forty years with the wonderful raising up of Moses who together with Aaron were to be instruments of their deliverance and accordingly after the inflicting ten dreadful Plagues upon Pharaoh brought them into the Wilderness through the Red Sea wherein Pharaoh his heart being hardned under all these Plagues and all his host pursuing of them were drowned God having first instituted the Passeover as an abiding Sacrament to bring to their remembrance in after times this great deliverance In their conduct through the Wilderness God gave them the signal mark of his presence in the pillar of a Cloud and the pillar of fire who notwithstanding their great and reiterated murmurings gave them food both bread and flesh from Heaven and drink out of the rock and when they were come to mount Sinai he there gave them the Moral Law beside other both Politick and Ecclesiastical Ordinances Afterwards the breaking of the Tables being occasioned by the Idolatry of the golden Calf God graciously renewed his Covenant with them There being also a Tabernacle and Ark and other things to be made by God's command the bounty of the People in order to the making and furnishing thereof is here set down which being finished the Tabernacle is anointed and filled with the glory of God CHAP. I. 1 NOW these are the names of the * Gen. 46. 8. Exod. 6. 14. children of Israel which came into Egypt a This list is here repeated that by comparing this small root with so vast a company of branches as grew upon it we may see the wonderful Providence of God in the fulfilling of his promises every man and his houshold b His Children and Grandchildren as the word house is taken Ruth 4. 11. 2 Sam. 7. 11. 1 King 21. 29. came with Jacob. 2 Reuben Simeon Levi and Judah 3 Issachar Zebulun and Benjamin c Who though the youngest of all is placed before Dan Naphtali c. because these were the Sons of the handmaidens 4 Dan and Naphtali Gad and Asher 5 And all the souls that came out of the †Heb. thigh loyns of Jacob were * Gen. 46. 27. seventy souls d Including Iacob and Ioseph and his two Sons See Gen. 46. 26 27. and Deut. 10. 22. Or if they were but sixty nine they are called seventy by a round number of which we shall have many instances for Joseph was in Egypt already 6 And Joseph died and all his brethren and all that generation e i. e. All that were of the same age with Ioseph and his brethren 7 * Act. 7. 17. And the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly and multiplied f Here are many words and some very emphatical to express their incredible multiplication and waxed exceeding mighty g This may relate either to their numbers which greatly added to their strength or to their constitution to note that their off-spring was strong as well as numerous Atheistical wits cavil at this story and pretend it impossible that out of seventy persons should come above six hundred thousand men within two hundred and fifteen years Wherein they betray no less ignorance than impiety For to say nothing of the extraordinary fruitfulness of the Women in Egypt who oft bring forth four or five Children at one birth as Aristot. notes Hist. animal 7. 4. nor of the long lives of the men of that age nor of the plurality of Wives then much in use nor of the singular blessing of God upon the Hebrews in giving them Conceptions and Births without Abortion All which are but very reasonable suppositions the probability of it may plainly appear thus suppose there were only 200 years reckoned and onely fifty persons who did beget Children and these begin not to beget before they be twenty years old and then each of them beget onely three Children Divide this time now into ten times twenty years In the first time of 50 come 150. In the second of 150 come 450. Of them in the third come 1350. Of them in the fourth 4050. Of these in the fifth 12150. Of these in the sixth 36450. Of them in the seventh 109350. Of them in the eighth 328050. Of theâ—… in the ninth 984150. And of them in the tenth 2952450. It it be objected that we read nothing of their great multipâ—…tion till after Iosephs death which some say was not above 50 years before their going out of Egypt it may easily be replyed 1. This is a great mistake for there were above 140 years between Iosephs death and their going out of Egypt as may appear thus It is granted that the Israelites were in Egypt about 210 or 215 years in all They came not thither till Ioseph was near 40 years old as is evident by comparing Gen. 41. 46. with Gen. 45. 6. So there rests onely 70 years of Iosephs Life which are the first part of the time of Israels dwelling in Egypt and there remain 145 years being the other part of the 215 years 2. That the Israelites did multiply much before Iosephs death though Scripture be silent in it as it is of many other passages confessedly true cannot be reasonably doubted But if there was any defect in the numbers proposed in the first 55 years it might be abundantly compensated in the 145 years succeeding And so the computation remains good and the land was filled with them 8 Now there arose up a new King g i. e. Another King one of another disposition or interest or Family for the Kingdom of Egypt did oft pass from one Family to another as appears from the History of the Dynaâ—…es recorded in antient writers over Egypt which knew h Or acknowledged not the vast obligations which Ioseph had laid not onely upon the Kingdoms of Egypt and the King under whom Ioseph lived but upon all his Successors in regard of those vast additions of wealth and power which he had made to that crown This phrase notes his ungrateful disowning and ill requiting of Iosephs favours For words of knowledge in Scripture commonly include the affections and actions as men are oft said not to know God when they do not love nor serve him and God is said not to know men when he doth not love them not Joseph 9 And he said unto his people * Psal. 105. 24. Behold the people of the children of Israel are moe and mightier than we i This was not a true but an invidious representation and aggravation of the matter the better to justifie the severities which he designed 10 Come on * Act. 7. 19. let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply and it come to pass that when there falleth out any war k Which was not unusual in that countrey they joyn also unto our enemies and fight against us and so get them up out of the land l Which they might easily learn from some of the Hebrews that they were in
due time to do And they were very unwilling to part with them because of the tribute and service which they did receive and expect from them 11 Therefore they did set over them task-masters m Heb masters of tribute who were to exact from them the tribute required which was both mony and labour that their purses might be exhausted by the one their strength by the other and their spirits by both * Gen. 15. 13. to afflict n Or oppress or humble to spend their strength by excessive labours and so disenable them for the procreation of children them with their burdens and they built for Pharaoh treasure-cities o Where they laid the Kings money or corn which is reckoned among treasures 2 Chro. 17. 12. and 32. 27. and wherein a great part of the riches of Egypt consisted for they had corn enough not onely for themselves but to sell to other countries so that Egypt was accounted the granary of the Roman Empire Or defenced cities in which Garrisons were to be placed which seems best to agree with the place and use of them For they were in the borders of the land and among the Israelites which appears concerning the one from Gen. 47. 11. where the land in which they were placed is called Rameses which in Hebrew consists of the same letters with this Raamses and seems to be so called then by anticipation from the City of that name now built in it and may be reasonably presumed concerning the other and therefore it is most probable that they were built to keep the Israelites in subjection and to hinder them from going out of the land Pithom and Raamses 12 †Heb. and as they afflicted them so they multiplied c. But the more they afflicted them the more they multiplyed p Through Gods over-ruling providence and singular blessing which God gave them purposely to hasten first their sorer affliction and next and by that means their glorious deliverance and grew and they were grieved * Through envy and fear because of the children of Israel 13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour q Or cruelty or tyranny with hard words and cruel usage without mercy or mitigation This God permitted for wise and just reasons 1. as a punishment of their Idolatry into which divers of them fell there Ios. 24. 14. Ezek. 20 5 7 8. and 23. 8. 2. to wean them from the land of Egypt which otherwise was a plentiful and desirable land and to quicken their desires after Canaan 3. to prepare the way for Gods glorious works and Israels deliverance 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage * Psal. 81. 6. in morter and in brick and in all manner of service in the field r Which was the basest and most laborious of all their services all their service wherein they made them serve was with rigour 15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives s Such as not onely were employed about the Hebrew women but were Hebrews themselves not Egyptians as some suppose as may appear 1. because they are expresly called not the midwives of the Hebrews but the Hebrew midwives 2. the Egyptian midwives would not willingly employ their time and pains among the meanest and poorest of servants as these were And if they were sent in design by the King he had lost his end which was to cover his cruelty with cunning and to perswade the people that their death was not from his intention but from the chances and dangers of child-bearing 3. the Hebrew women as they had doubtless midwives of their own so they would never have admitted others 4. they are said to fear God ver 17. 21. of which the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other t You are not to think that these were the onely midwives to so many thousands of Hebrew women but they were the most eminent among them and it may be for their excellency in that profession called to the service of some Egyptian Ladies and by them known to Pharaoh who might therefore think by their own interest and by the promise of great rewards or by severe threatnings to oblige them to comply with his desires and if he met with the desired success by them he meant to proceed further and to engage the rest in like manner Puah 16 And he said When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women and see them upon the stools u A seat used by women when ready to be delivered conveniently framed for the midwives better discharge of her office if it be a son then ye shall kill him x Which it was not difficult for them to do without much observation but if it be a daughter then she shall live y Either 1. because he feared not them but the males onely and some adde that he was advised by one of their magicians that a male-child should be born of the Israelites who should be a dreadful scourge to the Egyptians or 2. they reserved them for their lust or for service or for the increase of their people and the raising of a fairer breed by them 17 But the midwives feared God z More then the King and therefore chose to obey God rather than the King their commands being contrary each to other and did not as the King of Egypt commanded them but saved the men-children alive 18 And the King of Egypt called for the midwives and said unto them Why have ye done this thing and have saved the man-men-children alive 19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women for they are lively a Or vigorous and active in promoting the birth of their own children or like the beasts which without any help of others bring forth their young So the Hebrew word signifies and so there is onely a defect of the particle of similitude which is frequent as I have noted before and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them b This might be no lye as many suppose but a truth concerning many of them and they do not affirm it to be so with all And so it might be either because their daily and excessive labours joyned with the fears of the execution of the Kings command whereof they seem to have gotten notice did hasten their birth as the same causes do commonly in other women or because they understanding their danger would not send for the Midwives but committed themselves to Gods providence and the care of some of their neighbours present with them So here was nothing but truth though they did not speak the whole truth which they were not obliged to do 20 Therefore c Because they feared God and spared the children ver 17 whereby they exposed themselves to the Kings displeasure because they would not offend God
King 〈◊〉 39. and before the succeeding Kings who are commonly called Anointed or the Lords Anointed as 1. Sam. 12. 3 5. and 24. 6 10. Psal. 89. 38 51. Lam. 4. 10. Or rather Secondly Before Jesus Christ First Because this Title of Anointed or Christ or Messias both which words signifie only the Anointed is most frequently and eminently Ascribed to Christ both in the Old and New Testament and therefore it is most reasonable to understand it of him when there is nothing in the Text or Context which Determines it to any other Secondly Christ is the main Scope and Design not only of the New but of the Old Testament which in all its Types and Ceremonies represented Christ and particularly the High-Priest was an eminent Type of Christ and did Represent his Person and Act in his Name and Stead and did mediately what Iohn Baptist did immediately go before the face of the Lord Christ and when Christ did come that Office and Officer was to cease Thirdly The High-Priest is seldom or never said to Walk or Minister before the Kings of Israel or Iudah but constantly before the Lord and consequently before Christ who as he was God Blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. was present with and the Builder and Governour of the Ancient Church of Israel as is manifest from Act. 7. 35. 1 Cor. 10. 4. Heb. 3. 3 4 5 6. and many other places and their Temple is particularly called his Temple Mal. 3. 1. because all the Temple-worship was performed in his presence and had a special respect unto him and therefore the High-Priest is most properly said to walk before him for ever 36 And it shall come to pass that every one that is left in thine house shall come ‡ Heb. to â—…ship him and crouch to him y In way of humble Supplication See 1 King 2. 26. and 23. 9. for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread z Whereas before they were so Nice and Delicate that my liberal allowance could not satisfie them but they must have their Meat Raw and Fat c. above v. 13 14 15 16. so the punishment is suited to the Nature of their Sin and shall say ‡ Heb. joy Put me I pray thee into ‖ Or somewhat aboâ—… the Priesthood one of the priests offices Into the meanest office belonging to it See Ezek. 44. 10 11 c. Quest. How could they be reduced to so great straits seeing though they lost the High-Priesthood they still were inferior Priests and had a right to those plentiful Provisions which belonged to that Order Ans. First They might be degraded not only from the Office of the High-Priest but also from that of the Inferior Priests and consequently might forfeit and lose all the Priviledges belonging to their Office Secondly This might be from the Tyranny and Violence of some of the succeeding Priests of Eleazar's Line towards that other Line which had long stood in competition with them and had for a season got away the Priesthood from them For this Text only relates the matter of Fact but doth not express any Approbation of it that I may eat a piece of bread CHAP. III. AND the child Samuel ministred unto the LORD before Eli a i. e. Under his inspection and direction which being so young he needed and the word of the LORD b To wit the word of Prophesie or the Revelation of Gods will to and by Prophets was precious c i. e. Rare or Scarce such things being most Precious in Mens esteem whereas common things are generally despised in those days there was no open vision d God did not impart his mind by way of Vision or Revelation openly or to any publick Person to whom others might resort for satisfaction though he might or did privately reveal himself to some Pious Persons for their particular Direction This is here premised as a reason why Samuel understood not when God called him once or twice 2 And it came to pass at that time when Eli was laid down in his place e In the Court of the Tabernacle and his eyes began to wax dim that he could not see f To wit clearly and distinctly This is added as an Evidence of his Old Age partly to shew God's contempt of him notwithstanding his Venerable Age and his preferring the child Samuel before him in this vision and partly as the reason why Samuel so readily ran to him upon the first call because his great Age made him more to need his Servants help 3 And ere the lamp of God went out g Before the Lights of the Golden Candlestick were put out i. e. in the Night-season or before the Morning when they were put out as they were Lighted in the Evening Exod. 27. 21. Levit. 24. 3. 2 Chron. 13. 11. in the temple h i. e. In a place nigh to the Tabernacle the Particle in being oft used for near as hath been shewed formerly for in the Tabernacle or Temple none might lie of the LORD where the ark of God was and Samuel was laid down to sleep i Not that this happened when he first lay down but whilst he was lying there 4 That the LORD called Samuel and he answered Here am I. 5 And he ran k Shewing his great Faithfulness and Diligence in the Service either of the Lord or of his Master Eli. unto Eli and said Here am I for thou calledst me And he said I called not lie down again And he went and lay down 6 And the LORD called yet again Samuel And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said Here am I for thou didst call me And he answered I called not my son lie down again 7 ‖ Or thus did Samuel before he knew the LORD and before the word of the LORD was revealed unto him Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD l Either First He was not acquainted with God in that Extraordinary or Prophetical way Or rather Secondly He did not yet understand any more than before that it was not Eli but God who spake to him And this ignorance of Samuel's served Gods Design that his simplicity might give Eli the better assurance of the truth of Gods call and message to Samuel neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him 8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time And he arose and went to Eli m He persists in the same readiness to obey and serve him and was not discouraged or driven from his Duty by his double mistake and disappointment and said Here am I for thou didst call me And Eli perceived n By the consideration of Samuel's Piety of the Sanctity of the place adjoyning from whence God had oft-times spoken and of the Solitude of the place where there was no human Person besides himself who could or would have called Samuel in that manner that the LORD had called the
puffed up with the great Gifts which he had now received Comp. 2 Cor. 12. 7. And partly to stir him up to a more lively Exercise of Faith and Prayer which followed God's denial or suspension of his help as it is here expressed which also was attended with desired success hither and thither and Elisha went over 15 And when the sons of the prophets which were * ver 7. to view at Jericho saw him r Or as it is in the Hebrew And the sons of the Prophets who lived in Iericho saw him over-against them from â—…ome Hill where they stood at a convenient distance to observe the Event ver 7. they said s Heb. and they said â—…ither by Revelation or rather by the visible Effects of it which they saw The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him s Thereby testifying their Reverence and Subjection to him as Elijah's Successor and their Master and Teacher 16 ¶ And they said unto him Behold now there be with thy servants fifty ‡ Heb. sons of strength strong men t Able to take such a journey let them go we pray thee and seek thy master lest peradventure * Ezek. 8. 3. Act. 8. 39. the spirit of the LORD hath taken him up and cast him upon ‡ Heb. one of the Mountains some mountain or into some valley u They thought either 1. That God had not finally taken him away from them but onely for a time comp 1 King 18. 12. which they heartily desired and therefore easily believed or that God had onely taken away his Soul and that his Body was cast down into some place which they desired to seek that they might give it an honourable Buâ—…ial And he said Ye shall not send 17 And when they urged him till he was ashamed x i. e. To wit to deny them any longer lest they should think his denial proceeded from a neglect of his Master or a contempt of the Sons of the Prophets or a secret content he took in his Masters loss that he might have his Honour and Power Or till they were ashamed because he did so oft and so obstinately deny their Request he said Send They sent therefore fifty men and they sought three days but found him not 18 And when they came again to him for he tarried at Jericho he said unto them Did I not say unto you Go not 19 ¶ And the men of the city said unto Elisha Behold I pray thee the situation of this city is pleasant as my lord seeth but the water is naught and the ground ‡ Heb. causing to miscarry barren y Either it was so Originally at least as to that part of the City where the Colledge of the Prophets was for it is not necessary to understand this of the whole Territory or it became so from the Curse of God inflicted upon it either when Ioshua first took it or afterwards when Hiel Rebuilt it Howsoever upon the Prophets care it grew exceeding fruitful and therefore is commended for its Fertility by later Writers 20 And he said Bring me a new cruse z Partly that there might be no ground of suspition that the Cure was wrought by any natural Vertue of any thing which was or had been in the Cruse before but onely by God's Power and partly that there might be no Legal Pollution in it which might offend God and hinder his Miraculous Operation by it and put salt therein a A most improper Remedy for Salt naturally makes Waters brackish and Lands barren Hereby therefore he would shew That this was Effected solely by the Divine Power which could work either without means or against them And they brought it to him 21 And he went forth unto the spring of the waters and cast the salt in there b Which was in it self idle and ineffectual considering both the quality of Salt and the small quantity of it and the place where it was put the Fountain which quickly works out any thing which is put into it See Levit. 11. 36. but was onely used as a sign of God's Presence and Power which did the thing compare Exod. 15. 25. 2 King 4. 41. and 6. 6. and said Thus saith the LORD I have healed these waters there shall not be from thence any more death c i. e. Hurt or Danger as death is oft used as 2 Cor. 11. 23. to Men or Beasts by drinking of it as formerly or barren land 22 So the waters were healed unto this day according to the saying of Elisha which he spake 23 ¶ And he went up from thence unto Bethel d To the other School or Colledge of Prophets to inform them of Elijah's translation and his succession into the same office and to direct and comfort and stablish them as he saw occasion and as he was going up by the way there came forth little children e Or children or young men as this Hebrew word oft signifies as Gen. 22. 5 12. and 41. 12. 2 Chr. 13. 7. Isa. 11. 6. It is more than probable they were old enough to discern between good and evil as their expression sheweth out of the city f Bethel which was the mother-City of Idolatry 1 King 12. 28 29. Hos. 4. 15. and 5. 8. where the Prophets planted themselves that they might bear witness against it and dissuade the people from it though it seems they had but small success there and mocked him g With great petulancy and vehemency as the conjugaiton of the Hebrew Verb signifies deriding both his Person and Ministry and that from a prophane contempt of the True Religion and a passionate Love to that Idolatry which they knew he opposed and said unto him Go up h Go up into Heaven whither thou pretendest that Elijah is gone Why didst not thou accompany thy Friend and Master to Heaven O that the same Spirit would take thee up also that thou mightest not trouble us nor our Israel as Elijah did thou bald-head i So they mock his Natural infirmity which is a great sin go up thou bald-head k There petition shews their heartiness and earnestness that it was no sudden nor rash slip of their Tongue but a scoff proceeding from a rooted impiety and hatred of God and his Prophets 24 And he turned back and looked on them and cursed them l Nor was this punishment too great for the offence if it be considered that these Children were grown up to some maturity See on v. 23. that their mocking proceeded from a great malignity of mind against God that they mocked not onely a man and an ancient man whose very Age commanded reverence and a Prophet but even God himself and that most Admirable and Glorious Work of God the assumption of Elijah into Heaven which makes it in some degree resemble the sin
against the Holy Ghost That they might be guilty of many other hainous Crimes which God and the Prophet knew and were guilty of Idolatry which by Gods Law deserved death that the Idolatrous Parents were punished in their Children and that if any of these Children were more innocent and ignorant of what they said God might have Mercy upon their Souls and then this death was not a misery but a real blessing to them that they were taken away from that wicked and Idolatrous Education which was most likely to expose them not onely to Temporal but to an Eternal destruction in the Name of the LORD m Not from any carnal or revengeful passion but by the motion of Gods Spirit and by Gods command and commission as appears by Gods concurrence with him Which God did partly for the terror and caution of all other Idolaters and prophane persons who abounded in that place partly to vindicate the Honour and maintain the Authority of his Prophets and particularly of Elisha now especially in the beginning of his Sacred Ministry And this did beget such a confidence in Elisha that he durst venture to go into Bethel after this was done and such a terror in the Bethelites that they durst not avenge themselves of him and there came forth two she-bears n Possibly robbed of their Whelps and therefore more fierce Prov. 17. 12. Hos. 13. 8. but certainly acted by an extraordinary fury which God raised in them for this purpose out of the wood and tare forty and two children o This Hebrew word signifies not onely young Children but those also who are grown up to maturity as Gen. 32. 22. and 34. 4. and 37. 30. Ruth 1. 5. of them 25 And he went from thence to mount Carmel p Partly to decline the fury of the People of Bethel partly that he might retire himself from men and converse more freely with God and so fit himself more for the discharge of his employment and partly that he might visit the Sons of the Prophets who lived in that place or near it and from thence he returned to Samaria q By the direction of Gods Spirit for the service which he did chap. 3. 11 c. CHAP. III. NOw Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah a Quest. How can this be true when Ahaziah Iehoram's predecessor who Reigned two Years began his Reign in Iehoshaphat's 17th Year 1 King 22. 51 Ans. Either Ahaziah Reigned the greatest part of two Years to wit of the 17th and 18th Years of Iehoshaphat parts of Years being oft called years in the computation of times both in Scripture and other Authors and Iehoram began his Reign towards the end of his 18th Year or Ahaziah Reigned part of this two Years with his Father and the rest after him and reigned twelve years 2 And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD but not like his father and like his mother for he put away the ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 image of Baal * 1 King 16. 31 32. that his father had made b Not from any principle of Conscience for that would have reached the Calves also but either because he was startled at the dreadful Judgments of God inflicted upon his Father and Brother for Baal-worship or because he needed Gods help to subdue the Moabites which he knew Baal could not do or to gratify Iehoshaphat whose help he meant to crave which he knew he should never obtain without this and for this reason it seems Iezabel was willing to connive at it as a trick of State 3 Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam c i. e. The worship of the Calves which all the Kings of Israel kept up as a Wall of partition between their Subjects and those of Iudah Thus he shews that his Religion was over-ruled by his Interest and Policy the son of Nebat which made Israel to sin he departed not therefrom 4 ¶ And Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master d A man of great wealth which in those times and places consisted much in Cattel which enabled and emboldned him to Rebel against his Sovereign Lord. and rendred unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs and an hundred thousand rams with the wool 5 But it came to pass when * Ahab was dead that the king of Moab rebelled e See of this ch 1. 1. It is here repeated to make way for the following Story Ahaziah did not attempt the recovery of Moab either because he was a man of a low spirit and courage or because his Sickness or the shortness of his Reign gave not opportunity for it against the king of Israel 6 ¶ And king Jehoram went out of Samaria f To some place appointed for the Rendezvous of his people the same time and numbred all Israel g To wit such as were fit for War 7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah saying The king of Moab hath rebelled against me wilt thou go with me against Moab to battel and he said I will go up I am as thou art my people as thy people and my horses as thy horses h Of which see on 1 King 22. 4. He joyns with him in this War partly because the War was very just in it self and convenient for Iehoshaphat both in the general that Rebels and Revolters should be chastised and suppressed lest the example should pass into his Dominions and the Edomites should be hereby encouraged to revolt from him as they did from his Son and in particular that the Moabites should be humbled who had with others Invaded his Land before this time 2 Chron. 20. 1. and might do so again if they were not brought low for which a fair opportunity was now offered to him and partly because Iehoram had reformed some things and Iehoshaphat hoped by this means to engage him to proceed further in that work 8 And he i Either Iehoshaphat or rather Ioram for the following answer may seem to be Iehoshaphat's said Which way shall we go up And he answered The way through the wilderness of Edom k Which though it was much the longer way yet they thought it best partly to secure the King or Vice-Roy of Edom of whom they might have some suspition from that passage 2 Chron. 20. 22. and to carry both him and his Soldiers along with them into the War both to get their assistance and to prevent them from making a War of diversion against Iudah whilst Iehoshaphat was engaged against Moab and partly that they might invade Moab on their weakest side and where they least expected them God also thus disposed their hearts to make way for the following miracle 9 So the king of Israel went and the king of Judah and the king of Edom l i. e. The Vice-Roy under Iehoshaphat 1 King 22. 47.
