nations
in similar phrases. Thus Isaiah, describing the destruction of Babylon,
says (chap. xiii.): "The stars of heaven, and the constellations
thereof, shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in his
going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine." Now I
suppose no one imagines that at the destruction of Babylon these
phenomena actually occurred any more than that which the prophet adds,
"For I will make the heavens to tremble, and remove the earth out of her
place."

So, too, Isaiah in foretelling to the Jews that they would return from
Babylon to Jerusalem in safety, and would not suffer from thirst on
their journey, says: "And they thirsted not when He led them through the
deserts; He caused the waters to flow out of the rocks for them; He
clave the rocks, and the waters gushed out." These words merely mean
that the Jews, like other people, found springs in the desert, at which
they quenched their thirst; for when the Jews returned to Jerusalem with
the consent of Cyrus, it is admitted that no similar miracles befell
them.

In this way many occurrences in the Bible are to be regarded merely as
Jewish expressions. There is no need for me to go through them in
detail; but I will call attention generally to the fact that the Jews
employed such phrases not only rhetorically, but also, and indeed
chiefly, from devotional motives. Such is the reason for the
substitution of "bless God" for "curse God" (in 1 Kings xxi. 10, and Job
ii. 9), and for all things being referred to God, whence it appears
that the Bible seems to relate nothing but miracles, even when speaking
of the most ordinary occurrences, as in the examples given above.

Hence we must believe that when the Bible says that the Lord hardened
Pharaoh's heart, it only means that Pharaoh was obstinate; when it says
that God opened the windows of heaven, it only means that it rained very
hard, and so on. When we reflect on these peculiarities, and also on the
fact that most things are related very shortly, with very little detail,
and almost in abridgments, we shall see that there is hardly anything in
Scripture which can be proved contrary to natural reason, while, on the
other hand, many things which before seemed obscure, will after a little
consideration be understood and easily explained.

I think I have now very clearly explained all that I proposed to
explain, but before I finish this chapter I would call attention to the
fact