Commentaria in Exodum
For all the firstborn, even of beasts of burden, namely horses, asses, camels, were slain in Egypt: in memory of which thing God demanded to be offered to Him by the Hebrews not the firstborn of all beasts of burden, but of cattle only, and that because He chose cattle alone for His sacrifice in Leviticus. In like manner, although in Egypt females also who were firstborn were slain, God yet exacts of the Hebrews only firstborn males, that the worthier sex might be dedicated to God.
16. IT SHALL BE THEREFORE AS A SIGN IN THY HAND, AND AS A THING HUNG.—For “hung,” others render frontlet. The Jews again take this grossly of a scroll fixed on the forehead above the eyes, and extending from one ear to the other, on which was written: “Sanctify every firstborn,” and: “Hear, O Israel, thy God is one,” etc. In this frontlet the superstition of the Jews is marvellous: for they say that its case must be made of the skin of a clean animal, that the words aforesaid must be written on it on that side which adhered to the flesh of the animal, and with the right hand, in the straightest lines, the parchment being whole and having no hole: if it be in the bedchamber, it is not lawful to use marriage unless it be shut up within a third chest, etc. Finally, these signs, which they themselves tie daily to the head and to the left arm, that they may be reminded of God’s precepts, they call tephillin, from the root taphal, that is, to join, to bind, to hang; or from tephillah, that is prayer, as if “prayer-things,” because they use them daily in their prayers, and think themselves safe from every evil by them. So Fagius, Oleaster, Lipomanus and others relate. But the genuine sense of this verse I gave at verse 9.
17. GOD LED THEM NOT BY THE WAY OF THE LAND OF THE PHILISTINES, WHICH IS NEAR.—This journey from Chanaan into Egypt through the Philistines is commonly said to be of ten days; Philo says it is of three days
LEST PERHAPS HE SHOULD REPENT, IF THEY SHOULD SEE WARS ARISE AGAINST THEM.—You will say: By the other way also they had to fight with Amalec, chap. 17. I answer: That battle was a single one, begun 40 days after the going out of Egypt, which was accomplished not so much by the arms of the Hebrews as by the singular help of God: but if the Hebrews had passed through the Philistines, they would at once and continually have had to fight with most warlike enemies; for such were the Philistines.
“Spiritually,” says Rupert, “God does this to all His elect at the going out of Egypt, that is, at the beginning of conversion, that for novices He prepares a way pacified from vices, so that they may go out tranquilly and delightfully, lest, assailed by sudden temptations, they be deterred from the holy purpose scarcely begun.” Beautifully also St. Gregory, book 24 of the Morals, chap. 12: “There are three stages,” he says, “of men converted to God: the beginning, the middle, and perfection: in the beginning they find the allurements of sweetness; in the middle time, the contests of temptation; at the end, the perfection of fulness. First, therefore, sweet things receive them, to console; afterwards bitter things, to exercise; and finally pleasant and sublime things, to confirm: for even his bride every man first cherishes with sweet allurements, but when she is already joined to him proves her by harsh rebukes, and the proved one possesses with secure thoughts. Hence also the Israelite people, when called out of Egypt to the sacred nuptials of the mind, as God betrothed them, received first, as by way of pledges, the allurements of signs; joined to Him, was exercised by trials in the desert; proved, was confirmed in the land of promise by the fulness of virtue: so also the life of everyone converted, a gentle beginning soothes, a rough middle proves, and a full perfection afterward strengthens.” St. Gregory adds: “Often the contests of temptations are as long as the allurements of the beginnings had been; often not: never, however, does a perfection of firmness unequal follow the labour of temptation: because according to the sum of the contest each is rewarded with the fulness of perfection.” And he adds that novices commonly fail in this, that while at the beginning they receive some gifts and consolations from God, they presently think themselves perfect; whence when they are struck by the sudden storm of temptation, they are dismayed, and think themselves almost lost; who, if they had not attributed too much to the first sweetness, and had learned to think of adversities in prosperity, would have foreseen that these things would be so, and would not have been troubled, considering that this is God’s custom and order.
18. AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WENT UP ARMED OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT.—For “armed” the Hebrew is chamushim, that is, five and five. Whence Calvin carps at our Interpreter, who renders, armed, and wishes it rendered, arranged. But the Hebrews commonly, as R. Abraham, Aben Ezra, Andreas Masius on Josue book 1, chap. 14, and others, take chamushim for chalutsim, that is, armed, or girded about the loins. Aquila also and Symmachus render, armed; and that it is rightly rendered by Aquila, all the benches of the synagogues agree, says St. Jerome to Damasus, Question 2: for because soldiers march in battle array five by five, hence chamushim, that is, five and five, is the same as armed, by a metalepsis in use among the Hebrews.
Otherwise Cajetan: Chamushim, he says, is the same as “fiftiethed” (quintati), that is, armed, or girded with swords and arms at the place of the five ribs: for there we are wont to hang the sword. Calvin denies that the Hebrews had arms here: for whence, he says, could they, being poor, have provided themselves with so many and such? I answer, the more honourable had arms already before at home; others, warned beforehand of the going out, provided them for themselves; others received them from the Egyptians on loan: for that they had arms is plain from the war which a little after they waged with the Amalecites.
The Septuagint for “armed” render “in the fifth generation.” For chamushim signifies fifth, namely generation, as the Septuagint understand. And this too is true, if you count the generations of the tribe of Juda. For Judas begot Phares; Phares begot Esron; Esron begot Aram; Aram begot Aminadab; Aminadab begot Naasson, who was prince of the tribe of Juda in the desert. Otherwise, if you reckon the generations of Levi, you will find only four: for Levi begot Caath; Caath begot Amram; Amram begot Aaron; Aaron begot Eleazar, who went out of Egypt with his father. And by this reckoning the Lord promised Abraham that in the fourth generation the Hebrews should go out of Egypt, Genesis chap.
Otherwise St. Augustine, Question 49: A generation, he says, is a century, namely a space of a hundred years: now in the fourth generation, that is, the fourth hundred years completed and the fifth begun, the Hebrews went out of Egypt, as God had promised.
Note “armed”: hitherto the Hebrews had served the Egyptians unarmed, had handled bricks and clay; now, about to go out free from Egypt, they are armed for wars.
So tropologically, he who desires to tear himself from the servitude and kingdom of the world and of the devil must arm himself for battles: a soldier is called to war, and ought to handle arms. Paulus Æmilius, to soldiers attending to things not necessary, ordered them to be quiet, and to do nothing else than sharpen their swords, the rest being his care. He used also to say to the soldier “that these three things are to be attended to: the body, that he may have it as strong and as nimble as possible; arms, fit; the mind, ready for sudden commands: the rest to leave to the gods and the commander.” Livy bears witness, book 4. Caius Crassus, seeing a soldier running without a sword: “Ho,” said he, “comrade, do you use your fist for a sword?” When many were entreating the Emperor Otho not to lay down the empire and desert the army and the Republic, a certain one of the common soldiers, drawing his sword, said: “Know, Cæsar, that all are thus minded for thee”; and presently slew himself: Suetonius bears witness in Otho. When Antony was preparing a fleet to engage with Cæsar, a certain tribune of soldiers, a brave man and exercised in arms, showed to Antony as he passed his body marked with many scars, saying: “O general, why dost thou distrust these wounds or this sword, and put thy hope in frail timbers? Let the Phœnicians and Egyptians fight with a fleet: give us Romans land, on which we are wont either to conquer the enemy or to meet death.” Plutarch bears witness in Antony. Excellently Cicero, book 3 of the Tusculans: “It is necessary,” he says, “that he who is brave be likewise of great soul; that he who is of great soul be unconquered; that he who is unconquered look down on human things, and judge them placed beneath him. But no one can look down on those things on account of which he can be affected with distress, unless he be brave. From which it follows that a brave man is never affected by distress; but all the wise are brave.” Let the Christian soldier apply this to himself.