Pharaoh said, "Who is YAHWEH, that I should listen to His voice in order to let Israel go? Besides, I am not going to let Israel go!"
3. So they said, "The Elohim of the Hebrews has met up with us. Please let us go on a trip three days into the uncultivated land and make a slaughter to YAHWEH our Elohim, so that He will not strike us with a plague or with war.
YAHWEH never made this threat to Moshe, but it was a popular belief that he played along with to make his case to Pharaoh, telling him, "You have your gods that you fear; we have our Elohim. Though we're you're slaves, we still have an obligation to Him!"4. But the king of Egypt said to them, "What [right] do you--Moshe and Aharon--have to make the people neglect their labors? Get back to your work!"
5. Moreover, Pharaoh said, "Look how many people of the land there are now, and you want to give them a break from the work they have to do?!"
He was only thinking about how much longer it would take to get his projects done if so many people took some time off.6. So on that day Pharaoh gave orders to the people's slavedrivers and officers, saying,
"On that day" is often a way of describing the seventh thousand years of human history, when the Messianic Kingdom will come; perhaps there is a prophetic level on which this will be repeated during our Exodus back to the Land.7. "You must no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as you have done before. They have to go and gather building material for themselves.
8. "But you will require [them to make] the same amount of bricks which they were making before; you may not make it less, because they are lazy; that's why they are complaining, saying, ‘Let us go make a slaughter to our Elohim!'
9. "Make the weaklings' labor [even] heavier, so they may keep busy with it, instead of turning away to things that will get them nowhere!"
10. So the slavedrivers went out with their officers, and told the people, "This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I have no straw to give you.
11. "‘You have to go get straw for yourselves from wherever you can find it, because nothing will be cut back from your duties.'"
12. So the people were scattered throughout the whole land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw,
13. and the slavedrivers pushed them, saying, "Finish your work--each day's task on its day --just like when straw was [provided].
14. And the officers [from among] the descendants of Israel whom Pharaoh's slavedrivers had set over them were beaten. They said, "Why haven't you finished your required amount in making brick, either yesterday or today, as you had before?"
15. So the officers of the descendants of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, "Why are you dealing with your servants this way?
16. "There is no straw given to your servants, but still they're telling us to make bricks! Your servants are beaten, but it’s your own people who are doing wrong!
17. But Pharaoh said, "You're lazy! Lazy! That's why you're saying, ‘Let us go make a slaughter to YAHWEH!’
18. "So now, go, get to work, because straw will not be provided for you, but you will produce the required amount of bricks!"
19. Then the officers of the descendants of Israel saw that they were in trouble [since it was] said, "You must not make fewer bricks than each day's amount on its day."
20. So they challenged Moshe and Aharon, who were standing there [waiting] to meet them when they came out from Pharaoh,
21. and told them, "May YAHWEH look upon you and judge, because you have made our fragrance stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants to provide a sword in their hand to destroy us!"
22. So Moshe went back to YAHWEH and said, "Adonai, why have you treated this people so badly? Why have you [even] sent me?
23. "Because since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your Name, he has done evil to this people, and You have not rescued them at all!"
He was saying, "I've done all You told me, but You're not keeping Your end of the bargain!" But when YAHWEH starts doing something, we cannot expect instant results. He forms a dark background for His most dramatic plans with impossible situations to He can show His power more brightly.
CHAPTER 6: Yahweh Brings Plagues on Egypt
1. Then YAHWEH told Moshe, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, because with a strong hand he will send them forth, and with a strong hand he will drive them out from his land."2. Now Elohim spoke to Moshe and told him, "I am YAHWEH.
3. "And I appeared (va-era) to Avraham, To Yitzhaq, and to Yaaqov as El Shaddai, but by my Name YAHWEH I never made myself known to them."
The fathers of Israel KNEW Him by the Name YAHWEH, but He had never introduced Himself to them as such.4. "And I also confirmed My covenant with them, to give them the Land of Kanaan--the land where they were strangers, just living there as if they were renting it.
Even when they lived permanently in the Land they were considered renters from YAHWEH, because it is His Land (Lev. 25:23). Only this way do we constantly see that our provision comes only from YAHWEH Himself.5. "And I have also noticed the groaning of the descendants of Israel, whom the Egyptians are forcing to labor, and I have remembered My covenant.
6. "So tell the descendants of Israel, ‘I am YAHWEH, and I will bring you out from [under] the heavy workload of the Egyptians, and I will snatch you away from their slave-labor, and I will bring revenge for you with a stretched-out arm and with great acts of judgment.
7. "I will also take you for Myself as a people, and I will be an Elohim for you, and you will come to know that I am YAHWEH your Elohim, who is bringing you out from [under] the heavy workload of the Egyptians.
I will acquire you for Myself: Aram., "I will bring you close before Me".8. "Then I will bring you into the Land which I swore to give to Avraham, to Yitzhaq, and to Yaaqov. And I will give it to you for an inheritance. I am YAHWEH!"
9. So Moshe told the descendants of Israel [this], but they did not listen to Moshe, because of their anguish of spirit and the cruel slave-labor.
10. Then YAHWEH told Moshe,
11. "Go in and warn Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, [to] set the descendants of Israel free from his land."
12. But Moshe spoke before YAHWEH, saying, "Look, the people of Israel have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me--I, [who have] uncircumcised lips?"
He had forgotten much of his Egyptian as well as Hebrew after living in Midyan for forty years.13. So Yahweh spoke to Moshe and Aharon and gave them charge over the descendants of Israel, and orders about Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to lead the descendants of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
CHAPTER 7
1. So Yahweh told Moshe, "Look: I have made you an elohim to Pharaoh, and Aharon your brother will be your spokesman.2. "You must say all that I tell you to, and Aharon your brother will speak to Pharaoh, and he will send Israel’s descendants away from his land.
3. "But I will make Pharaoh more stubborn, then cause My proofs and My miracles to increase in the land of Egypt.
4. "But [still] Pharaoh will not listen to you! But I have set My hand over Egypt and will bring My armies, My people, the children of Israel, out from among them with great acts of judgment.
The Israelites were being trained to be an army to reclaim the Land of Kanaan.5. "Then the Egyptians will know that I am YAHWEH, when I set My hand on Egypt and when I bring the descendants fo Israel out from among them."
6. So Moshe and Aharon did as YAHWEH had commanded; they really did.
7. Now Moshe was 80 years old and Aharon 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh.
8. Then YAHWEH said to Moshe and Aharon,
9. "When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Produce a sign for yourselves’, then you shall tell Aharon, ‘Take hold of your rod and throw it in front of Pharaoh, and it will become a crocodile.’"
Token: i.e., evidence that you have authority to tell me to do this. When Moshe appeared before the elders of Israel, the rod became a serpent, the same word used of haSatan in the Garden of Eden, and showed them that YAHWEH still remembered the promise to crush his head. In front of Pharaoh, it becomes a crocodile (or a dragon, amphibious dinosaur, or sea-serpent--similar to a serpent, but more familiar to the Egyptians). In Ezekiel 23:25-24:31, Pharaoh himself is called a crocodile. The crocodile was one of the things the Egyptians worshipped.10. So Moshe and Aharon went in to Pharaoh, and did just what YAHWEH had ordered them: Aharon threw his rod [down] in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a crocodile.
11. But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians did the same [thing] with their enchantments:
Paul said those who do not welcome the love of the truth are deceived by "lying wonders" that come from the "secret of lawlessness". (2 Thess. 2:7)12. They each cast down his rod, and they became crocodiles, but Aharon's rod swallowed up their rods.
Nachmanides (Ramban) said the magicians could manage the negative supernatural forces of destruction, but could not remove them as YAHWEH could. This same rod belonged to Moshe and was sometimes called the Rod of Elohim. It is also the one Aharon uses--the one which later flowered to show that YAHWEH had chosen Aharon as high priest (Numbers 17). It was the rod of an almond tree, the first tree to bloom in the spring in the Middle East, alerting the nation that the next full moon would be the time to celebrate Passover. The new festival year would begin. If Pharaoh knew anything about the history of Yoseyf, he would certainly be reminded that one animal eating another of the same kind was a bad sign for Egypt.13. But Pharaoh's heart was made stubborn so that he would not listen to them, just as YAHWEH had said.
Although his own magicians were outdone, the fact that they could do something confirmed to him that his way of seeing the world was the correct one and he did not need to change anything.14. Then YAHWEH told Moshe, "Pharaoh's heart is weighed down; he has refused to let the people go.
He decided to "follow his heart"--an idea that is very common today, even in Disney movies, but very different from what the Bible says: “the human heart is more deceitful than anything else (Yirmeyahu 17:9) and leads us astray (Numbers 15:39).15. "Go to Pharaoh in the morning. Pay attention [to when] he is coming out of the water, and be waiting by the river's edge to meet him, and take in your hand the rod that was changed into a serpent.
Coming out of the water: probably after taking a bath or praying to the river-spirit.16. Then you shall tell him, "YAHWEH, the Elohim of the Hebrews, sent me to you to say, ‘Let My people go, so they may serve Me in the pastureland.' But so far you have not obeyed.
17. "So this is what YAHWEH says: ‘This is how you will know that I am YAHWEH: Watch--I myself will hit the water of the River with the rod that is in my hand, and it will be turned into blood.
18. "Then all the fish that are in the River will die, and the River will stink, and the people of Egypt will hate to drink the water from the River."
