Commentaria in Exodum
This Parmenides also seems to have had in view, when he says “all things are one immovable being.” Hence also on the doors of the temple of Delphic Apollo were inscribed, first, gnothi seauton, Know thyself, by which the god as if saluting those who entered admonished them to know themselves. Secondly, Ei, that is, thou art, by which word those entering the temple, as if resaluting God himself, confessed that he alone truly is. On which matter see from Plutarch Eusebius, book 11 On the Preparation for the Gospel, chap. 7, where among other things he teaches that God alone is; for other things, being in flux, are continually changed and corrupted rather than are: “For the youth,” he says, “is corrupted into the man, the man into the old man, the boy into the youth, the infant into the boy; and he who was yesterday into him who is today, and he who is today into tomorrow; and none remains the same. For none is the same, but at every moment is changed in respect of phantasms. For how, if we were the same, do we now rejoice in other things than before? We love and hate in another manner, are moved by other passions, not having the same figure, nor the same opinion of things. Finally Plato in the Timaeus teaches that God alone properly is; but the rest, which arise and are changed, more truly are not than are.”
HE WHO IS, HATH SENT ME TO YOU.—In Hebrew again it is ehje, that is, I will be, or I am, “hath sent me to you.” Our version and the Septuagint, changing the first person to the third, render more clearly, He who is.
To this name God soon adds another, which Moses is to bring to the Hebrews as a token, as he subjoins:
15. THE LORD GOD OF YOUR FATHERS.—For Lord the Hebrew is the tetragrammaton name Jehova; for God the Hebrew is Elohim; the former name is of nature, the latter of grace, care and providence, as if to say: I, God, who so am being itself (which is Jehova), that I will not be wanting to men, but wish to be present to them, preside over them and profit them (which is Elohim). So St. Augustine in his tract on this name of God: “I am who am.” Hence Eugubinus, Cajetan, Genebrard, Bellarmine and others probably gather that the tetragrammaton name is the same as “I am who am.” First, because God had before ordered Moses to say to the children of Israel: “He who is hath sent me;” now he orders the same to be told: “Jehova hath sent me.” It seems certain that he ordered himself to be called by one and the same name; therefore his designation, which God had before expressed by a verb, saying: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: “He who is hath sent me;” he here expresses by the name, saying: “Jehova hath sent me.” Secondly, because in this chapter Moses always called God “Elohim,” until God himself gave himself the name “I am who am;” but thenceforth he uses the tetragrammaton Jehova, as already given to God, and the same as “I am who am.” The same will be more evident chap. 6, vers. 3.
THIS IS MY NAME FOR EVER; AND THIS IS MY MEMORIAL,—by which namely my people will remember, invoke and praise me, the sons of the patriarchs according to the flesh, and after them the Christians, who are true Israelites, and sons of Abraham according to faith and spirit, to whom through Christ the truth of the covenant made with Abraham is shown; so that through Christ the memory of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob seems not blotted out but rather renewed and illustrated.
UNTO ALL GENERATIONS.—In Hebrew, to the age of age, that is, through all ages, in any age.
16. VISITING I HAVE VISITED YOU,—I have looked on you and seen you. So our version with the Septuagint better than the Chaldee, which renders, I have remembered you; for of present evils there is not so much memory as sight; here God visits for good, elsewhere for evil, as Psalm 88: “I will visit (that is, chastise) their iniquities with a rod.”
17. AND I HAVE SAID,—I have resolved and decreed within myself.
18. AND THEY SHALL HEAR THY VOICE,—announcing such glad and wished-for things of their liberation, remembering that this time of liberation foretold to Abraham, Genes. 15:16, is now fulfilled; for there it is said: “But in the fourth generation they shall return hither,” and now from then it is the fourth generation.
