might be observed Or 4. there are included here the 30000 which belonged to the 30 Colonels mentioned Chap. 23. who are Excluded 1 Chron. 21. although it be questionable whether those were all of the Tribe of Iudah men 10 ¶ And Davids heart smoâ—…e s His Conscience discerned his Sin and he was heartily sorry for it And the occasion of his Repentance was Gods Message by the Prophet Gad as it here follows ver 11. For when c. as formerly God's Message by Nathan had the same effect 2 Sam. 12. Both which Passages are Noted to shew how necessary the further and repeated supplies of God's grace are even to the best of men to raise them when they fall into Sin him after that he had numbred the people and David said unto the LORD I have sinned greatly in that I have done and now I beseech thee O LORD take away the iniquity of thy servant for t Because I am sensible of my Sin and Folly as it is more fully Expressed Psal. 51. 5 6. Or although as this Particle is oft used I have done very foolishly 11 For when David was up in the morning the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad Davids * 2 Châ—… 29. 〈◊〉 seer u So called because he was a Prophet for such were called Seers 1 Sam. 9. 9. now and at other times employed by God to Reveal his Mind and Will to David See 1 Sam. 22. 5. 1 Chron. 29. 29. saying 12 Go and say unto David Thus saith the LORD I offer thee three things choose thee one of them that I may do it unto thee 13 So Gad came to David and told him and said unto him Shall seven years of famine x Obj. In 1 Chron. 21. 12. it is onely three years of famine Ans. 1. Some conceive that here was an Error in the Transcriber and that the true Reading is three years as the LXX read it in this place being supposed to have found it so in their Copiâ—…s and that otherwise they durst never have presumed to make so great a change in the Text. 2. In Chron. he speaks exactly of those years of Famine onely which came for David's Sin but here he speaks more confusedly and comprehensively including those Three years of Famine sent for Saul's Sin Chap. 21. And this Sin of David's was Committed in the Year next after them which was in a manner a year of Famine either because it was the Sabbatical Year wherein they might not Sow nor Reap or rather because not being able to Sow in the Third Yeaâ—… because of the Excessive Drought they were not capable of Reaping this Fourth Year And Three Years more being added to these Four make up the Seven here mentioned So the meaning of the Words is this As thou hast already had Four Years of Famine shall Three years more come And that it is said of these Seven Years that they shall come it is a Synecdochical Expression frequent in Scripture because part of the years were yet to come Even as it is said of the Israelites that they should wander in the wilderness forty years Numb 14. 33. when part of that time was already spent come unto thee in thy land or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies while they pursue thee or that there be three days pestilence in thy land now advise and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me 14 And David said unto Gad I am in a great strait let us fall now into the hand of the LORD y To wit his immediate Stroke which is chiefly in the Pestilence for though the Sword and Famine be also God's Hand yet there is also the hand of Man or other Creatures in them The reason of this choice was partly his Experience in and confidence of God's great goodness partly because the other Judgments especially the Sword had been more dishonourable not onely to David but also to God and to his People and to the True Religion and partly because he having sinned himself thought it just and reasonable to chuse such a Plague to which he was as obnoxious as his People whereas he had better fences foâ—… himself against Sword and Famine than they had for his mercies are ‖ Or 〈◊〉 great z And therefore will not exceed measure in his Strokes as meâ—… will do and let me not fall into the hand of man 15 ¶ So the LORD sent a Pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed a Either 1. From Morning to Evening which is here called the time appointed or the time of the convention or publick meeting as this Hebrew Word oft signifies i. e. till the time of the Evening-Prayer and Sacrifice when the people used more solemnly to meet together See Psal. 141. 2. Act. 3. 1. Thus God mitigated his Sentence and turned three days into one it being a thing not unusual with God to qualifie his threatnings and to take off the evil threatned sometimes wholly as in Ninevehs Case and sometimes in part And this God might do here upon the speedy and serious Repentance of David and of his People Or rather 2. from the morning or rather from that morning for the Article seems to be Emphatical and to denote That very morning in which Gad came to David ver 11. and that the Plague did immediately ensue after Gad's offer and David's choice even to the time appointed to wit by God i. e. for Three Days as God had set the time ver 13. Object If it continued Three Days how is it said That God repented him of the evil and stopped the Angel in his course ver 16 Answ. This he did in the beginning of the Third Day whereas otherwise it should have gone on to the end of the Day Or it may signify no more but this At the end of the third day God gave over smiting for then is God said after the manner of men to repent when he ceaseth to proceed as before he had done and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men b So the number of his people which was the matter of his pride and glorying was diminished 16 And when the angel c Which appeared in the shape of a Man with a Sword in his hand 1 Chron. 21. 16. to convince them more fully that this was no natural nor common Plague but inflicted immediately by the hand of God stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem d Which he had begun to smite and was proceeding to make a far greater slaughter to destroy it * â—… Sam. 15. 11. the LORD repented him of the evil e i. e. He moderated and in part recalled his Sentence of the Plagues continuance for three whole days and this he did upon David's Prayers and Sacrifices as appears from v. 25. though these be mentioned afterward and said to the angel that destroyed
the people It is enough stay now thine hand And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing-place of * â—… Chron. 21. 1â—… 20 21. Araunah f Called also Araunah in the Hebrew of v. 18. and Ornan 1 Chron. 21. 22. such changes in the pronunciation of the names being usual in Scripture the Jebusite 17 And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people and said Lo I have sinned and I have done wickedly but these sheep what have they done Let thine hand I pray thee be against me g Wherein David shews his Justice and Piety and Fatherly care of his people and that he was a Type of Christ. and against my fathers house h Against my nearest Relations who probably either put David upon or encouraged him in this action because they were no less vain-glorious than David and the honour which they thought would come to David thereby would also redound to them or at least they did not use their utmost indeavours to dissuade David from it as they should have done and therefore were involved in David's guilt Howsoever it was but fit and reasonable that his Family which did partake of his honour and happiness should also partake in his suffering rather than those who were less related to him Nor doth David absolutely desire that they may suffer but onely speaks comparatively and by way of supposition and with reference to Gods good pleasure 18 ¶ And Gad came that day to David i By command from God v. 19. 1 Chron. 21. 18. and said unto him Go up k To Mount Moriah rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite l Which place God appointed for this work partly in Gracious condescension to and compliance with David's fear of going to Gibeon which is expressed 1 Chron. 21. 29 30. partly because this was the place where God by his Angel appeared in a threatning posture where therefore it was meet he should be appeased and partly because God would hereby signify the translation of the Tabernacle from Gibeon hither and the erection of the Temple here 2 Chron. 3. 1. 19 And David according to the saying of Gad went up as the LORD commanded 20 And Araunah looked and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him and Araunah went out and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground 21 And Araunah said Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant m Wherefore doth the King do me this honour and give himself the trouble of coming to me And David said To buy the threshing-floor of thee to build an altar unto the LORD that ‡ Sacrifices may be offered and so the plague may be stayed from the people 22 And Araunah said unto David Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him Behold here be oxen n Which were employed by him in his present work which was threshing 1 Chron. 21. 20. See the notes on Deut. 25. 4. for burnt sacrifice and threshing-instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood 23 All these things did Araunah as a king o The Particle as being understood as it oft is in the Hebrew i. e. with a Royal bounty Or Araunah the king as he might be called either because he was King of the Iebusites before David took their City or because he was the Son and Heir of that King give p He not onely offered but actually gave them i. e. he actually resigned his right and property in them unto David for so he did and David by his refusal returned it to Araunah again unto the king and Araunah said unto the king The LORD thy God accept thee q He was a Iebusite by Nation but an hearty Proselyte which made him so liberal in his offers to Gods service and the common good of Gods people 24 And the king said unto Araunah Nay but I will shrely buy it of thee at a price neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing r For this would be both dishonourable to God as if I thought him not worthy of a costly Sacrifice and a disparagement to my self as if I were unable or unwilling to offer a Sacrifice of my own goods and unsatisfactory to the command of God which obligeth all offenders and me in a particular manner to offer Sacrifice of their own Estate So David * 1 Chr. 21 bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver s Obj. In 1 Chron. 21. 25. he is said to give for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight Ans. These two places may be fairly reconciled divers ways First Here he speaks of the price paid for the threshing-floor and oxen and Instruments and there for the whole place adjoyning on which the Temple and its Courts were built which certainly was very much larger than this Threshing-floor and probably had Araunah's House if not some others now built upon it Secondly The Shekels here may be of Gold and in 1 Chron. 21. of Silver and so the proportion of Gold to Silver being that of twelve to one 50 Shekels of Gold make 600 Shekels of Silver And whereas it may be objected That on the contrary these 50 Shekels are said to be of Silver and the 600 of Gold this they answer by another translation of the words For they render this place thus agreeably enough to the words and the order of the Hebrew Text he bought them for silver or for money as the Hebrew word Châ—…seph oft signifies and particularly in this very History in the Parallel place 1 Chron. 21. 24. where David desires to buy it for the full price or for full money where in the Hebrew it is for full silver even for fifty shekels to wit of Gold as it is expressed 1 Chron. 21. 25. which place they render thus and that consonantly to the Hebrew he gave shekels of gold of the value for the Hebrew word Mishkâ—…l signifies value as well as weight as was before noted on 2 Sam. 12. 30. of six hundred shekels to wit of Silver And this may seem added in the Book of the Chronicles lest it should be thought that the 50 Shekels here mentioned were but common and Silver Shekels Thirdly There is a considerable difference in the Phrase in these two places Here he mentions for what David bought it or what he was obliged to give for it and in Chronicles what he actually gave for it to wit of his Royal bounty over and besides the full price of it which was decent and convenient for so great a King and especially upon so great an occasion and to him who had given him such a noble example 25 And David built there an altar unto the LORD t Which he might well do having Gods command for it and the
Sea for Tarshish though Properly the Name of a Maritine place in Ciâ—…icia Ezek. 27. 25. 〈◊〉 1. 3. is usually put for the Sea as 1 Kings 10. 22. 2 Chron. 9. 21. Psal. 72. 10. Isa. 2. 16. Ier. 10. 9. are broken with an East-wind Albeit the Enemies of Ierusalem which are Compared to the raging Waters of the Sea in Psal. 46 2 3. may as fitly be Compared to Ships upon the Sea 8. As we have heard so have we seen q The predictions of the Prophets Either 2 Chron. 20. 14. or 2 Kings 19. 20. c. have been verified by the Events Or We have had late and fresh Experiences of such wonderful works of God as before we onely heard of by the Report of our Fathers in the city of the LORD of hosts in the city of our God God will establish it for ever r From this miraculous Deliverance we plainly see that God hath a singular Love to it and Care of it and therefore will defend her in all succeeding Ages against all her Enemies And so God would have done if Ierusalem had not forsaken God and forfeited his Favour and Protection Selah 9. We have thought of s It hath been the matter of our Serious and deep Meditation when we have been Worshipping there in thy Temple For when the Priests were offering Incense or Sacrifice the Religious People exercised themselves in holy Meditation or secret Prayer to God as may be gathered from Luk. 1. 10. and many other places of Scripture and from the Nature of the thing Or We have silently or Patiently waited for as some Anâ—…ient and other Interpreters â—…ender it thy loving kindness O God in the midst of thy temple 10. According to thy name O God so is thy praise t For this and such like glorious Actions thou art praised and acknowledged and Evidently proved to be such an one as thou hast affirmed thy self to be in thy Word God Almighty or Al-sufficient the Lord of Hâ—…sts the King of thy Church 〈◊〉 People and a strong Tower to all that trust in thee and all other things which thou art called in Scripture Thy Name is not an empty Title but is filled up with honourable and Praise-worthy Works answerable to it unto the ends of the earth thy right hand is full of righteousness u i. â—… Of righteous Actions by which thou discoverest thy Justice and Holiness in destroying the Wicked and incorrigible Enemies of thy People and in fulfilling thy Promises made to thy Church 11. Let mount x Synecdochically put for Ierusalem Zion rejoyce let the daughters of Judah y i. e. The other and lesser Cities and Towns or Villages i. e. all the People of Iudaâ—… for such are commonly called Daughters in Respect of the Mother City to which they are Subjects See Ios. 15. 45 and 17. 16. Psal. 45. 12. and 137 8. He mentions Iudah onely and not all Israel Partly because they were more immediately and Eminently concerned in Ierusalems Deliverance and principally because ten of the Tribes of Israel were now cut off from Ierusalem and from the Kingdom of David's House and possibly carried away Captive 2 Kings 18. 9 10. 11. be glad because of thy judgments z Upon thine and their Enemies At which they were glad not simply but because it was highly Conducible to God's Honour and to the Preservation and Enlargement of Gods Church in the World 12. Walk about Zion and go round about her a He speaketh Either 1. To the Enemies as Triumphing over them Or rather 2. To the People of that City and Kingdom who had been Eye Witnesses of this glorious work of God as appears from the following Verses tell the towers thereof b He bids them â—…ark well her â—…owers Bâ—…warks and Palaces here and v. 13. not with vain Ostentation or Carnal Confidence for he had said that God onely was their Refuge v. 3. but with thankfulness to God when they should find upon Enquiry that not one of them was demolished or â—…ny way defaced by so potent an Enemy 13. * 〈◊〉 sâ—…t your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark ye well her bulwarks ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consider c Or Exalt or Admire her palaces that ye may tell it to the generation following d That they may be excited to continue their Praises to God for this Mercy by which they hold and enjoy all their Blessings and to trust in God in the like Difficulties for the Future 14. For this God e is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death f Who hath done this great Work i. e. Whilest we have a being Birth and Life â—…nd the several Ages of Life and Death are oft ascribed to Churches and Commonwealths both in Scripture and in other Authors This Promise was made to the Old and earthly Ierusalem upon Condition of their Obedience wherein they failing so grossly lost the benefit of it but it is absolutely made good to the New and Heavenly Ierusalem the Church of Christ. PSAL. XLIX The ARGUMENT This Psalm is Penned upon the same Occasion with Psal. 39. and 73. to wit upon the Contemplation of the afflictions of Gods People and of the Prosperity and Glory of ungodly Men. The design is to justifie Gods Providence in this dark Dispensation and to shew that all things being Considered good Men have no cause for immoderate Dejection of Spirit nor wicked Men for glorying in their present Felicities To the chief musician a Psalm ‖ Or of for the sons of Korah 1. HEar this all ye people a Heb. All People Iews or Gentiles For all are concerued in this Matter as being apt to stumble and murmur at it give â—…ar all ye inhabitants of the World 2. Both * Psal. 6â—… 9. low and high rich and poor tother 3. My mouth shall speak of wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding b It concerns you diligently to attend to me for I am about to speak not of Vulgar and Trivial tâ—…ngs or 〈◊〉 as come suddenly into my Mind and rush as 〈◊〉 out of my Mouth but of such things as are the râ—…sult oâ—… my most 〈◊〉 and considerate thoughts and such aâ—… iâ—… 〈◊〉 obâ—…rve them and lâ—…y them to Heart will make you truly 〈◊〉 and keep you from those Errors and Follies and 〈◊〉 which the generality of Mankind for want of a right understâ—…g do run into 4. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 13. 3â—… I will incline mine ear c This is another Argâ—…ment to perswade them to hâ—…rken to him I will hearken what God by his Spirit speaks to me and that and nothing else will I now speak to you and therefore it is well worth your hearing I also shall joyn with you in attending to it that whilst I â—…each you I my self may learn the same Lesson For as Ministers now teach themselves whilst they teach
