of the World Rom. X. 17 18. and that Law that Word viz. the Gospel which by this means went forth of Zion and Ierusalem must all of all Nations that will learn of the waies of God and be instructed rightly to walk in his paths embrace and attend to as the only Doctrine that teacheth what ought to be known of him and his will and how to please him and so to obtain those good things promised to the obedient subjects of his Kingdom 3 ¶ And he shall judge among many People and rebuke strong Nations afar off and they shall beat their swords into plow-shares and their spears into pruning hooks Nation shall not lift up a sword against Nation neither shall they learn Warr any more And he shall judge among many People and rebuke c. Who is this that shall judge and rebuke The Lord say some mentioned last in the foregoing words his Word say Others there likewise mentioned which without doubt shall be done by the mediation of one constituted by him which shall divulge such truths as should be received from him Others Sion or the Mountain or house of the Lord that is the Church Some Iews of great learning and Authority among them expresly say Messiah though not expressed is here meant according to the manner of Scripture leaving the person which is necessarily understood unnamed that he is the teacher in the former words the judge and rebuker in these spoken of and so diverse Christians and this way taken comprehends all the rest God in the Church judging by Christ and he by his word for the Father having set Christ as King upon his holy hill of Sion Psal. II. 6. hath committed to him all Judgment and the Scepter by which he judgeth or rebuketh among People is his Word by which he instructeth them in his waies and governeth them and by this he shall judge distinguish and teach them to discern between right and wrong that they may walk in the waies and observe the rules of Justice and Charity whensoever or wheresoever they be or live and rebuke them that do otherwise then they ought that they may amend their waies The King Messiah saith a learned Iew shall as Lord over all nations judge among them so as that if any have quarrels or differences with others they shall make addresses or refer the matter to him and he shall bid him that hath done wrong to do right to his Neighbour He shall compose all quarrels and differences between them He shall judge and rebuke not by the sword or spear and violence but by his word and Spirit The effect of which his so judging and rebuking shall be that being wrought on and disciplinated by his word they shall lay aside all Animosities and dissensions and desire to live in peace one with another which is expressed by saying they shall beat their Swords into plow-shares c. i. e. they shall be so averse from Warr one with another that they shall turn their Instruments of Warr as having no more need of them or resolving no more to use them into such as are proper and necessary for times of peace an expression contrary to what is us'd Ioel III. 10. for expressing times of Warr and tumult Beat your Plow-shares into Swords c. This being promised as the effect of Christs reigning and the Preaching of the Gospel which we call the Word of God the Iew who acknowledges not Christ to be yet come requires us to shew how this hath been made good under the Gospel that so we may prove this Prophecy to have been made good and so Christ to be come For answer to which objection several things are said as first that these words are figurativly to be understood not precisely according to the sound of the letter not so much of outward peace in the World as of inward peace of Conscience that peace which being justified by Faith we have in God Rom. V. I. that which Christ promiseth to his that they shall have in him though they have trouble in the World Ioh. XVI 33. and this peace have Christians alwaies found and shall find in Christ he left it with his and will continue it to them Secondly that the Gospel is a Doctrine of peace commending it to Men and disposing their minds to it so that whosoever as much as lieth in them live not peaceably with all Men Rom. XII 18. live not according to the rules thereof and Animosities Wars and dissensions argue a deficiency of Faith in Men and that they have not ascended up to the Mountain of the house of the Lord nor learned as they ought his waies to walk in them But seeing the word of Christ instructeth to bear wrongs and not to revenge c. and disposeth to peace and requireth it it may be well said that by the preaching thereof Men should be so dispos'd as that they should beat their Swords into ◠low-shares c. that they should not leavy Warr any more Thirdly Some think this made good in that about the time of Christs coming there was peace in the known World under Augustus in token of which the gates of the Temple of Ianus at Rome were shut as after again under Nero c. but that peace seems to others not much to respect this peace as not being an effect of Preaching the Gospel Fourthly it may seem rather to have been fulfilled in what is said that when great multitudes were converted to Christ by the preaching of the Gospel they were all of one heart and one Soul Act. IV. 32. and as the Doctrine farther diffus'd it self so did also peace and charity among all those many and of different Nations that received it so far as that it was a Note and character of Christians acknowledged by the unbelieving Heathens who were forced to say of them with envy and admiration See how they mutually love one another If it continued not so it argues as we said in Men a falling as from their first love so too much from the Faith and is a sign of those perillous times that the Apostle foretold should come in the last daies 2 Tim. III. 1. c. They that faithfully adhere to Christ and sincerely love him will still be known to be his by their loving one another and living peaceably as far as is possible with all Men and of such only to some seems this Prophecy to be spoken and to have respect not generally to all Men but to the Godly and true Believers who have alwaies endeavoured and alwaies will endeavour to make it good and shew it fulfill'd in themselves If any think not these answers sufficient but expect a more literal fulfilling of the words by a general peace in the World they must expect what time will hereafter produce and if they be the Iews that this answer may suffice them and that there is
A COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHECY OF MICAH By EDWARD POCOCK D. D. Canon of Christ-Church and Regius Professor of the Hebrew Tongue in the Vniversity of OXFORD OXFORD Printed at the THEATER M.DC.LXXVII Imprimatur RAD. BATHVRST Vice-Cancel OXON JULY 19. 1676. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD SETH LORD BISHOP OF SARUM MY LORD THE concurrence of severall reasons each of which were sufficient have moved me to offer to your gracious acceptance this Essay First my duty to your Lordship as my Diocesan who may justly challenge from me some account of my employments Secondly that gratitude which obligeth me to acknowledge your Lordships many favors extended to me and mine And thirdly the need of patronage and protection that this Work hath in regard that there is in it much stress laid on such part of Learning the Orientall I mean which of late if not all along hath had that unhappiness as to be scarce able to keep it self not only from neglect but contempt as needless at least of not great use or necessity In some places abroad where it formerly found great encouragement if we may beleive generall complaints it hath now little regard although I doubt not but that it will in good time recover its honor That it may not be so among us at home it must ow to the favour and countenance of men excelling as in authority and dignity so in learning and judgement in which rank none being more eminent so none will be more ready to afford it then your Lordship who have your self alwaies been a lover of those Studies and by long experience know and have made known the usefulness of them I shall not here trouble your Lordship with giving an account of what is in these Annotations done that being the proper work of the Preface I shall only adde that besides the former motives I have a strong encouragement to make this address to your Lordship from an assured confidence that whatsoever it be that I bring being the best that I have at present and proceeding from those intentions with which it is offered it shall by your Lordship be favouredly accepted from the hands of him who is MY LORD Your Lordships most humble Servant EDWARD POCOCK THE PREFACE THE main thing in these Annotations endeavoured is to settle the genuine aud literall meaning of the Text. Seeing it is often very differently rendred by Interpreters according to their different judgments from what we read in our English Bibles and that in them also we have various readings in the Margin I have laboured as far as I could to find out the truth among them by examining such as I have occasion to take notice of by the Original Hebrew which is the standing rule which was at first by the goodness of God for such delivered to us by the Prophets and holy men divinely inspired and hath ever since by his wonderful Providence been preserved uncorrupt and sincere Of any that shall question it we may ask when it was corrupted whither before Christs time or since If it be said before and as an argument alledged for it that there is a Translation of greater antiquity then his time viz. in Greek which so much differs from the Hebrew Copies which we now have as to shew that in the Copy which the Authors thereof had many things were read otherwise then in these we are not to be moved by it except three things be first made evident 1. That the Copy which they had was a truer Copy then any reserved among the Jews which might be derived to us from them 2. That those Interpreters strictly and precisely followed the letter of their Copy and did not give themselves liberty of expressing what they conceived to be the sense and meaning either more largely or in different words or had not some notions of the words which are not now so usually known 3. That the Copies which we have of their Version be genuin and uncorrupted as they proceeded from them without mixture or alteration Which things have not yet been sufficiently proved and I suppose cannot be Againe if it had been before Christs time corrupted it can scarce be doubted but we should have heard of it from him who so often reprehending the Jews for their perverse Interpretations of it by the Glosses of their Traditions we cannot think but he would much more have reprooved them if they had corrupted the Text it self And after his time it is no way probable that it could be altered or corrupted by any concurring malice of the Jews as it must have been done by a general conspiration for corrupting all the Copies or else would have been a vain attempt seeing it cannot be doubted but that among so many thousands of them of whom many were converted to Christ and among them divers others we may well suppose like Apollos mighty in the Scriptures Act. 18. 