HATH CALLED US.—The Hebrew is, hath met us, that is, of his own accord offered himself and appeared to us calling us, namely to sacrifice. Otherwise the Chaldee renders, His name has been invoked over us. This kind of sacrifice God wished the Hebrews to put forward before Pharao as a pretext to hide their flight, that Pharao should not at once refuse the departure of the people openly made known and plainly demanded. That Moses may lead out the people, and obtain leave from Pharao for it, he is bidden to say that God wishes to be worshipped by the Hebrews outside Egypt in the desert; which was true; for God had said, verse 12: “Thou shalt offer sacrifice to God upon this mountain (Sina).”
WE WILL GO.—In Hebrew, And now let us go, I pray, that is, let us be allowed to go.
THREE DAYS’ JOURNEY,—a moderate petition; for if he had asked a longer journey and time, the king refusing departure would seem justly excused, as one who rightly suspected and feared the flight of the Israelites. Nor does a lie intervene here, but silence of the whole truth: for they were indeed going to go a journey of three days, and they said this; but they were to go farther afterwards into Chanaan, and this they kept silent.
Mystically, the way of three days is the way of faith, hope and charity. Again, the way of contrition, confession and satisfaction, by which we prepare ourselves, and press on to the sacrifice of the Eucharist.
Anagogically, the way of three days into heaven is the way of Christ, of which the first day is the day of his passion and death; the second day is the descent into hell; the third is the day of his resurrection.
19. BUT I KNOW THAT THE KING OF EGYPT WILL NOT LET YOU GO.—God forewarns Moses and the Hebrews, lest, repulsed by Pharao, they lose heart in their minds and desist from what they have begun.
BUT BY A MIGHTY HAND,—by ten plagues, and chiefly by the slaughter of the firstborn, which I shall bring upon them. The Chaldee renders, unless by strong fear, which I shall strike into them by these plagues.
22. OF HER NEIGHBOUR AND OF HER THAT IS IN HER HOUSE.—Hence it is plain that the Egyptians were mixed with the Hebrews in the land of Gessen.
AND YOU SHALL STRIP EGYPT.—The Chaldee, you shall plunder and empty Egypt; for the root in Hebrew and Chaldee signifies to be empty.
Note: The Hebrews, departing Egypt, despoiled it not by rapine but by the just title of the gift of God (who is lord of all). God gave them this right, first, to punish the luxury and injustice of the Egyptians. Secondly, that to the Hebrews, who had served the Egyptians gratis, he might render these spoils in place of a price. Thirdly, that he might give them material which they would afterwards offer for the making of the tabernacle. Hence Wisdom 10:17, it is said of the Hebrews: “Rendered to the just the reward of their labours.” Whence also Tertullian, book 4 Against Marcion, chap. 24: “The Hebrews,” he says, “were prompted not to fraud but to compensation of wages, which otherwise they could not exact from their masters.” For although this was the tyranny of one king commanding and oppressing the Hebrews, yet the Hebrews felt the injury of many who obeyed him, and of the people flattering him; and indeed, even if the king alone had done violence, his subjects could justly and in a just war have been attacked.
Tropologically, Egypt is to be despoiled, that is, what is elegant in the pagan Philosophers and Orators is to be claimed for our use, as from unjust possessors. So St. Augustine, book 2 On Christian Doctrine, chap. 40; Rupert, Nyssen and Prosper, book 1 On the Promises and Predictions, chap. 37. “Do we not see,” says St. Augustine, “with how much gold, silver and raiment Cyprian, most sweet doctor and most blessed Martyr, came forth from Egypt? how much Lactantius? how much Victorinus, Optatus, Hilary?”
Moses receives from God three signs of his mission, of a threefold conversion: first, the rod into a serpent; second, the hand into leprosy; third, the waters into blood. Secondly, Moses excuses himself in various ways from this mission; at length, God being angry, he yields, and returns into Egypt with his wife and sons. Thirdly, verse 24, an Angel threatens Moses with death: hence his wife circumcises her son; soon the Angel lets Moses go. Finally, verse 27, Aaron by God’s admonition meets his brother Moses.