workmen here spoken of but by others How then comes this to be mentioned here Ans. 1. The shew-bread may be here put for the vessels for the receiving of the shew-bread by an usual Metonymy of the adjunct the thing contained put for the thing containing as treasures are put for the place where the treasures are put Psal. 135. 7. Mat. 2. 11. and 12. 35. and the gifts or offerings of God for the treasury where they were put Luk. 21. 4. Hence Tremellius renders this place and the vessels of the shew-bread Obj. All the vessels of the Table are mentioned before of which this was one Ans. It is not unusual after a general expression comprehending all distinctly to name one eminent member of that kind such as this unquestionably was the table being made principally for this use Thus Mark 16. 7. Tell my disciples and Peter Like examples are in 2 Sam. 2. 30. 1 King 11. 1. Psal. 18. the Title Act. 1. 14. and in other Authors And for the particle Vau and which may seem to imply that these were things of another kind and not any vessels of the Table that is oft put for especially as Ios. 2. 1. Mark 16. 7. and so onely notes an eminent thing of the same kind as hath been said Ans. 2. Though God did not prescribe the making of the shew-bread yet he mentions it together with the table Exod. 25. 30. and therefore it is conveniently mentioned with the table in this place also where Moses to shew his exactness and fidelity doth punctually repeat the same things to the people which he had received in command from God In like manner the oil which fed the light of the lamps is mentioned here in the next verse because the lighting of the lamps was prescribed Exod. 25. 37. 14 The candlestick also for the light and his furniture and his lamps with the oil for the light 15 * 〈…〉 And the incense altar and his staves and the anointing oil and the sweet incense and the hanging for the door at the entring in of the Tabernacle 16 * chap. 27. 1. The altar of burnt-offering with his brazen grate his staves and all his vessels the laver and his foot 17 The hangings of the court his pillars and their sockets and the hanging for the door of the court 18 The pins of the tabernacle and the pins of the court and their cords 19 The clothes of service to do service in the holy place the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons to minister in the priests office 20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses 21 And they came every one whose heart stirred him up k i. e. Whose heart being desirous and ready to serve God ingaged his hand to offer what he had to his service and every one whom his spirit made willing and they brought the LORDS offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation and for all his service and for the holy garments 22 And they came both men and women as many as were willing-hearted and brought bracelets and ear-rings l Obj. Aaron had goâ—… these from them for the making of the calf Exod. 32. Ans. Though the generality of the people did then part with their ear-rings yet there was a considerable number who did not as being unsatisfied with that Idolatrous design and it may seem that the women would not part with theirs being more fond of their ornaments than of their Idols See the notes on Exod. 32. 3. and rings and tablets all jewels of gold and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD 23 And every man with whom was found blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen and goats hair and red skins of rams and badgers skins brought them 24 Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the LORDS offering and every man with whom was found shittim-wood for any work of the service brought it 25 And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands and brought that which they had spun both of blue and of purple and of scarlet and of fine linnen 26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom m This word seems better to agree with the following than with the foregoing word they spâ—… with wisdom i. e. with skill and art spun goats hair 27 And the rulers brought onyx-stones and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breast-plate 28 And * chap. 30. 23. spice and oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense 29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD every man and woman whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses 30 And Moses said unto the children of Israel See * chap. 31. 2. the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri the son of Hur of the tribe of Judah 31 And he hath filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom in understanding and in knowledge and in all manner of workmanship 32 And to devise curious works to work in gold and in silver and in brass 33 And in the cutting of stones to set them and in carving of wood to make any manner of cunning work 34 And he hath put in his heart that he may teach n To wit others to work under him for the work required many hands and it is a peculiar gift of God to be apt to teach which every skilful man hath not both he and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. 35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart to work all manner of work of the ingraver and of the cunning workman and of the embroiderer in blue and in purple in scarlet and in fine linen and of the weaver even of them that do any work and of those that devise cunning work CHAP. XXXVI 1 THen wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab and every wise-hearted man in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary a Or of the holy place to wit of the Tabernacle so called by a Prolepsis and Synecdoche according to all that the LORD had commanded 2 And Moses called b God had qualified them before but that is not sufficient without a call Bezaleel and Aholiab and every wise-hearted man in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it 3 And they received of Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary to make it withal And they brought yet unto him free-offerings every morning c Which time they chose as the first and
plainly that the asses were found But of the matter of the kingdom whereof Samuel spake he told him not f Partly in obedience to Samuel who obliged him to secrecy partly from an humble modesty which appeared in him v. 22. and partly in prudence lest by an unseasonable publishing of it he should raise envy in some disbelief and contempt in others c. 17 ¶ And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD g To appear before the Lord. So he speaks either 1. Because the Ark was carried thither upon this occasion Or 2. Because God is present in all the Assemblies of his People whereof this was an eminent one See 2 Chron. 19. 6 Psal. 82. 1. Or 3. Because they did in a manner Eâ—…ect a Tribunal for God and intreated and consequently obtained his Presence there to supervise and direct the whole business by his sentence which also he did v. 19 c. See of this Phrase Iudg. 11. 11. and 20. 1. to Mizpeh h A City of Benjamin Ios. 13. 26. where all Israel had met before upon a Publick and solemn occasion 1 Sam. 7. 5. 18 And said unto the children of Israel Thus saith the LORD God of Israel I brought up Israel out of Egypt and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all kingdoms i To wit the neighbouring Kingdoms which molested you from time to time and of them that oppressed you 19 And ye have this day rejected your God k You this day declare That you persist in your former act of rejecting Gods Government See on chap. 8. 7. who himself saved you l Who by his own special Providence took care to raise up Judges and Saviours for you and to deliver you at all times when you needed his help and did not by your Sins obstruct it out of all your adversities and your tribulations and ye have said unto him m i. e. Unto me his Prophet and Ambassador and consequently unto the Lord whom I represented and in whose Name I spake and acted Nay but set a king over us Now therefore present your selves before the LORD by your tribes and by your thousands n For each Tribe was divided into thousands Numb 10. 36. Deut. 33. 17. Iosh. 22. 14 21. Mic. 5. 2. as in England Counties are into Hundreds 20. And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near o Unto the place appointed for the casting of Lots the * Josh. 7. 14 16. tribe of Benjamin was taken * Which Tribe was now preferred before Iudah because the Kingdom was freely promised by God to Iudah and was to be given to him in love but now the Kingdom was in a manner forced from God and given to them in anger Hos. 13. 11. and therefore conferred upon an obscure Tribe 21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families the family of Matri was taken and Saul the son of Kish was taken and when they sought him he could not be found 22 Therefore they enquired of the LORD p Either by Urim or Thummim which was the usual way of enquiry Numb 27. 21. 1 Sam. 23. 9. and 28 6. Or by Samuel who by his Prayer procured an answer further if the man should yet come thither and the LORD answered Behold he hath hid himself among the stuff q Among the Carriages or Baggage of the People there Assembled This he might do because he either had or at least would be thought to have a modest sence of his own unworthiness which was a likely way to commend him to the People 23 And they ran and fetched him thence and when he stood among the people he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward 24 And Samuel said to all the people See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen that there is none like him among all the people r As to the height of his Bodily Stature which was in it self commendable in a King and some kind of indication of great endowments of Mind and all the people shouted and said ‡ Heb. Let the King live God save the king s Heb. Let the king live to wit long and prosperously for an Afflicted Life is reputed a kind of Death and is oft so called Hereby they accept and own him for their King and promise Subjection to him 25 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom t Not the manner of the King of which he had spoken before chap. 8. 11 c. but of the Kingdom to wit the Laws and Rules by which the Kingly Government was to be managed agreeable to those mentioned Deut. 17. 16 c. which peradventure Samuel did expound and apply to their particular case and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the LORD u Before the Ark or in the Sanctuary where it was kept safe from depravation and Samuel sent all the people away every man to his house 26 ¶ And Saul also went home to Gibeah x Not being actually inaugurated into his Kingdom he thought sit to retire to his former Habitation and to live privately till he had an occasion to shew himself in a more Publick and Illustrious manner which he specilâ—…ly obtained and there went with him y To give him safe and honourable Conduct to his House though not to abide with him there which did not suit with his present Circumstances a band of men whose hearts God had touched z i. e. Either 1. Disposed or inclined to this work Or 2. Affected or renewed by his Grace and good Spirit working upon their Hearts those that feared God and made conscience of their Duâ—… for they are opposed to the children of Belial in the next verse These though they did not desire a King as the generality of the people did yet when God had given them a King they were most forward to pay him that Reverence and Obedience which they owed him both which proceeded from the same Principle that they were in both cases guided by Gods will which was that they should not desire a King in their Circumstances and yet that they should obey him when God had set a King over them 27 But the children of Belial said How shall this man ‖ So mean a person and of the weakest of all the Tribes save us and they despised him and brought him no presents ‡ As Subjects in those times and places used to do to their Kings See 1 King 10. 25. 2 Chron. 17. 5. 〈◊〉 2. 11. and as Sauls mean condition wherewith they upbraided him required but ‖ Or he was 〈◊〉 though he had been deaf he held his peace * Thereby manifesting his Prudence and Clemency which was of great use in the beginning of his Government CHAP. XI THen a i. e. About that
cannot agree to David's time wherein there was no such Captivity of the people but only a Civil war and mutual slaughter which is quite another thing nor to the time of Israel's return from Babylon when there was no such return of all Israel but only of Iudah and Benjamin and some few of the other Tribes and the joy which the returning Isroelites then had was but low and mixed with many Fears and Dangers and Reproaches as we see in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah And therefore they must belong to the times of the Messias by whom this Promise was fulfilled to the true Israel of God who were brought back from that most real and dreadful though spiritual Captivity of sin and Satan as is declared Luk. 4. 18. Eph. 4. 8. and shall be litterally accomplished to the natural seed of Iacob or Israel according to the Expectation and belief of all the Jews in their several Ages and of most Christian Writers when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people †i. e. His Captive people Captivity being oft put for Captives as Deut. 21. 10. and 30. 3. Psal. 126. 1. 4. Or his people from Captivity of which see the former Note Jacob * i. e. The seed or Children of Iacob as Aaron is named for his Sons 1 Chron. 12. 27. and 27. 17. and David for his Sons and the like shall rejoyce and Israel shall be glad PSAL. XV. The ARGUMENT The occasion and time of Composing this Psalm is uncertain but the Scope of it is plain which is to give the Character of an holy and happy Man and to describe the way to true Blessedness Wherein this is observable that he is wholly silent as to the Ceremonial or Ritual Observations of the Law not that he doth disown them or allow the neglect of them as is manifest from David's constant Practice and from many other passages but that he might undeceive the Hypocritical Israelites who laid too great a stress upon those things as if the diligent performance thereof would excuse their wicked Lives which Error almost all the Prophets do observe and Condemn in them and that he might inform the Church of that and all succeeding Ages that the substance of Religion did consist in the Practice of true Holiness and Righteousness A Psalm of David 1. LORD a O thou who art the soveraign Lord of this holy Hill and Tabernacle to whom it belongs to give Laws to it and to admit or reject Persons as thou seest fit I beg of thee the resolution of this important question And he proposeth this question to God that the Answer coming from him may have the greater Authority and influence upon mens Consciences who shall †Heb. sojourn abide b Heb. sojourn to wit so as to dwell as it is explained in the next clause Unless this clause be meant of sojourning in the Church here and the next of dwelling in Heaven hereafter Who shall enter thither and abide there with thy good leave and liking in thy â—… Psal. 24. 3. 〈◊〉 tabernacle c i. e. In thy Church either 1. Militant Who is a true and will be a persevering Member of this Church Or 2. Triumphant or in Heaven which is called the true Tabernacle not made with mans â—…ands Heb. 8. 2. and 9. 11. Revel 21. 3. who shall dwell in thy holy hill d To wit of Zion so called Psal 2. 6. which is oft put for the Church and for Heaven Who shall so dwell in thy Church here as to dwell with thee for ever hereafter in Heaven 2. * Isa. 33. 15 He that walketh uprightly e Or presently or sincerely without guile or Hypocrisie Loving Worshiping and serving God and loving his Neighbour not in word and shew only but in truth and reality and this constantly and in the whole course of his Life as walking implies and worketh righteousness f Maketh it his work and business to do justly i. e. to give to every one his due first to God and then to men for the words are general and not restrained to either and speaketh the truth ‖ Or with in his heart g His words and professions to God and men agree with and proceed from the thoughts and purposes of his Heart 3. He that back-biteth not with his tongue h He doth not take away or diminish his Neighbours good name either by denying him his due praises or by laying any thing to his Charge falsely or without sufficient cause and Evidence nor doeth evil i i. e. Any hurt or injury to his neighbour k i. e. To any man as is evident 1. from the Nature of this precept which reacheth to all it being plain and certain that both by Laws of Nature and of Moses it was not lawful to do evil to any man except where God the Soveraign commanded it as he did to the Canaanites and Amalekites 2. From the Scripture usage of this word Neighbour which frequently signifies every man though a stranger or an heathen as appears from Gen. 29. 4. Exod. 20. 16 17. Levit. 18. 20. and 19. 15 c. Prov. 25. 8 9. Luk. 10. 29 c. Mat. 5. 43 44. And he useth this word Neighbour because he who is strictly so is most within our reach and most liable to the injuries which one man doth to another nor ‖ Or receiveth Or endureth Exod. 23. 1. taketh up l To wit into his Lips or Mouth which is understood here as also Exod. 20. 7. Iob 4. 2. and fully expressed Psal. 16. 4. and 50. 16. i. e. Doth not raise it though that may seem to be included in the first Clause that Back-biteth not Or doth not spread and propagate it which men are too prone and ready to do and which makes that a publick which before was but a private injury and mischief Or nor taketh or receiveth i. e. Entertaineth it cheerfully and greedily as men usually do such things and easily believeth it without sufficient reason See Exod. 23. 1. Levit. 19. 1â—… Or nor beareth or endureth as this phrase signifies Psal. 69. 7. Ezek. 36. 15. He doth not suffer another to defame him without some rebuke or signification of his dislike Prov. 25. 23. a reproach against his neighbour 4. In whose eyes m i. e. In whose Judgment and Estimation a vile person n i. e. One who deserves Contempt an ungodly or wicked Man as appears from the next clause where he that feareth God is opposed to him is contemned o Or despised notwithstanding all his Wealth and Glory and Greatness He doth not admire his Person nor envy his Condition nor court him with flatteries nor value his Company and Conversation nor approve of or comply with his Courses but he thinks meanly of him he judgeth him a most miserable man and a great object of Pity he abhors his wicked practices and labours to