24. many had in their hands true Copies of it by which they would have discovered any forgery And from them that there were Copies imparted to other Christians also we have reason to think when we find that among them for many years after Christ the Scriptures of the Old Testament were read in their Churches in the Hebrew language for that it was so among the Syrians we have from a learned man of that Nation who in a Book that he wrote in Arabick concerning divers heads of the Christian Religion speaking of their manner of reading the Scriptures in the Church saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. In ancient time the Books of the old Testament were read in the Hebrew Tongue till S. Ephraim forbad it which we cannot think was for any other reason but because they looked on the Hebrew as more genuine and authentick then any Translation not that they had not then Translations of the Scripture in their own Language as we shall by and by shew to be more then probable For these and other reasons even the care that the Jews themselves as is by all known and confessed alwaies took of writing it exactly true as that whereon their own preservation depended we cannot on any probable grounds question the integrity thereof Yea a learned man who is looked on to have laboured as much as any to question the integrity of the Hebrew Text doth confess that in Christs time and Ionathans the Paraphrast the Hebrew Books that they then had were the same that we now have And what then have we farther to be sollicitous about in this matter For of those was then the Book that our Saviour stood up to read in the Synagogue and expounded by the same Spirit which first dictated what was therein written Luc. 4. 16 17. c. and the reading of which he justified by asking the Lawyer who would know what he might do to inherit eternal life What is written in the Law how readest thou Luc. 10. 26. Those the Scriptures which he bad the Jews to search as
many hath been said of them that it will be needless to give any account of them but the other viz. the Syriack and Arabick though well and only known in the Eastern parts so unknown among us till the late noble Editions of the Polyglot Bibles at Paris and London that it may seem requisite to give some That the Syriack had anciently a Translation of the Scripture into their Language is manifest and such as may challenge priority of the Greek it self if we may believe them But for making the matter more clear we may observe that they have two Translations the one done out of the Hebrew the other out of the Greek Gregorius Abul Pharajius in his History which was printed at Oxford in Arabick and Latin thus tells us that the Greek Version made by the LXXII Elders in Ptolemeus Philadelphus's time which was received not only by the Greeks but by most Sects of the Christians yet was not followed by the Syrians especially the more Easterly ones For that they had a Translation which was called the Simple or plain Version because the Translators did not in it so much labour for elegance of words which was conformable to the Copy of the Jews but saith he the more Western have two Translations that Simple one which was translated out of Hebrew into Syriack after the coming of Christ in the time of Addaeus or Thaddaeus the Apostle or as others affirm in the time of Solomon the son of David and Hiram and another more florid made according to that of the LXXII out of Greek into Syriack a long time after the Incarnation of our Saviour For better understanding what he saith and the opinion of those of that Nation we may farther take notice of what an ancient Bishop Soaded Bishop of Hadetha cited by the learned Sionita in his Preface to his Edition of the Psalms in Syriack and Latin saies That as to the Translation of the sacred Books it was thus the Law Iosue Iudges Ruth Samuel David or the Psalms the Proverbs Ecclesiastes Canticles and Iob were done in the time of Solomon at the request of Hiram King of Tyrus his friend The other Books of the old and new Testament in the time of Abagar King of Syria by the care of Thaddaeus and other Apostles Their later Version I suppose to have been made by Thomas Heracleensis for so I find in a Syriack MS of which account is given in the Preface to the second Epistle of S. Peter in Syriack Greek and Latin printed at Leiden An. 1630. a distinction made betwixt the Translation which was made in ancient daies and the Translation of Thomas Heracleensis And so in the old Testament in the MS. Syriack Copy is there prefixed to one Version of the Story of Susanna that it was according to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Translation of Heracleensis for there are two Versions of that Story in the Copy but neither of them may be supposed to belong to the ancient simple Version as neither probably any of the Apocryphal Books before some of which as the first book of Esdras is put That they were conformed to the Tradition of the LXXII and at the end of it that it was not found in the simple Version and so likewise before Tobit When this Tho. Heracleensis lived I have not yet met with any certain Narration only I find him signalized in a Syrian Calendar among their Saints or holy men by having his name among those to whose memory the 26. day of Haziran or Iune is consecrated which makes it probable that he is not of late standing which will farther be confirmed if he be the same as I suppose he was of whom Schultingius makes mention in his Bibliotheca Ecclesiastica tom 3. pag. 106. by the name of Thomas Harchalanus giving account of him out of a Catalogue of Missals made by Ignatius Patriarch of