puff of Breath which quickly vanisheth away It is the same thing in effect with the wind shall take them l Or take them away as this verb signified Hos. 11. 13. and elsewhere but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain m Shall enjoy my favour and presence in my Temple 14 And shall say n Heb. And he shall say or and one shall say God will raise up a man who shall say these words and that with authority and efficacy so as the thing shall be done * Ch. 40. 3. 62. 10. Cast ye up cast ye up o Make causeways where it is needful for their safe and easie passage prepare the way take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people p Remove all things which may hinder them in their return 15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity whose name is Holy q Who is omnipotent everlasting and unchangeable holy in all his words and ways and therefore both can and will deliver his People as he hath promised to do I dwell in the high and holy place * Ps. 34. 18. 51. 17. 138. 6. Ch. 66. 2. with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit r With such also whose Spirits are broken and humbled by Afflictions and by a sense of their sins for which they were afflicted which doubtless was the case of many of the Jews in the Babylonish Captivity whom therefore he here implies that God would pity and deliver out of their Distresses to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones 16 For * Ps. 103. 9. Mic. 7. 18. I will not contend for ever s I will not constantly proceed to the utmost severity with sinful men in this Life and therefore I will put an end to the miseries of the Jews and turn their captivity neither will I be always wroth for the spirit should fail before me and the souls * Num. 16. 22. Job 34. 14. Heb. 12. 9. which I have made t For then their Spirits would sink and die under my stroke and I should do nothing else but destroy the works of mine own hands Therefore I consider their Infirmity and spare them Compare Psal. 78. 38 39 103. 13 14. 17 For the Iniquity of his covetousness u Of which sin the Jews were eminently guilty as is expresly affirmed Ier. 6. 13. 8. 10. But this is not mentioned exclusively as to other sins but Synecdochically so as to comprehend all those sins for which God contended with them was I wroth and smote him I hid me x I withdrew my Favour and help from him and left him in great calamities and was wroth and he went on †Heb. turning away frowardly in the way of his heart y Yet he was not reformed by corrections but in his distresses trespassed more and more as was said of Ahaz and obstinately persisted in those sinful courses which were chosen by and were most pleasing to the Lusts of his own corrupt Heart 18 I have seen his ways a I have taken notice of these evil ways in which he seems resolved to walk and that he is neither bettered by Mercies nor Judgments and will heal him b Or yet I will heal him Although I might justly destroy him and leave him to perish in his own ways yet of my meer Mercy and for my own Names sake I will pity them and turn them from their sins and bring them out of all their troubles I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and c Or to wit the copulative Conjunction being put expositively as it is frequently to his mourners d To those that are humbled under Gods Hand that mourn in Sion Isa. 61. 2 3. for their own and others â—…ns Ezek. 9. 4. and for the calamities of Gods Church and People Isa. 66. 10. 19 I create e I will by my Almighty Power and in a wonderful manner produce * Pro. 16. 1. Heb. 13. 15. the fruit of the lips peace f Either 1. Praise or Thanksgiving which is called the fruit of our lips Hos. 14. 2. Heb. 13. 15. and Peace Or rather 2. That Peace which is not wrought by Mens hands but only by Gods Lips or Word Peace with God and in a mans own Conscience which God hath promised to his People and which he hath published and offered to all sorts of men by the preaching of the Prophets and especially of the Apostles as may be gathered both from the Object of this Peace in the following words and by the exclusion of all wicked Men from this Peace v. 20 21. peace g The doubling of the word signifies the certainty and abundance of this Peace to him that is far off and to him that is near h To the Gentiles who are far from God and from Salvation Act. 2. 38 39. Eph. 2. 12 c. as well as to the Jews who are called a people near unto God Psal. 148. 14. saith the LORD and I will heal him 20. But the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt i Their Minds are restless being perpetually hurried and tormented with their own Lusts and Passions and with the horrour of their guilt and the dread of the Divine Vengeance due unto them and ready to come upon them 21 * Ch. 48. 22. There is no peace faith my God to the wicked k Though they may have as great a share of prosperity as the best of Men have as appears from Psal. 37. 35. 73. 3 c. Eccl. 8. 14. 9. 1. yet they have no share in this inward and spiritual and everlasting Peace CHAP. LVIII 1 CRy †Heb. wiâ—… the throat aloud a The Prophet having in the foregoing Chapter noted and censured divers gross miscarriages of the Jews proceeds upon the same Subject in this Chapter and in Gods name expostulates with them for other misdemeanours spare not b Forbear not to speak whatsoever I command thee for the conviction of this People lift up thy voice like a trumpet and shew my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins 2 Yet they seek me daily c They cover all their wickedness with a profession of Religion from time to time resorting to my house pretending to ask Counsel of me and to desire and seek my Favour and Blessing and delight to know my ways d Either 1. They seem to delight in it for men are oft said in Scripture to be or do that which they seem or profess to be or do as Mat. 13. 12. that which he hath is thus explained in Luk. 8. 18. that which he seemeth to have and Rom. 7. 9. I was alive
a matter And very grievous to her because Womens Affections use to be vehement and it is irksome to them to have them restrained or denied shall be ‖ Or subject to thy Husband to thy Husband and he shall rule * 1 Cor. 14. 34. over thee n Seeing for want of thy Husbands rule and conduct thou wast seduced by the Serpent and didst abuse that power I gave thee together with thy Husband to draw him to sin thou shalt now be brought down to a lower degree for he shall rule thee not with that sweet and gentle hand which he formerly used as a guide and Counsellour onely but by an higher and harder hand as a Lord and Governour to whom I have now given a greater Power and Authority over thee than he had before which through thy pride and corruption will be far more uneasie to thee than his former Empire was and who will usurp a further power than I have given him and will by my permission for thy punishment rule thee many times with Rigour Tyranny and Cruelty which thou wilt groan under but shalt not be able to deliver thy self from it See 1 Cor. 14. 34. 1 Tim. 2. 11 12. 1 Pet. 3. 6. 17. And unto Adam he said because thou hast hearkned unto the voice of thy Wife o i. e. Obeyed the word and counsel contrary to my expresse command and hast eaten of the Tree of which I commanded thee saying Thou shalt not eat of it * Isa. 24. 5 6. Rom. 8. 20. cursed is the ground p Which shall now yield both fewer and worse fruits and those too with more trouble of mens minds and labour of their bodies for thy sake q i. e. Because of thy sin or to thy use or as far as concerns thee in sorrow r Or with toil or grief shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life 18. Thorns also and Thistles a And other unuseful and hurtful Plants Synecdochically contained under these shall it †Heb cause to bud bring forth b Of its own accord to thee c Not to thy benefit but to thy grief and punishment And thou shalt * Psal. 104. 14. eat the Herb of the Field d In stead of those generous and delicious Fruits of Paradise which because thou didst dispise thou shalt no more tast of See Gen. 1. 29. 19. In the sweat of thy face f i. e. Of thy Body He mentions the Face because there the sweat appears first and most Or with labour of Body or Brain Eccles. 1. 13. and vexation of mind shalt thou eat Bread g i. e. Get thy food and livelihood Bread being put for all nourishment as Gen. 18. 5. and 28. 20. till thou return unto the ground for out of it wast thou taken for dust thou art i As to the constitution and original of thy Body See Gen. 18. 27. Iob 1. 21. Psal. 103. 14. and unto dust shalt thou return k Though upon thy obedience I would have preserved thy Body no less than thy Soul from all mortality yet now having sinned thou shalt return unto dust in thy Body whilst the immortal Spirit shall return unto God who gave it Eccles. 12. 7. Thus thy end shall be as base as thy beginning 20. And Adam called his Wives name †Heb. Chavâ—… Eve m Which signifies either Living or the giver or preserver of Life because she was the Mother of all living n Though for her sin justly sentenced to a present death yet by Gods infinite Mercy and by vertue of the promised Seed was both continued in Life her self and was made the Mother of all living Men and Women that should be after her upon the Earth who though in and with their Mother they were condemned to speedy Death yet shall be brought forth into the state and Land of the Living and into the hopes of a blessed and eternal Life by the Redeemer whose Mother or progenitor she was 21. Unto Adam also and to his Wife did the LORD God p Either by his own word or by the Ministry of Angels make coats of skins q Of Beasts slain either for Sacrifice to God or for the use of man their Lord and owner and clothed them r Which he did partly to defend them from excessive heats and colds or other injuries of the Air to which they were now exposed Partly to mind them of their sin which made their nakedness which before was Innocent and Honourable now to be an occasion of sin and shame and therefore to need covering And partly to shew his care even of fallen man and to encourage his hopes of Gods mercy through the blessed Seed and thereby to invite him to Repentance 22. And the LORD God said s Either within himself or to the other persons of the Godhead Behold the Man is become t i. e. Adam and Eve both are become such according to the Devils promise and their own expectation This is an Holy Irony or Sarcasm like those 1 King 18. 27. Eccles. 11. 9. q. d. Behold O all ye Angels and all the future Generations of men how the first man hath over-reached and conquered us and got the Divinity which he affected and how happy he hath made himself by his Rebellion But this bitter scorn God uttereth not to insult over mans misery but to convince him of his sin folly danger and calamity and to oblige him both to a diligent seeking after and a greedy embracing the remedy of the promised Seed which God offered him and to a greater watchfulness over himself and respect to all Gods commands for the time to come as one of us u i. e. As one of the Divine Persons of infinite Wisdom and Capacity Here is an evident proof of a plurality of persons in the Godhead compare Gen. 1. 26. and 11. 7. If it be said God speaks this of himself and the Angels besides that as yet not one word hath been spoken concerning the Angels it is an absurd and unreasonable conceit that the great God should level himself with the Angels and give them a kind of equality with himself as this expression intimates to know Good and Evil x To know all things both good and evil and now lest he put forth his hand y The speech is defective and to be supplyed thus or some such way But now care must be taken or man must be banished hence lest he c. and take also a i. e. As he did take of the Tree of knowledge of the Tree of Life and eat and live for ever b i. e. And thereby prophane that Sacrament of Eternal Life and fondly perswade himself that he shall live for ever This is another scoffe or irony whereby God upbraideth mans presumption and those vain hopes wherewith he did still feed himself 23. Therefore d For
prevention thereof the LORD God sent him forth e Or expelled him with shame and violence and so as never to restore him thither For it is the same word which is used concerning divorced Wives from the Garden of Eden to till f To wit with toil and sweat as was threatned ver 17. the ground from whence he was taken g The ground without Paradise For he was made without Paradise and then put into it as was noted before 24. So he drove out the Man And he placed at the East of the Garden h Where the entrance into it was the other sides of it being inclosed or secured by God to preserve it from the entrance and annoyance of wild Beasts Or before the Garden i. e. Near to the Garden before any man could come at the Garden any way of Eden Cherubims i i. e. Angels so called from their exquisite knowledge and therefore fitly here used for the punishment of man who sinned by affecting divine knowledge and †Heb. The flame of a Sword a flaming Sword k In the Cherubims hands as it was upon other occasions Numb 22. 23. Ios. 5. 13. 1 Chron. 21. 16 27. And this was either a material Sword bright and being brandished shining and glittering like a flame of fire or flaming fire in the shape of a Sword Or flaming Swords because there were divers Cherubims and each of them had a Sword The singular number for the plural Or a two edged Sword which turned every way l Was brandished and nimbly whirled about by the Cherubims which posture was fittest for the present service to keep the way of the Tree of Life m The way that leads to Paradise and so to the Tree of Life that man might be deterred and kept from coming thither CHAP. IV. 1. AND Adam knew a This modest expression is used both in Scripture and other Authours to signifie the Conjugal act or Carnal knowledge So Gen. 19. 8. and 24. 16. Numb 31. 17. Matth. 1. 25. Luk. 1. 34. Eve his Wife and she Conceived and bare Cain b Whose name signifies a possession and said I have gotten a Man c A Male Child as Gen. 7. 2. which was most welcome from the LORD d Or By or with the Lord i. e. By vertue of his first blessing Gen. 1. 28. and special favour Or a man the Lord as the words properly signifie q. d. God-man or the Messias hoping that this was the promised Seed 2. And she again bare his Brother †Heb. Hebel Abel e Signifying vanity a vain mortal miserable man whereas she thought Cain to be more than an ordinary man or this name might prophetically design his miserable life and untimely and unnatural death and Abel was †Heb. a feeder a Keeper of Sheep but Cain was a tiller of the ground f Which was esteemed a more honourable calling than that of a Shepherd and therefore either chosen by the Elder Brother or allotted to him by his Father 3. And †Heb at the end of days Exod 2. 23. Or of the year 2 Sam. 15. 26. Neh. 13. 6. Isai. 24. 22. in * Exod. 2. 23. process of time g Either 1. In general at the return of the set time then appointed and used for the solemn service of God Or 2. At the end of the year when there might be now as there was afterward among the Jews more solemn Worship and Sacrifices The word Days being often put for a year as Levit. 25. 29 1 Sam. 1. 3. and 27. 7. Or 3. More probably at the end of the days of the week or upon the seventh and last day of the week Saturday which then was the Sabbath day which before this time was blessed and sanctified Gen. 2. 3. it came to pass that Cain brought h Either to the place appointed for the solemn Worship of God Or to his Father who at that time was both King and Prophet and Priest Or brought i. e. offered of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD 4. And Abel he also brought of the Firstlings i Either 1. The First-born which God reserved to himself both at this time and afterwards by an express Law Exod. 13. 2. Numb 3. 13. Or 2. The choicest and most eminent of the Flock For the best of any kind are oft called First-born as Ioh 18. 13. Ier. 31. 19. Heb. 12. 23. of his †Heb. Sheep or Goats Flock and of the fat thereof k Either 1. Properly the fat being properly now required by God as afterwards was expressed Ex. 29. 13 22. Levit. 3. 3. Or 2. The best of them as the word fat is often used as Gen. 45. 18. and 49. 20. Numb 18. 12. Nehem. 8. 10. Psal. 147. 14. And the LORD had * Heb. 11. 4. respect l Or looked to him with a gracious eye kindly accepted and owned him and his Sacrifice and testified this Heb. 11. 4. to Cain and all there present either by express word or by some visible sign probably by consuming his Sacrifice by Fire from Heaven as the Fathers generally think whereby also God did afterwards frequently signifie his acceptance of Sacrifices as Levit. 9. 24. Iud. 6. 21. 1 King 18. 38. 1 Chron. 21. 26. 2 Chron. 7. 1. unto Abel m Unto Abels person who was a truly good Man and then to his Sacrifice which was offered with Faith in Gods Mercy and in the promised Mediatour Heb. 11. 4. and to his offering 5. But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect And Cain was very wroth n Partly with God who had cast so publick a disgrace upon him and given the preference to his younger Brother And partly with Abel because he had received more Honour from God and therefore was likely to have more respect and priviledge from his Parents than himself and his countenance fell o Whereas before it was lifted up and chearful now it fell down through sense of guilt disappointment of his hope shame and grief and envy at his Brother 6. And the LORD said unto Cain p That he might bring him to Repentance and the knowledge of his sin why art thou wroth and * Job 29. 24. why is thy countenance fallen q The cause of this dejectedness is not from me but from thy self 7. If thou doest well r Or for the future shalt do well i. e. repent of thy sin amend thy Life offer thy Offerings with a willing and chearful mind and honest heart in Faith and Love as Abel did shalt thou not ‖ Or have the excellency be accepted s Or pardoned received into favour Or exalted and either preserved in or restoredunto those rights of the First-born which thou art conscious to thy self that thou hast forfeited Or elevated in thy looks i. e. would not or should not thy
