or 2. God of whose works of Nature he here speaks or 3. God as the chief Author and Directer and man as Gods Instrument in the work setteth an end g Or a bound how far the darkness shall reach and how far the dark and hidden parts and Treasures of the Earth shall be searched and discovered and brought to light * Ch. 1â—… â—…2 to darkness and searcheth out all perfection h i. e. Metals and Minerals which are nothing else but Earth concocted and hardened and brought to maturity and perfection Or unto all perfection i. e. he perfectly and exactly searcheth them out although the Hebrew Lamed may be here only a Note of the Accusative Case as our translation takes it the stones i Either Gems and precious Stones which are called by this word Prov. 26. 8. or those stones out of which the metals forementioned are taken of darkness and the shadow of Death k Which lie hid in the dark and deadly shades and bowels of the Earth 4. The flood breaketh out l This Verse speaks either 1. Of another great and remarkable work of God whereby in some places either new Rivers break forth or old Rivers break in upon the Inhabitants and drive them away and in other places Rivers or other Waters are dried up or derived into other channels or grounds by which means these Lands are rendred more useful and fruitful Or rather 2. Of an accident which commonly happens in Mines where whilest men are digging a flood of Waters breaks in suddenly and violently upon them and disturbs them in their work from the Inhabitant m Heb. from with the Inhabitant i. e. out of that part of the Earth which the Miners in a manner inhabit or where they have their fixed abode and for the most part dwell Or so that there is no Inhabitant or abideâ—… i. e. so that the Miners dare continue there no longer but are forced to come away even the Waters n Which word is easily and fitly understood out of the foregoing word flood Or without this supplement the flood may be said to be forgotten c. that singular word being collectively taken and so conveniently joined with this word of the plural number forgotten of the foot o i. e. Untrodden by the foot of man such Waters as men either never did pass over or by reason of their depth cannot pass over or such as though the Miners at first for a while did pass over yet now cannot or dare not do so any more Forgetfulness is here ascribed to the foot as it is to the hand Psalm 137. 5. and it is put for ignorance or unacquaintedness as all sinners are said to forget God though many of them never remembred nor minded him they are dried up they are gone away from men p Heb. they are dried up or drawn up to wit by Engines made for that purpose from men i. e. from the Miners that they may not be hindred in their work Or with or by men the prefix Mem being oft put for Beth i. e. by the labour of men they remove or vanish or pass away and so the Miners return to their work 5. As for the Earth out of it q Out of the upper parts of the Earth cometh bread r Bread-corn or other food for mans use and under it s Either 1. under the same Earth which either at the same time yields bread out of its upper and fire out of its lower parts or at several times that Earth which once was fruitful becoming by the disposition of divine Providence barren and sulphureous c. Or 2. Under other parts of the Earth is turned up t i. e. Is digged out and setched up as it were * Ezek. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fire u Either Gold and pretious Stones which glitter and sparkle like fire or Coals and Brimstone and other materials of Fire 6. The stones of it are the place of Saphirs x i. e. Of pretious Stones the Saphire as one of the most eminent being put for all the rest In some parts of the Earth the Saphires are mixed with stones and cut out of them and polished Of this stone see Exod. 24. 10. Ezek. 1. 26. Cant. 5. 14. Laâ—… 4. 7. and it hath y i. e. The Earth containeth in or under it ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dust of Gold z Which is a distinct thing from that Gold which is found in the mass or lump of which v. 2. both sorts of Gold being found in the Earth 7. There is a path a To wit in the dark depths and Bowels of the Earth which no fowl knoweth and which the Vultures b Whose Eye is very quick and strong and which searcheth all places for its Prey but cannot reach to these places which yet the Wisdom of man by the direction of Gods Providence find eth out Eye hath not seen 8. The Lions Whelps c Heb. the sons of Pride a fit name for Lions which are lofty and stately Creatures despising both men and all other Beasts that oppose them have not trodden it noâ—… the fierce Lion d Which rangeth all places for Prey and findeth out the deepest Dens and Caves of the Earth The Birds and Beasts have oft times led men to such places as otherwise they should â—…ver have found out but they could not lead men to these Mines but the finding out of them is a special gift of God and an act of that Wisdom which he hath put into man passed by it 9. * 〈◊〉 5. He putteth forth his hand upon the ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rock e This and the now next Verses are meant either 1. Of other eminent and considerable works of God who sometimes overturneth Rocks and produceth new Rivers in unlikely places Or rather 2. Of the same work of mining and digging for Gold or other pretious things of the Earth and of other effects of Mans Art and Wisdom in that