John Calvin Commentary Exodus 19:4

"Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles` wings, and brought you unto myself." — Exodus 19:4 (ASV)

You have seen. With the view of gently inviting the people to obedience, He first recalls to their memory the blessing of their deliverance. He then promises that the blessings of the future would be no less, if they, for their part, honored their deliverer with the piety and gratitude that belong to Him.

He recounts the two parts of His loving-kindness: first, that He had exerted His tremendous power against the Egyptians; and secondly, that He had marvelously brought His redeemed people through the sea and the mighty wilderness, as if through the clouds and the air.

This was an instance of His inestimable grace: He had made war against a most powerful king, afflicted a most flourishing nation, and devastated a land remarkable for its extreme fertility, all to help a group of despised slaves.

For there was no dignity in them—who were, first of all, foreigners, and moreover, abject herdsmen devoted to base and shameful slavery—by which God might have been prompted, for their sakes, to destroy the Egyptians, who were illustrious in glory, wealth, the richness of their land, and the splendor of their empire.

Therefore, it would have been detestable ingratitude not to acknowledge their great obligations to God.

What He adds secondly, that He bore them as eagles are accustomed to carry their young, refers to the constant course of His paternal care.

Moses will later use the same comparison in his song, and it often occurs in the prophets.

But He mentions the eagle rather than other birds, in my opinion, so that He may magnify their difficulties and thus commend His grace.

For eagles lift their young to high places and accustom them to look at the sun; thus the people, as if carried above the clouds on the wings of God, had overcome every obstacle, however great.

For the idea that some have—that eagles are mentioned instead of other birds because they alone bear up their young on their wings—is a foolish and truly Rabbinical interpretation.²⁰⁸

²⁰⁸ This Rabbinical comment is thus briefly stated in S. M., — I bare you as it were on my shoulders, as an eagle carries her young ones upon her wings, and not after the manner of other birds, who bear up their young ones with their feet wherever they wish to carry them. — , — I bare you as it were on my shoulders, as an eagle carries her young ones upon her wings, and not after the manner of other birds, who bear up their young ones with their feet wherever they wish to carry them. — W See Illustrated Commentary on See Illustrated Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:11..