The Nile was another thing the Egyptians worshipped, since their life depended on it. The people also saw it as connected to Pharaoh's power. (Y'chezq'el 29:3) So this would weaken his image in their eyes. YAHWEH was showing that the things they trusted in did not have as much power as He did.19. Then YAHWEH told Moshe, "Say to Aharon, ‘Take your rod and stretch your hand over the waters of Egypt--over their rivers, their canals, their marshes, and every pool of water, so that they may become blood. And there will be blood throughout the whole land of Egypt, and in wooden [containers] as well as stone [ones]."
Pool: the word later used in the Torah for ritual baths which change someone's symbolic status to one of being "pure" and allowed to enter set-apart places. So this symbolizes the fact that the Egyptians have no possibility of being clean in YAHWEH's eyes anymore.20. So Moshe and Aharon did as YAHWEH had commanded: he lifted up the rod and sent judgment on the waters that were in the river, and Pharaoh and his servants saw it when all the waters in the river were being changed into blood.
21. And the fish in the river died, and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink from the river's water; there was blood throughout the whole land of Egypt.
22. But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts, so Pharaoh's mind was strengthened, and he did not listen to them, just as YAHWEH had said.
23. Then Pharaoh turned away and went into his house, and he did not lay this to heart either.
24. But all the Egyptians were [having to] dig all around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river.
Josephus adds that it caused great pain to those who ventured to drink it, but the water was completely drinkable to the Israelites.25. And a full seven days [passed] after YAHWEH sent judgment upon the river.
CHAPTER 8
1. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Go to Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what YHWH says: "Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.2. "‘"And if you are not willing to let them go, behold, I am about to strike all the area within your borders with frogs!
Frogs were another of the things the Egyptians worshipped, because of how they seemed to be “resurrected" from tadpoles.3. "‘"And the River will swarm with teeming frogs, which will come up and enter your house, and your innermost rooms, and your bed, and come into the houses of your servants, and onto your people, and into your cooking ovens, and into your kneading bowls [when dough is in them].
4. "‘"And the frogs will [climb] up onto you and your people, and your servants."'"
5. Then Yahweh told Moshe, "Say to Aharon, ‘Extend your hand with your rod [in it] over the rivers, canals, and marshes, and cause frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.'"
6. So Aharon stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
Josephus adds that they caused a filthy slime to be over everything.7. But the magicians did the same with their secret arts, and brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.
8. Still, Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon, and said, "Plead with YHWH to make these frogs leave me and my people. Then I will let the people go to make a slaughter to YHWH.
Pharaoh does not ask his magicians to take them away. He admits this is from Yahweh.9. So Moshe said to Pharaoh, "Show that you are more important than I am: When should I pray for you and your servants and your people, to eliminate the frogs from you, so they'll only be left in the river?"
It seems he is saying, "You be the one to choose!" Aramaic targum Onqelos says "Ask for a mighty deed; set an appointed time when I should pray..."10. So he said, "Tomorrow." And he [replied], "[It will be] as you have said, so that you may know that there is no one like YHWH our Elohim.
11. "So the frogs will leave you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people; they will only remain in the [Nile] River."
12. Then Moshe and Aharon left Pharaoh, and Moshe cried out to YHWH about the matter of the frogs which He had brought upon Pharaoh.
13. And YHWH did as Moshe asked, and the frogs died from the houses, enclosed settlements, and cultivated fields.
14. So they piled them up in heaps, and the land stank.
15. But when Pharaoh saw that there was breathing-space, he honored his own wishes and would not listen to them—just as YHWH had said.
16. So YHWH told Moshe, "Tell Aharon, ‘Stretch out your rod and hit the dust of the land, so it will become lice throughout the land of Egypt.
Lice: while it is sometimes translated gnats, the Hebrew word means something that fastens [its egg] onto a stalk, like a grape cluster. The people also worshipped the earth or the land.17. So Aharon indeed stretched out his hand on his rod, and hit the dust of the land, and lice came upon man and beast; all the dust of the ground became lice throughout the whole land of Egypt.
18. Then the magicians prepared to bring forth lice with their secret arts, but they could not. But there were lice upon man and beast,
Josephus also adds that they were "not able to destroy this sort of vermin with either washes or ointments".19. so the magicians told Pharaoh, "That is a finger of gods!" But Pharaoh's heart was made heavy, and he did not listen to them.
20. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Get an early start and stand in Pharaoh's way; notice [when] he comes out toward the water, and tell him, ‘This is what YHWH says: "Let My people go, so that they may serve Me."'
21. "‘And if you do not set My people free, look, I am about to send swarms [of insects] upon you, your servants, and your people, and into your houses, and the houses of the Egyptians will be filled with swarming things, and also the ground on which they are."
22. And in that day I will separate the Land of Goshen on which My people are remaining, until no swarms will be there, so that you [who are] in the middle of the land may recognize that I am YHWH [the One who exists]."
Goshen means "come close", and this regathering had to take place before they could leave Egypt. Notice that it was only for the later plagues that touched the people themselves that the land of Goshen received a different treatment than the rest of the land of Egypt. Maybe this is the first that did not affect Israel, because until this time they were still scattered all over Egypt, and now they had come home.23. "And I will put a division between My people and your people; this distinguishing sign shall be for tomorrow."
24. So that is just what YHWH did: heavy swarms came into Pharaoh's house and his servants' houses, and into the whole land of Egypt, and the land was corrupted in the face of the swarm.
25. So Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon, and said, "Go, make your slaughter to your Elohim--[but here] in the land!"
26. But Moshe said, "It is not safe to do that, because we will be making a slaughter to YHWH our Elohim that is abominable to the Egyptians; if we slaughter what is an abomination to the Egyptians where they can see us, won't they stone us to death?
27. "We will go three days' distance into the desert, and make a slaughter to YHWH our Elohim, in whatever way He may tell us."
28. So Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, so you may make a slaughter to YHWH your Elohim in the wilderness. Just don't go very far away. Say a prayer for me, then!"
This is like King Herod's trickery in saying he, too, wanted to pay homage to the newborn king of the Jews (Matt. 2:8). Or he may only be saying, "Pray that this will stop now!"29. So Moshe said, "Behold, I am leaving your people, and I will ask YHWH that the swarms may be removed from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow. Just do not let Pharaoh lie again by not allowing the people to go make a slaughter to YHWH.
30. So Moshe went out from Pharaoh, and pleaded with YHWH,
31. and YHWH will do according to the word of Moshe. So He caused the swarming [insects] to turn away from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his nation, and not one was left.
32. But Pharaoh honored his own heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.
CHAPTER 9
1. So YHWH said to Moshe, "Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘Thus says YHWH, the Elohim of the Hebrews: Let My people go, so that they may serve Me!2. "‘Because if you refuse to let them go, and are still holding them back,
3. "‘[then] truly YHWH's hand is going to be on your animals that are in the field--on the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds of cattle, and the flocks [in the form of] a very heavy plague.'
4. "YHWH will also make a distinction between Israel’s animals and Egypt’s animals, and nothing belonging to the descendants of Israel will die.
5. "Now YHWH has set an appointed time, saying, ‘Tomorrow YHWH will do this thing in the land.'"
6. And YHWH did carry out that matter the next day, and all of Egypt's livestock died, but not one of the livestock of the descendants of Israel died.
The Egyptians worshipped bulls too.7. And Pharaoh sent [messengers], and, sure enough, not one of the Israelites' animals was dead. Still, Pharaoh's heart was stubborn, and he did not let the people go.
8. Then YHWH told Moshe and Aharon, "Take for yourselves handfuls of ash from the furnace, and have Moshe scatter it toward the sky where Pharaoh can see.
9. "And let it become fine, powdery dust over the whole land of Egypt, and let it turn into an inflammation breaking out with blisters on humanity and on beast in the whole land of Egypt."
The Egyptians were very concerned about the appearance of their bodies, and this plague again would ruin.10. So they took the ashes from the furnace, and stood in front of Pharaoh, and Moshe tossed it into the sky, and it became swollen and out into blisters upon both human beings and animals.
There will also be sores poured out on all who take the Mark of the Beast (Rev. 16:2), who, like Pharaoh, tries to claim the position of Yahweh.11. And the magicians could not remain standing in the face of Moshe because of the swelling, because the swelling was on the magicians as well as on all the [other] Egyptians.
If the magicians were no longer able to shave themselves because of the boils, this would also put a stop to activity in the pagan temples.12. But YHWH made Pharaoh's heart rigid, so that he would not listen to them, just as YHWH had promised Moshe.
Now that Pharaoh has given his own heart the authority twice in a row (8:32 and 9:7) with nothing else to strengthen his argument, but rather evidence to the contrary, YHWH Himself starts to harden his heart. This might seem cruel, but, as with Yehoshua's upcoming conquest of Kanaan, it is only aftermuch patience on His part--more than is deserved--and many, many warnings. (See note on v. 30.)13. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Get up early in the morning, take your stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what YHWH, the Elohim of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may serve Me!’
14. "‘Because this time I am directing all my crushing blows at your heart, and upon your servants, and your nation, so that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth,
It was through the avenue of Pharaoh's own heart that He was making war on all the deities of Egypt.15. "‘for now I have stretched out My hand to strike you and your people with pestilence, and you will be cut down from the earth.
16. "‘Nonetheless, it was for this very reason indeed that I set you in place: to demonstrate My irresistibility, and in order to have My reputation recounted throughout the whole earth.
17. "‘Are you still lifting yourself up over My people, so as to not let them go?
18. "‘Watch Me! Tomorrow at about this time I am sending such a heavy ‘hail' as Egypt has never had the likes of ever since the day it was founded!
19. "‘So send and have your livestock brought to shelter, because the ‘hailstones' are sure to fall on and kill any, human or beast, that are found in the field and not brought indoors.'"