2. by God who deals with me according to his Soveraign Power and exact and rigorous Justice and not with that equity and benignity which he sheweth to the generality of men and hath promised to good men such as he knoweth me to be but I am not heard I cry aloud but there is no Judgment n God will not hear my Cause nor pass Sentence which I might reasonably expect from him but he quite neglects me and hath utterly forsaken me and left me in the hands of the Devil and wicked men See the like Complaints of other good men in the like case of desertion Psalm 13. 2. 22. 2. 88. 15. Lament 3. 8. Habak 1. 2. 8. He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass o i. e. So that I know not what to say or do and can see no means nor possibility of getting out of my troubles and he hath sâ—…t darkness in my paths p So that I cannot discern my way or what course I should take 9. He hath stript me of my glory q i. e. Of my Estate and Children and Authority and all my Comforts and taken the crown r i. e. All my Ornaments from my head 10. He hath destroyed me on every side s i. e. In all respects and to all intents and purposes my Person and Family and Estate and I am gone t i. e. I am a lost and dead man Going is oft put for dying as Gen. 15. 2. Psalm 39. 13. and * 〈◊〉 24. 20. mine hope u i. e. All my hopes of the present life as he oft expresseth it but not of the life to come as appears from Iob 13. 15 16. 19. 25 c. hath he removed like a tree x Which being once plucked up by the roots never groweth again 11. He hath also kindled his wrath against me y He hath stirred up his wrath against me of his own accord without any provocation of mine humane infirmity excepted and * 〈◊〉 13. 24. 〈◊〉 2. 5. he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies z i. e. He useth me as harshly as if I were an inveterate Enemy of God and of all goodness though he knoweth I am and have ever been an hearty lover and servant of him 12. * 〈◊〉 6. 4. His troops a i. e. My Afflictions which are but God's Instruments and Souldiers marching under his Conduct come together and raise up their way b Either 1. cast a Bank or Trench round about me as an Army doth when they go to besiege a place Or rather 2. make a Causeway or raised Path as Pioneers usually do in low and waterish grounds for the march of an Army God removes all Impediments out of the way and lays me open to all manner of mischief against me and encamp round about my tabernacle 13. * 〈◊〉 31. 11. 38. 11. 69. â—… 88. 8 18. He hath put my brethren c i. e. My Kindred and Friends who might and should have supported and comforted me in my Distress far from me d Either 1. in place because they seared or disdained or at least neglected to visit or succour me Or 2. in their affections which are far from me when their bodies are present with me as I find in you But this also I ascribe to God he hath alienated your hearts from me and mine acquaintance verily are estranged from me 14. My kinsfolk have failed e To wit to perform the offices of humanity and friendship which they owe to me and my Familiar friends have forgotten me f i. e. Neglect and disregard me as much as if they had quite forgotten me 15. They that dwell in mine house g Who by reason of their Sex commonly have and should have more tender and compassionate hearts than men And therefore this is God's doing who hath hardned their hearts against me and my maids h count me for a stranger i Regard my Commands and Concerns no more than a strangers I am an alien in their sight k The same thing repeated through vehemency of passion because this lay very heavy upon him f Heb. The sojourners of my house i. e. such as had formerly sojourned with me whether strangers widows and fatherless whom by the Law of Charity and Hospitality he entertained Or hired Servants who had for a good while their habitation and subsistence in his Family 16. I called my servant l To do some servile office about me for my ease or relief and he gave me no answer m He passed by as if he had been deaf because he loathed and feared to come near to me though I entreated him n To my Commands I added humble and earnest Desires Either 1. with gentle and moving speeches Or rather 2. with my own mouth and not by a proxy with my mouth o. 17. My breath is strange to my wife p Who by reason of the stink of my breath and sores denied me her company though I entreated for the Childrens sake of †Heb. my 〈◊〉 mine own body q By these pledges of our mutual and matrimonial tye and affection the Children which came out of my Loyns and were begotten by me upon her body But divers render the words thus and I entreated the children of my own body i. e. Either some of Iob's younger Children who by reason of their tender years were kept at home with their Father when their elder Brethren and Sisters were gone abroad to the Feast or some of his Grand-children by those grown Sons and Daughters for such also oft come under the name of children But this sense seems not so proper partly because according to that Translation here is mention onely of Iob's entreating them but not a word of their denying his request which is the onely matter of his present Complaint and partly because according to the former Translation it is a great and just aggravation of his Wifes unkindness and exactly answers to the foregoing Verse where the Servants perverseness is aggravated in the same manner and by part of the same words 18. Yea ‖ Or the wicked young children r despised me I arose s To wit for my Seat to shew my respect to them though they were my inferiours to shew my readiness to comply with that mean and low condition into which God had now brought me Or I stood up for so this word sometimes signifies I did not disoblige or provoke them by any uncivil and uncomely carriage towards them but was very courteous to them and yet they make it their business to rail against me as you also do and they spake against me Or Fools the most contemptible persons 19. * Psal. 41. 9. 55. 13 14 20. All †Heb. the men of my secret my inward friends t Heb. the men of my secret my Intimates and Confidents
2. 12. They did not fall into sin once or twice as good men may do but it was their usual practice and therefore they are justly punished and because of their iniquities are afflicted d With wasting sickness as appears from v. 18 20. Compare Iob 33. 19 c. Psal. 39. 12 c. 18. * Job 33. 20. Their soul e Either themselves with all their soul or their appetite as the soul is taken Iob 33. 20. Isa. 29. 8. abhorreth all manner of meat f Which is an usual effect of great sickness and they draw ‖ Psal. 9. 13. 8â—… 3. near unto the gates of death g They are sick well-nigh unto death 19. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble he sayeth them out of their distresses 20. He sent his word h His command or his blessing which came with power and healed them and delivered them from their destructions 21. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men 22. And * Lev. 7. 12. Psal. 50. 14. let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving i Either properly so called or praises and thanksgivings to God which in Scripture are called Sacrifices because they are no less acceptable to God than costly Sacrifices and declare his works with †Heb. singing rejoycing 23. They that go down to the sea k He saith go down either because the Sea or the shore of it is commonly lower than their habitations from whence they come or than the natural or artificial banks which are raised to prevent the inundation of the waters or because the Sea is lower than the earth as may be gathered from the rivers which run down into it in ships that do business l Whose occupation lies there either as Merchants or as Mariners in great waters 24. These see the works of the LORD and his wonders m His wonderful works either 1. of Creation fishes of various kinds and shapes and some of prodigious greatness which are unknown to other men Or 2. of Providence in raising and laying storms of which he speaks in the following verses in the deep 25. For he commandeth and †Heb. maketh to stand raiseth the stormy wind n The winds and storms come not by chance but by the disposition of Divine providence which lifteth up the waves thereof 26. They mount up to the heaven they go down again to the depths o Towards the bottom of the Sea their soul is melted because of trouble p Through the perplexity of their minds and fear of sudden and violent death 27. They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man q Not so much from the giddiness of their heads which is not usual in persons accustomed to the Sea as through the violent and various motions of the Sea and the ship and †Heb. all 〈◊〉 wisdom is swallowed up are at their wits end 28. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble and he bringeth them out of their distresses 29. He maketh the storm a calm so that the waves thereof are still 30. Then are they glad because they be quiet so he bringeth them unto their desired haven 31. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men 32. Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people r Not only in their own hearts and families but even in publick assemblies and before all persons as they have opportunity and praise him in the assembly of the elders s The Magistrates or Rulers who are here opposed to the people The sence is let them not be ashamed nor afraid to speak of Gods wonderful works and praises before the greatest of men as mean persons commonly are Compare Psal 119. 46. Or he mentions the Elders particularly because they were most apt to neglect and forget God and to exaâ—…t themselves above and against him and therefore it was meet and necessary that they should be acquainted with the Almighty power and universal providence and dominion of God that they themselves might learn subjection and reverence to God and might promote it among their people 33. He turneth rivers t Either 1. properly so called which he can divert or dry up when he pleaseth as sometimes he hath done Or father 2. those grounds which are well watered and therefore very fruitful as the next verse explains this And so the water-springs here and v. 35. and the standing water v. 35. are taken into a wilderness u Into a dry ground as it follows which is like a parched and barren wilderness and the water-springs into dry ground 34. A fruitful land into †Heb. saltness barrenness x Heb. Into saltness which procures barrenness See Deut. 29. 23. Iudg. 9. 45. for the wickedness of them that dwell therein y He doth not inflict these judgments by choice or without cause but for the punishment of sin in some and the prevention of it in others 35. * Isa. 41. 18. He turneth the wilderness into a standing water z Into a well-watered and fruitful land and dry ground into water-springs 36. And there he maketh the hungry a Poor people who could not provide for themselves or were banished from their own land by potent oppressors and were driven into wildernesses like them Iob 30. 3. which God in pity to them made fruitful to dwell that they may prepare a city for habitation 37. And sow the fields and plant vineyards which may yield b Heb. and they shall make or procure from their fields and vineyards fruits of increase c Such fruits as they use to produce 38. He blesseth them also so that they are multiplied greatly and suffereth not their cattel to decrease d Preserves them from abortion and deadly diseases and on the contrary causeth them to increase as he said in the former branch which is here repeated in other words after the same manner 39. Again they e These poor men who when they are exalted and blessed by God kick at him and grow insolent and secure as the manner of men is are minished and brought low f Are by Gods just judgment diminished in their numbers and in their blessings through oppression affliction and sorrow g Or through wicked oppression by the tyranny of others whom God sends to spoil them of their abused riches and by other griefs or grievous calamities which God inflicts 40. * Job 12. 21 24. He poureth contempt upon princes h Those who were honourable and adored like Gods by their people and terrible to all their enemies he renders them despicable to their own Subjects and to other Nations and this he doth suddenly abundantly and unavoidably as this phrase of pouring it out upon them seems to
the Husband and in the Wife onely by his consent or permission as is evident from Gen. 5. 29. 35. 18. Luke 1. 60 63. and many other places of Scripture is wholly appropriated to her his name Immanuel l Which signifies God with us God dwelling among us in our Nature Ioh. 1. 14. God and Man meeting in one Person and being a Mediator between God and Men. For the design of these Words is not so much to relate the Name by which Christ should commonly be called as to describe his Nature and Office As we read that his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor c. Isa. 9. 6. and that this is said to be his the Messiah's name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousness Ier. 23. 6. although he be never called by these Names in any other place of the Old or New Testament but the meaning of these Places is He shall be Wonderful and our Counsellor c. and our Righteousness for to be called is oft put for to be as Isa. 1. 26. 4. 3. c. 15 Butter and honey m The common Food of Children in that Country where they were in great abundance and of the best sort shall he n The Virgins Son last mentioned who though he be God blessed for ever yet shall become Man and to shew the truth of his Humanity shall not onely be conceived and brought forth but also shall be nouâ—…ished and brought up by the same means and steps as other children which is justly mentioned here as a stupendious and miraculous Work of God eat that he may know o That by this Food he may grow up and so may know c. Or until he know as it is rendred by divers Learned Men and among others by the Chaldee Interpreter who best knew the use of this Particle among the Hebrews to refuse the evil and chuse the good p To discern between things morally good and evil which Children are capable of doing in some measure when they are five or six years old Compare Deut. 1. 39. where young Children are described by this Character that they had no knowledge between good and evil 16 * See Ch. 8. 4. For q Or Yea for so this Particle is used by way of amplification or addition Isa. 32. 13. Ier. 14. 5 18. So the sence is Not onely this Land of thine shall be preserved until the Virgins Son be born but thine Enemies Land shall be sorely scourged and these two Kings destroyed within a very little time before the child r Heb. this child not the Virgins Son but the Prophets Child Shear-jashub whom in all probability the Prophet to prevent mistakes pointed at and who was brought hither by God's special command v. 3. and that for this very use for otherwise his Presence was wholly insignificant shall know to refuse the evil and chuse the good the land s The Lands to wit of Syria and Israel as is evident from the next Words It is an Euallage of the Singular for the Plural that thou abhorrest t For its cruel Designs and Practices against Or which vexeth or molesâ—…eth thee as this Word is used Exod. 1. 12. Numb 22. 3. c. shall be forsaken of both her Kings u So far shall Pekah and Rezin be from conquering thy Land that they shall lose their own Lands and their Lives too which they did within two years after this time being both slain by the King of Assyria 2 Kings 15. 29 30. 16. 9. 17 The LORD shall bring x But although God will deliver you at this time for his own Names sake yet he will remember and requite all your present and following Wickedness and hath a dreadful Judgment in store for you upon thee y For part of this Assyrian Storm fell in Ahaz his Reign 2 Chron. 28. 20. c. and upon thy people and upon thy fathers house z Upon thy Sons and Successours the Kings of Iudah the Accomplishment whereof is recorded in their History days a To wit evil days by a Synechdcche or Calamities for days are oft put for the Events which happen in them and especially for Judgments or Tribulations as Iob. 18. 20. Psal. 137. 7. Isa. 9. 4. Obad. v. 12. that have not come from the day that * 1 Kings 12. 16. Ephraim departed from Judah b When Ten Tribes revolted from thy Fathers House and set up another opposite Kingdom even the king of Assyria c Who may well be called their Plague or Calamity as he is called the rod of God's anger Isa. 10. 5. Or with as this Hebrew Particle oft signifies the king c. or by the king c. And king is here put for kings as Dan. 2. 37. 8. 21. 18 And it shall come to pass in that day d Known to God and appointed by him for the execution of these Judgments that the LORD shall hiss e See on Isa. 5. 26. for the flie f The Flies So he calls these Enemies to imply either their great Numbers or their speedy March or their unavoidable Assault that is in the uttermost pâ—… g In or near or towards their Extremity or End where they go out into the Sea of the rivers h Of the River Nilus which may be called rivers either for its greatness for which cause the Title of rivers is given also to Euphrates Psal. 137. 1. and to Tigâ—…is Naâ—… 2. 6. or because towards the end of it it is divided into seven famous Streams by which it emptieth it self into the Midland Sea Isa. 11 15. He seems plainly to design and describe the Egyptians who were always dangerous Neighbours to Iudah and did probably animate and assist the Philistins and Edomites and others against them and at last made a formal Invasion and Conquest of their Land 2 Kings 23. 33 c. Besides when the Chaldaeans had in good measure subdued the Egyptians it is very probable that great numbers of the Egyptian Soldiers did list themselves in the Chaldaean Army and with them invade the Land of Iudah of Egypt and for the bee i The Bees the Assyrian Army who are compared to Bees as for their numerous Forces and orderly March so for their fierce Attempts and mischievous Effects that is in the land of Assyria k In the Empire of Assyria or Babylon for these two were united into one Empire and therefore in Scripture are promiscuously called sometimes by one Title and sometimes by the other 19 And they l The Flies and especially the Bees shall come and shall rest all of them m They shall have an easie Victory few or none of them shall be slain in the Attempt in the desolate valleys n Either 1. such as were and had long been desolate So it signifies the vast Numbers of their Enemies which filled all Places both such as
the whole society of the faithful and wandring hither and thither Others render the words mourning and trembling or trembling and wandring These two words note both the unquietness and horrour of his Mind and Conscience and the unsettledness of his habitation and condition and as some add the trembling of his Body shalt thou be in the Earth 13 And Cain said unto the LORD ‖ Or mine iniquity is greater than that it may be forgiven my punishment n Heb. My Sin But Sin seems here to be put for punishment as before ver 7. and Gen. 19. 15. Levit. 5. 1. Psal. 69. 27. Prov. 12. 21. For Cain was not so sensible of his sin as of the ill effects of it as himself shews ver 14. is greater than I can bear 14. Behold o Consider how severely thou usest me thou hast driven me out p With publick infamy as the word signifies this day from the face of the Earth q Or This Earth my native Land * and from thy face r i. e. Favour and Protection shall I be hid and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the Earth And it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me s As the publick Enemy of mankind and as one devoted by thee to destruction Quest. Whom did Cain fear when it appears not that there were any but his Father and Mother Answ. So ignorant people conceive but it is a fond conceit to think that there were no more men than are expressed in this Book where God never intended to give a catalogue of all men but only of the Church or those who had some relation to or concern with it Nay that there were very many thousands of men now in being is very credible upon these rational grounds and suppositions 1. That Adam and Eve did according to Gods precept and blessing Gen. 1. 26. procreate Children presently after the fall and Gods gracious reconcilement to them and consequently their Children did so when they came to competent age 2. That those first Men and Women were endowed by God with extraordinary fruitfulness and might have two three four or more at a time as divers persons long after had which was then expedient for the replenishing of the World and the like may be judged of their Children during the Worlds infancy 3. That this Murder was committed but a little before the hundred and thirtieth year of Adams Age which appears by comparing Gen. 4. 25. and 5. 3. Before which time how vast and numerous an off-spring might have come from Adam none can be ignorant that can and shall make a rational computation 15. And the LORD said unto him therefore t Or Assuredly as the word signifies Ier. 2. 32. and 5. 2. Zach. 11. 17. That thou mayst see how I hate murther and how impartially I shall punish all Murtherers and that thou mayst be unhappily free from this fear that thou mayst live for an example to mankind for a terrour to thy self and others whosoever slayeth Cain vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold u i. e. Abundantly he shall be plagued with many and grievous punishments as the phrase is used Levit. 26. 28. Psal. 12. 7. and 79. 12. and in many other places And the LORD set a mark upon Cain x What this was whether a trembling of his Body or a ghastliness of his countenance or what other visible token of the divine displeasure God hath not revealed nor doth it concern us to know lest any finding him should kill him 16. And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD y i. e. Was banished from the place of Gods special presence and habitation from the society of his Father and of the only Church which God had upon Earth and dwelt in the Land of Nod z In the Land which was afterwards called Nod from Cains unsetled condition because he continued wandring hither and thither in it on the East of Eden 17. And Cain knew his Wife a Of which phrase see on Chap. 4. 1. and she conceived and bare †Heb. Chaâ—…och Enoch and he built a City b Partly to divert his troubled mind with business and pleasure and partly for his own security against the Enemies and evils which his guilty Conscience made him fear notwithstanding the assurance which God had given him And this he did as soon as he was in capacity for it either by the increase of his own posterity or by the accession of other degenerate Sons of Adam to him who either being banished or having departed from the Church willingly associated themselves with their brethren in iniquity and called the Name of the City after the name of his Son Enoch c Not after his own name which he knew to be infamous and hateful 18. And unto Enoch was born Irad And Irad begat Mehujael and Mehujael begat Methusael and Methusael begat †Heb. Lemech Lamech 19. And Lamech d The wicked branch of that cursed root of Cain took unto him two Wives e Against Gods first institution Gen. 2. 24. Mal. 2. 15. and without Gods leave the Name of the one was Adah and the name of the other Zillah 20. And Adah bare Iubal He was the Father of such as dwell in Tents f He taught Shepherds to dwell in Tents and to remove them from place to place for conveniency of Pasture The first Authors or Inventers of any thing are commonly called its Fathers and of such as have Cattle g Heb. And of Cattle i. e. The Inventor of the art of keeping and managing Cattle 21. And his Brothers name was Iubal He was the Father of all such as handle the Harp and Organ h Or the lovely instrument But what kind of instrument this was even the Jews do not understand The meaning is he was the Inventer of Musick and musical instruments 22. And Zillah she also bare Tubal-Cain i Whom as the learned conceive and the agreement of the name and function makes probable the Heathens Worshipped by the name of Vulcan the God of Smiths and his Sister Naamah by the name of Venus an †Heb. Whâ—…tter Instructer of every Artificer in Brass and Iron k Who first taught men how to make arms and other instruments of Iron And the Sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah l So called from her beauty which her Name signifies 23. And Lamech said unto his Wives Adah and Zillah m Who observing his fierceness and cruelty feared that the vengeance of God or men would fall upon him and upon them for his sake Hear my voice ye Wives of Lamech hearken unto my speech For ‖ Or I would slay a man in my wound c. I have slain a man to my wounding and †Heb. a Child a young man ‖ Or in my hurt to my hurt n i. e.
c. or in general other rare and excellent things In those dayes men gave portions for their wives as now they have portions with them 54 And they did eat and drink he and the men that were with him and tarried all night and they rose up in the morning and he said * Vers. 56. and 59. send me away unto my master 55 And her brother and her mother said let the damsel abide with us ‖ Or a full year or ten months a few days at the least ten s Others thus a year or at the least ten months the word days being put for a year as elsewhere But it is very improbable that they would demand or expect such a thing from this man whom they saw bent so much upon expedition after that she shall go 56 And he said unto them hinder me not seeing the LORD hath prospered my way send me away that I may go to my master 57 And they said we will call the damsel and inquire at her mouth t i. e. Understand her mind by her words not so much concerning the marriage it self in which she resigned up her self to the disposal of her Parents and Friends and to which she had given an implicit consent by her acceptance of those presents which were made to her for that end as concerning the hastiness of her departure 58 And they called Rebekah and said unto her wilt thou go with this man And she said I will go 59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse u Deborah by comparing chap. 35. 8. In this corrupt Family the Mother and the Nurse are two distinct persons but in Abrahams pious Family there was no such principle or practise See Gen. 21. 7. and Abrahams servant and his men 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said unto her Thou art our sister x i. e. Our near Kinswoman distance of place shall not alienate our affections from thee but we shall still own thee as our sister and as far as we can be ready to perform all the duties of brethren to thee be thou the mother of thousands of millions and * Chap. 22. 17. let thy seed possesse the gate of those which hate them 61 And Rebekah arose and her damsels and they rode upon the camels and followed the man and the servant took Rebekah and went his way 62 And Isaac came from the way of the * Chap. 16. 14. and 25. 11. well Lahai-roi for he dwelt in the south-country y In the Southern part of Canaan as Gen. 12. 9. at Beersheba whither it seems Abraham returned after Sarahs death 63 And Isaac went out to ‖ Or to pray meditate z To converse with God and with himself by pious and profitable thoughts and ejaculations and fervent prayers as for other things so particularly for Gods blessing upon this great affair and so his prayers are eminently answered in the field a He chuseth a solitary place wherein he might more freely attend upon God without any interruption or distraction at the even-tide b That as he had begun the day with God so he might close it with him and commit himself to his protection Compare Psal. 55. 17. and he lift up his eyes and saw and behold the camels were coming 64 And Rebekah lift up her eyes and when she saw Isaac she lighted off the camel c As a testimony of her respect to him whom by the servant she understood to be her Lord and Husband Compare Ios. 15. 18. 1 Sam. 25. 23. 65 For she had said unto the servant what man is this that walketh in the field to meet us And the servant had said It is my master therefore she took a vail and covered her self d In token of modesty reverence and subjection See Gen. 20. 16. 1 Cor. 11. 10. 66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done 67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarahs tent e Partly to give her possession of it and partly to consummate the Marriage Women then had their tents apart from Men. See Gen. 18. 10. and 24. 67. and 31. 33. and took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her and Isaac was comforted after his mothers death f A sorrowful sense whereof he yet had retained though she died three years before this time CHAP. XXV 1 THen a After Sarahs death and Isaacs Marriage again Abraham took b Not from any inordinate lust which his age and eminent grace may sufficiently evince but from a desire of more Children and of accomplishing Gods promise concerning the great multiplication of his seed a wife c A secondary Wife or a Concubine as she is called ver 6. and 1 Chron. 1. 32. and her name was Keturah d A distinct person from Hagar as appears from ver 6. and 12. and as it seems of better quality and younger for Hagar was now eighty years old and not likely to be a mother of six Children 2 And she bare him e Quest. How could Abraham being now about one hundred years old have so many Children when his body was dead in his hundredth year Answ. Because that renewed strength which was miraculously conferred upon him did still in a great measure remain in him being not a temporary action but a durable habit or power Zimran and Jokshan and Medan f These persons were the heads of several people dwelling in Arabia and Syria where we shall find evident footsteps of their names amongst antient Geographers onely a little changed which could not be avoided in their translation into another Language and Midian g The Father of those Midianites of whom we read Gen. 36. 35. Iudg. 6. 2. Isa. 10. 26. and Ishbak and Shuah h From whom Bildad seems to be descended Iob 2. 11. 3 * 1 Chron. 1. 32. And Jokshan begat Sheba and Dedan And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim 4 And the sons of Midian Ephah i Of whom see Isa. 60. 6. and Epher k From whom some think Africa received its name and Hanoch and Abidah and Eldaah all these were the Children of Keturah 5 And Abraham gave l Which before he purposed and promised to give Gen. 24. 36. And now actually gave all that he had m Except that which is excepted in the following verse and except the use and enjoyment of his estate during his own life unto Isaac 6 But unto the sons of the concubines n Hagar and Keturah Concubines are sometimes called Wives as Gen. 16. 3. Iudg. 19. 1 2 3. 29. but their Children had no right to the inheritance For though the Children of Iacobs Concubines did equally partake of the inheritance with the other Children that was done by divine appointment and Iacobs voluntary act and upon special reason because of the vast inheritance promised and
the Syrian of Padan-aram e Either of the Countrey of Syria as it is called Hos. 12. 12. or rather Padan of Syria or as the Septuagint and Chaldee render it Mesopotamia of Syria For that Padan is the proper name of a place may be gathered from Gen. 48. 7. and it is so called from its scituation between two Rivers for Padan signifies a pair or two the sister to Laban the Syrian 21 And Isaac intreated the LORD f He prayed as the Hebrew word signifies instantly or fervently frequently and continually for near twenty years together for so long it was between their marriage and the first child He was so much concerned because not onely his comfort but the truth of Gods promise depended upon this mercy And he knew very well that Gods purpose and promise did not exclude but require the use of all convenient means for their accomplishment for his wife g Or in the presence of his Wife signifying that besides their more secret devotions they did oft-times in a more solemn manner and with united force pray for this mercy wherein they were both equally concerned Or over against his wife noting that each of them did severally and apart intreat God for this mercy so that there was a concurrence if not in place yet in design and action because she was barren h As diverse of those holy women that were progenitours of Christ have long been that it might appear that that sacred stock was propagated more by the vertue of Gods grace and promise then by the power of nature and the LORD was intreated of him and * Rom. 9. 10. Rebekah his wife conceived 22 And the children struggled together within her i In a violent and extraordinary manner which was likely to cause both pain and fear in her and she said If it be so why am I thus k The sense may be either 1. If it be thus with me that there be two Children contending and fighting within me likely to destroy one the other and both threatning my death why did I desire and pray for this as a great mercy Or why is it thus with me Why hath God dealt thus with me to continue my life till it be a burthen to me and to give me conception which is so painful and hazardous Or rather 2. If God hath granted me my desire in the conception of a Child what means this disturbance and conflict within me which threatens me with the loss of the mercy before I enjoy it For she seems not so much to murmur at it as to wonder and to enquire about it as it here follows And she went to inquire of the LORD l Either immediately by ardent prayers to God that he would reveal his mind to her herein or mediately by her Father Abraham who lived fifteen years after this time ver 7. or by some other godly Patriarch yet surviving by whom God used to manifest his Will and Counsels to others when he thought fit 23 And the LORD said unto her m Either by inward inspiration in a dream or vision or by the ministery of an Angel or Prophet Two nations n i. e. The Roots Heads or Parents of two distinct nations one opposite to the other the one blessed the other accursed namely the Israelites and Edomites are in thy womb and two manner of people shall be separated o Not onely separated from thee but one separated or greatly differing from the other in their frame of body temper of mind course of life profession and practise of Religion from thy bowels and the one people shall be stronger then the other people and * Rom. 9. 12. the elder p Or the greater namely Esau who was as older so of a stronger constitution of Body and of greater power and dignity in the World than Iacob and Esaus posterity were great Princes for a long time when Iacobs seed were strangers in Canaan slaves in Egypt and poor afflicted wanderers in the Wilderness But saith he Esau and his shall not always be stronger and mightier than Iacob and his posterity the tables shall be turned and the Children of Israel shall be uppermost and subdue the Edomites which was literally accomplished in Davids time 2 Sam. 8. 14. and afterwards 2 Chron. 25. 11 12. and after that by the Maccabees but much more eminently in a spiritual sense under the Gospel when one of Iacobs Children even Jesus Christ shall obtain the dominion and shall rule the Edomites no less then other Heathen nations with his iron rod and make them serviceable one way or other to his Glory and to the felicity of his true Israel shall serve the younger 24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled behold there were twins in her womb 25 And the first came out red q With red hair upon all the parts of his body From him the Red Sea is supposed to receive its name it being so called as the Heathen writers tell us from one who reigned in those parts and was called Erythras or Erythrus which signifies red the same with Edom or Esau. * Chap. 27. 11. 16. 23. all over like an hairy garment and they called his name Esau r i. e. Made or perfect not properly a Child but rather a man as soon as he was born having that hair upon him which in others was an evidence of manhood 26 And after that came his brother out and * Hosea 12. 3. his hand took hold on Esaus heel and his name was called Jacob s i. e. Supplanter or one that taketh hold of or trippeth up his brothers heels See Gen. 27. 36. and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them 27 And the boys grew and Esau was a cunning hunter u Of wild beasts and afterwards an oppressour of men Compare Gen. 10. 9. This course of Life was most agreeable to his complexion fierce and violent a man of the field x One that delighted more in conversing abroad than at home whose employment it was to pursue the Beasts through Fields and Woods and Mountains who therefore chose an habitation fit for his purpose in mount Seir. and Jacob was †Heb. a perfect or sincere a plain man y A sincere honest and plain-hearted man Or a just and perfect man as the word is used Gen 6. 9. dwelling in tents z Quietly minding the management of his own domestick affairs his Lands and Cattle and giving no disturbance either to wild beasts or men 28 And Isaac loved Esau because †Heb. venison was in his mouth he did eat of his venison a Not simply nor chiefly because he pleased his palate but because this was an evidence of his sons great respect and affection to him that he would take such pains and incurre such hazards to which that course of Life exposed him that he might please and
