Scripture Notes | AdventAI

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 10, 1867

Scripture Notes.

THE NAME, MACCABEE.

Ex. xv, 11: Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

1. Who is like unto thee, O Lord?] ‘Judas Maccabæus had the initial letters of the Heb. of these words, M. C. B. I. on his standards; whence the name Maccabee remained to the Asmonean family.’ CALMET.

THE SABBATH FROM THE BEGINNING.

Ex. xvi, 22: And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man; and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.

It is evident that the miracle, on this occasion, consisted in the larger quantity of manna that fell on the sixth day; which caused it to be so much thicker on the ground than at other times, that the people gathered twice the quantity, with little additional labor; and not in a subsequent increase of the quantity which each person had gathered. As the rulers came to inform Moses, that the people had gathered twice the usual quantity, it may be supposed they were appointed to superintend the distribution, and wanted his directions in the present case; and this gave him the opportunity of more fully stating to them, and by them to the people, the obligation of keeping the Sabbath as a holy rest unto the Lord. It is remarkable that three miracles were wrought every week, in honor of the Sabbath, even before the promulgation of the Mosaic law. Double the quantity fell the day before; none fell on the Sabbath day; nor did that corrupt which they kept for that day. This confirms the opinion, that the institution of the Sabbath was from the beginning. Indeed, the whole narrative implies that reference was made to an institution before known, but not properly remembered or regarded; and not to any new law given on the occasion. Neither the inquiry of the elders, nor the language of Moses, can be consistently interpreted of an entirely new institution. SCOTT.

VISITING INIQUITY ON THE CHILDREN.

Ex. xx, 5: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.

Visiting the iniquity, &c.] ‘This doth not contradict Ezek. xviii, 17: “The son shall not die for the iniquity of his father;” meaning, one man shall not be condemned for the sin of another, unless by commission, approbation, or some other way, he make it his own. But it is otherwise with temporal punishments, 2 Sam. xxiv, 15, 17; 1 Kings xiv, 12, 13.’ ASSEMB. ANN. Every day's experience, shows us children suffering for the sins, vices and follies of their parents, by hereditary diseases, poor constitutions, bad education and example, bad name, intemperance, and a thousand other parental sins, and disobediences of God's natural laws, so called. JENKS.