4. Matth. 1. 3. Pharez begat Hezron 19 And Hezron begat Ram and Ram begat Amminadab 20 And Amminadab begat Nahshon and Nahshon begat ‖ Or Salmah Salmon 21 And Salmon begat Boaz and Boaz begat Obed 22 And Obed begat Jesse and Jesse begat David f How can this be a true Genealogy seeing by this means four Persons take up three hundred and eighty years which were between Salmon and David and consequently every one of them must beget a Son when he was very old Ans. 1. It is not certain that each of these was the immediate Parent of him whom he is said to beget for sometimes Grand-Fathers are said in Scripture to beget their Grand-Children to wit by the Intervention of their immediate Sons whereof Instances have been given And sometimes in Genealogies whole Generations are omitted as may appear by Ezra 7. 2. compared with 1 Chron. 6. 3. and by Matth. 1. 8. which might be done here for divers reasons now unknown 2. There are many Examples even in profane Writers both Ancient and Modern of Persons that have not only lived 120 and 130 years and upwards but have been Vigorous and have begotten Children at above 100 years old and of Women that have conceived and born Children at the age of 50 60 yea 70 years And therefore if it were so in these more ancient times when men were longer-lived and under the Law when long Life was expresly promised to the Obedient and in Persons of strong Constitutions and sober Conversations such as some of these are known to have been and the others may justly be presumed to be such it is not strange nor in the least incredible I. SAMUEL The ARGUMENT IT is not certainly known who was the Pen-man of this Book or whether it was Written by one or more hands nor is it of any great Importance For since there are sufficient Evidences that God was the chief Author of it it matters not who was the Instrument As when it appears that such a thing was really an Act of Parliament or of the Council-Table it is not considerable who was the Clerk or which was the Pen that Wrote it And this is the less material in such Historical Books wherein there is but little which concerns the Foundation of Faith and Good Life and therefore it was not necessary to Name the Writer of them It may abundantly suffice that there were in these times divers Prophets and Holy Men of God as Samuel and Nathan and Gad and David himself who might each of them Write some part of this and the following Book But if any man will out of perversness doubt or deny that these Wrote it yet this I suppose no Discreet and Impartial man will deny that it is wholly Incredible that such Books should be Written in their Times and Recommended to the Church as a Part of the Holy Scriptures and so received by the succeeding Generation without their Approbation who had so great a Power and Authority in the Church and Common-wealth of Israel CHAP. I. NOW there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim a Called Ramah v. 19. and here is the dual number Ramathaim i. e. double Ramah probably because it consisted of two parts whereof the one might be called the Old City the other the New both being united into one and the additional Title of Zophim which signifies Watch-Towers or Watch-Men may note either the height of its Scituation which made it fit for that use or that the Prophets who are called Watch-men as Ezek. 3. 17. had a School or College there of mount Ephraim and his name was * 1 Chro. 6. 27 34. Elkanah the son of Jeroham the son of Elihu the son of Tohu the son of Zuph an Ephrathite b i. e. One of Bethlehem-Iudah Ruth 1. 2. to wit by his Birth and Habitation though by his Original a Levite Thus divers Iews by Nation are called Medes Elamites Cretians c. Act. 2. 9 10 11. because they were Born and Bred there 2 And he had two wives c As divers other good Men had in those Ages And it is probable that he took a second Wife to wit Peninnah because Hannah who being first Named seems to have been his first Wife was Barren the name of the one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah and Peninnah had children but Hannah had no children 3 And this man went up out of his city * Deut. 1â—… 6. ‡ Heb. from days to days Lev. 25. 29. yearly d To wit at one of the Solemn Feasts which probably was the Passeover when he not only went up himself but carried his Wife and Children with him Compare v. 7. Or at the appointed days or times Heb. from days to days or from time to time i. e. at the three Solemn Feasts when he together with all other Males were obliged to go to worship God in the place appointed and at other times when he as a Levite was to go thither in his course to worship and to sacrifice e Not in his own Person which the Levites could not do but by the Priests in which sence David and Solomon and Absalom are said to offer Sacrifices 2 Sam. 15. 8. 1 King 8. 63. 1 Chron. 21. 26. unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh f Where the Tabernacle had long been and now was See Ios. 18. 1. Iudg. 18. 31. and 21. 19. and the two sons of Eli Hophni and Phinehas the priests of the LORD were there g Or were the Priests of the Lord there to wit under their Father Eli who is generally conceived to have been the High-Priest but being very Old and Infirm 1 Sam. 4. 15. and unfit for service his Sons Ministred in his stead being as it were second Priests See 2 King 25. 18. And this Clause seems to be added to shew that this good Man did not run into that Vulgar Error of neglecting his Duty of Offering to God for the wickedness of the Priests Of which see chap. 2. 17 24. 4 ¶ And when the time was that Elkanah offered he gave to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters portions h To wit out of the Sacrifice of his Peace-Offerings the greatest part whereof fell to the Offerer and was eaten by him and his friends or guests before the Lord Levit. 3. and 7. Deut. 12. 12. and 16. 11. and out of this he gave them all Parts or Portions as the Master of the Feast used to do to Guests 5 But unto Hannah he gave ‖ Or a 〈◊〉 portion a worthy portion i Or an Honourable or Select part such as the Master of the Feast usually gave to the Person most Respected or Beloved See Gen. 43. 34. 1 Sam. 9. 23 24. for he loved Hannah k With a singular and eminent Love Compare Gen. 29. 30. but the LORD had shut up her womb 6 And her adversary l
punishments to them that he should †Heb. 〈◊〉 enter into judgment with God u Thereby to give him any pretence or occasion of entring into judgment with him or condemning his proceedings for which there might seem to be some colour if God did lay upon Man more than right And therefore thou O Iob hadst no cause for thy complaints against God 24. He shall break into pieces mighty men †Heb. withâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without number x Neither their greatness nor their numbers can secure them from the stroke of God's justice and set others in their stead y i. e. Give away their power and dignity to others who shall come in their place 25. Therefore he knoweth their works z i. e. Hence it appears that he knows all their evil works because he judgeth them for them God or men are oft times said in Scripture to know or do a thing when they onely manifest their knowing and doing of it Or Because c. as this Particle is used Isa. 26. 14. 6â—… 7. So this is subjoined as the ground or reason why he punisheth them as is related both in the foregoing and in the following words because he sees all their wicked designs and actions and he overturneth them in the night a i. e. When they are at rest and secure at midnight as it is v. 20. Or he turneth or bringeth upon them the night to wit of calamity and tribulation as the next words explain it and as the words night and darkness are oft used Or he turneth the night to wit into day i. e. He knoweth all their deeds of darkness and bringeth them to light See above v. 22. so that they are †〈…〉 destroyed b Heb. and or then or therefore for both these ways this Particle is sometimes used they shall be destroyed or broken to pieces 26. He striketh them as wicked men c i. e. As he useth to smite wicked men with a grievous and terrible stroke Comp. Isa. 27. 7. Or for wicked men or because they are wicked men therefore he destroys them without any regard to their quality †〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 of beâ—… in the open sight of others d In publick view for their greater shame and for the greater glory of God's justice and for the greater terrour of other oppressours and comfort of the oppressed 27. Because they turned back †〈…〉 from him e From the God whom they or their Progenitors had owned and his Laws which God hath written in the minds of all men Rom. 2. 14 1â—… and it may be from the practice of the true Religion which sometimes they professed and * 〈◊〉 28. 5. 〈◊〉 â—… 12. would not consider f Or understand They did not desire noâ—… endeavour to know them at least practically or to any good purpose any of his ways g Either 1. God's providential ways They did not lay to heart any of God's judgments inflicted upon such Oppressours as themselves which should have given them warning but boldly persisted in the same wicked courses Or 2. His precepts oft called his ways because he hath appointed them for us to walk in For these ways they were in a special manner obliged to consider and practise and the next Verse giveth us an instance of their backsliding from these ways 28. So that they cause the cry of the poor to come l Heb. To bring c. which is ambiguous and may be read either 1. that he i. e. God might bring c. So this is a reason why God smoâ—… them c. as is said v. 26. Or 2. that they i. e. those wicked men might bring c. and so these words contain either 1. a reason of what was last mentioned to wit why they would not consider nor walk in Gods ways because they were resolved to oppress the poor and give them cause to cry unto God which they neither would nor could have done if they had throughly understood and considered Gods ways or 2. an evidence or instance of it wherein it did appear that they had turned back from God c. unto him i i. e. Unto God as the following words imply it being God's work to â—…ear the cry and plead the cause of the afflicted or oppressed Others Upon him or upon them or upon each of them to wit of the Oppressours upon whom the cry of the oppressed is said to come because the vengeance of God is by that cry brought down upon them and he heareth the cry of the afflicted k He delivereth the oppressed by taking the Oppressour away 29. * Chap. 12. 〈◊〉 When he giveth quietnesâ—… l Either to the poor and oppressed Persons last mentioned or to any other Person or People as it follows who then can make trouble m No Man or Creature can hinder God's design and work and when he hideth his Face n i. e. Withdraws his favour and help from them and â—…ereby exposeth them to all Oppressions or calamities who then can behold him o i. e. Who can look up to God with chearfulness or confidence to desire or expect his help Or rather who 〈◊〉 will look upon him or regard him to wit so as to pitty or suecour him Iâ—… God be against him what man will or dare be for him all men will â—…orsake and oppose him and so he will be utterly lost For this who answers to the who in the former branch of the Verse and both of them speak oâ—… Man and his act as opposed unto God and to his act whether it be done against a Nation or against a man only p The case is the same in both God can carry on his work either of Mercy or Justice as easily and as irreâ—…istibly upon an whole Nation or People as upon one particular Person 30. That the hypocrite reign not lest the People be ensnared q Having said that God could and would carry on his own work and design effectually whether against one Man or against an whole People he now proceeds to give a further instance of God's mighty power above and against the greatest Monarchs in whom their own and Peoples strength seem to be united yet all together cannot oppose God in his work God when he pleaseth can and doth so order affairs that the Hypocrite i. e. the profane wicked Prince as one of the Kings of Iudah is called Ezek. 21. 25. Bad Princes being called Hypocrites because they do commonly cover all their Oppressions and injuries and impâ—…eties too with the specious preâ—…ence of Justice and the publick good and the discharge of their trust and duty may not reign i. e. may not continue his reign and tyranny that he may and shall by his Soveraign power and omnipotent Providence be deprived of his Kingdom â—…est the people be â—…red i. e. lest the people should be longer and more and more
sleep through distracting cares or troubles Or in likâ—… manner i. e. as they do who have abundance of Corn and Wine of whom he last spoke Luke 12. 19. lay me down in peace f Either 1. In outward peace or safety as the next clause explains it Or 2. In inward peace or tranquillity of mind as Luke 2. 29. resting securely upon Gods promises and the conduct of his wiâ—…e and gracious providence and sleep for thou LORD onely makest me dwell in †Heb. 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 safety g I owe not my safety to my own valour or wisdom nor to the courage of my followers but to thee onely Or thou Lord makest me to dwell alone in safety Either 1. 〈◊〉 or apart from mine Enemies Compare Deut. 33. 28. Or rather 2. Though I be in a manner alone i. e. forsaken and destitute of friends or helpers as that word is used Psal. 102. 7. Lam. 1. 1. PSAL V. To the chief musician upon Nehiloth a This is no where else used in Scripture It is generally and probably thought to be a term belonging to Musick and to signify either some kind of tune or rather an Instrument and particularly a wind-instrument as Neginoth in the title of the last Psalm signified stringed Instruments A psalm of David b This Psalm supposeth David to be in some great distress or trouble either from Saul or from Absalom or some of their Courtiers 1. GIve â—…ar to my words O LORD consider my meditation c i. e. My prayer as the words foregoing and following shew Which he calls his Meditation to note that it was not a lip-prayer only but that it proceeded from and was accompanied with the deepest thoughts and most fervent assections of his Soul 2. Hearken unto the voice of my cry my King d It is the part and duty of a King to answer the just and humble desires of his Subjects and my God for unto thee will I pray e To thee alone I will direct all my Prayers and therefore from thee alone I expect succour and relief 3. * Psal. 130. 6. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning f Either 1. metaphorically i. e. early seasonably in a time when thou wiltst be found and art ready to hear Or 2. properly every morning As soon as I awake I am still with thee as he saith Psal. 139. 18. The first thing that I do is to pray to thee I neither neglect nor delay that work But this is not spoken exclusively as to his other times of Prayer as appears from Psal. 55. 17. but only eminently to shew his constancy diligence and eagerness in the work O LORD in the morning will I direct my Prayers g Or mint eyes Which may be well understood out of the following word which is usual in Scripture Or it So it is only a defect of the Pronoun which is most frequent to wit my voice last mentioned or which is equivalent my words which is also understood with this very Verâ—… 〈◊〉 3â—… 5. and is expressed with it 〈◊〉 3â—… 14. And the Verb here and there used is very emphatical and notes his great care and exactness so to direct or 〈◊〉 or compose himself and his Prayers in such a manner as was most pleasing to God unto thee and will look up h To wit unto thee as he now said for help The word implies a confident and withal a paâ—…ient expectation of relief as Psal. 130. 6. Mic. 7. 7. Hâ—…b 2. 1. See also Psal. 145. 15. Acts 3. 4. 4. For i Or â—…t or Surely thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness k Or in wickeâ—… men Thou dost not approve of nor delight in them or in their Prayers but dost â—…ate and wilâ—…st destroy them as it here follows comp Prov. 17. 15. And this he saith partly for the conviction and discouragement of his Enemies who were such and partly for his own vindication to shew that he was not such a wicked man as they â—…alsly and maliciously represented him neither shall ‖ 〈…〉 evil dwell with thee l i. e. Have any friendship or fellowship or quiet abode with thee as those that dwell together usually have one with another 5. * Hâ—…b 1. 13. The foolish m Or the mad men as the word properly signifies as Eccles. 2. 2 12. and 7. 7. and 10. 13. Isa. 44. 25. i. e. Wicked men as the next words explain it who are indeed morally and really mad men in fighting with the Lord God Almighty and in exposing themselves to such dreadful Hazards and Mischiefs for such mean and momentary Advantages shall not stand †〈…〉 in thy sight n Either in battel against thee as this Phrase is used Deut. 7. 24. Ios. 1. 5. and 7. 12. Or in judgment at thy Tribunal of which see on Psal. 1. 5. Compare 1. Sam. 6. 20. Iob 41. 10. thou hatest all workers of iniquity o i. e. Such as make Sin their choice design and business giving up themselves to the constant or customary practice of it Compare Mat. 7. 23. Otherwise in a general sence there is no man that doth not sin or work inâ—…quity Eccles. 7. 20. 6. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing p Or lies that make it their business to raise and scatter Calumnies and Reproaches concerning me as many did the LORD will abhor †〈…〉 the bloody and deceitful man q Those who design Mischief against me or my Friends under a pretence of kindness of whom he oft speaks 7. But as for me I will come r To wit with holy boldness and confidence as becomes thy Son and Servant Whereas mine Enemies cannot appear in thy presence with any comfort and safety v. 5. into thy house s To wit the Tabernacle from which tho I be now excluded through the malice and power of mine Adversaries yet thou wiltst I doubt not râ—…store me to my former opportunities of coming thither to worship thee which was my constant custom and chief joy in the multitude of thy mercy t Or 〈◊〉 thy great Mercy i. e. Trusting only to thy great Mercy for admittance thither and acceptance there Or for or because of thy many Mercies to me for which I will come to pay my thanks and service unto thee and in thy fear u With an holy dread and reverence of thy Majesty and of thy House and a due care to please thee in my religious Worship and in the whole course of my Life Which he opposeth to the carelesness of his Enemies who came thither so rudely and presumptuously and with the conscience of such wicked Hearts and Lives will I worship toward †〈…〉 thy holy temple x Looking towards it when I cannot come to it Compare Dan. 6. 10. Or at thy holy Temple i. e. the Tabernacle which is sometimes called by that name
who hast done great things O God who is like unto thee 20 Thou which hast shewed me great and sore trouble shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the * Psal. 63. 9. 88. 6. depths of the earth y i. e. From the Grave for I was like one Dead and buried and past all hope of Deliverance without thy Almighty assistance 21 Thou shalt encrease my greatness z I am assured that thou wilst not onely restore that Royal Majesty which my Son hath invaded to me but also increase my Honour and Power and comfort me on every side 22. I will also praise thee †Heb. with the â—…nstrument of Psaltery with the psaltery even thy truth O my God unto thee will I sing with the harp O thou holy one of Israel 23 My lips shall greatly rejoyce when I sing unto thee and my soul which thou hast redeemed 24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long for they are confounded for they are brought unto Shame that seek my hurt PSAL. LXXII A Psalm ‖ Or of for Solomon That this Psalm was made by David is Evident from v. 20. and that it was made with Respect to Solomon is no less certain from the very Title of it And that David or at least the Holy Ghost which dictated this Psalm did look beyond Solomon and unto the Messiah of whom Solomon was an Illustrious and unquestionable Type seems as manifest from divers Passages of this Psalm which do not agree to Solomon nor to any other King but the Messiah and from the Confession of the Jewish Doctors themselves who so understand it It must therefore be acknowledged that as many others are So this Psalm is also a mixt Psalm belonging to Solomon in part and obscurely and imperfectly but unto Christ more clearly and fully divers Expressions being designedly so ordered that the Reader might be led by them to the Contemplation of Christ and of his Kingdom upon this occasion Which was the more necessary for the support and Comfort of God's true Israel because the Spirit of God foresaw Solomon's dreadful Apostacy and the great Miscarriages and Calamities of his Successors and of the Kingdom under their hands and therefore was pleased to fortifie their Hearts with that glorious Condition which they should certainly enjoy under the Messiah who should certainly come 1 GIve the king a Solomon who was now anointed King his Father yet Living 1 Kings 1. â—…9 And this Psalm may seem to be made for that great and solemn Occasion thy judgments b i. e. Either 1. Thy Statutes and Precepts which are oft called God's Iudgments which as thou hast given already in thy Book so give them to him a second and a better way by writing them upon his Heart or by giving him a solid knowledge of them and an hearty Love and Obedience to them Or rather 2. Thy manner of Government or Administration â—…which is oft called Iudgment as Psal. 94. 15. Isa. 28. 6. c. that he may follow thy Example in governing thy People as thou governest them to wit in Righteousness as it follows He saith Iudgments in the plural Number because though the Office of judging and ruling was but one yet there were divers parts and Branches and Acts of it as to acquit the Innocent to Condemn the Guilty c. in all which he begs that Solomon may be directed to do as God doth or would have him to do in such Cases O God and thy righteousness c That Grace of Righteousness which is a part of thine Image and is absolutely necessary for good Government unto the kings son 2 He shall judge d To wit if thou givest him what I have desired And by this prediction he doth â—…acitly admonish him of and oblige him to the performance of his Duty herein Or Let him Iudge the Future being put for the Imperative as hath been oft observed So it is a Prayer thy people e For they are thine more than his and therefore he must not govern them according to his own Will and Pleasure but according to the Rules of thy Word and for thy Service and Glory with righteousness and thy poor f Or thy aflicted or oppressed ones for such are thine in a special manner thou art their Judge and Patron Psal. 68. 5. and hast Commanded all thy People and especially Kings and Magistrates to take a singular Care of them because they have few or no Friends with judgment 3 * See ver 16. Jer. 3. 23. The mountains g He mentioneth the Mountains and Hills as bringing forth this blessed Fruit Either because such places are usually Barren and therefore this was an Evidence of extraordinary Fruitfulness and a special blessing of God Or because they are dangerous to Passengers in Regard of the Robbers and Wild beasts which commonly abide there Whereby it is implyed that other places should do so to and that it should be common and universal shall bring peace h All manner of Prosperity and Felicity which the Hebrews frequently express by that word to the people and the little hills by righteousness 4 He shall judge i i. e. Vindicate them from their Potent oppressours as judging is used Psal. 43. 1. and oft elsewhere the poor of the people he shall save the children of the needy k Whom the Rich peradventure did seize upon for Bond-men upon some Pretence or other and shall break in pieces the oppressour 5 They shall fear l Or Reverence or Worship as this Word is used Isa. 29. 13. Compared with Mat. 15. 9. and elsewere thee m Either 1. Thee O King to whom he suddenly turneth his Speech And so this is Hyperbolically true of Solomon but truly and litterally of Christ. Or rather 2. Thee O God of whom he had spoken before and that in the second Person v. 1 2. as it is here whereas he never speaks of the King in the whole Psalm in the second Person but constantly in the third And â—…o the Sence is This shall be another blessed Fruit of this righteous Government that together with Peace true Religion shall be established and that throughout all Generations as it here follows Which was begun in Solomon's days and continued though not without Interruption in the time of his Successors the Kings of Iudah and afterwards until Christ in and by whom this Prediction and Promise was most fully accomplished Heb. With the Sun and before the Moon i. e. Whilst they continue in the Heavens Others expound it thus both Day and Night as the twelve Tribes are said to serve God Act. 26. 7. But the former Interpretation seems more probable by Comparing this Verse with v. 17. as long as the sun and moon endure * Psal. 89. 36 37. throughout all generations 6 * Hos. 6. 3. He shall come down n To wit