a civil refusal of the gift And he said These are to find grace in the sight of my Lord. 9 And Esau said I have enough my brother †Heb. be that to thee that is 〈◊〉 keep that thou hast unto thy self c I neither need it for my use nor desire it as a compensation for thy former injuries 10 And Jacob said Nay I pray thee If now I have found grace in thy sight then receive my present at my hand for therefore d Or For I therefore tender it unto thee and humbly beg thy acceptance of it because for the Hebrew Al-cen is used Numb 14. 43. and elsewhere I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God e It is in a manner as pleasant a sight to me as the sight of God himself because in thy reconciled face I see the face and favour of God thus manifested unto me and thou wast pleased with me 11 Take I pray thee my blessing f This gift which as I received from Gods blessing so I heartily give it to thee with my blessing and prayer that God would abundantly bless it to thee Gifts are oft called blessings as Ios. 15. 19. 1 Sam. 25. 27. and 30. 26. that is brought to thee because God hath dealt graciously with me and because I have †Heb. all things enough and he urged him and he took it 12 And he said Let us take our journey and let us go and I will go before thee g Or rather beside thee so as to keep thee company or to keep pace with thee 13 And he said unto him My Lord knoweth that the children are tender h The eldest of them Reuben not being yet fourteen years old and the flocks and herds with young are with me i Or upon me i. e. committed to my care to be managed as their necessities require See Isa. 40. 11. and if men should overdrive them one day all the flock will die 14 Let my Lord I pray thee pass over before his servant and I will lead on softly according †Heb. according to the foot of the work c. and according to the foot of the children as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure until I come unto my Lord unto Seir k We do not read that Iacob did according to this promise or insinuation go to Seir either therefore he changed his first intentions for some weighty reasons or upon warning from God Or he used this onely as a pretence which we should not too easily believe of so good a man especially after such dangers and deliverances or rather he did perform this promise though the Scripture be silent of it as it is of many other historical passages and as it is here concerning Iacobs visiting of his father Isaac which is not mentioned till ten years after this time and yet it is utterly incredible that Iacob should be so near to his dear and worthy Father for so long a time together and not once give him a visit 15 And Esau said Let me now †Heb. set or place leave with thee some of the folk that are with me And he said †Heb. wherefore is this what needeth it * Chap. 34. 11. let me find grace in the sight of my Lord. 16 So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir. 17 And Jacob journyed to Succoth and built him an house l Which doubtless was some slight building because he intended not to stay there and made booths for his cattle therefore the name of the place is called ‖ That is booths Succoth 18 And Jacob came to Shalem m Most take it for the proper name of a place belonging to Shechem as it here follows called Salim Iohn 3. 23. and Sichem or Sychar Iohn 4. 5. But others take it for an appellative noun and render the place thus he came safe or whole to the City of Shechem to note either that he was then cured of the lameness which the Angel gave him Or rather to note the good providence of God that had brought him safe in his Person Family and Estate through all his dangers first from Laban then from Esau till he came to this place where it seems he intended to make his abode for a good while had not the following miscarriages obliged him to remove a City of ‖ Called Act. 7. 16. Sychem Shechem which is in the land of Canaan when he came from Padan-Aram and pitched his tent before the City n i. e. Near to it but not in it for the conveniency of his Cattle 19 And * Josh. 24. 32. he bought o For his present possession and use for the right which he had to it was onely in Reversion after the time that God had allotted for it a parcel of a field where he had spread his tent at the hand of the children p i. e. Subjects called his Children to note the duty which they owed to him and the Care and Affection that he owed to them Compare Numb 11. 12. of ‖ called Acts 7. 16. Emor Hamor Shechems father for an hundred ‖ Or lambs pieces of money q The word is used onely here and Ios. 24. 32. Iob 42. 11. and it may signifie either Lambs given in way of exchange for it or pieces of money which seems more probable both by comparing Act. 7. 16. and because money was come into use in that place and time Gen. 17. 12 13. and 23. 16. and 47. 16. which were called Lambs possibly from the figure of a Lamb stamped upon it as the Athenian money was called an Oxe for the like reason and as we call a piece of Gold a Iacobus because the picture of that King is upon it 20 And he erected there an Altar and called it ‖ That is God the God of Israel El-Elohe-Israel r Or Called upon El-Elohe-Israel the particle Lo being redundant as such pronouns oft are as Gen. 12. 1. and Ioshua 20. 2. CHAP. XXXIV 1 AND * Chap. 30. 21. Dinah the daughter of Leah which she bare unto Jacob went out a From her fathers house into the City out of curiosity there being then as Iosephus reports a great concourse of people to a Feast Thus she put her self out of her Fathers protection and meerly out of a vain humor exposed both her self and others to Temptation which was the worse because it was amongst them that had no fear of God to restrain them from the most enormous crimes She was now fourteen or fifteen years old to see the daughters of the land 2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite Prince of the country saw her he took her and lay with her and †Heb. humbled her defiled her 3 And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob and he loved the
the son of his old age d Being born when Iacob was Ninety one years old Such Children are commonly best beloved by their Parents either because such are a singular blessing of God and a more then common testimony of his favour and a mercy least expected by them and therefore most prized or because they have more pleasing conversation with them and less experience of their misbehaviour of which the elder oft times are guilty whereby they alienate their Parents affections from them The antient Translations Chaldee Persian Arabick and Samaritan render the words thus a wise or prudent son old age being oft mentioned as a token of prudence one born old one wise above his years one that had a gray head as we say upon green shoulders This may seem the more probable both because Ioseph was indeed such a Child and gave good evidence of it in a prudent observation of his brethrens trespasses and a discreet choice of the fittest remedy for them and because the reason here alledged seems proper and peculiar to Ioseph whereas in the other sense it belongs more to Benjamin who was younger then Ioseph and cost his Mother dearer and therefore might upon that account claim a greater interest in his Fathers affections and he made him a coat of many ‖ Or pieces Judg. 5. 30. 2 Sam. 13. 18. colours e Probably made of threds of divers colours interwoven together Compare 2 Sam. 13. 18. This he gave him as a token of his special love and of the rights of the first-born which being justly taken from Reuben he conferred upon Ioseph 1 Chron. 5. 1. 4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more then all his brethren they hated him and could not speak peaceably unto him f Their hatred was so deep and keen that they could not smother it as for their own interest they should have done but discovered it by their churlish words and carriages to him 5 And Joseph dreamed a dream g Which it is probable he did not understand for then he would never have told it to them who as he knew very well were likely to make an evil construction and use of it and he told it his brethren and they hated him yet the more 6 And he said unto them Hear I pray you this dream which I have dreamed 7 For * chap. 42. 6 9. and 43. 26. and 44. 14. behold we were binding sheaves in the field h A secret insinuation of the occasion of Iosephs advancement which was from his counsel and care about the Corn of Egypt and lo my sheaf arose and also stood upright and behold your sheaves stood round about i This was a posture of ministry and service as is manifest both from Scripture and from common usage and made obeisance to my sheaf 8 And his brethren said to him shalt thou indeed reign over us or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us and they hated him yet the more for his dreams and for his words ‖ For his relation of his dreams which they imputed to his arrogancy 9 And he dreamed yet another dream k That the repetition of the same thing in another shape might teach them that the thing was both certain and very observable and told it his brethren and said Behold I have dreamed a dream more and behold * chap. 46. 29. the Sun and the Moon l These were not mentioned in the first dream because in the event his brethren onely went at first to Egypt and there worshipped him as afterwards his father went with them Obj. His father did not worship him in Egypt Ans. 1. He did worship him mediately by his sons who in their fathers name and stead bowed before him and by the presents which he sent as testimonies of that respect which he owed to him 2. It is probable that Iacob did before the Egyptians pay that reverence to his son which all the rest did and which was due to the dignity of his place As the Roman Consul was commended by his Father for requiring him to alight from his horse as the rest did when he met him upon the way and the eleven stars made obeisance to me 10 And he told it to his father and to his brethren and his father rebuked him m Not through anger at Ioseph or contempt of his dream for it follows he observed it but partly lest Ioseph should be puffed up upon the account of his dreams and principally to allay the envy and hatred of his brethren and said unto him What is this dream that thou hast dreamed shall I and thy mother ‖ Either 1. Rachâ—… who was now dead and therefore must rise again and worship thee whence he may seem to infer the idleness of the dream because the fulfilling it was impossible or rather 2. Leah his step-mother one that filled his mothers place being now Iacobs onely wife and the mother of the Family and thy brethren indeed come to bowe down our selves to thee to the earth 11 And his brethren envied him but his father * Dâ—… 7. 28. Luk. 2. 19 51. observed the saying n The words of Ioseph or the thing the dream which he told well knowing that God did frequently at that time signifie his mind by dreams and perceiving something singular and extraordinary in this dream and especially in the doubling of it 12 And his brethren went to feed their fathers flock in Shechem o In the parts adjoyning to Shechem in the lands which he had purchased there Gen. 33. 19. Let none think strange that he should send his sheep so far from him both because that land was his own and because his sheep being exceeding numerous and he but a stranger in the land was likely to be exposed to many such inconveniencies Compare Gen. 30. 36. One may rather wonder that he durst venture his sons and his cattel there where that barbarous massacre had been committed chap. 34. 25. But those pastures being his own and convenient for his use he did commit himself and them to that same good Providence which watched over him then and ever since and still kept up that terrour which then he sent upon them Besides Iacobs Sons and Servants made a considerable Company and the men of Shechem being universally slain others were not very forward to revenge their quarrel where there was any hazard to themselves in such an enterprize 13 And Israel said unto Joseph Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem Come and I will send thee unto them p Having kept him for some time at home and supposing that length of time had cooled their heats and worâ—… out their hatred he now sends him to them and he said Here am I. 14 And he said to him Go I pray thee †Heb. see the peace of thy brethren c. see whether it be well with thy brethren
face and went out and refrained himself and said Set on bread 32 And they set on for him by himself y Partly because the dignity of his place and the custom of Princes required this state and partly for the reason here following and for them by themselves and for the Egyptians which did eat with him by themselves because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians z Not so much from their pride and disdain of other people as from their superstition and idolatry partly because they worshipped the creatures which the Hebrews and others did commonly eat and partly because of some peculiar rites and customes which they had in the dressing and ordering of their diet Whence Herodotus affirms that the Egyptians would not use the pots nor knives of the Graecians about their food Compare Gen. 46. 34. Exod. 8. 26. 33 And they sate before him the first-born according to his birth-right and the youngest according to his youth a Being so placed either by Iosephs appointment or rather by their own choice and according to their custome by which the elder though the handmaidens children took place of the younger who by that order were taught what veneration they owe to the aged and how great a sin it is though very customary in young men to despise those whom they should reverence and the men b Not the Egyptians but the Hebrews the men last spoken of marvelled c Either at the matter and manner of the feasts and entertainments of the Egyptians or rather at the singular honour which Ioseph did to them above all others the reason whereof they could not conceive and therefore marvelled at it one at another 34 And he took and sent messes unto them from before him d It was the antient custom of Egypt and other countries in their feasts that either all the meat or at least some eminent parts and parcels of it were not promiscuously set before all the guests but peculiarly distributed by the master of the feast to the several guests and that differently according to his respect and affection to them or to their several qualities See 1 Sam. 1. 5. and 9. 22 23 24. but Benjamins mess was five times so much as any of theirs e Partly because of his nearer relation and dearer affection to him and partly to observe whether this would raise that envy in them towards him which was the occasion of their malicious enterprize against himself that he might accordingly provide for his security and they drunk and †Heb. they drank largely were merry f The Hebrew word oft signifies to be drunk but oft-times it is onely to drink liberally though not to drunkenness as may appear from Cant. 5. 1. Hag. 1. 6. Ioh. 2. 10. with him CHAP. XLIV 1 AND he commanded the †Heb. him that was over his house Steward of his house saying Fill the mens sacks with food as much as they can carry and put every mans money in his sacks mouth 2 And put my cup a It seems to have been a large cup and of great price and much used by Ioseph the silver cup in the sacks mouth of the youngest b With design to discover their intentions and affections towards Benjamin whether they did envy him and would desert him in his danger as they did Ioseph or would cleave to him that hence he might take his measures how to deal with him and them and his corn-money and he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken 3 As soon as the morning was light the men were sent away they and their asses 4 And when they were gone out of the city and not yet far off Joseph said unto his Steward Up follow after the men and when thou dost overtake them say unto them Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good 5 Is not this it in which my lord drinketh and whereby indeed he ‖ Or maketh trial divineth c Amongst the several kinds of divination in use among the Egyptians and other Heathens this was one to do it by a cup or bason which they filled with water and put in them plates of silver or precious stones in which certain characters were ingraven by which and some words they used they called upon the Devil who gave them answer Ioseph did not use this course nor was a diviner but the people thought him such an one and the Steward might represent him as such for the better covering or carrying on his design But this sence agrees not with the 15th verse of this chapter Wot you not c. Which words shew that he speaks of something which they all might easily know but they did not know that Ioseph was a Diviner much less that he divined by that cup whereas that kind of divination was generally performed by a glass not by a cup. Others observe that the Hebrew word ofttimes signifies not to divine but onely to observe and discover a thing as Gen. 30. 27. 1 Kings 20. 33. and render the place thus whereby he will certainly observe or discover to wit what you are and do But this also seems not to consist with ver 15. and the supplement is too large and remote The true sense then is this the Hebrew bo is not to be rendered by which but concerning which as the particle bâ—…th is oft used and it notes not the instrument whereby but the object about which he did divine and the words must be rendred concerning which he can or would certainly divine And this agrees well with ver 15. q. d. did you think you could deceive my Master did not you and all others know that he could divine and discover secret things whence he had both his name and preferment And this cup being much prized and used by him you might easily judge that he would use his art to recover it ye have done evil * i. e. Very evil unjustly unthankfully and foolishly in so doing 6 And he overtook them and he spake unto them these same words 7 And they said unto him wherefore saith my Lord these words God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing 8 Behold the money which we found in our sacks mouths we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan how then should we steal out of thy Lords house silver or gold d It is not probable that we who restored that which was in our power to keep and to conceal without any danger should steal that which was likely to be discovered with so much shame and hazard to our selves 9 With whom soever of thy servants it be found both * Chap. 31. 32. let him die and we also will be my Lords bondmen e This over-daring offer proceeded from hence that they were all conscious of their own innocency and did not suspect any fraud or artifice in
the matter 10 And he said Now also let it be according unto your words he with whom it is found shall be my servant and ye shall be blameless f Thus he moderates the conditions which they proposed exempting the innocent and exchanging the deserved and offered death of the nocent into slavery 11 Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground and opened every man his sack 12 And he searched and began at the eldest g To take off all their suspicion of his fraud and left at the youngest and the cup h He found doubtless the money there but he accused them not about that matter both because they had an answer ready to that charge from his own mouth chap. 43. 23. and because the greater crime the stealing of the cup which Ioseph so much prized and used might seem to extinguish the less or at least cause him to neglect it was found in Benjamins sack 13 Then they rent their clothes and laded every man his asse and returned to the City i Being afraid and ashamed to go to their father without Benjamin concerning whom they had received so severe a charge and made such solemn promises and imprecations 14 And Judah and his brethren came to Josephs house for he was yet there and they fell before him on the ground 15 And Joseph said unto them What deed is this that ye have done wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly ‖ Or make trial divine 16 And Judah k Who speaks in the cause as being one of the eldest and a person of most gravity and discretion and readiness of speech and most eminently concerned for his brother said What shall we say unto my Lord what shall we speak or how shall we clear our selves God hath found out the iniquity l viz. This iniquity of which it seems some of us are guilty and God hath discovered it Or iniquity may be put for iniquities whether we are guilty of this fact or not we are certainly guilty of many other sins for which God is now punishing us to whose providence we therefore willingly submit of thy servants behold we are my Lords servants both we and he also with whom the cup is found 17 And he said God forbid that I should do so but the man in whose hand the cup is found he shall be my servant and as for you get you up in peace unto your father 18 Then Judah came near unto him m Made a little nearer approach to him that he might present his humble petitiâ—… to him and said O my Lord let thy servant I pray thee speak a word in my Lords ears n In thy hearing For this phrase doth not necessarily imply that he whispered in his ears as appears from Numb 14. 28. Deut. 32. 44. Iudg. 17. 2. and let not thy anger burn against thy servant for thou art even as Pharaoh o As thou representest his person so thou art invested with his Majesty and Authority and therefore thy word is a law thou canst do with us what thou pleasest either spare or punish us and therefore we do justly deprecate thine anger and most humbly intreat thy favourable audience and princely compassion to us 19 My Lord asked his servants saying have ye a father or a brother 20 And we said unto ray Lord we have a father an old man and a child of his old age a little one p So they call him comparatively to themselves who were much elder and withal to signifie the reason why he came not with them because he was young and tender and unfit for such a journey and his brother is dead and he alone is left of his mother and his father loveth him 21 And thou saidest unto thy servants Bring him down unto me that I may set mine eyes upon him q i. e. See him with my own eyes and thereby be satisfied of the truth of what you say Compare Gen. 42. 15 16. Elsewhere this phrase signifies to shew favour to a person as Ier. 39. 12. and 40. 4. But though that was Iosephs intention as yet he was minded to conceal it from them 22 And we said unto my Lord The lad cannot leave his father for if he should leave his father his father would die 23 And thou saidest unto thy servants * Chap. 43. 3. except your youngest brother come down with you you shall see my face no more r Quest. Why would Ioseph expose his father to the hazard of his life in parting with his dear child Answ. Ioseph supposed that to be but a pretence and might fear lest his brethren had disposed of Benjamin as they did of him and therefore could not bring him forth And as for his father the experience which he had of his continuance in life and health after the supposed untimely death of Ioseph gave him good assurance that his parting with Benjamin for a season and that under the care and charge of his brethren was not likely to make any dangerous impression upon him 24 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father we told him the words of my Lord. 25 And * Chap. 43. 2. our father said Go again and buy us a little food 26 And we said we cannot go down if our youngest brother be with us then will we go down for we may not see the mans face except our youngest brother be with us 27 And thy servant my father said unto us Ye know that my wife s He calleth her so by way of eminency as Gen. 46. 19. because she onely was his wife by design and choice whereas Leah was put upon him by fraud and might have been refused by him if he had so pleased and the other two were given to him by Rachel and Leah bare me two sons 28 And the one went out from me and I said * Chap. 37. 33. surely he is torn in pieces and I saw him not since 29 And if ye take this also from me and mischief befall him ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave 30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father and the lad be not with us seeing that his life is bound up in the lads life t The death of the Child which upon this occasion he will firmly believe will unavoidably procure his death also 31 It shall come to pass when he seeth that the lad is not with us that he will die and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave 32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father saying * Chap. 43. 9. If I bring him not unto thee then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever 33 Now therefore I pray thee let thy servant abide in stead of the lad u Partly in
25 And he took the fat and the rump and all the fat that was upon the inwards and the caui above the liver and the two kidneys and their fat and the right shoulder 26 And out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD he took one unleavened cake and a cake of oyled bread and one wafer and put them upon the fat and upon the right shoulder 27 And he put all * Exod. 29. 24. c. upon Aarons hands and upon his sons hands and waved them for a wave-offering before the LORD 28 And Moses took them from off their hands and burnt them on the altar upon the burnt-offering they were †Heb. fillings consecrations for a sweet savour it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD 29 And Moses took the breast and waved it for a wave-offering before the LORD For of the ram of consecration it was Moses * Exod. 29. 26. part l Who at this time administring the Priests office was to receive the Priests wages it being most just and reasonable that the work and wages should go together as the LORD commanded Moses 30 * Exod. 30. 30. And Moses took of the anointing oyl and of the blood which was upon the altar and sprinkled it upon Aaron and upon his garments and upon his sons and upon his sons garments with him and sanctified Aaron and his garments and his sons and his sons garments with him 31 And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons Boil the flesh m That which was left of the ram and particularly the breast which was said to be Moses his part ver 29. and by him was given to Aaron that he and his sons might eat of it in token that they and onely they should have the right to do so for the future at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation and there * Exod. 29. 32. eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecrations as I commanded saying Aaron and his sons shall eat it 32 And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire 33 And ye shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in seven dayes untill the dayes of your consecration be at an end for * Exod. 29. 30 35. seven dayes n In which the same ceremonies were to be repeated as the next verse implies and other rites to be performed shall he o Either God or 〈◊〉 for the words may be spoken by Moses either in Gods name or in his own Moses speaking of himself in the third person which is very common in Scripture consecrate you 34 As he hath done this day so the LORD hath commanded to do to make an atonement for you 35 Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the congregation day and night seven dayes and keep the charge of the LORD p What God hath commanded you concerning your consecration that ye die not q If the threatning seem too severe for the fault it must be considered both that it is the usual practise of Lawgivers most severely to punish the first offences for the terrour and caution of others and for the maintenance of their own authority and that this transgression was aggravated by many circumstances being committed by sacred and eminent persons and that in the presence of the people which made it a publick scandal and in Gods worship where he is very tender and jealous and against a plain and easie command of God and at a time when they were receiving high favours and priviledges from God Nor is sin to be esteemed or measured by the idle fancies of men of corrupt minds and lives whose interests and lusts easily blind their minds but by the Authority Majesty and Will of the great and wise and iust Lawgiver for so I am commanded 36 So Aaron and his sons did all things which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses CHAP. IX 1 AND it came to pass on the eighth day a To wit from the first day of his consecration or when the seven dayes of his consecration were ended chap. 8. 33 35. as appears from Exod. 29. 30. c. Ezek. 43. 27. The eighth day is famous in Scripture for the perfecting and purifying both of men and beasts See Levit 12. 2 3. and 14. 8 9 10. and 15. 13 14. and 22. 27. that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel b All the congregation were called to be witnesses of Aarons instalment into his office to prevent their murmurings and contempt which being done the Elders were now sufficient to be witnesses of Aarons first execution of his office 2 And he said unto Aaron * Exod. 29. 1. Take thee a young calf c Heb. A calf the son of a Bull or Cow Which may seem to be added purposely to intimate that it was not a young calf properly so called but a young bullock for that was the sacrifice enjoyned for the High-priests sin-offering Levit. 4. 3. Though it be not material if this be a young calf and that a young bull because the grounds and ends of these several sacrifices differ that Levit. â—… being for his particular sin and this for his own and families â—…ns in general and therefore no wonder if the sacrifices also differ for a sin offering d For himself and his own sins which was an evidence of the imperfection of that Priest-hood and of the necessity of another and a better and a ram for a burnt-offering without blemish and offer them before the LORD 3 And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak saying * chap. 4. 23. Ezra 6. 17. Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin offering e For the people as it is expressed here ver 15. for whose sin a young bullock was required Levit. 4. 15. but that was for some particular sin but this was more general and indefinite for all their sins Besides there being an eye here had to the Priests consecration and entrance into his office it is no wonder if there be some difference in these sacrifices from those before prescribed and a calf and a lamb both of the first year without blemish for a burnt-offering 4 Also a bullock and a ram for peace-offerings to sacrifice before the LORD and a meat-offering mingled with oyl for * ver 23. to day the LORD will appear f See the fulfilling of this promise ver 24. Heb. Hath appeared He speaks of the thing to come as if it were past which is frequent in Scripture to give them the more assurance of the thing unto you 5 And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD g Before the Tabernacle where God dwelt 6 And Moses said This is the thing
into the land of their enemies i. e. that they are not come into these calamities by chance nor by the misfortune of war but by my just judgment upon them All which confession is no more than Pharaoh made in his distresses and than hypocrites in their affliction use to make And therefore he addes if then their uncircumcised i. e. impure carnal profane and impenitent hearts be humbled i. e. subdued purged reformed if to this confession they adde sincere humiliation and reformation I will do what follows their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers with their trespass which they trespassed against me and that also they have walked contrary unto me 41 And that I also have walked contrary unto them and have brought them into the land of their enemies if then their * Jer. 6. 10. Rom. 2. 29. Col. 2. 11. uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity x The Hebrew word avon commonly signifies iniquity but it is oft used for the punishment of iniquity as here and 1 Sam. 28. 10. Psal. 31. 10. Isa. 53. 6 11. The meaning is if they sincerely acknowledge the righteousness of God and their own wickedness and patiently submit to his correcting hand and would rather be in their present suffering condition than in their former sinful though prosperous estate if with David they are ready to say it is good for them that they are afflicted that they may learn Gods statutes and obedience to them for the future which is a good evidence of true repentance 42 Then will I remember my covenant y To wit so as to perform it and make good all that I have promised in it For words of knowledge or remembrance in Scripture do most commonly connote affection and kindness of which there are many instances some given before and more hereafter with Jacob and also my covenant with Isaac and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember and I will remember the land z Which now seems to be forgotten and neglected and despised as if I had never chosen it to be the peculiar place of my presence and blessing 43 The land also shall be left of them and shall enjoy her sabbaths while she lieth desolate without them and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity because even because they despised my judgments and because their soul abhorred my statutes 44 And yet for all that when they be in the land of their enemies * Deut. 4. 31. Rom. 11. 26. I will not cast them away neither will I abhorre them to destroy them utterly and to break my covenant with them for I am the LORD their God †Neither the desperateness of their condition nor the greatness of their sins shall make me wholly make void my covenant with them and their ancestours but I will in due time remember them for good and for my covenants sake return to them in mercy From this place the Iews take great comfort and assure themselves of deliverance out of their present servitude and misery And from this and such other places St. Paul concludes that the Israelitish nation though then rejected and ruined should be gathered again and restored 45 But I will for their sakes ‖ Or rather to or for them i. e. for their good or benefit for surely if one considers what is said before concerning the wickedness of this people he cannot say this deliverance was given them for their sakes but must rather say with the Prophet Ezek. 36. 22 32. not for your sake O house of Israel c. remember the covenant of their ancestors whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen that I might be their God I am the LORD 46 These are the statutes and judgments and laws which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses CHAP. XXVII 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying 2 Speak unto the children and say unto them When a man shall make a singular vow a Or an eminent or hard or wonderful vow not concerning things which was not strange but customary but concerning persons as it here follows which he vowed or by vow devoted unto the Lord which indeed was unusual and difficult yet there want not instances of such vows and of persons which devoted either themselves or their children to the service of God and that either more strictly and particularly as the Nazarites and the Levites 1 Sam. 1. 11. and for these there was no redemption admitted but they were in person to perform the service to which they were devoted or more largely and generally as some who were not Levites nor intended themselves or their children should be Nazarites might yet through zeal to God and his service or to obtain Gods help in giving them some mercy which they wanted and desired or in freeing them from some evil felt or feared devoted themselves or their children to the service of God and of the Sanctuary though not in such a way as the Levites which they were forbidden to do yet in some kind of subserviency to them And because there might be too great a number of persons thus dedicated which might be burdensome and chargeable to the Sanctuary therefore an exchange is allowed and the Priests are directed to impose and require a tax for their redemption the persons shall be for the LORD b i. e. Dedicated to the Lord and consequently to the Priest by thy estimation c By whose estimation Ans. Either 1. thine O Priest to whom the valuation of things belonged and here is ascribed ver 12. Or rather 2. thine O man that vowest as appears from ver 8. where his estimation is opposed to the Priests valuation Nor was there any fear of his partiality in his own cause for the price is particularly limited But where the price is undetermined there to avoid that inconvenience the Priest is to value it as ver 8 12. 3 And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old d Which is the best time for strength and service and therefore is prized at the highest rate even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver after the shekel of the sanctuary 4 And if it be a female then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels e Less than the mans price because she is inferiour to him both in strength and serviceableness 5 And if it be from five years old f At what age they might be vowed by their parents as appears from 1 Sam. 1. though not by themselves and the children were obliged by their parents vow which is not strange considering the parents power and right to dispose of their children so far as is not contrary to the mind of God even unto twenty years old then thy estimation shall be of