Y'shua says a field is a symbol of the world (Matt. 13:38), i.e., the pagan/humanistic "system"; compare Rev. 14:9-10). YHWH is building one "new man", while the world simultaneously is constructing a counterfeit unity, and ultimately there will be a showdown between the only two entities left on earth. Indoors: literally, "home" or "into the house". The "house" that YHWH is building with Y'shua as the cornerstone is the "ark of protection" for His "flocks and herds" in our day.20. Whoever had respect for YHWH among the servants of Pharaoh quicklyly drove his servants and livestock indoors,
21. but whoever did not fix his heart on the word of Yahweh left his servants and livestock out in the field.
This is very much like Noach's ark.22. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Stretch your hand toward the sky, so that there may be ‘hail' on the whole land of Egypt--upon human being and beast, and upon every green plant of the field throughout the whole land of Egypt."
23. So Moshe stretched his rod toward the sky, and YHWH brought [loud] noises and ‘hail', and fire ran along the earth; thus YHWH dropped hail on the land of Egypt.
Loud noises: or thunderings. Psalm 18 describes "coals of fire" falling from the heavens at this time.24. So there was ‘hail' and fire flashing amidst the very heavy hail such as there had never been the likes of in the whole land of Egypt since it had become a nation.
Josephus says it was not like the hail that falls in wintry climates. Though the Hebrew word is related to "ice", these rocks were big enough to kill anything they fell on. Velikovsky (Worlds in Collision) suggests says the land passed through the path of a comet's tail, whichwas described by the Latin poet Servius as being eerily red "with a fine dust of rusty pigment". Josephus said that the pestilential creatures in 8:21 were such "as had never come into the sight of men before." Velikokvsky said that in the comet's tail, there would be microscopic creatures of the same type as were found in 1996 in a fossilized state from a rock that originated on Mars. In other words, these creatures were never meant to have been on earth in the first place, but were brought here only in an act of judgment.) The Babylonian Talmud says these stones were "hot" (Berakhot 54b). Meteorites crash with explosion-like noises, and the comet's gaseous tail would indeed include burning matter as gravelly ice came in contact with the earth's atmosphere like a million small meteors. The comet's head did not crash into the earth (though it was probably thrown into orbit to become Venus, which was once described by the Chaldeans as being "bearded"), but exchanged violent electrical discharges, which would look like colored serpents and are best described as "thunderbolts". It looked like there was a celestial battle going on between "gods". Velikovsky cites story after story from every part of the world of similar conditions at this very time, most notably American Indian legends in which the heavens came very close to the earth and repeated shouts of "Yahu!" were heard--this being the very pronunciation of the shortened version of "Yahweh" in Hebrew, which we know from names like "Netanyahu". The Chinese speak of a cataclysmic time in the "days of Yahou".25. And throughout the whole land of Egypt, the ‘hail' destroyed everything that was out in the open, from man to beast, and the hail destroyed every green plant of the field, and splintered every tree on the land.
The Egyptian eyewitness Ipuwer concurs that even trees were destroyed, and all the vegetation that had been visible the day before was no longer there, as if it had been reaped overnight. We see the same thing happening again in Rev. 8:7, since in our day people are again worshipping the "green earth" instead of the One who generously lets us benefit from it (v. 29).26. Only in the land of Goshen, which was where the sons of Israel [were], was there no ‘hail'.
27. Then Pharaoh sent [messengers] and called Moshe and Aharon, and told them, "This time I have done something wrong. YHWH is just; I and my people are the guilty ones.
28. Plead with YHWH, because these noises and ‘hail' are much too much! Then I will let you go, and you will not have to put up with anymore."
29. So Moshe told him, "As I leave the city, I will spread forth the palms of my hands to YHWH, and the noises will stop, and there will be no more ‘hail', so that you may know that the earth belongs to YHWH.
The "Egyptians" of today are also starting toe worship the earth again.30. "But as for you and your servants, it doesn’t seem like you respect the face of YHWH Elohim yet."
Although Pharaoh appears to be sorry (v. 27), he is not truly repentant, and now it is too late for him. Now that YHWH has seen that nothing will truly change Pharaoh's heart, his attempts to change would not work, because Yahweh would not let him do so.31. (Now the flax and barley had been destroyed, since the barley was [advanced to] the stage of forming green ears, and the flax had budded,
The barley: This is how the new moon of Aviv is identified, and the new year cannot be declared nor can Passover come until this stage is reached.32. but the wheat and the rye were not destroyed, because they had not yet ripened.)
33. So Moshe left Pharaoh and went out of the city, and spread the palms of his hands toward YHWH, and the thundrous noises and ‘hail' ceased, and rain was not poured out on the earth.
34. But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the ‘hail' and the thunderings had ceased, he increased his sin and made his heart stubborn, [both] he and his servants.
35. Since Pharaoh's resolve was strengthened, he would not let the descendants of Israel go--just as YHWH had said.
CHAPTER 10
1 And YHWH said to Moshe, "Go in to Pharaoh, because I have made his heart heavy, as well as the heart of his servants, so I can perform these signs of Mine in him,He showed Pharaoh one by one how He had power over everything he trusted in. (S.R. Hirsch)2. "And so that you may retell in the ears of your son and your grandson what I have done to Egypt by My power, and My signs which I have caused to take place among them, and you may recognize that I am YHWH."
3. So Moshe and Aharon went in to Pharaoh and told him, "Thus says YHWH, Elohim of the Hebrews: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before My face? Set my people free so that they may be My servants [instead]--
Hebrews means "crossers-over"; to have Him as your Elohim, you must be a "crosser-over".4. ‘because if you refuse to let My people go, watch Me bring [a swarm of] locusts into your land tomorrow,
Locusts are one of the few insects that are clean (kosher), and they represent an army (Prov. 30:27, etc.)--a pure army--brought in judgment on a land full of idols.5. ‘And they will cover the eye of the land, and no one will be able to see the ground. And they will eat whatever is left that survived the [hail]stones, and they will devour every stalk that grows up from the field.
There are hieroglyphic drawings in Egypt representing Ra (the sun-god) as an eyeball. So again this is an attack on the chief deity of Egypt.6. ‘Then your houses and the houses of all your servants and the houses of all the Egyptians will be full [of them]--something neither your fathers nor your fathers' fathers have seen, from the day of their coming to exist on earth until this day." And he turned [his back] and left Pharaoh.
Pharaoh thought that he himself and his fathers had descended from the sun-god Ra. So this was a direct insult to them. The Elohim who was doing these things had been around longer than they and knew things they didn't. Such swarms are normally only found in Asia. Usually someone would not turn his back when leaving Pharaoh, but would walk out backwards, always facing him.7. And Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long will this [man] be a trap for us? Let the people go so they can serve YHWH their Elohim. Don't you realize that Egypt is already a lost cause?
8. So Moshe and Aharon were brought back to Pharaoh, and he told them, "Go and serve YHWH your Elohim [then]! Who in particular will be going?
9. So Moshe said, "We will go, along with our young and our old, our sons as well as our daughters. We'll go with our flocks and our herds, because it is a joyful festival of YHWH for us!"
"Joyful festival": based on the word for dancing around and around in circles. They could not celebrate it properly unless the whole community was present.10. But he told them, "YHWH had better be with you, if I let you go along with your little ones! Pay attention, because Ra is before your face!
Pharaoh considered himself to be a god--Ra in the flesh--and he considered those children to belong to him. But Ra is also the Hebrew word for "evil", so it could also say, "Watch out, because evil is in front of your face!"11. "You and the men go and serve [this] YHWH, because that's what you asked for!" And he expelled them from Pharaoh's presence."
If they left their wives and children behind, he knew they would not wait too long to come back.12. Then YHWH said, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may spread across the land of Egypt, and eat every plant of the land--all that the ‘hail' has left."
13. So Moshe stretched out his staff, and YHWH caused an east wind [to blow] on the land all day and all that night. In the morning the east wind brought locusts,
14. and the locusts spread across the whole land of Egypt, and settled over all the territory within Egypt's borders--huge [ones]! There had never been such locusts as these, and afterward there will never be any [like them].
15. And they covered the eye of the land, and the land became dark. And they ate every plant of the land, and all of the fruit of the trees that the "hail" had left [remaining], and nothing green was left on the trees or the plants of the field in any of the land of Egypt.
16. And Pharaoh hurried to call Moshe and Aharon, and he said, "I have sinned against YHWH your Elohim and against you.
17. "And now, I beg you, take away my [punishment for] sin just this once, and pray to YHWH your Elohim so that He may turn only this death away from me!"
18. So he went out from Pharaoh, and pleaded with YHWH,
19. and YHWH turned it around to a very strong west wind, and it carried away the locusts, and blew them into the Sea of Reeds; not one locust remained within the borders of Egypt.
20. But YHWH hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the descendants of Israel go.
21. So YHWH told Moshe, "Stretch out your hand to the skies, so that darkness may come over the land of Egypt--a darkness you could feel!"
22. And Moshe stretched out his hand to the heavens, and darkness of gloom was throughout all the land of Egypt for three days.
Immanuel Velikovsky believed the reason the darkness could be felt was that the earth passed through the tail of the comet and thus there was actually fine dust throughout the atmosphere.23. None of them saw his brother , nor did any rise up from his own place, for three days. Yet for all the sons of Israel, there was light in their dwellings.
“None saw his brother” could also mean they were not concerned with one another. The darkness is another direct mockery of Ra, the sun god, who was powerless at this time. Y'shua also rose up after three days.24. And Pharaoh called out to Moshe and said, "Go, serve YHWH! Only leave your flocks and herds behind. Your little ones may go with you."