Gentiles have ye not heard hath it not been told you from the beginning c To wit of the World as the next clause explains it Were not these infinite perfections of God manifestly discovered to all mankind by the Creation of the World have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth 22. ‖ Or him that sitteth c. It is he that sitteth d As a Judge or Governour upon his Throne upon the circle of the earth e Or above the Circle c. far above this round Earth ever in the highest Heavens from whence he looketh down upon the Earth where men appear to him like Grashoppers He alludes to one that looks down upon the Earth below him from some very high place As here we have the Circle of the Earth so elsewhere we read of the Circle of Heaven Ioh 22. 14. and of the Circle of the Deep or Sea Prov. 8. 27. because the form of the Heaven and Earth and Sea is circular or round as is evident both from Sense and from the Principles of Philosophy and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers f Small and Contemptible in his sight Compare Numb 13. 33. that * Job 9. 8. Psal. 104. 2. Chap 44. 24. Jer. 10. 12. stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in g For the benefit of the Earth and of Mankind that all parts might partake of its comfortable influences See on Iob. 9. 8. Psal. 104. 2. 23. That bringeth the * Job 12. 21. Psal. 107. 40. princes to nothing h That can at his pleasure destroy all the great Potentates of the World he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity 24. Yea they i The Princes and Judges last mentioned shall not be planted yea they shall not be sown k They shall take no root as it follows for Planting and Sowing are in order to taking root and are necessary to it They shall not continue and flourish as they have vainly imagined but shall be rooted up and perish as is declared in the rest of the verse yea their stock shall not take root in the earth and he shall also blow upon them l Blast them as a vehement east-wind doth Plants and they shall wither and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble 25 To whom then will ye liken me m He repeateth what he said ver 18. that he might oblige them to the more serious and frequent consideration of the absurdity of the Idolatry or shall I be equal saith the holy One 26 Lift up your eyes on high n To the high and starry Heaven as appears from the following words and behold who hath created these things o Which you see on High the Host of Heaven as it follows that bringeth out p That at first brought them out of nothing and from day to day brings them forth making them to rise and set in their appointed and fixed times their host by number q As a General brings forth his Army into the Field and there musters them he * Psal. 147. 4. calleth them all by names r As a Master calleth all the Members of his Family by the greatness of his might for that he is strong in power s Which work is a certain and evident proof of Gods infinite power not one faileth t Either to appear when he calleth them or to doâ—… work to which he sends them 27 Why sayst thou u In thy heart why dost thou give way to such jealousies concerning thy God of whose infinite Power and Wisdom and Goodness there are such evident demonstrations given to all mankind and to thee in a singular manner O Jacob and speakest O Israel My way x The course and condition of my Life He takes no notice of my Prayers and Tears and Sufferings for his Name but suffers my Enemies to abuse me at their pleasure and doth not attempt to rescue me out of their hands This complaint is uttered in the name of the People being prophetically supposed to be in Captivity is hid from the Lord and my judgment y Either 1. My Punishment Or rather 2. My Cause as this word is most commonly used God hath neglected to plead my Cause and to give Judgment for me against mine enemies as he hath formerly done is passed over from my God z God hath dismissed it and left it and me in the hands of mine Enemies and now our case is so desperate that God cannot help us for which reason they compared themselves to dry Bones lying in the Grave Ezek. 37. 28 Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the LORD the creator of the ends of the earth a Of all the Earth and the inhabitants thereof from one end to another He seems to mention the ends or utmost bounds because they must seem to be more out of the reach and care of Gods providence as being most remote from Ierusalem the only place of Gods solemn and publick Worship in the World and being then thought to â—…inhabited The argument is clear and strong God who made all even the most desolate and barbarous parts of the Earth and consequently takes care of them will not neglect his own Land and People fainteth not neither is weary b He is not by age or hard labour become weak and unable to help his People as men are apt to be * Psal. 147. 5. there is no searching of his understanding c His Counsels by which he governeth all the World and in a most particular manner thine affaires are far above the reach of thy understanding and therefore thou dost ignorantly and foolishly in passing so rash a censure upon the Wayes and Works of the infinitely Wise God 29 He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he encreaseth strength d He hath strength enough not onely for himself but for all even the weakest of his creatures whom he can easily strengthen to bear all their burdens and to vanquish all their oppressors 30 Even the youths e The youngest and strongest men left to themselves or without Gods help or which do not wait upon God which is easily understood from the opposition in the following verse shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall 31 But they that wait upon the LORD f That rely upon him for strength to bear their burdens and for deliverance from them in due time shall †Heb. change renew their strength g Shall grow stronger and stronger in Faith and Patience and Fortitude whereby they shall be more than Conquerors over all their Enemies and Adversities they shall mount up with wings as eagles h Which flyes most strongly and swiftly and high out of the reach of all danger they shall run and
been made twenty years before it For that verse is added there out of its proper place onely to compleat the Genealogy and therefore after this narration it is repeated here in its due order ver 10. And such Hysteron Proterons are frequently noted in Scripture 4. There were Giants s Men so called partly from their high stature but principally for their great strength and force whereby they oppressed and tyrannized over others For this is mentioned as another sin and cause of the Flood and therefore they seem to be here noted not for the height of their stature which is no crime but for their violence which also is expressed beneath ver 11 13. in the Earth in those days And also after that t After that time there arose a new Generation or succession of that sort of men when the Sons of God came in unto the Daughters of men u Were united and incorporated with them A modest expression of the Conjugal state and act as Gen. 16. 2. and 35. 3. Iud. 15. 2. and they bare Children to them the same became mighty men which were of old x Which were proper to the first ages of the World For the succeeding Generations were generally less in stature and strength of Body and therefore not so famous for personal exploits Or these words may be thus joyned with the following Which were of old i. e. among the men of that first and wicked World men of Renown i. e. famous in their Generation when indeed they should have been infamous for the abuse of their stature and strength to Tyranny and Cruelty men of †Heb. Naâ—… Renown 5. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the Earth and that ‖ Or the whole imagination The Hebrew word signifieth not only the imagination but also the purposes and desires every imagination of the thoughts of his * Chap. 8. 21. Matth. 25. 11. heart y To which the Scripture commonly ascribes all mens actual wickedness as Psal. 41. 6. Prov. 4. 23. and 6. 14 18. Ier. 17. 9. Matth. 15. 19. Rom. 3. 10. c. Thereby leading us from acts of sin to the original corruption of nature as the cause and source of them was only evil †Heb. every day continually a i. e. That man was perpetually either doing or contriving wickedness that not only his actions were vile but his principles also his very soul yea the noblest part of it which might seem most free from the contagion his Mind and Thoughts were corrupt and abominable and so there was no hopes of amendment 6. And it repented the LORD b Properly God cannot Repent Numbers 23. 19. 1 Samuel 15. 11 29. because he is unchangeable in his nature and counsels Mal. 3. 6. Iam. 1. 17. and perfectly wise and constantly happy and therefore not liable to any grief or disappointment But this is spoken of God after the manner of man by a common figure called Anthropopathia whereby also eyes ears hands nose c. are ascribed to God and it signifies an alienation of Gods Heart and Affections from men for their wickedness whereby God carries himself towards them like one that is truly penitent and grieved destroying the work of his own hands that he had made man on the Earth and it grieved him at his Heart c Or at his very Soul i. e. exceedingly 7. And the LORD said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the Earth †Heb. from man unto beast both Man and Beast d For as the Beasts were made for mans use and service so they are destroyed for mans punishment and to discover the malignity of sin and Gods deep abhorrency thereof by destroying those innocent Creatures that had been made instrumental to it and the creeping thing and the Fowls of the Air For it repenteth me that I have made them 8. But Noah found grace e i. e. Obtained Mercy and Favour which is noted to shew that Noah was so far guilty of the common corruption of humane nature that he needed Gods Grace and Mercy to pardon and preserve him from the common destruction in the Eyes of the LORD 9. These are the Generations of Noah f Either 1. Properly the posterity of Noah as the word is commonly used and as it is explained ver 10. So the rest of this verse comes in by way of parenthesis which is frequent Or 〈◊〉 The events or occurrences which befel Noah and his Family as the word is taken Gen. 37. 2. Prov. 27. 1. * Ezek. 14. 14 20. 2 Pet. 2. 5. Noah was a just man and ‖ Or upright perfect h These words are to be taken either 1. Jointly q. d. he was Righteous not only in appearance or in part but perfectly in all respects towards God and Men or sincerely and truly Or 2. Distinctly q. d. he was for his state and condition just before God which was by Faith Heb. 11. 7. by which every just man lives Rom. 1. 17. and perfect i. e. upright and unblameable in the course of his life among the Men of his age as it follows in his Generations i This is spoken either 1. Diminutively he was so comparatively to the men that then lived who were very bad though otherwise even Noah had many infirmities so that he also had not been saved but for Gods Grace and Mercy v. 8. Or 2. By way of amplification and commendation He was good in bad times in spight of all evil Counsels or Examples He saith Generations in the plural number to shew that as he lived in two Generations one before the Flood and another after it so he continued uncorrupted in both of them and Noah walked with God k See on Gen. 5. 24. 10. And Noah begat three Sons Shem Ham and Iapheth l See the note on Gen. 5. 32. 11. The Earth m Which is here put for its inhabitants as â—… King 10. 24. Ezek. 14. 13. also was corrupt before God n Or Before the face of God q. d. in despight and contempt of God and of his presence and justice Compare Gen. 10. 9. and 13. 13. q. d. They sinned openly and impudently without shame boldly and resolutely without any fear of God and the Earth o Here put for the place or the inhabited parts of it So the same word is twice used in a differing sense in one and the same verse See the like Matth. 8. 22. was filled with violence p Or Injustice Fraud Rapine Oppression For all these this word signifies Some conceive that these two branches note the universal corruption of mankind in reference to all their duties 1. Towards God and his Worship which they corrupted by horrible superstition and by Idolatry which is called Corruption Exod. 32. 7. Deut. 32. 5. Iâ—…d 2. 19. 2 Chron. 27. 28. 2. Towards men in the
* Psal. 94. 9. Who hath made mans mouth or who maketh the dumb or deaf or the seeing or the blind have not I the LORD 12 Now therefore go and I will be * Mar. 13. 11. Luk. 12. 11. with thy mouth l By my spirit to direct and assist thee what and how to speak Whence Moses though he still seems to have remained slow in speech yet was in truth mighty in words as well as deeds Acts 7. 22. Compare Matth. 10. 19 20. and teach thee what thou shalt say 13 And he said O my Lord send I pray thee by the hand of him whom thou ‖ Or shouldâ—… wilt send m By one who is fitter for the work than I am Heb. send by the hand of him whom thou wilst send i. e. shouldest send For the future tense oft signifies what one should do See Gen. 20. 9. and 34. 7. Mal. 1. 6. and 2. 7. Thou usest according to thy wisdom to chuse fit instruments and to use none but whom thou dost either find or make fit for their employment which I am not Others Send by the hand of Messias whom thou wilst certainly send and canst not send at a fitter time nor for better work Moses and the Prophets knew that Christ would come but the particular time of his coming was unknown to them See 1 Pet. 1. 11. 14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother I know that he can speak well And also behold he cometh forth to meet thee n By my instigation and direction which because I see thou art still diffident I give thee for a new sign to strengthen thy belief that I will carry thee through this hard work and when he seeth thee he will be glad in his heart 15 And thou shalt speak unto him and put words in his mouth o i. e. Instruct him what to speak and command him freely and faithfully to express it See Isa. 51. 16. and 59. 21. and I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth and I will teach you what ye shall do 16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people and he shall be even he shall be to thee in stead of a mouth and thou shalt be to him in stead of God p To teach and to command him See Exod. 7. 1. 17 And thou shalt take this rod in thy hand wherewith thou shalt do signs q Both those which I have already made thee to do and others as I shall direct and enable thee 18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said unto him Let me go I pray thee and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt and see whether they be yet alive r He pretends only a visit and so indeed it was and that no very long one neither He knew that he should certainly return to this place and there meet with his Father-in-law So that he did not deceive him nor intended to do so though he thought fit to conceal from him the errand upon which God sent him lest his Father or Wife should attempt to hinder or discourage him from so difficult and dangerous an enterprize Moses shews here a rare example as well of modesty and humility that such glorious and familiar converse with God and the high calling to which God had advanced him did neither make him forget the civility and duty which he owed to his Father nor make him break forth into publick and vain-glorious boasting of such a priviledge as also of his piety and prudence that he avoided all occasions and temptations to disobedience to Gods command And Jethro said to Moses Go in peace 19 And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian s This seems to have been a second vision whereby God calls him forth to the present and speedy execution of that command which before was more generally delivered Go return into Egypt for * chap. 2. 