The chief Rulers of each Tribe who were to communicate it to the rest concerning the children of Israel saying This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded 2 If a man b Which notes both the Sex as appears by v. 3. and the Age that he be grown up for none can be so weak as to think the vow of a young Child would bind it vow a vow c i. e. A simple vow to do something possible and lawful unto the LORD d To the Honour and Service of God or swear an oath e Confirm his Vow by an Oath to bind his Soul with a bond f To restrain himself from something otherwise lawful as suppose from such a sort of Meat or Drink or to oblige himself to the performance of something otherwise not necessary as to observe a private day of fasting he shall not †Heb. profanâ—… break his word g Heb. not pollute or prophane his word as the same phrase is used Psal. 55. 20. and 89. 34. i. e. not render his word and consequently himself prophane or vile and contemptible in the eyes of others he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his own mouth h And that without delay Deut. 23. 21. Eccles. 5. 4. provided the thing be not unlawful and forbidden by God Act. 23. 14. for it is an idle conceit that a man can give away Gods right or that he can make void Gods commands by his own vows which was the dotage of the Pharisees Mark 6. 23 26. 3 If a woman i Or a man in the same circumstances a son or a servant as plainly appears from hence because the reason of this Law is perfectly the same in both Sexes which is that such persons have given away what was not their own but anothers even their superiours right which is against the Rule and Law of Natural Reason and against the Word of God which binds all persons to give to every one their due He instanceth only in the Woman because that Sex is both by Creation and Sin put into a state of subjection but under the chief and most unquestionable kind all other Subjects in like circumstances are comprehended as is very usual also vow a vow unto the LORD and bind her self by a bond being in her fathers house k i e. Under his Care Power and Government which she is whilest she continues in her Fathers House being a Virgin as appears by the opposition of a married Woman v. 6. and of a Widow and Divorced Woman v 9. and by this Phrase of being in her Fathers house for when she marries she is removed into her Husbands house Ruth 1. 9. Or being in or of her Fathers Family the word House being commonly used for Family for when she marries she is translated and removed into another Family in her youth l When not onely her Sex but her Age disenables her for vowing and this clause is added not by way of restriction as if Virgins in their riper yearâ—… were freed from their Parents jurisdiction and at their own disposal which undoubtedly they are not but by way of addition or amplification q. d. especially which particle is here to be understood such defects of particles being frequent in the Hebrew Tongue in her youth which is commonly reckoned about her Twelfth or Thirteenth year 4 And her father m Under which Title seem to be comprehended as in other places of Scripture Masters Magistrates and all other superiours in such cases wherein their right is given away by the inferiour vow as for instance when a Servant vows to go a long journey for his Friend and his Master will not permit him to do so but not in other cases as if a Servant vows to do something for another in that time which his Master alloweth to his own use and disposal in this case his vow binds him but not in the former hear her vow and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul and her father shall hold his peace at her n His silence being an interpretative consent and much more if he declares his approbation of it then all her vows shall stand and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand o i. e. Be established or confirmed or be in force 5 But if her Father disallow her in the day that he heareth p i. e. Speedily or without delay allowing onely necessary and convenient time for deliberation And it is hereby intimated that the day or time he had for disallowing her vow was not to be reckoned from her vowing but from his hearing or knowledge of her vow not any of her vows or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand and the LORD shall forgive her q Or will forgive either her rashness of making such vows or rather her not performing of it But this is to be understood only of such vows which could not be performed without invading the Fathers or Superiours right for if one should vow to forbear such or such a sin and all unnecessary occasions or means leading to it and to perform such or such duties when he had opportunity no Father nor Superiour can discharge him from such vows because her Father disallowed her 6 And if she had at all an husband r To whose Will and Authority she was thereby made subject when †Heb. Her vows were upon her she vowed s To wit when she was in her Fathers house as is evident by comparing v. 10. and this clause seems to be added by way of exception to that which was said v. 3 4. to signifie that though she were in her Fathers house yet if she were married her Husband onely and not her Father could disoblige her from her vow or uttered ought out of her lips t Either 1. By way of vow and so this clause explains and determines the former i. e. if she express her vow in words Or 2. By way of Oath concerning which this same phrase is used Levit. 5. 4. and so this clause is distinct from the former which the disjunctive particle or implies wherewith she bound her soul 7 And her husband heard it and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it then her vows shall stand and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand 8 But if her husband disallow her on the day that he heard it then he shall make her vow which she vowed and that which she uttered with her lips wherewith she bound her soul of none effect and the LORD shall forgive her 9 But every vow of a widow and of her that is divorced u Though she be in her Fathers house whether such persons oft returned which limitation may be gathered both from the opposition of her being in her Husbands house v. 10. and from hence that this was the onely doubtful case for if such a
that * Josh. 8. 32. thou shalt set thee up great stones and plaister them with plaister b For conveniency of writing upon them 3 And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law c Either 1. all the words of this book of Deuteronomy But that seems too large for this place Or 2. the blessings and curses here following But they are mentioned as a different thing Or 3. the law properly so called i. e. the sum and substance of the precepts or laws of Moses especially such as were moral and general as may be guessed from the following part of the chapter where the curses pronounced against all that confirm not all the words of this law to do them are particularly applied unto the transgressours of moral laws onely ver 15 16 c. And especially the Decalogue which oft goes under that name Compare Ios. 8. 32. c. when thou art passed over that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee a land that floweth with milk and hony as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee 4 Therefore it shall be when ye are gone over Jordan that ye shall set up these stones which I command you this day in mount Ebal ‖ The mount of cursing Here the law is written to signify that a curse was due to the violatours of it and that no man could expect justification or blessing from the works of the law by the sentence whereof all men are justly accursed as being all guilty of the transgression of it in one kind and degree or other Here the sacrifices are to be offered to shew that there is no way to be delivered from this curse but by the blood of Christ which all these sacrifices did typifie and by Christs being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. and thou shalt plaister them with plaister 5 And there thou shalt build an altar unto the LORD thy God an altar of stones * Exod. 20. 25 Josh. 8. 31. thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them 6 Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones d i. e Rough not hewed nor polished and thou shalt offer burnt-offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God 7 And thou shalt offer peace-offerings and shalt eat there and rejoyce before the LORD thy God 8 And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly e So as to be easily read by all 9 And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel saying Take heed and hearken O Israel this day thou art become the people of the LORD f By thy solemn renewing of thy covenant with me thy God 10 Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God and do his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day 11 And Moses charged the people the same day saying 12 These shall stand upon mount Gerizzim g Obj. In Ios. 8. 33. they stood over against mount Gerizim Ans. 1. Both are true they who stood upon the one mount stood over against the other 2. These words may be rendered beside or near to as the Hebrew al oft signifies mount Gerizim which might be over against it to â—…less the people h Whence it appears that the blessings also were pronounced as well as the curses though they be not here mentioned See Ios. 8. 33. when ye are come over Jordan Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Joseph and Benjamin i All these were the children of the free-women Leah and Rachel to shew both the dignity of the blessings above the curses and that the blessings belong onely to those that are Evangelically such as this is expounded and applied Gal. 4. 22 c. even to those that receive the Spirit of adoption and liberty Ioseph is here put for both his sons and tribes Manasseh and Ephraim which are here reckoned as one tribe because Levi is here numbred but when Levi is omitted as it is where the division of the land is made there Manasseh and Ephraim pass for two tribes 13 And * chap. 11. â—… these shall stand upon mount Ebal †Heb. â—…r â—… cursing to curse k He saith to bless the people ver 12. but here onely to curse not expressing whom either because he was loath to mention the people as objects of the curse or because he presumed and hoped that though some particular persons might deserve the curse yet the generality of the people would keep out of the reach of it or to intimate that though the blessing was peculiar to the people of Israel yet the curse was indefinite and common to all nations as may appear from the particular sins here numbred which are such as made the Gentiles guilty and abominable to God as is elsewhere affirmed See Lev. 18. 28. Reuben Gad and Asher and Zebulun Dan and Naphtali l Four of these are the children of the bondwomen to shew that the curse belongs to those of servile and disingenuous spirits and carriages to God With these are joyned Reuben who by his shameful sin fell from his dignity Gen. 49. 4. and Zabulon as the youngest of Leahs children who was necessarily to be joyned with those that the numbers might be equal 14 And * Dan. 9. 11. the Levites m i. e. Some of the Levites to wit the Priests which bare the Ark as it is expressed Ios. 8. 33. for the body of the Levites stood upon mount Gerizim v. 12. But these stood in the valley between Gerizim and Ebal looking towards the one or the other mountain as they pronounced either the blessings or the curses as may be gathered from Ios. 8. 33. shall speak and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice n So as they might be heard by a great number of the people by whom the rest were informed and directed by some signal when they should answer 15 * Exod. 20. â—… 23. and 34. 1â—… Lev. 19. 4. Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image o Under this particular he understands all the gross violations of the first Table as under the following branches he comprehends all other sins against the second Table as is manifest from hence that there are other sins not here mentioned which are as sinful as these and will as certainly expose a man to the curse as any of the rest an abomination unto the LORD the work of the hands of the craftsmen and p Or although as that particle sometimes signifies putteth it in a secret place q He takes special notice of such partly to shew the folly of those men who think to hide their sins by this means and partly to deter men from such practises which men could not see nor punish by making them their own condemners and executioners and all the people shall
these stones 7 Then ye shall answer them That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark h As it were at the sight and approach of the Ark to give it and the Israelites a safe passage of the covenant of the LORD when it passed over Jordan the waters of Jordan were cut off and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever 8 And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan as the LORD spake unto Joshua according to the number of the Tribes of the children of Israel and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged and laid them down there 9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan i Properly so called as Iosh. 3. 17. Qu. How could these stones be a Monument of this work when they were not seen but generally covered with the Waters of Iordan Ans. These stones are not the same with those which a man could carry upon his shoulders v. 5. And therefore might be very much larger and being set up in two rows one above another they might possibly be seen at least some times when the Water was low and especially where the Water was commonly more shallow as it might be ordinarily in this place though not at this time when Iordan overflowed all its banks Add to this That the Waters of Iordan are said to be very pure and clear and therefore these stones though they did not appear above it might be seen in it either by those who stood upon the shore because that River was not broad or at least by those that passed in Boats upon the River who could easily discern them by the peculiar noise and motion of the Water occasioned by that heap of stones And this was sufficient especially considering that there was another more distinct and visible Monument of this Miracle set up in Gilgal in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood and they are there unto this day k This might be written either 1. by Ioshua who wrote this Book near 20. years after this was done Or 2. by some other holy man divinely inspired and approved of by the whole Iewish Church who inserted this and some such passages both in this Book and in the Writings of Moses 10 For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people l i. e. To command the people to do according to all that Moses commanded Joshua m Which he did not particularly but in the general because he commanded Ioshua to observe and do all that God had commanded him by Moses and all that he should command him any other way and the people hasted and passed over n i. e. Passed over with haste which is noted as an Argument of their fear or weakness of their Faith as on the contrary the Priests are commended that they stood firm and fixed and settled in their minds as well as in the Posture of their Bodies 11 And it came to pass when all the people were clean passed over that the ark of the LORD passed over and the priests in the presence of the people o The people looking on and beholding this wonderful work of God with Attention and Admiration 12 And * Numb 32. 20 27. the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and half the Tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the rest of the children of Israel as Moses spake unto them 13 About forty thousand †prepared for war ‡ Or ready armed passed over before the LORD p Either 1. before the Ark by which they as well as the rest passed when they went over Iordan Or 2. in the presence of God who diligently observed whether they would keep their Promise and Covenant made with their Brethren or not unto battel to the plains of Jericho 14 On that day the LORD * Chap. 3. 7. magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel and they feared him as they feared Moses all the days of his life 15 And the LORD spake unto Joshua saying 16 Command the Priests that bear * Exod. 25. 16 22. the ark of the Testimony that they come up q For being now in the middle and lowest and deepest place of the River of which see on Iosh. 3. 17. they are most properly said to ascend or go up to the land which word is thrice used in this and the two next following Verses out of Jordan 17 Joshua therefore commanded the Priests r Who stayed contentedly in the River till God by Ioshua called them out saying Come ye up out of Jordan 18 And it came to pass when the priests that bare the ark of the Covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan and the soles of the priests feet were †lift up unto the dry land ‡ Heb. plucked up that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place s Came down from their heaps and returned with all convenient speed into their proper Channel according to their natural and usual course and †flowed over all his banks as they did ‡ Heb. went before 19 And the people came out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month t To wit of Nisan which wanted but 5 days of 40 years from the time of their coming out of Egypt which was on the fifteenth day of this Month. So punctual is God in the performing of his word whether promised or threatned And this day was very seasonable for the taking up of the Lambs which were to be used four days after according to the Law Exod. 12. 3 6. and incamped in Gilgal u A place so called hereafter upon a following occasion Iosh. 5. 9. So here it is an Anticipation in the east border of Jericho 20 And those twelve stones which they took out of Jordan did Joshua pitch in Gilgal x Which most probably were placed severally and in order like so many little Pillars which was most proper to keep up the remembrance of this miraculous Benefit vouchsafed to this people 21 And he spake unto the children of Israel saying When your children shall ask their fathers †in ‡ Heb. tâ—… 〈◊〉 row time to come saying What mean these stones 22 Then ye shall let your children know saying Israel came over this Jordan on dry land 23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you until ye were passed over as the LORD your God did to the Red-sea * Exod. 〈◊〉 21. which he dried up from before us y i. e. My self and Caleb and all of us here present for this Benefit though done to their Fathers is justly and rightly said to be done
upon a particular dislike of that place but by divine Inspiration as appears from 1 King 16. 34. God would have the Ruines of this City remain as a standing Monument of Gods Justice against this wicked and idolatrous People and of his Almighty Power in destroying so great and strong a City by such contemptible means that riseth up and buildeth c i. e. That shall attempt or endeavour to build it So this Curse is restrained to the Builder but no way belongs to those who should inhabit it after it was built as is evident from 2 King 4. 18. Luke 19. 1 5. this city Jericho he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first-born and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it d i. e He shall lose all his Children in the work the first at the beginning others in the progress of it by degrees and the youngest in the close of it when the Gates use to be set up This was fulfilled 1 King 16. 34. CHAP. VII BUT the children of Israel a i. e. One of them by a very usual Synecdoche or Enallage as Gen. 8. 4. and 19. 29. and Mat. 26. 8. where that is ascribed to the Disciples which belonged to Iudas only Iohn 12. 4. committed a trespass in the accursed thing b i. e. In taking some of the forbidden and accursed goods for * Chap. 22. 20. 1 Chron. 2. 7. Achan the son of Carmi the son of Zabdi c Called also Zimri 1 Chron. 2. 6. the son of Zerah d Or Zarah who was Iudahs immediate Son Gen. 38. 30. who went with Iudah into Egypt and so for the filling up the 256 years that are supposed to come between that and this time we mâ—…st allow Achan to be now an Old-man and his three Ancestors to have begotten each his Son at about 60 years of Age which at that time was not incredible nor unusual of the tribe of Judah took of the accursed thing and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel e Why did God punish the whole Society for this one mans sin Ans. All of them were punished for their own sins whereof each had a sufficient proportion but God took this occasion to inflict the punishment upon the Society partly because divers of them might be guilty of this sin either by coveting what he actually did or by concealing of his fault which it is probable could not be unknown to others or by not sorrowing for it and endeavouring to purge themselves from it partly to make sin the more hateful as being the cause of such dreadful and publick Judgments and partly to oblige all the members of every society to be both more circumspect in the ordering of their own actions and more diligent to watch over one another and to prevent the miscarriages of their Brethren which is a great benefit and blessing to them and to the whole Society and worthy to be purchased by a sharp affliction upon the Society 2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai f Called Hai Gen. 12. 8. and Aijah Nehem. 11. 31. They were not to go into the City of Ai but into the Country bordering and belonging to it and there to understand the state and quality of the place and people which is beside g So the Hebrew im is used Gen. 25. 11. and 35. 4. Iudg. 9. 6. and 18. 3. and 19. 11. Beth-aven h A City or Town distinct from but nigh unto Bethel though Bethel was afterwards by allusion called Bethaven Hos. 4. 15. and 10. 5. Compare Ios. 18. 12. on the east-side of Beth-el i Compare Gen. 12. 8. Ios. 8. 9 12. and spake unto them saying Go up and view the countrey And the men went up and viewed Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua and said unto him Let not all the people go up but let †about ‡ Heb. about two thousand men or about three thousand meâ—… two or three thousand men go up k Which was done by the Wise contrivance of Divine Providence that their Sin might be punished and they awakened and reformed with as little hazard and mischief and reproach as might be For if the Defeat of these caused so great a Consternation in Ioshua it is easy to guess what dread and confusion and despair it would have caused in the People if a great Host had been defeated and smite Ai and make not all the people to labour thither for they are but few 4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men and they fled l Not having their usual Courage to strike a stroke which was a plain Evidence that God had forsaken them and an useful instruction â—…o shew them what weak and inconsiderable Creatures they were when God left them and that it was God not their own valour that gave the Canaamtes and their Land into their hands before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men m A dear Victory to them whereby Israel was awakened and reforâ—…ed and reconciled to their God and Shield and they hardned to their own ruine for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim and smote them in the †going down n By which it seems it was a down-hill way to Iericho which was nearer Iordan wherefore the heart of the ‡ Or in Mâ—…rad people melted and became as water o Soft and weak and full of fâ—…uctuation and trembling 6 ¶ And Joshua rent his Clothes p In Testimony of great Sorrow as Gen. 37. 34. and 44. 13. for the loss felt the consequent mischief feared and the sin which he suspected and fell to the earth upon his face q In deep humiliation and fervent supplication continuing the whole day in Fasting and Prayer before the Ark of the LORD until the even-tide r he and the Elders of Israel and put dust upon their heads s â—… As was usual in case of grief and astonishment 1 Sam. 4. 12. 2 Sam. 1. 2. and 13. 19. Ion. 3. 6. Mich. 1. 10. 7 And Joshua said Alas O LORD GOD wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan t This and the following Clause though well intended and offered to God only by way of Expostulation and Argument yet do favour of Humane Infirmity and fall short of that reverence and modesty and submission which he owed to God and are mentioned as instances that the Holy men of God were subject to like passions and infirmities with other men to deliver us into the hand of the Amorite to destroy us would to God we had been content and dwelt on the other side Jordan 8 O LORD what shall I say u In answer to the reproaches cast by our insulting Enemies upon us and upon thy name when Israel x Gods own people which he hath singled
Moses an altar of whole stones over which no man hath lift up any iron and they offered thereon burnt-offerings unto the LORD and sacrificed peace-offerings 32 And he wrote there upon the stones t Not upon the Stones of the Altar which were to be rough and unpolished v. 31. but upon other Stones sinooth and plaistered as is manifest from Deut. 27. 2. a copy of the law of Moses u Not certainly the whole five Books of Moses for what Stones and time would have sufficed for this nor the Blessings and the Curses here following which never are nor can without great impropriety be called the Law of Moses seeing they presuppose the Law and the Observation or Transgression thereof to which they belong only as rewards of the one and punishments of the other but the most weighty and substantial parts of the Law as may be gathered from the Laws which are mentioned and to the violaters whereof the Curses are applied Deut. 27. 15. c. and especially the Law of the Ten Commandments which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel 33 And all Israel x i. e. The whole Congregation old and young male and female as it follows v. 35. and their elders and officers and their judges stood on this side the ark and on that side y i. e. Some on one side of it and some on the other before the priests the Levites which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD as well the stranger as he that was born among them half of them over against mount Gerizim z These two places were in the Tribe of Ephraim not far from Shechem as appears both from Scripture Deut. 11. 29 30. and 27. 12. Iudg. 9. 7. and from other Authors who lived in those parts as Iosephus and the Iewish Doctors and half of them over against mount Ebal * Deut. 11. 29 and 27. 1â—… as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before that they should bless a Or Curse which is easily understood out of the following verse and from Deut. 27. 13 c. the people of Israel 34 And afterward b After the Altar was built and the Stones plaistered and writ upon he read c i. e. He commanded the Priests or Levites to read Deut. 27. 14. all the words of the law the blessings and cursings d Which words come in not by way of Explication as if the words of the Law were nothing else besides the Blessings and Curses but by way of addition to note that these were read over and above the words of the Law according to all that is written in the book of the law e He saith not according to all that was written upon those Stones but in the Book of the Law which shews the mistake of them that think the same things were both read and written upon these Stones 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua read not f Therefore he read not the Blessings and Curses only as some think but the whole Law as the manner was when all Israel Men and Women were Assembled together as we read Deut. 31. 10 11 12. before all the congregation of Israel * Deut. 31. 12. with the women and the little ones and the strangers that * Heb. walked were conversant among them g i. e. Who were Proselytes for no others can be supposed to be with them at this time CHAP. IX AND it came to pass when all the kings which were on this side Jordan in the hill and in the valley and in all the coast of the great sea over against Lebanon the Hittite and the Amorite the Canaanite the Perizzite the Hivite and the Jebusite heard thereof 2 That they gathered themselves together a Not actually as the following History shews but they entred into a league or confederation to do this to fight with Joshua and with Israel with one * Heb. Mouth accord 3 And b Or But for he shews that these took another and a wiser course when the inhabitants of Gibeon c A great and royal city of the Hivites Ios. 10. 2. and 11. 19. heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai 4 They did work wilily and went and made as if they had been embassadors d Sent from a far Country as they say v. 6. and took old sacks upon their asses and wine-bottles old and rent and bound up 5 And old shooes and clouted upon their feet and old garments upon them and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy 6 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal e The place of their head-Quarters and said unto him and to the men of Israel f To wit those who used to meet in Counsel with Joshua to whom it belonged to make Leagues as it here follows even the Princes of the Congregation not the common people as appears both from v. 15 18 19 21. and from common usage of all Ambassadors who generally deliver their Message to and treat with Princes not People And the Hebrew word isch here used sometimes notes men of eminency and dignity We be come from a far countrey now therefore g Because we are not of this people whom as we are informed you are obliged utterly to destroy that which appeared sufficiently both by the Israelites practice in destroying the Amorites beyond Iordan and the people of Iericho and Ai without any allowance for Sex or Age and by common rumor and the report of the Israelites and other persons who dwelt among them or had converse with them as Rahab and all her kindred and by the nature of the thing because they were to possess that whole Land and were not to mix themselves with the people of it make ye a league with us 7 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivite g i. e. The Gibeonites who were Hivites Jos. 11. 19. Peradventure ye dwell among us h i. e. In this Land and so are of that people with whom we are forhidden to make any League or Covenant Exod. 23. 32 33 34. Deut. 7. 2. and 20. 15 16. and how shall we make a league with you 8 And they said unto Joshua We are thy servants i We desire a League with you upon your own terms we are ready to accept of any conditions And Joshua said unto them Who are ye and from whence come ye k For this free and general concession of theirs gave Ioshua just cause to suspect that they were of the cursed Canaanites 9 And they said unto him From a very far country thy servants are come because of the Name of the LORD l Being moved thereunto by the report of his great and glorious nature and works so they gave them hopes that they would embrace their Religion thy God for we have heard the
expressed or implyed upon other occasions Or rather Thirdly It may be rendered his matter or thing i. e. the Business concerning the Child that which thou hast Promised or Vowed concerning him that he may grow up and be accepted and employed by God in his Service and that he when he is fully grown may not break thy Vow but confirm it so the woman abode and gave her son suck until she had weaned him 24 ¶ And when she had weaned him she took him up with her with three bullocks g Either First One to be offered at that time the other two presented to the Priest whether for his own use or to be offered afterwards as he saw fit Or Secondly One for a burnt-offering the Second for a sin-offering the Third for a peace-offering of which they might all Feast together for all these sorts seem expedient for this work and time and one ephah of flour h For the meat-offerings belonging to the principal Sacrifices which to each Bullock were three tenth-deals or three tenth parts of an Ephah as appears from Numb 15. 9. and 28. 12 and so nine Homers or nine parts of the Ephah were spent and the tenth part was either a separate meat-offering or given to the Priest and a bottle of wine i For drink-offerings according to the manner and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh and the child was young 25 And they slew a bullock k Either First One of the three at the present reserving the rest for the future Or Secondly The three bullocks mentioned v. 24. to which the Article here added in the Hebrew seems manifestly to relate there being no one Bullock there singled out to which it can belong And so it is only an Enallage of the Singular Number for the Plural which is frequent and brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said O my lord l A form of Speech to engage favourable attention as thy soul liveth m The usual Form of an Oath as Gen. 42. 15. 1 Sam. 17. 55. and 20. 3. As surely as thou livest Which asseverations seem necessary because this was some Years after it and was quite forgotten by him my lord I am the woman that stood by thee here praying unto the LORD 27 For this child I prayed and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him 28 Therefore also I have ‖ Or 〈◊〉 him whom I have 〈◊〉 by petition 〈◊〉 the LORD lent him to the LORD n Or given him c. i. e. do now give or offer him for she did not lend him for a time with a purpose or right to require him again The words may be rendred thus And I also asked him or made my self to ask him an usual Hebraism for the Lord i. e. I Prayed for this Child not only for my self and to take away my reproach but especially that I might have a Child to Serve and Devote to the Lord. And so the following words as long as he liveth are not to be joyned with this foregoing Clause but with those which come next after them and that whole Clause may be thus rendred as a consequent upon the former And or therefore all the days in which he is or shall be he is or shall be lent or given to the Lord or as one begged for the Lord and for his Service and therefore justly given to him as long as he liveth ‖ Or he 〈◊〉 I have â—…ed by petition shall be returned he shall be lent o Or rendred or used as one given in my Prayer for this was the condition of my Prayer that he should be the Lords to the LORD And he p Not Eli who is not mentioned but v. 25. and then only passively not as speaking or doing any thing nor Elkanah of whom here is no mention but young Samuel who is the subject spoken of in this and the foregoing Verse and who was capable of worshipping God in some sort at least with External Adoration of which see on v. 22. And so the Particle there is Emphatical signifying that hereby he entred himself into the worship and service of God in that place to which he was Devoted by his Parents and now did Devote himself worshipped the LORD there CHAP. II. AND Hannah prayed a i. e. Praise God which is a part of Prayer Col. 4. 2. 1 Tim. 2. 1. so it is a Synecdochical expression and said * See Luk. 1. 46. c. My heart rejoiceth b Or leapeth for joy for the words note not only inward joy but also the outward Demonstrations of it in the LORD c As the Author and the Matter of my joy that he hath heard my Prayer and accepted my Son for his Service mine horn is exalted d My strength and glory which are oft signified by an Horn as Psal. 89. 17 24. and 92. 10. are advanced and manifested to my Vindication and the Confusion of mine Enemies in the LORD my mouth is enlarged e i. e. Opened wide to pour forth abundant Praises to God and to give a full answer to all the reproaches of mine Adversaries whereas before it was shut through Grief and Confusion over mine enemies f i. e. More than theirs or so as to get the Victory over them as she saith afterwards Here she manifests her great Prudence and Piety and Modesty that she doth not name Peninnah but only her Enemies in the general because I rejoyce in thy salvation g Because the matter of my joy is no trivial or Worldly thing but that strange and glorious Salvation or Deliverance which thou hast given me from my own oppressing Care and Grief and from the Insolencies and Reproaches of mine Enemies in giving me a Son and such a Son as this who shall be serviceable to God and to his People in helping them against their Enemies which she Presaged as may be guessed from v. 10. 2 * Deut. 32. 4. Psal. 56. 8. and â—…9 6 8. There is none holy as the LORD h None so perfectly unchangeably and constantly Holy as God hath shewed himself to be in this Act of Grace to me whereby he hath both checked the Proud and Mighty and Pleaded the Cause of his Afflicted Servants that trusted in Him and also Fulfilled his Promise in giving me a Son whom he hath Sanctified by his Grace to his Service all which are the proper Effects of Gods Holiness for there is none beside thee i Not onely none is so holy as thou art but in truth there is none Holy which word is easily understood out of the former clause besides thee to wit intirely or independently but onely by participation from thee Or as none have any holiness like thine so none have any Being besides thee unless by derivation from thee neither is there any rock like our God k Thou onely art a sure
David for in all he had eight 1 Sam. 17. 12. It is true there are but seven of them named 1 Chron. 2. 13 14 15. but that may be because one of them was either born of a Concubine or an obscure Person or one that died immediately after this time to pass before Samuel and Samuel said unto Jesse The LORD hath not chosen ‡ Heb. any of these 11 And Samuel said unto Jesse Are here all thy children And he said There remaineth yet the youngest and behold he keepeth the sheep y And consequently is the most unfit of all my Sons for that high Employment Either therefore he did not throughly understand David's great Wisdom and Valour or he judgeth him unfit by reason of his mean Education And God so ordered it by his Providence that David's choice might plainly appear to be Gods Work and not Samuel's or Iesse's Design And Samuel said unto Jesse * 2 Sam. 7. 8. Psal. 78. 70. send and fetch him for we will not fit ‡ Heb. round down z To wit to the Feast Qu. How could David be admitted to this Feast being as it seems not sanctified with the rest of his brethren Answ. 1. It is not strange if the Prophet by Gods direction dispensed with the ordinary Rule in a person so extraordinary both for his Piety and the Dignity to which he was chosen 2. It is not affirmed that David did sit down with them to the Feast but onely that they would not do so till he come And when he was come and Samuel had done what he intended with him David for ought we know might depart and the rest sit down to the Feast For David was not now actually raised to any higher degree but returned to his former employment as we read below v. 19. till he come hither 12 And he sent and brought him in now he was ruddy a Which may be referred either to the colour of his hair or rather to the complexion of his Face and withal †of a beautiful countenance ‡ Heb. fair of eyes and goodly to look b Of a comely but Masculine and Majestick Aspect to and the LORD said Arise anoint him for this is he 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oyl and * Psal. 89. 20. anointed him in the midst of his brethren c According to this Translation his Brethren were present at this Act and knew that David was Anointed King But this seems to some neither consistent to Samuel's design of Secresie not with Eliabs scornful words concerning him after this Chap. 17. 28. But to this others reply That David's Brethren saw David's Unction but did not particularly understand that he was Anointed to the Kingdom but were onely told by Samuel that he was Anointed to some great Service which hereafter they should know but at present it was fit to be concealed Thus Iesse onely and David understood the whole business and his Brethren were able to Attest to that Act of Samuel's Anointing him which with other collateral Evidences was abundantly sufficient to prove David's Right to the Kingdome if need should be And this seems fairly to accord and explain the matter But the words may be otherwise Translated out of the Hebrew That he Anointed him out of the midst of his brethren i. e. He selected him from amongst the rest of his Brethren to be King As Christ is said to be raised from the midst of his brethren And whereas the Hebrew Word is Bekereb in the midst not mikkereb out of the midst it is confessed that the Preposition beth in is oft used for â—…in of or oâ—…t of as hath been formerly shewed by many instances and so it may be here And further the place may be thus rendred that Samuel anointed him being taken out of the midst of 〈◊〉 brethren and so these words may be added to signifie That Samuel took him out from the rest of the Company and privately Anointed him Iesse onely being present at the Action And thus there is an Ellipsis of a Verb or Particle which is frequent as Geâ—… 1â—… 15. The woman was taken i. e. was taken and carried into Pharaoh's house and many such places and * See Num. 27. 18. the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward d i. e. He was immediately endowed with extraordinary Gifts of God's Spirit as Strength and Courage and Wisdome and Magnanimity and other excellent qualities which fitted him for and put him upon Noble Attempts for which he presently grew famous even whilest he lived a private Life See below v. 15. and 1â—… 34 c. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah 14 ¶ But the spirit of the LORD departed from Saul e God took away that prudence and courage and alacrity and other gifts and assistances of God's Spirit where with he had qualified him for the management of his Pubâ—… Employment and an * Chap. 19. â—… evil spirit f Properly so called for what need is there of forsaking the proper signification of the Word It is evident both from Scripture and Experience that God hath permitted some men to be really acted and disquieted by the Devil and why not Saul as well as others from the LORD g i. e. By Gods permission or judgment delivering him up to Satan ‖ Or 〈◊〉 troubled him h Stirred up in him unruly and tormenting Passions as Envy Rage Fear Despair and the like 15 And Sauls servants said unto him Behold now an evil spirit ‡ Heb. of God from God troubleth thee 16 Let our lord now command thy servants which are before thee to seâ—…k out a man who is a cunning player on an harp and it shall come to pass when the evil spirit from God is upon thee that he shall play with his hand and thou shalt be well i And the Success confirms their Opinion For although Musick cannot directly have any influence upon an Evil Spirit to drive him away yet because the Devil as it seems had not Possession of him but onely made use of the Paâ—…ons of his Mind and ill humours of his Body to molest him and because it is manifest that Musick hath a mighty Power to qualifie and sweeten these and to make a man sedate and chearful as is evident by the unanimous consent of Learned Writers and by common Experience it is not strange if the Devil had not that power over him when his Mind was more composed which he had when it was disordered as the Devil had less power over Lunaticks in the decrease than in the increase of the Moon Matt. 17. 15 18. And seeing Musick prepared the Lords Prophets for the Entertainment of the good Spirit as 2 King 3. 15. Why might it not dispose Saul to the resistance of the evil Spirit and why might not the chearing of his heart in some measure strengthen him against those temptations of the