work The Miners resolve to break through all opposition and by Iron tools or Fire or other ways dig through the hardest Rocks he overturneth the mountains by the roots f He undermineth the very Mountains to find out the Metals lying at the bottom of them 10. He cutteth out Rivers among the Rocks g He maketh channels there to convey away that water which was breaking in upon him and if not thus diverted would have spoiled his work of which see on v 4. and his Eye seeth every precious thing h Having with great art and indeâ—…atigable Industry broke through all difficulties he at last arriveth at his end and finds out those precious Treasures which he sought for 11. He bindeth the floods †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from overflowing i He restraineth them and as it were bindeth them to their good behaviour that they may not overflow the Mine and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light k
the same Violence and Cruelty and Injustice that Thieves use * Ezek. 22. 12. 〈◊〉 4. 18. 〈◊〉 3. 11. every one loveth gifts g i. e. Bribes given to pervert Justice which are severely forbidden Deut. 10. 17. 27. 25. and followeth after rewards h Pursuing them with all eagerness and by all means possible they * Jer. 5. 28. 〈◊〉 7. 10. judge not the fatherless neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them i They are so far from doing them Justice that they will not so much as give them a fair Hearing of their Cause because they cannot make their way to them by Gifts 24 Therefore saith the Lord the LORD of hosts the mighty One of Israel Ah * Deut. 28. 63. I will ease me k Heb. I will comfort my self ease my Mind and satisfie my Justice by taking vengeance as the next Clause explains this The same Expression is used in the same sense Ezek. 5. 13. of mine adversaries l Of the Israelites who though they have called themselves my Children and Friends yet by their Temper and Carriage towards me have shewed themselves to be mine Enemies and avenge me of mine enemies 25 And I will turn my hand upon thee m To chastise thee again which God threatned that he would not do v. 5. but now promiseth that he will do it not in fury or so as utterly to destroy them but in mercy and with moderation so as to purge them as it here follows and †Heb. accordâ—…ng to pureâ—… * Jer. 6. 29. â—… 9. 7. Mal. 〈◊〉 purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin n I will purge out of thee and destroy those wicked Men that are incorrigible and infectious to others and for those of you that are curable I will by my Word and by the Furnace of Affliction purge out all that Hypocrisie and Corruption that yet remains in you and requires so sharp a Cure 26 And I will restore thy judges o I will give thee such Princes and Magistrates as at the first p Heb. As thou hadst in the beginning either 1. of thy Common-wealth such as Moses and Ioshua or 2. of thy Kingdom such as David and thy counsellers q Thy Princes shall have and hearken to wise and faithful Counsellors which is a singular Blessing to a Prince and People as at the beginning afterward * Zech. 8. â—… thou shalt be called q To wit justly and truly thou shalt be such for to be called is oft put for to be as Isa. 4. 3. 61. 6. Mat. 5. 9. The city of righteousness the faithful city 27 Zion r The Iews that live in or near Zion and worship God in Zion shall be redeemed s Shall be delivered from all their Enemies and Calamities with judgment t Or by judgment i. by Gods righteous Judgment purging out those wicked and incorrigible Iews who by their Sins hindred the Deliverance of the People and punishing and destroying their unmerciful Enemies who kept them in cruel Bondage as he did to the Babylonians whereby he made the way open for their deliverance and ‖ Or they that return of her her converts u Heb. her returners those of them who shall come out of Captivity into their own Land with righteousness x Or by righteousness i. e. either by my Faithfulness in keeping my Promise of delivering them after seventy years or by my Goodness for both these come under the name of righteousness in Scripture-use 28 And y Or rather But as that Particle is oft used for here is a manifest opposition the * Job 31. 3. Psal. 1. 6. 5. 6. 73. 27. 92. 9. 104. 35. †Heb. breaking destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together z Though I will deliver my People from the Babylonish Captivity yet those of them who shall still go on in their wickedness shall not have the benefit of that Mercy but are reserved for a more dreadful and total destruction and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed 29 For they shall be ashamed a Not with an ingenuous and penitential shame for the Sin but with an involuntary and penal shame for the disappointment of their hopes which they had in their Idols of the ‖ Or gods Chap. 57. 5. â—…r idols oaks which ye have desired b Which after the manner of the Heathen you have consecrated to Idolatrous Uses that under them you might worship your Idols as they did Ezek. 6. 13. Hos. 4. 13. See also Isa. 57. 5. Ier. 2. 20. 3. 6. and ye shall be confounded for the gardens c In which as well as in the Groves they committed Idolatry of which we read Isa. 65. 3. 66. 