when she was with child Therefore here as often elsewhere the general words must be limited from the nature of the thing and from other texts of Scripture which forbid cruelty even to our servants 2. Either by imposing labours upon her above her strength or by grievous stripes which she could not bear And when Sarai †Heb. afflicted her dealt hardly with her i she fled from her face k Contrary to God's Command Eccles. 10. 4. and to the laws of justice because both her person and the fruit of her body were not her own but Abram's right and possession 7. And the Angel of the LORD l The Son of God who oft appeared in man's shape before he took man's nature who is called an Angel or Messenger because he was the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3. 1. and was sent upon divers messages to men in the Old Testament and at last was to be sent in the flesh as God's great Embassadour or Messenger of peace and reconciliation found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness by the fountain in the way to Shur m A place near Egypt Gen. 25. 18. 1 Sam. 15. 7. being her native Countrey Exod. 15. 22. 8. And he said Hagar Sarai's maid n By which Title he admonisheth her that though she was Abram's wife yet she was Sarai's maid to whom she owed subjection and service from which she could not lawfully withdraw her self whence camest thou And whither wilt thou go o Consider with thy self what thou art doing what a sad exchange thou art making Thou forsakest not only an excellent Master and Husband but also me and my worship which thou wilst not find in any other Family and so castest thy self out of the true Church and art running headlong into a place of all Idolatry and impiety to thy utter undoing and this meerly through pride and impatience and she said I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai 9. And the Angel of the LORD said unto her Return to thy mistress and submit thy self under her hands 10. And the Angel of the LORD said unto her I will multiply thy seed exceedingly that it shall not be numbred for multitude 11. And the Angel of the LORD said unto her Behold thou art with child and shalt bear a son and shalt call his name ‖ That is God shall hear Ishmael because the LORD hath heard thy affliction * Hath heard thy cry in thy affliction 12. And he will be a wild man p Heb. A wild ass-man i. e. a man like a wild ass fierce and untamed and unsetled in his habitation or as that creature is Iob 39. 5 8. Ier. 2. 24. Hos. 8. 9. living in desarts and mountains warlike and violent exercising himself continually in hunting beasts and oppressing men See Gen. 21. 20. his hand will be against every man and every man's hand against him q He will provoke and injure all that converse with him and thereby will multiply his enemies which is to be understood not only of him but also of his posterity * Chap. 25. 18. and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren r In the borders of the other sons and kindred of Abram and Isaac who though they shall be vexed and annoyed with his neighbourhood yet shall not be able to make him quit his habitation See Gen. 25. 18. 13. And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her †Heb. Elroi thou art a God that seest me Thou God seest me s Thou hast been pleased to take notice and care of me and graciously to manifest thy self unto me for she said Have I also here looked after him that seeth me t i. e. After that God whose eye is upon me for good So she chides her self for her neglect of God and of his providence and that not only in her master's house but even here in the Wilderness where her desolate and miserable condition should have made her look after and call upon God for help Or rather these are words of admiration q. d. Have I also here i. e. in this desolate wilderness looked after him that seeth me i. e. seen the face of my gracious God That God should appear to me in my masters house where he used to manifest himself was not strange but that I should have such a favour here that God should not only look upon me but admit me to look upon him and vivisibly appear to me after I had run away from him and from my godly master this was more than I could hope or expect Others thus Have I here seen after him that sees me i. e. after the vision of him that hath appeared to me i. e. Do I yet see and live after I have seen God She wonders at it because it was then the common Opinion that an appearance of God to any person was a fore-runner of Death See Gen. 32. 30. Exod. 33. 20. Iud. 6. 22. and 13. 22. And seeing is here put for living one function of life for life it self as Exod. 24. 11. Eccles. 11. 7 8. But the word seeing put by its self as here it is is neither in those places nor elsewhere used for living And had that been her meaning she would have expressed it plainly as they do in the places alleadged and not have used so dark and dubious a metaphor nor would have said after him that sees me but rather after I have seen him 14. Wherefore the well was called * Chap. 24. 62 ‖ That is the well of him that liveth and seeth me Beer-lahai-roi u This name may have respect either 1. To God The well of him that liveth i. e. of the true and living God and seeth me i. e. taketh care of me Or 2. To Hagar The well of her that liveth i. e. who though she gave up her self for dead and lost yet now is likely to live both in her person and in her posterity and seeth or did see namely God present with her behold it is between Cadesh and Bered 15. And Hagar bare Abram a Son ‖ To wit after her return and submission to her Mistress which is evident from the following History and Abram called his sons name which Hagar bare Ishmael 16. And Abram was fourscore and six years old when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram CHAP. XVII 1. AND when Abram was ninety years old and nine the LORD appeared to Abram and said unto him I am the ‖ Or All-sufficient Almighty God a Who can do all that I have promised or shall promise to thee and whatsoever pleaseth me and therefore do thou firmly believe all my words * Chap. 5. 22. walk before me b As becomes one in the presence of thy Lord and Judge and Rewarder being careful to please and obey me in all things and depending upon me for thy well-doing and well-being See
them to live in the neglect of my service 23 And I say unto thee c I command thee For saying is put for commanding Luâ—… 4. 3. and 9. 54. and in 1 Chron. 21. 19. compared with 2 Sam. 24. 19. Let my son go that he may serve me and if thou refuse to let him go behold * chap. 11. 5. and 12. 29. I will slay thy son even thy first-born d By which Plague coming after the rest thou wilt be enforced to do what I advise thee now to do upon cheaper terms 24 And it came to pass by the way in the Inn that the LORD * Num. 22. 22. met him e i. e. Appeared to him in some visible shape and sought to kill him f Whom Moses spoken of and to before He offered and endeavoured to kill him either by inflicting some sudden and dangerous disease or stroke upon him or by shewing himself in some threatning posture possibly as the Angel did to Balaam and afterwards to David with a drawn Sword in his hand ready to give him a deadly blow The reason of this severity was not Moses his distrust of God nor delay in his journey nor the bringing of his Wife and Children along with him which it was convenient for him to carry with him both that his father might not think he intended to desert them and for the greater assurance and encouragement of the Israelites when they saw that he exposed his dearest relations to the same hazards with them all but the neglect of circumcising his Child which also the Lord some way or other signified to Moses and Zipporah as plainly appears 1. From Zipporahs following fact upon that occasion 2. From the Lords dismission of Moses upon the circumcision of the Child 3. From the threatning of Death or cutting of for this sin Gen. 17. 14. which because there was now no Magistrate to do it God himself offers to execute it as he sometimes saith he would do in that case And this was a greater sin in Moses than in another man and at this time then it had been before because he understood the Will and Law of God about it better then any man and God had lately minded him of that Covenant of his with Abraham c. whereof circumcision was a seal the blessings and benefits of which Covenant Moses was now going to procure for himself and for his people whilest he remained under the guilt of groâ—…ly neglecting the condition of it Besides what could be more absurd than that he should come to be a Lawgiver who lived in a manifest violation of Gods Law or that he should be the chief Ruler and Instructer of the Israelites whose duty it was to acquaint them with their duty of circumcising their Children and as far as he could to punish the wilfull neglect of it and yet at the same time be guilty of the same sin or that he should undertake to govern the Church of God that could not well rule his own house 1 Tim. 3. 5 And this was not onely a great sin in it self but a great scandal to the Israelites who might by this great example easily be led into the same miscarriage and moreover might not without colour of probability suspect the call of such a person and conclude that God would not honour that man who should continue in such a visible contempt of his Law And therefore it is no wonder that God was so angry at Moses for this sin Quest. How came Moses to neglect this evident duty Answ. From Zipporahs averseness to and dread of that painful and as she thought dangerous Ordinance of God which she her self evidently discovers in this place and the rather because of the experience which she had of it in her eldest Son And as she seems to have been a Woman of an eager and passionate temper so Moses was eminently meek and pliable and in this matter too indulgent to his Wife especially in her Fathers house and therefore he put it off till a more convenient season when he might either perswade or over-rule her therein Which was a great fault for God had obliged all the Children of Abraham not onely to the thing but to the time also to do it upon the eighth day which season Moses had grosly and for some considerable time slipped and so had preferred the pleasing of his Wife before his Obedience to God 25 Then Zipporah g Perceiving the danger of her Husband and the cause of it and her Husband being disenabled from performing that work whether by some stroke or sickness or by the terrour of so dismal and unexpected an apparition to him and delays being highly dangerous she thought it better to do it her self as well as she could rather than put it off a moment longer whether because the administration of that Sacrament was not confined to any kind or order of persons or because if it was so she did not apprehend it to be so or because she thought this was the least of two evils and that it was safer to commit a circumstantial errour then to continue in a substantial fault took a sharp ‖ Or knife stone h Which she took as next at hand in that stony Country let none think this strange for not onely this work but the cutting off of that part which some used to do 〈◊〉 commonly performed with a flint or a sharp stone as is expresly affirmed by Hrodotus l. 2. Plin. 35. 12. See also Iuvenal Satyr 6. and Mâ—…tial Epigram 3. 18. But the word may be rendred a shâ—…p knife See Ios. 5. 2 3. and cut off the foreskin of her son and †Heb. made it touch cast it at his feet i The words are very short and therefore ambiguous and may be rendred either thus she cast her self at his feet either 1. At the fâ—…et of the Angel as a suppliant for her Husbands Life But it is most probable that she directs this action and her following speech to the same person Or 2. The feet of her husband to make request to him that she and her children might depart from him and return to her Father which also he granted But neither was she of so humble a temper nor at this time in so mild a frame as to put her self into such a lowly posture to her Husband nor was she likely to present her humble supplication to him to whom at the same time she shewed such scorn and indignation Or rather thus she cast it at his i. e. her Husbands feet it either the Child But that being tender and now in great pain she would not use it so roughly Or rather the foreskin cut off or at least the blood which came from it Which she did in spight and anger against her Husband as the cause of so much pain to the child and grief to her self and said surely a bloody husband art thou to me k This some
great 〈◊〉 partly that by prosessing this respect unto God he might the sooner induce him to grant his desire and partly because he worshipped the true God together with Idols as many in those times and places did to do less or more 19 Now therefore I pray you tarry ye also here this night that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more g Possibly he may change his mind or yield to my renewed suit Thus he sought to make God and his conscience stoop to the service of his pride and covetousness which was abhominable 20 And God came unto Balaam at night and said unto him if the men come to call thee rise up and go with them h Since this is thy great desire and purpose as far as thou canst take thy course I will according to thy wish withdraw my restraint and leave thee to thy self and thy own choice Compare Psal. 81. 11 12. but yet the word which I shall say unto thee that shalt thou do i These words signifie not so much his duty as the event and his disappointment Thou shalt not do what thou desirest to wit curse my people and so inrich and advance thy self but I will so over-rule thy mind and bridle thy tongue that thou shalt speak nothing but what is contrary to thy desire and interest and therefore though I permit thee to go thou shalt lose thy design in it 21 And Balaam rose up in the morning and sadled his ass and went with the princes of Moab 22 And Gods anger was kindled because he went k Either 1. Because he went of his own accord with the Princes of Moab and did not wait till thy came to call him i. e. urged him to go which was the sign and condition of Gods permission ver 20. but rather himself rose and called them as it may seem from ver 21. Or 2. Because those words ver 20. did contain no approbation nor license but a bare permission and that in anger as Balaam might easily have understood if he had considered his own heart or the circumstances of his concession This was no more an approbation than that passage of Christ to Iudas 〈◊〉 13. 27. That thou doest do quickly Or 3. Because he went with ill design and desire to do contrary to what God had charged him to wit to curse the people as plainly appears from the following story and from Deut. 23. 5. For God hath been oft and justly angry with those who have done what God bad them when they did it in evil manner or for evil ends as appears from Isa. 10. 6 7. and many other place and the angel of the LORD stood in the way †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for an adversary against him l i. e. To oppose and terrifie if not to kill him now he was riding upon his ass and his two servants were with him m The rest of the company being probably gone before them For in those antient times there was more of simplicity and less of ceremony and therefore it is not strange that Balaam came at some distance after the rest and attended onely by his own servants 23 And * 2 Pet. 2. 〈◊〉 Jud. 11. the ass saw the Angel n Which Balaam saâ—… not because God withheld his eyes as he did the eyes of Danieâ—…s companions Dan. 10. 7. It is a truth which meer Philosophers own that when God withdraws his concourse or help from any of his creatures they cannot perform their natural acts and offices the eye cannot see as Gen. 19. nor the ear hear nor the fire burn as Dan. 3. of the LORD standing in the way and his sword drawn in his hand and the ass turned aside out of the way and went into the field and Balaam smote the ass to turn her into the way 24 But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards a wall being on this side and a wall on that side 25 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD she thrust her self unto the wall and crusht Balaams foot against the wall and he smote her again 26 And the angel of the LORD went further and stood in a narrow place where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left 27 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD she fell down under Balaam and Balaams anger was kindled and he smote the ass with a staff 28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass o i. e. Conferred upon her the power of speech and reasoning for that time Impudent are those Heathens that disbelieve and scoffe at the Scripture for this and some such relations contained in it when there are examples of the same kind of prodigies to wit of Oxen and other brute-creatures speaking some few words in the greatest and most approved writers of the Roman History as Plutarch Polybius Livy and others See the particulars in my Latin Synopsis on this place and she said unto Balaam What have I done unto thee that thou hast smitten me these three times 29 And Balaam said unto the ass p Balaam was not much terrified with the Asses speaking because he was much accustomed to converse with evil spirits which oft appeared to him and discoursed with him in the shape of such creatures because thou hast mocked me I would there were a sword in mine hand for now would I kill thee 30 And the ass said unto Balaam Am not I. thine ass †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon which thou hast ridden ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ever since I was thine unto this day was I ever wont to do so unto thee and he said nay 31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way and his sword drawn in his hand and he bowed down his head and ‖ Or bowed himself fell flat on his face q In token of reverence and submission 32 And the angel of the LORD said unto him Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times Behold I went out †Heb. le-satan that is to be an advirsary to that to withstand thee because thy way is perverse before me r Howsoever thou maist deceive thy self or others I see the perverseness of thy heart and way the wickedness of thy design and desires in this journey which thou hast undertaken not to please me but to gratifie Balak and if it be possible to curse my people 33 And the ass saw me and turned from me these three times unless she had turned from me surely now also I had slain thee and saved her alive s I had slain thee alone and not her and therefore her turning aside and falling down was wholly for thy sake and benefit not for her own and thy anger against her was unjust and unreasonable 34 And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD
Jer. 〈◊〉 2. fear not f i. e. Do not serve or worship them the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell but ye have not obeyed my voice 11 ¶ And there came an angel of the LORD and fate under an oak which was in Ophrah g To wit in Manasseh for there was another Ophrah in Benjamin Ios. 18. 23. that pertained unto Joash the Abi-ezrite h Of the Posterity of Abiezer of whom see Ios. 17. 2. 1 Chron. 7. 18. See Iudg. 8. 27 32. and his son Heb. 11. 32. called Gideon Gideon threshed wheat i Not with Oxen as the manner was Deut. 25. 4. but with a staff to prevent discovery by the winepress k In the place where the Winepress stood not in the common floor ‡ Heb. to cause it to flee to hide it from the Midianites 12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him and said unto him The LORD is with thee l i. e. Will assist thee against thine and mine Enemies thou mighty man of valour m To whom I have given strength and courage for this end 13 And Gideon said unto him Oh my lord if the LORD be with us why then is all this befaln us and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of saying Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt but now the LORD hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of the Midianites 14 And the LORD looked upon him n With a setled and pleasant countenance as a testimony of his favour to him and of his readiness to help him and said Sam. 12. 11. Heb. 11. 32. Go in this thy might o Or go now or at this time in thy might the strength which thou hast already received and dost now further receive from me is sufficient with my help and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites have not I sent thee p I do hereby give thee command and commission for this Work and therefore am obliged in Honour to Assist thee in it 15 And he said unto him Oh my lord wherewith shall I save Israel behold ‡ Heb. my thousand iâ—… the meanest my family q Heb. my thousand for the Tribes were distributed into several thousands whereof each thousand had his peculiar Governour is poor r i. e. Weak and contemptible in Manasseh and I am the least s Either for Age or for Wisdome and fitness for so great a Work in my fathers house 16 And the LORD said unto him Surely I will be with thee and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man t As easily as if they were all but one man or thou shalt destroy them to a man as he did Iudges 8. 17 And he said unto him If now I have found grace in thy sight then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me u That it is thou to wit an Angel or Messenger sent from God that appears to me and discourseth with me and not a Phancy or Delusion that thou art in truth what thou seemest and prerendest to be v. 12. Or a sign of that which thou talkest with me i. e. That thou wilt'st by me smite the Midianites 18 Depart not hence I pray thee until I come unto thee and bring forth my ‖ Or meat-offering present x Not a Sacrifice because neither was Gideon a Priest not was this the place of Sacrifice nor was any Altar here nor was there any such Sacrifice as here follows appointed by God but a repast or some food for the Angel which he thought to be a man as appears by v. 22. Compare Iudg. 13. 15. and Gen. 18. 5. and set it before thee y That thou maist eat and refresh thy self And he said I will tarry until thou come again 19 ¶ And Gideon went in and made ready ‡ Heb. a kid of the goats a kid and unleavened cakes of an Ephah of flour z To wit out of the choicest part of a whole Ephah as also he brought to him the best part of a Kid dressed for a whole Ephah and a whole Kid had been very superfluous and improper to provide for and set before one man the flesh he put in a basket and he put the broth in a pot and brought it out unto him under the oak and presented it 20 And the angel of God said unto him Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes and lay them upon this rock and pour out the broth And he did so ¶ 21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes and * Levit. 9. 24 there rose up fire out of the rock and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes a By which he shewed himself to be no man that needed such Provisions but a true Angel of God or the Son of God and by this instance of his Omnipotency gave him assurance that he both could and would consume the Midianites then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight 22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD Gideon said Alas b I am an undone man I must dye and that speedily for that he feared v. 23. according to the common opinion in that case of which see Gen. 16. 13. and 32. 30. Exod. 33. 20. Deut. 5. 25 26. O LORD God * Exod. 33. 2. Chap. 13. 22. for because c Or for therefore c. i. e. Therefore God hath shewed me this sight as a presage of my death I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face 23 And the LORD said unto him d By inward suggestion rather than in a visible Apparition Peace be unto thee e Thou shalt receive no hurt by this Vision as thou fearest but only peace i. e. all the blessings needful for thy own happiness and for the present work for this is a very comprehensive Phrase among the Hebrews fear not thou shalt not dye 24 Then Gideon built an altar there f To wit on the top of the Rock as is evident from v. 20. and especially from v. 26. where that which is here expressed onely in general and by anticipation is more particularly described according to the usage of the Scripture unto the LORD and called it ‖ That is the Lord send peace â—…ehovah-shalom g i. e. The Lords peace the sign or witness of Gods speaking Peace to me and to his People or the place where he spake Peace to me when I expected nothing but Destruction unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites 25 ¶ And it came to pass the same night that the LORD said unto him Take thy fathers young bullock ‖ Or and even the second bullock h Thus there was but one Bullock which was young