and countenance as Psal. 10. 4. In whose heart Pride rules is an abomination to the LORD though hand join in hand n Though they have many Friends and Assistants See the same Phrase Prov. 11. 21. he shall not be †〈…〉 unpunished 6 By mercy and truth o Either 1. By Gods Mercy or Grace and by his truth in performing his Promises made to sinners in Christ. Or 2 By mens Mercy and Truth as those very words are jointly used Prov. 3. 3. 20 28. and elsewhere and as in the following clause the fear of the Lord is a Grace or Disposition in men by a merciful and just and faithful frame of heart and course of Life which are here opposed to Sacrifices as mercy is Hos. 6. 6. by which the hypocritical Jews expected to obtain the expiation of their sins iniquity is †〈…〉 purged p Not meritoriously but instrumentally as they qualifie a man to offer up acceptable Prayers to God for the Pardon of his sins and to receive and apply to himself that pardon which Christ by his Blood hath purchased for all sincere Believers who are filled with Mercy and Truth and other Graces and by the fear of the LORD q By a filial Reverence or Respect unto God and by an holy fear of offending God and by a dread of Gods judgments men depart from evil r They are kept from abusing pardoning Mercy and from returning to Folly or Wickedness So he sheweth that Justification and Sanctification are constant and inseparable Companions 7 When a mans ways please the LORD he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him s By disposing their hearts to kindness towards him 8 * Psal. 37. 16. Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right t This was in effect said before Prov. 15. 16. and is here repeated partly because of the great importance and usefulness of this truth and partly because men are very hardly brought to a serious belief of it 9 * Ver. 1. A mans heart deviseth his way u Considers and proposeth to himself what he will do but the LORD directeth his steps x Over-ruleth and disposeth all their designs and actions as he pleaseth and not as they list 10 †Heb. diviâ—… A divine sentence y Heb. Divination which is somtimes taken in a good sense for Prudence as it is Isa. 3. 2. A great sagacity and piercing judgment to discern dubious and difficult cases is z Or should be for the verb is wanting in the Hebrew and this may be supplied as well as is And he seems not so much to speak of the matter of Fact as if it were thus in all Kings which is notoriously and confessedly untrue as of the duty of Kings in whom Wisdom is a necessary qualification For thus the two following Proverbs concerning Kings v. 12. 13. must be understood otherwise they are repugnant to common Experience in the lips of the king a Either 1. Of wise Kings who onely are worthy of that Name and Office King being here put for a wise King as a Name is put for a good Name and a Woman for a good Woman Eccles. 7. 28. and then this is true in fact as it was in David 2 Sam. 14. 17. and in Solomon 1 Kin. 3. 28. Or 2. Of Kings in general in the sense before given for seeing the word is generally expressed without any limitation both here and v 12 13. it may seem presumption to confine it to those few Kings which are or were wise and good * Chap. 20. 8. his mouth transgresseth not b Or Shall or should not transgress or go beyond the bounds of Religion and Justice in judgment 11 * Lev. 19. 36. Chap. 11. 1. A just weight and balance are the LORD's c Are Gods work as it follows made by his direction and appointment so as no man can corrupt or alter them without violating Gods Rights and Authority and incurring his displeasure †Heb. all the stones all the weights d Heb. the stones which they then used as weights See on Prov. 11. 1. of the bag are his work 12 It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness e They should not onely abstain from all wicked practices but abhor them both in their own persons and in all their servants and subjects It is too plain that he speaks not of the common practice but of the duty of Kings as on v. 10. And such affirmative expressions are oft used in Scripture to express mens duty onely as 1 Cor. 6. 19. your body is i. e. should be the temple c. and 7. 32. careth c. i. e. ought to care for * Ch. 20. 28. 25. 5. 29. 14. the throne is established by righteousness f And which is implied weakned and sometimes overthrown by unrighteousness and therefore this is necessary for their own security and happiness 13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings g All wise and good Kings do and all Kings should delight in employing such Counsellors Judges and Officers under them as are just and faithful in their Counsels and Sentences and Actions because such bring great honour and advantage to them and they love him that speaketh right 14 * Ch. 19. 12 The wrath of a king is as messengers of death h Is as terrible as if many Messengers were sent to denounce the sentence of death and to execute it but a wise man will pacifie it i Will use all prudent and lawful means to pacifie it 15 In the light of the kings countenance is life k His Favour and smiling Countenance is most sweet and refreshing especially to him that was under a Sentence of death v. 14. and * Ch. 19. 12. his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain l As acceptable as those clouds which brings the latter Rain whereby the fruits are filled and ripened a little before the Harvest of which see Deut. 11. 14. Iob 29. 23. Iam. 5. 7. 16 * Ch. 8. 11 19. How much better m It is inexpressibly and unconceivably better as this Phrase implies Psal. 31. 19. 36. 7. 92. 5. c. is it to get wisdom than gold n Because it brings a man more certain and compleat and lasting comfort and advantage and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver 17 The high-way of the upright o Their common road in which they constantly purpose and desire and customarily use to walk although somtimes through frailty or temptation they slip into the by-paths of sin is to depart from evil p From the evil of sin and consequently from the evil of punishment he that keepeth his way q That takes heed to walk in that high-way preserveth his soul r From that mischief which befalls those that walk
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
worship but for their use and service So he speaks here of the Sun and Moon and Stars which were the principal Gods worshipped by the neighbouring Nations Or to whom none hath given this i. e. that they should be worshipped or to whom no worship belongs So this is an argument against Idolatry Or who had not given unto them to wit any thing It is an Ellipsis of the Accusative which is very frequent gods known to them by no benefits received from them as they had from their God whom therefore it was the greater folly and ingratitude to forsake 27 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book 28 And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger and in wrath and in great indignation and cast them into another land as it is this day 29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God k Having now mentioned the dreadful and amazing judgments of God upon the whole land and people of Israel and foreseeing by the spirit of prophecy the utter extirpation and destruction which would come upon them for their wickedness he breaks out into this pathetical exclamation either to bridle their curiosity who hearing this would be apt to enquire into the time and manner of so great an event or to quiet his own mind and satisfie the scruples of others who perceiving God to deal so severely with his own people when in the mean time he suffered those Nations which were guilty of grosser Atheisme and Idolatry and Impiety than the generality of the Jewish people were to live and prosper in the world might thence take occasion to deny or reproach his providence or question the equity of his proceedings To this he answers that the ways and judgments of God though never unjust are oft-times secret and hidden from us and unsearchable by our shallow capacities and are matter for our admiration not for our enquiry but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children l But the things which are revealed by God and his word these are the proper object of our enquiries and studies that thereby we may come to the knowledge of our duty by the practise whereof we may be kept from such terrible punishments and calamities as these now mentioned for ever that we may do all the words of this law CHAP. XXX 1 * Lev. 26. 40. AND it shall come to pass when all these things are come upon thee the blessing a When thou art obedient and the curse b When thou becomest rebellious and Apostatical which I have set before thee c Heb. placed before thy face i. e. propounded to thy consideration and choice and thou shalt call them to mind d Or bring them back to thy heart i. e. deeply affect thy heart with the sence of these things to wit of the blessings offered and given to them by Gods mercy and the curses brought upon themselves by their sins among the nations whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee 2 And shalt return unto the LORD thy God and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day thou and thy children with all thine heart and with all thy soul 3 * Psal. 126. 1. That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity e i. e. Bring back thy captives as captivity is taken Psal. 14. 7. Eph. 4. 8. and have compassion upon thee and will return and * Psal. 147. 2. gather thee f i. e. Thy children either spiritually such as it is explained Ioh. 11. 51 52. or literally such as is promised Rom. 11. from all the nations whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee 4 * Neh. 1. 9. If any of thine be driven out unto the * Jer. 32. 37. outmost parts of heaven from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee and from thence will he fetch thee 5 And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed and thou shalt possess it and he will do thee good and multiply thee above thy fathers 6 And * the LORD thy God will circumcise Ezek. 11. 19. 36. 26. thine heart f Or For the Lord will circumâ—…ise thine heart i. e. will by his Word and Spirit change and purge thy heart from all thine Idolatry and Superstition and Wickedness and encline thy heart to love him as it here follows See Deut. 10. 16. And so this is produced to shew why and how those great things should be accomplished God would first convert and sanctifie them the fruit whereof should be this that they should return and obey Gods commandements and v. 8. and then should prosper in all things v. 9. The Hebrew Vau is oft rendred sor and notes the reason of a thing as 1 King 1. 21. and 18. 3 4 Psal. 1. 3. and 5. 12. Isa. 16. 2. and 64. 5. And this promise principally respects the times of the Gospel and the Grace which was to be then imparted to all Gods Israel by Christ by whom alone this circumcision is obtained Col. 2. 11. And so having fully described to them the Law of God the Rule of their obedience here and in the foregoing chapters and considering their great instability in the performance of their obedience to it he now seasonably adds a glorious Gospel promise and directs their faith to the Messias by whom alone they could expect or receive the establishment of their hearts in the ways of God against Apostacy and the heart of thy seed to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul that thou mayest live 7 And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies and on them that hate thee which persecuted thee 8 And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD and do all his commandments which I command thee this day 9 * chap. 28. 11. And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand in the fruit of thy body and in the fruit of thy cattel and in the fruit of thy land for good g Whereas thou didst formerly receive and enjoy these mercies for thy hurt through thy own wicked and foolish heart when thou wast full and fat forgetting God and kicking against him Deut. 31 20. and 32. 15. now thou shalt have them for thy good thy heart shall be so changed by the grace of the Gospel that thou shalt not now abuse them but imploy them to the more chearful and faithful service of God the giver of them for the LORD will again rejoyce over thee for good h i. e. To do thee good as he did rejoyce to destroy thee Deut. 28. 63. as he rejoyced over thy fathers 10 If thou shalt hearken i This caution and condition is added to warn them that they
that the Israelites beyond Iordan were Circumcised at the same time at the * Or Gibeah â—…aaraloth hill of the foreskins 4 And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise all the people that came out of Egypt m This is to be restrained to such as were then above 20 years old and such as were guilty of that rebellion Numb 14. as it is expressed below v. 6. that were males even all the men of war died in the wilderness by the way after they came out of Egypt 5 Now all the people that came out were circumcised but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt them they n Either their Parents or the Rulers of Israel whose omission hereof was not through neglect for then God who had ordered the neglecter of Circumcision to be cut off Gen. 17. 14. would not have left so gross a fault unpunished but by Divine Permission and Indulgence partly because they were now in a Journey in which case the Passover also might be neglected Numb 9. 10 13. and in that Journey the Passover was but once observed and partly because there was not so great a necessity of this note of Circumcision to distinguish them from other Nations whilest they dwelt alone and unmixed in the Wilderness as there was afterwards had not circumcised 6 For the Children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness till all the people o The Hebrew word commonly signifies the Gentiles so he calls them to note that they were unworthy of the name and priviledges of Israelites that were men of war which came out of Egypt were consumed because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD unto whom the LORD sware * Numb 14. 23. that he would not shew them p i. e. Not give them so much as a fight of it which he granted to Moses much less the possession and enjoyment of it Or shewing is put for giving as it is Psal. 4. 6. and 60. 3. Eccles. 2. 24. the land which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us a land that floweth with milk and honey 7 And their children whom he raised up in their stead them Joshua circumcised q Which God would have now done 1. as a Testimony of Gods reconciliation to the people of which circumcision was a sign and that God would not further impute their Parents Rebellions to them 2. Because the great impediment of Circumcision was now removed to wit their continued Travels and frequent and uncertain removal 3. To prepare them for the approaching Passover 4. To distinguish them from the Canaanites into whose land they were now come 5. To ratify the Covenant between God and them whereof Circumcision was a Sign and Seal to assure them that God would now make good his Covenant in giving them this Land and to oblige them to perform all the Duties and Services to which that Covenant bound them of which Circumcision was the beginning and foundation all which they were expresly enjoined to do as soon as ever they came into Canaan Exod. 12. 25. Levit. 23. 10. Numb 15. 2. for they were uncircumcised because they had not circumcised them by the way 8 And it came to pass * Heb. When all the people had made an end to be Circumcised when they had done circumcising all the people that they abode in their places in the camp till they * Heb. lived were whole r. q Free from that pain and sore which Circumcision caused Gen. 34. 25. It was indeed an act of great Faith to expose themselves to so much pain and danger too in this place where they were hemmed in by Iordan and their Enemies but yet they had many considerations to support their Faith and suppress their Fears the fresh experience of Gods power and readiness to work Miracles for their preservation the great consternation of all their Enemies which they might observe and rationally presume the considerable number of the people who were above 40 years old and therefore circumcised before this time their great General being one of this number the time it would require for their Enemies to bring together a force sufficient to oppose them 9 And the LORD said unto Joshua This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt s i. e. Uncircumcision which was both in Truth and in the opinion of the Iews a matter of great reproach Gen. 34. 14. 1 Sam. 14. 6. and 17. 26. And although this was a reproach common to most Nations of the World yet it is particularly called the reproach of Egypt either 1. because the other neighbouring Nations being the children of Abraham by the Concubines are supposed to have been Circumcised which the Egyptians at this time were not as may be gathered from Exod. 2. 6. where they knew the Child to be an Hebrew by this mark Or 2. because they came out of Egypt and were esteemed to be a sort of Egyptians Numb 22. 5. which they justly thought a great reproach but by their Circumcision they were now distinguished from them and manifested to be another kind of people Or 3. Because many of them lay under this reproach in Egypt having wickedly neglected this Duty there for worldly reasons and others of them continued in the same shameful condition for many years in the Wilderness from off you wherefore the name of the place is called * That is râ—…lling Gilgal unto this day 10 And the children of Israel incamped in Gilgal and kept the Passover t Which was their third Passover the first was in Egypt Exod. 12. the second at Mount Sinai Numb 9. the third here for in their Wilderness-Travels these and all other Sacrifices were neglected Amos 5. 25. on the * Exod. 12. 6. fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho 11 And they did eat of the old corn u The Corn of the last year which the Inhabitants of those parts had doubtless left in their Barns being doubtless fled for fear of the Israelites into their strong Cities or other remoter and safer parts of the land on the morrow after the Passover x i. e. On the sixteenth day for the Passover was killed between the two Evenings of the fourteenth day and was eaten in that evening or night which according to the Iewish computation whereby they begin their days at the evening was a part of the fifteenth day all which was the feast of the Passover and so the morrow of the sixteenth day was the morrow after the Passover when they were obliged to offer unto God the first sheaf and then were allowed to eat of the rest unleavened cakes and parched corn y Of that years Corn which was most proper and customary for that use in the self-same day z Having an eager desire to enjoy the Fruits of the Land 12 And the
Care of a good Husband The Question supposeth an Affirmative Answer I will seek it as my Duty binds me for thee that it may be well with thee 2 And now is not Boaz of our kinred with whose maidens thou wast Behold he winnoweth barley to night in the threshing floor b Which was in a place covered at the top but open elsewhere whither Ruth might easily come And this work of winnowing Corn was usually begun or ended with a Feast as may be gathered both from v. 7. and from other Instances wherein they used to do so upon like occasions and this work was to begin this Evening and as some think was done only in the Evenings when the heat grew less and the wind began to blow See Gen. 3. 8. 3 Wash thy self therefore and anoint thee and put thy raiment c To wit thy best Raiment All this was done to render her self more Amiable in the Eyes of Boaz. Obj. But Boaz could not see her the whole business being to be transacted by Night Ans. First It was begun in the beginning of the Night as soon as Boaz had suppeâ—… and composed himself to rest as appears from v. 4 7. when there was so much Light left as might discover her to him Secondly There being a Solemn Feast this Evening as is very probably thought and the Master of the Feast having Invited his Labouring People to it and Ruth among the rest it is likely that both she and the rest did put themselves into their best Dress upon that occasion as the manner is even at this day and so he had opportunity enough to see her upon thee and get thee down to the floor but make not thy self known unto the man d To wit not in so familiar a way as she was appointed to do so as he might know her in the sence in which that word is sometimes used until he shall have done eating and drinking 4 And it shall be when he lieth down e To rest or sleep as upon such occasions they used to do in those hot Countries that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie and thou shalt go in f Though Naomi and Ruth seem to be vertuous and modest Women and their intent was Lawful and Honest yet there seems to be a manifold Irregularity in the manner of it First it seems to be against that Modesty which should be eminent in that Sex and in unmarried Persons Secondly Against Honesty both because it was an injury to another Person who was nearer akin whose right this was which Naomi could not be Ignorant of and because it was a Preposterous and Precipitant Method not agreeable either to the Rules of Scripture or the Usage of well-mannered Nations or that Decency which even Nature requires Thirdly Against Prudence for it might have proved the occasion as of many Sins so of great shame to all of them and a mean to Alienate his Affection from her which she sought to engage And though there be some Circumstances which Alleviate the Fact as the Experience which Naomi had of the Wisdom and Sobriety both of Boaz and of Ruth yet she knew not what the event would be and that there was something of shamefulness in the thing may be gathered both from Naomies choice of the Night for it as if it were a Work of Darkness and from Boaz his fear least this should be known v. 14. And it is an aggravation of it that this Course was unnecessary and she had a plain and likely way which was directly to Address her self to Boaz or the next Kinsman and to require the Duty which by Gods Law he was bound to perform and this before Witnesses as Boaz did And her Clandestine proceeding seems to have arisen from a distrust of Gods Providence to bring about what she desired in the ordinary way and ‖ Or 〈◊〉 up the 〈◊〉 that are 〈◊〉 his feet uncover his feet g Remove the Cloths which were upon his Feet thereby to awaken him and lay thee down and he will tell thee what thou shalt do h How thou shouldst carry thy self or what course thou shalt take to obtain that Marriage which belongs unto thee Only there were some Rites to be observed and Circumstances to be done before they came to the conclusion of the Marriage about which Boaz would instruct her 5 And she said unto her All that thou sayest unto me I will do i The confidence she had in Naomies Wisdom and Piety and true Love to her made her ready to follow her advice wherein she was the more excusable because she did not understand the Laws and Customs of the Country as Naomi did 6 ¶ And she went down unto the floor and did according to all that her mother in law bade her 7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk k To wit liberally as the manner was upon those occasions See Iudg. 9. 27. Psal. 4. 7. Isa. 9. 3. and his heart was merry he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn and she came softly and uncovered his feet and laid her down 8 ¶ And it came to pass at midnight l He did not discover her sooner though she did uncover his Feet being it seems in a deep sleep as is usual after Feasts and she doing no more than her Mother commanded her and using no words or gestures which might provoke his Lust wherein she shewed her Temperance and Modesty and that what she did was only by her Mothers lust â—…tion and Advice which plainly appeaâ—…ed from hâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…pressed v. 9. which he knew â—…he beinâ—… a Stranger wâ—…s unacquainted with And this was the reason 〈◊〉 Boaz was not in the least offended with her but only 〈◊〉 her Vertue without any reflection upon her for this 〈◊〉 that the man was afraid and ‖ Or took â—…old on turned himself m From the plaee where he lay he raised and turned himself towards the Feet to learn who or what was there Or he was troubled or afraid or wondred For the Hebrew word being but once used is diversly rendred and behold a woman lay at his feet n Which he might understand either by some glimmerings of Light which were after midnight which discovered her or rather by her Voice or out of her own Mouth who being asked told him so much in general before he made particular enquiry 9 And he said Who art thou And she answered I am Ruth thine hand maid spread therefore thy skirt over thine hand-maid o i. e. Take me to be thy Wife and perform the Duty of an Husband to me This Phrase is used in this senâ—…e Deut. 22. 30. and 27. 20. Ezek. 16. 8. Either First Because the Wife is admitted into the same Bed with her Husband and both are Covered with one and the same Covering Or Secondly From an ancient Ceremony of the Husbands throwing the Skirt of his Garment over