17. that ye have chosen d To wit for the Place of your Worship which is opposed to the Place which God had chosen and appointed for his Worship 30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth and as a garden that hath no water e As you have sinned under the Oaks and in Gardens so you shall be made like unto Oaks and Gardens not when they are green and flourishing but when they wither and decay 31 And the strong f Either 1. your Idols which you think to be strong and able to defend you as appears by your Confidence in them or 2. the strongest Persons among you who think to secure themselves against the threatned danger by their Wealth or Power or Wisdom and much more they that are weak and helpless shall be as tow g Shall be as suddenly and easily consumed by my Judgments as Tow is by Fire ‖ Or and his work and the maker of it h The Maker of the Idol who can neither save himself nor his Workmanship Or his work either all that he doth or can do or that which he hath done his wicked course of Life shall bring him to ruine as a spark and they shall both burn together and none shall quench them CHAP. II. THe word a Or the matter or thing as this Hebrew word commonly signifies the Prophecy or Vision that I saiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem 2 And b Or Now as this Particle is rendred 1 Sam. 9. 1. Ezra 1. 1. c. * Mic. 4. 1 c. it shall come to pass in the last days c In the Times of the Messias or the Gospel as the generality both of Jewish and Christian Writers understand it and as may further appear both from the use of this Phrase in this sence Ier. 48. 47. 49. 39. Ezek. 38. 8 16. Dan. 10. 14. Hos. 3. 5. Act. 2. 17. Heb. 1. 2. 1 Ioh. 2. 18. and from the Conversion of the Gentiles here promised which was not to be till that time
said to stand there because they are said to have entred into covenant with God because their Parents did so in their nâ—…me and for their use when the LORD said unto me Gather me the people together and I will make them hear my words that they may learn to fear me all the dayes that they shall live upon the earth and that they may teach their children 11 And ye came near and stood under the mountain and the * Exod. 19. 18. mountain burnt with fire unto the †Heb. heart midst of heaven h Flaming up into the air which is oft called Heaven and the midst or the heart of it is not onely that which is strictly and properly the middle part but that which is within it though but a little way in which sense places or persons or things are said to be in the heart of the Sea Exod. 15. 8. Prov. 23. 34. Ezek. 28. 2. and Christ in the heart of the Earth Matth. 12. 40. with darkness clouds and thick darkness 12 And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire ye heard the voice of the words but saw no similitude i i. e. No resemblance or representation of God whereby either his essence or properties or actions were represented such as were usual among the heathens †Heb. save a 〈◊〉 onely ye heard a voice 13 And he declared unto you his covenant which he commanded you to perform even * Exod. 34. 28. ten commandments and * Exod. 24. 12. he wrote them upon two tables of stone 14 And * Exod. 21. 1. the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments k i. e. The ceremonial and judicial Laws which are here distinguished from the moral or the Ten Commandements ver 13. that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it 15 Take ye therefore good heed unto your selves l By which caution he insinuates mans great proneness to the worship of images God who in other places and times did appear in a similitude in the fashion of a man now in this most solemn appearance when he comes to give eternal Laws for the regulation and direction of the Israelites in the worship of God and in their duty to men he purposely avoids all such representations to shew that he abhors all Worship of images or of himself by images of what kind soever as it here follows ver 16 17 18 19 because he is the invisible God and cannot be represented by any visible image See Isa. 40. 18. Act. 17. â—…9 for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb m out of the midst of the fire 16 Lest ye corrupt your selves n i. e. Corrupt your minds with mean and carnal thoughts of God Or corrupt your ways or courses by worshipping God in a corrupt manner or by falling into Idolatry and * Exod 24. 5. make you a graven image o To wit for worship or for the representation of God as it is explained ver 19. for otherwise it was not simply unlawful to draw the picture or make a figure of a man or a beast the similitude of any figure the likeness of male or female 17 The likeness of any beast p Whereby the Heathen nations did represent and worship God some by an Ox some by a Goat or an Hen or a Serpent or a Fish c. that is on the earth the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air 18 The likeness * Rom. 1. 23 of any thing that creepeth on the ground the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth 19 And lest thou * Chap. 17. 3. Joâ—… 31. 27. lift up thine eyes unto heaven and when thou seest the sun and the moon and the stars even * Gen. 2. 1. all the host of heaven shouldest be driven to worship them q i. e. Strongly enclined and in a manner constrained partly by the glory of these heavenly bodies which may seem to be made for higher purposes than to inlighten this lump of earth partly from that natural propension which is in men to Idolatry Or shouldest be driven or thrust to wit out of the way of the Lord as it is more fully expressed Deut. 13. 