Antioch that he translated out of Greek into Chalde as he calls the Syriack the Missals of Iohn the Evangelist and of Clement about four hundred and seven years after Christ. But when the Syrians contend for the Antiquity of their Version we see it is for that other more ancient But besides what they say for themselves wherein perhaps they may seem to go too high we have not only from the Greek Fathers but from all our Copies of the LXXII it self undoubted proofs of the very great antiquity of some Syriack Version In all the Editions that we have of the LXXII except the Complutensian as well that out of the very ancient Copy in the Kings Library as the rest from other Copies expressed we have at the end of Iob these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he is interpreted out of a or the Syriack Book i.e. the Bible for out of no other Book would they have taken words for authentick Text. Which shews that there was a Syriack book or Translation ancienter then any of them and that it was so written in those ancienter Copies out of which any of them were transcribed they all of them though in other things differing between themselves agreeing in it And this plainly gives us to look on the Syriack Version as very ancient which is that which at present we say and withall seems a sufficient proof that as we above intimated there was before S. Ephraims time such a Translation among the Syrians in their own Tongue which they might have used if they had not thought the Hebrew more authentick and as so given that honour to it as to use only it in their Churches If they had not then had any his forbidding them to use the Hebrew had been a depriving them of any use of the Scriptures of the old Testament which we suppose was not his mind to do but only to cause them to be read in a more intelligible Language in which he is said to have written Comments on it But although this be as much as may suffice to our present purpose yet having fallen on the mention of this matter it may perhaps not be amiss by the way to endeavor to give farther some little account of it which if any think not to be of much concernment he may pass it over Whereas the last Chapter of Iob in the Hebrew Text and such Translations as follow it ends with the 17. verse and these words So Iob dyed being old and full of daies in the Greek called the Septuagint are added to the quantity of several verses more and that so anciently that some of the Greek Fathers have commented on them as authentick Text. Olympiodorus saith that they were delivered as so from the Apostles themselves and Polychronius that they were so accounted by the Fathers There is first added It is written that he should rise againe with those whom the Lord should raise Then follows what we mentioned He or this man is interpreted out of the Syriack book dwelling or that he dwelt in the Land of Ausitis
no force from the Argument to prove that the Messiah is not yet come will appear from what diverse of their own Doctors say that the time or Kingdom of Messiah lasteth on Earth many thousand of Years doubtless to the end of the World So that if ought spoken as concerning his time be not yet fulfill'd it may be longer expected without denying him to be yet come Again as to them their Doctors also say that weapons of Warr shall not cease even in the daies of Messiah but only in the World to come and so do some Christians interpret these words as that they are to have their full completion in the World to come after the second coming of Christ. But the Prophecy may seem rather to respect what shall be done in this World then that to come and we may well rest satisfi'd that it is already perform'd even in respect of that outward concord which followed among many different Nations the Preaching of the Gospel 4 But they shall sit every Man under his Vine and under his fig-tree and none shall make them afraid for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it But they shall sit c. A figurative expression of great Security and Tranquillity else where likewise used the effect and sign of peace and so is to be understood as the former promise of peace whether of outward or inward Tranquillity which that they may without doubting expect is added for confirmation that the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it who can and will make good whatsoever he saith without fail however improbable at present it may seem 5 For all People will walk every one in the name of his god and we will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever For c. This particle shews these words to have dependance on somthing before said to give a reason of what was said and they seem spoken by the Prophet in the name of those who should go up to the Mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Iacob and learn of his waies and walk in his paths and had promise of peace and security to them rendring a reason why they might certainly expect a performance of those good things promised to them viz. from their acknowledging him only for their God adhering to him and constantly walking in obedience to him and affiance in him For as all People will walk every one in the name of him whom they take for their God and use so to do so they by a constant walking in the Name of the Lord will evidence that they acknowledge him for their God and so have reason to expect the good things which he hath promised and will without fail perform to those that as they resolv'd to do constantly cleave to him faithfully serve him rely and depend on him and his protection and favour This exposition may be