because Micaiah was purely Gods instrument in all his messages and whatsoever evil he threatned Ahab himself was the cause and procurer of it And Jehoshaphat said Let not the king say so m Do not presage evil to our enterprize let us neither hate his person nor despise his message but first hear it and then do as we see cause 9 Then the king of Israel called an ‖ Or Eunuch officer and said Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah 10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne having put on their robes n Their Royal Robes and Ensigns of Majesty in a ‡ Heb. floor void place o In the place of Judicature which was in or nigh the Gate of the City and in the front of some void place where either People stood to hear and see Justice Administred or Soldiers were placed for the defence of the City in time of War in the entrance of the gate of Samaria and all the prophets prophesied before them 11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron p Fit Emblems of the Power and Victory of these two Kings The Devil is Gods Ape and the false Prophets sometimes imitating the true who when they declared Gods mind by words did also oftentimes confirm it by sensible signs See Isa. 20. 2. Ier. 27. 2. and he said Thus saith the LORD q Heb. Iehovah whose Name he pretends to gain the more credit and countenance to his words See on v. 7. With these shalt thou push the Syrians until thou have consumed them 12 And all the prophets prophesied so saying Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper for the LORD shall deliver it into the kings hand 13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him saying Behold now the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth let thy word I pray thee be like the word of one of them and speak that which is good r This he designs not out of any Love to Micaiah whom he persuades to debauch his Conscience but meerly out of a desire to gratify his Kings humour 14 And Micaiah said As the LORD liveth what the LORD saith unto me s What answer God shall put into my mind and mouth which it seems was not yet done that will I speak 15 ¶ So he came to the king and the king said unto him Micaiah shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battel or shall we forbear And he answered him t Not seriously but ironically using the very words of the false Prophets in way of derision As appears First From his omission of that Solemn Preface Thus saith the Lord or this is the word of the Lord which the Prophets generally used and which himself useth when he comes to his serious answer v. 19. Secondly From Ahab's reply ver 16. which shews that he suspected Micaiah's sincerity in that answer and gathered by his gesture or manner of speaking that he spake onely mimically as representing and traducing the false Prophets for their answer See the like Ironical passages Gen. 3. 22. Iudg. 10. 14. 1 King 18. 27. Eccles. 11. 9. Ezek. 20. 39. Amos 4. 4 5. All which expressions are not used to lead Men into mistakes but to bring them to the sight of their sin and duty which may be done sometimes most efficaciously in this way So Micaiah's meaning is plainly this Because thou dost not seek to know the truth but onely to please thy self go to the Battel as all thy Prophets advise thee and expect the success which they promise thee and try the truth of their Prediction by thy own costly experience Go and prosper for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king 16 And the king said unto him How many times shall I adjure thee u I adjure thee again and again that thou give over this mockery and seriously tell me the mind of God in this matter that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the Name of the LORD 17 And he said I saw x In the Spirit or in a Vision all Israel * Matth. 9. 36. scattered upon the hills y Upon the Mountains of Gilead nigh Ramoth either where they lay encamped by Ahab's order or to which they fled from the Enemy esteeming that the safest place See Matth. 24. 16. as sheep that have not a shepherd z As People who have lost their King See Numb 27. 17. Isa. 40. 11. and 44. 28. Ezek. 34. 23. And the LORD said These have no master let them return every man to his house in peace a Discharged from the War which was fulfilled v. 26. 18 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat Did I not tell thee that he would prophesie no good concerning me but evil b Now thou seest my words verified and this man shewing his hatred by this malignant and treasonable Prophecy and how little heed is to be given to his words Which crafty insinuation seems to have had too great an influence upon good Iehoshaphat otherwise he would never have gone to the Battel 19 And he said Hear thou therefore c Because thou givest credit to thy false Prophets and distrustest my words as if they were but the suggestions of my own fancy and hatred of thy Person I will give thee a distinct and true account of the whole matter in Gods Name and Presence the word of the LORD I saw d By the eyes of my mind for he could not see the Lord with bodily eyes the LORD sitting on his throne and * Job 1. 6. and 2. 1. Dan. 7. 10. Zech. 4. 10. Matth. 18. 10. Heb. 1. 7 14. all the host of heaven e i. e. The Angels who are oft called Gods host or hosts because of their great number excellent order and constant readiness to attend upon God and to execute his Commands See Gen. 2. 1. Psal. 103. 21. and 148. 2. These Angels were both good and bad the one possibly on his right the other on his left hand Nor is it strange that the Devils are called the host of heaven if you consider First That their original seat was in Heaven and men in Scripture are oft called by the name of the place from whence they came Secondly That the name of heaven is oft given to all that part of the World which is above the Earth and among the rest to the Air as Gen. 1. 20. and 7. 11. and 8. 2. and 27. 28. Deut. 4. 11. and 11. 11. where the Devils residence and dominion lies Eph. 2. 2. and that both Michael and his Angels and the Dragon and his Angels are said to be and to wage war in heaven Revel 12. 7. i. e. either the Air or the Church And this place is not to be understood as if Micaiah had seen with his bodily eyes the Lord
and his Angels sitting in the third Heaven but that he saw a representation of the Divine Presence in the Air attended with good and bad Angels standing by him f In the posture of Ministers to receive and execute his Commands on his right hand and on his left 20 And the LORD said Who shall ‖ Or deceive perswade Ahab g This is not to be grosly understood as if God did ask and take counsel from his Creatures or were at a loss to find out an expedient to accomplish his own Will did consider several ways and then close with that which upon debate appeared to be best all which it is ridiculous to imagine concerning a God of perfect and infinite knowledge but onely to bring down Divine things to our shallow capacities and to express the various means which God hath to execute his own Designs that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead And one said on this manner and another said on that manner 21 And there came forth a spirit h An evil spirit came out of the knot or company of them standing possibly on the left had and presented himself before the Throne as having something to say to the Lord. and stood before the LORD and said I will perswade him 22 And the LORD said unto him Wherewith And he said I will go forth and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets k I will inspire a lye into the minds and mouths of his Prophets And he said * Judg. 9. 23. Thou shalt perswade him and prevail also l I will give them up into thy hands and blind their minds and leave them to their own ignorance and wickedness which will certainly lead them into dreadful mistakes go forth and do so m This is not a command but onely a permission which is oft expressed in the Imperative Mood as 1 Sam. 16. 10. Matth. 8. 22. Ioh. 13. 27. I will not hinder thee from tempting them nor give them Grace to withstand their temptation whereby thou maist be assured of success 23 Now therefore behold the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee 24 But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah n The chief of the false Prophets who was much in the Kings favour upon which he now presumed went near and smote Micaiah on the cheek o In way of contempt and scorn Iob 16. 10. Ier. 20. 2. Lament 3. 30. Mark 14. 65. and said * 2 Câ—… 18. 〈◊〉 Which way went the spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee p i. e. In what manner went it Forasmuch as I and my Brethren have consulted the Lord and answered in his Name and have the same spirit which thon pretendest to have and not a lying spirit as thou dost falsly and maliciously affirm How is it possible that the same spirit should tell us one thing and thee the quite contrary 25 And Micaiah said Behold thou shalt see in that day when thou shalt go ‖ Or from chamber to chamber into ‡ Heb. a chamber in a chamber an inner chamber to hide thy self q Out of a just fear and expectation of the deserved punishment of a false Prophet and of the great Author and Abettor of this pernicious War and of Ahab's destruction 26 And the king of Israel said Take Micaiah and carry him back r To wit into Prison where it seems he was before shut up for so the Lords Prophets were used by Ahab And some think he was the deliverer of that unwelcome message â—…hap 20. 41 42. unto Amon the governour of the city and to Joash the kings son 27 And say Thus saith the king Put this fellow in the prison and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction s i. e. With a very course and sparing Diet whereby he may be onely supported to endure his torment See Deut. 16. 3. 2 Chr. 18. 26. Isa. 30. 20. until I come in peace t Until I return in triumph which I doubt not I shall do in spight of all his malicious suggestions to the contrary and then I shall call him to an account for all his lyes and impudence 28 And Micaiah said If thou return at all in peace the LORD hath not spoken by me u I acknowledge my self to be an Impostor and to deserve Death And he said x i. e. Micaiah the person last named being assured of the truth of his Prophecy calls all the people to be witnesses of it Hearken O people every one of you 29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah y Who though a good man yet was easily deceived in this matter partly because Micaiah was a person unknown to him and both he and the other Prophets pretending to give their answer in the Name of the Lord it seemed hard to him to determine the controversy which onely the event could decide and therefore it is no wonder if he was overborn by the vast disproportion of 400 Prophets to one and by his Relation and Obligation and Affection to Ahab and partly because the War was Just and Lawful to recover his own rights which the Syrian King unjustly detained from him went up to Ramoth-gilead 30 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat ‖ Or when he was to disguise himself and enter into the battel I will disguise my self z i. e. Put off my Imperial habit that the Syrians may not know me and direct their main Force against me which they will assuredly endeavour as knowing that this War proceedeth from me and is likely to die with me and then thou shalt see that this Man is a false Prophet and I shall have the success which I desire and expect notwithstanding all his presages and enter into the battel but put thou on thy robes a Thy Royal Robes which thou maist do without any danger because thou art not the object either of the Syrians rage or of this false Prophecy And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battel 31 But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots b And the men that fought from them or with them i. e. his whole Army Possibly the Chariots and the whole Army were distributed into thirty two several parts and each Captain ruled those Chariots and Soldiers attending upon them which fell to his share saying Fight neither with small nor great save onely with the king of Israel c This he ordered either in Policy truly supposing this to be the best way to put an end to the War or with design to take him Prisoner that thereby he might wipe out the stain of his own Captivity and recover the honour and advantage which then he lost or
Iudg. 21. and because God foresaw that they would be faithful to the House of David in the division of the Tribes and therefore he would not have them diminished And Ioab presumed to leave these two Tribes unnumbred because he had specious Pretences for it for Levi because they were no Warriours and the Kings Command reached onely to those that drew sword as appears from v. 5. And for Benjamin because they being so small a Tribe and bordering upon Ierusalem their Chief City might easily be numbred afterward for the kings word was abominable to Joab 7 †Heb. and it was evil in the eyes of the LORD concernning this thing And God was displeased with this thing d Because this was done without any colour of necessity and out of meer Curiosity and Oftentation and carnal Confidence as Davids own Conscience told him which therefore smote him as it is related 2 Sam. 24. 10. therefore he smote Israel e Which is particularly related in the following verses 8 And David said unto God * 2 Sam. 24. 10. I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing * 2 Sam. 12. 13. but now I beseech thee do away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly 9 And the LORD spake unto Gad Davids seer saying 10 Go and tell David saying Thus saith the LORD I †Heb. stretch out offer thee three things chuse thee one of them that I may do it unto thee 11 So Gad came to David and said unto him Thus saith the LORD †Heb. take to thee chuse thee 12 Either three years famine or three months to be destroyed before thy foes while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee or else three days the sword of the LORD even the pestilence in the land and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel Now therefore advise thy self what word I shall bring again to him that sent me 13 And David said unto Gad I am in a great strait let me fall now into the hand of the LORD for very ‖ Or many great are his mercies but let me not fall into the hand of man 14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men 15 And God sent an * 2 Sam. 24. 16. angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it and as he was destroying the LORD beheld and he repented him of the evil and said to the angel that destroyed It is enough stay now thine hand And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing-floor of ‖ Or Araâ—…nah 2 Sam. 24. 18. Ornan the Jebusite 16 And David lift up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem then David and the elders of Israel who were clothed in sackcloth f i. e. In mourning Garments humbling themselves before God for their Sins and deprecating his Wrath against the People fell upon their faces 17 And David said unto God Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbred even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed but as for these sheep what have they done let thine hand I pray thee O LORD my God be on me and on my fathers house but not on thy people that they should be plagued 18 Then †Heb. an angel the * 2 Chr. 3. 1. angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite 19 And David went up at the saying of Gad which he spake in the name of the LORD 20 ‖ Or when Orâ—…nan turned back and saw the angel then he and his four sons with him hid themselves And Ornan turned back and saw the angel and his four sons with him hid themselves g Or And Ornan turned back i. e. turned his face from the Angel for or when for the Hebrew vau is frequently used both those ways he saw the angel and so did his four sons with him hiding themselves partly because of the Glory and Majesty in which the Angel appeared which mens weak and sinful natures are not able to bear and partly from the fear of Gods Vengeance which was at this time riding circuit in the Land and now seemed to be coming to their Family Now Ornan was threshing wheat 21 And as David came to Ornan Ornan looked and saw David and went out of the threshing-floor and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground 22 Then David said to Ornan †Heb. give Grant me the place of this threshing-floor that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD thou shalt grant it me for the full price that the plague may be stayed from the people 23 And Ornan said unto David Take it to thee and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes â—…o I give thee the oxen also for burnt-offerings and the threshing-instruments for wood and the wheat for the meat-offering I give it all 24 And king David said to Ornan Nay but I will verily buy it for the full price for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD nor offer burnt-offerings without cost 25 So * 2 Sam. 24. 24. David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight 26 And David built there an altar unto the LORD and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings and called upon the LORD and he answered him from heaven by fire h Heb. by fire sent from Heaven which was the sign of Gods Acceptance See Levit. 9. 24. 1 King 18. 24 38. 2 Chron. 7. 1. upon the altar of burnt offering 27 And the LORD commanded the angel and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof 28 At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite then he sacrificed there i When he perceived that his Sacrifice there offered was acceptable to God he proceeded to offer more Sacrifices in that place and did not go to Gibeon as otherwise he should have done 29 For the tabernacle of the LORD which Moses made in the wilderness and the altar of the burnt-offering were at that season in the high place at * 1 King 3. 4. Ch. 16. 39. 2 Chr. 1. 3. Gibeon 30 But David could not k i. e. Durst not go before it l i. e. Before the Tabernacle where the Altar stood to enquire of God m Heb. to seek God i. e. humbly to beg his Favour by Prayer and Sacrifice for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD n i. e. When he saw the Angel stand with his drawn Sword over Ierusalem as is related above v. 15 16. he durst not go away thence to Gibeon