5. or be seduced or led aside as silly sheep easily are and worship them Or shouldest be cast down or throw down thy self and worship them i. e. Worship them by falling down before them and serve them which the LORD thy God hath ‖ Or 〈◊〉 divided unto all nations r Which are not Gods but Creatures made not for the worship but for the use of men yea of the meanest and most barbarous people under Heaven and therefore cannot without great absurdity be worshipped especially by you who are so much advanced above other Nations in Wisdome and Knowledge and in this that you are my peculiar people under the whole heaven 20 But the LORD hath taken you and * 1 King 8. 51. Jer. 11. 4. brought you forth out of the iron furnace s i. e. The furnace wherein Iron and other Metals are melted to which Egypt is fitly compared not only for the Torment and Misery which they there indured but also because they were throughly tried and purged thereby as Metals are by the fire even out of Egypt to be unto him a people of inheritance t His peculiar possession from generation to generation See Exod. 19. 5. Deut. 7. 6. Tit. 2. 14. And therefore for you to forsake God and worship Idols will be not only wickedness and madness but most abominable ingratitude as ye are this day 21 Furthermore * Num 20. 1â—… the LORD was angry with me for your sakes and sware that I should not go over Jordan and that I should not go in unto that good land which the LORD thy God giveth thee t God hath granted you the favour which he denyed to me which greatly increaseth your obligation to God for an inheritance 22 But I must die in this land I must not go over Jordan but ye shall go over and possess that good land 23 Take heed unto your selves lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God which he made with you and make you a graven image or the likeness of any thing * Exod. 20. 4 5. which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee u Or commanded thee to wit not to do which is easily understood by comparing this place with Exod. 20. 4 5. and with Gen. 3. 11. where this phrase is fully expressed See more on Levit. 4. 2. Deut. 3. 37. 24 For the * Chap. 9. â—… Isa. 33. 14. Heb. 12. 2â—… LORD thy God is a consuming fire x A just and terrible God who notwithstanding his special relation to thee will severely punish and destroy
order barbarous and rude and savage and brutish in their manners And yet these people I will prefer before you and take into your stead receive them and reject you which when it came to pass how desperately it provoked the Iews to jealousie may be gathered from Mat. 21. 43 c. Act. 11. 2 3. and 22. 21 22 23. 1 Thes. 2. 15 16. I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation g So the Gentiles were both in the opinion of the Iews and in truth and reality notwithstanding all their pretences to wisdom Rom. 1. 22. there being nothing more foolish or brutish than the worship of Idols See Ier. 10. 8. 1 Cor. 12. 2. 22 For * Jer. 15 14 Lam. 4. 11. a fire is kindled h i. e. Great and grievous judgments shall be inflicted which oft come under the name of fire c. See Deut. 4. 24. Ezek. 30. 8. Amos 2. 2 5. in mine anger and ‖ Or hath consumed shall burn unto the lowest hell i Or unto hell or the graves beneath The sence is it shall not onely burn up all the corn and fruits and buildings which appear above ground but it shall reach to the inwards and depths of the earth and burn up the very roots and hopes of future increase and ‖ Or hath burned shall consume the earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the mountains 23 I will * Isa. 26. 14 15. heap mischiefs upon them I will * Psal. 7. 12 13. Ezek. 5. 16. spend mine arrows k i. e. Even empty my quiver and send upon them all my plagues which like arrows shot by a skilful and strong hand shall speedily reach and certainly hit and mortally wound them Compare Zech. 9. 14. upon them 24 They shall be burnt with hunger l With famine which burneth and parcheth the inward parts and makes the face black as a coal Lam. 4. 8. and devoured with †Heb. burning coals Heb. 3. 5. burning heat m From fevers or carbuncles or other inflaming distempers and with bitter destruction I will also send * Lev. 26 22. the teeth of beasts upon them with the poyson of serpents of the dust n Who feed upon the dust Gen. 3. 14. and lurk in it that they may surprize unwary passengers Gen. 49. 17. 25 * Lam. 1. 20. Ezek. 7. 15. The sword without and terror †Heb. from the chambers within shall †Heb. bereâ—… destroy both the young man and the virgin the suckling also with the man of gray hairs 26 I said I would scatter them into corners I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men 27 Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy o i. e. Their rage against me as it is expressed Isa. 37. 28 29. their insolent and furious reproaches against my name as if I were unnatural and cruel to my people or unable to deliver them Compare Exod. 32. 12. Numb 14. 13. Deut. 9. 28. Ios. 7. 