He then adds, According to the word; for so I render the particle את, at This is the most approved manner. There is no instance in which it means "according.” It may be rendered—“This is the word,” etc. There were two things which were intended to dispel their fear—the covenant made with the fathers, and the Spirit of God—the spirit of prophecy, “standing,” or existing among them. The Chaldee Paraphrase is—“My Prophets are teaching among you.” The verse may be thus translated— This is the word which I covenanted with you At your coming forth from Egypt, And my Spirit is continuing among you; fear not. Junius and Tremelius render the [את], “with,” and the verse thus— With the word (i.e., having the word) which I covenanted with you When ye came forth from Egypt, And with my Spirit standing among you, fear not. Henderson considers “the word,” and “my Spirit,” to be nominatives to the particle “standing,” or rather to the auxiliary verb which is to be understood before it, and that “standing” is in the singular number, on account of the nearer nominative “my Spirit.” Newcome follows our version, and views [את] as a preposition—“according to.”—Ed. They who think that the Jews are here reminded that it was their duty to obey God, and purely to serve him, and truly to keep his law, according to what he had commanded them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt, far depart from the design of the Prophet; for the Prophet pursues the same subject; and in the latter clause he confirms what I have just mentioned—that the Spirit of God would be in the midst of them. He therefore shows that he promises nothing new, but what God had formerly engaged to give to their fathers. If any one prefers taking the particle את, at in an explicative sense, I do not object; for the meaning would be the same—that this is the word which he had promised. The object of the Prophet is by no means doubtful; for he means to teach us that God is faithful and constant in his promises, and that the Jews would find this to be the case, for he would perform what he had formerly promised to their fathers. The word, he says, which I had covenanted with you when I brought you out of Egypt. For the Prophets were wont to remind the faithful of the ancient covenant, that they might gain more credit to their special prophecies. We indeed know that whatever God had promised to the Jews, was founded on their first adoption. When, therefore, the Prophets brought forward the ancient covenant, it was the same as though they led the Jews back to the fountain itself; for the promises, which now and then occurred, were like streams which flowed from the first spring, even their gratuitous covenant.