46 



EEV. A. H. FINN, ON THE 



Is there not something of an anachronism in this estimate ? 

 In early ages, and indeed up to the Christian times, was meek- 

 ness considered so great a virtue ? Was it not rather looked 

 upon as weakness of character ? Dr. McNeile asserts that the 

 word C^^V) connotes "always pious humility towards God,'' 

 but in Gen. xvi, 11, xxxi, 42, and Exod. iii, 7, 17, it is the 

 word rendered "affliction,'' and in Deut. xxiv, 12 it is applied 

 to the "poor " man whose pledge is not to be retained. Was 

 the Avriter of Ps. Ixx, 5 " self-righteous " when he asserted 

 "I am poor i;^':^) and needy (]Vnt^)"? Poverty and 

 humiliation are suggested by the word rather than pious 

 humility. At any rate, the general tendency of the Pentateuch 

 can hardly be accused of showing a spirit of boastfulness ; and 

 that leads us on to the next consideration. 



(c) Record of Failings. 



The failings of Moses are frankly and unsparingly stated. 

 He is represented as escaping from Egypt in fear (Exod. ii, 14) ; 

 as neglecting the rite of circumcision (Exod. iv, 24-26) ; as 

 distrusting the validity of his commission (Exod. v, 22-23) ; 

 as breaking the tables of the Law in hot anger (Exod. xxxii, 19) ; 

 as despairing of his power to manage the people (Num. xi, 11- 

 15); as having married a " Cushite " wife (Num. xii, 1); as 

 failing to sanctify the Lord at Meribah (Num. xx, 12). 



Would any contemporary or any later writer have ventured 

 so to disparage the character of the great Leader ? Contrast 

 the glorification of Moses to be found in the Talmud, or even 

 the terms in which he is alluded to in the Psalms. 



In like manner, who would have recorded without any 

 extenuation the drunkenness of Noah, the deceit of Abraham, 

 Isaac, and Jacob, the incest of Judah, the conspiracy of the 

 ten brethren against Joseph, Aaron's sin in making the Golden 

 Calf, the presumption and fate of Aaron's sons, Miriam's leprosy, 

 the repeated murmurings and backslidings of the people ; or 

 would have included the scathing denunciations in Deuteronomy 

 of Israel as rebellious, stiff-necked, and uncircumcised in heart 

 or the terrible warnings of Lev. xxvi and Deut. xxviii? 



(d) Matters only known to Moses. 



In many parts there are accounts of what took place when 

 Moses alone of human beings was present. The happenings 

 at the Burning Bush ; the renewal of that commission in Egypt ; 