illustrated by what is said Ier. II. 11. Hath a Nation chang'd their Gods which are yet no Gods But my People have chang'd their Glory for that which doth not profit It was formerly the perversness of Israel according to the flesh that they would forsake the Name of God and his worship and follow vain Idols but here the true Israel of God the faithful members of his Church out of what Nation soever call'd unanimously profess constantly and for ever to adhere to him alone as constantly as other People did to their Gods and in so doing may justly promise to themselves the benefits of his providence and protection out of which they will not by their own fault and deâ—ection from him put themselves And according to this Exposition the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veanachnu rendred But we will be rather rendred And we â—s it properly signifies A learned Man gives the meaning thus No marvail that God should have so singular a care over us for other Nations for performance of their matters call every one on their Gods but we do and ever will walk in the Name of our God the true God Another No marvail that we shall be safe or secure seeing we have God for our Protectour against whom neither our Enemies nor any other Gods can prevail The sense I suppose according to them must thus be made up As long as we adhere to the true God no fear but we shall have his promises of security made good to us seeing the Nations that are against us trust in false Gods which can neither help them nor annoy or hurt us under the protection of our God to whom we constantly cleave Some of the Iew Doctors thus expound the words Till that time all People shall walk in the name of their Gods for they shall not return to the right way till that time when the King Messiah shall turn them into the right way but we of the house of Israel will walk in the Name of our God for ever though the Temple be destroyed and we led captives out of our Land yet will we not change our God for another but walk in his Name alwaies Another thus For all People which now walk every one in the Name of his God and we also the Sons of Israel all of us both we and they in that time will walk in the Name of our God c. The connexion of Inference I suppose in all these must still be the same viz. that therefore they will faithfully expect that those blessings of peace and security which God hath promis'd shall be made good to them which profession the Prophet makes in the name of those that are spoken of that shall come in to God as joyning himself to them Some give the meaning thus Although other People shall worship other Gods yet the faithful believers will constantly acknowledge and worship the one true God and serve him alone And by them the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render for is taken as sometimes it is for a word of alteration only as much as to say certainly or although 6 In that day saith the Lord will I assemble her that halteth and I will gather her that is driven out and her that I have afflicted In that day saith the Lord c. In that day at that time ver 1. call'd the last daies when God in judgment remembring Mercy shall graciously visit and redeem his People he saith that he will assemble or gather or as Some will heal for in that signification also is the word used and may here well enough be applied her that halteth or is lame broken or maimed i. e. such of Israel as are weak and helpless inwardly and outwardly afflicted so that they are not able to bear up and support themselves and so justly likened to a poor lame maimed Sheep that is not able to go upright or keep her way This seems a more simple Interpretation then that
over them the like objection to what was against the former opinion The answer must be God gave them into the hands of the Medes and Persians to be threshed and destroyed so that the Iews then in captivity under them might justly insult and triumph over them and what God did by others for their sakes be attributed to them And the consecrating their gain to the Lord Some think to be made good by Gods bringing it to pass that the vessels by them taken out of the house of the Lord were sent back again Others looking on this as no satisfactory completion of this prophesie alone think it ought to be extended to the times of the Maccabes that in their History may be found that whereby all that is here spoken may be well said to have been fulfilled But with none of these are the Iews satisfy'd and therefore look on this Prophesie as not yet fulfilled but to belong to the times of the restoring their captivity the bringing down all their Enemies and reestablishing their Kingdom under the Messiah whom they yet expect and by those many Nations understand Some of them which at that time shall come up with Gog and Magog being though they promise to themselves the destruction of Zion by God stirred up and gathered together that they may be themselves destroyed Others the Armies of the Romans by whom Ierusalem was sacked and the second Temple destroyed and also such Armies of the Christians and of Saracens also as afterwards invaded or shall hereafter at that time of restoring the captivity be gathered by God to that place and there be destroyed or as before the Armies of Gog and Magog and according to their several fancies expect the fulfilling of all these things here said whose dreams as Chrians do deservedly reject so in this do they at least divers of them join issue with them that what ever else may be said otherwise to have been done towards the fulfilling of the things here said as to the destruction