do in the morning when I may hope to find him in a better temper and abide in a secret place and hide thy self 3 And I will go out and stand by my father in the field where thou art d In the Field where my Father useth to walk where also I would have thee to hide thy self that I may know where to find thee at hand to acquaint thee with the success of my indeavours that thou maist accordingly either return to Court or speedily depart and I will commune with my father of thee and what I see that I will tell thee 4 ¶ And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father e Which he could not do without hazard to himself Herein therefore he performed the Duty of a true FriÌ„end and of a valiant Man and said unto him Let not the king sin against his servant against David because he hath not sinned against thee and because his works have been to thee-ward very good 5 For he did put his * Judg. 9. 17. and 12. 3. Chap. 28. 21. Psal. 119. 109. life in his hand f i. e. He exposed his life to emâ—…t hazard See the Notes on Iudg. 12. 3. and slew the Philistine and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel thou sawest it and didst rejoyce wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood to slay David without a cause 6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan and Saul sware As the LORD liveth he shall not be slain g This great change is not to be ascribed to any true Repentance for his sin against David or any better affection which he now had to him but meerly to his own worldly Interest because he was convinced by Ionathan's discourse that he could not kill him without great inconvenience and shame to himself 7 And Jonathan called David and Jonathan shewed him all those things and Jonathan brought David to Saul and he was in his presence as ‡ Heb. yesterday third day in times past 8 ¶ And there was war again and David went out and fought with the Philistines and slew them with a great slaughter and they fled from ‡ Heb. his face him 9 And * Chap. 16. 14. and 18. 10. the evil spirit ‡ Heb. of the Lord. from the LORD was upon Saul h David's successes against the Philistines which should have cheered his heart made him sad and the Devil watched the opportunity to improve his Melancholy as before he had done as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand and David played with his hand 10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin but he slipt away out of Sauls presence and he smote the javelin into the wall and David fled and escaped that night 11 * Psal. 59. title Saul also sent messengers unto David's house to watch him and to slay him in the morning i Why not in the Night Ans. Partly because it would have been barbarous and most dishonourable to Saul to break into David's House by Night and kill him in his own House and Bed and it seemed more expedient to kill him as he came out of his House in the Morning partly because the Night might give David some opportunity of escaping which the Day-light would prevent and principally by Gods singular Providence infatuating Saul's mind to take the worst course that David might be delivered from him and Michal Davids wife told him saying If thou save not thy life to night to morrow thou shalt be slain k Which she might learn either by information from Ionathan or some other Courtier that was privy to the design or from her own observation of some suspicious or dangerous Persons hovering about the House 12 ¶ So Michal let David down thorow a window l Because they lay in wait for him at the Doors of the House whensoever he should come forth there and he went and fled and escaped 13 And Michal took ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 an image m Heb. Teraphim which was an Image made in human shape which she might keep secretly either out of a superstitious regard to it or out of meer curiosity This stratagenâ—… she used because knowing her Fathers unquiet and jealous and furious temper she suspected he might come or send to see whether David was there or no. and laid it in the bed and put a pillow of goats hair for his bolster n Or put great Goats hair upon his Bolster i. e. upon the head and face of the Image which lay upon his Bolster that it might have some kind of resemblance of David's head and hair at least in a sick man's Bed where there useth to be but a glimmering light Goats is here put for Goats hair as it manifestly is Exod. 25. 4. and 26. 7. and 35. 26. It is acknowledged by Learned Writers that in those Eastern Countries Goats had much longer hair than ours have and were shorn like Sheep and that their hair was not unlike to a Mans or Womans hair as may also be gathered from Cant. 4. 1. thy hair is as a flock of Goats i. e. as the hair of a flock of Goats And as there was Goats hair of several colours as the Wool of Sheep in divers parts is of very differing colours as white or black or yellow c. so it is most probable â—…he took that colour which was likest the colour of David's hair And she took this rather than the hair of another man because the procuring and ordering of that would have taken up some time whereas she had Goats hair of all sorts at hand as being used in Spinning or Weaving c. Or the sense may be this according to our Translation That she put a Pillow of the softest part of Goats hair under the head of the Image as they used to put under the heads of sick Men whereby also the head of the Image sinking into the Pillow might be less discerned especially when it was either wholly or in part covered with a Cloath And all this art was used that David being supposed and by some Persons who were sent to inquire perceived as they thought to be in the Bed Saul might be hindred from pursuing and overtaking him before he had got into some secure place and covered it with a cloth o Upon pretence of his being sick and needing some such covering but really in design to prevent the discovery of her deceit 14 And when Saul sent messengers p To wit other Messengers in the Morning supposing the former to be either slow or perfidious to take David she said He is sick 15 And Saul sent the messengers again to see David q Or onely to see David which they did not before but went away satisfied as it was fit they should with her Report and Testimony of his sickness saying Bring him up to me in the bed
Dreams it is but reasonable to allow something extraordinary For who can doubt but God may so clear up and assist a mans reason in his Dream that he may have a true and strong apprehension of some things which also may make a sutable impression upon the will or affections and consequently such acts of the Soul may be Moral acts and regardable by God and men And this might be a kind of exstatical rapture whereby his Soul might be as it were carried out of his Body as St. Paul's was 2 Cor. 12. 3. for a season in which case both his reason might clearly and distinctly apprehend Gods mind and his Gracious offer and his Will might make a free choice of Wisdom which therefore might be accepted and rewarded by God Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great ‖ Or bounty mercy according as he walked before thee in truth q Either First Sincerely and without dissimulation But that is more fully expressed in the following words in uprightness of heart Or rather Secondly in the true Worship and Service of God in the profession belief practice and defence of the truth or of the true Religion or of Gods Will or Word which is called truth Prov. 23. 23. Ioh. 17. 17. Gal. 3. 1. So truth here contains all his duties to God as righteousness doth his duties to men and uprightness the right manner of performing both sorts of duties and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with thee r i. e. In thy Judgment to whom alone his heart was known and to whom he oft appealed as the witness of his Integrity and with respect to whom he performed all his duties even to men and thou hast kept s Or reserved that which thou didst not reserve for Saul whose Posterity thou didst cut off from the Kingdom for him this great kindness that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne as it is this day 7 And now O LORD my God thou hast made thy servant king in stead of David my father and I am but a little child s So he was in Years not as if he were now but twelve Years old as many gather from this name of Child for that name is given to Ishmael when 18 Years old Gen. 21. 14 15 and to Rehoboam when 41 Years old 2 Chron. 13. 7. where the word is the same in the Hebrew and before this time David calls him a wise man chap. 2. 9. but he was now not above 20 Years old and withal which he principally intends he was raw and unexperienced as a Child in State-Affairs and altogether unfit for so hard a task I know not how to go out or come in t i. e. To govern my People and manage Affairs as that Phrase signifies Num. 27. 17. Deut. 31. 2. Ios. 14. 11. 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people u i. e. Is set over them to rule and guide them A Metaphor from the Overseer of divers Workmen who usually is in the midst of them that he may the better observe how each of them dischargeth his office which thou hast chosen x Thy peculiar People whom thou takest special care of and therefore wiltst expect a more punctual account of my Government of them a great people that cannot be numbred nor counted for multitude 9 * â—… Chr. 1. 1â—… Give therefore thy servant an ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 understanding heart y Whereby I may both clearly discern and faithfully perform all the parts of my duty for both these are spoken of in Scripture as the effects of a good understanding and he that lives in the neglect of his duties or the practice of wickedness is called a Fool and one void of understanding to judge z Or govern as that word is used Iudg. 3. 10. and 4. 4. Psal. 7. 8. and 67. 4. Isa. 2. 4. and 16. 5. thy people that I may discern between good and bad a To wit in Causes and Controversies among my People that I may not through mistakes or prejudices or passions give wrong Sentences and call evil good or good evil for who is able b Of himself or without thy Gracious assistance to judg this thy so great a people 10 And the speech pleased the LORD c How such a Dreaming-prayer could please God see in the notes on v. 5 and 6. that Solomon had asked this thing 11 And God said unto him Because thou hast asked this thing and hast not asked for thy self ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 days long life neither hast asked riches for thy self nor hast asked the life of thine enemies d That God would take away their lives or put them into thy power to destroy them but hast asked for thy self understanding ‡ Heb to 〈◊〉 to discern judgment 12 Behold I have done according to thy word e I have granted and do at this present grant unto thee thy desire And accordingly at this time God did infuse into him a far higher degree and greater measure of Wisdom than he naturally had lo I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart f i. e. Wisdom to govern thy People to know and do thy several duties which was the thing that Solomon desired v. 7 9. and the effects whereof here follow v. 16 c. and withal all Divine and human Wisdom the knowledge of all things of all the Arts and Sciences as may be gathered from 1 King 4. 29 c. and that in a far greater proportion than by his years and the time he could get for his study could possibly produce so that there was none g Either no King or rather no man for he is herein preferred not onely before all Kings but before all men chap. 4. 31. no meer man since the fall equalled him to wit in universal knowledge and especially in the art of well governing his People like thee before thee neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee ‖ Quest. Did not the Apostles excel him Ans. They did not in Natural and Political knowledge but onely in the knowledge of the mysteries of Faith which were more freely and more fully imparted in those times the ignorance whereof was no disparagement to Solomon's Wisdom because they were not discoverable by any Creature without Divine revelation which God saw fit not to afford in Solomon's time I know no inconvenience in affirming that Solomon's Natural capacities were higher than any of the Apostles and Solomon had a more comprehensive knowledge of all things known in that Age than the Apostles had in all the discoveries of their Age. 13 And I have also * Mat. 6. 〈◊〉 given h Either First I have granted and decreed to give for words signifying action are oft put onely for the purpose of the action Or rather Secondly I will give as it is expressed in the Parallel place
prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee to day 29 That thine eyes may be open e To behold to wit with an Eye of favour and compassion So it is a Synecdochical Expression comp Psal. 33. 18. and 34. 15. Zech. 12. 4. toward this house night and day even toward the place of which thou hast said Deut. 12. 11. My name f My Presence and Glory and Grace See above ver 16. shall be there that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make ‖ Or in the place towards this place g This Temple to which Solomon did now look and it may be point and towards which the godly Israelites directed their looks in their Prayers See Dan. 6. 10. 30 And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant and of thy people Israel when they shall pray ‖ Or in this place towards this place and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place h Which he adds that the People might not Idolize the Temple nor presume upon it as if God were now fast tied to them as having no other Dwelling-place and to direct them in all their Addresses to God in this Temple to lift up their eyes above it even to Heaven where God's most True and most Glorious Dwelling-place is and when thou hearest ‖ Or be favorable So Gr. forgive i To wit the Sins of thy People praying and even of their prayers which if not pardoned will certainly hinder the Success of all their Prayers and the course of all thy Blessings upon them 31 ¶ ‡ Heb. Whatsoever a man trespass So Gr. If any man trespass k i. e. If he be Accused of a Trespass against his neighbour ‡ Heb. and he require an oath of him oâ—… tender an oath to him and an oath be laid upon him l Either by the Judge or by the Party Accusing him or by the Accused Person himself which was usual when there were no Witnesses See Exod. 22. 8 11. Numb 5. 12 15 c. to cause him to swear and the oath come before thine altar in this house m For here God who was appealed to as Witness was especially present Hence the Heathens used to Swear at their Altars 32 Then hear thou in heaven and do and judge thy servants condemning the wicked to bring his way n i. e. The just Recompence of his Wicked Action and Course upon his head and justifying the righteous to give him according to his righteousness o To Vindicate him and to manifest his Integrity 33 ¶ When * Lev. 26. 17. Deut. 28. 25 thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy because they have sinned against thee and * Lev. 26. 39 40. shall turn again to thee and confess thy Name p Give Glory to thy Name by acknowledging their Sins and thy Justice and by accepting the Punishment of their Iniquity and by trusting to thy Power and Goodness alone for their Deliverance and pray and make supplication unto thee ‖ Or toward in this house 34 Then hear thou in heaven and forgive the sin of thy people Israel and bring them again q From the Land into which they are supposed to be carried by their Enemies into Canaan Quest. If they were Banished into a strange Land how could they Pray in this house as they are said to do ver 33. Answ. 1. That may be rendred to or towards this house as it is expressed v. 29. 30. The Hebrew Praeposition Beth in being oft put for el to or towards 2. This may be understood of divers persons and so the sence is this When the People of Israel be Defeated in Battel and many of their Brethren be taken Prisoners and carried into Captivity if then their Brethren remaining in the Land shall heartily pray for their Captive Brethren they shall be Delivered unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers 35 ¶ When * Lev. 26. 19. Deut. 28. 23. heaven r The lower Heaven in which the Clouds are as Deut. 11. 17. Psal. 147. 8. is shut up s The Heaven is compared to a great Store-House in God's keeping out of which nothing can be had so long as it is close shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee if they pray towards this place and confess thy Name and turn from their sin when thou afflictest them t Do not reject their Prayers because they are forced from them by their Afflictions as thou mayest justly do 36 Then hear thou in heaven and forgive the sin of thy servants and of thy people Israel that thou teach them u That their Sin being Pardoned and thou being Reconciled unto them mayest vouchsafe to Teach them Or rather as our Translators render the very same Words 2 Chron. 6. 27. When thou shalt teach or hast taught them not onely by thy Word for that was done before but by their Afflictions which is one of God's Schools and especially by thy Spirit enlightning their Minds and enclining their Hearts that they may learn and profit both by the Word and by their Afflictions And this is here fitly added to shew that he could not expect and did not desire from God the Pardon of their Sins but upon God's Terms to wit upon their True Repentance the good way x i. e. The way or Will of God or the way of their Duty as the following words explain it which is most rightly called the good way here and 1 Sam. 12. 23. because it is both Just and Holy and therefore good in it self and good both Delightful and Profitable to those that walk in it The meaning is When thou hast effectually taught them and they have throughly learned how to please and serve thee acceptably and to walk before thee in the way which thou hast prescribed them wherein they should walk and give rain y The order of Solomon's Prayer is very observable first and chiefly he prays for their Repentance and Forgiveness which is the chief Blessing and the onely solid Foundation of all other Mercies and then he prays for the Temporal Mercy thereby teaching us what to mind and desire principally in our Prayers which also Christ hath taught us in his Perfect Pattern and Form of Prayer wherein there is but one Prayer for outward and all the rest are for Spiritual Blessings upon thy land which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance 37 ¶ If * Lev. 26. 1â—… 26. there be in the land famine if there be pestilence blasting mildew locust or if there be caterpillar z i. e. The Plague of Locusts or Caterpillars infesting a Land by their great numbers and venomous or noxious qualities of which see Exod. 10. 4 5. Deut. 28. 42. Psal. 105. 34 35. if their enemy besiege them in the Deut. 28. 21 22 27 3â—… land of their ‖ Or
towards the end of the Third Year it makes up these Three Years and Six Months Iac. 5. 17. Or 2. From the time of his going to Sarepta which probably was a Year after the Famine begun See on Chap. 17. 7. and so this might be in the middle of the Third Year which also makes up the Three Years and Six Months saying Go shew thy self unto Ahab b To acquaint him with the cause of Judgment ver 18. and to advise him to remove it and upon that condition to promise him Rain and I will send rain upon the earth c According to thy Word and Prayer which thou shalt make for it Thus God takes care to maintain the Honour and Authority of his Prophet and in Judgment remembers Mercy to Israel for the sake of the Holy Seed yet left among them who suffered in this common Calamity 2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab d Wherein he shews a strong Faith and resolute Obedience and invincible Courage that he durst at God's Command run into the mouth of this raging Lion which was a degree of Martyrdom and there was a sore famine in Samaria 3 And Ahab called ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 ahu Obadiah which was ‡ Heb. over 〈◊〉 house the governour of his house e Being valued by Ahab for his great prudence and fidelity and therefore indulged as to the worship of the Calves and Baal now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly f Quest. How could he and some other Israelites be said to fear the Lord when they did not go up to Ierusalem to Worship as God had Commanded Ans. Although they seem not to be wholly excusable in this neglect because they should have preferred Gods Service before their Worldly commodity according to the good example of the Priests and Levites and the generality of the Godly People who did so 2 Chron. 11. 13 16. yet because they Worshipped God in Spirit and Truth and performed all Moral Duties to God and their Brethren and abstained from Idolatry and being kept from Ierusalem by violence they thought necessity and the apparent hazard of their Lives would excuse them from Ceremonial Services and God bare with their infirmity herein 4 For it was so when ‡ Heb. Izebel Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD that Obadiah took an hundred prophets g Which name is not onely given to such as are endowed with an extraordinary Spirit of Prophecy but to such Ministers as Devoted themselves to the Service of God in Preaching Praying Praising God and the like as 1 Sam. 10. 10 11 12. and in this place compared with v. 22. where Elijah saith I onely remain a prophet of the Lord to wit strictly so called and Matth. 10. 41. 1 Cor. 12. 28 29. and 14. 29. and hid them by fifty in a cave and fed them h With the hazard of his own life and against the Kings command as wisely considering that no command of an Earthly Prince could over-rule the command of the Supreme Lord the King of kings or discharge him from those acts of Piety to God and Charity to Men which Gods Law indispensably required with bread and water i Either properly which was a great kindness in those circumstances or figuratively i. e. with meat and drink 5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah Go into the land unto all fountains of water and unto all brooks k About which Grass was most probably to be found in that great drought peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive ‡ â—…eb that we cut not off 〈◊〉 selves from the beasts that we lose not all the beasts 6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it Ahab went one way by himself l Not daring to trust any other Obadiah excepted lest being bribed by such as had Grass for their own use they should not give him a true account and Obadiah went another way by himself 7 ¶ And as Obadiah was in the way behold Elijah met him and he knew him and fell on his face m By this profound reverence shewing his great Respect and Love to him and said Art thou that my lord Elijah 8 And he answered him I am go tell thy lord n Ahâ—… whom though a very wicked man he owns for Obadiah's lord and King thereby instructing him that he did well in owning him as such and that the wickedness of Kings doth not exempt their Subjects from obedience to their Lawful commands Behold Elijah is here 9 And he said What have I sinned o Wherein have I so offended God and thee that thou shouldest inflict this punishment upon me and expose me to certain ruin by this means that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab to slay me 10 As the LORD thy God liveth there is no nation or kingdom p To wit near to his own where he could in reason think that Elijah had hid himself Nothing is more frequent than to understand general expressions with such limitations whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee and when they said He is not there he took an oath of the kingdom and nation that they found thee not q Not that he could force other Kingdoms to take an Oath but that by his persuasions he prevailed with the chief persons in several Kingdoms for his satisfaction to Swear that they did not know of Elijah's being among them Which was not hard for him to obtain For Ahab was a great Prince and had a great interest among the Neighbouring Kings The King of Tyre was his Father-in-law the King of Moab Tributary to him Iehoshaphat his Friend and Relation to whom the King of Edom was Tributary We read also of all the kings of Arabia and of all the Kings of the Hittites and of Syria 1 King 10. 15 29. which as they corresponded with Solomon so how far they might be Allied to or Confederate with Ahab we know not nor what Articles or Agreements were between him and them among which this might be one That they should deliver up to one another all their fugitive or banished Subjects upon demand which might give sufficient ground for his desire or expectation of this Oath Quest. How then could Elijah lye hid in the House of the Widow of Sarepta Ans. That might easily be either because she her self or at least others did not know particularly who he was or because she used all possible care to conceal him her Conscience and Interest both obliging her so to do or because God secured him there 11 And now thou sayest Go tell thy lord Behold Elijah is there 12 And it shall come to pass as soon as I am gone from thee that the Spirit of the LORD r The Holy Ghost to whom the inspiration and conduct of the Prophets is commonly ascribed in Holy Scripture as Isa. 48. 16. and 61. 1. Matth. 4.