15 23. all the men are dead which sought thy life t To wit to take it away See the like expression 1 Sam. 22. 23. 1 King 19. 14. Matth. 2. 20. God knew very well that one great cause of Moses his unwillingness to this undertaking was his carnal fear though he was ashamed to profess it and therefore gives him this cordial 20 And Moses took his wife and his sons u Gershom Exod. 2. 22. and Eliezer Exod. 18. 4. Whom he intended to carry with him but afterwards observing that they were like to be impediments to him in his great business and being well assured that it would not be long ere he returned to them he sent them back to Iethro as may seem from Exod. 18. 5. and set them upon an Asse x One Asse might be sufficient for her and her two Children because one of them was but little ver 25. Or Asse may be put for Asses which changes of the numbers is very frequent in Scripture and he returned to the land of Egypt And Moses took the rod of God y His Shepherds rod so called partly because it was appropriated to Gods special service to be the instrument in all his glorious works and partly to shew that whatsoever was done by that rod was not done by any vertue in the rod or in Moses his hand but meerly by the power of God who was pleased for the greater confusion of his Enemies to use so mean an instrument in his hand 21 And the LORD said unto Moses when thou goest to return into Egypt see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine hand z i. e. In thy power of commission to be done by thy hand and the rod in it but * chap. â—… 3. and 9. 12. and 10. 1. and 14. 8. Deut. 2. 30. Isa. 63. 17. John 12. 40. Rom. 9. 17. I will harden his heart a That he shall be unmerciful to all the groans and pressures of the Israelites inexorable to the requests of Moses unmoveable and incorrigible by all my words and works But God doth not properly and positively make mens hearts hard but onely privatively either by denying to them or withdrawing from them that grace which alone can make men soft and flexible and pliable to the Divine will as the Sun hardens the Clay by drawing out of it that moisture which made it soft or by exposing them to those Temptations of the World or the Devil which meeting with a corrupt heart are apt to harden it that he shall not let the people go 22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh Thus saith the LORD Israel is my son * Jer. 31. 9. Jam. 1. 18. even my first-born b By my choice and adoption They are most dear to me and reserved by me out of all Nations to be my peculiar people and therefore I will no longer suffer thee to invade my right nor
all as because there was great and evident reason both why the Israelites should be recompenced for all their hard labours and sufferings and why the Egyptians should be spoiled for their Idolatry luxury and cruelty to the Israelites and the great benefits which they had received from Ioseph and from the service of the Israelites 2. because the supreme Lord of all forbad them to restore what they borrowed and gave them the entire right and sole propriety therein 3. because though there was a form and appearance of borrowing and lending yet indeed the Israelites did not so much borrow as desire as the Hebrew word rendred borrow ver 35. signifies and the Egyptians did not reckon these things as lent and to be restored but as given and never to be expected again even as Pharaoh and his people rightly judged that if the Israelites were once permitted to go out of the land with their whole families and estates they would never return again chap. 14. 5. And in truth the Egyptians did and might esteem it a good bargain to give these things to redeem their lives and to ingage the Israelites to a speedy departure knowing that otherwise both their persons and all their estates were in extreme hazard 4. because if these jewels were properly borrowed yet the Egyptians by their causeless and hostile pursuit after the Israelites with intent to destroy them did fully discharge them from all obligations to restitution and give them a right not onely to keep these goods but to take any other which they could from the Egyptians according to the known and approved laws of War 37 * Num. 33. 3. And the children of Israel journeyed from * Gen. 49. 11. Rameses to Succoth b A place so called either because there the Israelites first lodged in booths or rents whereas before they dwelt in houses or because there God first spread his cloud of sire over them for a covering Psal. 105. 39. about * chap. 38. 26. Numb 1. 46. and 11. 21. Six hundred thousand c To wit grown and strong men and fit for War among whom there was none seeble or sick Psal. 105. 37. Thus the Heathen writer Châ—…remon mentioned by Iosephus speaking of this matter reckons up first 250 thousand and then 380 thousand more on foot that were men d The Hebrew word properly signifies strong and able men fit to go on foot in battel aray so decrepit or weak old men are not comprehended in this number beside children e And women whose presence and assistance is necessary to them See Exod. 10. 24. Some say the Hebrew word taph signifies their housholds or families which consist principally of women and children 38 And a †Heb. a great mixture Num. 11. 4. mixed multitude f Consisting of Egyptians or other people who went with them either because they were their servants or that by this means they might free themselves from the servitude which they endured under hard masters in Egypt or because the glorious works which they had seen had raised their esteem of God and of his people and made them expect a share in the great felicities which they presumed would be conferred upon a people so highly honoured and beloved of such an almighty and alsufficient God And because their hearts were not sincere nor their ends right they soon repented of their choice Numb 11. 4. Compare Zech. 8. 23. went up also with them and flocks and herds even very much cattel 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt for it was not leavened g Both because leaven was forbidden to them at that time and because the great haste required gave them not time for leavening it because * chap. 6. 1. and 11. 1. they were thrust out of Egypt h Not by force but by importunate requests as was observed on ver 33. Thus men are said to be driven to worship the sun moon c. when they are perswaded to it Deut. 4. 19. and could not tarry neither had they prepared for themselves any victuals 40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel who dwelt in Egypt was * Gen. 15. 13. Act. 7. 6. Gal. 3. 17. four hundred and thirty years i It is plain that those years are to be computed from the first promise made to Abraham Gen. 12. 1 2. to the giving of the law from Gal. 3. 17. where this is affirmed And although it doth not plainly appear when that promise was made because the Scripture mentions not Abrahams age neither when it was made nor when Abram came to Haran with his father Gen. 11. 31. but onely when he went out of Haran being 75 years old Gen. 12. 4. yet a good while after it was made and as it may seem more than probable 30 years afterward it is manifest there were onely 400 years of this time to come Gen. 15. 13. And many more years passed ere there was such a man as Israel or Iacob and more ere there were any children of Israel or of Iacob and yet more ere they came into Egypt How then can this be true which is here said Ans. 1. Some affirm that they were in Egypt 430 years which is sooner said than proved 2. Some antient Hebrew copies are said to have had more words than ours now have for the LXX and Samaritan Interpreters after the words in Egypt read and in the land of Canaan And some other copies after the word who adde together with their fathers or and their fathers And so the difficulty vanisheth And if it should be granted that there were some few such errours in our present copies in matters purely historical or chronological which God might permit to be there for many wise and holy reasons yet this is no preiudice to our faith or to Gods providence which hath been pleased to have so special a care of those Texts which concern the essentials of Faith and a good life that all copies are agreed in them 3. These 430. years are not by the Text confined to Egypt but may be extended to any place where they were sojourners and the Hebrew word asher is not to be rendred which as relating to the time of their sojourning but who as belonging to the persons sojourning as our translation well renders it and the sence is that they were sojourners or which is all one strangers or dwellers in a land that was not theirs as it is said Gen. 15. 13. for 430 years And the emphasis lies in the Hebrew word moshab which is here fitly rendred sojourning as toshab coming from the same root is commonly used for a sojourner or one that lives in a place or land which is not his as Levit. 22. 10. and 25. 35 40. Numb 35. 15. Psal. 30. 12. There is now but one difficulty remains how the children of Israel can be said to be sojourners so long seeing much
have it it would be altogether uncertain which is the Ninth and which the Tenth Commandement seeing the one is first Exod. 20. and the other here his field or his man-servant or his maid-servant his ox or his ass or any thing that is thy neighbours 22 These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire of the cloud and of the thick darkness with a great voice and he added no more n He ceased for that time to speak immediately and with that loud voice unto the people for the rest were delivered to Mâ—…s and by him communicated to the people This he did to shew the preeminency of that Law above the rest and its Everlasting Obligation and * Exod. â—…4 1â—… he wrote them in two tables of stone and delivered them unto me 23 * Exod. 2â—… 18. And it came to pass when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness for the mountain did burn with fire that ye came near unto me even all the heads of your tribes and your elders 24 And ye said Behold the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness and * Exod. 19. 19. we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire we have seen this day that God doth talk with man and * Chap. 4. 33. he liveth 25 Now therefore why should we die o For though God hath for this season kept us alive to our admiration yeâ—… we shall never be able to endure any further discourse from him in such a terrible manner but shall certainly sink under the burden of it Compare 〈◊〉 1â—… 1â—… 〈◊〉 6. 22. for this great fire will consume us If we †Heb. add to 〈◊〉 hear the voice of the LORD our God any more then we shall die 26 For who is there of all flesh p 〈◊〉 is here put 〈◊〉 Mâ—…n in his â—…rail corruâ—… and 〈◊〉 〈…〉 that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire as we have and lived 27 Go thou near and hear all that the LORD our God shall say and * 〈…〉 speak thou unto 〈◊〉 all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thâ—…e and we will hear it and do it 28 And the LORD heard the voice of 〈◊〉 words when ye spakâ—… unto â—…e and the LORD said unto me I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken unto thee * Deut. 18. 17. they have well said all that they have spoken 29 †Heb. who will give their heart to be such in them * Chap. 32. 29. Psa. â—…1 13. Isa. 48. 18. Mat. 23. 3â—… O that there were such an heart in them q Heb. 〈◊〉 will give them such an heart This is spoken of God after the manner of men to shew that such an heart is desirable to him and required by him otherwise it is certain that God can give such an heart and hath promised to give it Ier. 32. 4â—… 〈◊〉 3â—… 27. And if God will work who can â—…inder him Joh 11. 1â—… that they would fear me and keep all my commandments alwayes that it might be well with them and with their children for ever 30 Go say to them Get ye into your tents again 31 But as for thee stand thou hereby me and I will speak unto thee all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which thou shalt teach them that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it 32 Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you * Chap. 17. 〈◊〉 and 28. 14. Josh. 1. 7. ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left r Neither by superstitious additions to Gods Commands nor by a â—…old or prophane rejection or contempt of any one of them 33 Ye shall walk in all the wayes which the LORD your God hath commanded you that ye may live and that it may be well with you and that ye may prolong your dayes in the land which ye shall possess CHAP. VI. 1 NOW these are the commandments the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God commanded to teach you that ye might do them in the land whither ye †Heb. pass oâ—…er go to possess it 2 That thou mightest fear the LORD a Which he hereby implies to be the first principle of true Obedience thy God to keep all his statutes and his commandments which I command thee thou and thy son and thy sons son all the dayes of thy life and that thy dayes may be prolonged 3 Hear therefore O Israel and observe to do it that it may be well with thee and that ye may increase mightily as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee in the land that floweth with milk and honey 4 * Mark 12. 29. Hear O Israel †Heb. the LORD our God the LORD is one So Gr. the LORD our God is one LORD b One in Essence and the onely Object of our Worship 5 And * Chap. 10. 12. Mat. 22. 3â—… Mark 12. 30. Luk. 1â—… 〈◊〉 thou shalt love the LORD c Now he shews another spring or principle of sincere Obedience to God even hearty love to God which will make his work and service ease and that the fear he mentioned before â—… 2. was such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consist with love to God and not that â—…vish fear and honour which produceth hatred thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might 6 And * Chap. 11. 1â—… Psa. 3â—… 31 4â—… 8. 11â—… 98. Isa. 51. 7. these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart d i. e. In thy mâ—…nd to remember them and meditate upon them and in thy 〈◊〉 to love and pursue them 7 And thou shalt * Chap. 4 9. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 teach them diligently e 〈◊〉 as they may pierce deep into 〈◊〉 the manner of instructing 〈◊〉 earnestly frequently 〈◊〉 unto thy children and shalt talk of them when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in thine house and when thou walkest by the 〈◊〉 and when thou lyest down and when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 up 8 And thou shalt * Chap. 11. 1â—… bind them for a sign upon thy hand and they shall be †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as frontlets between thine eyes f Thou shalt give all diligence and use all means to keep them in thy remembrance as men oft times bind something upon their hands or put it before their eyes to prevent forgetfulness of a thing which they much desire to remember â—…ompare Prov. 3. 3. and 6. 21. and 7. 3. See the notes on Exod. 13. 16. 9 * Chap. 11. 〈◊〉 Isa. 〈◊〉 â—… And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thine house and on thy gates 10 And it shall be when the