Jonathan thou wast slain in thine high places t Which were in thy Country and had not thy Father disinherited thee by his Sins in thy Dominions 26 I am distressed for thee u i. e. For the loss of thee For besides the loss of a true Friend and all the comfort of friendship which is inestimable he lost him who both could and undoubtedly would have given him a speedy and quiet and sure Possession of the Kingdom whereas now he met with long and troublesome interruptions my brother Jonathan very pleasant hast thou been unto me thy love to we was wonderful passing the love of women x i. e. That Love wherewith they love their Husbands or Children for their Affections are usually more vehement and ardent than Mens 27 How are the mighty fallen and the weapons of war y Either 1. Metaphorically so called to wit Saul and Ionathan and the brave Commanders and Soldiers of Israel who might have been called the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof Or rather 2. Properly for together with the Men their Arms were lost which was a very great aggravation of their loss and that loss seems to be at this time more irrecoverable and dangerous than the loss of their men perished CHAP II. AND it came to pass after this that David enquired of the LORD a By Urim as 1 Sam. 23. 6 9. and 30. 7 8. Thus David begins at the right end and lays his Foundation in Gods counsel and assistance which now he seeks saying Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah b He asketh not whether he should take the Kingdom for that was appointed and known before and he would not offend God nor dishonour his Ordinances with frivolous and unnecessary enquiries but onely where he should enter upon it whether in Iudab as he supposed because of his relation to that Tribe and his interest in it or whether in some other Tribe for he doth not limit God but resolves exactly to follow his Counsels And the LORD said unto him Go up And David said Whither shall I go up And he said Unto Hebron c Which was next to Ierusalem part whereof the Iebusites now possessed the chief City of that Tribe and a City of the Priests Iosh. 21. 10 c. and in the very center or middle of that Tribe to which the whole Tribe might speedily resort when need required 2 So David went up thither and his two wives also Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail Nabals Wife the Carmelite 3 And his men that were with him did David bring up every man with his houshold and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron d i. e. The Cities or Towns belonging and subject to Hebron which was the Metropolis Ios. 21. 11 12. For in Hebron it self there was not space for them all because it was filled with Priests and with David's Court. 4 And * 1 Mac. 2. 57. the men of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah e This they did upon just grounds because not onely the Kingdom was promised to that Tribe Gen. 49. 10. but David was Designed and Anointed by God whose will both they and all Israel were obliged to observe and obey And they Piously resolved not to neglect their Duty though they saw the other Tribes would Yet their prudent caution and modesty is observable That they make him King of Iudah onely and not of all Israel And therefore there was need of a Third Anointing to the Kingdom over all Israel which he had chap. 5. 3. But as for that First Anointing 1 Sam. 16. 13. it was onely a designation of the Person who should be King but not an actual Inauguration of him to the Kingdom and they told David saying That * â—… Sam. 31. 13. the men of Jabesh-Gilead were they that buried Saul 5 ¶ And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-Gilead and said unto them Blessed be ye of the LORD that ‡ Or because ye have shewed this kindness f This respect and affection to procure him Burial For as it is and ever was esteemed an act of inhumanity to deny Burial to the Dead so it is an act of mercy and kindness to Bury him unto your lord even unto Saul and have buried him 6 And now the LORD shew kindness and truth g i. e. True and real kindness not in words onely but also in actions as you have now done to your King the Lords Anointed unto you and I also will requite you this kindness h So far am I from being offended with you for this kindness to my late Enemy that I will requite it because ye have done this thing 7 Therefore now let your hands be strengthned and †be ye valiant i Be not afraid lest the Philistines should punish you for this Fact but take good courage I will defend you for your master Saul is ‡ Heb. be ye the Sons of valour dead k Or though your Master Saul be dead and so your hearts may faint within you as if you were now Sheep without a Shepherd and also ‡ Know this for your comfort that the house of Judah have anointed me king over them 8 ¶ But Abner the son of Ner l Partly out of envy and malice against David and partly out of his own ambition and desire of Rule because he knew that Ishbosheth would have onely the name of King whilst he had the power captain of ‡ Heb. the host which was Saul's Sauls host took ‖ Or Eshbaal 1 Chr. 8. 33. Ishbosheth m Called also Eshbaal 1 Chron. 8. 33. and 9. 39. It being usual with the Hebrews instead of Baal the name of false gods to put Bosheth which signifies shame or confusion or a shameful thing as appeareth by comparing Iudg. 9. 53. with 2 Sam. 11. 21. and 2 Sam. 4. 4. with 1 Chron. 8. 34. and from Ier. 3. 24. Hos. 9. 10. the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim n A place beyond Iordan whither he carried him partly to secure those Brave and Valiant Men of Iabesh-Gilead to himself and principally because this place was most remote from David and from the Philistines too and therefore here he might recruit his Forces with less disturbance than in other places 9 And he made him king over Gilead o Largely so taken for all the Land of Israel beyond Iordan as it is Ios. 22. 9. Iudg. 10. 8. and over the Ashurites p i. e. The Tribe of Asher as the Chaldee Paraphrast and others understand it and over Jezreel q A large and rich Valley scituate in the Borders of the Tribes of Zebulun Issachar and Napthali and so put Synecdochically for them all and over Ephraim and over Benjamin and over all ‡ the rest of Israel r Except Iudah as it follows 10 Ishbosheth
10. behold Hushai * Josh. 16. 2. the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent and ashes upon his head 33 Unto whom David said If thou passest on with me then thou shalt be a burden unto me m. Increasing my Charge and Care and Sorrow for what may befall thee and being but of little use to me for it may seem he was an Old Man and fitter for Counsel than for War 34 But if thou return to the City and say unto Absalom I will be thy servant O king as I have been thy fathers servant ‖ Or heretofore hitherto so will I now also be thy servant n i. e. As faithful to thee as I have been to thy Father which he neither was nor ought to be And therefore the profession of this was great dissimulation and David's suggesting this crafty Counsel may be reckon'd amongst his Errors which proceeding from a violent Temptation and his present and pressing Straits God was pleased mercifully to Pardon and to direct this Evil Advice to a Good End then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel 35 And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests therefore it shall be that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the kings house thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests 36 Behold they have there * Ver. 27. with them o Not in Ierusalem but in a place near to it to which they could easily send upon occasion See Chap. 17. 17. their two sons Ahimaaz Zadoks son and Jonathan Abiathars son and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear 37 So Hushai Davids friend came unto the city and Absalom came into Jerusalem CHAP. XVI AND when David was a little past the top of * Chap. 15. 35 the hill behold * Chap. 9. 2. Ziba a A Crafty Man who being perswaded that God would in due time appear for the Righteous Cause of so good a King and scatter the Cloud which was now upon him takes this occasion to make way for his future Advancement the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of Asses sadled and upon them two hundred loaves of bread and an hundred bunches of raisins and an hundred of summer fruits and a bottle b A large Bottle or Vessel proportionable to the other Provisions of wine 2 And the king said unto Ziba What meanest thou by these And Ziba said The asses be for the kings houshold to ride on c For the King and his Wives and Children were all on Foot not that he had noâ—… or could not procure Asses for them at Ierusalem but because he chose it as best becomming that State of Penitence and Humiliation in which they were and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat and the wine that such as be â—…aint in the wilderness may drink 3 And the king said And where is thy masters son And Ziba said unto the king Behold he abideth at Jerusalem for he said To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father d Which though it might seem a very unlikely thing yet such vain Expectations do often get into the Minds of Men nor was it impossible that when David's Family was thus divided and one part ingaged against another they might destroy themselves by mutual Wounds and the People being tired out with Civil Wars might Restore the Kingdome to the Family of Saul their old Master whereof this was the top-branch And this was a time of general Defection of many whom the King had greatly obliged witness Achitophel And Mephibosheth's absence made the Calumny more probable 4 Then said the king to Ziba Behold thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth e A rash Sentence and unrighteous to Condemn a Man unheard upon the single Testimony of his Accuser and Servant But David's Mind was both clouded by the deep sense of his Calamity and byassed by Ziba's great and seasonable kindness And he might think that Ziba would not dare to Accuse his Master of so great a Crime which if false might so easily be disproved And Ziba said ‡ Heb. I do 〈◊〉 I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight my lord O King f Thy favour is more to me than this gift which as a token of thy favour I accept with all thankfulness 5 And when king David came to Bahurim g A City in Benjamin Chap. 3. 16. and 19. 16. i. e. To the Territory of it for to the City he came not till v. 14. behold thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei the son of Gera ‖ Or he still came forth and cursed he came forth and cursed still as he came 6 And he cast stones k at David and at all the servants of king David and all the people and all the mighty men were on his righthand and on his left i Which is noted to shew the Prodigious Madness of the Man though Rage which is truly said to be a short Madness and the height of Malice hath oft transported men to the most hazardous and desperate Speeches and Actions h Not so much to hurt them as to shew his Contempt of them 7 Anâ—… thus said Shimei when he cursed Come out k Or rather go out as the Word properly signifies Be gone out of thy Kingdom as thou deservest come out thou †bloody man and thou ‡ Heb. man of bloâ—…d man of Belial 8 The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul l Either 1. The Blood of Abner and Ishbosheth which he Maliciously imputes to David as if they had been Killed by David's contrivance especially the former because David did onely give Ioab hard Words as in Policy he was obliged to do but instead of Punishing him did Reward and Prefer him Or 2. The Death of Saul's seven Sons Chap. 21. 8. which though related after this seems to have been done before Of which see the Notes on chap. 15. 7. in whose stead thou hast reigned and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son and ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 thee in thy evil behold thou art taken in thy mischief m The same Mischief thou didst bring upon others is now returned upon thy own head Or Thy Sin hath found thee out and thou art now receiving the just Punishment of it because thou art a bloody man 9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king Why should this * 1 Sam. 24. 14. Chap. 3. 8. dead dog curse my lord the king let me go over I pray thee and take off his head 10 And the king said What have I to do with you n To wit in this Matter I ask not your Advice nor will I follow it nor
Shall I ‡ Heb. live Chap. 1. 2. recover of this disease 10 And Elisha said unto him Go say unto him Thou mayest certainly recover howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die p Here is no contradiction for the first words contain an answer to Benhadad's question ver 8. Shall I recover this disease To which the answer is thâ—…u mayest or shalt recover i. e. notwithstanding thy Disease which is not morâ—…l and shall not take away thy life The later words contain the Prophets explication of or addition to that answer which is that he should die not by the power of his Disease but by some other cause But it is observable that in the Hebrew Text it is lo the Adverb which signifies not which though most affirm to be put for lo the Pronoun signifying to him yet others take it as it lies and Translate the words thus Say thou shalt not recover for the Lord hath shewed me that he shall surely die Or according to the former reading the first words may be taken Interrogatively say unto him Shalt thou indeed recover as thou dost flatter thy self no which negation is implied in the very question and gathered from the following words for the Lord hath shewed me that he shall surely die 11 And he setled his countenance ‡ Heb. and â—…et it stedfastly q The Prophet fixed his eyes upon Hazael until he was ashamed r Either till the Prophet was ashamed to look any longer upon him or till Hazael was ashamed as apprehending that the Prophet suspected or discerned something extraordinary and of an evil and shameful nature in him The Hebrew words are ambiguous and may indifferently â—…e referred to either of them but they seem more properly to belong to Hazael because it follows by way of distinction the man of God wept and the man of God wept 12 And Hazael said Why weepeth my lord And he answered Because I know * Chap. 10. 32. and 13. 3. Amos 1. 3. the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel s So here was a double cause of his Grief and Tears the evil of sin in Hazael and the evil of suffering upon Israel their strong holds wilt thou set on fire and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword and wilt * Chap. 15. 16. Hos. 13. 16. Amos 1. 13. dash their children and rip up their women with child 13 And Hazael said But what is thy servant a dog t Either so vile and unworthy as this expression is used 2 Sam. 3. 8. and 9. 8. or so impudent for which Dogs are noted or so fierce and barbarous and inhumane Compare Psal. 22. 16 20. and 59. 6. that he should do this great thing And Elisha answered The LORD hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria u And when thou shalt have power in thy hand thou wiltst discover that bloody disposition and that hatred against Gods People which now lies hid from others and possibly from thy self and therefore with the Kingdom thou wiltst inherit their cruel â—…ons 14 So he departed from Elisha and came to his master who said to him What said Elisha to thee And he answered He told me that thou shouldest surely recover x He represents the Prophets answer by halves that by his Masters security he might have the fitter opportunity to execute his Treasonable design 15 And it came to pass on the morrow that he took a thick cloth and dipt it in water and spread it on his face y Pretending it may be to cool his immoderate heat with it but applying it so closely that he choaked him therewith by which Artifice his Death seemed to be Natural there being no signs of a violent Death upon his Body And this he the more boldly attempted because the Prophets Prediction made him confident of the success so that he died and Hazael reigned in his stead z Having the favour of the People and of the Men of War 16 ¶ And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah * 2 Chr. 21. 4. Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah ‡ Heb. reigned began to reign a Iehoram was first made King or Vice-Roy by his Father divers Years before this time to wit at his expedition to Ramoth-Gilead as was noted before which Dominion of his ended at his Fathers return But now Iehoshaphat being not far from his Death and having divers Sons and fearing some competition and dissention among them makes Iehoram King the second time as David did Solomon upon the like occasion 1 Chron. 29. 22. which is the thing here related But of this see more in the Notes on 2 King 1. 17. and 3. 1. 17 Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign and he reigned eight years b Part with his Father and part by himself alone in Jerusalem 18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel c After his Fathers Death as did the house of Ahab for * Ver. 26. the daughter of Ahab d Athaliah ver 26. This unequal Marriage though Iehoshaphat possibly designed it as a mean of Uniting the two Kingdoms under one Head and in the True Religion is here and elsewhere noted as the cause both of the great wickedness of his Posterity and of those sore Calamities which befel them was his wife and he did evil in the sight of the LORD 19 Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David his servants sake * 2 Sam. 7. 13. as he promised him to give him alway e Heb. all days until the coming of the Messiah as it is elsewhere limited and explained for so long and not longer this Succession might seem necessary for the making good of Gods Promise and Covenant made with David But when the Messiah was once come there was no more need of any Succession and the Scepter might and did without any inconvenience depart from Iudah and from all the succeeding Branches of David's Family because the Messiah was to hold the Kingdom for ever in his own Person though not in so gross a way as the carnal Iews imagined but in a Spiritual manner a ‡ Heb. candle or lamp light f i. e. A Son and Successor Of this Phrase see on 1 King 11. 36. and to his children 20 ¶ In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Iudah g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they had been from David's time 2 Sam. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—… King 22. 47. and made a king over themselves 21 So Joram went over to Zair and all the chariots with him and he rose by night and smote the Edomites which compassed him about and the captains of the chariots and the people h i. e. The common Soldiers of the Edomites herein following the example of their Captains fled into
Israel to put his Name there and his mothers name was Naamah an Ammonitess 14 And he did evil because he ‖ Or fixed 1 Sam. 7. 3. prepared not k Or directed nâ—…t or settled not c. i. e. Although he humbled himself and seemed penitent for a season and professed the True Religion and Worship of God yet he quickly relapsed into his former Sins because he was not sincere nor serious in his Actions and his Heart was not right with God his heart to seek the LORD 15 Now the acts of Rehoboam first and last are they not written in the †Heb. words book of Shemajah the prophet and of Iddo the seer concerning genea logies l In an Historical Account written by him of the Genealogies and Actions of the Kings of Judah And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam conâ—…inually 16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David and Abijah his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XIII 1 NOw * 1 Kiâ—… 〈◊〉 c. in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem his mothers name also was Micajah the daughter of Uriel a Called Maachah the Daughter of Absalom 1 King 15. 2. She might be Daughter to one and Grand-daughter to the other or the proper and natural Daughter of the one and the others by Adoption of which there are Instances in Scripture or the same Person might be called Uriel and Absalom See 1 King 15. 2. of Gibeah and there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam 3 And Abijah †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set the battel in aray c Against Jeroboam We need not scrupulously enquire into the Lawfulness of this War for this Abijah though here he makes a fair Flourish and maintained the better Cause yet was indeed an Ungodly Man 1 King 15. 3. and therefore minded not the satisfaction of his Conscience but onely the Recovery of his Parents Ancient Dominions with an army of valiant men of war even four hundred thousand chosen men Jeroboam also set the battel in aray against him with eight hundred thousand men being mighty men of valour 4 And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim d Some commodious Place whence his Voice might be heard by Jeroboam and some of his Host who possibly were pitched in the Valley Or the two Armies being pitched near to one another Abijah might desire a Parly before they fought whereupon Jeroboam and some of his Commanders and Souldiers might draw near to him and stand below him at the bottom of the Hill where they might hear his Speech which Jeroboam was the more willing to do that in the mean time he might cause an Ambushment to come behind Abijah and his Army as he did v. 13. whilest he was quietly standing before them and seemed to hearken to any Terms of Accommodation which might be offered which is in mount Ephraim and said Hear me thou Jeroboam and all Israel 5 Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt e i. e. By a perpetual Covenant which thy â—…surpation cannot disanul For the Phrase see on Numb 18. 19. 6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat the servant of Solomon the son of David is risen up and hath * 1 〈◊〉 rebelled against his lord 7 And there are gathered unto him vain men the children of Belial f Such as have cast off the Yoke and Obedience which they owed both to God and to their King and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young g Not in Age for he was then 41 years old but in his Kingdom which he had but newly obtained and in Experience in Politick and especially in Military Affairs to which he was wholly a Stranger as having been born and bred up in a time of great Peace and Security and tender-hearted h i. e. Cowardly and fearful who durst not adventure to chastise the Rebels as he should have done But herein Abijah forgets his Duty both to his Father whom he falsely traduceth and to God by whose Express Command Rehoboam was restrained from the War against Israel which otherwise he had both Courage and Resolution to prosecute as appears from the History 1 King 12. 21. and could not withstand them 8 And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David i That Kingdom which was not set up by Vain Men in pursuance of their own Ambition and Discontent as yours was but ordained and established by God himself in the House of David and ye be a great multitude k Or because that Hebrew Particle being oft so used ye be c. This he mentions partly as the ground of their Confidence that they had more Triâ—…es and a greater Host and partly as a Presâ—…ge of their Downfal which trusting â—…o the Arm of Flesh is and there are with you golden calâ—…es l Or but there are c. There is that among you which may damp your Courage and Confidence You worship those Images which God aâ—…hors and severely forbids which Jeroboam * 1 Kiâ—… 〈◊〉 made you for gods m Or for God as that plural word is most commonly used i. e. instead of God to give them the Name of God as Exod. 32. 4. and that worship which is peculiar to him 9 * 〈◊〉 Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD the sons of Aaron and the Levites and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands so that whosoeveâ—… cometh †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to consecrate himself n i. e. To make himself a Priest See on Levit. 7. 37. with a young bullock and seven rams the same may be a priest of them that are no gods o That have nothing of the Nature or Power though you give them the Name of gods 10 But as for us the LORD p Heb. Iehovah the onely true and great God is our God and we have not forsaken him q We maintain his Honour and Worship which you have ungratefully rejected and the priests which minister unto the LORD are the sons of Aaron and the Levites wait upon their business 11 * 〈◊〉 And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew-bread also set they in order upon the pure table r So called because it was made of pure Gold Exod. 25. 23 24. and the candlestick of gold s He saith Table and Candlestick though there were ten of each 〈◊〉 4. 7 8. either 1. because Shishak had carried away all but onâ—… Or 2. the singular number is put for the plural as 1 King 7. 48. and oft
Piety is uniform and constant and stedfast in all varieties of conditions and under all Trials and Temptations But this Translation removes the and from its proper place and changeth the Order of the words which is this in the Hebrew thy Hope and the Uprightness of thy ways which words may be restored to their own Order and with that variation our Translation may stand and this seems to be the true sense And so here are four distinct Questions Is not this thy Fear Is not this thy Confidence Is not this thy Hope Is not this the Uprightness of thy ways But others make only two Questions and render the words either thus Is not or rather Was not thy Fear of God thy Confidence And the Uprightness of thy Ways thy Hope i. e. Did not thy Fear of God and the Integrity of thy Life of which thou didst make such eminent Profession proceed only from the love of thy self and of this present World And from thy Confidence and Hope that God would bless and prosper thee for it For now when God withdraws his Favour and Blessings from thee thy Religion is vanished and thou hast cast off all Fear and Reverence of God as thy impious Speeches shew Or thus Would not thy Fiar be thy Confidence and the Uprightness of thy Ways thy Hope i. e. If thou hadst indeed that Fear and Integrity to which thou pretendest it would give thee good ground of Hope and Confidence in the midst of all thy distresses and thou wouldst not so faint and sink under thy Calamities as now thou dost for want of a solid foundation of true Prety But both these Translations besides other Inconveniences stumble at the same stone and pervert the Order of the Words in the Hebrew Text of which see before which is not to be allowed without some kind of necessity which is not in this case 7. Remember I pray thee l Give me one Example hereof out of all thy Experience or Reading who ever perished m i. e. Was so utterly undone as thou art so miserably afflicted by such unparallel'd and various Judgments from God and Men all conspiring against thee being innocent n Who had not by his wickedness provoked so merciful a God to do that which is so unusual and in some sort unpleasing to himself Therefore thou art guilty of some great though secret Crimes and thy Sin hath now found thee out and hath brought down these stupendious Plagues upon thee or where were the righteous cut off o By the Sicle of Divine Vengeance before his time which is like to be thy case His Judgment herein was rash and false but not without some appearance of Truth For God had made many Promises not only of spiritual and eternal but also of temporal Blessings to all that should faithfully serve and obey him which accordingly he did from time to time confer upon them as we see by the Examples of Noah Lot Abraham Isaac and Jacob and doubtless many others which had lived in or before their days And this was Gods usual method under all the times of the Old Testament as we see by the People of Israel who were generally either in an happy and flourishing or in an afflicted and miserable State according to their Obedience to God or their Apostacy from him And therefore it is not strange that they fell into this mistake But allowing for this mistake and the consequence of it his uncharitable Opinion of Iob the method which he useth with Iob is commendable and to be imitated by others in their dealing with persons in Sickness or Affliction For he doth not flatter him in his Sins nor immediately and unseasonably apply Comforts to him but endeavours to convince him of his Sins and to bring him to Repentance as the only regular way to his Remedy 8. Even as I have seen p As thou hast never seen any Example of a Righteous man cut off so on the contrary I have seen many Examples of wicked men cut off for their wickedness Or As far as I have observed Or But as I have seen or experienced * Psal. 7. 14. Prov. 22. 8. Hos. 10. 13. they that plough Iniquity and sow Wickedness q They that designedly and industriously work wickedness first plotting and preparing themselves for it and then continuing to pursue and execute it as Husbandmen first plow up and prepare the ground and then cast in the Seed Compare Prov. 22. 8. Hos. 10. 13. reap the same r i. e. Iniquity or such trouble or Injury for so also the Hebrew word Aven signifies as they cause to others Or the fruit of their Iniquity the just Recompence and Punishment of it which is oft called Sin or Iniquity as Gen. 4. 7. Numb 12. 11. and 16. 26. and 32. 23. Compare Gal. 6. 7 8. 9. By the blast of God s To wit Of his Nostrils as it here follows i. e. by his Anger which in Men shews itself in the Nostrils by hot and frequent Breathings there and therefore by an Anthropopathy is ascribed to God by a secret and oft undiscerned but mighty and powerful Judgment of God by which they are blasted and blown away as Chaff by the Wind as the Phrase is Psal. 1. they perish and †That is by his Anger as Isa. 30. 33. Exod. 15. 8. Chap. 1. 19. and 15. 30. Isa. 11. 4. by the Breath of his Nostrils are they consumed 10. The roaring of * Psal. 34. 10. and 35. 17. the Lion and the voice of the fierce Lion t Understand vanisheth or perisheth out of v. 9. or is restrained or suppressed as may be gathered out of the following Branch of this Verse and †Psal. 58. 6. the Teeth of the young Lions are broken u Which is true literally the Lions when taken having most commonly their Teeth broken as antient and modern Writers relate But this is here mystically meant of wicked and Powerful Tyrants who are oft and fitly compared to Lions Ezek. 32. 2. and 38. 13. 2 Tim. 4. 17. who though for a time they persecute and oppress other men yet in due time they are restrained and broken and crushed in pieces by the mighty Power of God appearing against them in some eminent Judgments Possibly he may secretly accuse Iob or his Children or both that being persons of great Wealth and Power in those parts they had wickedly abused it to ruine their Neighbours and therefore were justly cut off 11. The old Lion perisheth for lack of Prey x Because they cannot go abroad to seek it and their young ones either cannot find or do not bring it to them See Psal. 59. 14 15. and 109. 10. and the stout Lions Whelpâ—… are scattered abroad y Gone from their Dens several ways to hunt for Prey and can find none 12. Now z Heb And or Moreover I will further convince thee by a Vision which I had
to speak whatsoever pleaseth you or tormenteth me 6. Though I speak k To God by Prayer or to you in way of discourse I find no relief Iob having reproved his Friends for their unkind carriage towards him and aggravated it by his resolutions to have dealt more friendlâ—…ly with them if they had been in his case now he returns to his main business to describe and aggravate his miseries if by any means he could move his Friends to pity and help him my grief is not asswagâ—…d and though I forbear †〈…〉 what am I eased l Or what part or grain of my grief or misery departeth from 〈◊〉 I receive not one jot of ease Neither speech nor silence do me any good 7. But m Or surely as this Hebrew Particle most commonly signifies now he n i. e. God as appears by the following Words and Verses hath made me weary o Either of complaining or of my life thou p He speaks in the second Person to God as in the former Clause in the third Person of God Such change of Persons are very usual in Scripture and elsewhere hast made desolate all my company q Hast turned my society into desolation by destroying my Children and Servants 8. And thou hast filled me with wrinkles r By consuming all my fat and flesh which is a witness against me s Heb. Which is a witness of the reality and greatness and just cause of my sorrows Or which is become or made a witness i. e is produced by my Friends as a Witness of Goâ—… Wrath and of my Hypocrisie and Impiety and my leanness rising up in me t i. e. Which is in me Or rising up aâ—…ainst me as Witnesses use to rise and stand up against a guilty person to accuse him beareth witness to my face u As Witnesses are to accuse a person to his â—…ace openly and evidently so as any that look on my Face may plainly discern it But this Clause may be rendred thus My 〈◊〉 in my face i. e. which appears in my Face and causeth the wrinkles which are visible there riseth up against me and beareth witness as before 9. * 〈◊〉 10 16 〈◊〉 He teareth me in his wrath x Heb. His wrath teareth me in pieces as a Lion doth his Prey who hateth me y Heb. And he hateth me i. e. He pursueth me with a deadly haâ—…red and rage Or. And he is become mine enemy Or he sets himself against me with all his might Or He treats me like an implacable 〈◊〉 he gnasheth upon me with his teeth z Which is a gesture and sign of extream anger and fury as Psalm 35. 16. 37. 12. Lament 2. 16. as elsewhere of grievous pain as Luke 13. 28. * 〈◊〉 13 â—…4 mine enemy a Either 1. God who of a Friend is now become my implacable Enemy Or 2. Eliphaz who deals with me more like an Enemy than a Friend sharpneth his eyes upon me b i. e. Looks upon me with a fierce and â—…parkling Eye as enraged persons use to do 10. They c The Instruments of God's anger my Friends as they are falsly called have gaped upon me with their mouth d Opened their mouths wide against me either 1. to devour and destroy me as a Lion which falls upon hâ—…s Prey with open mouth as this phrase is used Psalm 22. 13 14. And this they did aggra ating and encreasing his sorrows whereby he was well-nigh overwhelmed Or 2. To 〈◊〉 and deride me as it follows and as this phrase is most commonly used as Psalm 22 8. 35. 21. they * 〈◊〉 3. 30. 〈◊〉 â—… 1. have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully e Or by reproach or in way of scorn and contempt whereof such smiting was a sign as 1 Kings 22. 24. Lament 3. 30. Mich. 5. 1. The sign is here put for the thing signified They dâ—…spised and derided me they have gathered themselves together against me f i. e. They are come from several places and met together here not for me or to comfort me as they pretended but really against me or to torment and griâ—… me Heb. they have filled themselves c. Either 1. they have filled up their numbers they are all come against me Or 2. they have filled their minds with evil Opinions of me and their hearts with courage and resolution to assault me and their mouths with words and arguments against me Compare Eccles. 8. 11. Acts. 5 3. 11. God †〈◊〉 hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath delivered me to the ungodly g either 1. to my Friends who act the part of the wicked in censuring and condemning the righteous whom God approveth and in pleading for a false and wicked Cause Or rather 2. to the Chaldeans and Sabeans who were a most wicked people living in gross contempt of God and injuriousness to all sorts of men For this best suits both with the first Clause of the next Verse which sheweth that he speaketh of Iob's first Afflictions which befell him when he was at ease and with Iob's principal scope which was to prove that both eminent prosperity and affliction did indifferently happen to good and bad men and this was evident from this example because holy Iob was ruined when these wicked people were most victorious and successful and turned me over into the hands of the wicked 12. I was at ease h I lived in great peace and prosperity which makes my present miseries more grievous to me and therefore my Complaints are excusable and I deserve pity rather than reproach from my friends but he hath broken me asunder i Broken my Spirit with the sense of his anger and my Body with loathsom Ulcers as also by destroying my Children a part of my own flesh or body he hath also taken me by my neck and shaken me to pieces k As a mighty man doth with some young Stripling when he wrestleth with him and * Ch. 7. 20. set me up for his mark l That he may shoot all his Arrows into me and that with delight which Archers have in that exercise 13. * Ch. 19. 1â—… His archers m i. e. His Plagues or Judgments elsewhere compared to Arrows and here to Archers compass me round about he cleaveth my reins asunder n With his Arrows i. e. he wounds me inwardly and mortally and incurably which also is noted by pouring out the gall such wounds being deadly and doth not spare he poureth out my gall upon the ground 14. He breaketh me with breach upon breach n My Calamities have no interruption but one immediately succeeds another as it did Chap. 1. he runneth upon me like a giant o Who falls upon his Enemy with all his might that he may overthrow and kill him 15. I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin p i. e. I put on sackcloth