of the Assyrians or the Chaldeans or those of diverse Nations in the time of the Maccabes yet the full completion of them to belong to the times of Messiah or Christ not yet to be expected as the Iews would have it but already come under whom they have been and are manifestly fulfilled But then things are Spiritually as before was observed not carnally to be understood the Daughter of Zion not to be the Earthly Ierusalem but the Church of Christ which indeed as was above said from Ierusalem took its first rise and thence spread it self over the face of the Earth and brought under many Nations and much People With what rage and malice both at the beginning and in succeeding times they gathered themselves against her is manifest yet were they by the power of Christ the sword of his Spirit and Scepter of his word and by those whom he imploy'd furnishing them with weapons not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds and to the casting down imaginations and every high thing that should exalt it self against the knowledge of God to the bringing into captivity every thought to tâ—e obedience of Christ gathered into his floor brought down and put under his feet willingly subjecting themselves in obedience to him and consecrating and dedicating themselves and their substance to his honour Did we look on things after the flesh or according to worldly concerns it might not be hard to shew that the Christians under Godly Emperours have had so great victories over the insulting Enemies of the Church as might according to the letter of this Prophecy be justlier said to have been a fulfilling thereof then any things by those of the Iewish Church but Christ having declared his Kingdom not to be of this World we are not so much to judge of his conquests by what hath been wrought by the Arm of flesh though by his power and in his Name as by those wrought by the Sword of the Spirit not against flesh and blood but against Principalities and Powers against the rulers of the darkness of this World against spiritual wickedness in high places Eph. 6. 12. against the rebellious minds of obstinate Men to the subjecting all to himself It is observed by some concerning this Prophesie that it is to be in fulfilling to the second coming of Christ for he must reign till he hath put all things under his feet 1 Cor. XV. 25. In that day certainly will it appear how the things here spoken as every other word of God have without the failing of one title been fully made good though perhaps till then Men will not well agree concerning the manner how or time when CHAP. V. VER 1. Now gather thy self in Troups O Daughter of Troups he hath laid siege against us they shall smite the Iudge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek NOw gather thy self in Troups O daughter of Troups c. It will not be easy in few words to give account of the different expositions of these words which are found in Interpreters or to pass judgment between them They differ in giving the signification of some of them then in applying them The grounds of which that we may see it is to be observed that the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gadad from whence is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tithgodedi rendred by Ours Gather thy self in Troups and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gedud rendred Troups hath two significations usually attributed to it one of gathering together in troups the other of Cutting and hence have Interpreters according to their different judgments taken occasion of different interpretations As for the first word Some taking it from the first of those significations render it Now shalt thou gather thy self together or Gather thy self together in Troups or Troup together Others Thou shalt be compassed and beset with Troups or invaded by Troups or Now shalt thou go forth in Troups or Thou shalt make an impression or give an onset and the like To this seems the Greek also to have respect rendring it Now shall be shut or blocked up the Daughter with a shutting or blocking up that is so shut or blocked up with Troups surrounding her that she shall not be able to go forth Although if we should take their meaning from the Arab printed version which mostly follows the Greek and here renders Now shall be hedged up the Daughter of Ephraim with an hedge one might think that by mistake of a letter they deriv'd it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gadar which signifies to hedge or wall about instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gadad to gather in Troups putting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which differ in the Hebrew very little Others preferring the latter signification render Some Thou shalt be destroyed or spoiled Others Thou