and by making God great they make us little in our own eyes Though this clause as well as that which follows may have respect to their afflictions mentioned v. 15. and that he might prove thee good at thy latter end p i. e. That after he hath purged and prepared thee by afflictions he may give thee and thou mayest receive and enjoy his blessings with less disadvantage whilest by the remembrance of former afflictions thou art made thankful for them and more cautious not to abuse and forfeit them again 17 And thou say in thine heart My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth 18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth q So this word is used Numb 24. 18. Iob 20. 18. Prov. 31. 29. that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers as it is this day 19 And it shall be if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God and walk after other gods and serve them and worship them I testifie against you this day that ye shall surely perish 20 As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face so shall ye perish because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God CHAP. IX 1 HEar O Israel thou art to pass over Jordan this day a i. e. Shortly within a little time the word day being oft put for time as Iob. 8. 56. 1 Cor. 4. 5. Revd. 16. 14. within two moneths for Moses spake this on the first day of the eleventh moneth Deut. 1. 3. and they passed over Ierdan on the tenth day of the first moneth Ios. 4. 19. to go in to possess nations b i. e. The land of those nations for that onely they were to possess but as for the Nations or people they were not to possess but to destroy them Thus they are said to 〈◊〉 Gad Ier. 4â—… 1. i. e. the Country and 〈◊〉 of Gad as it is there explained greater and mightier than thy self c This he adds partly that they might not be surprized when they find them to be such partly that they â—…ght not trust to their own strength but wholly rely upon Gods help for the destroying of them and after the work was done might ascribe the pâ—…se and glory of it to God alone and not to themselves cities great and * Chap. 1. 28. fenced up to heaven d As the Spies reported Deut. 1. 28. See on Gen. 11. 4. 2 A people great and tall the children of * Num. 13. 28 â—… the Anakims whom thou knowest and of whom thou hast heard say e Either from the spies or rather from common same for this seems to be a proverb used in those times Who can stand before the children of Anak 3 Understand therefore this day that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee as a * Chap. â—… â—…4 Heb. 12. 29. consuming fire he shall destroy them and he shall bring them down before thy face so shalt thou drive them out and destroy them quickly f Without great difficulty or long wars as the LORD hath said unto thee 4 Speak not thou in thine heart after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee saying * Rom. 11. 6 20. 1 Cor. 4 4. 7. For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land but * Gen. 15. 16. for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee 5 Not for thy righteousness or for the uprightness of thine heart g Neither for thy upright heart nor holy life which are the two things which God aâ—…ove all 〈◊〉 regards 1 〈◊〉 29 17. Psal. 15. 1. 2. And consequently he 〈◊〉 all merit And surely they who did not deserve this earthly 〈◊〉 could not merit the Kingdom of Glory dost thou go to possess their land but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee and that he may perform * Gen 12. 7. 13. 1â—… 15. â—… 17. 8. â—… 4. â—… 1â—… the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob h To shew my faithfulness in accomplishing that promise which I graciously made and confirmed with my oath By which words it is implyed that this land was not given to them for the righteousness of their fathers though they were righteous and holy persons and much less for their own righteousness which they had not as it follows 6 Understand therefore that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness for thou art a * Exod. 32. 9. 34. 9. stiff-necked people i Rebellious and perverse and so destitute of all pretence of righteousness such were the people but there were divers particular persons amongst them truly righteous and holy and yet even their righteousness is denyed to be the procuring cause of this land 7 Remember and forget not how thou provokedst the LORD thy God to wrath in the wilderness * Exod. 14. 11. 16. 2. 17. 2. Num. 11. 4. 20. 2. 25. 3. from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt until ye came unto this place ye have been rebellious against the LORD 8 Also * Exod. 32. 4. Ps. 106. 19. in Horeb k When your miraculous deliverance out of Egypt was fresh in memory when God had but newly manifested himself to you in so stupendious and dreadful a manner and had taken you into covenant with himself when God was actually conferring further mercies upon you ye provoked the LORD to wrath so that the LORD was angry with you to have destroyed you 9 * Exod. 24. 12 15. When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you then * Exod. 24. 18. 34. 28. I abode in the mount forty dayes and forty nights I neither did eat bread nor drink water l i. e. I wholly abstained from all meat and drink Compare 1 King 13. 8 9 13. 2 King 6. 22. 10 * Exod. 31. 18. And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the singer of God m Immediately and miraculously which was done not onely to procure the greater reverence to the law but also to signifie that it was the work of God alone to write this Law upon the Tables of mens hearts See Iâ—… 31. 33. 2 Cor. 3. 3. 7. and on them was written according to all the words which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire * Exod. 19. 17 20. 1. in the day of the assembly n i. e. When the people were gathered together by Gods command to the
stand 2 Chron. 18. 18. Luk. 1. 1â—… to minister unto him and to bless in his name h Either 1. Particularly to pronounce the solemn blessing of God upon the Congregation which was done in Gods name of which see Levit. 9. 23. Numb 6. 23 c. But that work was peculiar to the Priests not common to all the Levites or more generally to bless Either 1. God i. e. to praise him which being a considerable part of the Leviteâ—… work 1 Chron. 10. it is not probable it would be omitted here where their Office is so particularly described Or 2. The people whom they did bless by performance of those holy ministrations for the people and giving those instructions to them to which Gods blessing was promised and usually given and this they did in Gods name i. e. by command and commission from him unto this day 9 * Num. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren the LORD is his inheritance i i. e. The Lords portion to wit tithes and offerings which belong to God are given by him to the Levites for their subsistence from generation to generation as inheritances run according as the LORD thy God promised him 10 And * Exod. 34 28. I stayed in the mount according to the ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first time forty dayes and forty nights and the LORD * Exod. 32. 32 33. 33. 17. hearkened unto me at that time also and the LORD would not destroy thee 11 * Exod. 32. 34. 33. 1. And the LORD said unto me Arise †Heb. go in journey take thy journey before the people that they may go in k This shews that God was appeased and reconciled to the people whom therefore he led forwards towards Canaan and possess the land which I sware unto their fathers to give unto them 12 And now Israel * 〈◊〉 6. â—… what doth the LORD thy God require of thee l By way of duty and gratitude to God for such amazing mercies but to fear the LORD thy God to walk in all his wayes and * Chap. 6. â—… to love him and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul 13 To keep the commandments of the LORD and his statutes which I command thee this day for thy good 14 Behold * Psa. 148. â—… the heaven m The airy and starry heaven and the heaven of heavens n The highest or third heaven 1 King 8. 27. 2 Cor. 12. 2. called the heaven of heavens for its eminency as the song of songs king of kings holy of holies c. is the LORD thy God's * Exo. 19. â—… Psal. 24. 1 the earth also with all that therein is o With all creatures and all men which being all his he might have chosen what Nation he pleased to be his people 15 Onely the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them p He shews that God had no particular reason nor obligation to their fathers any more than to other persons or people all being equally his creatures and that his choice of them out of and above all others proceeded onely from Gods good pleasure and free love and he chose their seed after them even you above all people as it is this day 16 Circumcise therefore * Jer. 4. 4 Colos. 2. 11 the foreskin of your hearts q Rest not in your bodily circumcision but seriously set upon that substantiall work which is signified and designed thereby cleanse your hearts from all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness which is fitly compared to the foreskin which if not cut off made persons profane unclean and odious in the sight of God Compare Deut. 30. 6. Ier. 4. 4. and 9. 25. Rom. 2. 28 29. Col. 2. 11. and be no more stiff-necked 17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and * Rev. 17. 14 Lord of lords a great God a mighty and a terrible which * 2 Chron. 19. 7. Job 34. 19 Act. 10. 34. Rom. 2. 11. Gal. 2 6. Eph. â—… â—… Col. 3. 25. 1 Pet. 1. 1â—… regardeth not persons r Whether Iews or Gentiles but deals justly and equally with all sorts of men and as whosoever fears and obeys him shall be accepted of him so all incorrigible transgressours shall be severely punished and you no less than other people therefore do not flatter your selves as if God would bear with your sins because of his particular kindness to you or to your fathers nor taketh reward 18 He * Psâ—…â—…8 5. 146. 9. doth execute the judgment s i. e. Plead their cause and give them right against their more potent adversaries and therefore he expects you should do so too of the fatherless and widow and loveth the stranger in giving him food and râ—…iment 19 * Lev. 19. 33 34. Love ye therefore the stranger for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt 20 * chap. 6. 13. Mat. 4. 10. Luk. 4. 8. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God him shalt thou serve and to him shalt thou * chap. 13. 4. cleave t With firm confidence true affection and constant attendance and obedience and swear by his Name 21 * Exod. 15 2. He is thy praise u Either 1. the object and matter of thy praise as Exod. 15. 2. whom thou shouldest ever praise Or rather 2 the ground of thy praise i. e. of thy praise-worthiness he who makes thee honourable and glorious above those people whose God he is not and he is thy God that hath done for thee these great and terrible things which thine eyes have seen 22 Thy fathers went down into Egypt * Gen. 46. 27. Exod. 1. 5. Acts 7. 14. with threescore and ten persons and now the LORD thy God hath made thee * Gen. 15. 5. as the stars of heaven for multitude CHAP. XI 1 THerefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God and keep his charge and his statutes and his judgments and his commandments alway 2 And know a i. e. Acknowledge and consider it with diligence and thankfulness ye this day for I speak not with your children which have not known and which have not seen the chastisement of the LORD your God his greatness his mighty hand and his stretched-out arm 3 And his miracles and his acts which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt and unto all his land 4 And what he did unto the army of Egypt unto their horses and to their chariots * Exod. 14. 27. how he made the water of the Red-sea to overflow them as they pursued after you and how the LORD hath destroyed them unto this day b The effect of which destruction continueth to this day in their weakness and fear and our safety from all their further attempts against us 5 And what he did unto
21. and 35. 17. and partly from the nature and business of this feast wherein there being so many extraordinary sacrifices to be offered and feasts made by the people upon the sacrifices and two days of solemn assemblies it is not probable that they would absent themselves from these solemn services for the performance whereof they came purposely to Ierusalem Or 2. The morning after the first day and so they were permitted to go then and possibly some that lived near Ierusalem might go and return again to the last day of solemn assembly But the former seems more probable and go unto thy tents l i. e. Thy dwellings which he calls Tents as respecting their present state and withal to put them in mind afterwards when they were settled in better habitations that there was a time when they dwelt in Tents 8 Six dayes m To wit besides the first day on which the passeover was killed or rather besides the seventh and the last day which is here mentioned apart not as if leavened bread might be eaten then for the contrary was evident from many places but because there was something more to be done to wit a solemn assembly to be kept So in all there were seven dayes as it is said Exod. 12. 15. Levit. 23. 6. Numb 28. 17. thou shalt eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day shall be a †Heb. restraint solemn assembly to the LORD thy God thou shalt do no work therein 9 * Exod 23. 16. Lev. 23. 15. Num. 28. 26. Seven weeks n Of which see on Exod. 34. 22. Levit. 23. 10 15. thou shalt number unto thee begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn o i. e. To reap thy corn thy Barly when the first-fruits were offered Levit. 23. 10 11. 10 And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks p i. e. Of Pentecost Act. 2. 1. unto the LORD thy God with a ‖ Or sufficiency tribute of a free-will-offering of thine hand which thou shalt give q Over and besides what was appointed Levit. 23. 17 20. Numb 28. 27 31. unto the LORD thy God according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee 11 And thou shalt rejoyce before the LORD thy God thou and thy son and thy daughter and thy man-servant and thy maid-servant and the Levite that is within thy gates and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow that are among you in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his Name there 12 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bond-man in Egypt and thou shalt observe and do these statutes 13 Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles r Of which see on Exod. 23. 16. Levit. 23. 34. Numb 29. 12. seven days after that thou hast gathered in thy †Heb. floor and they winepress corn and thy wine 14 And thou shalt rejoyce in thy feast thou and thy son and thy daughter and thy man-servant and thy maid-servant and the Levite the stranger and the fatherless and the widow that are within thy gates 15 Seven dayes shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy increase and in all the works of thine hands therefore thou shalt surely rejoyce s To wit in God and the effects of his favour praising him with glad heart 16 * Exod. 23. 14 17. and 34. 23. Three times in a year shall all thy males t Not the Women partly because of their infirmity and unfitness for many journeys partly because the care of their children and families lay upon them and partly because they were sufficiently represented in the men appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall chuse in the feast of unleavened bread and in the feast of weeks and in the feast of tabernacles * Exod. 34. 20. they shall not appear before the LORD empty 17 Every man shall give †Heb. according to the gift of his hand as he is able according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee 18 Judges u Chief Magistrates to examine and determine causes and differences and officers x Who were inferiour and subordinate to the other to bring causes and persons before them to acquaint people with the mind and sentence of the Judges and to execute their sentence See Deut. 20. 5 9. Ios. 1. 10 11. and 3. 2 3. shalt thou make thee in all thy gates y i. e. Thy Cities which he here calls gates because there were seats of judgment set Compare 1 Chron. 23. 4. which the LORD thy God giveth thee throughout thy Tribes and they shall judge the people with just judgement 19 Thou shalt not wrest judgement z i. e. Not give a perverse forced and unjust sentence See on Exod. 23. 8. thou shalt not †Heb. acknowledge respect persons a i. e. Not give sentence according to the quality of the person his riches or poverty friendship or enmity but according to the justice of the cause * Exod. 23 8. Lev. 19. 15. neither take a gift for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise b Corrupts and byasseth his mind that as he will not so oft-times he cannot discern between right and wrong and pervert the ‖ Or 〈◊〉 words of the righteous c Either 1. The words i. e. The sentence of those Judges who are inclined and used to do righteous things and have the repute of righteous men it makes them give wrong judgment Or 2. The words i. e. The matters or causes as word oft signifies of righteous persons or of them whose cause is just 20 †Heb. 〈◊〉 justice That which is altogether just d Heb. Righteousness Righteousness i. e. nothing but Righteousness in all causes and times and to all persons equally Compare Isa. 26. 7. shalt thou follow that thou mayest live and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee 21 Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees e Because this was the practise of Idolaters 1 King 15. 13. and might be an occasion of reviving Idolatry See Iudg. 3. 7. 1 King 14. 23. and 16. 33. and 18. 19. near unto the altar of the LORD thy God which thou shalt make thee 22 * Lev. 26. 1. Neither shalt thou set thee up any ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pillar image f Heb. statue whether with a picture or representation or without it as the Idolaters used to worship smoothed and polished stones or pillars without any image upon them which the LORD thy God hateth CHAP. XVII 1 THou * chap. 1â—… 11. Mal. 1. 8. shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock or ‖ Or gâ—… sheep a i. e.