Who inspired thee with this profound discourse of thine Was it by Divine Inspiration as thou wouldest have us to believe Or was it not a rash suggestion of thy own vain and foolish mind Or thus Whose spirit went out to wit of his body by an extasie of admiration for thee by reason of thy discourse I may be thought partial in my censure of it but thou mayst perceive none of our Friends here present admire it except thy self Or to or for whom the Particle eth being here understood out of the former Branch as is usual among the Hebrews did breath go out from thee i. e. didst thou speak For whose good or to what end didst thou speak this God needed it not I receive no edification or benefit by it 5. ‖ Or shall the dead be born under the waters So Gr. Dead things g Iob having censured Bildad's discourse concerning God's Dominion and Power as insignificant and impertinent to their question he here proceedeth to shew how little he needed his information in that Point and that he was able to instruct him in that Doctrine of which accordingly he gives divers Proofs or Instances Here he sheweth thaâ—… the Power and Proâ—…dence of God reacheth not onely to the things which we see but also to the invisible parts of the World not onely to the Heavens above and their Inhabitants and to Men upon Earth of which Bildad discoursed Chap. 25. 2 3. but also to such persons or things as are under the Earth or under the Waters which are under the Earth which are out of our sight and reach and might be thought to be out of the ken or care of Divine Providence This Hebrew word sometimes signifies Giants as Deut. 2. 11 20. 3. 13. and 1 Chron. 20. 8. Whence it may be translated to other great and as it were gigantick Creatures and more commonly dead men as Psalm 88. 11. Prov. 2. 18. 9. 18. 21. 16. Isa. 14. 9. 26. 14. 19. Whence it is supposed metaphorically to signifie also dead or lifeless things though there be no example of that use of the word elsewhere and it may seem improper to call those things dead which never had noâ—… were capable of life The next Hebrew Word or the Verb is primarily used of Women with Child and signifies their bringing forth their young Ones with travel or grievous pains as Iob 39. 3. Psalm 29. 9. Isa. 23. 4. 45. 10. and thence it signifies either to â—…orm or bring forth as below verse 13. Prov. 26. 10. Or to grieve or mourn or to be in pain Accordingly these words are diversly understood either 1. of dead or lifeless things such as Amber Pearl Coral Metals or other Minerals which are formed or brought forth to wit by the Almighty power of God from under the waters i. e. either in the bottom of the Sea or within the Earth which is the lowest Element and in the Scripture and other Authors spoken of as under the Waters this being observed as a remarkable Work of God's Providence that the Waters of the Sea which are higher than the earth do not overwhelm it and from under which may be repeated out of the former Clause of the Verse after the manner of the Hebrews the inhabitants thereof i. e. either of the Waters which are Fishes or of the Earth which are Men. Or rather 2. of the Giants of the old World which were men of great Renown whilest they lived Gen. 6. 3. and the remembrance of them and of their exemplary destruction was now in some sort fresh and famous who once carried themselves insolently towards God and men but were quickly subdued by the Divine Power and drâ—…ned with a Deluge and now mourn or grâ—…an from 〈◊〉 the waters where they were buried and from under the present Inhabitants thereof as before Or 3. of vast and gigantick Fishes or Monsters of the Sea who by God's infinite power were formed or brought forth under the waters with the other inhabitants thereof to wit of the Waters the lesser Fishes Or 4. of dead man and of the worst sort of them such as died in their sins and after death were condemned to further miseries for of such this very word seems to be used Prov. 2. 18. 9. 18. who are here said to mourn or groan from under the waters i. e. from the lower parts of the earth or from under those subâ—…erranean Seas of Waters which are by Scripture and by Philosophers supposed to be within and under the Earth of which see Deut. 8. 7. Iob 28. 4 10. Psalm 33. 7. and from under the inhabitants thereof i. e. either of the Waters or of the Earth under which these Waters are or with the other inhabitants thereof i. e. of that place under the Waters to wit the Apostate Spirits So the sense is that Gods dominion is over all men yea even the dead and the worst of them who though they would not own God nor his Providence whilest they lived yet now are forced to acknowledge and feel that power which they despised and bitterly mourn under the sad effects of it in their subterraneal and infernal Habitations of which the next Verse speaks more plainly And this sense seems to be favoured by the Context and scope of the place wherein Iob begins his discourse of Gods Power and Providence at the lowermost and hidden parts of the World and thence proceeds to those parts which are higher and visible Nor is it strange that Iob speaks of these matters seeing it is evident that Iob and others of the holy Patriarchs and Prophets of old did know and believe the Doctrine of the future Life and of its several Recompences to good and bad men Others understand this of the Resurrection of the dead The dead shall be born as this word is used Psal. 2. 7. Prov. 8. 24 25. i. e. shall be raised which is a kind of Regeneration or second Birth and is so called Mat. 19. 28. Act. 13. 33. from under the waters i. e. even those of them that lie in the waters Rev. 20. 13. that were drowned and buried in the Sea and devoured by Fishes c. whose case may seem to be most desperate and therefore they only are here mentioned and or eâ—…en this particle being oft used expositively the Inhabiants thereof i. e. those dead corps which lie or have long lain there are formed from under the waters ‖ Or will the iâ—…itants and the inhabitants thereof 6. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 8. 11 Heb. 4. 13 Hell h is naked before him i and destruction k As this word is frequently used as Iob 11. 8. Isa. 57. 9 c. And so it seems to be explained by the following word destruction i. e. the place of destruction which Interpreters generally understand of Hell or the place of the Damned Others the Grave the most secret and obscure places and things hath no covering l i. e. It
representation of Gods mercies and judgments he invites all nations to an acknowledgment of the true God to praise him for his favours and to tremble at his judgments which is their just duty and reasonable service 1. O * Psal. 106. 1. 118. 1. and 136. 1. Give thanks unto the LORD for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever a This whole verse occurs also Psal. 106. 1. Only there the address is made to the Israelites and here to all mankind 2. Let the redeemed of the LORD b All they whom God hath redeemed as it is expressed in the next clause or delivered from all the following calamities say so c To wit that the Lord is good c. as it is v. 1. whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy d Of such as had taken them Captives either in Battel or in their Travels to which they were led by their own inclinations or by their necessary occasions 3. And gathered them out of the lands from the east and from the west from the north e Bringing them into their own land out of the several quarters of the World into which they had been carrled and †Heb. from the Sea from the south f Heb. from the Sea Which in Scripture commonly notes the West because the great Mid-land Sea was on the West of Canaan but here as it appears from the opposition of this to the North it notes the South so called from the Red-sea which was on the South and which is sometimes called the Sea simply and without addition as Psal. 72. 8. 114. 3. 4. They wandred in the wilderness g Mistaking their way which they might easily do in the vast and sandy desarts of Arabia in a solitary way they found no city to dwell in h Or rather no City or Town inhabited where they might refresh themselves as Travellers used to do for they did not go into the Wilderness to seek for a City or Habitation there but only intended to pass through it as appears by the context and by the nature of the thing 5. Hungry and thirsty their Soul fainted in them i Partly for want of necessary Provisions and partly through anguish of spirit 6. Then they cryed unto the LORD k Heb. Unto Iehovah to the true God For the Heathens of whom he speaks had many of them some knowledge of the true God and did in their manner worship him with and in their Idols and especially in their distresses when they discovered the impotency of their Idols they did direct their Prayers immediately to the true God of which there are many instances of Heathen Writers in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses l In answer to their Prayers which he did not because their Prayers were acceptable to him but partly out of the benignity and compassionateness of his nature to all his creatures partly to encourage and preserve the use of Prayer and Religion among the Gentiles and to oblige them to a more diligent search after the knowledge of the true God and of his Worship and partly to give his own People assurance of his great readiness to hear and answer all those Prayers which with upright hearts they offered to him according to his word 7. And he led them forth m Out of the Wilderness where they had lost their way v. 4. by the right way that they might go to a city of habitation n See before on v. 4. 8. †Heb. let them 〈◊〉 to the LORD his goodness So Gr. Oh that men would praise o Heb. Let them praise Or They shall praise i. e. They are highly obliged to praise the LORD for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men p Not only to his peculiar people but to all mankind to whom he is very kind and bountiful 9. For he satisfieth the longing q Either the thirsty opposed to the hungry here following or the hungry as this general phrase is limited and expounded in the next clause soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness r With the fruits of his goodness with good things Psal. 103. 5. with food and gladness Act. 14. 17. with that good which they wanted and desired 10. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death s In a disconsolate and foâ—…lorn condition in dark prisons or dungeons being bound in affliction and iron t With afflicting or grievous irons Or in the cords of affliction as they are called Iob 36. 8. and particularly in iron fetters 11. Because they rebelled against the words of God u Against Gods commands made known either 1. by his written Word delivered to the Jews of which the Gentiles were not ignorant which therefore they should have diligently inquired after and searched into as the Queen of Sheba came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and as divers of the Heathens travelled into very remote parts to gain a more perfect knowledge of the Arts and Sciences which will justly be laid to their charge and condemn them for their neglect of that Divine wisdom which was treasured up in the holy Scriptures Or 2. by the Prophets who some times were sent to the Gentiles Or 3. by the Law and light of Nature and by it's Interpreters their wise and learned Philosophers who delivered many excellent rules and precepts of piety and virtue which were sufficient though not for their salvation without Christ yet for the conduct of their lives in a great measure and to leave them without excuse for their gross disobedience thereunto and contemned the counsel of the most High 12. Therefore he brought down their heart x The pride and rebellion and obstinacy of their hearts with labour y Or with trouble or troubles they fell down and there was none to help z They fell into their enemies hands and into hopeless and remediless miseries 13. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses 14. * Psal. 68. 6. 146. 7. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and brake their bands in sunder 15. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men 16. For he hath broken the gates of brass and cut the bars of iron in sunder a He restored them to liberty in spight of all impedimen's and oppositions 17. ‖ Psal. 38. 5. Fools b i. e. Wicked men whom he calls fools because of the mischiefs which through their own folly they bring upon themselves †Heb. from the way of because of their transgression c Heb. because of the way of their transgression i. e. their custom and course of sinning as the word way is used Psal. 1. 1. Prov.
that time when multitudes were made Christs willing people by the preaching of the Apostles as we read Acts 2. 3. 4. 5 c. And for the second clause it is to be understood thus thou hast or as it is in the Hebrew to thee is the dew of thy youth or of thy childhood for the word jeled from which this is derived signifies sometimes a young man and sometimes a child or infant By youth or childhood he here seems to understand those young men or children which shall be born to the Messias who are called his children Heb. 2. 13. and his seed Isa. 53. 10. wherein possibly there might be an allusion to this dew Thus the abstract is here put for the concrete which is very frequent in the Hebrew Tongue as Circumcision and Uncircumcision are put for the circumcised and the uncircumcised c. And even in the Latine Tongue this very word youth is oft used for a young man or for a company of young men By the dew of youth he means youth or young men like dew the note of similitude being oft understood And this progeny of Christ is compared to the dew partly because of their great multitude being like drops of dew innumerable and covering the whole face of the earth see 2 Sam. 17. 12. and partly because of the strange manner of their generation which like that of the dew is done suddenly and secretly and not perceived till it be accomplished and to the admiration of those that behold it of which see Isa. 49. 21. Or 2. joyntly as one entire sentence The dew of thy youth i. e. Thy posterity which is like the dew as was noted and explained before is as the dew which may very well be understood out of the foregoing clause as the word feet is understood in like manner Psal. 18. 33. He maketh my feet like hinds feet of or from the womb of the morning it is like the morning dew as it is called both in Scripture as Hos. 6. 4. and in other Authors Not is it strange that a womb is ascribed to the morning seeing we read of the womb of the Sea and of the womb of the â—…oe and frost Job 38. 8 28 29. 4 The LORD hath sworn t Which he did not in the Aaronical Priesthood Heb. 7. 21. but did it here partly because the thing was new and strange and might seem incredible because God had already erected another and that an everlasting Priesthood Numb 25. 13. and given it to Aaron and his posterity for ever and therefore this needed all possible assurance and partly that this Priesthood might be established upon better promises as is said Heb. 8. 6. and made sure and irrevocable and such that God neither could nor would repent of it as it follows and therefore will not repent * Heb. 5. 6. 7. 17 21. Thou art u To wit by my order and constitution thou shalt be so and I do hereby make thee so a priest x As well as a King Those Offices which were divided before between two families are both united and invested in thee both being absolutely necessary for the discharge of thine Office and for the establishment of thy Kingdom which is of another kind than the Kingdoms of the World spiritual and heavenly and therefore needs such a King as is also a Minister of holy things This word plainly discovers that this Psalm cannot be understood of David as some of the Jews would have it but onely of the Messias And although this word Cohen be sometimes used of a Prince or great Person in the State as the Jews object yet it cannot be so understood here partly because it signifies a Priest in Gen. 14. 18. from whence this expression is borrowed partly because that word is never used of a Soveraign Prince or King such as the Jews confess the Messias to be but onely of inferiour Princes or Ministers of State as Gen. 41. 45. 2 Sam. 8. ult partly because such an inconsiderable assertion would never have been ushered in by so solemn an oath especially after far greater things had been said of him in the same kind v. 1 2 3. and partly because the Messias is called a Priest Zach. 6. 13. compare Ier. 20. 21. 35. 15 18. for ever y Not to be interrupted or translated to another person as the Priesthood of Aaron was upon the death of the Priest but to be continued to thee for ever after the order of Melchizedek z Or after the manner c. so as he was a Priest and also a King and both without any successor and without end in the sence intended Heb. 7. 3. 5 The Lord a Either 1. God the Father whose words and oath he last mentioned v. 4. So this is an Apostrophe of the Psalmist to Christ Thy God and Father is at thy right hand to wit to defend and assist thee as that phrase is used Psal. 16. 8. 109. 31. and elsewhere See the Notes on v. 1. And he to wit God the Father shall strike c. as it follows Although this latter clause may belong to the Messias and as in the former he spake to him so in this he speaketh of him such changes of persons being very frequent in this Book Or 2. God the Son or the Lord who is at thy right hand as was said before v. 1. shall strike c. So this is an Apostrophe to God the Father concerning his Son This seems best to agree with the following verses for it is evident that it is the same person who strikes thorow Kings and judgeth among the heathen and filleth c. And so this whole verse and those which follow speak of one person which seems most probable at thy right hand shall strike thorow kings b Shall mortally wound and destroy all those Kings and Potentates who are obstinate enemies to him and to his Church in the day of his wrath c In the day of battel when he shall contend with them and pour forth the flouds of his wrath upon them 6 He shall judge d Either 1. conquer and govern them or rather 2. condemn and punish them as it is explained in the following clauses and as this word is used Gen. 15. 14. Rom. 2. 1 2. 1 Pet. 4. 6. and elsewhere among the heathen he shall fill the places d Or the place of battel which is necessarily supposed in the fight and therefore may very well be understood with the dead bodies e Of his enemies slain by his hand and lying in the field in great numbers and heaps and that unburied to their greater infamy he shall wound the heads f Heb. the head Which may be understood either 1. of some one person and eminent adversary of Christ and of his Kingdom either the Devil by comparing this with Gen. 3. 15. Heb. 2. 14. who was indeed the Head or
which their Honour and Happiness consists but every fool will be medling g To wit with matters of strife he is always ready to begin strife and obstinate in the continuance of it 4 * Ch. 10. 4. The sluggard will not plow by reason of the ‖ Or Winter cold h Of the Plowing season which is in Autumn and towards Winter He hates and avoids all laborious and difficult work although his own necessity and interest oblige him to it therefore shall he beg in harvest and have nothing i And not obtain an Alms not in that time of Plenty and bounty because mens Hearts are justly hardned against that Man who by his own sloth and wilfulness hath brought himself to want 5 * Ch. 18. 4. Counsel k Either 1. Wisdom or ability to give good Counsel Or 2. Designs or purposes of doing somthing of moment for this word is frequently used in both senses but the last seems fittest here in the heart of man is like deep Water l Either 1. is there in great abundance Or 2. is secret and hard to be discovered but a man of understanding will draw it out m By prudent Questions and Discourses and a diligent Observation of his words and actions 6 Most men will proclaim every one his own ‖ Or bounty goodness n Most men are forward to profess Religion and speak of their own good deeds but a faithful man o One who is indeed what he seemeth and professeth himself to be who can find p There are but few such to be found 7 The just man walketh in his integrity q He proveth himself to be so not onely by his profession of which he spoke in the former Verse but by his sincere and unblameable conversation * Ps. 112. 2. his children are blessed after him r By vertue of that Covenant which God hath made with such men which is not confined to their Persons but entaileth Blessings upon their Posterity 8 * Ch. 16. 10. Vers. 26. A king that â—…itteth in the throne of judgment s That makes it his great care and business to execute Judgment and Justice among his People especially if he do this in his own Person as was usual in ancient Times and sees things with his own Eyes As for the Phrase the sign or gesture is here put for the thing signified by it scattereth away all evil t Effectually punisheth and suppresseth all wickedness with his eyes u With his very looks or by his diligent inspection into affairs 9 * 1 Kin. 8. 46. 2 Chr. 6. 36. Job 14. 4. Ps. 51. 5. Eccles. 7. 20. 1 Ioh. 1. 8. Who can say x No Man living upon Earth can say this truly and sincerely Compare 1 Kings 8. â—…6 Iob 14. 4. 15. 14. Eccles. 7. 21. 1 Ioh. 1. 8. I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin y I am perfectly free from all guilt and filth of sin in my Heart and Life 10 * Vers. 23. Deut. 25. 13 c. Ch. 11. 1. 16. 11. Mic. 16. 1â—… †Heb. a stone and a stone Divers weights and †Heb. an Ephah and an Ephah divers measures z One greater and truer for publick shew and one lesser and false for private use when they had an opportunity of deceiving both of them are alike abomination to the LORD 11 Even a child is known by his doings a Young Children discover their inclinations or dispositions even by their childish speeches and carriages as not having yet learnt the art of dissembling whether his work b Or rather will be for it is not expressed in the Hebrew and therefore may be either way supplied The sense is The future disposition and conversation of a Man may very probably be conjectured from his childish manners be pure and whether it be right 12 * Exod. 4. 11. Ps. 94. 9. The hearing ear and the seeing eye the LORD hath made even both of them c It is God alone who gives us our Senses and Natural faculties and the use and exercise of them and especially a power of employing them aright to see and observe the works of God and to hear and receive his Word and all wholesom instructions Whence he leaves it to us to gather that God doth exactly see and hear all mens words and actions though never so secret He names the Eye and Ear because these are the two Senses by which instructions are conveyed to the mind but under them he seems to comprehend all other senses and powers of Soul or Body by a Synecdoche 13 * Ch. 6. 9. 12. 14. 19. 15. Love not sleep d i. e Immoderate sleep or sloth or idleness Take sleep because necessity requires it not from any love to it lest thou come to poverty open thine eyes e Awake out of sleep shake off sloth and betake thy self to thy employment with diligence and vigor and thou shalt be satisfied with bread 14 It is naught f The commodity is but of little worth it is naught saith the buyer g To wit to the Seller he discommends it that he may bring down the price of it but when he is gone his way h With the commodity purchased then he boasteth i That by his wit he hath over-reached the Seller and got a great advantage to himself This he notes as a common but reprovable practice 15 There is gold k To wit in the World in divers mens hands by whom it is highly prized and a multitude of rubies but * Ch. 3. 15. 8. 11. the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel l But wise speeches proceeding from an understanding or honest Heart are of far greater worth and use both to him that uttereth them and to those that receive and improve them to their own benefit 16 * Ch. 22. 27. 27. 13. Take his garment m To wit as a Pledge without which he ought not to be trusted because by this action he sheweth himself to be a Fool and he taketh the ready way to beggery Obj. This precept contradicts that Law which forbad the taking of a Garment for a Pledge Exod. 22. 26. Answ. It doth not contradict it for the cases vastly differ for that Law concerned onely the Poor who were forced to borrow for their own necessity and therefore deserve pity whereas this reacheth onely those who are or would be thought rich and sufficient Security for others and who borrow not for their own need but for a meer Stranger for which folly they deserve to be severely punished Besides this may be onely a Prediction though it be delivered in the form of a Precept as many Predictions are and so shews what may be expected by him that is guilty of such folly even that he shall be stripped of
when they are very old keep much at home and have neither strength nor inclination to go abroad Or rather 2. Allegorically as all the other clauses are understood And so the doors are either 1. The outward Senses which as doors let in outward Objects to the Soul Or rather 2. The Mouth or the two Lips here expressed by a word of the dual number which are oft called a door both in Scripture as Psal. 141. 3. Mich. 7. 5. and in other Authors which like a door open or shut the way which leads into the streets or common passages of the Body such as the Gullet and Stomach and all the Bowels as also the Wind-pipe and Lungs which also are principal instruments both of speaking and eating And these are said to be shut not simply and absolutely as if they did never eat or drink or speak but comparatively because Men in extream Old-age grow dull and listless having little or no appetite to eat and are very much indisposed for discourse and speak but seldom when the sound of the grinding is low p Or because the sound c. So this may be added not as a new Symptom of Old-age but only as the reason of the foregoing Symptom The sense is When or because the Teeth called the grinders v. 3. are loose and â—…ew whereby both his speech is low and the noise which he makes in eating is but small And this is one great cause of his indisposedness both to eating and to speaking Some understand this of Concoction which after a sort doth grind the Meat in the stomach and in the other parts appointed by God for that work But that is transacted inwardly and without all noise or sound and he shall rise up q To wit from his Bed being weary with Lying and unable to get sleep at the voice of the bird r Either 1. Upon the smallest noise Which doth not consist with that deafness incident to old Men and described in the next words Or rather 2. As soon as the Birds begin to chirp which is early in the morning whereas Children and Young Men can lie and sleep long in the morning and all the daughters of musick s All those Senses or parts of the Body which are employed in Musick and Song as well those which make it as the parts of and within the Mouth as those which receive it to wit the Ears shall â—…e brought low t Shall be cast down from their former excellency they are become incapable either of making musicit or of delighting in it 5 Also when they shall be afraid u The passion of Fear is observed to be most incident to old Men of which divers Reasons may be given of that which is high x Either 1. Of high things lest they should fall upon them Or rather 2. Of high places of going up hills or stairs which is very irksom to them because of their weakness and weariness and giddiness and danger or dread of falling And this clause together with the next may be rendred thus and that agreeably to the Hebrew Text Also they shall be afraid and terrified Two words expressing the same thing which is very frequent in the Hebrew of that which is high in the way When they walk abroad they will dread to go up any high or sâ—…eep places and fears shall be in the way y Lest as they are walking they should stumble or fall or be thrust down or some infirmity or mischief should befall them and the almond-tree shall flourish z Their heads shall be as full of gray Hairs as the Almond-Tree is of white Flowers Such Metaphors are not unusual in other Authors Hence Sophocles calls a gray or hoary Head flowry and again covered with white flowers and the grashopper shall be a burden a If it doth accidentally hop up and rest upon them They cannot endure the least burden being indeed a burden to themselves But the words may be and are by others rendred the locust as the ancient Interpreters and many others render it or as ours and some others the grashopper which comes to the same thing for these two sorts of insects are much of the same nature and shape shall be a burden to itself And by the locust or grashopper may be understood either 1. The old Man himself who bears some resemblance to it in shape by reason of the bones sticking out in the constitution of the Body which is drie and withering and in the Legs and Arms which are slender the flesh being consumed Or 2. The Back which fitly follows after the Head upon which the Almond-Tree flourished in which the strength of the Body lay and which formerly was able to bear great burdens but now through its weakness and crookedness is a burden too heavy for itself And some of the Jewish and other Interpreters understand this word which others render locust or grashopper to be some part of the Body either the Back-bone or the head of the Thigh-bone or the Ankle-bone any of which may well be said to be heavy or burdensome to itself when it moves slowly and listlesly and not without difficulty and trouble and desire b To wit of Meats and Drinks and Musick and other carnal Delights which are vehemently desired by men in the heat of their Youth but are unsavoury to old men of which see an Instance 2 Sam. 19. 35. It is true the former Expressions are metaphorical but the two next following are proper and to be understood literally and so may this clause also shall fail because man goeth c Is travelling towards it every day nearer to it than other to his long home d From this place of his pilgrimage into the Grave from whence he must never return into this world and into the state and place of the future Life which is unchangeable and everlasting and the mourners e Either such as were hired to that end of whom see on Ier. 9. 17. Mat. 9. 23. 11. 17. or true Mourners near Relations and dear Friends accompany the dead Corps through the streets to the Grave go about the streets 6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed or the golden bowl be broken or the pitcher be broken at the fountain or the wheel broken at the cistern f This verse is to be understood either 1. Literally of the ornaments of Life such as Chains and Jewels and vessels of Gold and Silver and of the instruments by which the necessary Provisions and supports of Life are conveyed to us such as fountains of water and Pitchers c. which may be said to be loosed or broken because they are neglected as useless things to the dead man Or rather 2. Allegorically of those inward parts of Mans Body which are the chief Instruments of Life or Sense and Motion and of the vital or animal operations whether such from which they first proceed or in
was gone she pursued after him so now when Christ was coming or come to her she was ready to wander go aâ—…tray from him according to the common and corrupt disposition and custom of Mankind and therefore he seeks to stop or to reclaim her and to oblige her to return to her first Love and to repent more throughly than she had yet done return l This word is here repeated four times to signifie both Christs passionate Love to her and earnest desire of her return and her backwardness to it which made so many calls necessary O Shulamite m This title signifies either 1. One born in or belonging to Ierusalem called also Salem Ps. 76. 2. Or 2. The Wife of Solomon thus called after her Husbands name see Isa. 4. 1. And as Christ is called by the name of Solomon ch 3. 7 9 11. so the Church is fitly described by the title of Solomons Wife return return that we may look upon thee n That I and my companions and friends may contemplate thy Beauty what will you see o But what do you my friends expect to discover in her Christ proposeth the question that he may give the following answer and that they should take special notice of this as a very remarkable thing in her in the Shulamite as it were the company p Whereby he intimates that this one and onely Spouse was made up of the whole multitude of Believers ‖ Or of Mahanaim of two armies q Either 1. Opposite one against the other and so this may note the conflict between the Flesh and Spirit which is in all the faithful in this Life Or 2. Confederate together and so this may signifie either 1. The recollection and Union of Jews and Gentiles which shall one day be under Christ as their common head Eph. 2. 15. Or 2. The safety and strength of the Church which is compared to an army with banners above v. 4 10. and here to a numerous Host distributed into two Armies Wherein also there may be an allusion to that story Gen. 32. 1. where this very word here rendred two armies is used CHAP. VII The Bridegroom who spâ—…ke the lâ—…st words â—…ere continueth his speech and breaks forth into an elegant and particular dâ—…scription and commendation of the Spouse partly from the parts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and partly from her Ornaments In which the same thing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 concerning her description of the Bridegroom that there is 〈◊〉 necessity of a distinct application of 〈◊〉 parcel of it the design being only this to describe the Beauty and Glory of the Church under the representation of a beautiful and noble Woman This also is observable that in the description of Christ she begins at the Head and so goeth downward Ch. 5. 11 c. but Christ in the description of the Spouse proceedeth from the Feet upwards 1 HOw beautiful are thy feet a Which being the chief instrument of our motion from place to place is oft used meâ—…onimically for the motion itself and so may here signifie either the inward motions the workings of the affections or the outward motions the steps or actions of the Life both which are right and amiable in Believers with shoes b Which were anciently evidences of a free and comfortable state whereas slaves and mourners use to go baresoot 2 Sam. 15. 30. Isa. 20. 4. which also in Women of high quality were adorned with Gold and other Ornaments of which see Isa. 3. 18. These may also signifie that the Feet of Believers should be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace Eph. 6. 15. O princes daughter c Both by Birth being born of God and by disposition and deportment agreeable to that quality the joints of thy thighs d Either 1. The hollow place in which the Hip or Thigh-bone moveth and turneth itself Or rather 2. The Hip or Thigh-bone which moveth there for this is more fitly compared to a jewel well set Some understand this of some Ornaments worn by Women upon those parts for the word rendred joints may signifie girdles or any Ornament which encompasseth any part of the Body and the same words which signifie thighs are both in Hebrew and other Languages somtimes used concerning the legs Which being admitted this might seem to be understood of the Brides Garters about her Legs which not unfitly follows the Shoes upon her Feet last mentioned But this sense seems not to suit so well with the following comparison as the former doth are like jewels the work of the hands of a cunning workman e Like jewels orderly and excellently set by a skilful Artist So this signifies the uprightness and decency of her going which depends very much upon the right scituation of the Hip or Thigh-bone which when it is dislocated or disordered causeth a lameness or uncomeliness in going whereby he understands the orderliness and amiableness of her conversation 2 Thy navel is like a round goblet f To which it is not unfitly compared because it is of a round form and hollow and hath windings and circlings in it which wanteth not †Heb. mixture liquor g Thy Navel is not only comely but fruitful For the Navel is the proper instrument of nourishing the Child or Children which are in the Womb. And so this seems to signifie the Churches fruitfulness partly in her self in cherishing and improving all the Graces and good motions of Gods Spirit within her and principally in reference to those many Children which she bears and feeds in her Womb with the wholsom liquor of Gods Ordinances thy belly h In which thy Children are for a time contained and fed is like an heap of wheat i i. e. Of wheat corn round and swelling as it is in Women with child and full of nourishment not only of Liquor as was last said but also of Meat which may note the various provisions which Christ hath laid up in his Church according to the several capacities of her Children Milk for Babes and stronger Meat for those who are grown up set about with lilies k Not for defence which the Church doth not need having the strong God for her Protector but for Ornament and Beauty Whereby is implied that she is not only fruitful but beautiful and that her Children are not only numerous and well fed but also comely and delightful to the Eye as Lilies are and withal pure and innocent in which respect both Christ and the Church are compared to Lilies Cant. 1. 1 2. 3 * Thy two breasts are like two young roes that Ch. 4. 5. are twins l Which is repeated from Ch. 4. 5. where it is explained 4 Thy neck m Of which see on Ch. 4. 4. is as a tower of ivory n Clear and smooth and long and streight and erected thine eyes o Of which see on Ch. 1.