us in the mitigation of thy Judgments and hast given us such deliverances as this m So full so sudden and unexpected and amazing not onely to our enemies but also to our selves 14 Should we again break thy commandments n Was this a fit and just requital of all thy kindnesses or was this thy end and design in these actions or wilst thou take this well from our hands and joyn in affinity with the people of these abominations I wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us so that there should be no remnant nor escaping o Can we reasonably expect any thing from thee less than utter ruine 15 O LORD God of Israel thou art righteous p A just and holy God who dost hate and wilst infallibly punish sin and sinners Or thou art merciful as appears from hence that notwithstanding all our sins thou hast not utterly destroyed us but left a remnant of us The Hebrew word here rendred righteous is oft used for merciful as is well known to all the learned for we remain yet escaped q Or though we remain c. i. e. Though thou hast yet spared us in part yet thou art righteous and therefore wilt certainly punish and destroy us according to our deserts if we do not repent of and reform this great wickedness as it is this day behold we are before thee in our trespasses r We are here in thy presence and so are all our sins we are arraigning our selves before thy Tribunal acknowledging our selves to be vile offenders and thee to be just if thou destroy us for we cannot stand before thee s To wit in Judgment as that word is oft used as Psal. 130. 3. Compare Psal. 1. 5. we must needs fall and perish at thy presence as the phrase is Psal. 9. 3. because of this t Because of this our great guilt and the aggravations of it CHAP. X. 1 NOw when Ezra had prayed and when he had confessed weeping and casting himself down before the house of God there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children a Awakened by the words and example of this holy Priest and great Potentate So inexpressible is the good which is done by the good example and the evil which is done by the bad example of a great Person or of a Minister The fame of his great passion of grief and of his many and publick expressions thereof in the Court before the Temple being in an instant dispersed over all the City brought a great company together for the people †〈…〉 wept very sore b Being greatly affected with Ezra's prayer and with the common sin 2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel one of the sons of Elam answered and said unto Ezra We have trespassed c He saith we either 1. Because he was guilty in this matter Or rather 2. In the name of the people and their several Families and his own amongst the rest For this mans name is not in the following Catalogue but there we have his Father Iehiel and his Fathers Brethren five other Sons of his Grandfather Elam v. 26. It was therefore an evidence of his great Courage and good Conscience that he durst so freely and fully discharge his duty whereby he shewed that he honoured God more than his nearest and dearest Relations against our God and have taken d To wit into conjugal society with our selves strange wives of the people of the land yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing e In case of our repentance and reformation Therefore let us not sorrow like persons without hope nor sit down in despair but let us fall upon action and amend our errours and then trust to Gods mercy 3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to put away all the wives f Which though it may seem harsh yet is not unjust if it be considered 1. That Marriages made between some prohibited Persons as suppose between a Father and his Daughter a Brother and a Sister are not only unlawful but void Marriages and ipso facto null by the political laws of civil Nations And therefore these Marriages with Idolatrous and Heathen Women being expresly and severely forbidden by God might well be disannulled And it was one of good Theodosius his laws that those actions which were done against law should be accounted not only unlawful but null 2. That there were many peculiar laws given to the Jews concerning the Marrying and putting away of Wives as hath been observed before in their proper places and therefore it is not strange if there be something more in this case then is now usual with us 3. Supposing the matrimonial tye had continued yet they might be excluded from co-habitation with them as a just punishment upon them for the willful breach of a known and positive law of God and such as are born of them g This may seem harder than the former but many things may be said 1. Whatsoever evil befall either them or their Children they had all reason to accept it as the just and deserved fruit of their own sin 2. That Children may and sometimes do suffer at least temporal evils for their Parents sins or upon occasion of them is most evident both by the Scripture instances and by the laws and usages of Nations in some cases 3. This may seem to have been a necessary part of severity partly as a proper punishment of the Parents sin herein and to deter others more effectually from the like practices partly to prevent the corruption of their other Children by the conversation and society of this ungodly and Idolatrous brood and partly lest such Children being continually present with them and stealing into their affections might at last prevail with them to take their ejected Wives again 4. These Children were only cast out of the Families and Commonwealth of Israel but were not utterly forsaken and ruined but due care was probably taken by Authority that they should have some provision made for them some care taken about their Education in the Jewish Religion c. according to the counsel of my lord h Either 1. As thou counsellest and desirest us to do Or 2. Let us do it in such manner as thou shalt think fit and agreeable to the Law as it follows for it requires great caution as being a matter of no small difficulty and of those that tremble at the * 〈◊〉 â—… 2 3. commandment of our God i And of other serious and religious persons who may with thee consider and regulate the business and let it be done according to the law k This is meant either 1. Of the matter of the business let that be done which the Law requires let them be put away Or 2. Of the manner of it which must be
†Heb. do 〈◊〉 them 〈◊〉 So â—…r might exact of them money and corn s As a just recompence for our Pains and Care for the publick good to which we wholly devote our selves even to the neglect of all our private concerns But I will not rigorously exact but do freely remit my own right which in those circumstances it is my duty to do and therefore you also ought to do so seeing I lay no burden upon you but what I am willing to bear a part of upon my own Shoulders I pray you let us leave off this usury 11 Restore I pray you to them even this day their lands their vineyards their oliveyards and their houses also t Also require not which is to be supplied out of the next verse where it is expressed in their answer to and grant of this desire the hundredth part u Which they required every month for the use of their monies or goods according to the Custom then used and afterwards by the Romans of the money and of the corn the wine and the oil that ye exact of them 12 Then said they We will restore them x To wit the Lands and Houses and will require nothing of them y For the hundredth part so will we do as thou sayest Then I called the priests z Either 1. As Delinquents in that kind or rather as Witnesses that the Oath being taken before the Priests who acted in God's Name and stead the Oath might make the more deep and durable impression upon their consciences See Numb 5. 19. 1 King 1. 8 31 32. and * Jer. 34. 8 9. took an oath of them a Not of the Priests last mentioned for it doth not appear that any of them were guilty and it is absurd to think that they onely were guilty of this extortion as they must be if this them belongs to them onely but of all the Persons who were before charged with this crime v. 3 4. whether Priests or others as is evident from the text and from the nature of the thing that they should do according to this promise 13 Also I shook my lap b i. e. The lap or extream parts of my garment which I first folded together and then shook it and scattered it asunder This was a form of swearing then in use and said so God shake out every man from his house and from his labour c i. e. From enjoying what he hath got by his labour that performeth not this promise even thus be he shaken out and †Heb. 〈◊〉 or void emptied And all the congregation said Amen and praised the LORD And the people did according to this promise 14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king that is twelve years d Not that he continued so long together at Ierusalem of which see ch 2. 6. but that he so long governed Ierusalem by himself when he was present and in his absence by a deputy I and my brethren e Either my fellow Officers or they whom I left in my stead who as they were to do my work so might have required my rights have not eaten the bread of the governour f i. e. That allowance which by the Laws of God and Nations and of the King of Persia the Governours might require for the maintenance of their own dignity and Office and of the publick service 15 But the former governours g Not Ezra who was no Governour but only a Priest sent to teach them and to rectify Church-abuses nor Zerubbabel but others between him and Nehemiah whom he forbears to name because he designed not to disgrace any Person but only to reform the abuses that had been before me were chargeable unto the people and had taken of them bread and wine beside forty shekels of silver h Which they required of the people for every day to defray their other expences yea even their servants bare rule over the people i i. e. Ruled them with rigour and cruelty which fault of the servants is charged upon their Masters the former Governours because they did not restrain nor punish them but so did not I because of the fear of God k Because I feared to break Gods Commands or to incur his displeasure by such immoderate and unseasonable Oppressions of the People This he speaks not to commend himself but rather to diminish his Praise and to shew that this was no heroical Action nor work of Supererogation to be admired rather than imitated but only his Duty in that case which for his own sake he durst not decline and consequently that it was their Duty also not to relinquish even those rights which in other times and conditions they might lawfully require 16 Yea also I continued in the work of this wall l Overseeing directing and encouraging the workmen which was my whole business and this at my own cost neither bought we any land m Of our poor Brethren whose necessities gave me abundant opportunity of enriching my self with good bargains But I durst not build my house upon other mens ruines and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work 17 Moreover there were †commonly or very frequently at my table an hundred and fifty †or thereabouts of the Jews and rulers n Not only Jews of the inferiour sort for whom meaner provisions might suffice but also their Rulers such as there were in many places for whom better provision was fit who resorted to him upon all occasions either to pour out their complaints as here they did or to give him notice of the Enemies designs or to receive his orders and directions besides those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us 18 Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep also fowls were prepared for me and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine yet for all this required not I the bread of the governour o But bore it out of my own Estate which was very considerable his Office in the Persian Court being a place of very great profit as well as Honour and that Profit no doubt continued to him in this his absence from the King From this great and daily expence it seems more than probable that Nehemiah did not continue here for 12 years together as some would think or at least that he did not this all that time but only during the great and present exigences and distresses of the Jews which ceased in good part after the Walls were built and the Hearts of all the Jews revived and their Enemies dispirited thereby because the bondage was heavy upon this people * Ch. 13. 22. Think upon me my God for good according to all that
God's Image no less than my self to whom therefore I owed some respect for God's sake 16. If I have withheld the poor from their desire m i. e. Denied them what they desired of me either in justice or from necessity For he was not obliged to grant their vain or inordinate desires or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail n To wit with tedious expectation of my justice or charity I durst neither deny nor delay my help when they required and needed it 17. Or have eaten my morsel my self alone o without communicating part of my Provisions or Estate to the Poor as it follows and the fatherless p This one kind of necessitous persons is put for all the rest hath not eaten thereof 18. For from my youth q As soon as I was capable of managing my own Affairs and of doing good to others he was brought up with me r In my Family or at least under my care and protection as with a Father s i. e. With all the diligence and tenderness of a Father and I have guided ‖ That is the widow her t i. e. The Widow mentioned v. 16. and commonly joyned with the Fatherless from my Mothers womb u i. e. From my tender years ever since I was capable of discerning good and evil I have made conscience of this Duty and this my continuance in well-doing is a good Evidence of my sincerity therein 19. If I have seen any perish for want of clothing x When it was in my power to cloath and arm them against cold and nakedness or any poor without covering 20. If his loyns have not blessed me y i. e. Given him occasion to bless and praise me and to pray to God to bless me for covering them the loyns being put synecdochically for the whole Body See â—…he like expression Deut 24. 13. and compare Gen. 4. 10. Luke 16. 9. and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep z With clothing made of my Wool 21. If I have lift up mine hand against the fatherless a To smite him with the Fist of wickedness as the phrase is Isa. 58. 4. to bring him to the Judgment-seat that under colour of Justice I might take away his Right as powerful Oppressors use to do or any ways to threaten injure or crush him when I saw my help in the gate b When I understood my advantage against him and that I could influence the Judges to do what I pleased 22. Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder-blade c I am contented that that arm which hath been so wickedly employed may either rot off or fall out of joynt and so be useless and burdensom to me and mine arm be broken from ‖ Or the channel bone the bone 23. For * Isa. 13. 6. Ioel 1. 15. destruction from God was a terrour to me d I was so far from denying or questioning God's Providence wherewith you seem to charge me that I always reverenced it and when by reason of my great Wealth and Power and Interest I had little reason to fear man I stood in awe of God and of his judgments and made it my care and business to please God and by reason of his highness e Or Excellency or Majesty which is most glorious and terrible I could not endure f I found my self utterly unable either to oppose his power or to bear his wrath and therefore I durst not provoke him by any impiety or injustice 24. * Mar. 10. 24. 1 Tim. 6. 17. If I have made gold my hope g i. e. The matter of my hope and trust placing my chief joy and satisfaction in worldly wealth expecting safety and happiness from it Compare Psalm 62. 10. or have said to the fine gold Thou art my confidence 25. * Psa 62. 10. If I rejoyced h To wit carnally and excessively esteeming my self happy therein without God's love and favour for otherwise it is not only lawful but a duty and gift of God moderately and thankfully to rejoyce in the good things of this life Of which see Deut. 12. 7. Eccles. 2. 24. 25 26. 3. 12 13. 5. 18 19. because my wealth was great and because mine hand had †Heb. found much gotten much i Ascribing my wealth to my own wit or industry rather than to God's goodness and mercy And these sins he the rather mentions partly for his own vindication lest it should be thought that God took away his Estate because he had abused it to pride or carnal confidence or luxury or the oppression of others c. and partly for the instruction of Mankind in succeeding generations that they might take notice of the malignity and odiousness of these practises which by most men are reputed either laudable or harmless or at worst but light and trivial miscarriages 26. * Deut. 4. 19. 11. 16. 17. 3. If I beheld k Not simply nor only with admiration for it is a glorious work of God which we ought to contemplate and admire but for the end here following or so as to ascribe to it the honour peculiar to God †Heb. the light the sun l Heb. the light to wit the Sun as appears by the opposition of the Moon following which is called the light here and Gen. 1. 16. Psalm 136. 7 8. by way of eminency because it is the great light and the fountain of light to this visible World And this is understood either 1. of Iob's worldly glory or prosperity which is oft compared to light in Scripture as the contrary is to darkness And so the sense of those and the following words is If I reflected upon my wealth and glory with pride and admiration and satisfaction But this he had now mentioned in plain and proper terms v. 25. and therefore it is not likely that he should now repeat the same thing in dark and metaphorical expressions And although this be a great sin before God yet this is not one of those sins which fall under he cognizance of humane Judges as it here follows v. 28 Or rather 2. of the Sun in the Firmament and so this place speaks of the Idolatrous worship of the Host of Heaven and especially of the Sun and Moon the most eminent and glorious of that number which was the most ancient kind of Idolatry and was most frequenâ—… in the Eastern Countries in one of which Ioâ—… lived when it shined m i. e. In its full strength and glory for then it did most affect mens eves and hearts with admiration at its beauty and benefits and so move them to adore it Or when it began to â—…hine the compleat Verb being used of the beginning of it as he â—…igned is oft put for he began to reign i. e. at its first riâ—…ng which was a special