A just punishment of their obstinate refusal of peace offered 14 But the women and the little ones p Excused by their sex or age as not involved in the guilt nor being likely to revenge their quarrel and * Josh. 8. 2. the cattel and all that is in the city even all the spoil thereof shalt thou †Heb. spoil take unto thy self and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies which the LORD thy God hath given thee 15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee which are not of the cities of these nations 16 But * Num. 33. 5â—… chap. 7. 1 2. of the cities of these people which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth q Heb. no soul i. e. no man as that word is oft used Compare Ios. 10. 40. with 11. 14. For the beasts some few excepted as being under a special curse were given them for a prey 17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them namely the Hittites and the Amorites the Canaanites and the Perizzites the Hivites and the Jebusites as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee 18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations which they have done unto their gods so should ye sin against the LORD your God 19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time in making war against it to take it thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof r To wit the fruit trees as appears from the following words Which is to be understood of a general destruction of them not of the cutting down of some few of them as the conveniency of the siege might require by forcing an ax against them for thou mayest eat of them and thou shalt not cut them down ‖ Or for O man the tree of the field is to be imployed in the siege for the tree of the field is mans life s i. e. The sustenance or support of his life as life is taken Deut. 24. 6. But this place may be otherwise translated as it is in the Margent of our English Bibles For O man the Hebrew letter He being here the note of a vocative case as it is Psal. 9. 7. the tree or trees the singular number for the plural as is common of the field is or ought as the Hebrew Lamed is used Esth. 9. 1. Psal. 62. 10. to be employed in the siege or as it is in the Hebrew to go before thy face i. e. to make fences for thy security in the siege The trees of the field I here understand not in its general signification of all trees including fruit-bearing trees as that phrase is commonly used but in its more special and distinct signification for unfruitful trees as it is taken Isa. 55. 1 2. or such as grow onely in open fields such as are elsewhere called the trees of the wood 1 Chron. 16. 33. Isa. 7. 2. or the trees of the forest Cant. 2. 3. Isa. 10. 19. which are opposed to the trees of the gardens Gen. 3. 2 8. Eccl. 2. 5. Ezek. 31. 9. as the flower of the field Psal. 103. 15. Isa. 40. 6. and the lilies of the field Mat. 6. 28. are opposed to those that grow in Gardens and are preserved and cultivated by the gardeners art and care And so it is a very proper argument to disswade from the destroying of fruit-trees because the wild and unfruitful trees were sufficient for the use of the siege And this sence fitly agrees with the following words where the concession or grant which here is delivered in more ambiguous terms of the tree of the field is repeated and explained concerning the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat †Heb. to go from before thee to imploy them in the siege 20 Onely the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat thou shalt destroy and cut them down and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee until †Heb. it come down it be subdued CHAP. XXI 1 IF one be found slain in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it lying in the field a Or in the city or any place onely the field is named as the place where such murders are most commonly committed and most easily concealed and it be not known who hath slain him 2 Then thy elders and thy judges b Those of thy Elders who are Judges for the latter word explains and restrains the former the Judges or rulers of all the neighbouring cities who were all concerned in this enquiry shall come forth and they shall measure c Unless it be evident and confessed which city is hearest for then measuring was superfluous unto the cities which are round about him that is slain 3 And it shall be that the city which is next unto the slain man even the elders of that city shall take an heifer which hath not been wrought with and which hath not drawn in the yoke d A fit vicegerent and representative of the muderer in whose stead it was kild who by this act hath shewn himself to be a son of Belial who would not bear the yoke of Gods law A type also of Christ who was obliged to no work and under no yoke but what he had voluntarily taken upon himself 4 And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley which is neither eared nor sowen e Partly to represent the hard and unprofitable and untutoured heart of the murderer and partly that such a desert and horrid place might beget an horrour of murder and of the murderer and shall strike off the heifers neck f To shew what they would and should have done to the murderer if they had found him there in the valley 5 And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near g Both to direct them in all the circumstances of action and to see that the law was observed and to bless them in Gods name by praying for them and absolving or pronouncing them guiltless in this matter for * chap. 10. â—… them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto him and to bless in the Name of the LORD and * chap. 17. 8. 9. by their †Heb. 〈◊〉 â—… word shall every controversie h Not absolutely all manner of controversies that could possibly arise as if their word were to determine whether there were a God or providence or no whether God should be worshipped and his commands observed or no whether Moses was a true Prophet or an impostour whether Apostate and Idolatrous Israelites should be punished or no which is apparently absurd and ridiculous but every such controversie as might arise about the matter here spoken of nothing being more usual than to understand universal expressions in a limited sence and indeed
which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab * chap. 6. 2 3. beside the covenant b i. e. That entring into or striking of covenant The covenant was but one in substance but various in the time and manner of its dispensation which he made with them in Horeb. 2 And Moses called unto all Israel and said unto them * Exâ—…d 19. 4. Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh and unto all his servants and unto all his land 3 * Chap. 4. 34. 7. 19. The great temptations which thine eyes have seen the signs and those great miracles 4 Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear unto this day c. d This verse comes in by way of correction or exception to the foregoing clause in this manner I said indeed ye have seen c. v. 2. and thine eyes have seen c. but I must recal my words for in truth you have not seen them in seeing you have not seen and perceiving you have not perceived them you have perceived and seen them with the eyes of your body but not with your minds and hearts you have not seen them to any purpose you have not yet learned rightly to understand the word and works of God so as to know them for your good and to make a right use of them and to comply with them Which he expresseth thus the Lord hath not given you c. not to excuse their wickedness but partly to direct them what course to take and to whom they must have recourse for the amending of their former errours and for a good understanding and improvement of Gods works and partly to aggravate their sin and to intimate that although the hearing ear and the seeing eye and the understanding heart be the workmanship of God Prov. 20. 12. and the effects of his special grace Deut. 30. 6. Ier. 31. 33. and 32. 39 c. yet their want of this grace was their own fault and the just punishment of their former sins their present case being like theirs in Isays time who first shut their eyes and ears that they might not see and hear and would not understand and then by the tremendous but righteous judgment of God had their hearts made fat and their eyes and ears closed that they should not be able to see and hear and understand as is manifest from the history of their carriage in the wilderness 5 And I have led you fourty years in the wilderness your cloths are not waxen old upon you and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot d So far that it was necessary for you to throw them away and to get new ones See on Deut. 8. 4. 6 Ye have not eaten bread e i. e. Common bread purchased by your own mony or made by your own hands but Heavenly and Angelical bread Deut. 8. 3. Psal. 78. 24 25. You have subsisted without bread the staff of life neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink f But onely water out of the rock that ye might know that I am the LORD your God g The Lord Omnipotent and All-sufficient for your provision without the help of any Creatures and your God in covenant with you who hath a true affection to you and fatherly care of you even when ordinary means fail 7 And when ye came unto this place * Num. 21. 〈◊〉 33. chap. 2. 32. and 3. 1. Sihon the King of Heshbon and Og the King of Bashan came out against us unto battel and we smote them 8 And we took their land and * Num. 32. 33. an inheritance unto the Reubenite and to the Gadite and to the half tribe of Manasseh 9 * chap. 4. 6. Josh. 1. 7. 1 King 2. 3. Keep therefore the words of this covenant and do them that ye may †Heb. 〈◊〉 dently So 〈◊〉 prosper in all that ye do 10 Ye stand this day all of you before the LORD your God h In his presence who sees your hearts and carriages and before his Tabernacle where it is probable they were now called together and assembled for this work See v. 2. your captains of your tribes your elders and your officers with all the men of Israel 11 Your little ones your wives and thy stranger i Such strangers as had embraced their Religion that is in thy camp from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water k All sorts of persons yea even the meanest of them such as these were Ios. 9. 27. all sorts and ranks of servants 12 That thou shouldest †Heb. 〈◊〉 enter into covenant l i. e. Into covenant or agreement confirmed by a solemn oath with the LORD thy God and into his oath l i. e. Into covenant or agreement confirmed by a solemn oath which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day 13 That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself and that he may be unto thee a God as he hath said unto thee and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob. 14 Neither with you onely do I make this covenant and this oath 15 But with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God * See 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 5. 〈◊〉 and also with him that is not here with us this day m i. e. With your prosperity For so the covenant was made at first with Abraham and his seed by which as God engaged himself to continue the blessing of Abraham upon his posterity so he also engaged them to the same duties and conditions which were required of Abraham So it is even among men where a King confers an estate upon a Subject and his Heirs for ever upon some certain conditions all his Heirs who enjoy that benefit are obliged to the same conditions But whatsoever becomes of mans right God the Creatour and Soveraign Lord of all men and things hath an unquestionable right and power to oblige all persons that are or shall be to such conditions as he pleaseth and especially to such conditions as are for their own benefit which is the present case 16 For ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt n Where you have seen their Idolatries and learned too much of them as the Golden Calf shewed and therefore need to renew your covenant with God where also we were in dreadful bondage whence God alone hath delivered us to whom therefore we are deeply obliged and have all reason to renew our covenant with him and how we came through the nations o i. e. With what hazards if God had not appeared for us which ye passed by 17 And ye have seen their abominations and their †Heb. 〈◊〉 gods
worship but for their use and service So he speaks here of the Sun and Moon and Stars which were the principal Gods worshipped by the neighbouring Nations Or to whom none hath given this i. e. that they should be worshipped or to whom no worship belongs So this is an argument against Idolatry Or who had not given unto them to wit any thing It is an Ellipsis of the Accusative which is very frequent gods known to them by no benefits received from them as they had from their God whom therefore it was the greater folly and ingratitude to forsake 27 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book 28 And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger and in wrath and in great indignation and cast them into another land as it is this day 29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God k Having now mentioned the dreadful and amazing judgments of God upon the whole land and people of Israel and foreseeing by the spirit of prophecy the utter extirpation and destruction which would come upon them for their wickedness he breaks out into this pathetical exclamation either to bridle their curiosity who hearing this would be apt to enquire into the time and manner of so great an event or to quiet his own mind and satisfie the scruples of others who perceiving God to deal so severely with his own people when in the mean time he suffered those Nations which were guilty of grosser Atheisme and Idolatry and Impiety than the generality of the Jewish people were to live and prosper in the world might thence take occasion to deny or reproach his providence or question the equity of his proceedings To this he answers that the ways and judgments of God though never unjust are oft-times secret and hidden from us and unsearchable by our shallow capacities and are matter for our admiration not for our enquiry but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children l But the things which are revealed by God and his word these are the proper object of our enquiries and studies that thereby we may come to the knowledge of our duty by the practise whereof we may be kept from such terrible punishments and calamities as these now mentioned for ever that we may do all the words of this law CHAP. XXX 1 * Lev. 26. 40. AND it shall come to pass when all these things are come upon thee the blessing a When thou art obedient and the curse b When thou becomest rebellious and Apostatical which I have set before thee c Heb. placed before thy face i. e. propounded to thy consideration and choice and thou shalt call them to mind d Or bring them back to thy heart i. e. deeply affect thy heart with the sence of these things to wit of the blessings offered and given to them by Gods mercy and the curses brought upon themselves by their sins among the nations whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee 2 And shalt return unto the LORD thy God and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day thou and thy children with all thine heart and with all thy soul 3 * Psal. 126. 