9. The fear hereof is ascribed to God after the manner of men lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely p i. e. Insolently and arrogantly above what they used to do Or make themselves strangers i. e. either really not acknowledge or pretend they did not know that which I had publickly declared and they either did or easily might have known to wit that this judgment was inflicted upon them by my hand for their sins and lest they should say ‖ Or our high hand and not the LORD hath done all this Our hand is high and the LORD hath not done all this 28 For they q Either 1. the enemies last mentioned who are foolish people and therefore make so false and foolish a judgment upon things Or rather 2. the Israelites themselves of whom he speaks both in the foregoing ver 26. and in the whole foregoing chapter and in the next v. 29. and afterwards are a nation void of counsel r That have not wisdom to direct themselves nor discretion to desire and receive counsel from others but rashly and madly go on in those courses which will certainly ruine them neither is there any understanding in them 29 * Psal. 94. 8. O that they were wise that they understood this * Lam. 1. 9. that they would consider their latter end s What their end will be and that although God spare them long yet at last judgment will certainly overtake them 30 How should * Josh. 23. 10. 2 Chro. 24. 24. Isa. 30. 17. one chase a thousand t Whence should this miraculous change come that whereas God had promised that five Israelites should chase an hundred of their enemies c. Levit. 26. 8. now on the contrary one enemy should chase a thousand Israelites and two put ten thousand to flight except their Rock u i. e. Their God as before ver 4 18. who was their onely refuge and defence * Psal. 44. 12. Isa. 50. 1. and 52. 3. had sold them x To wit for bondslaves had quitted his right and relation to them and given them up into their enemies hands and the LORD had shut them up y As it were in the net which their enemies had laid for them 31 For their rock is not as our Rock even our enemies themselves being judges z Who by their dear bought experience have been forced to acknowledge that our God was far stronger than they and their â—…ise Gods together See Exod. 14. 25. Num. 23. 1 Sam. 4. 8. Ier. 40. 3. 32 For a Or But for these words seem to contain an answer to that question ver 30. how should c. To this he answers 1. Negatively it was not from impotency in God for if he had not forsaken and delivered them up they could not have been so easily chased 2. Positively But saith he the true reason was this their vine c. their vine ‖ Or is worse than the vine of Sodom c. is of the vine of Sodom b The people of Israel which I planted and brought up as a choice vine are now degenerated and become like the vine of Sodom their principles and practises are all corrupt and abominable Compare Isa. 1. 10. and of the fields of Gomorrah their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are bitter c Their fruits or actions are most loathsome to me malicious and mischievous to others and at last will be pernicious to themselves 33 Their wine is the poison of dragons d For although some write that the Dragons of Greece have no poison in them yet that the African and Arabian Dragons of which Moses here writes have poison in them is confessed by antient heathen authors and the cruel venom of asps e Whose poison kills certainly and speedily as Aristotle and others write 34 Is not this
place being Sanctified by Gods special presence in and by the Angel and offered burnt-offerings u To make atonement for his sins and peace-offerings x To praise God for his Gracious manifestation of himself so the LORD was intreated for the land y As appeared both by fire from Heaven which consumed the Sacrifices as was usual in such cases and by the speedy cessation of the Plague and the plague was stayed from Israel I. KINGS The ARGUMENT THese two Books called of the Kings because they treat of the Kings of Judah and Israel were written by the Prophets or Holy Men of God living in or near their several times and by some one of them digested into this order But whoever was the Penman that these are a part of those Holy Scriptures which were Divinely inspired is sufficiently evident First From the concurring Testimony of the whole Jewish Church in all Ages to whom were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. who also did Faithfully discharge their Duty in preserving and delivering them entirely and truly to their Posterity from time to time as plainly appears because Christ and his Apostles who reproved them freely for their several sins never taxed them with this fault of depraving the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament Secondly Because this is manifest concerning divers parcels of them which were taken out of the Records of the Prophets Nathan Ahijah and Iddo 2 Chron. 9. 29. and out of the Prophesies of Isaiah and Jeremiah and the rest doubtless were of the same nature Thirdly From the approbation of these Books by the New Testament both generally as 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is given by inspiration from God c. which is affirmed concerning all those Holy Scriptures which Timothy had known from a child v. 15. and therefore must necessarily be meant of all the Books of the Old Testament which the Jews owned for Canonical Scripture and particularly Rom. 11. 2 3. c. where a passage out of these Books is quoted and owned as a part of the Holy Scripture called the Scripture by way of eminency CHAP I. NOW king David was old and ‡ Heb. entred into days stricken in years a Being in the end of his seventieth Year and they covered him with cloathes but he gat no heat b Which is not strange in a person not onely of so great an age but also who had been exercised with so many hardships in War and with such tormenting cares and fears and sorrows for his own sins as divers of his Psalms witness and for the sins and miseries of his Children and People See Prov. 17. 