he statement that _every_ house had one dead. All the
firstborn of such a large population could not have been present at that
time. Some might have left Egypt for purposes of trade, and others would
certainly have been cut off before by death. The story of the tenth
plague, like the other nine, requires to be taken with a very large
grain of salt.

Pharaoh and the Egyptians were now anxious to get rid of the Jews. So
God's people departed in haste. They took good care, however, not to
go empty-handed. They "borrowed" of the Egyptians, without the remotest
intention of ever paying them back, jewels of silver, jewels of gold,
and raiment. In fact they "spoiled the Egyptians." In recent times the
modern Egyptians have wiped off that old score by spoiling a few Jewish
moneylenders, and so returned tit for tat.

God led his people past instead of through the land of the Philistines,
lest they should be frightened by war, and wish to return to Egypt. He
does not seem to have known their character. Considering the delight
with which they subsequently warred against their enemies, and the joy
they took in wholesale massacre, we are inclined to think that they
would have just liked to get their hands into the business of fighting
by trying conclusions with the Philistines. Moses carried off the bones
of Joseph, which must have been rather stale by that time. And God went
before the huge host of six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women
and children, and a mixed multitude of followers; by day in a pillar of
cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give
them light, until at length they found themselves encamped before the
Red Sea.

In the meanwhile God had again hardened Pharaoh's heart, for the
express purpose of killing some more Egyptians and getting more honor to
himself. The Israelites soon heard that Pharaoh was pursuing them with
an army, and they remembered his dreadful war chariots. They found
themselves literally between the devil and the deep sea. Whereupon they
murmured against Moses for bringing them out into the wilderness to die.
But he, disregarding them, stretched forth his miraculous rod over the
sea, and lo! the waters parted, forming a wall on either side of a safe
passage, through which the Jews travelled with dry feet. Pharaoh and
his host, however, attempting the same feat, were overwhelmed by
the down-rushing sea-ramparts, and all drowned. There remained, says
_Exodus_, no