testimony and the law or doctrine for so this Word is frequently taken he understands one and the same thing as he doth also v. 26. to wit the Word of God and especially that which is the main Scope and Substance thereof the Doctrine of the Messias which though now professed by all the Israelites shall be disowned by the generality of them when the Messiah shall come Bind up and seal are to be understood Prophetically Declare and prophesie that it shall be bound up and sealed as Isaiah is said to make fat and to blind c. Isa. 6. 10. and Ieremy to root out and pull down c. Ier. 1. 10. when they foretell these Events Moreover bind up and seal design the same thing and that is either 1. Security and Certainty as things are bound up or sealed that they may not be lost So he signifies That although this Doctrine would be lost among the Body of the Israelites yet it should be preserved among his Disciples Or 2. Secresie as many things are bound up or sealed that they may be hid from the Eyes of others And so he informeth them that this Doctrine now was and should be hid in a great measure among all God's People even till the Accomplishment of it and that even when it was accomplished it should still continue to be as a Secret and Mystery known indeed to his true Disciples but hid from the Body of the Nation who would not see it and therefore should be blinded by God's just Judgment that they should not 〈◊〉 as was prophesied Isa. 6. 9 10. Or 3. both Security and Secresie signifying That it should certainly be fulfilled yet withall kept secret from the unbelieving Iews For why may not these two be joyned in the Exposition of this Text as they were in the Event By God's disciples he means those who were taught of God as it is expressed Isa. 54. 13. where this very Word is used or every one that hath heard and learned of the Father and therefore cometh unto Christ as it is explained Iohn 6. 45. 17 And x Or as this Particle is rendred Ier. 2. 32 35. and elsewhere Yet notwithstanding this dreadful Prophecy concerning the Unbelief and Rejection of Israel I will wait upon the LORD y I will refer my self and this Matter unto God casting my Care upon him and expecting the Accomplishment of his Promise in sending the Messiah and in conferring upon me and all believing Israelites all his Mercies and Blessings to be procured by and through his Blood and Merits that hideth his Face z That now doth and threatneth that he will hereafter withdraw his Favour and Blessing as this Phrase signifies Psal. 10. 1. 27. 9. and oft elsewhere from the house of Jacob a From the Family or People of Israel and I will look for him b With an Eye of Faith and Expectation till his time cometh 18 * Heb. 2. 13. Behold c It is worthy of your observation and admiration These Words are literally spoken by Isaiah concerning himself but withal mystically concerning Christ of whom he speaks more frequently and fully than any other Prophet and of whom he was an evident Type and therefore they are fitly applied to Christ Heb. 2. 13. I and the children d Either 1. his natural Children whose very Names were Prophetical and Signs of future Events ch 7. 3. 8. 3 4. or 2. his spiritual Children whom he had either begotten or brought up by his Ministry For the Prophets were called fathers not onely with respect to the young Prophets who were commonly called the sons of the prophets but also in relation to others as 2 Kings 2. 12. 13. 14. And this sence seems more probable than the former because it agrees best 1. with the following Words which seem to be too lofty and emphatical to be used concerning his natural Children for their Prophetical Names which if they were Signs could not properly be called Wonders 2. with the Context and scope of the Place which is to set forth the Incredulity of the Israelites and their Contempt and Rejection of Christ and of all his faithful Messengers both the Prophets who were sent as Harbingers before his coming and the Apostles who were Witnesses of his coming 3. with Heb. 2. 13. where they are expounded of spiritual Children whom the LORD hath given me are * Psal. 71. 7. Zech. 3. 8. for signs and for wonders e Are a Gazing-stock to and admired by them for our Folly in believing God's Promises For so the believing Iews now were to Ahaz and the generality of the People who thought it their Wisdom and Interest to procure Aid from Assyria and esteemed those Fools who upon pretence of relying upon God would neglect so great an Advantage And so the Prophet foretells that they should be when the Messiah did come which is the mystical as the other is the literal sence and so both of them may be meant in this place in Israel f Even amongst the Israelites who have been taught and do profess better things from the LORD of hosts g Which comes to pass by the wise Counsel and Providence of God in which I willingly acquiesce which dwelleth in mount Zion h Where the Temple now was and where the Messiah was to set up his Kingdom 19 And when they i The Israelites to whom I and my Children are Signs and Wonders who are fallen from God and his true Religion and Worship into Superstition and Idolatry and will endeavour to seduce you into the same impiety shall say unto you k My Children whom the Prophet here arms against the common Temptation seek unto them l For Advice and Help and seek no more to the Prophets who have hitherto deluded you with vain Words This was the Counsel of the ungodly and unbelieving Iews that have familiar spirits and unto wizards m Of whom see Levit. 19. 31. 20. 27. Deut. 18. 11. that * Chap. 29. 4. peep and that mutter n That speak with a puling and low Voice as these two Words signifie which they affected to do speaking rather inwardly in their Bellies than outwardly and audibly with their Mouths and Voice as the Title of Ventriloqui commonly given to them signifies should not a people seek unto their God o This Answer the Prophet puts into their Mouths to the foregoing Counsel Doth not every Nation in Cases of Difficulty or Distress seek to their own Gods for relief Much more should we do so that have the onely True God for our God for the living to the dead p Shall they seek which Words are easily understood out of the foregoing Clause for the living c. That Living Men should enquire of the Living God is proper and reasonable but it is highly absurd for them to forsake him and to seek to dead Idols either to the
and upon whose Prayers God gave this Deliverance as we read Isa 37. 15 c. Possibly it might be better understood of David who is oft mentioned in Scripture by the name of God's anointed as Psal. 20. 6. 89. 20. 132. 17. and elsewhere and for whose sake God gave many Deliverances to the succeeding Kings and Ages as is expresly affirmed 1 Kings 11. 32 34. 2 Kings 8. 19. And which is more considerable God declareth that he would give this very Deliverance from the Assyrian for Davids sake 2 Kings 19. 34. and 20. 6. But the Messiah I doubt not is here principally intended of whom David was but a Type and who was in a peculiar manner anointed above all his fellows as is said Psal. 45. 7. For he is the Foundation of all the Promises 2 Cor. 1. 20. and of all the Deliverances and Mercies granted to God's People in all Ages whence this very Prophet makes use of this great Promise of the Messiah as an Assurance that God would make good his Promises of particular Deliverances from their present or approaching Calamities as Isa. 7. 14. c. and 9. 4 c. And therefore the Prophet might well say that God would grant this Deliverance for Christs sake Especially if it be considered that this was the very Reason why God had promised and did so constantly perform his Mercy promised unto the Tribe of Iudah and unto the House of David until the coming of the Messiah because the Messiah was to come of the Tribe of Iudah and of the Posterity of David and was to succeed David in his Throne and Kingdom and he was to be known by this Character and therefore this Tribe and House and Kingdom were to continue and that in a visible manner till Christ came 28 He is come to Ajath r Here the Prophet returns to his former Discourse concerning the Assyrian Invaâ—…ion into Iudah which he describes after the manner of the Prophets as a thing present and sets down the several Stages by which he marched towards Ierusalem The Places here named are most of them Towns of Benjamin and some of Iudah as appears from other Scriptures of which it is needless to say more in this place He to wit Sennacherib King of Assyria is come in his way to Ierusalem he is passed to Migron at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages s Leaving such things there as were less necessary that so he might march with more expedition Heb. he visited his vessels or instruments which may be meant of his taking a Survey of his Army and Artillery to see that all things were ready for his Enterprise 29 They are gone over the passage t Some considerable Passage then well known possibly that 1 Sam. 14. 5. they have taken up their lodging at Geba Ramah is afraid Gibeah of Saul is fled u The People fled to Ierusalem for fear of the Assyrian 30 †Heb. Cry shrill with thy 〈◊〉 Lift up thy voice O daughter of Gallim x Ierusalem was the Mother-City and lesser Towns are commonly called her daughters as hath been oft noted cause it to be heard unto Laish O poor Anathoth 31 Madmenah is removed the inhabitants of Gebin gather themselves to flee 32 As yet shall he remain at Nob that day he shall shake his hand y By way of Commination But withal he intimates that he should be able to do no more against it and that there his proud Waves should be stayed as it is declared in the following Verses and in the History against the mount of the daughter of Zion the hill of Jerusalem 33 Behold the Lord the LORD of hosts shall lop the bough z The top-bough 〈◊〉 or the loughs his valiant Soldiers or Commanders of his Army which he compareth to a Forest v. 18. 34. with terrour a With a most terrible and amazing Stroke by an Angel and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down and the haughty shall be humbled 34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forrest with iron b Or as with iron as the Trees of the Forest are cut down by Instruments of Iron and Lebanon c Or his Lebanon the Pronoun being oft understood in the Hebrew Text the Assyrian Army which being before compared to a Forest or Wood and being called his Caâ—…mel in the Hebrew Text v. 18. may very fitly upon the same ground be called his Lebanon here especially considering that the King of Assyria is called a cedar of Lebanon Ezek. 31. 3. shall fall ‖ Or mightily by a mighty one d By a mighty Angel Isa. 37. 36. CHAP. XI AND * Zech. 6. 12. Revel 5. 5. there shall come forth a The Prophet having dispatched the Assyrian and comforted God's People with the Promise of their Deliverance from that formidable Enemy now he proceeds further and declares That God will do greater things than that for them that he will give them their long-expected and much-desired Messiah and by him will work Wonders of Mercy for them For this is the manner of the Prophets to take the occasion of particular Deliverances to fix the Peoples Minds upon their great and everlasting Deliverance from all their enemies by the Messiah And having said that the Assyrian yoke should be destroyed because of the anointing ch 10. 27. he now more particularly explains who that anointed Person was a rod b Or twig called a branch in the next Clause Parents are oft compared to Roots or Trees and their Children to Branches He speaks of the most eminent Branch of that famous Son of a Virgin Isa. 7. 14. of that Wonderful Child Isa. 9. 6. not of Hezekiah as some of the Iews and Judaizing Christians conceit but of the Messiah as will evidently appear from the following Description out of the stemm c Or trunk or rather stump for the Word properly signifies a Trunk cut off from the Root Or reâ—…t as the LXX here render the Word and as it is explained in the next Clause By which he clearly implies That the Messiah should be born of the Royal House of David at that time when it was in a most forlorn and contemptible condition like a Tree cut down and whereof nothing is left but a Stump or Root under Ground Which really was the State of David's Family when Christ was born as is notoriously known but was in a far better condition when Hezekiah was born of * Act. 13. 23. Jesse d He doth not say of David but of Iesse who was a private and mean Person 1 Sam. 18. 18 23. 20. 30. to intimate That at the time of Christ's Birth the Royal Family should be reduced to its primitive Obscurity and * Chap. 4. 2. Jer. 23. 5. a branch shall grow e He speaks of one not yet born and therefore not of Hezekiah who was born divers years before
And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins d It shall adorn him and be the Glory of his Government as a Girdle was used for Ornament Isa. 3. 24. and as an Ensign of Power Iob 12. 18. and it shall constantly cleave to him in all his Administrations as a girdle cleaveth to a mans loins which is the Prophets Similitude Ier. 13. 11. and faithfulness the girdle of his reins e The same thing in other Words 6 * Chap. 65. 25. Exek 34. 25. Hos. 2. 18. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the kid f The Creatures shall be restored to that State of Innocy in which they were before the Fall of Man But this is not to be understood literally which is a gross and vain Conceit of some Iews but spiritually and metaphorically as is evident And the sence of the Metaphor is this Men of fierce and cruel and ungovernable Dispositions shall be so transformed by the Preaching of the Gospel and by the Grace of Christ that they shall become most humble and gentle and tractable and shall no more vex and persecute those meek and poor ones mentioned v. 4. but shall become such as they of which we have Instances in Saul being made a Paul and in the rugged Jaylour Act. 16. and in innumerable others But how can this be applied to Hezekiah with any colour and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together and a little child shall lead them g They will submit their proud and rebellious Wills to the Conduct and Command of the meanest Persons that speak to them in Christ's Name 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed h Together as it follows without any Danger or Fear their young ones shall lie down together and the lion shall eat straw i The Grass and Fruits of the Earth as they did at first Gen. 1. 29 30. and shall not devour other Living Creatures as now they do like the ox 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp k A most fierce and poisonous Serpent Deut. 32. 33. Iob 20. 14 16. which also will not be charmed by any Art of Man Psal. 58. 5. and the weaned child shall put his hand on the ‖ Or adders cockatrice l A Serpent of more than ordinary Cunning and Cruelty Prov. 23. 32. The meaning is They shall not fear to be either deceived or destroyed by those who formerly watched all Opportunities to do it den 9 * Job 5. 23. Isa. 35. 9. They shall not hurt nor destroy in my holy mountain m In Zion in my Church Whereever the Gospel comes and prevails it will have this effect * Hab. 2. 14. for the earth n Metonymically put for the Inhabitants of the Earth and as before it was used for the greater part v. 4. so here it is used for the better part of the World shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD o Of saving and practical Knowledge Whereby he intimates That all that Savageness and Malignity which is in wicked men towards true Christians proceeded from their deep Ignorance and particularly from Ignorance of God and withal that a right Knowledge of God will make a marvellous and thorow Change in the Dispositions and Conversations of men as the waters cover the sea p The Channel of the Sea the thing contained being put for the thing containing by a Metonymy common in Scripture and all Authors 10 And in that day there shall be a root q A Branch growing upon the Root of which see on v. 1. of Jesse which shall stand for an ensign r Shall grow up into a great and high Tree shall become a visible and eminent Ensign of the people s Which not onely the Iews but all Nations may discern and to which they may and shall resort to it shall the * Râ—…m 15. 10 12. Gentiles seek t As the Gospel shall be preached to the Gentiles so they shall receive it and believe in the Messiah and his rest u His Resting-place as this Word frequently signifies as Gen. 8. 9. 49. 5. Psal. 132. 8 14. Isa. 34. 14. Miâ—…h 2. 10. his Temple or Church the Place of his Presence and Abode shall be †Heb. glory glorious x Shall be filled with greater Glory than the Jewish Tebernacle and Temple were of which see on Hag. 2. 9. onely this Glory shall be Spiritual consisting in Glorious Ordinances in the plentiful Effusions of the excellent Gifts and Graces and Comforts of the Holy Spirit 11 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time y The first time to which this Word second relates seems to be either 1. the Deliverance out of Egypt as most both Jewish and Christian Interpreters understand it And then this second Deliverance must be that out of Babylon Or 2. the Deliverance out of Babylon And then this second Deliverance must be in the days of the Messiah Which with submission to better Judgments seems to me more probable 1. because that first Deliverance is supposed to be like the second a Deliverance of the Remnant of this People from several Countries into which they were dispersed whereas that out of Egypt was a Deliverance not of a Remnant but of the whole Nation and that out of Egypt onely 2. because this second Deliverance was universal extending to the generality of the Out-casts and Dispersed ones both of Israel or the Ten Tribes and of Iudah or the Two Tribes as is evident from v. 12 13. whereas that out of Babylon reached onely to the Two Tribes and to some few of the Ten Tribes which were mixed with them as is acknowledged both by Ieus and Christians 3. because this second Deliverance was given them in the days of the Messiah and did accompany or follow the Conversion of the Gentiles as is evident from v. 9 10. whereas that out of Babylon was long before the coming of the Messiah and the calling of the Gentiles to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left * Zech. 10. 10 11. from Assyria and from Egypt and from Pathros and from Cush and from Elam and from Shinar and from Hamath and from the islands of the sea z From all Places both far and near into which either the Ten Tribes or the Two Tribes were carried Captives for the Places of both their Captivities are here named Of which it is needless to discourse particularly because they are well known and have been considered in former Texts Onely Pathros was not named before and that was a Province in Egypt which yet is sometimes distinguished from Egypt strictly so called See on Ier. 44. 1 15. Ezek. 29. 14. 30. 14. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations
venerable though Apocryphal Writer 1 〈◊〉 1. 1. 8. 5. But this Place is otherwise rendred both by ancient and later Interpreters which seems to be more natural and easie and no less agreeable to the Hebrew Text either thus that she is laid waste so that there is no house nor entring or coming in to wit for Traffick from the land of Chittim is made known to them to wit to the Ships or Merchants that used to resort thither for Traffick or rather thus for it is laid waste so that there is no house not any Houses left for the Citizens to dwell in nor entring or coming in to wit of Merchants from the land of Chittim she to wit her People is removed or gone into captivity as this Word properly signifies and is rendred Isa. 38. 12. And for the last Hebrew Word lamo which is rendred to them which is the onely Objection against this Interpretation it is onely added as an Elegancie of the Hebrew Language and hath no further Signification as it is also Psal. 58. 7. and as the Particle lo which signifies the same thing and such other Pronouns are frequently redundant and insignificant in the Hebrew Text as hath been oft observed by Grammarians and Interpreters He mentions the land of Chittim because this was an eminent Place for Shipping and Trading as is manifest from Numb 24. 24. Ezek. 27. 6. Dan. 11. 30. and therefore doubtless had great Dealings and Commerce with Tyre and may here be put Synechdochically for all other Countries which Traded with her It is not necessary for the understanding of this Text to 〈◊〉 what Chittim is whether it was Italy or Greece or the Islands in those Parts it is sufficient to know that it was a Seafaring Place in the Midland Sea and so much startled and concerned in the Destruction of Tyre 2 Be †Heb. silent still g Heb. Be silent as one confounded and not knowing what to say or as Mourners use to be Iob 2. 8 13. Isa. 47. 5. boast no more of thy Wealth and Power as thou usedst to do ye inhabitants of the isle h Heb. of Tyrus which now was an Island Ezek. 27. 3. 28. 2. till Alexander joined it to the Continent as Pliny reports Although the Title of Islands is oft given by the Hebrews to Places bordering upon the Sea thou whom the merchants of Zidon i An eminent City of Palestina nigh unto Tyre much concerned with her and for her that pass over the sea k That are a Seafaring People have replenished l With Mariners Ezek. 27. 8. and Commodities 3 And by great waters m By the Sea which is very fitly called the great waters Psal. 107. 23. understand cometh or is brought to her the seed of Sihor n The Corn of Egypt wherewith Egypt abounded and furnished divers other Parts of the World whence it was called the Granary of the Roman Empire which also was easily conveyed by Sea from Egypt to Tyre and thence to divers other Countries This is called seed here as also Hag. 2. 19. and elsewhere by an usual Metonymy and the seed of Sihor because it grew up the more abundantly because of the Overflow of the River as all sorts of Authors have noted For Sihor is nothing else but Nilus as appears from Ier. 2. 18. which is called Sihor as by the Greeks it was called Melas from its black Colour And this and no other River seems to be that Sihor which is so oft mentioned as one of the Bounds of the Land of Canaan as Numb 34. 5. c. because that Land at least in that extent which God allotted and gave it to the Israelites though they through neglect or cowardise might not actually possess it did reach to one of the Branches of that River And indeed if Sihor be not Nilus that great and neighbouring River is not named in all the Scripture which seems very improbable the harvest of the river o This Clause explains the former that plentiful Harvest of Corn which comes from the Influence and Inundation of Nilus which is emphatically called the river as here so also Exod. 1. 22. Isa. 19. 5. Ezek. 29. 3 9. as Euphrates is in other Texts of Scripture is her revenue p Is as easily procured and plentifully enjoyed by her as if it grew in her own Territories and she is a mart of nations q A Place to which all Nations resort for Traffick 4 Be thou ashamed O Zidon r For Zidon was a great City near Tyre and strongly united to her by Commerce and League and called by some the Mother of Tyre which they say was built and first inhabited by a Colony of the Sidonians and therefore she must needs be greatly concerned in the Destruction of Tyrus for the sea s That part of the Sea in which Tyrus was and from which Ships and Men were sent into all Countries hath spoken even the strength of the sea t This is added to explain what he meant by the sea even Tyrus who might be called the strength of the Sea either actively because it defended that part of the Sea from Pyracies and Injuries or passively because it was defended and strengthened by the Sea which encompassed it And this Title is here given to Tyrus to shew what great cause of Confusion and Fear Sidon had from this Example which for Strength was much inferiour to Tyrus saying I travel not nor bring forth children neither do I nourish up young men nor bring up virgins u I who was so exceeding fruitful and populous that I sent forth Colonies into other Countries of which the famous City of Carthage was one am now become barren and desolate 5 As at the report concerning Egypt so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre x According to this Translation the sence is All the neighbouring Nations shall be no less terrified at the Tidings of the Destruction of Tyrus than they were of old upon the Report of God's former and dreadful Judgments upon the Egyptians of which see Exod. 15 14 15 16. Ios. 2. 9 11. because they shall despair of resisting that Enemy against whom that vast and potent City which was deemed impregnable could not defend it self But the Words are by the Seventy and other both ancient and later Interpreters rendred otherwise and that very agreeably to the Hebrew Text When the report to wit of the Destruction of Tyre came or shall come which Word is easily understood as it is above v. 3. and in other Texts of Scripture before mentioned to the Egyptians they shall be sorely pained according to the report of Tyre their Grief shall be answerable to the Report as the Report is very dreadful so their Grief and Anguish shall be very great or they shall fear lest they should be destroyed in like manner as Tyrus was destroyed 6 Pass ye over to
to stand the most miserable condition that men can fall into Psa. 36. 12. 7 I will mention q Whether this ought to be the beginning of a new Chapter or no is not material but certainly here begins a new matter which contains the Prophets prayer either in his own name or the Church's to the end of chap. 64. wherein he begins with mentioning the great kindnesses that God had shewn the Iews and that Emphatically setting it forth with the greatest advantages and the more either to aggravate their great unkindness or to give them some hope of finding him the like again in their distresses or by way of argument with God to shew them mercy because he had been so good to them the loving kindnesses of the LORD and the praises of the LORD according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us and the great goodness towards the house of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses 8 For he said r viz within himself of old when he made a Covenant with our Fathers and brought them out of Egypt Surely they are my people s In Covenant though they are unworthy of me yet I cannot but look upon them as my people their enemies would persuade themselves O they are not God's People but cast ouâ—…s that none cared for or looked after but God will own them children that will not lie t That will keep my Covenant they will not deal falsly with me that are under such obligations or I presume they will not though they did go after their Idols and prove unfaithful to me in serving Baal and Ashteroth c. Now I presume they will do so no more thus Parents are apt tenderly to think of those Children that they have been indulgent to that they will not offer to abuse their kindness thus God thinks the best of them or he intimates here what they are obliged to do though he knew they would do otherwise or they will not degenerate after I have renewed them so he was their Saviour u viz. On these hopes and on these Conditions he undertook the charge of them Exod. 19. 5 6. Psal. 81. 8 9. 10. or he so â—…e alone was their Saviour when none to save none to uphold then he saved them not Cyrus Zerubbabel Nehemiah c. But Christ himself 9 * Judg. 10. 16. In all their affliction he was afflicted x Because of all the afflictions they endured in Egypt this notes the Sympathy that is in Christ he having the same Spirit in him that the Church hath and her head and Father or in all their afflictions no affliction so the words may be read their afflictions were rather favours then afflictions all that befell them from the red Sea through the wilderness and then Tzar is taken actively he afflicted not this may note his Clemency their sting was taken out either way it maâ—… be read according to the different spelling of â—…o whether by Aleph or Vaâ—… The first seems the more genuin they that list to drive this notion further may consult the Latine Synopsis and the English Annotations and the angel of his presence y The same that conducted them through the wilderness called an Angel Exo. 33. 2. and his Presence ver 14. and Iehovah Exo. 13. 21. so that it must be the Lord Jesus Christ who appeared to Moses in the bush as Stephen doth interpret it Act. 7. 35. c. Other Angels are in his presence but they were not always he was ever so therefore so called by way of eminency hence the LXX express it not a Lâ—…gate or Angel but himself saved them z From the house of Bondage brought them thorough the red Sea the wilderness c. Their rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10. 4. * Deut. 7. 7 8. in his love and in his pity a This shews the ground of his kindness they were a stubborn Superstitious Idolatrous people yet Christs Love and pity saved them for all that It was because he loved them he redeemed them and he * Exod. 19. 4. Deut. 1. 31. Chap. 46. 3. bore them and carried b He left them not to shift for themselves but bare them as a Father his Child or an Eagle her young onâ—…s he carried them in the arms of his power see Chap. 46. 4. and on the wings of his Providence see Deut 32. 10 11 12. and the Notes on Deut. 1. 31. And he is said to do it of old To remember his ancient kindness for many Generations past Olam signifies an Eternity or a long time past as well as to come from the daies of Abraham or Moses from their Bondage in Egypt to the time of Isaiah and it is used as an Argument to move him to do so still he will carry her till he bring her unto his Father them all the days of old 10 But they rebelled c Many of their Rebellions we read of in Exodus and Numbers in their Travels The Lord tells Moses that they had tempted him ten times and therefore severely threatens them Numb 14. 22 23. There were three principal Times of their Rebellion 1. In the Wilderness where they murmured for want of Bread and Water 2. In Canaan in noâ—… destroying but onely making Tributary suâ—…h Nations as God commanded them to destroy 3. Before the Babylonian Captivity when they set themselves against the Prophets which Stephen chargeth upon them Acts 7. 51 52. Among which also we may reckon all their behaviours under their Iudges and their Kings Or we may understand it of their not answering God's End and Expectation and * Exod. 15. 24. Num. 14. 11. Psal. 78. 40 â—…6 95. 9. Eph. 4. 30. vexed his holy spirit d Spirit of his Holiness they vexed him by their obstinacy against his will and mind and walking contrary unto him not that there are such Passions in God but it is spoken after the manner of men as they are vexed when their will is crossed therefore he was turned to be their enemy e He overthrew them not onely in the Wilderness Psal. 78. 31 33 59 60 c. sending among them fiery Serpents Numb 21. 6. but even in Canaan stirring up against them Adversaries sometimes the Philistines anon the Midianites and then the Moabites c. and he fought against them 11 Then f Or yet he remembred g This relates either 1. To the People and then He is collectively taken and so it looks like the Language of the People in Babylon and must be read he shall remember Or 2. It may look back to their condition in the Wilderness and thus they may properly say Where is he or that God that delivered his People of old to do the like for us now there is a like phrase used by Elisha 2 King 2. 14. Or rather 3. To God as it