He seems to himself and others to be lost and past all hopes of recovery Which he adds for Iob's comfort in his desperate condition and and his life to the destroyers a To the instruments of death or destruction whether it be Angels whom God sometimes useth in those cases or â—…vils who have the power of Death Heb. 2. 14. or Diseases 〈◊〉 by God's appointment are ready to give the fatal blow 23. If there be a messenger b Either 1. an Angel sent to him from Heaven upon this errand for the Angels are ministring Spirits Psalm 103. 20. Heb. 1. 14. and are and especially in that time and state of the Church were frequently employed by God upon Messages to men But why then should he say one of a thousand Angels seeing any the meanest Angel was very competent for this work Or rather 2. a Prophet or Teacher for such are oft called by this Name as Iudg. 2. 1. Mâ—… 2. 7. 3. 1. Rev. 1. 20. and such persons are appointed by God for and are most commonly imployed in this work with him c Either 1. with God to plead man's Cause and to pray to God for man Or rather 2. with man who is expressed in the last clause of this Verse and of whom this same Pronoun him is twice used in the next Verse Nor is it strange that the Pronoun Relative is put before the Noun to which it belongs but uâ—…ual in the Hebrew language as Exod. 2. 6. Prov. 5. 22. 14 33. and elsewhere an * 〈◊〉 43. 〈◊〉 interpreter d One whose Office and work it is to declare the mind of God unto the sick-man and wherefore God contends with him and what God would have him to do one among a thousand e A person rightly qualified for this great and hard work such as there are but very few searce one of â—… thousand which expression is used to denote the rarity â—…nd fewness of persons Eccles. 7 28. By which words he doth covertly reflect upon Iob's three Friends and imply that they were not such persons though they had undertaken to perform this offce or work to Iob and withal modestly intimates that although he was in himself mean and inferiour to all of them as he acknowledgeth yet he was selected by God for this work which he saith not out of a desire of vain boasting of himself but to dispose Iob to a more diligent attention unto and a more ready entertainment of his present discourses to shew unto man his uprightness f Or rectitude or rigâ—…ousness His i. e. either 1. God's To convince a man that God is just and right in all his dealings with him though never so fevere of which Iob was not yet convinced Or rather 2. man's to teach man his duty or to direct him to the right way and method how he may please God and procure that mercy and deliverance which he thirsts after which is not by quarrelling with God as Iob did but by an humble confession and hearty detestation and forsaking of his sins and supplication to God for mercy in and through Christ the Redeemer of whom Iob spoke before Or thus To discover to man that although he be afflicted yet he is an upright and righteous person and consequently in God's favour about which good men oft doubt and need the help of a skilful Minister to satisfie them therein But this seems not so well to suit Iob's case who was sufficiently and more than enough perswaded of his own Integrity and needed no Minister to preach that Doctrine to him 24. Then g In that case or upon the sick-man's knowledge and practice of his duty he h Either 1. the Messenger or Interpreter last mentioned who is pitiful unto the sick man and in compassion to him doth all that he can for him counselling and comforting him and praying to God for his recovery in the following words Deliver him c. for the sake of that ransom which thou hast revealed and I have discovered to him Or rather 2. God who is oft in this Book designed by this Particle he or him whose property and prerogative it is to be gracious unto man and who alone can speak the following words with power and authority is gracious unto him i Pardoning his sins and delivering him from his dangerous disease and from death and from the Hell which attends upon it and saith k To the Angel or Messenger Deliver him l To wit ministerially and declaratively in which sense the acts of forgiving Sins and reconciling Sinners and saving Souls are ascribed to God's Ministers as Iohn 20. 23. 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. 1 Tim. 4. 16. Declare to him that I have pardoned and will heal him from going down into the pit I have found ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransom m Although I might justly destroy him and should do it if I were severe to mark what is amiss in him yet I will spare him for I have found out an expedient and a way of ransoming and redeeming Sinners from Death both temporal and eternal which they by their sins have deserved which is by the death of my Son the Redeemer of the World which shall be in the fulness of time and with respect to which I will pardon this sick man and others that shall repent and sue to me for mercy as he hath done 25. His flesh shall be fresher †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than a childs n i. e. More sound and tender These joyful tidings delivered to him by God's Messenger shall revive his Spirit and by degrees restore his former health and vigour he shall return to the days of his youth o i. e. To the same healthfull and strong constitution of body which he had in his youth 26. He p Either 1. the Messenger or rather 2. the sick Man p Being engaged and encouraged to do so either by the foresaid gracious Message or by his miraculous recovery through God's goodness shall pray unto God q and he will be favourable unto him r In hearing and answering his Prayers which before he seemed to neglect and he shall see his face with joy s Either 1. God will look upon the Man with a smiling or well-pleased countenance whereas before he either hid his Face from him or frowned upon him Or 2. The Man shall then be emboldened and encouraged to look God in the Face with comfort and joy which before he was not without cause afraid to do but now he shall find that God is reconciled to him by the blessed effects of it both in his Body and in his Conscience for he will render unto man his righteousness t i. e. According to his righteousness or the fruit of his righteousness as on the contrary iniquity is oft put for the punishment of iniquity The sense is He will deal with him as with one reconciled
8. Lead me y Direct my heart and counsels and affairs and all the course and actions of my Life O LORD in thy righteousness z In thy righteous Laws which sometimes are called righteousness as Psal. 119. 172. Mat. 3. 15. Or for or because of or according to thy righteousness which is a Phrase and Argument frequently used in this book of Psalâ—…s because of †〈…〉 mine enemies a Either 1. That I may give them no occasion of slandering me or Religion for my sake Or rather 2. Because they are most malicious and mischievous and withal cunning and treacherous as he describes them in the next Verse which he uâ—…eth as an Argument to enforce this Petition and they lay Snâ—…res for me and if thou dost not assist me will be too hard for me and will triumph over me which will reflect dishonour upon thee also * 〈◊〉 25. 4. and â—…6 11. make thy way b i e The way wherein thou wouldest have me to walk or the course which thou wouldest have me to take son God's Precepts or Counsels are most commonly called his way straight c Or plain or smooth that I may clearly discern it and readily walk in it without mistake or lett or stumbling or offence This was a needful request because many good men are oft at a loss what their Duty is in several Circumstances And God granted this request to David as in many other things so in this that he should not cut off Saul when he had opportunity and instigation to do it 1. Sam. 24 and 26. but that he should wait till God took him away before my face d To my view and for my walk For men walk forward not backward 9. For there is no ‖ Or 〈◊〉 faithfulness †〈…〉 in their mouth their inward part is †Heb. wickâ—…nesses very wickedness e They speak one thing and mean another and under a pretence of kindness they seek my Destruction which makes it difficult for me to know how I should carry my self to them wherein therefore I have begged thy direction * Rom. 3. 13. their throat f Either 1. Metonymically Their speech coming out of their Throat tho smooth and subtil yet is most pernicious Or 2. Properly Their Throat and Mouth are wide opened ready to devour all that come within their reach A Metaphor from wild Beasts gaping for the Prey is an open sepulchre they flatter with their tongue g They make shew of piety and friendship that they may more easily deceive and destroy me 10. ‖ Or 〈◊〉 them 〈◊〉 Destroy thou them h Heb. hold thâ—… guilty i. e. Condemn and punish them Or make them to offend to wit in their Counsels as it follows so as they may either be given up to bad and foolish Counsels or fail in the execution of their wise or crafty Counsels Or make them desolate as the word is used Ezek. 6. 6. Ioel. 1. 18. O God let them fall ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 counsels by their own counsels i i. e. Make their Counsels not only unsuccesful against me but also destructive to themselves Or from their c. i. e. Let them fall short of their aims and designs Or because of their Counsels which are ungodly and unjust and so deserve destruction cast them out k Out of thy Land and from among thy People whom they either infect or molest by their wicked courses in l Or for or because of as before the multitude of their transgressions for they have rebelled against thee m Against thy Authority and declared Will concerning my advancement to the throne which divers Israelites opposed against their own Consciences See 2. Sam. 3. 8 9 10. 11. But let all those that put their trust in thee n That dare rely upon thy word and promise when all humane hopes and refuges fail which was oft the case of David and his followers rejoyce o Let them have cause of great joy from thy love and care of them and because thou defendest them as it follows let them ever shout for joy because †〈…〉 thou defendest them let them also that love thy name p i. e. Thy Majesty thy Word and Worship and Glory all which is called God's name in Scripture David doth not confine his Prayer to his Party but prays for all good men though by their own mistakes or other mens artifices some of them might now be in a sâ—…ate of opposition against him be joyful in thee 12. For thou LORD wilt bless q i. e. Thou art resolved and hast engaged thy self by promise and covenant to bless them And therefore my Prayer for them is agreeable to thy will the righteous with favour r With thy Love and gracious Providence wilt thou †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compass him as with a shield s i. e. Keep him safe on every side PSAL. VI. To the chief musician on Neginoth a Of which see on Psal. 4. 1. ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eighth upon Sheminith b Or upon the eighth It is thought to be the shrillest or loftiest Note as Alomoth is the lowest of which see 1. Chron. 15. 20 21. and as some add Muth-labben Psal. 9. the mean But all this is only conjecture and the Iews themselves have no certain knowledg of their own ancient Musick and of the signification of the Terms belonging to it a Psalm of David c The occasion of the Psalm seems plainly to have been some grievous Distress or Disease of the Body then upon him accompanied also with great trouble of Conscience for his Sins whereby he had brought it upon himself 1. O * Psal. 38. LORD rebuke me not d i. e. Do not chasten or correct me as the next Clause explains it and as this word is frequently used as Iob 22. 4. Psal. 50. 21. Isa. 37. 4. Revel 3. 19. in thine anger e With rigour or severity as my Sins deserve but with gentleness and moderation Ier. 10. 24. and 46. 28. or so as it may not be the effect of thy strict Justice or Anger but of thy Mercy and Faithfulness neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure f The same thing repeated after the manner 2. Have mercy upon me g I plead not my merit but thy free Mercy O LORD for I am weak h Or I languish my Body pines away and my Spirit fails through my excessive pains or troubles O LORD heal me i i. e. The distempers of my Soul and Body of both which this word is used Psal. 41. 4. and 107. 18 20. for my bones are vexed k My torment is so deep and so general that it reacheth and is very grievous even to my Bones tho they are inward and might seem to be out of the reach of it and also strong and senseless and therefore
now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread c This assertion seems to be Contradicted by many Experiences nor can it be denied that both good Men and their Children have sometimes been reduced to great want Quest. How then is this true Ans. 1. Some render the last Clause thus nor did I ever see his seed to wit forsaken as was now said though begging Bread So the Sence is I have sâ—…en him brought to beggery yet even then God did not forsake him But this Sence agrees not with the Context nor Scope which is to shew the Plenty and Prosperity wherewith God blesseth him 2. This is to be understood of the seed of the Righteous treading in their Fathers steps from which if they degenerate they lose all their Priviledges as many places of Scripture witness 3. Some few Exceptions do not destroy the Truth of a general Proposition 4. These temporal Promises were more express and particular to the Iews in the times of the Old Testament than to Christians in the New and therefore were more literally fulfilled 5. He speaks not of any kind of wanting or desiring or receiving Relief from others for so David himself did 1 Sam. 21. 3. and 25. 8. but of the Customary Practise and Trade of begging which was threatned as a Curse to the disobedient Deut. 28. Psal. 109. 10. 6. Not begging to wit in vain Or so as to be forsaken as was now expressed and may very well be here understood Or so as not to be sustained or relieved by others 7. David speaks onely of his own Experience which if since that time it be Contradicted by other mens Experiences it is no more than what happens in all the Concernments of humane Life 26. * Psal. 112. 9. He is †Heb. all the 〈◊〉 ever merciful and lendeth d He is so far from begging from others that he hath Ability as well as Inclination to give or lend to others as need requires and his seed is blessed e Not onely with Spiritual but with Temporal blessings So far shall he be from wasting his Estate and undoing himself and Family by his Bounty and Charity as Covetous Worldings objected or feared 27. * Psal. 34. 14. Depart from evil And do good f Having therefore these glorious Promises and Priviledges let no man do any Evil or unjust thing to enrich or secure himself nor abstaining from Pious and Charitable Actions for fâ—…ar of undoing himself by them but let every man Live in the Conscionable discharge of all his Duties to God and Men committing himself and all his Affairs to God's fatherly Care and Providence and Confidently expecting his Blessing thereupon and dwell g i. e. Thou shalt dwell as before v. 3. to wit in the Land as is expressed v. 3. and afterwards in Heaven for evermore h Either Properly Or for a long time of which that Word is oft used 28. For the LORD loveth judgment i i. e. Just judgment or Righteousness as that Word is oft taken as hath been shewed again and again Either 1. In himself i. e. He loveth to execute Judgment upon the wicked and for the Righteous which he doth in the manner expressed in this Psalm Or 2. In the Righteous themselves whose Justice and Piety and Charity he sees and Loves and will reward it and forsaketh not his Saints k Or his Favourites or they to whom be hath a good â—…ill Or his bountiful Ones who exercise Benignity and Charity to others * Psal. 102. 28. they are preserved for ever but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off 29. * Prov. 2. 21 The righteous shall inherit the land l See on v. 3. and dwell therein for ever m See on v. 18. 30. * Prov. 10. 3â—… The mouth of the righteous speaketh n And that Freely and Customarily and from his Heart as the next Verse shews Having shewed in divers Verses God s singular Care over and Respect to the Righteous he proceeds to give a Character of them and withal to assign one Reason of the great Difference of God's dealings with them and with other Men. wisdom o Either 1. For the manner of it with Wisdom and Judgment Or rather 2. For the Matter of it Heavenly Wisdom and God's judgment or Word or Law as it follows v. 31. When the Discourses of other Men are either Wicked or Vain and useless his are serious and Edifying and Pious concerning the Word and ways of God and his tongue talketh of judgment o Either 1. For the manner of it with Wisdom and Judgment Or rather 2. For the Matter of it Heavenly Wisdom and God's judgment or Word or Law as it follows v. 31. When the Discourses of other Men are either Wicked or Vain and useless his are serious and Edifying and Pious concerning the Word and ways of God 31. * Psal. 40. 8. 119. 98. Isa. 51. 7. The law of his God is in his heart p According to God's Command Deut. 6. 6. and Promise Heb. 8. 10. His Thoughts and Meditations and Affections are fixed upon it He doth not talk Religiously in Design or with Ostentation but out of the abundance of his Heart Mat. 12. 35. * Psal. 38. 17. 40. 2. none of his ‖ Or goings steps shall slide q This passage describes Either 1. His Safety Consequent upon his Piety God will uphold and preserve him from falling into that Mischief which wicked men Plot against him Or rather 2. His Vertue or Piety Which is evidenced by his Words v. 30. by his Heart in the former part of this Verse and by his Actions in these Words His steps or goings i. e. his Actions shall not or rather do not For this Verb though Future may and should be rendred by the present as Futures frequently are in the Hebrew Language and as the two foregoing Future Verbs are rendred v. 30. slide or slip or swerve to wit from the Rule or from God's Law Which is to be understood as that Passage Psal. 119. 3. They do no iniquity and some such Expressions not simply and absolutely as if all good Men were Sinless which is abundantly Confuted both by many Scriptures and by universal Experience but Comparatively and in Respect of his Design and Course or Custome His Conversation is ordinarily Regular and unblameable He not onely begins well but Constantly preseveres in God's ways and will not be drawn to forsake God and Religion upon any Terms 32. The wicked watcheth r To find out a fit season or occasion to destroy him the righteous and seeketh to slay him 33. The LORD will not leave him in his hand s i. e. Not give him up to his Power and Rage nor condemn him t i. e. Not give his Consent to the Sentence of Condemnation which the wicked have pronounced against him
poetically said and with a manifest Allusion to Solomon's glorious Garments and Palaces By these ivory Palaces he may mean either 1. His humane Nature in which Christ dwelt as in a Tabernacle as the Greek word signifies Ioh. 1. 14 in which all these fragrant Vertues were and from whence they were diffused every where Indeed the Body is called a Temple Ioh. 2. 19. and an House or Tabernacle 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. and so it might be called a Palace But why it should be called Palaces and that of Ivory seems not so plain Or rather 2. Those glorious and heavenly Mansions Ioh. 14. 2. which may not unfitly be called ivory Palaces as elsewhere in the same figurative manner they are said to be made of or adorned with Gold and Precious stones Revel 21. 18 19. from which Mansions Christ came into the World Ioh. 3. 13. and into which Christ went and where he setled his abode after he went out of the World Ioh. 13. 1. Act. 1. 11. and from whence Christ poured forth all the fragrant Gifts and Graces of his Spirit into the World and Church Act. 2. 33. Although there is no necessity to strain every particular Circumstance in such poetical Descriptions nor to find out some particular thing in Christ to which it agrees for some Expressions may be used onely as Ornaments in such Cases as they are in Parables and it may suffice to know and say that the Glories and Excellencies of the King Christ are described by such things in which earthly Potentates do place their Glory whereby k Or from which Either 1. From place or Palaces Or rather 2. From which thing i. e. From the sweet smell of thy Garments out of those ivory Palaces or from the Effusion of the Gifts and Graces of thy Spirit from thy Fathers right hand in Heaven which as it is a great Blessing and Comfort to those who receive them so doth it rejoyce the Heart of Christ both as it is a Demonstration of his own Power and Glory and as it is the happy Instrument of doing much good in the World and of bringing Souls to God which is Christs great work and delight they have made thee glad l i. e. Thou art made glad such Phrases being oft used indefinitely and impersonally as Luk. 15. 32. and in many other places 9. Kings daughters were among thy honourable women m i. e. Amongst them that attend upon thy Spouse as the manner was in Nuptial Solemnities as men attended upon the Bridegroom whence they were called Friends Ioh. â—… 29. In reference to Christ as the Spouse or Queen is the Church in general so these honourable Women are particular Believers who are daily added to the Church Act. 2. 47 and submit themselves to it And although the Church is made up of particular Believers yet she is distinguished from them for the Decency of the Parable as the whole is oft distinguished by our Minds from the parts of which it Consists and as the Daughters of Ierusalem are distinguished from the Spouse in the Book of the Canticles though the Spouse be wholly made up of them And these Believers may be said to be Kings Daughters Either because amongst others many Persons of Royal or Princely Races did embrace the Faith as was Prophecied of them Isa. 49. 7. and 60. 10 11. c. or because they are in a spiritual Sence King 's unto God Revel 1. â—… upon thy right hand n The most honourable place next to the Kings See 1 Kings 2 19. Mat. 26 64. did stand o Which is the posture of a Servant to shew that as she is a Queen she is also his Subject to serve and obey him Or is placed or seated Which seems more agreeable to the Person of a Queen 1 Kings 2. 19. and of a Spouse at the Nupâ—…l Solemnity the queen in gold of Ophir p Clothed in the richest Garments made of the choicest Gold By which he designs the Graces wherewith the Church is accomplished 10. Hearken q These Worâ—…â—…poken Either 1. In the Person of the Attendants upâ—… 〈◊〉 Bride or Bridegroom Or 2. Of the Bridegroom 〈◊〉 rather 3. By the Prophet himself who having hitherto spoken to the Bridegroom or King now addresseth his Speech to the Bride or Queen O daughter r So he câ—…lls her Partly in token of his Respect and Affection to her and Partly because she is supposed to be young and beautiful and therefore the Prophet speaks like an Elder and graver Person and as her spiritual Father and Counsellor and consider and incline thine ear s He useth several Words signifying the same thing to shew his serious and Vehement desire of her good and the great importance and difficulty of Practising the following Counsel forget also thine own people and thâ—…â—…ers house t Not simply but Comparatively so far as they oppose or hinder the discharge of thy Duty to thy Husband or so far as they are Corrupted in Doctrine or Worship or Practise He alludes to the Law of Matrimony Gen. 2. 24. and to what Solomon did say or should have said to Pharaohs Daughter to 〈◊〉 her from the Idolatry and other Vices of her Fathers house But this as well as the rest of the Psalm respects Christ and is a seasonable and necessary Advice and command to all Persons that desire to come to Christ whether Iews or Gentiles that they would cast off all their inveterate Errorâ—… and Prejudices all those Superstitious or Idolatrous or wicked Opinions or Practices which they had received by long and antient and therefore venerable Tradition from their Fathers and intirely give up themselves to Christ to be instructed by him and to receive his Doctrine though it would seem new to them And by these Words he seems to intimate and tacitly to foretel that not onely the Superstitious inventions and Traditions of Men but even the legal Worship appointed by Moses and delivered to them from their Parents successively for many Generations should be relinquished by the believing Iews and abolished by Christ's coming 11. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty u So doing thou shalt be amiable and acceptable to thy Husband which will abundantly recompence thee for the loss of thy Fathers house for he is thy Lord x As he is thy Husband and also as he is thy King and God as he was called v. 6 And this is added as a Reason not of the last Words why the King would desire her Beauty but of the Advice given to her v. 10. and worship thou him y By which he implies that her Husband was no meer Man but God also and therefore might be adored without any Violation of that known and immutable Precept of worshipping God onely 12. And the daughter of Tyre z i. e. The people or Citizens of Tyre as the Daughter of Zion or Ierusalem or â—…abel c. are put for