22. Besides this might be from the nature of his Disease or Bodily Distemper 2 Wherefore his servants c His Physicians said unto him ‡ Heb. let them seek Let there be sought for my lord the king ‡ Heb. a damsel a virgin a young virgin d Whose Natural heat is fresh and wholsom and not impaired with bearing or breeding of Children The same counsel doth Galen give for the cure of some cold and dry Distempers and let her stand before the king e i. e. Minister unto him or wait upon him as this Phrase is oft used in his sickness as occasion requires and let her ‡ Heb. be a cherisher unto him cherish him and let her lie in thy bosom f As his Wife or Concubine for that she was so may appear by divers arguments First Otherwise this had been a wicked counsel and course which therefore neither his Servants durst have prescribed nor would David have used especially being now in a dying condition And seeing this was easily prevented by his taking her for his Concubine which then was esteemed allowable it is absurd to think that he would not chuse the safer way 2dly That passage v. 4. but the king knew her not implies that the King might have had carnal knowledge of her without sin or scandal Thirdly It appears from this Phrase of lying in his bosom which is every where in Scripture mentioned as the priviledge of a Wife and Concubine as Gen. 16. 5. Deut. 13. 6. 2 Sam. 12. 8. Mic. 7. 5. Fourthiy This made Adonijah's crime in desiring her to Wife so hainous in Solomon's account because he wisely saw that by Marrying the Kings Wife he designed to revive his pretence to the Kingdom at least in case of Solomon's death which pretence had been ridiculous if she had been onely the Kings handmaid that my lord the king may get heat 3 So they sought for a fair damsel g Whose beauty might ingage his affections and refresh his spirits and invite him to those embraces which might communicate some of her Natural heat to him as was designed throughout all the coasts of Israel and found Abishag a Shunammite h Of the City of Shunem in Issachar Ios. 19. 18. See 2 King 4. 8. and brought her to the king 4 And the damsel was very fair and cherished the king and ministred unto him but the king knew her not i Which is mentioned to note the continuance and progress of the Kings malady and the ground of Adonijah's Rebellion and of his following request chap. 2. 17. 5 ¶ Then k Upon notice of the desperateness of the Kings Disease and the approach of his death Adonijah the son of Haggith l See 2 Sam. 3. 4. exalted himself m Entertained high thoughts and designs saying I will ‡ Heb. reign be king n As the right of the Kingdom is mine v. 6. so I will now take possession of it lest Solomon attempt to deprive me of it and he prepared him charets and horsemen and fifty men to run before him o As Absalom had done upon the like occasion 2 Sam. 15. 1. such ill use did he make of that example that he committed the same wickedness which he had done and yet feared not the same disappointment and destruction which he brought upon himself 6 And his father had not displeased him ‡ Heb. from his days at any time p This is noted as David's great error and the occasion of Adonijah's presumption in saying Why hast thou done so q He neither restrained him from nor reproved him for his miscarriages which was a great sin against that plain Law Levit. 19. 17. and severely punished in Eli which David was not ignorant of except Adonijah's errors were small or concealed from David And he also r This particle relates either â—…irst To Absalom here following who also was a goodly man Or rather Secondly to what goes before to signifie that this was a second ground of his confidence because his great comeliness made him amiable in the peoples eyes as his Fathers indulgence was the first was a very goodly man and his mother bare him after Absalom s i. e. Next after Absalom was born of his Mother See 2 Sam.
I despair No I will not I know he is a just and a faithful and merciful God and he knows that mine Heart is upright before him and that I am no Hypocrite but c Though I will trust in him yet I will humbly expostulate the matter with him I will †Heb. prove or argue maintain mine own ways d I will argue or prove or demonstrate my ways i. e. I will make a full free Confession of the whole course of my Life and I will boldly though submissively assert mine own Integrity which he also will I doubt not acknowledge And what I have done amiss I will as freely confess and make Supplication to my judge for the pardon of it before him e Before his Tribunal for I desire no other Judge but him 16. He also shall be or is my Salvation f I rest assured that he will save me out of these miseries sooner or later one way or other if not with a temporal yet with an eternal Salvation after Death of which he speaks Ch. 19. 