1. That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity e i. e. Bring back thy captives as captivity is taken Psal. 14. 7. Eph. 4. 8. and have compassion upon thee and will return and * Psal. 147. 2. gather thee f i. e. Thy children either spiritually such as it is explained Ioh. 11. 51 52. or literally such as is promised Rom. 11. from all the nations whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee 4 * Neh. 1. 9. If any of thine be driven out unto the * Jer. 32. 37. outmost parts of heaven from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee and from thence will he fetch thee 5 And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed and thou shalt possess it and he will do thee good and multiply thee above thy fathers 6 And * the LORD thy God will circumcise Ezek. 11. 19. 36. 26. thine heart f Or For the Lord will circumâ—…ise thine heart i. e. will by his Word and Spirit change and purge thy heart from all thine Idolatry and Superstition and Wickedness and encline thy heart to love him as it here follows See Deut. 10. 16. And so this is produced to shew why and how those great things should be accomplished God would first convert and sanctifie them the fruit whereof should be this that they should return and obey Gods commandements and v. 8. and then should prosper in all things v. 9. The Hebrew Vau is oft rendred sor and notes the reason of a thing as 1 King 1. 21. and 18. 3 4 Psal. 1. 3. and 5. 12. Isa. 16. 2. and 64. 5. And this promise principally respects the times of the Gospel and the Grace which was to be then imparted to all Gods Israel by Christ by whom alone this circumcision is obtained Col. 2. 11. And so having fully described to them the Law of God the Rule of their obedience here and in the foregoing chapters and considering their great instability in the performance of their obedience to it he now seasonably adds a glorious Gospel promise and directs their faith to the Messias by whom alone they could expect or receive the establishment of their hearts in the ways of God against Apostacy and the heart of thy seed to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul that thou mayest live 7 And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies and on them that hate thee which persecuted thee 8 And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD and do all his commandments which I command thee this day 9 * chap. 28. 11. And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand in the fruit of thy body and in the fruit of thy cattel and in the fruit of thy land for good g Whereas thou didst formerly receive and enjoy these mercies for thy hurt through thy own wicked and foolish heart when thou wast full and fat forgetting God and kicking against him Deut. 31 20. and 32. 15. now thou shalt have them for thy good thy heart shall be so changed by the grace of the Gospel that thou shalt not now abuse them but imploy them to the more chearful and faithful service of God the giver of them for the LORD will again rejoyce over thee for good h i. e. To do thee good as he did rejoyce to destroy thee Deut. 28. 63. as he rejoyced over thy fathers 10 If thou shalt hearken i This caution and condition is added to warn them that they
should not receive the Grace of God in vain and to teach them that the Grace of God doth not discharge mans obligation to his duty nor excuse him for the neglect of it and that Conversion and Sanctification though it be Gods work yet it is mans duty unto the voice of the LORD thy God to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul. 11 For this commandment which I command thee this day k He seems to speak of the law or of that great command of loving and obeying God mentioned here v. 2 6 10 16. which is the sum of the Law of which yet he doth not here speak simply or as it is in it self but as it is mollified and accompanied with the Grace of the Gospel whereby God circumciseth mens hearts to do this as is expressed v. 6. The meaning is that although the practise of Gods Law strictly and severely be now far from us and above our strength yet considering the advantage of Gospel Grace whereby God enables us in some measure to our duty and accepts of our sincere endeavours in stead of perfection and imputes Christs perfect righteousness unto us that believe now it is near and easie to us And so this place well agrees with Rom. 10. 6 c. where St. Paul expounds or applies this place to the righteousness of faith by which alone the Law is such as it is here described it * chap. 27. 8. Isa. 45. 19. is not hidden from thee l Heb. Is not too wonderful for thee as Deut. 17. 8. Prov. 30. 18. Ier. 32. 17. i. e. not too hard for thee to know and do the Will of God which is but darkly manifested to other nations Act. 17. 27. is clearly and fully revealed unto thee thou canst not pretend ignorance or invincible difficulty neither is it far off m i. e. Out of thy reach 12 * Rom. 10. 6. c. It is not in heaven n i e Shut up there but it hath been thence delivered and published by thy hearing that thou shouldest say Who shall go up for us to heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it 13 Neither is it beyond the sea o The knowledge of this commandement is not to be fetched from far distant places to which divers of the wise Heathens travelled for their wisdome but it was brought to thy very doors and ears and declared to thee in this Wilderness that thou shouldest say Who shall go over the sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it 14 But the word is very nigh unto thee in thy mouth p Thou knowest it so well that it is the matter of thy common discourse thou professest thy knowledge and belief of it or in the mouths of thy Priests and Levites who are dayly preaching of it and instructing thee in it and in thy heart q i. e. In thy mind as the heart is very commonly taken to understand and believe it that thou mayest do it 15 * Chap. 11. 〈◊〉 ver 19. See I have set before thee this day life and good r i. e. A good or an happy life A figure called Hendiaduo Or life and all the blessings of life as good is oft used as Iob 7. 7. Psal. 4. 6. and 128. 5. Eccles. 2. 24. and 4. 8. and 6. 3. and death and evil 16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God to walk in his wayes and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments that thou mayest live and multiply and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it 17 But if thine heart turn away so that thou wilt not hear but shalt be drawn away s Either by thy own evil mind or by the examples or perswasions of others and worship other gods and serve them 18 I denounce unto you this day that ye shall surely perish and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it 19 * Chap. â—… 〈◊〉 Ver. 15. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you t Compare Deut. 4. 26. Ios. 24. 27. Psal. 50. 4. Isa. 1. 2. that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore chuse life that both thou and thy seed may live 20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God and that thou mayest obey his voice and that thou mayest cleave unto him for he is thy life u i. e. The cause or author of thy life as life is used Ioh. 14 6. and 17. 3. and the length of thy dayes that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob to give them CHAP. XXXI 1 AND Moses went and spake a i. e. Proceeded or continued to speak An usual Hebrew phrase Or went to the place where he had assembled the people that he might speak to them these words unto all Israel 2 And he said unto them * chap. 34 I am an hundred and twenty years old this day I can no more go out and come in b i. e. Perform the Office of a Leader or Governour either because I now find a decay of my mind and body which seems not well to agree with Deut. 34. 7. or because I foresee the time of my death approaches also the LORD hath said unto me * Num. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 3. 2 Thou shalt not go over this Jordan 3 The LORD thy God he will go over before thee and he will destroy these nations from before thee and thou shalt possess them and Joshua he shall go over before thee * Num. 2â—… 2â—… as the LORD hath said 4 And the LORD shall do unto them * Numb 21. 24 33. as he did to Sihon and to Og kings of the Amorite and unto the land of them c Which he gave to you to possess whom he destroyed 5 And * Chap. 7. â—… the LORD shall give them up before your face d i. e. Into your power See on Deut. 1. 8. that ye may do unto them according unto all the commandments which I have commanded you 6 Be strong and of a good courage fear not nor be afraid of them for the LORD thy God he it is that doth go with thee * Josh. 1. 5. Heb. 13. 5. he will not fail thee nor forsake thee 7 And Moses called unto Joshua and said unto him in the sight of all Israel Be strong and of a good courage for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them and thou shalt cause them to inherit it 8 And the
d The second time to give them more particular Directions as they had given them a general notice Iosh. 1. 10 11. 3 And they commanded the people e In Ioshua's name and by his Authority saying When ye see the ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God and the Priests the Levites f Who were not only Levites but Priests also For although the Levites were to carry the Ark Numb 4. yet the Priests might perform that Office and did so upon some solemn occasions as here and Iosh. 6. 6. Chap. 3. 3. bearing it then ye shall remove from your place and go after it g Towards Iordan to go over it in such manner as I am about to describe Till this time the Ark went in the middle of the cloudy Pillar probably being now vanished now it goes in the Front 4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it about two thousand cubits h Which make a thousand yards and at which distance from it the Israelites seem to have been encamped in the Wilderness And because they generally went from their Tents to the Ark to worship God especially on the Sabbath-days hence it hath been conceived that a Sabbath-days journey reached only to 2000. Cubits But that may be doubted for those who encamped nearest the Ark were at that distance from it and came so far but the most were further from it and their Sabbath-days journey was considerably longer by measure come not near unto it i Partly from the reverent respect they should bear to the Ark and partly for the following reason that ye may know the way by which ye must go k That the Ark marching so far before you into the River and standing still there till you pass over may give you the greater assurance of your safe passage for ye have not passed this way †heretofore ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 yesterday and the third 〈◊〉 5 And Joshua said l Or rather had said to wit the day before their passage for it follows to morrow c. unto the people * Exod. 19 14 15. Lev. 20. 7. Num. 11. 18 Chap. 7. 13. 1 Sam. 16. â—… Joel 2. 16. sanctifie your selves m Both in Soul and Body that you may be meet to receive such a favour and with more Attention and Reverence observe and ponder this great Work and fix it in your Hearts and Memories See on Exod. 19. 10. Lev. 20. 7. for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you 6 And Joshua spake unto the priests saying Take up n To wit upon your shoulders for so they were to carry it Numb 7. 9. the ark of the covenant and pass over before the people o Not in the middle of them as you used to do And they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people 7 And the LORD said unto Joshua This day will I begin to magnifie thee in the sight of all Israel p i. e. To gain thee Authority and Reputation among them as the person whom I have set in Moses his stead and by whom I will conduct them to the Possession of the promised Land that they may know that * Chap. 1. â—… as I was with Moses so I will be with thee 8 And thou shalt command the Priests that bear the Ark of the Covenant saying When ye are come to the brink q Heb. to the extremity so far as the River then spread it self which was now more than ordinary v. 15. of the water of Jordan ye shall stand still in Jordan r Within the waters of Iordan in the first entrance into the River where they stood for a season till the River was divided and then they went into the midst of it as it is implyed v. 17. and there abode till all the people were passed over as it follows in the History 9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel Come hither s To the Ark or Tabernacle the place of publick Assemblies and hear the words of the LORD your God t Who is now about to give a proof that he is both the Lord the Omnipotent Governour of Heaven and Earth and all Creatures and your God in Covenant with you having a tender care and true affection for you 10 And Joshua said Hereby ye shall know u To wit by experience and sensible evidence that the living God x Not a dull dead sensless and unactive God such as the gods of the Nations are but a God of life and power and activity to watch over you and work for you is among you y Is present with you to strengthen and help you as the Phrase signifies Exod. 17. 7. Deut. 31. 17. Iosh. 22. 31. and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Hivite and the Perizzite and the Girgashite and the Amorite and the Jebusite 11 Behold the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan z Into part of the River 12 Now therefore take ye twelve men a For the work described Iosh. 4. 2 3. out of the Tribes of Israel out of every Tribe a man 13 And it shall come to pass assoon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD b That so it may appear that this is the Lords doing and that in pursuance and for the accomplishment of his Covenant made with Israel the Lord of all the earth c The Lord of all this terrestrial Globe made of Earth and Water who therefore can dispose of this River and the adjoyning Land as he pleaseth shall rest in the waters of Jordan that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above d The Waters which now are united shall be divided and part shall flow down the Channel towards the Dead-Sea and the other part that is nearer the Spring or Rise of the River and flows down from it shall stand still and they * Psal. 114. 3. shall stand upon an heap e Being as it were congealed as the Red-Sea was Exod. 15. 8. and so kept from overflowing all the Country 14 And it came to pass when the people removed from their tents to pass over Jordan and the priests bearing the * Act. 7. 45. ark of the covenant before the people 15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water for * 1 Chron. 12. 15. Jer. 12. 5. 49. 19. Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest f Which is also noted 1 Chron. 12. 15. Ecclus. 24. 36. and by Aristoeas in his History of the LXX Interpreters This is meant not of the Wheat-harvest but of the Barley-harvest which was before