my Life and afterward receive me ‖ Or with Glory So â—…r to glory e Either 1. Advance me to honour here Or rather 2. Translate me to everlasting Glory in Heaven For 1. Thus God doth for his People most constantly and certainly whilst all the Occurrences of the present Life do happen indifferently to good and bad which was the common Observation of Iob and David and Solomon and other Holy men of God in Scripture 2. This is far more Considerable than the former and the more Satisfactory Relief against the present Prosperity of the wicked and the Afflictions of good mâ—…n 3. This future Glory is that Mystery which was to be learned onely in Gods Sanctuary v. 17. 4. As the destruction of the wicked mentioned v. 18 19 20. looks beyond this Life so doth the Glory of God's People 25 Whom have I in heaven f Or in Earth as it follows There is no other Person noâ—… thing in the World from which I can seek or hope for Happiness or which I am willing to accept as my Portion Let sinners have an earthly Prosperity I am satisfied with thee and with thy Favour Since thou givest me support and Conduct here and carriest me safe from hence to eternal Glory what do I need more Or what can I desire more but thee g Which words must necessarily be understood here from the next Clause where they are expressed and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee 26 My flesh and my heart faileth h In my self I confess I am a poor weak Creature and my Body and Spirit may fail and be ready to faint under such Temptations and Tribulations as these and I know I shall shortly return to the Dust out of which I was taken but God is the †Heb. Rock strength of my heart and my portion for ever i But though I have no strength in my self I have it in God my never-failing Refuge to whom I will trust whilst I live and who will be my Portion to Eternity 27 For lo they that are far from thee k They that forsake thee and thy ways preferring the Prosperity of this present evil World before thy Love and Favour and Service they who estrange themselves form the Love and Life and Acquaintance of God that say to God depart from us for we desire not the Knowledge of thy ways as they did Iob 21. 14. shall perish thou hast destroyed l Thou wilst certainly and dreadfully destroy them all them that go a whoring from thee m Those who having prosessed Subjection to thee shall afterwards revolt from thee and sell themselves to work Wickedness which is called â—…horedom in Scripture For none are more hateful to God than wilful and wicked Apostates from the Principles and Practise of the true Religion which once they owned 28 But it is good for me to draw near to God n But whatsoever they do I am abundantly satisfied that it is as my Duty so my Interest and Happiness to cleave unto thee by Faith and Love and Obedience and diligent Attendance upon all thine Ordinances I have put my trust in the LORD GOD o I depend upon him alone for all my Comfort and Felicity that I may declare all thy works p From which I know I shall have this benefit that I shall have many and great occasions to declare God's Acts of Mercy and Kindness to me PSAL. LXXIV ‖ Or a Psalm for Asaph to give instruction Maschil of Asaph a i. e. Composed by Asaph Either 1. By that famous Asaph who flourished in David's time and by the Spirit of God foresaw and foretold the things here mentioned But the clear and exact and particular and most pathetical Description of the thing here expressed looks much more like a Narrative of what is past than a Prophecy of what is to come which usually is delivered more darkly Besides such a Prophecy of the Destruction of the Temple before it was built would have been a great discouragement to the building of it and would probably have been taken notice of by Solomon in his Prayer for it when it was newly built Or 2. By some of his Posterity who is called by their Fathers name Asaph as the Children of Israel are frequently called Iacob or Israel and David's Successours David as hath been noted Or 3. By some other Person of that name though of another Family who then was a man of Renoun though now his Memory be lost Or this may â—…e rendred for Asaph i. e. For his Posterity and it might be said by some other Holy man of God But the former seems more probable This is Evident that this Psalm speaks of the Destruction of the Temple and of Ierusalem and of God's People by the Chaldaeans though some think it looks further even to the pollution of the Temple by Antiochus Although the things said to be done v. 6 7 8. agree much better to the former and were not done by Antiochus 1 O God why hast thou cast us off for ever b So as to leave us no visible Hopes of Restitution why doth thine anger c Or thy Nose A Metaphor from a man who in a great Rage sends forth Fumes out of his Nostrils smoke against * Psal. 95. 7 the sheep of thy pasture d Against the chosen and peculiar People 2 Remember e Shew by thine Actions that thou hast not utterly forgotten and forsaken them thy congregation f Thy Church or People which thou hast purchased g Or Redeemed as it follows Or bought as it is Deut. 32. 6. or procured though without Price as this Word is used Ruth 4. 9 10. of old h When thou broughtest them out of Egypt and formedst them into a Common-wealth and gavest them Laws and didst enter into Covenant with them at Sinaiâ—… the ‖ Or Tribe rod of thine inheritance i That people which thou hast measured out as it were by Rod to be thy Portion or Inheritance as they are called also Deut. 32. 9. See also Psal. 16. 5 6. Ier. 10. 16. Or the Tribe as this Word commonly signifies of thine Inheritance i. e. The Tribe of Iudah which thou hast in a special manner chosen for thine Inheritance and for the seat of the Kingdom and for the Birth of the Messiah And thus here is an Elegant Gradation from the general to particulars First the Congregation consisting of all the Tribes then the Tribe of Iudah and Lastly Mount Zion Noâ—… is it strange that he mentions this Tribe particularly because the Calamity and Captivity here remembred did principally beâ—…al this Tribe and Benjamin which was united with it and subject to it and the most that returned were of this Tribe For the generality of the other Tribes were long before dispersed into other Lands and continue in their Captivity to this day which thou
not readily grant it to those that greedily seek it and if any son of violence procure it he will make him pay very dearly for it and when the Saints suffer it for Gods sake as they frequently do it is a most acceptable Sacrifice to God and highly esteemed by him Thus the blood of Gods people is said to be precious in his sight Psal. 72. 14. And in the same sence the life of a man is said to be precious in his eyes who spareth and preserveth it as 1 Sam. 26. 21. 2 Kings 1. 13. Gods people are precious in his eyes both living and dying for whether they live they live unto the Lord or whether they die they die unto the Lord Rom. 14. 8. of his saints 16 O LORD truly I am thy servant b This is either 1. an argument used in prayer It becometh thee to protect and save thy own servants as every good master doth or rather 2. a thankful acknowledgment of his great obligations to God whereby he was in duty bound to be the Lords faithful and perpetual servant For this suits best with the context I am thy servant and * Psal. 86. 16. the son of thy handmaid c Either 1. the son of a mother who was devoted and did devote me to thy serviet Or 2. like one born in thy house of one of thy servants and so thine by a most strict and double obligation thou hast loosed my bonds d Thou hast rescued me from mine enemies whose captive and vassal I was and therefore hast a just right and title to me and to my service 17 I will offer to thee * Lev. â—… 12. the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the Name of the LORD 18 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people e And as I said before so I now repeat my promise for the greater assurance and to lay the stricter obligation upon my self 19 In the courts of the LORD's house in the midst of thee O Jerusalem Praise ye the LORD PSAL. CXVII This Psalm contains a Prophecy of the Calling of the Gentiles as appears both from the matter of it and from Rom. 15. 11. where it is quoted to that purpose 1 O * Rom. 15. 11. Praise the LORD a Acknowledge the true God and serve him onely and cast away all your Idols all ye nations praise him all ye people 2 For his merciful kindness is great towards us b Either 1. towards us Jews to whom he hath given those peculiar priviledges which he hath denied to all other nations But this may seem an improper argument to move the Gentiles to praise God for his mercies to others from which they were excluded Or 2. towards all of us all the children of Abraham whether carnal or spiritual who were to be incorporated together and made one body and one sold by and under the Messias Iob. 10. 16. Eph. 2. 14. which mystery seems to be insinuated by this manner of expression and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever Praise ye the LORD PSAL. CXVIII This Psalm most probably was composed by David when the Civil Wars between the Houses of Saul and David were ended and David was newly setled in the Kingdom of all Israel and had newly brought up the Ark of God to his Royal City But though this was the occasion yet David or at least the Spirit of God which indired this Psalm had a further reach and higher design in it and especially in the latter part of it which was to carry the Readers thoughts beyond the Type to the Antitype the Messias and his Kingdom who was chiefly intended in it Which is apparent both from the testimonies produced of it to that purpose iâ—… the Neâ—…t Testament as Mat. 〈◊〉 9 42. Mark 12. 10 11. Acts 4. 11 c. and from the consent of the Hebrew Doctors both ancient and modern one evidence whereof is that in their prayers for their Messiah they use some part of this Psalm and from the matter it self as we shall see hereafter The form of this Psalm may seem to be dramatical and several parts of it are spoken in the name of several persons yet so that the distinction of the persons and their several passages is not expressed but lest to the observation of the intelligent and diligent Reader as it is in the Book of the Song of Solomon and in some part of Ecclesiastes and in many profane Writers David speaks in his own name from the beginning to v. 22. and from thence to v. 25. in the name of the people and thence to v. 28. in the name of the Priests and then concludes in his own name 1 O * 1 Chro. 16. 8. Psal. 106. 1. 107. 1. 136. 1. Give thanks a All sorts of persons which are particularly expressed in the three next verses as they are mentioned in like manner and order Psal. 115. 9 10 11. where see the Notes unto the LORD for he is good because his mercy endureth for ever 2 Let Israel b After the flesh all the Tribes and people of Israel except the Levites now say that his mercy endureth for ever 3 Let the house of Aaron c The Priests and Levites who were greatly discouraged and oppressed in Sauls time and shall receive great benefits by my government now say that his mercy endureth for ever 4 Let them now that fear the LORD d The Gentile-Proselytes whereof there were in Davids time and were likely to be greater numbers than formerly had been say that his mercy endureth for ever 5 I called upon the LORD †Heb. out of distress in distress the LORD answered me and * Psal. 18. 19. set me e Which Verb is tacitly included in the former and is easily understood out of Psal. 31. 9. where the full phrase is expressed and from the following word See the like examples in the Hebrew Text Gen. 12. 15. Psal. 22. 21 c. ‖ Or with enlargement in a large place 6 * Psal. 56. 4 11. Heb. 13. 6. The LORD is ‖ Heb. for me on my side I will not fear what can man f A frail and impotent creature in himself and much more when he is opposed to the Almighty God do unto me 7 * Psal. 54. 4. The LORD taketh my part with them that help me g He is one of the number of my helpers and enables them to defend me therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me 8 * Psal. 40. 4. 62. 8 9. Jer. 17. 5 7. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man h As mine adversaries do in their own numbers and in their great confederates 9 * Psal. 146. 2. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes i The neighbouring and
supposed to be such by reason of that severe Law against these practices in Israelitish women Deut. 23. 17. or are justly reputed Heathens as being degenerate Israelites which are oft called Strangers as hath been noted in the book of the Psalms and partly because conversation with such Persons is forbidden to men as those Israelites which were not Levites are called Strangers Numb 1. 51. in respect of the Holy things which they were prohibited to touch and forbidden Fire is called strange fire Num. 3. 4. * Ch. 5. 3. 6. 24 7. 5. even from the stranger which flattereth with her words d Which useth all arts and ways to allure men to unchast actions one kind being put for all the rest 17. Which forsaketh * Jer. 3. 4. the guide of her youth e To wit her Husband whom she took to be her guide and governour and that in her youth which circumstance is added to aggravate her sin and shame because love is commonly most sincere and servent between an Husband and Wife of youth as they are for that reason emphatically called Prov. 5. 18. Isa. 54. 6. Ioel. 1. 8. Mal. 2. 14 15. and forgetteth f i. e. Violateth or breaketh as that word is commonly used in a practical sense the covenant of her God g The marriage Covenant so called partly because God is the Author and Institutor of that society and mutual Obligation and partly because God is called to be the witness and judge of that solemn Promise and Covenant and the avenger of the transgression of it 18. For her house inclineth unto death h Conversation with her which was most free and usual in her own House is the ready and certain way to Death which it brings many ways by wasting a Mans Vital spirits and shortning his life by exposing him to many and dangerous Diseases which Physicians have declared and proved to be the effects of inordinate lust as also to the fury of jealous Husbands or Friends and sometimes to the Sword of Civil Justice and undoubtedly without repentance to God's wrath and the second Death This is here mentioned as one great priviledge and blessed fruit of Wisdom and her paths unto the dead i Or as the Chaldee and some others render it unto the Giants to wit those rebellious Giants Gen. 6. 4. or as others unto the damned or unto Hâ—…ll See for this word Iob 7. 9. Psal. 88. 11. Prov. 9. 18. 21. 16. 19. None k Few or none An hyperbolical expression used Isa. 64. 7. that go unto her l That go to her House or that lie with her as this Phrase is used Gen. 16. 4. 30. 4. Ios. 2. 3. return again m From her and from this wickedness unto God Adulterers and Whoremongers are very rarely brought to repentance but are generally hardned by the power and deceitfulness of that Lust and by God's just judgment peculiarly inflicted upon such Persons Heb. 13. 4. He alludes to the nature of corporal death from which no man can without a Miracle return to this life neither take they hold of the paths of life n Of those courses which lead to true and eternal Life 20. That thou mayest o This depends upon v. 11 and is mentioned as another happy fruit of Wisdom the former being declared from v. 12. to this Verse walk in the way of good men p Follow the counsels and examples of the godly Whereby he intimates that it is not sufficient to abstain from evil company and practices but that we must choose the conversation of good men and keep the path of the righteous 21. * Psal. 37. 29. For the upright shall dwell in the land q Shall have a peaceable and comfortable abode in the Land oâ—… Canaan which also is a type of their everlasting felicity See Psal. 37. 3 9 18 29. and the perfect shall remain in it 22. * Job 18. 17. Psal. 104. 35. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth and the transgressors shall be ‖ Or pluckt up rooted out of it CHAP. III. 1. MY son forget not my law a My doctrine or counsel or the Law of God which might be called his Law as the Gospel is called Paul's Gospel 2 Tim. 2. 8. because delivered by them * Deut. 8 â—… 30. 16 20. but let thine heart keep my commandments b By diligent meditation and hearty affection 2. For * Chap. 4. 10 22. length of days and †Heb. years of life long life and peace shall they add to thee c God will add these Blessings which he hath promised to the obedient Deut. 8. 18. 30. 20. 1 Tim. 4. 8. 3. Let not mercy and truth d Either 1. God's Mercy and Truth So it is a promise God's Mercy and Truth shall not forsake thee Or rather 2. That Mercy and Truth which is Man's duty So it is a Precept which seems most probable both from the form of the Hebrew Phrase and from the following words of this Verse which are plainly preceptive and from the promise annex'd to the performance of this Precept in the next Verse Mercy and Truth are frequently joyned together as they are in God as Psal. 25. 10. 57. 3. c. or in men as Prov. 16. 6. 20. 28. Hos. 4. 1. and here Mercy notes all that benignity clemency charity and readiness to do good freely to others Truth or Faithfulness respects all those duties which we owe to God or Man to which we have special Obligation from the Rules of Justice forsake thee * Exod. 13. 9. Deut. 6. 8. Ch. 6. 21. 7. 3. bind them about thy neck e Like a Chain wherewith Persons adorn their Necks as it is expressed Chap. 1. 9. which is fastned there and not easily lost which also is continually in ones view write them upon the table of thme heart f Either 1. upon those Tablets which the Iews are said to have worn upon their Breasts which are always in sight So he alludes to Deut. 6. 8. Or 2. in thy mind and heart in which all God's commands are to be received and engraven as is oft required in this Book and every where So the Table of the Heart seems to be opposed to the Tables of Stone in which God's Law was written as it is Ier. 31. 33. 2 Cor. 3. 3. 4. * Psal. 111. 10. So shalt thou find favour g i. e. Obtain acceptance or be gracious and amiable to them and ‖ Or good success good understanding h Whereby to know thy duty and to discern between good and evil The serious practice of Religion 〈◊〉 an excellent mean to get a solid understanding of it as on the contrary a vitious life doth exceedingly debase and darken the mind and keep men from the knowledge of Truth which not onely Scripture but even Heathen