Causes and mine in particular which is so * 1. Sam. 16. 7. 1. Chr. 28. 9. Psal. 139. 1. Jer. 11. 20. 17. 10. 20. 1â—… Rev. 2. 23. for the righteous God trieth the heart and reins f And therefore he knows that I have not so much as a thought or a desire of that Mischief which Cush and others report I am designing against Saul 10. †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My defence is of God g Heb. My shield is upon God He doth as it were carry my Shield before me See 1. Sam. 17. 7. He doth and will protect me against all mine Enemies which saveth the upright in heart h And therefore me whom he knoweth to be sincere and honest in my Carriage towards him and towards Saul 11. ‖ Or God is â—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God judgeth i i. e. Defendeth or avengeth or delivereth as this word is oft used as Deut. 32. 36. Psal. 9. 4. and 10. 18. and 26. 1. c. To judge is properly to give Sentence which because it may be done either by absolving and acquitting from Punishment or by condemning and giving up to Punishment therefore it is sometimes used for the one and sometimes for the other as the Circumstances of the place determine it the righteous and God is angry with the wicked k Which though it may seem a bold Supplement yet is necessary and easily fetched out of the next and following verses every day l Even then when his Providence seems to favour them and they are most secure and confident 12. If he m i. e. The wicked Man last mentioned either Cush or Saul turn not n From this wicked course of Calumniating or Persecuting me he o i. e. God who is often designed by this Pronoun being easily to be understood from the nature of the thing will whet his sword p i. e. Will prepare and hasten and speedily execute his Judgments upon him he hath bent his bow q Did I say He will do it nay he hath already done it his Sword is drawn his Bow is bent and the Arrows are prepared and ready to be shot and made it ready 13. He hath also prepared for him r Either 1. For or against the Persecutor as it follows Or rather 2. For himself for his own use to wit to shoot against his Enemies the instruments of death s i. e. Arrows or other deadly Weapon he †Heb. 〈◊〉 Psal. 4â—… â—… ordaineth t Heb. maketh or worketh designeth or fitâ—…eth for his very use his arrows against the persecutors u Or against furious and fiery Persecutors as the word signifies and as it is used Gen. 31. 36. Psal. 10. 2. Lam. 4. 19. 14. * Job 15. 35. Psal. â—…9 3. Jam. 1. 15. Behold he x i. e. The Wicked as is undeniably manifest from the matter and context travelleth with iniquity and hath conceived mischief and brought forth falshood y This Metaphor noteth his deep Design and continued Course and vigorous Indeavours for the doing of Mischief and his restlesness and pain till he have accomplished it 15. †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 digged a pit He made a pit and digged it * Job 4. 8. Psal. 9. 15. 10. 2. 35. 8. 141. 10. Prov. â—… 22. and is fallen into the ditch which he made z Hath brought that Evil upon himself which he intended against me Which may be understood either of Saul who whilest he plotted against David's Life ran into apparent hazard of losing his own 1. Sam. 24. and 26. Or of some Courtier or Courtiers of Saul in whom this was evidently verified although the History and Memory of it be now lost 16. * Psâ—…l 3â—… 14 15. His mischief shall return upon his own head and his violent dealing shall come down ‖ Which Phrase may note whence this retribution should come even from Heaven or from the righteous and remarkable Judgment of God upon his own pate 17. I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness †Declared and asserted by him in their exemplary Punishment and my seasonable and wonderful Deliverance and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high PSAL. VIII To the chief musician upon Gittith a The same title is prefixed to Psal. 81. and 84. This also is supposed to be the Name of a Tune or Song or Instrument so called because it was either invented or much used in Gath. Some render it For the winepresses and say it was to be sung at the time of Vintage a Psalm of David b It is a great Question among Interpreters whether this Psalm speak of Man in general and of the Honor which God put upon him in his Creation or only of the Man Christ Jesus Possibly both may be reconciled and put together and the Controversâ—… if rightly stated may be ended For the scope and business of this Psalm seems plainly to be this to display and celebrate the great Love and Kindness of God to Man kind not only in his Creation but also and especially in his Redemption by Jesus Christ whom as he was Man he advanced to the Honor and Dominion here mentioned that he might carry on that great and glorious Work So Christ is the principal Subject of this Psalm of whom it is interpreted both by Christ himself Mat. 21. 16. and by his holy Apostle 1. Cor. 15. 27. Hâ—…b 2. 6 7. 1. O LORD our Lord how excellent is thy name c i. e. Thy Fame or Glory as it is explained in the next clause and as the Name commonly signifies as Gen. 6. 4. Eccles. 7. 1. Phil. 2. 9. And this Glory of God is most eminent in the Gospel and the work of Redemption in all the Earth d Not only in Israel to which the Name and Knowledg of God was confined Psal. 76. 2. and 147. 19. but among all Nations Which shews that this Psalm speaks of the Messias and the times of the new Testament See Isai. 40. 5. Mal. 1. 5. c. * 〈◊〉 113. 4 〈◊〉 13. who hast set thy glory above the heavens e What do I speak of the Earth thy Glory or Praise reacheth to the Heavens and indeed above all the visible Heavens even to the Heaven of Heavens where thy Throne of Glory is established where the blessed Angels celebrate thy Praises where Christ sitteth at thy right Hand in glorious Majesty from whence he poureth down excellent Gifts upon Babes c. as it followeth 2. * 〈◊〉 21. 16. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings f Either 1. Properly such For there is much of God's Glory seen in Infants in their Conception and strange Progress from small and contemptible Beginnings in their Preservation and Nourishment in the dark Cell of the Womb in their bringing forth and bringing up in providing Breasts and Milk for
happy and glorious Estate which was but a little below that of the Angels was pleased to take upon him Man 's miserable and mortal Nature and thereby to make himself who was far above all Angels even their Lord and God loâ—…er than the Angels mortal and miserable for a little time after which he was advanced to the highest Honour and to an universal Dominion over all God's Works the Angels not excepted with glory and honour 6. * Gâ—…n 1. 26 28. Thou madest him to have Dominion y Thou didst give all Power and all things into his hands Mat. 28. 18. Iohn 13. 3. over the works of thy hands * 1. Cor. 15. 25. thou hast put all things z Both in Heaven where are the Angels mentioned v. 5. and in the Earth Air and Sea as it follows For nothing is excepted besides God 1. Cor. 15. 25 27. Heb. 2. 8. under his feet ‖ i. e. Made them subject to him as this Phrase oft signifies See Deut. 33. 3. Iudg. 5. 27. Psal. 18. 38. and 110. 1. 7. †Heb. Flocks of 〈◊〉 all of them All sheep and oxen †Here is no perfect Enumeration but under these are comprehended all other Beasts and much more Men and Angels yea and the beasts of the field * i. e. The wild Beasts which together with divers Fowls and Fishes were subject to Christ and are governed and employed as it pleaseth them although many of them be without the reach and are not brought under the Power of any other Man 8. The fowl of the air and the fish of the sea and what soever passeth through the paths of the sea 9. O LORD our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth PSAL. IX To the chief musician upon Muth-labben a This also seems to be another Title of some Song or Tune or Instrument of which we must and may be content to be Ignorant as the Jewish Doctors also are Some render it upon the death of his Son to wit Absalom or of one called Labben or of the middle Man or the Man that stood between the two Armies to wit Goliah who is so called in the Hebrew Text 1. Sam. 17. 4. But none of these suit with the design and matter of the Psalm which is more general and relates to his former manifold Dangers and the Deliverance which God had graciously given him out of them And that of Goliah agrees not with v. 14. where there is mention of Praising God in Zion which then and long after was in the Hands of the Iâ—…busites a Psalm of David 1. ‖ Or I will praise the Lord. I will praise thee O LORD with my heart b i. e. With a sincere and affectionate and united Heart I will shew forth all thy marvellons works c I will discourse in the general of thy manifold Wonders wrought for me and for thy Church and People formerly The Particle all is here as it is oft elsewhere taken in a restrained Sence 2. I will be glad and rejoyce in thee d i. e. In thy favour and help vouchsafed to me I will sing praise to thy name O thou most high 3. When mine enemies are turned back e i. e. Discomfited and put to Flight they shall fall and perish f They shall not save themselves by Flight and reserve themselves to do further Mischief but shall stumble as it were at Gall-traps by thee laid in their way and shall be pursued and overtaken and cut off at thy presence g Upon thy appearance against them One angry Look of thine is able to confound and destroy them Heb. from thy face because thou didst march in the head of our Armies and against them They could not stand before thee So he ascribes the Honour of his Victories to God only and to his Presence and assistance 4. For †Heb. Thou hast made my judgment thou hast maintained my right and my cause h i. k. My righteous Cause against thine and mine Enemies thou satest in the throne i Thou didst judg and give Sentence for me judging †Heb. In righteoâ—…sness right k Or O righteoâ—…s Iudg or as a just Iudg. 5. Thou hast rebuked l i. e. Punished as Psal. 6. 1. or destroyed as it is explained in the next Clause the heathen m To wit the Philistins and other heathen Nations who did from time to time molest David or the People of Israel thou hast destroyed the wicked thou hast put out their name n Either that Fame and Honour which they had gained by their former Exploits but now utterly lost by their shameful Defeats or their very Memorial as it â—…ared with Amalek for ever and ever 6. ‖ Or the destructions of the enemy are 〈◊〉 to a perpetual end and their cities hast 〈◊〉 destroyed â—… O thou enemy o This is a sudden Apostrophe to the Enemies of God's People Philistins Amorites or other Nations who had formerly made great Havock and Wast among them destructions are come to a perpetual end p Thou hast destroyed the Israelitish Nation utterly and irrecoverably and as it follows their defenced Cities and their very Name and Memory according to thy own desire So it is a Sarcasme or Jrony an usual Figure in Scripture and all Authors whereby the quite contrary is signified To wit That they were not only frustrated of their Desires and Hopes of destroying the Israelites but were also subdued and in a great part destroyed by them Or this verse may be understood of the great Wast and Ruine which God's Enemies had brought upon Israel before this time which is here remembred to make the Israelites more thankful for their later or present Deliverances Or it may be taken as a Prophecy of the future Calamities which the Enemies should by God's Permission bring upon Israel of which he speaks as of a thing past and done after the manner of the Prophets But this place is otherwise rendered in the Margent of our Bibles and by divers others The Destructions of the enemy which may be understood either 1. Actively which they caused Or 2. Passively which they felt are come to a perpetual end or are fully and finally compleated and thou q Either 1. Thou O God who is oft understood and couched in a Pronoun in this manner Thou hast destroyed their Cities Or rather 2. Thou O Enemy as may be gathered both from the foregoing Clause where it is so expressed and from the next Verse where it follows by way of opposition to this But the Lord c. hast destroyed Cities their memorial is perished with them r The Places and People are utterly exstinct 7. But the LORD shall endure for ever s Though Cities and People may perish for ever yet the Lord abides for ever Which is sufficient for the Enemies Terror and for the Comfort
also was of great and good use both to glorifie Gods Justice and to warn and reform other sinners by the Terror of their Example 3. That they may be taken only for predictions as hath been observed before upon the like Occasion and put to shame that seek after my soul let them * Jâ—…r 46. 5. be turned back g Either 1. Stopped or hindred in the Execution of their wicked Design Or rather 2. which is more sutable to the Context discomfited and put to flight as this Phrase is frequently used as Psal. 9. 3. and 70. 2. and 78. 9. Isa. 42. 17. Ier. 46. 5. 21. and brought to confusion that devise my hurt 5. * Job 21. 18. Psal. 1. 4. Isa. 29. 5. Hos. 13. 3. Let them be as chaff before the wind h i. e. Dispersed and Chased from place to place finding Rest and Safety no where and let the angel of the LORD i Whom God useâ—…h to defend his people and to destroy their Enemies chase them 6. Let their way k By which they flee being Chased as was now said be †Heb. 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 * Psal. 73. 18. Jer. 23. 12. dark and slippery l So as they can neither discern the right path nor be able to stand in it and much less to run away especially from so swift a Persecutor as an Angel Whereby they must unavoidably fall into their Enemies hands and be destroyed and let the angel of the LORD persecute them 7. For without cause m Out of meer Malice without any injury or provocation on my part and without any necessity on their parts They are no Common but the worst of Enemies and therefore I may justly pray against them as I do have they hid for me their net in a pit which without cause they digged for my soul n These Expressions aggravate their sins and signifie that their Persecution of him was not the effect of a sudden Passion but of a deep and habitual Hatred and Malice and of an Evil design carried on in a constant and continued Course with Deliberation and Cunning and Deceit and that against his Soul or Life for nothing less would satiâ—…fie them 8. Let destruction come upon him o i. e. Upon each of thine and mine implacable Enemies of whom he hath hitherto spoken †Heb. which 〈◊〉 knoweth 〈◊〉 of at unawares and * Psal. 7. 1â—… 16. 57. â—… Prov. 5. 22. let his net that he hath hid catch himself into that very destruction let him fall 9. And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD p In and for his Glory and Service which shall be advanced by this means and for his Favour to me otherwise I am far from rejoycing in their Calamities it shall rejoyce in his salvation 10. All my bones q i. e. My whole Body by a Synecdoche as Psal. 34. 20. as well as my Soul mentioned v. 9. I will glorifie thee both with my Soul and with my Body shall say r Speech is ascribed to the Bones figuratively as elsewhere they are said to Fear and to Rejoyce Psal. 6. 2. and 51. 8. and as the Loins are said to Bless Iob 31. 20. If they could speak they would express thy Praises because having been dryed up with Sorrow they are now refreshed by thy Mercy LORD who is like unto thee which deliverest the poor that is too strong for him yea the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him 11. False †Heb. 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 witnesses did rise up †Heb. 〈◊〉 â—…ed me they laid to my charge things that I knew not s They accused me to Saul of Treachery and Designs against his Crown and Life and other Crimes whereof I was wholly innocent and ignorant 12. * Psal. 38. â—…0 109. 5. They rewarded me evil for good t For the good Offices which I did to divers of them when I haâ—… Favour and Power in Saul's Court and Camp to the †Heb. dâ—…priving spoiling of my soul u i. e. To the stripping of my Person of all my Comforts and Hopes and of my Life it self 13. But as for me * 〈◊〉 30. 25. when they were sick x Or in any other great Misery my clothing was saccloth y Which was the Habit of Mourners Gen. 37. 34. Mat. 11. 21. Revel 11. 3. I ‖ Or â—…licted humbled my soul z Heb. I afflicted my Soul of which Phrase see Levit. 16. 29 31. and 23. 27. 32. c. Partly with Fasting and Partly with Compassion and â—…ervent Prayers for them with fasting and my prayer returned into mine own bosom a According to this Translation the Sence may be this And or But Or Although my Fastings and Prayers did them no good neither abated their Malice nor prevailed with God for them so far as I desired but returned to me without success like a Gift sent to an uncivil Person who disdainfully rejects it and returns it to the Giver But 1. This is not true that his Prayers returned empty to him and did them no good for they prevailed with God for their Recovery as appears by the following Verses 2. This doth not seem to suit well with the Context for both in the foregoing and following Words he is only describing what he did for them and not what the Effects of it were which he describes in the succeeding Verses Others therefore render the Words otherwise Either 1. Thus And my Prayer in my Bosom returned i. e I did daily and frequently repeat my Prayers for them and that not onely in publick when I joyned with others in a Fast-day appointed for them which might be done in Policy or for Ostentation but also in secret between God and my own Soul and that with a sincere and hearty Affection For what is done secretly and affectionately is said to be done in the Bosom Numb 11. 12. Psal. 89. 50. Prov. 21. 14. although indeed there is in those places another Proposition which may possibly alter the Case Or 2. Which seems the truest Sence and as for my Prayer to wit which I joyned with my Fasting on their behalf let it return nothing being more frequent than for Future Verbs to be put Imperatively into my own Bosom i. e. If any shall think or say that my Fasting for them was but Counterfeit or Politick and that I did not pray for them but rather against them as I do in this Psalm and that under all this shew I secretly wished their Death or Destruction my earnest desire is that the All-seeing and Heart-searching God would grant unto me when I come into their Circumstances the same things which I begged for them whether Good or Evil. And this Sence agrees with the Common use of this Phrase in Scripture where whatsoever is repay'd to any Man is said to be render'd into his Bosom as Psal. 79. 12. Isa. 65.