house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 33 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Ephraim were fourty thousand and five hundred o Above 8000 more than Manasseh towards the accomplishment of that promise Gen. 48. 20. which the Devil in vam attempted to defeat by stirring up the men of Gath against them i Chron. 7. 21 22. 34 Of the children of Manasseh by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 35 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Manasseh were thirty and two thousand and two hundred 36 Of the children of Benjamin by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 37 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Benjamin were thirty and five thousand and four hundred p The smallest number except one though Benjamin had more immediate children than any of his brethren Gen. 46. 21. whereas Dan had but one immediate son Gen. 46. 23. yet now his number is the biggest but one of all the Tribes and is almost double to that of Benjamin Such great and strange changes God easily can and frequently doth make in families 1 Sam 2. 5. And therefore let none boast or please themselves too much in their numerous off-spring 38 Of the children of Dan by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 39 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Dan were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred 40 Of the children of Asher by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 41 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Asher were forty and one thousand and five hundred 42 Of the children of Naphtali throughout their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 43 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Naphtali were fifty and three thousand and four hundred 44 These are those that were numbred which Moses and Aaron numbred and the princes of Israel being twelve men each one was for the house of his fathers 45 So were all those that were numbred of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war in Israel 46 Even all they that were numbred were * Exod. 38 26. See Exod. 12. 37. chap. 26. â—…1 six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty 47 But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbred among them 48 For the LORD had spoken unto Moses saying 49 Onely thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi q Because they were not generally to go out to war which was the thing principally eyed in this muster ver 3 20 45. but were to attend upon the service of the Tabernacle and therefore are reserved to another distinct muster Numb 3. 15. and 4. 2. c. And least this should be thought to be designed and done through Moses his ambition to give his own Tribe the preeminence he assures them it was done by Gods express command neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel 50 But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony r So called here and Exod. 38. 21. because it was made chiefly for the sake of the Ark of the Testimony 2 Sam. 7. 2. which is oft called the Testimony as hath been observed before and over all the vessels thereof and over all things that belong to it they shall bear the tabernacle and all the vessels thereof and they shall minister unto it and shall encamp round about the tabernacle 51 And when the tabernacle setteth forward the Levites shall take it down and when the tabernacle is to be pitched the Levites shall set it up and the stranger s The stranger elsewhere is one of another Nation here one of another Tribe one no Levite that cometh nigh t So as to do the offices mentioned ver 50. shall be put to death 52 And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents every man by his own camp and every man by his own standard throughout their hosts 53 But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony that there be no wrath u To wit from God who is very tender of his worship and will not suffer the profaners of it to go unpunished whose wrath is called simply Wrath by way of eminency as the most terrible kind of wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel and the Levites shall keep the charge x i. e. Shall suffer no stranger to approach through curiosity or any other motive of the tabernacle of testimony 54 And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses so did they CHAP. II. 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying 2 Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard a Or ensign by that to which he is allotted by the following order It is manifest that there were four great Standards or Ensigns which here follow distinguished by their colours or figures or otherwise also that there were other particular Ensigns belonging to each of their Fathers Houses or Families as is here said with the ensign of their fathers house †Heb. over against far off b Partly out of reverence to God and his Worship and the portion allotted to it and partly for caution least their vicinity to it might tempt them to make too near approaches to it It is supposed they were at 2000 cubits distance from it which was the space between the people and the Ark Ios. 3. 4. and it is not improbable because the Levites encamped round about it between them and the Tabernacle about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch 3 And on the east-side toward the rising of the Sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah 4 And his host and those that were numbred of them were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred 5 And those that do pitch
next unto him shall be the tribe of Issachar c He and Zebulun were Leah's two youngest sons and therefore would more contentedly submit to Iudah and Nethaneel the son of Zuar shall be captain of the children of Issachar 6 And his host and those that were numbred thereof were fifty and four thousand and four hundred 7 Then the tribe of Zebulun and Eliab the son of Helon shall be captain of the children of Zebulun 8 And his host and those that were numbred thereof were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred 9 All that were numbred in the camp of Judah were an hundred thousand and fourscore thousand and six thousand and four hundred d This was the most numerous camp because they marched first as being placed on the East and going towards the East and because they guarded the Sanctuary throughout their armies these shall first set forth 10 On the south-side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben e Who being the first-born was the leader of the second camp according to their armies and the captain of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur 11 And his host and those that were numbred thereof were fourty and six thousand and five hundred 12 And those which pitch by him shall be the tribe of Simeon and the captain of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai 13 And his host and those that were numbred of them were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred 14 Then the tribe of Gad and the captain of the sons of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel f Called Devel Numb 1. 14. the Hebrew letters Daleth and Resh being very like and oft changed as appears by comparing Gen. 10. 3. with 1 Chron. 1. 6. and Gen. 36. 26 38. with 1 Chron. 1. 41 50. 15 And his host and those that were numbred of them were fourty and five thousand and six hundred and fifty 16 All that were numbred in the camp of Reuben were an hundred thousand and fifty and one thousand and four hundred and fifty throughout their armies and they shall set forth in the second rank 17 Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp g Which is not to be understood strictly or exactly but largely for in their march they were divided and part of that Tribe marched next after Iudah Numb 10. 17. and the other part exactly in the midst of the camp as they encamp so shall they set forward every man in his place by their standards 18 On the west-side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim h Who is here preferred before his brother according to the prophesie Gen. 48. 19 20. according to their armies and the captain of the sons of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud 19 And his host and those that were numbred of them were fourty thousand and five hundred 20 And by him shall be the tribe of Manasseh and the captain of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur 21 And his host and those that were numbred of them were thirty and two thousand and two hundred 22 Then the Tribe of Benjamin and the captain of the sons of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni 23 And his host and those that were numbred of them were thirty and five thousand and four hundred 24 All that were numbred of the camp of Ephraim were an hundred thousand and eight thousand and an hundred throughout their armies and they shall go forward in the third rank 25 The standard of the camp of Dan shall be on the north-side by their armies and the captain of the children of Dan shall be Abiezer the son of Ammishaddai 26 And his host and those that were numbred of them were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred 27 And those that encamp by him shall be the tribe of Asher and the captain of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ocran 28 And his host and those that were numbred of them were fourty and one thousand and five hundred 29 Then the tribe of Naphtali and the captain of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan 30 And his host and those that were numbred of them were fifty and three thousand and four hundred 31 All they that were numbred in the camp of Dan were an hundred thousand and fifty and seven thousand and six hundred i The strongest camp next after Iudah and therefore he comes in the rear as Iudah marched in the front that the Tabernacle might be best guarded where there was most danger they shall go hindmost with their standards 32 These are those which were numbred of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers all those that were numbred of the camps throughout their hosts were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty 33 But the Levites were not numbred k Because their warfare was of another kind among the children of Israel as the LORD commanded Moses 34 And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses so they pitched by their standards l i. e. Each of them under his principal standard and so they set forward every one after their families according to the house of their fathers CHAP. III. 1 THese a Which follow in this chapter also are the generations b i. e. Either 1. The things done by them as the word generation is sometimes used as Gen. 6. 9. and 25. 19. and 37. 2. Or rather 2. The Kindred or Family for that is the subject of this chapter and not their events or actions Obj. Aarons Family indeed is here mentioned but not Moses his Family Answ. Moses his Family and Children are here included under the general name of the Amramite ver 27. which includes all the Children and Grand-chilfiren of Amram the persons onely of Aaron and Moses being excepted And the generations of Moses are thus obscurely mentioned because they were but common Levites the Priesthood being given solely to Aarons posterity whence Aaron is here put before Moses who elsewhere is commonly named after him of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spake with Moses in mount Sinai c This seems to be added because Nadab and Abihu mentioned ver 2. were then alive though dead at the time of taking this account 2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron Nadab the * Exod. 6. 23. first-born and Ablhu Eleazar and Ithamar 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron the priests which were anointed †Heb. whose hand â—…e filled whom he consecrated to minister in the priests office 4 * Lev. 10. 1. chap. 26. 61. 1 Chron. 24. 2. And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered strange fire before
Inspiration and Excitation of their Minds and Hearts and by outward Designation restified by some heroical and extraordinary Action judges r Supreme Magistrates whose office it was under God and by his particular direction to govern the Commonwealth of Israel by Gods Laws and to protect and save them from their Enemies to preserve and purge Religion to maintain the Liberties of the People against all Oppressors See Iudg. 3. 9 10 15 c. and 4. 4. and 6. 25 26. and 8. 23. which ‡ 〈◊〉 sâ—…ved delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them 17 And yet they would not hearken unto their Judges s Who admonished them of their sin and folly and of the danger and misery which would certainly befall them but they went a whoring after other gods and bowed themselves unto them they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in obeying the commandments of the LORD but they did not so 18 And when the LORD raised them up judges then the LORD was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their Enemies all the days of the judge for it repented the LORD t i. e. The Lord changed his course and dealings with them as penitent Men use to do removed his Judgments and returned to them in mercy Gen. 6. 6. because of their groanings by reason of them that vexed them and oppressed them 19 And it came to pass ‡ Chap. 3. 12. when the judge was dead that they returned u To their former and usual and natural though interrupted course and ‖ Or were corrupt corrupted themselves more than their fathers x In Egypt or in the Wilderness in following other gods to serve them and to bow down unto them ‡ Hâ—…b they let 〈◊〉 â—…all of 〈◊〉 they ceased not from their own doings y i. e. From their evil practises which he calls their own partly because they were agreeable to their own natures which in all mankind are deeply and universally corrupted Gen. 6. 5. and 8. 21. and partly because they were familiar and customary to them Compare Isa. 58. 13. and 66. 3. Ezek. 36. 32. Act. 14. 16. Iude v. 16. nor from their stubborn way z Heb. hard way so he calls their way of wickedness either because it proceeded from an hard heart and was managed with an hard and stiff neck or to signifie that although it seemed at first very soft and easie and pleasant yet they would certainly and did constantly find that it was hard and difficult and troublesome to them as an hard way is to the Traveller 20 ¶ And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel and he said Because that this people hath transgressed my Covenant which I commanded their fathers and have not hearkned unto my voice 21 * Joâ—…h 23. 13. I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died 22 That through them I may prove Israel ‖ Either First that I may trie and see whether Israel wiâ—… be true and faithful to me or whether they will suffer themselves to be corrupted by the evil counsels and examples of their bad neighbours whom I will leave among them for their Tryal and Exercise Or Secondly That by them I may aâ—…ict and punish Israel for Aâ—…ons are coâ—…y and justly called trials But the former sense suits better with the following words whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein as their fathers did keep it or not 23 Therefore the LORD ‖ Or suffered left those nations without driving them out hastily ‡ Or speedily when the Israelites desired it and needed iâ—… neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua CHAP. III. NOW these are the nations which the LORD left to prove Israel by them even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan a i. e. Such who had no experience of those Wars nor of Gods extraordinary Power and Providence manifested in them 2 Onely that the generations of the children of Israel might know to teach them war b That by the Neighbourhood of such Warlike and Potent Enemies they might be purged from Sloth and Security and obliged to inure themselves to Martial Exercises and to stand continually upon their guard and consequently to keep close to that God whose Assistance they had so great and constant need of at the least such as before knew nothing thereof 3 Namely * Josh. 13. 3. five LORDS of the Philistines c Whereof three had been in some sort subdued Iudg. 1. 18. But afterwards rescued themselves and recovered their former strength See on Iudg. 1. 18. and all the Canaanites d Properly so called who were very numerous and dispersed through several parts of the Land whence they gave denomination to all the rest of the People and the Zidonians e The people living near Zidon and subject to its jurisdiction and the Hivites that dwelt in Mount Lebanon from mount Baal-hermon f Which was the Eastern part of mount Lebanon See Deut. 3. 8 9. unto the entring in of Hamath 4 And they were to prove Israel by them to know g i. e. That they and others might know by experience whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses 5 ¶ And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites Hittites and Amorites and Perizzites and Hivites and Jebusites 6 And they * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 16. Deut. 7. 3. took their daughters to be their wives and gave their daughters to their sons and served their gods h Were drawn to Idolatry by the perswasions and examples of their Yoke-fellows through the just judgment of God punishing their sinful Marriages by giving them up to Idolatry 7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and forgat the LORD their God and served Baalim and the groves i i. e. In the Groves in which the Heathens usually Worshipped their Baalims or Idols Or the Groves are here put Metonymically for the Idols of the Groves which are distinguished here from their Baalim which seem to have been Worshipped in other places as the Prophets of Baal are distinguished from the Prophets of the Groves 1 King 18. 19. 8 ¶ Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel and he sold them into the hand of * Heb. â—… 7. Chushan-rishathaim king of ‡ Heb. Aramna â—…araim Mesopotamia and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim k i. e. Were made subject and Tributary to him eight years 9 And when the children of Israel cried l i. e. Prayed servently for deliverance unto the LORD the LORD raised up a ‡ Heb. saviour deliverer to the children of Israel even * Chap. 1. 13. Othniel the son of
Kenaz Calebs younger brother m Of which see on Judg. 1. 13. 10 And * See Num. 27. 18. the spirit of the LORD ‡ Heb. was came upon him n With extraordinary Influences indowing him with singular wisdom and courage and resolution and stirring him up to this great undertaking Compare Iudg. 6. 34. and 11. 29. and he judged Israel o i. e. Pleaded and avenged the cause of Israel against their oppressors as that Phrase is oft used as Deut. 32. 36. Psal. 10. 18. and 43. 1. and went out to war and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of ‡ Heb. Aram. Mesopotamia into his hand and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim 11 And the land had rest forty years p Either First it rested about Forty Years or the greatest part of Forty Years it being most frequent in Scripture to use Numbers in such a Latitude Thus the Israelites are said to bear their iniquities forty years in the wilderness Numb 14. 33. when there wanted near two years of that number and to dwell in Egypt 430 years when there wanted many years of that number Thus Ioseph's kindred sent for and called by him into Egypt are numbred Seventy five souls Act. 7. 14. although they were but Seventy as is affirmed Gen. 46. 27. Exod. 1. 5. So here the land is said to rest forty years although they were in servitude Eight of those Years v. 8. And in like manner the land is said to have rest eighty years though Eighteen of them they served the King of Moab v. 18. And so in some other instances Nor is it strange and unusual either in Scripture or in other Authors for things to be denominated from the greater part as here it was especially when they did enjoy some degrees of rest and peace even in their times of slavery which here they did Or Secondly it rested i. e. began to rest or recovered its interrupted rest in the fortieth year either after Ioshuahs Death or after that first and famous Rest procured for them by Ioshua as is noted Heb. 4. 9. when he destroyed and subdued the Canaanites and gave them quiet possession of the Land and the land had rest from war as is said Ios. 11. 23. and 14. 15. So there is this difference between the years of Servitude and Oppression and those of Rest that in the former he tells us how long it lasted in the latter when it began by which compared with the other years it was easie also to know how long the Rest lasted To strengthen this Interpretation two things must be noted 1. That resting is here put for beginning to Rest as to beget is put for beginning to beget Gen. 5. 32. and 11. 26. and to Reign for to begin to Reign 2 Sam. 2. 10. and to build 1 King 6. 15. 36. for to begin to build 2 Chron. 3. 1. 2. That forty years is put for the fortieth year the Cardinal Number for the Ordinal which is common both in the holy Scripture as Gen. 1. 5 and 2. 11. Exod. 12. 2. Hag. 1. 1. Mark 16. 1. and in other Authors and Othniel the son of Kenaz died 12 ¶ And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD and the LORD strengthned * 1 Sam. 12. 9. Eglon p By giving him Courage and Power and Success against them the King of Moab against Israel because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD 13 And he gathered unto him the Children of Ammon and Amalek and went and smote Israel and possessed the city of Palm-trees q i. e. Iericho as may be gathered from Deut. 34. 3. Iudg. 1. 16. 2 Chron. 28. 15. Not the City which was Demolished but the Territory belonging to it Here he fixed his Camp partly for the admirable Fertility of that Soil and partly because of its nearness to the passage over Iordan which was most commodious both for the conjunction of his own Forces which lay on both sides of Iordan and to prevent the Conjunction of the Israelites in Canaan with their Brethren beyond Iordan and to secure his Retreat into his own Country which therefore the Israelites prevented v. 28. 14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years 15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD the LORD raised them up a ‡ Heb. a saâ—…our deliverer Ehud the son of Gera ‖ Or the sâ—… of Jemini a Benjamite r Heb. the son of Iemini who was of the Tribe of Benjamin 2 Sam. 16. 11. and 19. 17. 1 King 2. 8. This Tribe was next to him and doubtless most Afflicted by him and hence God raiseth a Deliverer a man ‡ Heb. shut 〈◊〉 his right hand left handed s Which is here noted partly as a mark of his Courage and Strength and Activity See Iudg. 20. 16. and principally as a considerable Circumstance in the following Story whereby he might more advantagiously and unsuspectedly give the deadly blow and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab 16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges of a cubit length t Long enough for his design and not too long for carriage and concealment and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh u Which was most convenient both for the use of his left hand and for the avoiding of suspition 17 And he brought the present x Which was to be paid to him as a part of his Tribute unto Eglon king of Moab and Eglon was a very fat man y And therefore more unweildy and unable to ward of Ehud's blow 18 And when he had made an end to offer the present he sent away the people that bare the present z He accompanied them part of the way and then dismissed them and returned to Eglon alone that so he might have more easie access to him and privacy with him and that he might the better make his escape 19 But he himself turned again a As if he had forgot or neglected some important business from the ‖ Or gâ—… images quarries b Either First Whence they hewed stones Or Secondly The Twelve Stones which Ioshua set up there by the sight whereof he was animated to his Work Or Thirdly The Idols as the Word also signifies which that Heathen King might place there either in spight and contempt to the Israelites who had that place in great Veneration or that he might ascribe his Conquest of the Land to his Idols at the Israelites did to the true God by setting up this Monument in the entrance or beginning of it that were by Gilgal and said I have a secret errand unto thee O king who said Keep silence c Till my Servants be gone whom he would not have acquainted with a business which he supposed to be of great and close
a whoring after it l Committing Superstition or Idolatry with it or going thither to enquire the Will of God whereby they were drawn from the true Ephod instituted by God for this end which was to be worn by the High-Priest onely which thing became a snare m An occasion of Sin and Ruine to him and his as the next Chapter sheweth Though Gideon was a good man and did this with an honest mind and a desire to set up Religion in his own City and Family yet here seems to be many Sins in it 1. Superstition and Will-worship Worshipping God by a device of his own which was frequently and expresly forbidden 2. Presumption in wearing or causing other Priests to wear this kind of Ephod which was peculiar to the High-Priest 3. Transgression of a plain Command of Worshipping God ordinarily but at one place and one Altar Deut. 12. 5 11 14. and withdrawing people from that place to his 4. Making a fearful Schism or Division among the People 5. Laying a Stumbling-Block or an occasion of Superstition or Idolatry before that people whom he knew to be too prone to it unto Gideon and to his house 28 ¶ Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel so that they lifted up their head no more n i. e. Recovered not their former Strength or Courage so as to Conquer or Oppress others as they had done and the countrey was in quietness forty years o i. e. To the fortieth year from the beginning of the Midianitish Oppression see on Iudg. 3. 11. in the days of Gideon p i. e. As long as Gideon lived 29 ¶ And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house q Not in his Fathers House as he did before nor yet in a Court like a King as the People desired but in a middle state as a Judge for the preservation and maintenance of their Religion and Liberties 30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons ‡ Heb. going out of his thigh of his body begotten for he had many wives 31 And his concubine that was in Shechem r She dwelt there and he oft came thither either to execute Judgment or upon other occasions she also bare him a son whose name he ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 called Abimelech s i. e. My Father the King so he called him probably to gratify his Concubine who desired it either out of Pride or Design 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age t His long Life being Crowned with the continuance of his Honour Tranquility and Happiness and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrite 33 And it came to pass as soon as Gideon was dead that the children of Israel turned again u Whereby we see the Wicked temper of this people who did no longer cleave to God than they were in a manner constrained to it by the Presence and Authority of their Judges and went a whoring after Baalim x This was the general name including all their Idols whereof one here follows and made Baal-berith y i. e. The Lord of the Covenant so called either from the Covenant wherewith the Worshippers of this God bound themselves to maintain his Worship or to defend one another therein or rather because he was reputed the God and Judg of all Covenants and Promises and Contracts to whom it belonged to maintain them and to punish the violaters of them and such a God both the Grecians and the Romans had their god 34 And the children of Israel remembred not the LORD their God who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side 35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal namely Gideon according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel CHAP. IX ANâ—… Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his * Chap. â—… â—… mothers brethren and communed with them and with all the family of the house of his mothers father saying 2 Speak I pray you in the ears of all the men of Shechem ‡ What is good whether c. Whether is better for you either that all the sons of Jerubbaal which are threescore and ten persons reign over you a He supposeth that they would take that Government which their Father modestly refused and that the multitude of his Sons would occasion horrible Divisions and Confusions and Contests about the Sovereign Power all which they might avoid by chusing him King and so they might enjoy the Monarchy which they had long and oft desired or that one reign over you Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh b Your Kinsman of the same Tribe and City with you which will be no small Honour and Advantage to you 3 And his mothers brethren c i. e. Kinsmen as that word is oft used as Gen. 14. 16. and 29. 12. spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words and their hearts inclined ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 to follow Abimelech for they said He is our brother d They were easily perswaded to believe and follow what served their own Interest 4 And they gave him threescore and ten e Agreeably to the number of his Enemies Gideon's 70 Sons pieces of silver f Not Shekels as some fancy which were too small a Sum for this purpose but far larger pieces the exact worth whereof it is neither possible nor needful for us now to know out of the house of Baal-berith g Out of his Sacred Treasury for even they who were very parsimonious and base in their Expences about Gods Service were liberal in their Contributions to Idols having since Gideon's Death built this Temple which he would never have suffered whilest he lived and endowed it with considerable Revenues wherewith Abimelech hired * Chap. 11. â—… vain and light persons h Unsettled idle and necessitous persons the most proper Instruments for Tyranny and Cruelty which followed him 5 And he went unto his fathers house at Ophrah and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal i The onely persons who were likely to hinder him in establishing his Tyranny being threescore and ten persons k Wanting one who is here expressed And these Synecdochical expressions are frequent in Scripture See Gen. 35. 26. and 42. 13. Numb 14. 32 33. Ioh. 20. 24. 1 Cor. 15. 5. upon one stone l Whereby he would signifie that this was either 1. An act of Justice in cutting them all off in an orderly matter for some supposed Crime probably as designing Sedition and Rebellion Or 2. An act of Religion in avenging the dishonour and injury done to Baal by Gideon Iudg. 6. 27 28. upon his Children whom he offered up as so many Sacrifices to Baal upon this Stone which served for an Altar and for this reason it seems
the Money was taken out of Baal's House because it was to be laid out in his Service notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left for he hid himself 6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together and all the house of Millo m Of a place or person so called some eminent and potent Family living in Shechem or near to it either the Family of Abimelech's Mother or some other Or and all Beth-millo so Beth is not an House but a part of the name of the place and went and made Abimelech king n To wit over all Israel v. 22. which was a strange Presumption for the inhabitants of one City to undertake but they had many advantages and encouragements for it as the eager and general and constant inclination of the Israelites to Kingly Government Abimelech's being the Son of Gideon to whom and to his Sons they offered the Kingdom Iudg. 8. 22. And though the Father could and did refuse it for himself yet they might imagine that he could not give away his Son 's right conveyed to them by the Israelites in their offer the universal defection of the Israelites from God to Baal whose great Patron and Champion Abimelech pretended to be the power and prevalency of the Tribe of 〈◊〉 in which Shechem was Ios. 20. 7. whose proud and imperious spirit manifested Iudg. 8. 1. and 12. 1. would make them readily close with a King of their own Brethren and Abimelech's getting the start of all others having the Crown actually put upon his head and an Army already raised to maintain his Tyranny ‖ Or by the oak of the pillar Seâ—… Iosh. 2â—… â—…6 by the plain of the pillar o Or by the Oak of the Pillar i. e. By the Oak where Ioshua erected a Pillar as a Witness of the Covenant renewed between God and Israel Ios. 24. 26. This place they chose to signify that they still owned God and their Covenant with him and did not Worship Baal in opposition to God but in conjunction with him or in subordination to him that was in Shechem 7 ¶ And when they told it to Jotham he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim p Which lay near Shechem and near Mount Ebal The Valley between these two Mountains of Gerizim and Ebal was a famous place employed for a Religious use even for the Solemn reading of the Law and its Blessings and Curses Deut. 11. 29. and 27. 12. Ios. 8. 33. and therefore it is probable it was still used even by the Superstitious and Idolatrous Israelites for such like occasions who delighted to use the same places which their Religious Ancestors had Consecrated and used and lift up his voice and cried q So as they that stood in the Valley might hear him though not suddenly come at him to take him and said unto them Hearken unto me ye men of Shechem r Who are here met together upon a solemn occasion as Iosephus notes Abimelech being absent that God may hearken unto you s When you cry unto him for Mercy so he conjures and perswades to give him patient Audience as they did 8 The trees went forth on a time t A Parabolical Discourse usual among the Ancients especially in the Eastern parts wherein under the names of Trees men are represented to anoint a king u i. e. To make a King which was oft done among the Israelites and some others with the Ceremony of Anointing over them and they said unto the olive-tree x By which he understands Gideon Reign thou over us 9 But the olive-tree said unto them Should I leave my fatness * Psal. 104. 15. wherewith by me they honour God y In whose Worship and Service Oyl was used for divers things as about the Lamps Exod. 35. 14. and Offerings Levit. 2. 6 7. and for the anointing of Sacred Persons and Things and man z For Oyl was used in the constitution of Kings and Priests and Prophets and for a Present to great Persons and to anoint the head and face c. and ‖ Or go up and down for other trees go to be promoted a Heb. to move hither and thither to wander to and fro to exchange my sweet Tranquillity for uncessant Cares and Travels for the good of others as a King ought to do over the trees 10 And the trees said unto the fig-tree b This as also the Vine v. 12. signifies the same thing with the Olive-Tree but here are various expressions used either for the decency of the Parable or because Gideon refused this Honour both for himself and for his Sons or to signify that the Sons of Gideon whom Abimelech had so cruelly slain upon pretence of their affecting the Kingdom were as far from such thoughts as their Father and therefore were unjustly and wickedly Murdered Come thou and reign over us 11 But the fig-tree said unto them Should I forsake my sweetness c For which that fruit is particularly commended and my good fruit and go to be promoted over the trees 12 Then said the trees unto the vine Come thou and reign over us 13 And the vine said unto them Should I leave my wine which cheareth God d Wherewith God is well pleased because it was offered to God Numb 15. 5 7 10. and man e See Psal. 104. 15. Prov. 3â—… 6. and go to be promoted over the trees 14 Then said all the trees unto the ‖ Or thistâ—… bramble f Or Thorn a mean and barren and hurtful Tree fitly representing Abimelech the Son of a Concubine and a person of small use and great Cruelty Come thou and reign over us 15 And the bramble said unto the trees If in truth ye anoint me king over you g If you deal truly and justly in making me King then come and put your trust in my shadow h Then you may expect Protection under his Government and if not * Exod. 9. 23. let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon i Instead of Protection you shall receive Destruction by him especially you Cedars i. e. Nobles such as the House of Millo who have been most forward in this work 16 Now therefore if ye have done truly and sincerely in that ye have made Abimelech king and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands 17 For my father fought for you and ‡ Heb. â—…ast his soul. adventured his life far k Heb. cast away his Soul or Life far off out of his reach or power to recover it i. e. Exposed himself to utmost hazard for your sakes and delivered you out of the hand of Midian 18 And ye are risen up against my fathers house this day and have slain l Abimelech's fact is justly charged upon them as done