He finally says all the people can go. But his own flocks and herds have all been destroyed because he left them out in the field when the "hail" fell, so he wants to steal theirs.25. But Moshe said, "You will give into our hands sacrifices and offerings as well, to prepare for YHWH our Elohim.
26. "But our livestock will go with us also. Not one hoof will remain, because we will take them to serve YHWH our Elohim, and we will not know how we will worship Him until we arrive there."
He is saying, "We don't know what we're going to need. He might ask us for all that we own, so how can we leave anything behind?" This has to be our attitude as well.27. But YHWH hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he was not willing to send them away.
28. And Pharaoh told them, "Get away from me, and be careful for your own sake that you not take one more look at my face, because on the day you see my face, you will die."
29. So Moshe said, "What you say is right; I will never see your face again."
CHAPTER 11
1. Then YHWH told Moshe, "I will bring one last plague upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will send you away from here. And when he sends you away, he will utterly drive you away."Drive away"is the word used for divorce in Hebrew. There was another "god" vying for their hearts. They need to remember that they are no longer "married" to Egypt in any way. Up until this point Moshe had been planning to go into the wilderness, then come back, so Pharaoh would release him from that commitment.2. "Now speak secretly, but so the people can hear you: Let each man ask his neighbor for things made of silver and gold."
Silver and gold were the metals needed to build the things to be used in the tabernacle.3. And YHWH gave the people charm in the eyes of the Egyptians. Also, the servants of Pharaoh and by the people of the land of Egypt saw Moshe as a very great man.
4. And Moshe said, "Thus says YHWH: ‘Around midnight, I will go out into the middle of Egypt,
5. "‘and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh (the [prince] who [will] sit on his throne) to the firstborn of the slave-girl who is behind the pair of millstones, and every firstborn of an animal.
When his son died, Pharaoh would finally feel what YHWH felt when Pharaoh mistreated His “son”, Israel.6. "‘Then there will come a great cry of distress throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been [before], nor shall there ever be again.
7. "‘But not [even] a dog will move its tongue at all the sons of Israel, either from among man or animal, so that you may know that YHWH makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.
In Psalm 22, a Messianic prophecy, the psalm-writer prays for delverance from the power of the dog. YHWH does not have the same kind of covenant with any other people that He has with Israel.8. "‘And all these servants of yours will come down to me and bow down to me, saying, "Get out! You and all the people who are at your feet!" And after that, I will indeed leave.'" And he left Pharaoh in burning anger.
9. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My special displays of power may become greater in the land of Egypt."
10. And Moshe and Aharon performed all these displays of power in Pharaoh’s presence, but YHWH strengthened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not send away the descendants of Israel from his land.
CHAPTER 12
1. And YHWH spoke to Moshe and to Aharon in the land of Egypt, saying,2. "This month shall be the most important of months for you. It will be the first of all the months for you.
The first command given to the people of Israel when they were all together again was "change your calendar". Egypt was based on the sun; in contrast, Israel’s calendar would be based on the moon. The original lunar calendar stayed the same for the rest of creation. Even the civil calendar of Israel still begins in what is now the seventh month of the religious calendar.3. "Speak to the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they must each pick out for themselves an animal from the flock for [each] father's house; [that is], one flock animal per household."
4. "Now if the household should be [too] small for a flock animal, he and the one living nearest his home may pick it out [together], by figuring out how many people ther are and how much each one can eat.
Smaller families were to share one lamb so the life of the animal would not be taken and then some of the meat wasted, because they could not take it with them.5. "You shall have a flock animal, a perfect one, a male that is a year old. You may take it from among either the sheep or the goats.
6. "And it will be your responsibility to watch over it until the fourteenth day of this month, and the whole congregation of Israel shall slaughter it between the evenings.
This is to be sure there were no defects. Y'shua was "observed" or inspected by everyone from the day of the "triumphal entry" until Passover: the P'rushim (Pharisees) quit asking him questions; Pontius Pilate found no fault in him and washed his hands of any responsibility; and the crucifying soldier said he had to be the Son of YHWH. Between the evenings: in Temple days it was offered between the first and second evening sacrifice, that is, at the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.), which is exactly when Y'shua was slain on Passover.7. "And they shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two side doorposts, and on the upper doorpost.
It forms the shape of the letter “khet”, which stands for “life”. Moshe later commanded the Israelites to write the words of the Torah on their doorposts, because the commandment would be "life" to them (Deut. 32:47). Blood is where the "life of the flesh" resides (Lev. 17:14).8. "And they must eat the meat on this night, roasted with fire, along with unleavened bread; they must eat it with bitter herbs.
9. "You must not eat it any of it raw, [or even] cooked by boiling any of it in water, but rather roasted with fire, its head over its knees and its intestines.
The intestines were wrapped around the head and it was called the "crowned sacrifice”, like Y'shua, who is himself called "our Passover" (1 Corinthians 5:7) , when the crown of thorns was woven for him.10. "You must not let any of it remain until morning; anything left over until morning you must burn up in the fire.
11. "And this is how you must eat it: with your belt tied, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in hand. In fact, you must eat it in a hurry, [ready to] leave quickly; it is YHWH's Passover.
Belt tied: since they wore loose flowing robes that would keep trhem from moving quickly.12. "And I will pass through the land of Egypt this very night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human to livestock, and I will execute judgments upon all the gods of Egypt. I am YHWH!"
13. "And the blood will serve as a mark to set you apart on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will skip over you, and the [deadly] plague will not come upon you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
The houses where you are: no longer "your houses", because they are ready to leave.14. "And this day will be a reminder for you; you must celebrate it as a pilgrim feast to YHWH throughout your generations. You are always required to celebrate it.
15. You must eat unleavened bread seven days. From the first day [onward] you shall even cause there to cease to be leaven in your houses.
Leaven is a picture of sin--especially pride, which makes us appear to be more than we really are. We are not just commanded to not eat leaven, but to actually eat unleavened bread. Y'shua calls himself the bread that came down from heaven (Yochanan 6:51-56), and equates his body with the bread of Passover. He alone was without sin, and we must "consume" his flesh (which is true food, he says)--have a definite part in him, not just cease from sinning. In Hebrew "flesh" and "glad news" are the same--so what he said was that we must "consume his glad news".16. "And on the first day there will be a set-apart gathering; on the seventh day there will also be a set-apart gathering for you. No work may be done on them, except [to prepare the food] that must be eaten by each person--that is the only [work] you may do.
17. "And you must be careful about the unleavened bread, because on this same day I brought your armies out from the land of Egypt. So you are required to observe this day for [all] your generations.
18. "On the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening until the twenty-first day at evening, you must eat unleavened bread.
19. "For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, because anyone eating anything that is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a visitor or a native of the land.
20. "You must not eat anything that has yeast in it; in all your dwellings, you must eat unleavened bread."
21. Then Moshe called for all the elders of of Israel, and told them, "Go ahead and pick out a flock animal, family by family, and slaughter the Passover.
The Passover is not the day or the feast, but the act of sacrificing this animal.22. "Then take a bound bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the threshold-basin, and apply some of the blood in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts, and none of you shall go out from the entrance to his house until morning.
23. "Then YHWH will pass through to strike Egypt, and when He sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, He will skip over the entrance, and will not let destroyer come onto your houses to strike [you].
24. "Now you are required to guard this task for yourself and for your sons forever.
25. "And this is how it will be: When you have come into the Land that YHWH will give you as He promised, then you must preserve this ritual.
26. "When your sons ask you, ‘What does this ritual [mean] to you?', what you must say is this:
27. ‘It is the slaughter of a Passover to YHWH, who passed by the houses of the descendants of Israel in Egypt, when He struck down the Egyptians, but rescued our households.'" Then the people bowed their heads and lay down on their faces in worship.
28. Then the sons of Israel left and did just what YHWH had commanded Moshe and Aharon.
29. And in the middle of the night, YHWH attacked every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from Pharaoh, the one sitting on his throne, to the firstborn of the captive in the dungeon house, to the firstborn of every beast.
30. And Pharaoh got up at night--he and all his servants and all of Egypt--and there arose a great cry of distress in Egypt, because there was not a house in which there was not someone dying.
31. And he called for Moshe and Aharon by night, and said, "Get up, and get out from among my people, both you and the descendants of Israel. And go serve YHWH, just as you said.
32. "Take both your flocks and herds, as you have said, and [ask for] me to be blessed also!"
33. Then the Egyptians started urging the people on, to speed up their release from the land, because they said, "All of us are dying!"
34. So the people picked up their dough before it could be leavened, their kneading-bowls having been bound up in their clothing on their backs.
35. Then the descendants of Israel carried out what Moshe had said: they asked the Egyptians for things made of silver and articles of gold, and clothes.
This could be seen as back-pay for all their years of slavery. It was also to be used to make what they needed for the tabernacle. The word here for “things” is also based on the word for “bride”, so it was with these that Israel, YHWH’s bride, would adorn herself at their betrothal at Mt. Sinai.36. And YHWH gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and they granted their requests; this is how they despoiled Egypt.
37. So the children of Israel set out from Raamses toward Sukkoth, there being about 600,000 men on foot, apart from the little ones,
Raamses means "child of the sun". Today many of Israel's descendants are going from worship on the Day of the Sun to the festival of Sukkoth, which symbolizes the Messianic Kingdom. Sukkoth was out of their way, but it was where Yoseyf was buried, and they needed to go get his bones. (13:19-20)38. And a mixed multitude also went up with them, along with flocks, herds, and very many possessions.
