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Introduction
To Exodus
INTRODUCTION TO
EXODUS
This book is called by the
Jews Veelleh Shemoth, from the first words with which it begins, and sometimes
Sepher Shemoth, and sometimes only Shemoth. It is by the Septuagint called
Exodus, from whom we have the name of Exodus, which signifies "a going
out"; see Luke 9:31, because
it treats of the going of the children of Israel out of Egypt; and hence in the
Alexandrian copy it is called the Exodus of Egypt; and so the Syriac version
entitles it the second book of the law, called "the going out"; and
to the same purpose the Arabic version. The Jews sometimes give it the name of
Nezikin, as BuxtorfF1Lexic. Talmud. col. 1325. observes out of the
Masora on Genesis 24:8
because in it some account is given of losses, and the restitution of them.
That this book is of divine inspiration, and to be reckoned in the canon of the
sacred writings, is sufficiently evident to all that believe the New Testament;
since there are so many quotations out of it there by Christ, and his apostles;
particularly see Mark 12:26 and that
it was wrote by Moses is not to be doubted, but when is not certain; it must be
after the setting up of the tabernacle in the wilderness; the greatest part of
what is contained in it, he was an eye and ear witness of; it plainly points
out the accomplishment of the promises and prophecies delivered to Abraham,
that his posterity would be very numerous, that they would be afflicted in a
land not theirs, and in the fourth generation come out of it with great
substance. It treats of the afflictions of the Israelites in Egypt, after the
death of Joseph, until their deliverance by Moses; of his birth, calling, and
mission to Pharaoh, to demand of him to let the children of Israel go; of the
ten plagues upon him and his people, for refusing to dismiss them; of the
departure of Israel from Egypt, and the institution of the passover on that
account; of their passage through the Red sea into the wilderness, and of the
various exercises and afflictions, supplies and supports they met with there;
of the giving of a body of laws unto them, moral, ceremonial, and judicial; and
of the building of the tabernacle, and all things appertaining to it; and
throughout the whole, as there is a figure and representation of the passage of
the people of God out of spiritual Egypt, through the wilderness of this world,
to the heavenly Canaan, and of various things they must meet with in their
passage, so there are many types of Christ, his person, office, and grace, and
of his church, his word, and ordinances, which are very edifying and
instructing. The book contains a history of about one hundred and forty years,
from the death of Joseph, to the erection of the tabernacle.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version Bible, NKJV
The NKJV was commissioned in 1975 by Thomas
Nelson Publishers. One-hundred-and-thirty respected Bible scholars, church
leaders, and lay Christians worked for seven years with the goal of updating
the vocabulary and grammar of the King James Version, while preserving the
classic style of the of the 1611 version.
The task of updating the English of the KJV
involved many changes in word order, grammar, vocabulary, and spelling. One of
the most significant features of the NKJV was its removal of the second person
pronouns "thou", "thee", "ye," "thy,"
and "thine." Verb forms were also modernized in the NKJV (for example,
"speaks" rather than "speaketh").
Young’s Literal
Translation was completed in 1898 by Robert Young, who also compiled Young’s
Analytical Concordance. It is an extremely literal translation that attempts to
preserve the tense and word usage as found in the original Greek and Hebrew
writings. The online text is from a reprint of the 1898 edition as published by
Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Obvious errors in spelling or
inconsistent spellings of the same word were corrected in the online edition of
the text. This text is Public Domain in the United States.
Commentator
John Gill (November 23, 1697-October 14,
1771) was an English Baptist, a biblical scholar, and a staunch Calvinist.
Gill's relationship with hyper-Calvinism is a matter of academic debate.
He was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire.
In his youth, he attended Kettering Grammar School, mastering the Latin
classics and learning Greek by age eleven. The young scholar continued
self-study in everything from logic to Hebrew. His love for Hebrew would follow
Gill throughout his life.
At the age of about twelve, Gill heard a
sermon from his pastor, William Wallis, on the text, "And the Lord called
unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou?" (Genesis 3:9). The message
stayed with Gill and eventually led to his conversion. It was not until seven
years later that young John made a public profession when he was almost
nineteen years of age.
His first pastoral work was as an intern
assisting John Davis at Higham Ferrers in 1718 at age twenty one. He was
subsequently called to pastor the Strict Baptist church at Goat Yard Chapel,
Horsleydown, Southwark in 1719. In 1757, his congregation needed larger
premises and moved to a Carter Lane, St. Olave's Street, Southwark. His
pastorate lasted 51 years. This Baptist Church was once pastored by Benjamin
Keach and would later become the New Park Street Chapel and then the
Metropolitan Tabernacle pastored by Charles Spurgeon.
During Gill's ministry the church strongly supported
the preaching of George Whitefield at nearby Kennington Common.
In 1748, Gill was awarded the honorary degree
of Doctor of Divinity by the University of Aberdeen. He was a profound scholar
and a prolific author. His most important works are:
John Gill is the first major writing Baptist
theologian. His work retains its influence into the twenty-first century.
Gill's relationship with hyper-Calvinism in English Baptist life is a matter of
debate. Peter Toon has argued that Gill was himself a hyper-Calvinist, which
would make Gill the father of Baptist hyper-Calvinism. Tom Nettles has argued
that Gill was not a hyper-Calvinist himself, which would make him merely a
precursor and hero to Baptist hyper-Calvinists.