that so they may be adjusted and accommodated to that exposition which shall be embraced as the scope shall direct and require Our Translation renders thus shall he deliver us i. e. by these means but that which they render Thus properly signifieth And and is so by most rendred though the meaning will be one 7 And the remnant of Iacob shall be in the midst of many People as a dew from the Lord as the showers upon the grasse that tarrieth not for man nor waiteth for the sons of men 8 ¶ And the remnant of Iacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion amongst the beasts of the forrest as a young lion among the flocks of sheep who if he go thorow both treadeth down and teareth in pieces and none can deliver And the remnant of Iacob shall be c. A learned Iew maketh here a question whether these words are by reason of the Note of connexion and to be joined with the words immediatly preceeding viz. as he would have it rendred and this shall be our peace or as he rather thinks it should be understood and this shall be the reward of Assur c. and so to be understood of the happy condition which they enjoyed after their return from their Babylonish captivity under the second Temple or to be referr'd bear respect to the other words that went before viz. the sixth verse and he shall stand and feed c. and so to be looked on as a promise the fulfilling of which is yet to be expected when their yet expected Messiah shall be come no inconvenience or absurdity he thinks will be to which soever it be applied This observation of his concerning the connexion of the words it will not be amiss to observe because among Christian expositours there are Some who interpret what is here said as to refer it to the Iews that returned from the Babylonish captivity and their condition before Christs coming and if their opion be followed then perhaps will the connexion be more proper with the words immediatly foregoing Others to the times of Christ after his coming in the flesh and then may they be referred to all not from the fourth verse only but from the second also in a continued series but with difference from what that Iew would have it not as a promise which is not yet fulfilled but which hath been already made good and is still in making good and shall be so till Christs coming again at the end of the World The remnant of Iacob c. In chapter IV. 7. he promiseth that she that halteth or was afflicted should be made a remnant By the remnant of Iacob here Some understand those that should of them return from Babylon Others those of them that should any where be left of them among the Nations and could not return home Others those of them that should remain with God after they were tried or refined in the furnace of affliction according to what he saith Zech. XIII 19. And will refine them as Silver is refined Diverse of Christian Interpreters expound it of the Apoâ—stles and Apoitolick Men and such as should succeed them in the Church for propagating the knowledge of Christ and his Gospel But probably this title may be extended to as many as the Lord should call to all to whom the Apostle saith the promise was Acts II. 39. That remnant which should be saved Rom. IX 27. the Remnant according to the election of grace Rom. XI 5. those whom our Saviour calls his little Flock Luk. XII 32. by a title well answerable to this of remnant of Iacob or in a word to the whole Church and true members thereof which in respect to the many that are out of it are but a remnant and that remnant a remnant of Iacob though not all according to the flesh sprung from him as the first of them who were called were yet all by faith the Israel of God To this remnant how ever taken are here great promises made and peculiar priviledges attributed and those set forth under two similitudes of differing nature in different respects in one they being compared to Dew in the other to a Lion 1. They shall be in the midst of many People as the dew from the Lord as the showers upon the Grass c. Of these words are two somewhat different expositions given the one of which maketh them a description of the condition of that remnant of Iacob in respect to themselves how it shall be with them by the blessing of God the other in respect to others or how they shall be to others among whom they are the first attributing those latter words that tarrieth not for Man c. as an Epithet not to grasse but to Dew from the Lord and showers upon the grass and maketh out the meaning to this purpose That as the dew and bigger rain which falleth on the grass is only from God and so disposed of as he will without Mans help or disposal so the remnant of Iacob shall depend only on God and his goodness not on Mans help or contrivance or assistance and by his help and blessing shall in the midst of many People many Enemies encompassing and exposing them be yet preserved and maintained so as still to subsist and wonderfully to encrease to the admiration of those many that shall behold them According to this exposition it will not perhaps be amiss as a Divine of great note observeth by dew or rain on grass to understand grass or fields of grass nourished or refreshed by dew and rain without the help and cultivations of Men by the sole hand and blessing of God The second way of exposition is by referring those words that tarrieth not for Man to the grass by Gods watering it with dew and rain from Heaven cherished and caused to grow and flourish and so the meaning will be that that blessed remnant shall be in the midst of those many People among whom they are dispersed by whom they are entertained and received and hearkned to as beneficial to them as dew from the Lord as showers on the grass which cause them to grow and flourish without the help of Man their Doctrine shall drop on them as rain their speech distill as the dew as the small rain on the tender herbs as the showers on the grass Deut. XXXII 2. so they by their Heavenly Doctrine and good example and communicating of Spiritual blessings shall cause them who are otherwise as uncultivated herbs and plants to grow in grace and flourish in the house of God and bring forth fruit unto him only by his blessing and not by any art of Man Or as a learned Iew thinks the words may be expounded without expecting reward from Men. To which may be added perhaps not unfitly that they shall be thus beneficial to all among whom they live by drawing