Many of the Egyptians and other peoples they had enslaved also joined the Israelites in the Exodus, though they had to become part of Israel to be able to leave.39. Then they baked the dough that they had brought out from Egypt into unleavened cakes, since it was not leavened, because they had been pushed out of Egypt, and were not able to wait. They had also not prepared any provisions for their journey.
40. Now the sojourning of the descendants of Israel, who had settled in Egypt, was 430 years.
This included the time their ancestors lived as guests in the Land of Kanaan before they came to Egypt. (Gen. 14:15) The length of the actual stay in Egypt itself seems to have been 210 years.41. And it happened that the end of the 430 years came to the very day when the armies of YHWH left the land of Egypt.
42. It is a night to observe by staying up late for YHWH’s bringing them out of the land of Egypt; this is that night for YHWH, to be observed in by all the descendants of Israel staying up throughout their generations.
43. Then YHWH told Moshe and Aharon, "This is the required limit for Passover: No son not recognized [by Israel] may eat of it.
This is not just an ordinary stranger, but an Israelite who once was part of the community, but has deliberately left it.44. "But any man’s slave who is bought with silver, when you have circumcised him, he may eat of it.
45. "Neither a guest nor a hired servant may eat of it.
46. "It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the meat outside the house, and you shall not break a bone in him.
Though the legs of the two men crucified beside Y'shua were broken to speed their death before the Passover began, Y'shua had already died, so he fulfilled this requirement of having no bones broken as well. (Yochanan/John 19:36)47. "The whole congregation of Israel must prepare it.
48. "And if a guest [wants to] stay with you and prepare the Passover, let him be circumcised--every male--and then he may come near and prepare it, and he will be just like a native of the Land; but no one who is not circumcised may eat of it.
49. "There will be [only] one rule for [both] the native-born and for the guest staying among you."
Once someone from outside joins the household of Israel, he is to be treated the same as any other Israelite.50. So indeed, all the descendants of Israel did just as Moshe and Aharon had ordered them.
51. And so it was, that on this very [same] day, YHWH brought the descendants of Israel out from Egypt by their armies.
CHAPTER 13
1. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,2. "Set aside for Me every firstborn that bursts from any womb among the descendants of Israel; whether man or beast, it will belong to Me."
3. So Moshe told the people, "Remember this day in which you left the slave-houses in Egypt, because by [the] strength of [His] hand YHWH brought you out from this [place]; so no leavened bread may be eaten.
4. "Today you are going out in the month of Aviv.
Aviv is when the ears of barley have reached a stage of growth that guarantees they will be ripe by the day after the Sabbath after the next full moon, which is the feast of Firstfruits. Aviv has also come to mean "springtime" today, and the city of Tel Aviv is named for the idea of the new nation of Israel "springing" up from something very ancient, since a tel is the ruined remains of an ancient city.5. "So when YHWH brings you into the land of the Kanaanites, the Chittites, the Emorites, the Chiwites, and the Y'vusites which He promised your ancestors that He would give you--a land gushing with milk and honey--then you shall carry out this service during this month.
6. "For seven days you must eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there will be a feast to YHWH.
7. "Unleavened bread must be eaten for seven days, and no leavened bread shall be seen for you, nor may any yeast that belongs to you be seen within the borders of any of your territories.
8. "And you must inform your son on that day, ‘This is on account of what YHWH did for me when I left Egypt.'
9. "And for you it will serve as a noticeable mark on your hand, and a reminder between your eyes, so that YHWH’s instruction may be in your mouth, since with a strong hand YHWH brought you out from Egypt.
10. "So you must keep this prescribed custom at its appointed time from year to year.
11. "Now when YHWH brings you into the land of the Kanaanites, which He promised to you and your ancestors by an oath, and [He] gives it to you,
12. "you must hand over to YHWH everything that opens the womb, and every firstborn offspring of any animal that is yours; the males belong to YHWH.
Devote: literally, "cause to cross over". Firstling offspring: lit., "opener that ejects from any beast". The firstborn had the place of the priest in thehome, but YHWH later substituted the Levites for each of these firstborn. (Numbers 3:12)13. "And every firstborn of a donkey you must redeem with a lamb, but if you do not wish to redeem it, you must break its neck. But all the firstborn humans among your descendants you shall redeem.
Y'shua’s mother obeyed this command. (Luk. 2:23). A donkey is not an animal for food like those in v. 12, but used to carry possessions, so it represents peaceful prosperity, unlike the horse, which represents power for war. This way, a man, his food, and his possessions are all made holy to YHWH. (Hirsch) It is an unclean animal, and, like human beings, must be redeemed before it can be acceptable to Him. Y’shua was the lamb that redeemed us so our necks could be spared.14. "Now in the time to come when your son asks you, ‘What is this [all about]?', you must tell him, ‘By strength of hand YHWH brought us out from the house of slaves in Egypt!
15. "‘And it is because Pharaoh became stubborn about sending us away, and YHWH killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt (from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of beast). This is why I slaughter for YHWH every male that opens the womb, but I redeem every firstborn of my sons.'
16. "So this has come to serve as a distinguishing mark on your hand, and phylacteries between your eyes, since by strength of hand YHWH brought us out from Egypt."
Phylacteries are something tied on the body as a reminder. Today such boxes strapped onto forearm or forehead are known as tefillin.17. Now it happened that, when Pharaoh sent the people away, Elohim did not lead them by way of the Philistines, although it was [the] shortest [way], because Elohim said, "...in case they change their minds when they see warfare, and turn back to Egypt."
They were already organized as armies, so why would they be afraid? It may be that if they won a battle with the Philistines, they would become too proud of themselves and try to go back and take over the land of Egypt as too, but this was not to be their inheritance. The historian Josephus said the land of the Philistines was near Egypt, and He did not want the Philistines, who had quarreled long ago with the Hebrews, to know that they had left Egypt. Avraham had promised the Philistine king that he would not harm either his son or grandson, but that day was now past. This is also like the honeymoon period between YHWH and Israel, and thus it was not a time to go to war. (Deut. 24:5)18. Rather, Elohim led them circuitously by way of the desert of the Sea of Reeds, and the children of Israel ascended from the land of Egypt arrayed for battle by [groups of] five.
19. And Moshe took the bones of Yoseyf with him, because [Yoseyf] had made the sons of Israel strictly swear [to do so], saying, "Elohim will carefully attend to you, and you shall bring my bones up from here along with you."
Having his bones at the front of the procession would remind them of this promise and give them confidence. The word for "bones" can include the whole body with its limbs, or "members". While Moshe literally brought Yoseyf's bones at this time, Moshe is often a symbol of the Torah, which he wrote down. So this is also a promise that it is the Torah that will bring the reunified "body" of Yoseyf's descendants back to the land of Israel one day, as YHWH promised. (Y'chezqel/ Ezekiel 37)20. So they [broke camp and] journeyed from Sukkoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.
At the location of Sukkoth a group of twelve tombs has been discovered by archaeologists. Perhaps it was the mausoleum of the twelve sons of Yaaqov, for we only know for sure that Yaaqov himself and Yoseyf were buried in the land of Israel. One entire stone coffin is missing--not just the bones! If it had only been raided by grave robbers, they would not have gone to the trouble of taking something so heavy. They took the whole stone container, since touching his bones directly would make them unclean (but touching stone can never do this), and they would be disqualified from participating in the feast they were about to celebrate.21. And YHWH was going before them in a column of cloud in the daytime, and in a pillar of fire at night, so they could travel both in the daytime and at night.
22. He did not remove the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night [from] in front of the people.
CHAPTER 14: Yahweh Makes a Way
1. And YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,
2. "Tell the descendants of Israel to turn and camp by Pi-haHiroth, between the tower and the sea, in front of Baal-Tz'fon. You will camp across from it, by the sea.
3. "Then Pharaoh will say about the descendants of Israel, ‘They are confused in the land; the desert has trapped them.'
He would think they had gotten lost in the desert. He thought it would trap Israel, but it was really YHWH’s way of luring Pharaoh into a trap.4. "And I will make Pharaoh's heart bold, so that he will chase after them. Then I will gain glory for Myself through Pharaoh and all his army, so that the Egyptians will recognize that I am YHWH." And that is what they did.
Yahweh was not only interested in rescuing the Israelites, but also in revealing to the Egyptians who He is and that all their gods were powerless against Him. Even if they did not care to obey Him, He wanted to make sure no credit went to their gods for the wonders that were done there.5. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had turned back, Pharaoh’s heart and his servants’ hearts were turned against the people, and they said, "What have we done by setting Israel free from working for us?"
Though Pharaoh's servants were once ready to admit that YHWH was more powerful than the king, they now realized that there were some half-finished cities to be built, and if there were no more slaves, they would have to finish the job themselves! Pharaoh thought the Israelites had been driven back from their intended course by the might of Baal-Typhon, the god of death, blight, and deserts. We get the word "typhoon" from its name. When he knew that their path to freedom was cut off, he saw that he could get his slaves back despite his "foolish" decision to let them go.6. So he prepared his chariots, and took his people with him--
They were to all be under his direct command. Who wouldn't go along to be part of the army of Ra when he looked so dashing and powerful? "Egypt" will pursue us as well; Y'shua made it clear that we are to expect persecution and, some, martyrdom, yet not one hair of our head will ultimately be lost.7. He took 600 specially-chosen chariots, along with all the chariots of Egypt, with shield-carrying officers on every one of them.
8. Then YHWH strengthened the courage of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and he chased after the descendants of Israel, while the sons of Israel were going out with a high hand.