Philosophers have oft observed Others render it good success Which seems not to suit well with the following words in the sight of God i Grace or favour with God and that understanding which is good in God's sight i. e. truly and really as a truly good Man is called good before God in the Hebrew Eccls. 7. 26. and man 5. Trust in the LORD k Wholly and securely rely upon God's Promises and Providence for help and relief in all thine affairs and dangers with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding l Think not to accomplish thy designs by the strength of thine own Wit without God's Blessing Under this one kind of camal confidence which is most frequent and most plausible he understands and forbids all other considences in bodily strength wealth friends c. 6. * 1 Chr. 28. 9. In all thy ways m Designs and undertakings for the things of this Life or of the next acknowledge him n Heb. know him to wit practically or own him his Wisdom in following his counsels his power and goodness in expecting success from him his Soveraignty in managing all thy Affairs so as to please and glorify him and he shall direct thy paths o Assust and bless all thine endeavours and keep thee from the paths of sin and destruction 7. * Rom. 12. 16. Be not wise in thine own eyes p Be not puffed up with a vain conceit of thine own Wisdom as if that were sufficient for the conduct of all thine affairs without direction or assistance from God or without the advice of others fear the LORD q This he adds because the reverence and dread of the Divine Majesty will make a man when he compareth himself with God little and vile in his own eyes Reverence God's Wisdom and thou wilt despise thine own and depart from evil 8. It shall be †Heb. medicine health to thy navel r i. e. To thy Body which is signified by the Navel which is a noble and useful part of the Body by which the Infant receives nourishment in the Womb and which is the ligament or bond by which the bowels a principal part of the Body are united together and preserved and †Heb. watering or moistning marrow s Which is the nourishment and strength of the bones and a great preserver and prolonger of life as the decay of it is a chief cause of the weakness and driness and decay of the Body The sense of the Verse is This Wisdom or fear of God is not onely useful to the Salvation of the Soul but also to the health and welfare of the Body both as it prevents those Diseases and Distempers which are oft procured by sinful Lusts and Passions and as it giveth us an Interest in all God's promises and putteth us under the care of his special Providence to thy bones 9. * Exod. 23. 19 34. 26. Deut. 26. 2. c. Mal. 3. 10. c. Luk. 14. 13. Honour the LORD with thy substance t Or with thy Riches Lay out thy Estate not onely to please and advance thy Self or Family but also to glorify God which is done by the payment of all those offerings and dues which God hath required by giving according to thy Abilities whatsoever is necessary for the support and advancement of God's Worship and Service in the World by free and liberal Contributions to those whom God hath made his Deputies and as I may say the Receivers of his Rents to wit faithful Ministers and good Christians and all others who need and require thy help The performance of these Duties is here called an honouring of God partly because that word is sometimes used for giving of gifts as 1 Tim. 5. 17. and elsewhere and partly because it is a Testimony of our respects to God of our obedience to him as our Soveraign Lord and that in hard and costly Duties of our thankfulness to him as our chief Benefactor and the Donor of all that we have and of our belief of his Promises made to the faithful practices of this duty which if they were believed the most covetous Persons would be the most charitable and with the first-fruits u Or with the chief or best or first which answers to the first-fruits under the Law of all thine increase 10. * Deut. 28. 8. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty x This is not the way to diminish thy estate as covetous and profane Persons alledge but rather to increase it and thy presses shall burst out y Shall be so filled that they would burst out if not carefully prevented with new wine 11. * Job 5. 17. Psa. 94. 12. 13. Heb. 12. 5. Rev. 3. 19. My son despise not z Either 1. by making light of it or not being duly affected with it and so this is one extream opposed to the other in the next clause Or rather 2. by accounting it an unnecessary and useless and troublesome thing but rather esteem it as a priviledg and favour from God and a benefit to thy self for such Negatives do oft imply the contrary Affirmatives by a common figure called Meiosis as Prov. 17. 21. and oft elsewhere And this sense seems to agree better both with the following Clause which repeats the same thing with some aggravation after the manner and with the reason used to enforce this and the following command v. 12. which concerns not such as are insensible but rather such as had too deep a sense of the evil of affliction the chastning of the LORD neither be weary of his correction a Neither esteem it tedious and intollerable but endure it with patience and chearfulness 12. For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth b Afflictions are not infelicities but benefits and comforts because they are Testimonies of God's love which is infinitely more desirable than any evil can be terrible They shew God's purpose and desire and care to purge us from our sins and to make us fit for his Presence and Kingdom This and the former Verse seem to be here inserted in the midst of his commendations of Wisdom to remove an objection against the excellency and happiness of wise or pious men taken from those many Calamities to which such Persons are frequently exposed the reason of which Providence he here giveth * Deut. 8. 5. even as a Father the son in whom he delighteth 13. Happy is the man c Notwithstanding all his afflictions that findeth d Which supposeth his diligent searching for it expressed Chap. 2. 4. wisdom and †〈…〉 the man that getteth e Heb. that draweth out Which expression implies two things 1. that Man hath it not naturally in himself but must have it from another even from God and his word 2. that men should labour for it as those do that dig and draw forth Metals out of
others by it and therefore they most need this remedy 19 A brother offended r To wit by his Brothers unkindness or injury is harder to be won s Or is stronger which is sufficiently understood by the mention of a strong City to which he is compared such Ellipses being frequent in the Hebrew as hath been noted before than a strong city t Which is hardly to be conquered and their contentions are like the bars of a castle u Which are very strong and not to be broken and make the castle strong and hardly to be won The truth of this assertion is confirmed by the testimony of Aristotle and other learned Authors who affirm the same thing and the reason of it is evident because the nearness of the Relation greatly heightens the provocation and Love abused frequently turns to extream hatred 20 * Ch. 12. 14. 13. 2. A mans belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth x Wise and edifying discourses tend to the comfort and satisfaction of the Speaker as well as to the good of the Hearers and with the encrease of his lips shall he be filled 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue y Are brought upon men by the good or bad use of their tongues and they that love it z Either 1. The Tongue that love and use much talking which is oft censured as a sin and a cause of mischief See Prov. 10. 19. Iam. 1. 19. Or 2. The use of their tongue in either of those ways which are plainly supposed in the former clause of the verse they who do not only speak well which a wicked man may somtimes do or speak ill which a good man may possibly do but do love and therefore accustom themselves to speak well or ill shall eat the fruit thereof a Shall receive either good or evil according to the quality of their Speeches 22 * Ch. 19. 14. Whoso findeth a Wife b Either 1. Simply a Wife for a Wife though she be not the best of kind is to be esteemed a blessing being useful both for society of life Gen. 2. 18. and for the mitigation of a mans cares and troubles and for the prevention of sins Or 2. Good Wife one that deserves the Name and performs the duty of that Relation a wise and worthy Wife as this word may seem to imply being deduced from the Hebrew word isch which somtimes notes a man of Eminency And this limitation and explication of the word may be gathered both from the following commendations which would hardly be given to a bad Wife and from the usage of Scripture in which this Ellipsis is frequent as a path or way is put for a good path or way Psal. 119. 1. Prov. 15. 10. an answer for a good answer Prov. 15. 23. a King for a good King Prov. 16. 10. 29. 4. a name for a good name Prov. 22. 1. Eccles. 7. 1. c. findeth a good thing c A singular Blessing and obtaineth favour of the LORD d Obtaineth her not by his own Wit or Art or Diligence but by Gods good Providence towards him which ordereth that and all other events as it pleaseth him 23 The poor useth intreaties e Humbly begs the favour of rich men as his necessities and occasions require it but the rich answereth * Jam. 2. 3. roughly f Speaketh proudly and scornfully either to the poor or to others that converse with him being puffed up with a conceit of his Riches and of his self-sufficiency 24 A man that hath friends g Heb. A man of friends either 1. Who desires the friendship of others Or 2. Who professeth friendship to others must shew himself friendly * Ch. 17. 17. and there is a friend that sticketh closer h To him that desires and needs his help who is more hearty in the performance of all friendly Offices than a brother CHAP. XIX 1 * Chap. 28. 6. BEtter is the poor that walketh in his integrity a Who is upright in his words and actions than he that is perverse in his lips b That useth to speak wickedly which proceeds from a wicked heart and is usually attended with an evil Life and is a fool c Is an Hypocrite or a wicked man for this is opposed to the upright man in the former clause yea though he be rich which is implied from the same clause 2 Also that the soul d Which is the principal cause and director of all mens actions be without knowledg e Without Wisdom or Prudence to discern his way and what and how he ought to act in his several cases and concernments it is not good f It is very evil and pernicious and he that hasteth with his feet g That rashly and headily rusheth into actions without serious consideration So two vices are here censured the want of Knowledg and the neglect or diâ—…use of Knowledg in a mans actions sinneth 3. The foolishness of man perverteth his way h Either 1. enticeth him to sin Or rather 2. Crosseth and blasâ—…eth his designs and enterprises and brings losses and miseries upon him and his heart fretteth against the LORD i He ascribes his unhappiness not to his own sin and folly which is the true cause of it but to God and his Providence against which he unjustly murmurs 4 * Ch. 14. 20. Wealth maketh many friends but the poor is separated from his neighbour k Is disowned and forsaken by those who are most obliged to help him 5 * Ver. 9. Exod. 23. 1. Deut. 19. 16 19. Ch. 6. 19. 21. 28. A false witness shall not be †Heb. held innocent unpunished l Though he escape the observation and punishment of men yet he shall not avoid the judgment of God and he that speaketh lies m That accustometh himself to lying either in judgment or in common conversation shall not escape 6 Many will entreat the †Heb. face favour of the prince n Or as others of the liberal or bountiful man which comes to the same thing for Kings were antiently called Benefactors Luk. 22. 25. and every man is a friend o Not sincerely as daily experience shews but in shew or profession or in the outward expressions of it whereby they may oblige him to †Heb. a man of gifts him that giveth gifts 7 * Ch. 14. 20. All the brethren p His nearest and dearest Relations who are oft called Brethren in Scripture by a common Synecdoche of the poor do hate him q i. e. Despise and shun him as men do any thing which they hate and as the following words explain it how much more do his friends r His former companions who in his prosperity professed friendship to him go far from him he pursueth them with words
very proper and usual for an Ass when they rode upon it as the Iews most commonly did though not to restrain him from running away which is the principal use of it in Horses yet that the Rider might rule and guide him which was very necessary for that stupid Creature Although the ancient Interpreters render it a Goad or Spur or somthing of the like Nature and use for the ass and a rod f Which is most proper and necessary for him Not words but blows must make him better for the fools back 4 Answer not a fool g How can these contrary rules be reconciled answer him not and answer him Ans. Easily by considering the difference of Persons and Times and Places and other circumstances and of the manner of answering And such seemingly contradictory Precepts are not onely used by but are esteemed Elegant in other Authors Answer him not when he is incorrigible or when he is enflamed with Passion or Wine c. or when it is not necessary nor likely to do him good Answer him when he is capable of receiving good by it or when it is necessary for the glory of God or for the discharge of a Man's duty or for the good of others according to his folly h So as to imitate his folly by such passionate or reproachful or foolish speeches as he useth to thee lest thou also be like unto him i Shew thy self to be as great a fool as he 5 Answer a fool according to his folly k So as his folly needs and requires convincing him strongly reproving him sharply exposing him to just shame and correcting him with a Rod when he deserves it and thou hast a just power to use it lest he be wise in †Heb. his own eyes his own conceit l Lest thy silence make him arrogant and presumptuous as if his words were unanswerable 6 He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool m He that employeth a Fool upon any important Errant or Business which is too hard for him cutteth off the feet n To wit of his Messenger he bids one go that wants Legs he sends one who wants that discretion which is as necessary for that employment as Legs are for going and drinketh ‖ Or violenâ—… damage o He bringeth upon himself abundance of loss and mischief not onely spoiling that business about which he sends him but making himself contemptible to the Person to whom he sends him and to others with him as if he had not common prudence to chuse a fit Messenger and giving occasion by the folly of his Messenger to further misunderstandings and jealousies and inconveniences For the Phrase we may observe that drinking in Scripture frequently notes the plentiful doing or receiving of any thing as they who multiply sins are said to drink Iniquity like Water Iob 15. 16. 34. 7. and they who are greatly afflicted are commonly said to drink the Cup. 7 The legs of the lame †Heb. are lifted up are not equal p Heb. As which note of similitude is plainly understood from the particle so in the following clause the legs of the lame are lifted up to wit in going or rather in dancing which is done with great inequality and uncomeliness so is a parable in the mouth of fools q No less absurd and indecent are wise and pious speeches from a foolish and ungodly man whose actions grosly contradict them whereby he makes them contemptible and himself ridiculous 8 ‖ Or As he that 〈◊〉 a precious stone in an heap of 〈◊〉 As he that bindeth a stone in a sling r Whereby he hinders his own design of throwing the stone out of it Or who fastens it there only for a season that he may speedily and violently throw it away Or as it is rendred in our margent and by many others As he that putteth a precious stone Heb. a stone which is oft emphatically used for a precious stone both in Scripture as Exod. 39. 10. 1 Chron. 29. 8. and elsewhere and also in other Authors in an heap of stones where it is obscured and lost so is he that giveth honour to a fool s No less absurd is he that giveth to a Fool that Honour and Praise which he is not capable either of receiving or retaining or using aright but it is quite wasted upon him and doth him more hurt than good 9 As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard t As a thorn is in a Drunkards hand which he cannot hold and manage cautiously but employeth to his own and others hurt so u As improper and unprofitable and by accident hurtful to himself and others See on v. 7. is a parable in the mouth of fools 10 ‖ Or a great man grieveth all he hireth the fool he hireth also transgressors The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool and rewardeth transgressors x God who is oft called great as Psal. 86. 10. 135. 5. c. and is described by the name of the most high as Ps. 9. 2. 21. 7. c. who created all things and therefore observeth and governeth all men and things will certainly give that recompence which is meet for and deserved by Fools and Transgressors i. e. by such as sin either through ignorance and heedlesness or wilfully and wickedly Or as it is in the margent A great man A Prince or Potentate who are called by this title Esth. 1. 8. Dan. 1. 3. c. grieveth as this word is used Isa. 51. 9. 53. 5. and elsewhere all to wit all that are subject to him or all that stand in his way he hireth as this word most commonly signifies the fools he hireth also transgressors So the sense is It is the manner of many Princes to vex and oppress their Subjects which because they cannot do by themselves alone they hire others both fools who do not know or consider what they do and transgressors who are ready to execute all their commands right or wrong that they may be their instruments in that work 11 * 2 Pet. 2. 22. As a dog returneth to his vomit y To lick up that which he had lately vomited forgetting how burdensom and vexatious it was to him so a fool †Heb. iterateth his folly returneth to his folly z Such like is the impudence and madness of sinners who having smarted for their sins and been forced to forsake them for a time do afterwards return to the commission of them 12 * Ch. 29. 20. Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit a Who being a fool thinks himself wise and therefore scorneth the counsels of others there is more hope of a fool b Of doing good to one who is a fool and sensible of his folly and ready to receive instruction than of him 13 The slothful man
he r Their King which is easily and necessarily understood shall sit upon it in truth s Which may respect either 1. the Manner of his Government exercising Truth and Justice But that is more plainly and fully expressed in the last part of the Verse Or 2. the Continuance of it in truth i. e. firmly and constantly for truth is oft put for the stability and certainty of a thing as 2 Chron. 32. 1. Prov. 1â—… 18. Isa. 61. 8. And this makes the Argument more considerable to the present purpose The Kingdom shall not onely be restored but firmly setled Therefore it is your Interest O Moabites to be kind to my People in the tabernacle t In the House or Palace which is called a tent or tabernacle either because Houses are frequently so called in Scripture as 2 Sam. 20. 1. 1 Kings 8. 66. 12. 16. or with respect unto the unsetledness of David's House which now indeed was more like a Tabernacle than a strong Palace and yet notwithstanding its present Imbecility should be firmly established of David judging and seeking judgment u Searching out the Truth of Causes and Things with care and diligence which is the Duty of a Judge and hasting righteousness x Neither denying nor yet delaying Justice And these good Qualifications seem to be here mentioned partly to teach the Rulers of Moab their Duty towards their own People and the Israelites which were among them and partly as a Reason and Evidence of that Stability which he had promised to the House of David 6 We have heard of the * Jer. 48. 29. Zeph. 2. 10. pride of Moab y The Prophet having spoken to the Moabites and acquainted them with their Duty and Interest now he turneth his Speech to God's People whom he armeth and comforteth against their approaching Misery The scope and sence of the Prophet in this Verse is this I do not expect that my Counsels will have any good effect upon Moab they will still carry themselves insolently and outragiously tawards you and they promise themselves that they shall now effect what they have long desired even satisfie their Malice in your total and final Destruction but they shall be disappointed of their Hopes It is well known to me and you and all their Neighbours that they are an haughty and furious People and therefore they will scorn my Advice and doubt not to stand upon their own Legs he is very proud even of his haughtiness and his pride and his wrath but his lies shall not be so z His vain Imaginations and false and crafty Counsels shall not take effect But the Words are and may be otherwise rendred But his strength as this Word is rendred Iob 18. 13. Heb. bars which are the Strength of Gates or Doors is not so not equal to his Pride or Fury Or thus exactly according to the Words and Order of the Hebrew Text not so lies A concise Speech such as are very common in this and other Prophets And these Words may possibly be brought in as the Words of the Moabites making this short Reply to the Prophets Counsels and Threatnings directed to them in the foregoing Verses of this Chapter It is not or shall not be so as thou sayst thy Words are bâ—…t Lies we fear not thy Threats against us But this I propose with submission 7 Therefore shall Moab * Jer. 48. 20. howl for Moab a For it self the Noun put for the Pronoun as is usual in the Hebrew Text. Or to Moab One Moabite shall howl or lament to or for another every one shall howl for the foundations of Kir-hareseth b An ancient and eminent City of Moab called Kir chap. 13. 1. and Kir-haresh v. 11. which signifies The city of the sun probably because there was the Temple of the Sun which City was preserved when their other Cities were ruined 2 Kings 3. 25. and therefore the Destruction of it was more lamented shall ye ‖ Or mutter mourn c Or ye shall meditate or talk as this Word commonly signifies Your Thoughts and Discourses will run much upon the Ruine of such a City surely they are stricken d Or broken overthrown or destroyed 8 For the fields of Heshbon languish e Either for want of Rain as ch 15. 6. or because there are no men left to till and manure them and the vine of Sibmah the lords of the heathen f The Assyrians or Chaldeans the great Rulers of the Eastern Nations have broken down the principal plants g The choicest Vines Under which one Particular he seems to understand not onely all their other Fruits and Goods but even their Persons and choicest People thereof they are come even unto Jazer h Either 1. the Lords of the Heathen are come as far as Iazer which is the utmost Border of Moab or 2. the People of Moab are going into Captivity and part of them are already gone as far as Iazer Some understand this and the following Clauses of the Vines which are here commended to aggravate the Loss and Ruine of them and render the Words which reached even unto Iazer which Vineyards were planted for many miles together even as far as Iazer they wandered through the wilderness i Others of the Moabites fled away for their Lives and wandred hither and thither in the Wilderness of Moab of which see Numb 21. 11. Deut. 2. 8. her branches k i. e. Her People called plants before are ‖ Or plucked up stretched out l Or are spread abroad as this Word signifies Numb 11. 32. Iudg. 15. 9. 1 Sam. 30. 16. are driven from their own Homes and dispersed into several Countries thy are gone over the sea m Over the Dead Sea which was the Border of Moab They were forced to flee out of their own Country to save their Lives 9 Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah n So the sence is I will bewail Sibmab as I did bewail Iazer which they say was destroyed before Sibmah Or the weeping of Iazer might be a Proverbial Expression for it is used also Ier. 48. 32 like that of the mourning of Hadadrimmon Zech. 12. 11. though the Reason of it be now unknown as it is in many other Proverbs The Words are by others rendred and that more agreeably to the Hebrew Text I will bewail with weeping which is an usual Hebraism for I will bitterly bewail Iazer and which Particle is oft understood the vine of Sibmah But our Translation seems to be justified by the parallel Place Ier. 48. 32. where it is O vine of Sibmah I will weep for thee with the weeping of Iazer I will water thee with my tears O Heshbon and Elealeh for ‖ Or the alarm is fallen upon c. the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen o Those joyful Shouts