25 c. for g Or but as this particle commonly signifies for this Clause is put by way of opposition to the former and the sense is But if I were an Hypocrite as you alledge I durst not present my self before him to plead my Cause with him as now I desire to do nor could I hope for any Salvation from or with him in Heaven an Hypocrite shall not come before him 17. Hear diligently my Speech h This he desired before v. 6. and now repeateth either because they manifested some neglect or dislike of his Speech and some desire to interrupt him Or because he now comes more closely to his business the foregoing Verses being mostly in way of Preface to it and my declaration i i. e. The words whereby I declare my Mind with your Ears 18. Behold now I have ordered my †Heb. judgment Cause k To wit within my self I have seriously and sincerely considered the state of my case and what can be said either for me or against me and am ready to plead my Cause I know that I shall be justified l i. e. Acquitted by God from that Hypocrisie and Wickedness wherewith you charge me and declared a righteous and innocent person humane Infirmities excepted 19. Who is he that will plead with me m Where is the man that will do it Nay Oh that God would do it which here he implies and presently expresseth For now if I hold my Tongue I shall give up the Ghost n My grief for Gods heavy Hand and for your bitter Reproaches would break my Heart if I should not give it vent 20. Only do not Two things unto me o Which Two he expresseth v. 21. then will I not hide my self from thee p Then shall I boldly present my self and Cause before thee 21. * Ch. 9. 34 35. 33. 7. Withdraw thine hand far from me q i. e. Suspend my Torments during the time of my pleading with thee that my Mind may be at liberty and let not thy dread make me afraid r Do not present thy self to me in terrible Majest neither deal with me in rigorous Justice but hear me meekly as one man heareth another and plead with me upon those gracious Terms wherewith thou usest to deal with Mankind 22. Then call thou and I will answer or let me speak and answer thou me s Then chuse thy own Method Either do thou charge me with Hypocrisie or more than common Guilt and I will deâ—…end my self Or I will argue with thee concerning thy extraordinary severity towards me and do thou â—…hew me the reasons of it This proposal savoured of too great self-confidence and of Irreverence towards God for which and such like Speeches he is reproved by God Ch. 38. 2 3. 40. 2. 23. How many are mine Iniquities and sins t That I am a sinner I confess but that I am guilty of so many or such heinous Crimes as my Friends suppose I utterly deny and if I be so do thou O Lord discover it to my shame Make me to know my transgression and my Sin u If peradventure my heart deceive me therein for I am not conscious to my self of any enormous crime 24. Wherefore hidest thou thy Face x i. e. Withdrawest thy favour and help which thou didst use to afford me as this Phrase is commonly used as Deut. 31. 17. Psal. 13. 1. 102. 2. c. and * Deut. 32. 20. Ruth 1 21. Ch. 16. 9. 19. 11. 33. 10. holdâ—…st me for thine Enemy y i. e. Dealest as harshly with me as if I were thy professed Enemy 25. * Isa. 42. 3. Wilt thou break a Leaf driven to and fro And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble z Doth it become thy infinite and excellent Majesty to use all thy might to crush such a poor impotent frail Creature as I am that can no more resist thy Power than a Leaf or a little loose and dry straw can resist the fury of the Wind or Fire 26. For thou writest a i. e. Thou appointest or inflictest A Metaphor from Princes or Judges who antiently used to write their Sentences or Decrees concerning Persons or Causes brought before them See Psal. 149. 9. Ier. 22. 30. Ioh. 19. 22. bitter things b i. e. A terrible Sentence or most grievous punishments against me and * Psa. 25. 7. makest me to possess the Iniquities of my Youth c Thou dost now at once bring upon me the punishment of all my sins not excepting those of my Youth which because of the Folly and weakness of that Age are usually excused or winked at or at least but gently punished 27. * Chap 〈◊〉 11. Thou puttest my Feet also in the stocks d Thou encompassest me with thy Judgments that I may have no way or possibility to escape and †Heb. observest lookest narrowly unto all my Paths e When thou hast me fast in Prison thou makest a strict and diligent search into all the actions of my life that thou mâ—…ist find matter to condemn me thou settest a Print upon the †Heb. roots Heels of my Feet f i. e. Thou followest me close at the Heels either to observe my Actions or to pursue me with thy Judgments so that thou dost oft tread upon my Heels and leave the prints of thy Footsteps upon them 28. And he g Either 1. Man or Iob supposed to be Gods Adversary in this contest So he speaks of himself in the third Person as is usual in this and other sacred Books So the Sense is He i. e. this poor frail Creature this Carkass or Body of mine which possibly he pointed aâ—… with his Finger consumeth or pineth away c. So he mentions here the effect of Gods severe proceedings against him to
were not at this time carried into Captivity and certain it is that amongst the Jews there was such a generation from whom the Pharisees in our Saviours time were derived and this was the reason of their not eating excâ—…pt they washed when they came from the Market Mark 7. 4. lest peradventure they should there have touched some Heathen or some person who was legally unclean These are a smoak in ‖ Or 〈◊〉 my nose r Thus they esteemed themselves holier than others though all their holiness lay in these rituals and those too such as God never commanded And indeed those who most exceed in such ritual Holiness lying meerly in a separation from others by the usage of some unwritten traditions come most short in moral and true Holiness For of these God saith These are a smoak in my nostrils a fire that burneth all the day that is a continual provocation to me as smoak is an offence to our Noses Prov. 10. 