“With a high hand” means they were legally independent, since Pharaoh had given them their freedom. (Hirsch) The Aramaic says it means "defiantly". All through Scripture YHWH tells us not to trust in horses and chariots, but in His provision.9. Then the Egyptians chased them and caught up with them while they were camped by the sea beside Pi-haHiroth, across from Baal-Tz'fon.
10. And when Pharaoh was getting close, the descendants of Israel raised their eyes and, lo and behold, the Egyptians were marching up behind them. Then they were extremely afraid, and the descendants of Israel cried out to YHWH for help.
There were mountains on all their other sides. The Egyptians also closed off any way of escape, but, being exhausted from their chase, decided to put off the fighting until the next morning.11. And they said to Moshe, "Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have carried us away to die in the desert? What were you trying to do to us in bringing us out of Egypt?
12. "Isn't this just what we told you in Egypt--to leave us to be slaves for the Egyptians? Because it would be better to work for the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"
13. But Moshe told the people, "Don't be afraid. Stand still, and you will see YHWH’s rescue, which He will do today for you, because you will never again see the Egyptians the way that you see them today!
14. "YHWH will fight for you; you just keep quiet."
15. But YHWH said to Moshe, "Why are you crying to Me? Tell the descendants of Israel to move forward!
Moshe had to do his part and take the first step in faith before he would see YHWH's deliverance!16. "But you lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea, to divide it. Then the descendants of Israel will pass right through the middle of the sea on dry ground."
17. "And watch: I Myself will strengthen the courage of the Egyptians, and they will follow them, and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his forces, his chariots, and his horsemen.
18. "Then the Egyptians will know that I am YHWH by My being honored through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen."
19. And the messenger of Elohim which had been moving in front of the camp of Israel withdrew and went to their rear; the pillar of cloud also withdrew from in front of them and stood behind them.
He is usually called the Messenger of YHWH, but here he is called the Messenger of Elohim, because judgment and justice was his main task on this occasion.20. And it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel, and it became a cloudy mass that they couldn’t see through, but gave light for the night, and the one [camp] did not come near the other all night.
21. Then Moshe stretched out his arm over the sea, and YHWH made the sea go back with a fierce east wind all night, and He made the sea into dry [land], and the waters were split apart.
22. Then the descendants of Israel started into the midst of the sea over dried-up ground, with the waters [being] a wall for them from their right hand and from their left.
Tradition says there were 12 paths in the sea—one for each of the tribes.23. And the Egyptians chased them, and all of Pharaoh's horses came after them--his chariots and his horsemen--into the middle of the sea.
24. Then this is what happened in the morning watch: Yahweh looked down upon the armed company of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He noisily confused the army of the Egyptians.
The morning watch is the fourth and final shift of night-time guard duty, from 3:00 to 6:00 a.m.—the same time Y'shua also walked out onto the sea (Matt. 14:25).25. And He caused the wheels of their chariots to turn sideways, and made them hard to drive, and the Egyptians said, "I'm going to escape from the Israel, because YHWH is fighting for them against Egypt!"
26. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Stretch out your arm over the sea, and let the waters come back on top of the Egyptians, their chariots, and their war-horses."
27. So Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its usual flow, just when morning approached, and the Egyptians were running to try to beat it [to shore], but YHWH overthrew the Egyptians into the middle of the sea.
28. And the waters came back and covered up the chariots and the war-horses and Pharaoh’s whole army who had gone after them into the sea, and not even one of them was left.
29. But the descendants of Israel walked on dry ground in the middle of the sea, the waters [being] a wall for them on their right and and their left.
30. That is how YHWH liberated Israel that day from Egypt's hand, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.
Moshe had said he would take the people three days' journey, celebrate the feast, then return to serve Pharaoh. Now he didn’t have to, because Pharaoh was dead.31. Then Israel saw the great hand with which YHWH acted upon [against] Egypt, and the people wer amazed at YHWH, and they really trusted and had confidence in YHWH and Moshe His servant.
CHAPTER 15
1. Then Moshe and the sons of Israel began singing this song to Yahweh, and said, "I would like to sing to YHWH, because He has [been] gloriously [raised up in] triumph! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!2. "Yahweh is my strength and my praise-song; and He has come to be a deliverance for me! He is my El, and I will prepare a place for Him to live; the El of my father, and I will lift Him up! 3. "Yahweh is a man of war; Yahweh is His Name!
He is the one seeing to it that the days to come are better for His people who have been enslaved.4. "He has thrown Pharaoh's chariots and his army into the sea; indeed, his select captains are drowned in the Sea of Reeds!
Thrown: includes the idea of having its former direction changed and being aimed at a particular, pre-selected spot. Drowned: or embedded in the soft mud.5. "The deep covers them; they sank to the bottom like a stone!
Deep: or abyss; Hirsch, "wavy swirling floods". The bottom: or "shadowy depths".6. "Your right hand, O YHWH, has become majestic in power! Your right hand, O YHWH, has shattered the [hostile] enemy!
...
20. Then Aharon's sister, Miryam the prophetess, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing.
21. And Miryam answered, "[Let's all] sing to YHWH, because He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!"
22. So Moshe had Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Desert of Shur. And they traveled in the desert for three days, but found no water.
This was as far as they had originally told Pharaoh they were going, so they would expect to find a camping-place of some sort.23. And when they came to the site of Marah, they could not drink the water because it was bitter; that is why the place was called "Marah".
The word translated "bitter" here (Marim), without vowel points, is spelled exactly like "Miryam" (which means rebel). Maybe that is why this verse comes right after something abouther. Now she is called a prophetess, and we can imagine that when Aharon was named high priest, the people accused them of making her important to Israel just because she was in the same family. Marah also means "bitter". There was bitterness in their hearts, and they did not act like a community. The word "desert" actually means "place of words":24. And the people grumbled against Moshe, saying, "What are we going to drink?"
Right after this awesome celebration of worship, they are back to focusing on natural resources instead of YHWH’s power, which they have just seen demonstrated.25. And he called out to YHWH for help, and YHWH showed him a tree, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet [like mother's milk]. He made a rule and a judgment for them there, and He tested them there.
This part of Shemoth is usually read right around the 15th of the 11th month (Shevat), the date set for counting the age of trees, since their fruit cannot be eaten before they are four years old. (Lev. 19:25) A tree is a picture of a man (Judges 9:8, etc.), and Y'shua often calls himself the one who was "sent forth" (the same word as “thrown” here) from the Father. Water is often an idiom for the Torah. One who hangs on a tree is cursed (Deut. 21:23). Because Y’shua took this curse for us by hanging on a tree, the Torah which was once necessary but bitter became something altogether sweet. Is this the tree YHWH showed Moshe a vision of, just as He had shown Avraham the Lamb? Elisha did a similar miracle. (2 Kings 4:40ff)26. And He said, "If you carefully listen to the voice of YHWH your Elohim, and do what is right in His eyes, listening willingly to His commandments and keeping His rules too, I will not let you get any of the diseases that I have put on the Egyptians, because I am YHWH who heals you.
The undrinkable water was a reminder of the first plague that came upon Egypt, as a warning that YHWH could start a countdown against them in just the same way. Very many of YHWH's commands, especially the dietary laws, have proven to bring us better health, but their main purpose is to teach us what kind of people we ought to be. A pig eats anything and does not filter it properly, a picture of people who believe anything they are told without asking whether it is really from Yahweh. But a cow eats only what is best, and it "meditates" on its food, digesting it four times over. We also have to listen to His commands, because many people obey Him but don’t learn anything from it.27. Then they arrived at Elim, where there were 12 springs of water and 70 date-palms, and they camped by the waters.
Elim: means "mighty ones". The numbers 12 and 70 are important. 70 persons--still just one clan--went into Egypt, but came back out as twelve whole tribes. A (date) palm tree is a symbol of how well the righteous person will do in hard times (Ps. 92:12); water symbolizes the teaching of the Torah, and 70 palms shows that THIS "oasis" provides enough for all of the nations, as listed in Genesis 10.
CHAPTER 16
1. Then they [broke camp and] set out from Elim, and the whole congregation of the descendants of Israel came to the wilderness of Siyn, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt.So this is thirty days after they left (on the 15th of the first month; Numbers 33:3).2. Then all the congregation grumbled against Moshe and Aharon in the desert.
3. And the descendants of Israel said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of YHWH in Egypt, while we sat by our pots of meat and ate bread to the point of being stuffed--because you have brought us out into this desert to kill this entire congregation with hunger!"
4. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Look, bread is going to rain down from the sky for you! Then the people will go out and gather the right amount for one day, on its day, so that I can test them [to see] if they will walk in My way or not.
5. "Now on the sixth day they will prepare what they bring in, and it must be twice as much as they collect [on the other] days."
Two loaves of bread are still baked for the opening meal of the Sabbath in remembrance of this double portion. He uses the Sabbath to test our obedience to see who will really leave Egypt behind and go on to the Promised Land.6. Then Moshe and Aharon said to all the descendants of Israel, "When evening comes, you will know that YHWH [is the one who] has brought you out from the land of Egypt,
7. "and in the morning you will see how important YHWH is because of His hearing your grumblings against YHWH. But who are we, that you are grumbling against us?"
8. Then Moshe said, "When YHWH gives you flesh to eat in the evening, and bread in the morning, to the point of being stuffed...! When YHWH listens to your complaints that you are lodging against Him...! But what are we? Your grumblings are not against us, but against YHWH."
9. Then Moshe said to Aharon, "Tell the whole congregation of the descendants of Israel to come near the presence of YHWH, because He has heard your grumblings."
10. And as Aharon was speaking to the whole congregation of the descendants of Israel, they turned toward the wilderness, and, lo and behold, YHWH's glory appeared in the cloud!
11. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,
12. "I have heard the grumblings of the descendants of Israel. Talk to them and say, ‘Between the evenings you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be satisfied with bread; then You will know that I am YHWH your Elohim.'"
13. And what took place in the evening was that quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning a layer of dew was around the camp,
Dew itself is uncommon in a desert, where there is no evaporation.14. And as the layer of dew lifted, lo and behold, on the surface of the desert [there was something] thin and fine like flakes, as fine [as] hoarfrost, on the ground.
15. And when the descendants of Israel saw [it], each one said to his brother, "What is it?", because they did not know what it was. And Moshe told them, "This is the bread that YHWH has given to you for food,
16. "And this is what YHWH has commanded: Gather some of it--each one as much as he can eat, an omer per head, by the counting of your souls you shall take for each one who is in your tent."
An omer is a kind of measure--a tenth of an ephah (v. 36), the designated amount of "daily bread" that one man needs each day.17. So that is what the descendants of Israel did, that is, they gathered [it]. Some gathered more and some gathered less,
18. but they measured [it out] with an omer, so that the one who gathered more did not have a surplus, nor did the one gathering less have any lack. Each one gathered according to how much he could eat.
They put it all together in a central location and then distributed evenly to each according to how much he could eat. The many members of Y'shua's "body"--the "living stones"--are also called "one bread" (1 Cor. 10:17), gathered from all over the earth [literal word for "ground" in v. 14] and then giving ourselves to each other.19. Now Moshe had said, "Do not allow anyone to leave any of it until morning."
20. But [some of the] people didn’t listen to Moshe, but left some of it until morning, and it became rotten with maggots, and stank, and Moshe was furious with them.
When there is daily bread provided, what is leftover until the next day is wasted. It shows that we don’t trust in YHWH's provision, which prevents us from letting the extra that we have today to meet others’ needs that already exist today, instead of hoarding them for tomorrow’s needs, which are still imaginary and not proven to even exist. (Luke 12:13-34)21. So they gathered it in the morning, each as much as he could eat, and when the sun became hot, it melted away.
22. But on the sixth day, they did gather twice as much bread, two omers each, and all the leaders of the congregation came and reported it to Moshe.
23. And he told them, "That's what YHWH has said: ‘Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a rest set apart for YHWH. Bake what you want to bake, boil what you want to boil, and all that is left over, set aside for yourselves to be kept until the morning."
24. So they set it aside until morning, as Moshe had commanded, and it did not stink, and there was not a maggot in it.
25. And Moshe said, "Eat it today, because today is a Sabbath unto YHWH, and you will not find any in the field.
26. "You shall gather it [for] six days, but the seventh day is a Sabbath; there will not be any."
As we get close to the end of the "sixth day" of the "week" of history, we need to gather our spiritual resources before the Kingdom begins. Some things will not be available to those who don’t use what YHWH had already given us.27. Yet on the seventh day, some people went out to gather, but found nothing.
They thought everything would be the same as it had been, but YHWH surprised them. Things do not always follow scientifally-discovered patterns when YHWH is the one who is acting.28. And YHWH said to Moshe, "How long are you refusing to keep My commandments and my instructions?
29. "Look, because YHWH has given you the Sabbath, that's why He is giving you two days' worth of bread on the sixth day. Each one of you remain in his place; don't let anyone leave his place on the seventh day."
Rev. 22:11 shows us that the gates will one day be shut or sealed (as at Yom Kippur), so that no one can go in or out any longer. In the coming millennium, each person's position will already have been determined.30. So the people rested on the seventh day.
31. And the house of Israel called its name "prepared portion". It was white like coriander [cilantro] seed, and its flavor was like cakes with honey.
Other nations wrote histories about this "honey from the clouds", or "honey dropping from the dreaded shades", but were unable to explain it.32. Then Moshe said, "This is the thing that YHWH has commanded: ‘Fill up the measure from it, to keep for your grandchildren, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out from the land of Egypt.'"
33. So Moshe told Aharon, "Take one container and put an omer's worth of [the] ‘prepared portion' and deposit it in the presence of YHWH to preserve for your grandchildren."
Will some of it be needed again during the time no one is able to buy or sell? (Rev. 13) Y'shua said he would give some of the "hidden manna" to the one who overcomes. (Rev. 2:17)34. Just as YHWH commanded Moshe, Aharon put it in front of the Testimony to be preserved.
35. And the descendants of Israel ate the "prepared portion" for forty years, until they came into an inhabited land; [that is], they ate the "prepared portion" until their arrival at the border of the land of Kanaan.
When they arrived in the inhabited country, there would be other food, so the miraculous provision would no longer be necessary.36. Now the omer is one-tenth of an ephah.
An omer is enough for one man, and from this point on became the standard ration.
CHAPTER 17
1. Then the whole congregation of the sons of Israel traveled from the Desert of Siyn, traveling when YHWH told them to, and they camped at Refiydim, but there was no water for the people to drink.Refiydim means “ relaxing”. Having YHWH's blessing of free food, they became lazy and forgot the punishment that had come the last time they complained.2. And the people complained against Moshe, and said, "Give us water so we can [have something to] drink!" But Moshe said to them, "Why are you complaining to me? And why are you testing Yahweh?"
He was saying, “I wasn’t the one who brought you here; Yahweh was. Certainly you know by now that He can provide!"3. But the people became thirsty there for water, and grumbled against Moshe, and told [him], "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, then? To kill me and my sons and my livestock with thirst?"
They had been given so much, yet were still complaining. They were thinking too much about themselves instead of trusting Yahweh.4. Then Moshe cried out to YHWH, "What should I do with these people? It won't be long until they stone me!"
5. And YHWH said to Moshe, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you. When you go, take in your hand the rod with which you hit the river.
6. “I Myself will stand in front of you there on the rock in Chorev, and you must hit the rock, and then water will come out of it, so the people may [have something to] drink." So Moses did this in front of the eyes of the elders of Israel.
Chorev: the site of Mt. Sinai, and probably less than a day's journey from Refiydim. That was the place where they were meant to camp for a longer time, since it was where He had promised to meet them again. So the water source was already there awaiting them, and Moshe had to go there ahead of them since they were so impatient and could not put up with the uncertainty for even a short period of time.7. So the name of the place was called "Massah" [testing] and "Meribah" [strife or contention], because of the complaining of the descendants of Israel, and because of their testing of YHWH, saying, "Is YHWH in our midst or not?"
8. Then Amaleq came and fought against Israel in Refiydim,
All the other nations feared Israel; Amaleq went out of his way to attack this emerging people in a time of weakness, wanting to be famous for being the ones to defeat them. Amaleq was the son of Elifaz, grandson of Esau. His descendants became a tribe in southern Kanaan, from where they attacked Israel as they passed near the Reed Sea. The name Amaleq means "dweller in a valley". While the Israelites were in a state of "relaxation" (Refiydim), they were especially in danger of being attacked by these people who were satisfied to live on a lower level.9. And Moshe said to Y'hoshua, "Choose men for us and go fight against Amaleq. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill, with the rod of Elohim in my hand."
This is a picture of the Father teaching Y'shua how to choose His disciples, who would continue the battle against "Amaleq". Y'shua is actually a shortened form of Y'hoshua, just as we shorten Thomas to Tom in English. It means "YHWH is salvation". Y'hoshua was from the tribe of Efrayim, so this Y'hoshua was a son of Yoseyf, like Y'shua. Ovadyah also tells us that the house of Yehudah's enemies will only be defeated by the house of Yoseyf. This Y'hoshua could only weaken Amaleq, but the House of Yoseyf has the authority of the greater Y'shua, and when together we come to help Yehudah, the job will be finished.10. So Y'hoshua did as Moshe had told him--to fight against Amaleq, while Moshe, Aharon, and Chuwr went up to the top of the hill.
11. And what happened was that whenever Moshe lifted up his hand, Israel was winning, but whenever he gave his hand a rest, Amaleq prevailed.
12. When Moshe's hands became heavy, they took a stone and set it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aharon and Chuwr held up his hands from one [side] and the other, so his hands were steady until the sun went down.
13. So Y'hoshua defeated Amaleq and his people by the "mouth" of the sword.
14. Then YHWH said to Moshe, "Write this in a book as a reminder, and let Yehoshua hear it, that I will completely wipe away the memory of Amaleq from under the heavens."
15. Then Moshe built an altar, and called its name, "Yahweh Nissi".
Nissi means “my banner”.16. And he said, "--because Yahweh has sworn: Yahweh has a war with Amaleq from generation to generation."
Haman, who nearly succeeded in killing all the Jews during the Medo-Persian Empire (see the book of Esther), was also an Amaleqite. All the other nations were in fear because of what YHWH had done in Egypt, but Amaleq thought Israel had just been lucky that time, while they might be the lucky ones the next time, so they attacked the weakest ones.(Deut. 25:17-19) We must fight Amaleq's idea that everything “just happens” by chance, because this ignores the fact that everything is under Yahweh’s control.
CHAPTER 19
1. In the third month of the children of Israel's exodus from the land of Egypt, on this [very] day they arrived at the wilderness of Sinai.This very day: the day of the new moon. So it is approximately 45 days since they left Egypt.2. Now they pulled up [their tents] from Refidim and came to the desert of Sinai, and they set up camp in the desert.
3. Then Moshe went up toward Elohim, and Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, "This is what you shall tell the house of Yaaqov, and declare to the sons of Israel:
4. "‘You have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on the wings of eagles, and gathered you to Myself.