the Heart as Exod. 15. 8. Deut. 4. 11. And so it may be here for the Army as such hath no Heart Properly so called And so this is fitly alledged as a Proof of the sharpness and force of his Arrows that they not onely wound those who march in the Front but even those who are in the midst of the Army where they may seem secure and out of their Reach of the Kings Enemies But the middle Words may be and are by many included within a Parenthesis and so they may agree with our Translation thus Thine Arrows are sharp for the People fall under thee which is an Evidence of their sharpness in the Heart or against the Heart Or piercing into the Heart Which is an easie and usual Ellipsis of the Kings Enemies 6. * Psal. 93. 2. Heb. 1. 8. Thy throne O God z It is most Evident that the Speech is still continued to the same Person whom he calls King v. 1. 11. and here God Which change of the Title was very expedient and in some sort necessary to give us a true understanding of this Psalm and to assure us that he doth not speak of Solomon to whom neither these nor the foregoing nor the following Words agree because his Reign was peaceable and short and stained with many and great iniquities but a far greater King even of the Messias who is not onely a Man but also the mighty God as he is called Isa. 9. 6. and as the Apostle solâ—…dly proves from this place Heb. 1. 8. For though the Name of Elohim or God be sometimes given in Scripture to some Creatures yet in those Cases it is always Clogged with some diminishing Expression signifying that they are onely made or called Gods and that onely for a certain Time and Purpose as is manifest from Exod. 4. 16. and 7. 1. Psal. 82 6. and it is no where put simply and absolutely for any Person but him who is God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. is for ever and ever a To wit Properly and in thine own Person in which as he Lives for ever so he must necessarily Reign for ever whereas David whose Throne is said to be Established for ever 2 Sam. 7. 16. was a Mortal man and therefore that Promise was not intended of nor could be fulfilled in his Person without including his Posterity And as he here gives to the Messias the Name of God which was never given to David nor Solomon so he ascribes an everlasting Kingdom to him in such a Sence as it was never given to them So Dan. 2. 44. and 7. 14. the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter b It is not strange that thy Throne is not liable to the same uncertainties and Causualties with the Thrones of earthly Princes because their Scepters are commonly managed with great injustice and manifold iniquities which lay the Foundation of their overthrow whereas thou rulest with exact Righteousness and Equity whereby thy Throne is Established Prov. 16. 12. 7. Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness c Thou dost not onely do that which is good and avoid that which is Evil Which even bad Princes and Men may do and sometimes Actually do for Politick or Prudential Reasons but thou dost this sincerely and from an inward Principle even from a true Love to God and Goodness and from an implacable Hatred against all Wickedness therefore d So this Particle is commonly used And so it denoteth Either 1. The reward of Christ's righteous Administration of his Kingdom So the Sence is Because thou hast given so many and great Proofs of thy Love to Righteousness and of thy Hatred of sin and that not onely by the constant Course of thy Life but also by thy Death and Passion therefore God hath raised and exalted thee far above all Men and Angels to a state of Joy and endless Glory at his right Hand which is fitly expressed by the Oyl of gladness For anointing doth not always signifie the Conferring of inward Gifts or Endowments but sometimes onely notes the Designation or inauguration of a Person to some high Dignity or Employment as Ezek. 28. 14. and elsewhere Or 2. The final Cause or end of Christ's Unction So the Sence is To that end i. e. That thou mightest love Righteousness and hate Wickedness and govern thy self and thy Kingdom accordingly God hath anointed thee c. i. e. Hath endowed thee with all the Gifts and Graces of thy Holy Spirit Act 10. 38. in an Eminent and peculiar manner to the Comfort and Refreshment of thine own and all thy Peoples Hearts and hath Solemnly called thee to be the Priest and Prophet and King of all his People But the former Sence seems to be the truest and is for Substance the same thing which is said in other Words Phil. 2. 8 9 10. God thy God e According to thy humane Nature Ioâ—… 20. 17. though in respect of thy divine Nature thou art his Fellow Zech. 13. 7. and his Equal Phil. 2. 6. and one with him Iob. 10. 30. hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness f So called here as also Isa. 61. 3. Partly because it not onely makes the Countenance fresh and pleasant Psal. 104. 15. but also rejoyceth the Heart Prov. 27. 9. and Partly because it was a Token of gladness and used in Feasts and other Solemn occasions of Rejoycing Of which see Psal. 23. 5. Dan. 10. 3. Amos 6. 6. above thy fellows g i. e. Above all them who partake with thee in this Unction Either 1. Above all that ever were anointed for Priests or Prophets or Kings Or 2. Above all Believers who also have received this same Unction 1 Iob. 2. 20. 27. and are made Priests and Kings unto God Revel 1. 6. 8. All thy garments smell of myrrhe and aloes and cassia h Wherewith they used to Persume their Garments See Gen. 27. 27. This may denote those glorious and sweet smelling Vertues which as they were Treasured up inwardly in Christs Heart so did they manifest themselves outwardly and visibly and give forth a greatful Smell in the whole Course of his Life and Actions his Doctrine also was a sweet Savour unto God and Men 2 Coâ—… 2. 14 15. out of the ivory palaces i Which may be referred Either 1 To the Garments which were usually kept in and now upon this extraordinary Solemnity were brought out of Palaces or Houses or Wardrobes of Ivory so called here as also Amos 3. 15. not because they were wholly made of Ivory but because they were adorned or covered here and there with it Or rather 2. To the King himself who is here supposed to reside in his ivory Palaces and his Garments are so fragrant that they do not onely Perfume the whole Palaces in which he is but the sweet Savour thereof is perceived by those that pass by them or are at some distance from them All which is
what he performeth or perfecteth or fulfilleth but leaveth it to be understood as being easie to be understood He performeth or perfecteth to wit all that he hath promised engageth himself to perform what he hath begun to do or what is yet to be performed it being usual in the Hebrew Language to understand a Verbal Noun after the Verb. He implies that God iâ—… not like Men who make large Promises but either through Inability or Carelessness or Unfaithfulness do not perform them but will certainly be as good as his Word 3. He shall send g Either 1. His Angels as Dan. 3. 28. Or 2. His help Or 3. His hand which is understood after this Verb 2 Sam. 6. 6. by Comp. 1 Chron. 13. 9. where it is expressed Or rather 4. His Mercy and his Truth as it here follows where also this Verb is repeated before those Words from heaven and save me ‖ Or he Reproacheth him that would swallow me up from the reproach of him that would swallow me up h i. e. From that shameful Destruction which they Design to bring upon me Or rather as it is rendred in the Margent of our Bible and by many others and as it is in the Hebrew He hath reproached i. e. He will certainly put to Shame or Reproach him that would swallow me up by disappointing his Expectation and delivering me from his Rage i. e. Shall discover them by their proper Fruits to wit by affording his Gracious help in pursuance of his Promises Selah * Psal. 40. 11. 43. 3. 61. 7. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth 4. My soul is among * Psal. 35 17. 58. 6. lions k I Live in the midst of a Generation of fierce and Bloody men which both in Scripture and other Authors are oft called Lyons â—… I have my abode and Conversation I lye leven among m Which Particle is easily borrowed out of the foregoing Clause them that are set on fire n even the sons of men o Whereby he explains what he meant by Lyons and tells us they were Beasts in the shape of Men. whose teeth p Which may be considered Either 1. As Instruments of Destruction as they are in Lyons Or rather 2. As Instruments of Speech as they are in Men for it here follows by way of Explication as the manner is and their Tongue And both seem to signifie their wicked and pernicious Calumnies of which he every where Complains and particularly in the History to which this Psalm seems to Relate 1 Sam. 24. 10. and by which they designed to promote his Destruction are spears and arrows q i. e. They grievously wound my Name and are devised to do me Mischief and their * Psal. 55. 21. tongue a sharp sword m To wit of or from Hell as is fully expressed Iam. 3. 6. who are meer Fire-brands and Incendiaries that are continually breathing out their Wrath and Threatnings and incensing Saul against me 5. * Psal. 7. 6. 148. 13. Be thou exalted r Glorifie thy Power and Goodness and Justice and Faithfulness by my Deliverance all which are exposed to Censure and Reproach whilst thou sufferest ungodly Wretches to oppress and Triumph over the Innocent and Righteous that put their trust in thee O God above the heavens s i. e. Higher than the Heavens or to the highest degree possible Or above all the false Gods which are supposed to reside in Heaven let thy glory be above all the earth t i. e. Above all Men upon Earth some whereof do now Audaciously lift up themselves against thee and above thee Or though as the Hebrew Particle is commonly rendred and it is no New thing to have the same Word or Particle diversly taken in the same Verse as hath been formerly shewed the whole Earth not onely amongst thine own People but so that even the Heathens shall be forced to acknowledge and admire thy Glorious deeds 6. * Psal. 7. 16. 9. 15. They have prepared a net for my steps my soul is bowed down u Or was bowed down I was even ready to fall and Perish Oâ—… mine Heart was oppressed and almost overwhelmed they have digged a pit before me x Heb. Before my Face not in my sight for that would have been in in Vain Prov. 1. 17. but in my Way where they thought I would go into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves y This was fulfilled in Saul who by pursuing fell into his Hands 1 Sam. 24. 3. Selah 7. * Psal. 108. 1. c. My heart is ‖ Or Prepared sixed z Or established in a full assurance of thy merciful Help It was ready to sink with Fear or bowed down v. 6. but now I have through thy Grace Conquered my Fears and am fixed in a stedfast Belief of thy Promises Or is prepared to wit to sing and give Praise as it follows O God my heart is sixed I will sing and give praise 8. Awake up my glory a Either 1. My Soul Or rather 2. My Tongue the Instrument of Singing which he was now about to do v. 7. 9. awake psaltery and harp I my self will awake early b I will Rouse up and imploy all the Powers of my Soul and Body to set forth Gods Praises I will praise thee O LORD among the people c In the great Congregations amongst the Israelites of all Tribes who are called by this Name Deut. 33. 19. and amongst Heathens as I shall have occasion as he often had I will sing unto thee among the nations 10. * Psal. 36. 5. 71. 19. 89. 2. 108. 4. For thy mercy is great unto the heavens d i. e. Is most Evident and greatly Exalted and they truth unto clouds 11. Be * Vers. 5. thou exalted O God above the heavens let thy glory be above all the earth e. PSAL. LVIII The ARGUMENT This Psalm was Composed as very many others were upon the occasion of those wickedly Calumnies and unjust Censures and Sentences which were passed upon him by Saul and his Courtiers To the chief musician ‖ Or destroy not a Golden Psalm of David * Psal. 57. Tit. Al-taschith Michtam of David 1. DO ye indeed speak righteousness a The question implies a Denial You censure me freely without any Regard to Truth or Justice O congregation b The word signifies a Band or Company of men and seems to point at Saul's Judges and Counsellers who met together to Consult what they should do against David and probably passed a Sentence upon him as guilty of Treason and Rebellion do ye judge uprightly O ye sons of men c So he calls them Either 1. In Contempt and opposition of the sons of God or good Men. Or 2. By way of Admonition to mind them that they also were Men and must give an Account
like sparks of Fire of the bow the shield and the sword h Both offensive and defensive Weapons so as they could neither hurt God's People nor save themselves from Ruin and the battel i The force and fury of the Battle and all the Power of the Army which was put in Battel-Array Selah 4 Thou k O God To whom he directeth his Speech here as also v. 6 7 8. art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey l Either 1. Than the greatest Kings and Empires of the Earth which in Prophetical Writings are oft Compared to Mountains as Psal. 46. 2 3. Isa. 41. 15. Ier. 51. 25. Hab. 3. 6. And they are called Mountains of prey because then they generally were Established by Tyranny and maintained by preying upon their own Subjects or other inferior Kingdoms Or 2. Which amounts to the same thing than the most powerful Enemies of thy People upon whom they used and now desired and expected to prey Such Persons being oft expressed by the name of Mountains as Psal. 144. 5. â—…eth 4. 7. c. 5 The stout hearted are spoiled m Of all that Glory and Advantage which they either had already gotten or further expected from the Success of their present expedition which they promised to themselves They became a prey to those upon whom they hoped to prey they have slept their sleep n Even a perpetual sleep as Ier. 51. 39. 57. or the 〈◊〉 of Death Psal. 13. 3. called their sleep Emphatically as being peculâ—…ar to them and such like Men and not that sleep which is common to the good and bad Their Death he seems to call 〈◊〉 Because they were slain in the Night when they had Composed themselves to rest and sleep and so passed insensibly from one sleep to another For it is thought by many that this Psalm was Composed upon the occasion of that prodigious slaughter of the Assyrians in Iudah 2 Kings 19. 35. and none of the men of might have found their hands o They had no more strength in or use of their hands against the destroying Angel than they who have no hands 6 At thy rebuke O God of Jacob both the chariot and horse p The men who Rode upon and â—…ought from Chariots and Horses who fight with most Advantage and usually have most Courage and much more unable were their Footmen to resist or avoid the stroke are cast into a dead sleep 7 Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight q To wit to Contend with thee Standing is here opposed to flight or falling before the Enemy See Iâ—…sh 7. 12. Dan. 8. 4. when once thou art angry 8 * Psal. 46. 6 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven r Thou didst execute Judgment upon thine Enemies by an Angel sent from Heaven which is said to be heard Either because that was accompanied with terrible Thunders and Earthquakes which was not unusual in the descent of an Angel as Mat. 28. 2. and elsewhere Or because the same of it was quickly spread abroad in the Land and in the World the earth feared and was still s The effect of this Terrible Judgement was that the rest of the World were afraid to invade or disturb the Land and People of Israel and chose rather to sit still in their own Territories 9 When God arose to judgment t When God who for a season had sat still began to bestir and shew himself against his Enemies Or After God had risen c. Or Because God did arise c. to save all the meek of the earth u To save all the godly Persons who are oft called Meek ones as hath been noted again and again in Israel for whose sakes God wrought this great Deliverance which reached to all the People of the Land Selah 10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee x The blasphemous Speeches and furious Attempts of thine Enemies shall serve thy Glory and cause thy People and others to Praise and magnifie thee for that admirable Wisdom and Power and Faithfulness and Goodness which thou shalt discover upon that occasion the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain y Thou shalt prevent and disappoint the succeeding malicious Designs of thine Enemies who will meditate Revenge for those shameful and Terrible overthrows Or the râ—…der of wrath thou shalt gird thy self with i. e. Put it on as an Ornament which the Girdle was thou shalt adorn thy self with it as a Conqueror doth with the spoils of his Enemies 11 Vow z Vow a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving Either at this time for this wonderful Deliverance Or hereafter in all your Future straits and Troubles let this Experience encourage you to make such Vows to God with Confidence of Success and pay a But when God hath accepted your Vows and given you the desired Deliverance forget not to pay your Vows unto the LORD your God let all that be round about him b Either 1. All the Tribes of Israel who have the Benefit of this Mercy Or rather 2. All the neighbouring Nations on every side to whom the same of this mighty work of God shall come I advise them for the Future if they love themselves to cease from all Hostilities against God or his People and to submit themselves to the God of Israel bring presents †Heb. to the fear Gen. 31. 42. 53 unto him that ought to be feared c Whom though they do not love yet they see and feel that they have great reason to Fear and to seek his Favour 12 He shall cut off d As men do their Grapes in time of Vintage as the Hebrew Verb implies to wit suddenly violently and irresistibly This is all which they shall get by opposing him and therefore it is their Wisdom to bring Presents to him the spirit e Either 1. Their Courage Or rather 2. Their Breath and Life as he did in the Assyrian Army of princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth PSAL. LXXVII The ARGUMENT This Psalm was Composed upon the occasion of some sore and long Calamity of God's People Either the Babylonish Captivity or some other To the chief musician †Heb. upon Psal. 62. to Jeduthun a Psalm ‖ Or for Asaph of Asaph a Either that Asaph who lived and Prophecied in David's time Or one of his Successors long after him called as was usual by his Progenitors name 1 I Cried unto God with my voyce even unto God with my voyce and he gave ear unto me b This Verse seems to contain the sum of the whole Psalm consisting of two parts to wit his earnest Cry to God in his deep distress and God's gracious return to his Prayers by supporting him under them and giving him assurance of a good issue out of them of both which he speaks more distinctly and particularly of