in all thy ways and therefore a Lover of Uprightness and of all upright Men dost weigh i. e. examine the path of the just the Course of his Actions and which is implied dost approve of them and therefore direct them to an happy issue But the Words are otherwise rendred by some late Learned Interpreters to this purpose Thou dost level or make plain as this very Word signifies Psal 78. 50. the path of the just exactly Heb. with evenness or evenly so as to make it very even Thus the first Clause declares that it was even or plain and this sheweth whence or by whom it is made such even by God 8 Yea * Chap. 6â—… â—… in the way of thy judgments O LORD have we waited for thee r And as we thy People have loved and served thee when thou hast made our way plain and easie for us so we have not forsaken thee but waited upon thee when thou hast made it rugged and troublesom by thy Judgments He speaks of the same Just men v. 7 8 9. though it be with a change of the Numbers and Persons which is usual in Prophetical Writings the just v. 7. we v. 8. I v. 9. the desire of our soul is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee s Heb. to thy name and thy memory which by a known Figure called Hendiaduo may be put for the remembrance of thy Name And the Name of God is here as it is in many other places put for God himself as he hath made himself known by his Word and Works And so the sence of this Clause is Our Affections are not alienated from thee by thy Judgments but we still continue to desire thy Presence and Favour and we support and comfort our selves with the remembrance of what thou art and what thou hast done and what thou hast promised to be and do to thy People 9 * Câ—…nt 3. 1. With my soul t Sincerely and most affectionately as Psal. 63. 1. and elsewhere have I u The Prophet speaks this in the name of all God's People by comparing this with the foregoing Verse desired thee in the night x Either 1. figuratively in the time of Affliction which is oft called night or darkness or rather 2. properly as appears from the next Clause wherein early or in the morning is opposed to it When others are sleeping my Thoughts and Desires are working towards God yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee y By fervent Prayer for thy Loving-kindness early z Betimes in the morning as the Word signifies for when thy judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness a And good reason it is that we should thus desire and seek thee in the way of thy Judgments because this is the very design of thy Judgments that men should thereby be awakened to learn and return to their Duty and this is a common effect of them that those who have been careless in Prosperity are made wiser and better by Afflictions The inhabitants of the world seem to be here taken not in opposition to God's People as if not they onely but even the wicked World would do thus but in a general Notion so as to include yea principally to design God's People as may be gathered both from the former part of this and the foregoing Verse in which he describes their pious Carriage under Affliction as also from the two following Verses in which he speaks of the wicked whom he seems to oppose to these inhabitants of the world because these learn Righteousness whilst those wicked men remain incorrigible both under Mercies and Judgments v. 10 11. 10 * Eccl. 8. 11. Let favour be shewed to the wicked yet will he not learn righteousness b This is the Carriage of thy People but the Course of Wicked men is directly contrary in all conditions For if thou dost spare them when thou punishest thine own People they will not accept of that gracious Invitation to Repentance nor walk worthy of so great a Mercy in the land of uprightness c Even in God's Church and among his People where Righteousness is professed and taught and by many practised and where Unrighteousness is discountenanced and punished all which things are Aggravations of his Sin will he deal unjustly and will not behold the majesty of the LORD d Although God gives such plain and clear Discoveries of his Majesty and Glory not onely in his Word but also in his Works and especially in this glorious Work of his Patience and Mercy to Wicked men yet they wilfully shut their Eyes at it and will not acknowledge it 11 LORD when thy hand is lifted up they * Job 34. 27. Psal. 28. 5. Chap. 5. 12. will not see e And they are guilty of the same obstinate Blindness when thou dost smite and punish them which is commonly signified by lifting up the hand as Ezek. 44. 12. Micah 5. 9. Compare also 2 Sam. 20. 21. 1 Kings 11. 26. Or as others render it When thine hand is high or exalied i. e. When thy Works are most evident and most glorious when thou appearest most gloriously for the defence of thy People and for the punishment of thine and their Enemies they will not see but they shall see f The same Word is repeated in another sence They shall feel and know that by sad and costly Experience which they would not learn by other and easier ways Seeing is oft put for feeling in which sence Men are said to see affliction Lam. 3. 1. and to see death Psal. 89. 48. and the like and be ashamed for their envy ‖ Or towards thy people at the people g Or at or towards thy people the Pronoun thy being repeated out of the following Clause as it is in many other places of Scripture as hath been before noted Their Envy and Hatred against God's People blinded their Minds that they neither could nor would see that God was on their side though the Tokens of it were most manifest and undeniable Which was the Case of Pharach and the Egyptians who were not sensible that the Lord fought for Israel against the Egyptians as they said Exod. 14. 25. till it was too late yea the fire of thine enemies h Not efficiently but objectively Such Fire or Wrath as thou usest to pour forth upon thine implacable Enemies As my wrong Gen. 16. 5. is not the Wrong done by me but to me and my violence Ier. 51. 35. is the violence done to me as we translate it not by me shall devour them 12 LORD thou wilt ordain peace for us i As thou wilt destroy thine and our Enemies so thou wilt bless us thy People with Peace and Prosperity for thou also hast wrought all our works k Either 1. all the Good Works done by us which are the Effects of thy
ways 1. Sometimes by putting on Sackcloth upon their Bodies as 1 Kin. 21. 27. Ps. 69. 11. and casting ashes upon their Heads 2 Sam. 13. 19. And 2. Sometimes by spreading Sackcloth under them and lying down upon Ashes Esth. 4. 3. Iob 2. 8. The Intent of Sackcloth was to afflict the Body by its unpleasing harshness and of Ashes to represent their own vileness as being but Dust and Ashes their putting of them on might note their uneasiness under sin and laying on them their self-abhorrency shaming themselves for it Quer. Are such Rites now convenient on a day of Humiliation to help us in our afflicting of our selves Answ. Gospel Services neither require them or need them respecting more the Inward afflicting of the Soul with godly sorrow and deep contrition yet may they carry this instruction along with them that our Ornaments our best and gawdy Apparel ought to be laid aside as not suiting either the ground and cause or the end and design of days of Humiliation wilt thou call a i. e. Canst thou upon a rational account as a meer man call it so Canst thou think suppose or believe it to be so this a fast b It being such an one as hath nothing in it but the lifeless skeleton and dumb signs of a Fast nothing of deep Humiliation appearing in it or real Reformation proceeding from it Not that the Prophet blames them for these external Rites in this outward way of afflicting themselves For this he commands Lev. 23. 27 31 32. and appoints certain Rites to be used Lev. 16. 19 21. And these particular Rites were frequent in their solemn Humiliations 1 Kin. 21. 27. Esth. 4. 3. Dan. 9. 3. used also by the Heathen Ion. 3. 5 6. See Mat. 11. 21. But that which he condemns is their Hypocrisie in separating true Humiliation from them for bodily exercise profiteth little 1 Tim. 4 8. and an acceptable day to the LORD c A day that God will approve of as before Heb. a day of acceptance or that will turn to a good account on your behalf y Here the Prophet sets down those extâ—…al gestures and postures in particular which they did join with â—…eir hypocritical fasts as he had mentioned it before in general To bow down bowing is the posture of Mourners Psal. 35. 14. and here it is either as if through weakness of Body their Heads did hang down or counterfeitly to represent the posture of true penitents moving sometimes their Heads this way and that way as the word signifieth not unlike the ballance of a Clock as the Bullrush moved by the Wind boweth itself down waving to and fro in a kind of circular or semicircular motion the contrary motion of lifting up the Head being an Indication of Pride ch 3. 16. It is the guise of Hypocrites to put on affected Countenances Mat. 6. 16. 6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen d Or approve as before v. 5. or ought not such a Fast to be accompanied with such things as these where he is now about to shew the concomitants of a true Fast with reference to the thing in hand namely to exercise works of Charity consisting partly in acts of Self-denial in this Verse and partly in doing good to those in distress in the next In this verse he instanceth in some particulars and closeth with a general to loose the bands of wickedness e viz. The cruel obligations of Usury and Oppression to undo †Heb. the bundles of the yoke the heavy burdens f Heb. bundles a Metaphor possibly pointing at those many bundles of Writings as Bills Bonds Mortgages and acknowledgments which the Usurers had lying by them The former may relate to unjust and unlawful Obligations extorted by force or fear which he would have cancelled This latter to just Debts contracted through Poverty and necessity the rigour whereof he would have abated whether by reason of loans upon too hard conditions called a drawing them into a net Psal. 10. 9. and so much is implied Prov. 6. 5. or under too hard circumstances whether they were loans of Food or money of which the People so bitterly complained Neh. 5. 1 2 3 4. and is expresly forbid Exod. 22. 25. For Debts may be called Burdens 1. Because they lie as a great load upon the Debtors Spirits under which who ever can walk up and down easily doth not so much excel in fortitude as in folly 2. Because they usually introduce Poverty Slavery Imprisonment c. and * Jer. 34. 9. to let the †Heb. broken oppressed h Heb. broken i. e. like a bruised Reed so crushed and weakned that they have no consistency or ability either to satisfie their Creditors or support themselves and we usually call such insolvent persons broken that cannot look upon themselves to be sui juris but wholly at anothers Mercy you have the same kind of oppression and the same words used Amos 4. 1. go free g Either in a large sense viz. any ways grieved or vexed whether by the gripings of Usury or the bondage of Slavery accompanied with cruel usage or more peculiarly according to some relating to their being confined and shut up in Prisons which latter sense the word free may possibly seem to favour the former being comprised in that general expression that follows of breaking every yoke and that ye break every yoke i Namely That is grievous a Metaphor i. e. free them from all sorts of Vexation whatever it is that held them under any Bondage the LXX refer it to Bonds and Writings But it seems more general the word properly signifies that stick or cord that holds both ends of the yoke that it spring not out or fall off from the neck on which it is laid Exod. 25. 14. where the same word is used for staves and called the bands of the Yoke Lev. 26. 13. I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you go upright the same thing that God would have them do here 7 Is it k Viz. The Fast that pleaseth me supplied from the former verse having shewed the evil they are to abstain from in order to an acceptable Fast viz. cruelty he here speaks of the duty that is required viz. Mercy as a manifestation of Repentance Dan. 4. 27. Luk. 19. 8. For there are two parts of Justice one to do no man wrong the other to do good to all Which two ought always to accompany each other and cannot be parted especially in acts of Humiliation and as by those evils mentioned he understands all other evil whatsoever that they are to be abstained from as the consequence of a day of Humiliation so under these duties mentioned are comprised all the duties that we are to set upon as the effect of true Repentance and he instanceth rather in those of the second Table than those of the first not that they are to be neglected but
me not I said Behold me behold me unto a nation d I invited whole Nations by the preaching of my Gospel to behold me and I invited them with importunity doubling my words upon them and this I did unto a Nation not call'd by my name with whom I was not in Covenant and which did not profess any relation to me which none of the Gentiles could pretend unto The Prophet speaks of a thing to come many years after as if it were a thing then done to signifie the certainty of it God doth the same thing yet in every soul that is converted But the Text is manifestly to be interpreted of the conversion of the Gentiles that was not called by my name That in the primary sense of this Text is a Prophecy of the Conversâ—…on of the Gentiles upon the rejection of the Jews for their 〈◊〉 and crucifying of 〈◊〉 cannot be 〈◊〉 by any who will not arrogatâ—… to themselves a greater ability to interprâ—… the Prophesies of the old 〈◊〉 than Paul had who Rom. 10. 20. expresly so interpreteth it and applâ—…th it which sheweth the vanity of the Jews in their other interpretations of it 2 I have spread out my hands e Applied to the Jews Rom. 10. 21. I have stretched out my hands that is I have used all probable means to reduce them I have stretched out the hands of a passionate Orator to persuade them of a tender Mother to protect and defend them of a liberal Benefactor to load them with my Benefits this I have done continually in the whole course of my Providence with them yet all the day long to a rebellious people f They are a rebellious people Paul expoundeth it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a People not persuaded not believing but contradicting the will of God which walketh in a way that was not good g That walketh in a way that is not good that term is not good often signifies what is very bad see 1 Sam. 2. 24. Prov. 28. 21. 24. 23. Psal. 36. 5. Though all sins be not equal yet what is not good is bad after their own thoughts h After their own thoughts What is here called after their own thoughts is elsewhere called a walking after the imaginations of their hearts an ordinary Phrase by which sin especially sins in the matter of the Worship of God are expressed eight times in the Prophet Ieremiah sinning is thus expressed Ier. 3. 17. 7. 24. 9. 14. 11. 8. 13. 10. 16. 12. 18. 12. 23. 17. so also Deut. 29. 19. Errours in matter of Worship are ordinarily thus expressed certainly to let us know that all Worship must be according to Gods revealed Will and of such errours this Text seemeth by what followeth to speak though indeed the reason of all sin is mens fondness of their own imaginations in opposition to Gods revealed Will whence it is that self-denial is made the Law of a Discipleship to Christ. 3 A people that provoketh me to anger i That the Jews are the People here intended is without question the Prophet speaking of the calling of the Gentiles upon their rejection reckons up their sins which were the causes For though their rejection and crucifying of Christ was that sin which was the proximate cause yet God did but visit on that Generation their Iniquities and the iniquities of their fathers together they having by that act filled up their measure They had provoked God continually to anger to his face continually to my face k Either in his Temple the place where he used to manifest himself or considering what followeth more probably the Phrase signifieth their impudence not taking notice of Gods Omnipresence and Omniscience that sacrificeth in gardens and burneth incense ‖ Or upon brick upon altars of brick l The particular provocations instanced in are deviations in the matter of divine Worship Sacrificing in gardens is one thing instanced in and burning incense on brick or altars of brick is another Deut. 12. 13. there was a particular Altar of Gold appointed for Incense Exod. 40. 5. God commanded Exod. 20. 24 25. That his Altars should be made of Earth or rough stone This people transgressed both these Laws sacrificing in gardens for which the Prophet reflected on them ch 1. 29. and again ch 66. 17. whether in gardens consecrated to Idols or in such Gardens as the Heathens worshipped Idols in is not much material for us to know and burning incense upon altars of brick directly contrary to the divine Rule Their Worship was doubtless Idolatrous and these Phrases signifie committing Idolatry but the expressing that sin by these Phrases lets us know that the doing contrary to the direction of the Divine Rule in Gods Worship is a great part of the sinfulness of Idolatry 4 Which remain amongst the graves m They remained amongst the Graves either there expecting Revelations by dreams or there consulting with Devils who were thought to delight in such places or to practice Necromancy all which were forbidden Deut. 18. 11. ch 8. 19. and and lodge in the monuments n And they lodged in the Monuments the Hebrew word here used gives advantage to Interpreters to vary in their senses The word signifying onely places kept or observed some interpret it of Idol Temples some of Caves and Denns in which the Heathens used to worship their Idols some of Tombs or Monuments for dead persons besides the Idolatry of the thing there was in it a sinful imitation of the Heathens and a swerving from the Rule which God had given them which eat swines flesh o They also are Swines flesh contrary to the divine Law Lâ—…v 11. 7. Deut. 14. 8. and they indured in their vessels and ‖ pieces broth of abominable things p Broth of abominable things so the word is used Iud. 6. 19 20. others read it parts or pieces of abominable things that is broth or pieces of such flesh as was to the Jews unclean by the Law Levit. 11. Every Creature of God is good but Gods Prohibition had made the flesh of divers Creatures an abominable thing to the Jews they might not touch their flesh Lev. 11 28. but they taking the measures of their duty from their Appetite or from their Reason concluding from natural Principles made no Conscience of the positive Law of God This was their iniquity which is further aggravated in the next verse in their vessels 5 Which say Stand by thy self come not near to me for I am holier than thou q Though they were so exceedingly guilty yet they pretended to a singular Sanctity so as they would not suffer others to come near or touch them The Samaritans are usually charged with this uncharitableness and the use of this form of Words but as some do more excuse the Samaritans than the other Jews as to this rigour so it may be questioned whether they