26. which seemeth to be the sense rather than what some make who make it a threaming of Gods wrath smoaking against them which is sufficiently expressed in the following verses a fire that burneth all the day 6 Behold it is written before me s They may think that I take no notice of these things or if I take any notice I will forget them or at least not enter into judgment with them for them but I as certainly know and will remember them as Princes or great men that record things in writing which they would not forget And they shall know that I know and take notice of and will remember them for I will not keep silence t I will not long neglect the punishment of them though for a while I have delayed it like a man who bites in his wrath for some wise reasons which are known unto himself best Psal. 50. 21. but will recompense even recompense into their bosom u My punishment of them shall be severe and certain but yet it shall be just but a giving them what is their own as they are obnoxious to my Justice Ier. 32. 18. Deut. 7. 10. like the payment of an Ox for an Ox Exod. 21 36. where the same word is used they have been froward against me and I will shew my self froward against them Psal. 18. 26. 7 Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together x Yea and when I reckon with them I will punish them not onely for their personal sins but for the sins of their Parents which they have testified their approbation of by continuing in them and so made them their own by an apish sinful imitation saith the Lord which have burnt incense upon the mountains y Their Fathers burnt Incense upon the mountains there performing to Idols that homage which I obliged them to pay unto me or if any of them pretend it was to me though before an Image yet it was in a way which I directed them not who had appointed them the place where I would be worshipped and blasphemed me upon the hills z So as that instead of blessing they indeed blasphemed me upon the hills instead of speaking well they spake ill of my name worshipping me in a way which I had not appointed and for which they onely took their copy from Idolaters therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom a Therefore I will punish them and that justly as he that rendereth another his due by measure giving measure for measure and weight for weight only they must expect that I should not onely punish the late sins that they have committed of this nature but the forâ—…er sins of this kind which those in this nation that went before this present Generation did commit and the presentage hath continued in the guilt of 8 Thus saith the Lord as the new wine is found in the cluster and one saith destroy it not b These words must be conceâ—…ved as a gracious answer from God to the Prophet saying as Abraham Gen. 18. 23. 25. or as Moses Ex. 32. 11 12 13. pleading Gods covenant with Abraham Isaac and Israel To this God repheth that he intended no such severity the unfaithfulness of men should not make his promise of no effect Rom. 3. 3. His threatning should be made good upon the generality of this people whose Vine was of Sodom and of the fields of Goâ—… Deut. 32. 32. for a * Joel 2. 14. blessing is in it c But yet as in a Vineyard which is generally unfruitful there may be some particular Vine that brings forth fruit or as in a Vine which is full of luxuriant branches that bring forth no fruit there may be here and there a branch that bringeth forth fruit and hath the hopâ—…s of new wins in the câ—…uster and as to such the Gardiner bids his Servant destroy it not or them not for they are fruitful there is in them what speaketh Gods blessing or what may be of use and do us good so will I do for my servants sake d So â—…aith God will I do for my Servants sake that I may not destroy them all either for the sake of my Servants Abraham Isaac and Iacob with whom I anciently made a Covenant or for my Servant Davids sake or for the sake of such as are my Elect at this time amongst them see Ier. 30. 11. Amos 9. 8. that I may not destroy them all 9 And I will bring a seed out of Jacob e No seed beareth a proportion to the tree or plant that it produceth but in comparison with that is very little yet it is enough through the vertue which the God of nature hath put into it to preserve and uphold the species to which it doth relate They are but a remnant saith God that shall be saved see Rom. 11. 5. but a small number that shall come out of the Captivity of Babylon or which I rather chuse they will be but a few that shall believe in my Son yet they shall be enough for my promise to live in this Paul argueth Rom. 11. as the plant yet lives in the seed when the root is pluckt up the leaves dropt off and the Stalk is burnt up so the promise of God lives in a few when the generality of a people for their sins are cast off and destroyed The favour of God to men and the promise of God to good men lived in one family of Lot when the five Cities were burned and in the one family of Noah when the world was drowned the favour and promise of God to Abraham Isaac and Iacob and David lived in the few that returned out of Babylon and in those few who under the Gospel received Christ and believed in him though the generality of them rejected the counsel of God against themselves and out of Judah f God further promiseth to bring out of Iudah an inheritor of his Mountains which the