with Floods of Water poured out of the Clouds upon them and from them flowing down in a mighty Etream upon the lower grounds and carrying down some part of the Mountain with it as is usual in excessive Showers from before the LORD even * Psal. 68. â—… that Sinai m She sâ—…ides into the mention of another and a more ancient appearance of God for his People to wit in Sinai it being usual in Scripture repetitions of former actions to put divers together into a narrow compass and in few words The sense is No wonder that the Mountains of the Amorites and Canaanites melted and trembled when thou didst lead thy People towards them for even Sinai it selâ—… could not bear thy Presence but melted in like manner before thee Or as that Sinai did upon a like manifestation of thy self so there is onely a defect of the Particle as which I have shewedâ—… to be frequent from before the LORD God of Israel 6 In the days of Shamgar n Whilest Shamgar lived who was if not a Judg yet an eminent person for Strength and Valour Iudg. 3. 31. the son of Anath in the days of * Chap. 4. 18. Jael o Iael though an Illustrious Woman and of great Authority and Influence upon the People did effect nothing for the Deliverance of Gods People till God raised me up c. the high ways were unoccupied and the ‡ Heb. walkers of paths travellers walked through ‡ Heb. crooked ways by-ways p Partly because of the Canaanites who besides the publick Burdens and Tributes which they laid upon them waited for all opportunities of doing them mischief secretly their Soldiers watching for Travellers in Common Roads as is usual with such in times of War and partly because of the Robbers even of their own people who having cast off the â—…r and Worship of God and there being no King or Ruleâ—… in Israel to restrain or punish them and being also many of them reduced to great want through the Oppression of the Canaanites it is not strange if in those times of publick disorder and ataxy divers of the Israelites themselves did break forth into acts of Injustice and Violence even against their own Brethren whom they could meet with in convenient places which made Travellers seek â—…or by-paths 7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased q The people forsook all their unfortified Towns as not being able to protect them from Military Insolence they ceased in Israel until that I Deborah arose that I arose a * 〈◊〉 49. 23. mother r i. e. To be to them as a Mother to Instruct and Rule and Protect them which Duties a Mother oweth to her Children as far as she is able in Israel 8 They chose s They did not onely submit to Idolatry when they were forced to it by Tyrants but they freely chose it new gods t New to them and unknown to their Fathers and new in comparison of the true and everlasting God of Israel being but Up-starts and of yesterday then was war in the gates u i. e. In their Walled Cities which have Gates and Bars Gates are oft put for Cities as Gen. 22. 17. Deut. 17. 2. Obad. v. 11. Then their strongest Holds fell into the hands of their Enemies * 1 Sam. 13. 19 â—…2 was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel x i. e. There was not the meaning is not that all the Israelites had no Arms for here is mention made onely of Shields or Spears so they might have Swords and Bows and Arrows to offend their Enemies but either that they had but few Arms among them being many Thousands of them disarmed by the Canaanites or that they generally neglected the use of Arms as being utterly dis-spirited and without all hope of recovering their lost Liberty and being necessitated to other employments for subsistence 9 My heart is toward the governours of Israel y I greatly honour and love those who being the chief of the people in Wealth and Dignity did not withdraw themselves from the work as such usually do but did expose themselves to the same hazards and joyned with their meaner Brethren in this noble but dangerous attempt and by their Examples and Countenance engaged others in it that oâ—…ered themselves willingly among the people Bless ye the LORD z Who inclined their hearts to this undertaking and gave them Success in it As she gives Instruments their due so she is careful the Soveraign Cause and Lord of all lose not his Glory 10 ‖ Or meditate Speak a Celebrate the Praises of our Mighty God whose hard hath done this ye that ride on white asses b i. e. Magistrates and Nobles who used to do so Iudg. 10. 4. and 12. 14. Hories being in a manner forbidden theâ—…e Deut. 17. 16. ye that sit in judgment and ye that walk by the way c i. e. You that now can safely Travel about your business in those High-ways which before you durst neither ride â—…or walâ—… in So 〈◊〉 and mean persons are jointly excited to Praise God 11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers d Either 1. From the noise or sound and consequently the force of those Arrows which are shot at them but he names the noise because this Epithete is frequently given to Bows and Arrows in Poetical Writings Or 2. From the Triumphant noise and shout of Archers rejoycing when they meet with their Prey in the places oâ—… drawing water e At those Pits or Springs of Water which were scarce and precious in those hot Countreys to which the peoples Necessities forced them oft to resort and nigh unto which the Archers did usually lurk in Woods or Thickets or Hedges that from thence they might shoot at them and kill and spoil them there shall they rehearse the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the LORD righteous acts of the LORD f When they come to those places with freedom and safety which before they could not they shall with thankfulness rehearse this Righteous and Faithful and Gracious work of God in rescuing his People and Punishing his Enemies even the righteous acts towards the inhabiâ—…ants of his villages g Whom he mentions because as their danger was greater v. 7. so was their Deliverance and their Obligation to Praise God in Israel then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates h To wit of their Cities which were the chief places to which both City and Countrey resorted for publick business and matters of Justice from which they had been debarred by their Oppressors but now they had free access and passage either in or out of the Gates as their occasions required and they who had been driven from their Cities now returned to them in Peace and Triumph so the Citizens Deliverance is Celebrated here as the Countrey-mens is in the foregoing
thread of tow is broken when it ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 toucheth the fire so his strength was not known 10 And Delilah said unto Samson Behold thou hast mocked me and told me lies now tell me I pray thee wherewith thou mightest be bound 11 And he said unto her If they bind me fast with new ropes ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 hath 〈◊〉 done that never were occupied then shall I be weak and be as ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 men 〈◊〉 another man 12 Delilah therefore took new ropes and bound him therewith and said unto him The Philistines be upon thee Samson And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber And he brake them from off his arms like a threed 13 And Delilah said unto Samson Hitherto thou hast mocked me and told me lies tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound And he said unto her If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web p Or threed which is woven about a Weavers loom or with a Weavers beam If my hair which is all divided into seven locks be fastned about a Weavers Beam or interwoven with Weavers threeds Understand out of the foregoing Verses then I shall be weak as another man 14 And she fastened it with the pin q Having done what Sampson directed she adds this for sureness-sake she fastned the hair thus woven with a pin and said unto him The Philistines be upon thee Samson And he awaked out of his sleep and went away with the pin of the beam and with the web 15 ¶ And she said unto him How canst thou say I love thee when thine heart is not with me r When thy love consists only in outward expression not in Affection and thou wiltst not open thy heart to me as one true friend doth to another thou hast mocked me these three times and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth 16 And it came to pass when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him so that his soul was ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 ned vexed unto death s Being Tormented by two contrary and violent Passions desire to gratifie her whom he so much doted upon and fear of betraying himself to utmost hazard But being deserted by God it is no wonder that he chuseth the worse part 17 That he told her all his heart and said unto her * Numb 6 〈◊〉 There hath not come arasor upon mine head for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mothers womb If I be shaven then my strength will go from me t Not that his Hair was in it self the Seat or Cause of his Strength but because it was the chief condition of that Vow or Covenant whereby as he stood obliged to him so God was pleased graciously to ingage himself to fit him for and assist him in that great Work to which he called him but upon his violation of his condition God justly withdraws his help and leaves him to himself and I shall become weak and be like any other man 18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart u Which it was not hard for her to discover by the change of his Countenance and the matter of his Discourse and the whole carriage of the business she sent and called for the Lords of the Philistines saying Come up this once for he hath shewed me all his heart Then the Lords of the Philistines came up unto her and brought money in their hand 19 And she made him sleep x By some sleepy Potion which it is like she gave him upon other pretences agreeable enough to his present and vitiated inclination upon her knees y Resting his head upon her knees and she called for a man and she caused him to shave off z With a gentle hand as if she her self had but been sporting with him She did this more securely partly because she had cast him into a deep Sleep and partly because if he had discovered it before it was finished she would have said it was onely an innocent intention to try the sincerity of his Affection to her and the truth of this last relation which she had so just reason to doubt of from his frequent dissimulation and lyes the seven locks of his head and she began to afflict him a i. e. To disturb and awaken and affright him as by other ways so particularly by crying out in a terrible manner The Philistines are upon thee as she had done before and as it follows v. 20. and his strength went from him b Which as is here implyed the perceived because he could not now shake himself as he did before i. e. with equal vigour and might as is intimated in the neâ—…t verse or because she had bound him though it be not here expressed and found him unable to break his bonds 20 And she said b The Philistines be upon thee Samson And he awoke out of his sleep and said c Within himself i. e. he purposed and attempted it I will go out as at other times before and shake my self d i. e. Put forth my strength to crush them and to deliver my self And he wist not e Being not yet well awake and not distinctly feeling the loss of his Hair or not duly considering what would follow upon it that the LORD was departed from him f In respect of the strength and help he had formerly given him 21 ¶ But the Philistines took him g Who now durst Apprehend him because they rested in the Assurance which Delilah had given them that now all was discovered and done and ‡ Heb. bâ—…red oâ—…t put out his eyes h Which was done by them out of Revenge and Policy to disenable him from doing them much harm in case he should recover his strength but not without Gods Providence punishing him in that part which had been greatly instrumental to his sinful Lusts. and brought him down to Gaza i Because this was a great and strong City where he would be kept safely and upon the Sea-coast at sufficient distance from Sampson's People and to repair the Honour of that Place upon which he had fastned so great a scorn Iudg. 16. 3. God also ordering things thus that where he first sinned Iudg. 16. 1. there he should receive his Punishment and bound him with fetters of brass and he did grind in the Prison-house k As Captives and Slaves use to do See Exod. 11. 5. Isa. 47. 2. Matt. 24. 41. l He made himself a Slave to vile Lusts and Harlots and now God suffers men to use him like a Slave 22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again l This circumstance though in it self inconsiderable is noted as a sign of the recovery of Gods favour and his former strength in some good degree upon his bitter Repentance and his renewing of his Vow with God which was allowed for