of sin a seed of evil-doers n The Children of wicked Parents whose guilt they inherit and whose evil Example they follow children that are corrupters o Heb. that corrupt to wit themselves or their ways or others by their counsel and example Or that destroy themselves and their land by their wickedness they have forsaken the LORD p Not in profession but in practice and reality neglecting or corrupting his Worship refusing his yoke and conduct they have provoked the holy One of Israel unto anger q They have lived as if it were their great design and business to provoke him they are †Heb. alienated Or separated Psal. 58. 3. gone away backward r Instead of proceeding forward and growing in grace which was their duty they are all faln from their former professions and grown worse and worse and have impudently turned their backs upon me 5 Why should ye be stricken any more s It is to no purpose to seek to reclaim you by one Chastisement after another and therefore I will utterly forsake and destroy you at once ye will †Heb. increase revolt revolt more and more t I see you are incorrigible and turn even your afflictions into sin the whole head is sick and the whole heart faint u Your disease is mortal as being in the most noble and vital parts the very head and heart of the body politick from whence the plague is derived to all the other Members as it follows And this is to be understood either 1. Of their sins or rather 2. Of their miseries Which best suits 1. with the foregoing words this being added as a reason why it was in vain to strike them any more or to expect any amendment that way because he had stricken them already and that very terribly even in their head and heart whose wounds are most dangerous and yet they were not at all better for it 2. With vers 7 8. where this Metaphor is so explained 6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it x You have been all of you punished from the highest to the lowest from the worst to the best but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores they have not been closed neither bound up neither mollified with ‖ Or Oil. ointment y I have suffered you to lie under your maladies for a time without applying any remedies to try whether the length and continuance of your affliction might not work that cure which the strength of it could not do but all in vain 7 * Deut. 28. 51 52. Chap. 5. 5. Your countrey is desolate your cities are burnt with fire your land strangers devour it z All this and what follows was verified in the days of King Ahaz 2 Chron. 28. in whose time and upon which occasion this Prophesie seems to have been delivered as more exactly agreeing with that time than with any other If any object That this being the first of his Prophecies must rather belong to the days of Uzziah they must take notice and it is agreed by Interpreters and is undeniably true that the Prophecies of Isaiah as also of the other Prophets are not set down in the same order in which they were delivered but oftentimes the latter are put before the former in your presence a Which your eyes shall see to torment you when there is no power in your hands to deliver you and it is desolate †Heb. as the overthrow of strangers as overthrown by strangers b Heb. As the overthrow of strangers i. e. which strangers bring upon a land which is not theirs nor likely to continue in their hands and therefore they spare no persons that come in their way and they spoil and destroy all things which is not usually done in wars between persons of the same or of a neighbour nation 8 And the daughter of Zion c i. e. Zion or Ierusalem for these two names are promiscuously used of the same place The name of daughter being frequently given to cities or countries Thus the daughter of Babylon is put for Babylon it self Psal. 137. 8. Isa. 47. 1. In the same sence we read of the daughter of Tyre Psal. 45. 12. and of Zidon Isa. 23. 12. and of Egypt Ier. 46. 11 24. and of Edom Lam. 4. 21. is left as a cottage in a vineyard as a lodg in a garden of cucumbers d Is left solitary all the neighbouring villages and country round about it being laid waste as a besieged city 9 * Lam. 3. 22. Rom. 9. 29. Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant e If God by his Infinite Power and Goodness had not restrained our enemies and reserved some of us we should have been as * Gen. 19. 24. Sodom and we should have been like unto Gomorrah f The whole nation and race of us had been utterly cut off as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were So great was the rage and power of our enemies and so utterly unable we were to deliver our selves 10 Hear the word of the LORD g I speak not my own fancies or passions but the message of your Lord and governour to whom you owe all reverence and obedience ye rulers of Sodom h So called for their resemblance of them in wickedness Comp. Deut. 32. 32. Ezek 16. 46 48. give ear unto the law i Or Doctrine as this word is commonly used the message which I am now to deliver to you from God your great Law-giver which ought to have the force of a Law with you of our God ye people of Gomorrah 11 To what purpose k They are vain and useless being neither accepted by me nor beneficial to you is the multitude of your * Psal. 50. 8 9. 51. 16. Prov. 15. 8. 21. 27. Chap. 66. 3. Jer. 6. 20. Amos 5. 21 22. Mic. 6. 7. sacrifices unto me l Who am a Spirit and therefore cannot be satisfied with such carnal Oblations but expect to be worshipped in spirit and truth and to have your Hearts and Lives as well as your Bodies and Sacrifices presented unto me saith the LORD I am full of the burnt-offerings m I am glutted with them and therefore loath them of rams and the fat of fed beasts and I delight not in the blood n He mentions the fat and blood because these were in a peculiar manner reserved for God Levit. 3. 15 16 17. 11. to intimate that even the best of their Sacrifices were rejected by him of bullocks or of lambs or of †Heb. great he-goats he-goats 12 When ye come †Heb. to be seen to appear before me o Upon the three Solemn Feasts Exod. 23. 17. 34. 23. or upon other occasioâ—… who hath required this at your hands p To wit in this manner
and upon whose Prayers God gave this Deliverance as we read Isa 37. 15 c. Possibly it might be better understood of David who is oft mentioned in Scripture by the name of God's anointed as Psal. 20. 6. 89. 20. 132. 17. and elsewhere and for whose sake God gave many Deliverances to the succeeding Kings and Ages as is expresly affirmed 1 Kings 11. 32 34. 2 Kings 8. 19. And which is more considerable God declareth that he would give this very Deliverance from the Assyrian for Davids sake 2 Kings 19. 34. and 20. 6. But the Messiah I doubt not is here principally intended of whom David was but a Type and who was in a peculiar manner anointed above all his fellows as is said Psal. 45. 7. For he is the Foundation of all the Promises 2 Cor. 1. 20. and of all the Deliverances and Mercies granted to God's People in all Ages whence this very Prophet makes use of this great Promise of the Messiah as an Assurance that God would make good his Promises of particular Deliverances from their present or approaching Calamities as Isa. 7. 14. c. and 9. 4 c. And therefore the Prophet might well say that God would grant this Deliverance for Christs sake Especially if it be considered that this was the very Reason why God had promised and did so constantly perform his Mercy promised unto the Tribe of Iudah and unto the House of David until the coming of the Messiah because the Messiah was to come of the Tribe of Iudah and of the Posterity of David and was to succeed David in his Throne and Kingdom and he was to be known by this Character and therefore this Tribe and House and Kingdom were to continue and that in a visible manner till Christ came 28 He is come to Ajath r Here the Prophet returns to his former Discourse concerning the Assyrian Invaâ—…ion into Iudah which he describes after the manner of the Prophets as a thing present and sets down the several Stages by which he marched towards Ierusalem The Places here named are most of them Towns of Benjamin and some of Iudah as appears from other Scriptures of which it is needless to say more in this place He to wit Sennacherib King of Assyria is come in his way to Ierusalem he is passed to Migron at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages s Leaving such things there as were less necessary that so he might march with more expedition Heb. he visited his vessels or instruments which may be meant of his taking a Survey of his Army and Artillery to see that all things were ready for his Enterprise 29 They are gone over the passage t Some considerable Passage then well known possibly that 1 Sam. 14. 5. they have taken up their lodging at Geba Ramah is afraid Gibeah of Saul is fled u The People fled to Ierusalem for fear of the Assyrian 30 †Heb. Cry shrill with thy 〈◊〉 Lift up thy voice O daughter of Gallim x Ierusalem was the Mother-City and lesser Towns are commonly called her daughters as hath been oft noted cause it to be heard unto Laish O poor Anathoth 31 Madmenah is removed the inhabitants of Gebin gather themselves to flee 32 As yet shall he remain at Nob that day he shall shake his hand y By way of Commination But withal he intimates that he should be able to do no more against it and that there his proud Waves should be stayed as it is declared in the following Verses and in the History against the mount of the daughter of Zion the hill of Jerusalem 33 Behold the Lord the LORD of hosts shall lop the bough z The top-bough 〈◊〉 or the loughs his valiant Soldiers or Commanders of his Army which he compareth to a Forest v. 18. 34. with terrour a With a most terrible and amazing Stroke by an Angel and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down and the haughty shall be humbled 34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forrest with iron b Or as with iron as the Trees of the Forest are cut down by Instruments of Iron and Lebanon c Or his Lebanon the Pronoun being oft understood in the Hebrew Text the Assyrian Army which being before compared to a Forest or Wood and being called his Caâ—…mel in the Hebrew Text v. 18. may very fitly upon the same ground be called his Lebanon here especially considering that the King of Assyria is called a cedar of Lebanon Ezek. 31. 3. shall fall ‖ Or mightily by a mighty one d By a mighty Angel Isa. 37. 36. CHAP. XI AND * Zech. 6. 12. Revel 5. 5. there shall come forth a The Prophet having dispatched the Assyrian and comforted God's People with the Promise of their Deliverance from that formidable Enemy now he proceeds further and declares That God will do greater things than that for them that he will give them their long-expected and much-desired Messiah and by him will work Wonders of Mercy for them For this is the manner of the Prophets to take the occasion of particular Deliverances to fix the Peoples Minds upon their great and everlasting Deliverance from all their enemies by the Messiah And having said that the Assyrian yoke should be destroyed because of the anointing ch 10. 27. he now more particularly explains who that anointed Person was a rod b Or twig called a branch in the next Clause Parents are oft compared to Roots or Trees and their Children to Branches He speaks of the most eminent Branch of that famous Son of a Virgin Isa. 7. 14. of that Wonderful Child Isa. 9. 6. not of Hezekiah as some of the Iews and Judaizing Christians conceit but of the Messiah as will evidently appear from the following Description out of the stemm c Or trunk or rather stump for the Word properly signifies a Trunk cut off from the Root Or reâ—…t as the LXX here render the Word and as it is explained in the next Clause By which he clearly implies That the Messiah should be born of the Royal House of David at that time when it was in a most forlorn and contemptible condition like a Tree cut down and whereof nothing is left but a Stump or Root under Ground Which really was the State of David's Family when Christ was born as is notoriously known but was in a far better condition when Hezekiah was born of * Act. 13. 23. Jesse d He doth not say of David but of Iesse who was a private and mean Person 1 Sam. 18. 18 23. 20. 30. to intimate That at the time of Christ's Birth the Royal Family should be reduced to its primitive Obscurity and * Chap. 4. 2. Jer. 23. 5. a branch shall grow e He speaks of one not yet born and therefore not of Hezekiah who was born divers years before