Wasn’t Yahweh everywhere? Yes, but there are places where He especially allows Himself to be met--places of His hospitality. Sinai is one of them. Because of what they had seen, they had no excuse not to trust Him.5. "‘So now, if you will really listen within My voice, and keep My covenant, you will become to Me a specially valued [and guarded] treasure above all of the [other] peoples--because all of the earth is Mine--
6. "‘And you shall become for Me a kingdom of priests, a set-apart nation.' These are the words which you must say to the descendants of Israel.
Priests help others approach YHWH. Israel had its own priests, but as YHWH's firstborn, the whole nation is called to be a priest, or a light to the other nations.7. Then Moshe came and summoned the elders of the people, and told them all these words that YHWH had commanded him.
8. And all the people answered together and said, "Everything that YHWH has said, we will do." And Moshe brought the people’s words back to YHWH.
9. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Look, I am coming to you in the thick [dark] mass of a cloud, so that the people may hear Me speaking with you, and never stop trusting you." And Moshe brought the people’s words to YHWH.
10. Then YHWH told Moshe, "Go to the people and set them apart [as dedicated] today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothes
Clean clothes are always a symbol of being ready to stand in front of Yahweh’s holiness. (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 4:4; Rev. 3:4-5, 18; 7:14)11. "and be solidly prepared for the third day, because on the third day YHWH will come down for all the people to see on Mount Sinai.
12. "And you must set up boundaries for the people all around, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t go up onto the mountain or touch its side. Anyone who touches the mountain will truly be killed.'
13. "‘Not [even] a hand may touch it, without being stoned or shot through; [no matter] whether [he is] animal or man, he must not [be allowed to] live on.' When the trumpet gives a prolonged blast, that's when they may cross [the boundary] to the mountain."
To cross the boundary meant they were moving across a symbolic line, at the right time, to a place with a higher level of holiness. Someone can only move to the next level after he has submitted to the fences that teach him how to behave in the presence of real holiness. It is a trumpet sound which will also one day signal our permission to come up and enter a place that is forbidden to us until everything is ready. (1 Thess. 4:16).14. Then Moshe came down from the mountain to the people, and he set the people apart [as holy], and they washed their clothes.
15. And he told the people, "Be ready for the third day; do not come close to a woman."
If they had relations with their wives, they could not approach the mountain for a whole day, so Moshe added an extra fence of two days so no one would be in that position.16. And as it turned out, on the third day in the morning, there were [thunderous] voices and flashes, and a heavy cloud over the mountain, and the sound of the ram’s horn was extremely sharp, so that all the people in the camp were shaking [from fear].
What was happening to the mountain sounded just like the trumpets made from a ram’s horn.17. Then Moshe brought the people out from the camp to encounter Elohim, and they stood at the bottom of the mountain.
At some point they actually came UNDER the mountain (Deut. 4:11) as it actually lifted off the ground. Yochanan the Immerser, who Y'shua said stood in Eliyahu's office, was called the "Friend of the Bridegroom" (one of the two witnesses). Moshe, here, is the friend of the Bride, who leads her to her Husband. Moshe and Eliyahu were the two who spoke to Y'shua on another mountain, and appear to be the two witnesses of Revelation 11. Velikovsky's theory that the earth was passing through the tail of a comet during the exodus could explain the massive force that it would take to lift the mountain off the ground. The head of the comet would have an extremely strong gravitational pull. (Perhaps it also had something to do with lifting the walls of water up when they passed through the Reed Sea.) The "flashes" (v. 16) may have been the exchange of electrical discharges between the comet and the earth, in a much more violent phenomenon than we usually imagine, to the point that Psalms 18, 29, and 46 could be taken literally. Psalm 77 actually says "the universe [itself] shook". Psalm 68 says "Sinai itself was moved". Psalm 97 says the "mountains melted like wax." Obviously there is something cataclysmic going on, not just an isolated east wind; that only accomplished the rapid drying of the land between the waters for them to cross the sea.18. The whole of Mount Sinai was smoking from [its] front as YHWH came down on it in fire. Then its smoke went up like the smoke of a smelting furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently.
A smelting furnace separates away the useless dross and purifies the metal. Mt. Sinai is probably not the traditional site in the Sinai since it is too far from Midyan for Moshe to have been pasturing his in-laws' sheep there. Rather, it is more likely Jabal al-Lawz, the highest mountain just east of Midyan, which is along the northeastern coast of the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia (as Paul says in Galatians 4:25). This mountain still has remains of pillars around it (see v. 12) and the top is blackened as by fire, but it is not a volcanic mountain.19. Then what happened [was that] as the sound of the shofar became stronger and stronger, Moshe spoke, and Elohim answered as a witness through a voice.
This trumpet-like sound was, according to Hebrew tradition, the words of the Torah going out in all 70 languages to the 70 nations besides Israel, but only Israel chose to receive them. In Acts 2, traditionally on the anniversary of this date, the covenant was renewed again with words in many languages and tongues of fire. (See 20:18)20. Then YHWH came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and YHWH called Moshe to the top of the mountain, so Moshe went up.
21. And YHWH told Moshe, "Go down [and] solemnly warn the people [over and over] so that they won't break through to YHWH in order to look [at Him], and many of them fall.
22. "Even the priests who [do] come close to YHWH, must set themselves apart to avoid having YHWH burst out [violently] against them."
23. Then Moshe said to Yahweh, "The people can't go up to Mount Sinai, because You strictly warned us to set boundaries for the mountain and set it apart [as holy ground]."
24. So YHWH told him, "Go on down, then come back up and bring Aharon with you, but don't let the priests break through to ascend to YHWH, so He will not burst out [violently] among them."
25. So Moshe went down to the people and told them.
CHAPTER 20: The Ten Commandments
1. Then Elohim spoke all these words:
2. "I am Yahweh your Elohim, who has brought you out of the land of Egypt--out from the house of slavery."
3. "For you there will not be any other elohim in My presence.
4. "You must not make for yourself a carved image or anything that looks like what is in the skies from above, or what is on the earth from below, or what is in the waters [that are] lower than the earth;
5. "You must not bow down to them, nor may you serve them, because I Myself am YHWH your Elohim--a jealous Elohim, laying the punishment of fathers on [their] children, even the third and fourth [generation] for those who hate Me,
The Aramaic translation adds the detail that the children will suffer for their fathers’ sin "when the children follow their fathers in sinning", since Yirmeyahu 31:29 tells us that a son or daughter who repented of his parents' ways would not still be punished.6. "but doing [deeds of] lovingkindness to thousands [of generations] for those who love Me and who keep My commandments.
7. "You may not carry the Name of Yahweh your Elohim in a wasteful way, because YHWH will not consider the one who carries his Name wastefully [to be] free from guilt.
Carrying YHWH’s Name on ourselves combines the belief that He is always watching over us with the idea that He holds the power over all that will happen to us; if we act as if calling Him our Elohim makes no difference in how things will turn out, it makes others think He is just like all the gods, which in popular belief acted no differently than men. Wasting His Name also includes replacing it with other, lesser names, especially those with pagan background usages. And most importantly, if we carry His Name, we ned to act in the way He says to act.8. "Remember the Sabbath day, so you will keep it separate [from all other days].
This is the one commandment Yahweh repeated after all the words Moshe brought down from the mountain (31:13-17), perhaps because He knew it would be the easiest for people who were otherwise righteous to forget. (It does not just say "one day in seven", but specifically the seventh day of the week.)9. "Six days you will labor and do all your work,
10. "but the seventh day is a day to stop, devoted to Yahweh your Elohim; you must not carry out any constructive work--neither you nor your son, your daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the foreign guest who is within your gates,
The first three commands have to do with our relationship with YHWH, and twice as many--six--that have to do with our relationship with our fellow men. Yochanan asked how we could love YHWH, whom we cannot see, if we cannot even love our neighbors, whom we can see. But the fourth commandment includes both of these, because we give those who work for us a break too. Service to one another is not forbidden on the Sabbath; in fact, on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple even doubled their work of sacrifices. What is forbidden is doing things for our own pleasure (Isaiah 58:13)--the opposite of service to one another or focusing on YHWH. We especially may not do anything that we will be paid for. (As the Maccabees showed, we are allowed to do anything needed to keep someone alive.)11. "because in six days YHWH set in order the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He stopped on the seventh day. This is why YHWH blessed the seventh day and made it separate [from the rest].
12. "Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be longer on the land that YHWH your Elohim is giving to you.
13. "You will not commit murder."
Murder means to uselessly kill someone for no reason. Killing men in war is permitted because it is sometimes necessary, yet still someone had to pay the half-sheqel Temple tax to get rid of the guilt that this brought to his mind.14. "You must not be unfaithful to your spouse."
15. "You must not steal."
This is especially talking about kidnapping other people.16. "You must not lie about your fellow [Israelite] when being a witness [about him in court].
17. "You must not [even] want your fellow's house; you will not desire your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything which belongs to your fellow."
Y'shua made our understanding of the tenth commandment even stronger by pointing out how keeping every commandment on the outside does not guarantee that our attitudes are right.
18. And all the people watched the sounds and the burning flames and the sound of the shofar and the smoking mountain. When the people looked, they shook [because they were afraid] and stood very far back.
19. Then they said to Moshe, "You [be the one to] speak to us, and we will listen, but don't let us converse [directly] with Elohim, or we'll die!"
The rules (because "Moshe" is also a figure of speech for the whole Torah) are relatively easy to obey, but we let YHWH tell us what is behind the letter, we know it will kill us--but the part of us it kills deserves to die anyway. Circumcision of the heart is never easy, but always necessary if we are to bear pure fruit. Becoming an unselfish community