in a peculiar manner being chosen by me and consecrated to my Use and Service and inâ—…bited by 〈◊〉 People and upon my mountains g In my Mountainous Country for such 〈◊〉 was Deut. 8. 9. Psal. 133. 3. Ezek. 6. 2 3. 39. 2 â—… 17. especially about Ierusalem Psal. 125. 2. upon some of which probably his Army was lodged tread him under feet then shall his yoke depart from off them and his burden depart from off their shoulders h Which Words are â—…peated from Isa. 10. 27. where they are explained 26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth i Upon this vast Empire now in the hands of the â—…rians and shortly to come into the hands of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole earth is put Synechdochically for a great part of it and this is the hand k The Providence of God executing his purpose that is stretched out upon all the nations 27 For the LORD of hosts hath * â—… Châ—… â—… 6. Jâ—…b 9. 12 2â—… 1â—… Psal. 33. 11. Irov 19. 21. 21. 30. Chap. 43. 13. Dan. 4. 31 32 35. purposed and who shall disanul it and his hand is stretched out and who shall turn it back 28 In the year that * 2 Kâ—… 16. 20. king Ahaz died was this burden l This following burdensom Prophecy 〈◊〉 the Philistins who in Ahaz his time made an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and took divers of their Cities and Villages 2 Chron. â—… â—… 29 Rejoyce not thou whole Palestina because the rod of m Most understand this of Uzziah who did then much mischief 2 Chron. 26. 6. But he was dead Thirty two years before this time and therefore their Joy for his Death was long since past Others understand it of Ahaz But he was so far from smiting them that he was smitten by them as was noted on v. 27. It seems better to understand it more generally of the Royal Race or soregoing Kings of Iudah who had been a terrible Scourge to them whose Rod might be said to be broken because that Scepter was come into the hands of slothful and degenerate Princes such as Ahaz was who had been lately broken by the Philistins and who probably was alive when this Prophecy was delivered because he here speaks of Hezekiah not as a present but as a future King It is said indeed that this burden was in the year that Ahaz died But so it might be though it was before his Death him that smote thee is broken for out of the serpents root shall come forth a ‖ Or addâ—…r cockatrice and his fruit shall be a fiery slying serpent n From the Root and Race of David shall come Hezekiah who like a Serpent shall sting thee to death as he did 2 Kings 18. 8. 30 And the first born of the poor o The People of the Jews who are brought to extreme Poverty by thy Cruelty and the Malice of other Enemies The First-born were the chief of all the Children Hence the Title of first-born is given to Persons or Things which are most eminent in their Kind as to the People of Israel Exod. 4. 22. to David Psal. 89. 27. to a grievous Death Iob 18. 13. and here to Persons eminently poor shall feed p Shall have plenty of Provisions in spight of all thine Attempts against them and the needy shall lie down in safety and I will kill thy root q I will utterly destroy thee both Root and Branch so that there shall not be a Remnant of thy People reserved as it follows It is a Metaphor from a Tree which for want of Nourishment is dried up by the Roots with famin and he shall slay thy remnant 31 Howl O gate r The gate is put either 1. Metaphorically for the People passing through the Gates or for the Magistrates and others who used to meet in the Gate for Judgment or upon other Occasions or 2. Synechdochically for the City as gates are commonly put as Ier. 22. 19. and as it is explained in the next Words cry O city s City is here put collectively for their Cities of which see 1 Sam. 6. 17. thou whole Palestina art dissolved t Heb. melted Which may be understood either 1 of the fainting of their Spirits and Courage as Exod. 15. 15. Iâ—…s 2. 9 24 c. or 2. of the Dissolution of their State for there shall come from the North u Either 1. from Iudea which lay Northward from some part of the Philistins Land But in truth Iudea lay more East than North from Iudah and therefore the Phâ—… are said to be on the west Isa. 11. 14. and never so far as I remember on the North Or 2. from Chaldaea as may be gathered 1. from the Scripture use of this Phrase which generally designs that Country as Ier. 1. 14 15. 6. 1 22. c. 2. from Ier. 47. where Destruction is threatned to the Philistins from the North v. 2. which all understand of the Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar And whereas it is speciously objected That this suits not with the next Verse which speaks of Zions Safety at the time of this Destruction of the Philistins whereas Zion and the Land and People of Iudah were destroyed together with the Philistins by Nebuchadnezzar I humbly conceive it may be answered That that Verse is added to express the far-differing Condition of God's People and of the Philistins in the Events of that Babylonian War and that whereas the Philistins should be irrecoverably and eternally destroyed thereby and no Remnant of them should be left as was said v. 30. God's People though they should be sorely scourged and carried into Captivity yet they should be strangely preserved and after some years delivered and restored to their own Land and Temple whereby it would appear that Zion stood upon a sure Foundation and albeit it was grievously shaken yet it could not be utterly and finally overthrown a smoke x A grievous Judgment and Calamity which is oft signified by smoke as Gen. 15. 17. Deut. 29. 20. Iâ—…el 2. 30. either because Smoke is generally accompanied with Fire or because it causeth a great Darkness in the Air for Afflictions are frequently described under the names of fire and darkness and ‖ Or he shall not be alone none shall be alone in his ‖ Or assemblies appointed times y When God's appointed time shall come for the execution of this Judgment not one Person of all that numerous Army which is signified by the smoke last mentioned shall retire and desert his Colours or lag behind the rest But they shall march with great unanimity and alacrity and none of them shall withdraw his hand till the Work be finished till the Philistins be utterly destroyed 32 What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation z What shall a Jew say to the People of other Nations who shall either be
sent or come to enquire concerning the State of Zion in that day when not onely the Philistins but even the Iews themselves shall fall by the hands of one and the same Enemy Nation is put collectively for nations as gate and city for gates and cities in the foregoing Verse That * Psal. 87. 1 5. 102. 16. the LORD hath founded Zion and * Zeph. 3. 12. Zech. 11. 11. the poor of his people shall ‖ Or betake themselves unto it trust in it a They shall give them this answer That although Zion at present be in a very distressed and deplorable condition and seems to be forsaken by her Cod yet she stands upon a firm Foundation and God who first founded her will again restore and establish her and his poor despised People shall resort to her as to a strong and sure Refuge CHAP. XV. * Ezek. 25. 8. Amos 2. 1. THe burden of Moab a A Prophecy of the Destruction of the Moabites the inveterate and implacable Enemies of the Iews begun by the Assyrian and finished by the Babylonian Emperours Because in the night b Or in a night suddenly and unexpectedly for Men sleep securely in the Night and therefore the Evils which then overtake them are most terrible to them Ar c The chief City of Moab Numb 21. 28. Deut. 2. 9. of Moab is laid waste and ‖ Or cut off brought to silence d Or rather is cut off as the Word oft signifies as Ier. 47. 5. Hos. 10. 9 15. and elsewhere because in the night Kir e Another eminent City of Moab called more largely and fully Kir-heres and Kir-Haresheth Isa. 16. 7 11. Ier. 48. 31 36. of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence 2 He is gone up to Bajith f Which signifies an house It is supposed to be the Name of a Place so called from some eminent House or Temple of their Idols which was in it It is called more fully Beth-baal-meon that is The house of Baals habitation Ios. 13. 17. and to Dibon g Another City of Moab as is manifest from Ier. 48. 18 22. where also was their other eminent High places To these two Places they used to resort in case of great Difficulties and Troubles the high places to weep h To offer their Supplications with Tears to their Idols for help Moab shall howl over Nebo and over Medeba i Two considerable Cities anciently belonging to the Moabites from whom they were taken by the Amorites and from them by the Israelites and possessed by the Reubenites Numb 21. 30. 32. 3 38. but were as it seems recovered by the Moabites in whose hands they now were as is evident for Nebo Ier. 48. 1 22. and for Medeba from this Text. * Jer. 47. 5. 48. 37 38. Ezek. 7. 18. on all their heads shall be baldness and every beard cut off k The Hair of their Heads and Beards which was their Ornament was shaved as was usual in great Mournings as hath been oft observed upon diâ—…ers preceding Texts See on Levit. 19. 27 28. 21. 5. 3 In their streets they shall gird themselves with sack-cloth l This was another Practice of Mourners on the tops of their houses m Which were made flat Deut. 22. 8. to which men used to go up either to walk or to cry to God in Heaven or to Men for Help and in their streets n Publickly without shame whereas in ordinary Sorrows men are wont to seek secret Places for their Mourning every one shall howl †Heb. descending into weeping or coming down with weeping weeping abundantly 4 And Heshbon shall cry and Elealeh o Two other Moabitish Cities of which see Numb 21. 25 26. 32. 3. 37. their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz p Another City in the utmost Borders of Moah Numb 21. 23. called also Iahazah Ios. 21. 36. therefore the armed souldiers q Who should be and use to be the most couragious of Moab shall cry out his life shall be grievous unto him r The Moabites shall generally long for death to free themselves from those dreadful Calamities which they perceive unavoidably coming upon them 5 My heart shall cry out for Moab s Their Destruction approaching is so dreadful that although they are a most vile Nation and by their implacable Enmity against God and his People do abundantly deserve it yet the Respect which I have to Humane Nature fills me with Horrour at the very thoughts of it Compare Isa. 16. 11. ‖ Or to the borders thereof even to Zoar as an heisâ—…r his fugitives t Or his bars as others render it and as this Word is frequently taken as Exod. 26. 26 27. Psal. 107 16. c. whereby he may understand their valiant Men or their Princes and Rulers who as they are called the shields of the earth Psal. 47. 9. because like Shields they do or should defend their People so for the same reason they may be called bars because Bars are the Strength of the Gates of Cities or Castles and therefore are mentioned as such Psal. 147. 13. Prov. 18. 19. Ier. 51. 30. shall flee unto Zoar u Or shall cry unto Zoar either shall cry as they go along the way even till they come to Zoar or shall cry so as they may be heard to Zoar which may easily be understood out of the foregoing Verse Zoar was a Town bordering upon Moab of which see â—…en 19. 20 21 22. Deut. 34. 3. an * Heb. breaking heifer of three years old x Which some understand of the City of Zoar so called for her Strength and Wantonness But such a Description of Zoar seems very improper and impertinent in this place The Words therefore are to be translated here as they are by our Translators Ier. 48. 34. as an heifer of three years old and so they belong to their Cry and signifie that it is strong and loud like that of such an Heifer for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry y He signifies that the Cry should be universal in all Places where they come and reaching from one side of the Country to another Of Luhith see Ier. 48. 4 5. of †Jer 48. 5. 34. destruction z Such a Cry as men send forth when they are just falling into the Pit of Destruction 6 For the waters a Either 1. properly they shall be dried up or 2. figuratively the Waterish Grounds as waters seem to be taken Eccles. 11. 1. Isa. 32. 20. These being very fruitful are commonly most inhabited and cultivated but now they also and much more the dry and barren Grounds shall be desolate and without Inhabitant of Nimrim shall be †Heb. desolations desolate for the hay is
Destruction of the Assyrian Army supposed to be in this place was the occasion of the Conspiracy of that King's Sons and so of the King's Death But if this Tophet design Hell this is Emphatically denâ—…nced against him to intimate That although he escaped that sudden Plague which cut off his Army yet there was a more terrible Judgment appointed for him which he should be utterly unable to escape it is prepared he n The Lord who is oft designed by this Pronoun as in the next foregoing Verse and elsewhere and who is expressed in the following words Or it is an indefinite Expression for it is made deep and large hath made it deep and large n Capable of receiving vast Numbers whereby He intimates That He designed to make a great and general Destruction of the Assyrians and withal that it was a vain and foolish Confidence which the Assyrians had in their numerous Host seeing the greatest Numbers of God's Enemies are wholly unable either to oppose Him or to Save themselves from His Wrath and Power the pile thereof is fire and much wood o Whereby He further implies That He intended to make a great Slaughter among them And He alludes in this phrase to the ancient Custome either of burning Sacrifices and particularly burning Children to Moloch or of burning the dead Bodies of Men. * chap. 33. 11. the breath of the LORD p The immediate Hand of God or His Word of Anger See on ver 28. like a stream of brimstone q He seems to allude to that shower of Fire and Brimstone Gen. 19. 24. doth kindle it r The pile of Fire and Wood now mentioned CHAP. XXXI 1. WO to them * Chap. 30. 2â—… that go down to Egypt for help a As the Iews did contrary to God's Command Deut. 17. 16. and 28. 68. and stay on horses b For Egypt had many and choice Horses and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong but they look not unto the holy one of Israel neither seek the LORD c Their confidence in the Creature was accompanied with and did produce a distrust of God and a neglect of seeking to Him by Prayer for His help 2. Yet he also is wise d You think you are wise and act wisely in ingaging the Egyptians who are a wise and warlike People to help you but God is not inferiour to them in Wisdome nor in Strength but much their Superior and therefore you have done foolishly and wickedly in preferring them before Him and will bring evil e Will execute His Judgments upon you notwithstanding all that you or your Allies the Egyptians can do to hinder it and will not †Heb. remove call back his words f His Threatnings denounced against you but will infallibly Execute them but will arise g Though at present He sit still yet He will bestir himself and Fight against the house of evil doers h Against this wicked and rebellious People of the Iews and against the help i The helpers as it is explained in the next Verse The Abstract being put for the Concrete of them that work iniquity 3. Now †Heb. Egypt is a man the Egyptians are men and not God k And therefore utterly unable to defend you either without or against my Will and their horses flesh l Weak and frail as that word signifies Psal. 78. 39. Heb. 5. 7. and elsewhere and not spirit m Not like spiritual Substances such as the Angels who are immortal and invisible by Men whereof we have Instances Exod. 12. 29 30. Isa. 37. 36. when the LORD shall stretch out his hand both he that helpeth shall fall and he that is holpen shall fall down and they all shall fail together 4. For n Or But or Nevertheless as this particle is elsewhere used as hath been proved before Although you have done evil in sending to Egypt for help and they shall not be able to help you yet the Lord himself will of His own Grace and for the Glory of His own Name give you that Help and Deliverance which you do not deserve and have no reason to expect from Him And therefore desist from those evil Counsels and Courses as those which are both unnecessary and pernicious thus hath the LORD spoken unto me Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey o When He is ready to seize upon it and devour it when a multitude of shepheards is called forth against him he will not be afraid of their voice nor abase himself p It hath been observed of Lions That when they are pursued they do not run away with all speed as other Creatures do but march away slowly and make an honourable Retreat for the ‖ Or multitude noise of them so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for q Although this Hebrew particle might be rendred against and so this place might be understood of God's fighting against the Iews and Egyptians of which He speaks ver 3. yet it is better rendred for as it is taken in many other places as is manifest from the following similitude and verse mount Zion and for the hill thereof 5. * Psal. 91. 4. As birds flying r Which come from above and so cannot be kept off which fly swiftly and ingage themselves valiantly and resolutely when they perceive that their young Ones are in eminent danger â—…e seems to allude and to oppose this to those boasting Expressions of the Assyrian Isa. 10. 14. compare Deut. 32. 11 12. Mat. 23. 37. so will the LORD of hosts defend Ierusalem * Psal. 37. â—…0 defending also he will deliver it and passing over s The destroying Angel shall pass over Ierusalem untouched and shall fall upon the Assyrians He seems to allude to the History of God's passing over and sparing the Houses of the Israelites when He slew the Egyptians in which this Word is constantly used Exod. 12. 12 22 26. he will preserve it 6. Turn ye unto him t Let the consideration of this gracious Promise ingage you to repent of your carnal Policies in seeking and trusting to Egypt for Help and sincerely to return to God from whom the children of Israel u Either 1. the Israelites strictly so called who are now utterly Destroyed for their Apostacy and therefore take heed that you do not follow their Example Or 2. you Iews who are the Children of Israel which Title he here gives them partly to admonish them of their great and many Obligations to God and partly to aggravate the Sin of their Apostacy have deeply revolted x In neglecting and forsaking Him and seeking to Egypt for Help which he calls a deep revolt partly because it was an hainous Sin being contrary to God's express Command and highly dishonourable to God And partly