g God speaks thus partly to encourage him to proceed in his Work and partly to purge out that Pride and Vain-glory which God the searcher of hearts saw either then did or would arise in Solomon's Mind as being the Author and Builder of so glorious a Work and that Presumption and Security which was very likely to grow and God foresaw would grow both in Solomon and in the People as if God was now in a manner engaged to continue his Presence with them and in his own Temple and that they had now no great reason to fear God's departure from them though they should provoke him Therefore he expresseth the Condition upon which his Promise and Favour is suspended and by assuring him thereof in case of Obedience he plainly intimates the contrary upon his Disobedience * Chap. 2. 4. â—…d 9. 4. if thou wilt walk in my statutes and execute my judgments and keep all my commandments to walk in them then will I perform my word with thee * 2 Sam. 7. 13. Chron. 22. 〈◊〉 which I spake unto David thy father 13 And I will * Exod. 25. 8. dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel 14 So Solomon built the house and finished it 15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar ‖ Or from the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 unto the 〈◊〉 c. and ver 16. both the floor h Or rather from the floor as it is in the Hebrew for the floor it self was not covered with Cedar but with fir as it here follows of the house and the walls of the cieling i Or rather as it is in the Hebrew unto the walls of the cieling or of the roof i. e. unto the top of the Wall which was even with the Roof for the Roof it self was not of Stone but Wood. Or unto the walls of the cieling i. e. unto the Cieling it self which performing the office of a Wall may well be called by that name For the name of a wall is not appropriated to Stone or Brick because we read of a Brazen wall Ier. 15. 20. and a wall of Iron Ezek. 4. 3. And that wall into which Saul smote his javelin 1 Sam. 19. 10. seems more probably to be understood of Wood than of Stone especially considering that it was the Room where the King used to dine So by this Periphrasis from the floor of the house unto the walls of the cieling he disigns all the side-walls of the house and he covered them k To wit the side-walls of the House now mentioned on the inside with wood l i. e. With other kind of Wood even with Fir as appears from 2 Chron. 3. 5. wherewith the Floor is here said to be covered and this â—…s here spoken onely concerning the Floor because there was nothing but Planks of Fir whereas there was both Cedar and Fir in the sides of the House the Fir being either put above or upon the Cedar or intermixed with or put between the boards or ribs of Cedar as may be gathered from the said Parallel place 2 Chron. 3. 5. and covered the floor of the house m with planks of fir 16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house n i. e. The Most Holy Place which contained in the Length of the House twenty Cubits by comp this with ver 2. and ver 17. which may be said to be on the sides of the house because this part took off 20 Cubits in length from each side of the House and was also 20 Cubits from side to side so it was 20 Cubits every way or on the sides i. e. on all the sides as indeed it was of the house or of that house to wit The most holy place as it here follows Or from the sides of the house i. e. from one side to the other And so this is meant onely of the Partition Wall which was between the Holy and the Most Holy Place both the floor and the walls o Or rather as ver 15. from the floor to the wall or cieling or roof So it is not necessary at least by vertue of these words to understand this as they generally do That the Floor it self was built with Cedar but onely all the sides of it from the bottom 20 Cubits upward If it be said that the whole House and consequently the Most Holy Place was 30 Cubits high ver 2. it may be replied either That that is true onely of the greater House or the Holy Place which is called the house ver 17. and that the lesseâ—… or the Most holy Place was but 20 Cubits high as divers think or that the ten cubits at the top were covered with some other Wood or thing or were left open that it might thereby receive both Light from the Candlesticks and Smoke from the Altar of Incense with boards of cedar he even built them for it within even for the oracle even for the ‡ most holy place p i. e. That it might be the Oracle or the most holy place Or on the inner side whereby the might imply that the outside of the Partition Wall which looked towards the Holy Place was not so covered Of for the Hebrew Lamed is very oft a note of the Genitive Case the Oracle even of the most holy place which last words are added to explain what he means by the word Oracle which he had not used before 〈◊〉 holiness holiness 17 And the house q i. e. The Holy Place that is the temple r This is added to restrain the signification of the Word house which otherwise notes the whole Building before it s i. e. Before the Oracle Or as it is in the Hebrew before my face i. e. before the place of my Presence Or it may be said to be before God because he being pleased to describe himself as sitting upon the Cherubims hath his face towards this house where he beholds the services of his People So this part of the House distinct from the Most Holy hath its harmonious proportions also The Length 40 to the Height 30 is Sesquitertian or 4 to 3 which is that of a Fourth in Musick The Length to the Breadth 40 to 20 as 2 to 1 the Height to the Breadth 30 to 20 as 3 to 2. was forty cubits long 18 And the cedar of the house within was carved with ‖ Or Gourds knops and ‡ Heb. openings of flowrs open flowers all was cedar t i. e. All the House was covered with Cedar Quest. How was this true when it was covered with Fir 2 Chron. 3. 5 Answ. 1. It was done both with Cedar and Fir of which see on ver 15. 2. It may be said to be all cedar because the greatest part was so Universal Particles being oft so used 3. Cedar is here named not to exclude all other Wood but Stone
jurisdiction Heb. 〈◊〉 cities whatsoever plague a That chiefly signifies an extraordinary Judgment sent from God whatsoever sickness there be 38 What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man or by all thy people Israel which shall know every man the plague of his own heart b i. e. Either 1. His Sin which may be called the plague of his heart in opposition to the other Plagues here mentioned which Afflict onely the Body or outward Man So the sence is Who by their Afflictions are brought to a true and serious sence of their worse and inward Plague of their Sins which are most fitly called the plague of the heart because that is both the Principal Seat of Sin and the Fountain from whence all Actual Sins flow Matt. 15. 19. Or rather 2. His Affliction for so this is Explained in the parallel-place 2 Chron. 6. 29. which is the more considerable because that Book was written after this to Explain what was dark or deubtful and to supply what was lacking in this when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief which is not unfitly called the plague of his heart because it was that Plague which his Heart was most Afflicted with which pained him at the very heart as the Phrase is Ier. 4. 19. comp Psal. 55. 4. which caused him most vexation or grief which is a Passion of the Heart and so the sence is Who shall know i. e. be duly and deeply sensible of his Affliction and the hand of God in it and his Sin as the Cause of it for Words of Knowledge in Scripture do very frequently note such a kind of Knowledge as affects and changeth the Heart and reforms the whole course of a Man's Life for which cause men of ungodly Lives are frequently said in Scripture not to know God or Christ or his Word c. And therefore â—…o man knows his sore in a Scripture-sence but he who hears the rod who turneth unto him that smiteth him and sincerely seeketh to the Lord for Relief and spread forth his hands towards this house 39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place and forgive and do and give to every man according to his ways c According to his Repentance or Impenitency I pray with more hope and confidence because I do not desire that thou wouldst deliver such as are insensible of thy Judgments and their Sin but onely those who truly know the Plague of their own Heart in manner before explained whose heart thou knowest d Thou knowest who are truly Penitent and who are not and therefore the granting of my Request will be no dishonour to thy Government nor injury to thy Holy Nature for thou even thou onely knowest the hearts of all the children of men 40 That * Psal. 130. 4. they may fear thee e That when thou hast first smitten them and then so eminently delivered them and that in answer to their Prayer they may hereby be taught to fear Thee and thy Justice and thy Goodness all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers 41 Moreover concerning a stranger that is not of thy people Israel but cometh out of a far countrey for thy Names sake f This may note either 1. The end of his coming that he may Worship and Glorifie thy Name or rather 2. The motive or occasion of his Coming which was the fame of God's Greatness and Power and Kindness to his People as the following words Explain it 42 For they shall hear of thy great Name and of thy strong hand and of thy stretched out arm when he shall come and pray towards this house 43 Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for g To wit Agreeable to thy Will and Word for he would not have them heard if they had Prayed for any thing dishonourable to God or destructive to his People It is observable That his prayer for the Strangers is more large and comprehensive than for the Israelites that thereby he might both shew his Publick-spiritedness and encourage Strangers to the Worship of the True God that all people of the earth may know thy Name to fear thee as do thy people Israel h Whereby we see how sincerely and heartily the ancient and godly Iews desired the Conversion of the Gentiles whereas the latter and degenerate Iews in the days of Christ and of the Apostles did Envy Oppose it and fret at it and that they may know that ‡ Heb. thy â—…ame is called 〈◊〉 this house this house which I have builded is called by thy Name i i. e. Is owned not onely by us but by thy self as thy House the onely place in the World to which thou wilt vouchsafe thy Presence and Protection and wherein thou wiltst â—…e Publickly and Solemnly Served 44 ¶ If thy people go out to battel against their enemy whithersoever thou shalt send them k i. e. In a Just Cause and by thy Warrant or Commission Whereby he implies That it was unlawful for them to undertake any War meerly for their own Glory or Lust or to enlarge their Empire beyond its due bounds and that they could not with safe Conscience pray to God for his Blessing upon such a War and shall pray unto the LORD l Whereby he instructs them That they should not trust either to the Strength or Justice of their Arms but onely to God's Help and Blessing which they were to pray for ‡ 〈◊〉 the way of the city toward the city which thou hast chosen m To wit for thy Dwelling-place and the Seat of thy Temple and toward the house that I have built for thy Name n For to it they were to turn their Faces in Prayer partly thereby to profess themselves to be the Worshippers of the True God in opposition to Idols and that they sought help from him and from no other and partly to strengthen Faith in God's Promises and Covenant the Tables whereof were contained in that House 45 Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication and maintain their ‖ Or right Heb. judgment cause o Declare the Justice of their Cause by giving them the Victory 46 If they sin against thee * 2 Chron. 6. â—…6 Prov. 20. 9. Eccles. 7. 20. 〈◊〉 3. 2 for there is no man that sinneth not p The Universal Corruption of Man's whole Race and Nature makes me presage that they will fall into Sins and withal makes me to hope that thou wiltst not be severe to deal with them as their Sins deserve and thou be angry with them and deliver them to the enemy so that they carry them away captives unto the * Joâ—… 1. 8 10. Lev. 26. 34 â—…4 Deut. 28. 〈◊〉 64 land of the enemy far or near 47 Yet if they shall ‡ Heb. bring back to
excel r Which word may be here added to note the Excellency of that Instrument or Note or part of Musick or that there was a greater Extension or Elevation of the voice than in the former 22 And Chenaniah chief of the Levites ‖ 〈…〉 was for ‖ 〈…〉 song s Heb. Was for lifting up either 1. of the Ark he was for carriage of the Ark being appointed to instruct or direct the time and manner of carrying the Ark and when they should make a stand or a change in the Bearers Or rather 2. of the Voice he was the Moderater of the Musick instructing them when and how to lift up their Voices or change their Notes or make theis Stops which best agrees with the following Reason because he was skilfull For this required far more Skill than the carriage of the Ark which any man of common discretion could easily govern and with v. 27. where this same Chenaniah is joyned with the Singers he instructed about the song because he was skilful 23 And Berechiah and Elkanah were door-keepers for the ark t They were appointed to keep the Door of the Tent in which the Ark was to be put and kept that no unallowed person might press in and touch it and in like manner they were to attend upon the Ark in the Way and to guard it from the press and touch of profane Hands for which End these two went before the Ark as their other two Brethren mentioned in the close of v. 24. came after it that so it might be guarded on all sides which how necessary it was to be done sufficiently appears from the danger of coming too near the Ark or to look into it which was exemplified in the Bethshemites 1 Sam. 6. 19. 24 And Shebaniah and Jehoshaphat and Nathaneel and Amasai and Zechariah and Benajah and Eliezer the priests * Num. 10. 8. did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God and Obed-edom and Jehiah were door-keepers for the ark 25 So * 2 Sam. 6. 12 1â—… c. David and the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obed-edom with joy 26 And it came to pass when God helped the Levites u Either 1. by giving them strength to carry their Burden or rather 2. by encouraging them in their Work with some comfortable Sign of his Presence with them and approbation of their work and manner of carrying the Ark. When they saw that he did not cut off any of the persons employed as he had done before but spared and favoured them which they perceived when they had gone six paces as appears by 2 Sam. 6. 13. that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams 27 And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen x i. e. With a Linen Ephod as it is explained in the close of this verse where this Circumstance is repeated because it was a notable and unusual thing for David who was no Levite to wear a Levitical Garment See of this and the following verses the Notes on 2 Sam. 6. 14 15 16. and all the Levites that bare the ark and the singers and Chenaniah the master of the †carriage v. 22. song with the singers David also had upon him an ephod of linen 28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting and with sound of the cornet and with trumpets and with cymbals making a noise with psalteries and harps 29 And it came to pass as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing and she despised him in her heart CHAP. XVI 1 SO * 2 Sam. 6. 1â—… they brought back the ark of God a Of these three first verses see on 2 Sam. 6. 17 18 19. and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it and they offered burnt-sacrifices and peace-offerings before God 2 And when David had made an end of offering the burnt-offerings and the peace-offerings he blessed the people in the name of the LORD 3 And he dealt to every one of Israel both man and woman to every one a loaf of bread and a good piece of flesh and a flagon of wine 4 And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD and to record and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel 5 Asaph the chief and next to him Zechariah Jeiel and Shemiramoth and Jehiel and Mattithiah and Eliab and Benajah and Obed-edom and Jeiel †Heb. with instruments of psalteries and harps with psalteries and with harps But Asaph made a sound with cymbals 6 Benajah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God 7 Then on that day David ‖ Or appointed to serve the Lord by the hand of Asaph delivered first this psalm b Whereby it is implyed that after this he delivered many other Psalms successively into their Hands to be sung by them to the praise of God in his Publick Service See 2 Sam. 23. 1. 2 Chron. 29. 30. As for the Matter of this Psalm I shall defer the Explication of it till I come to the Book of Psalms where we shall find it in the same words in Psal. 96. 105. to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren 8 * Psal. 105. 1. Give thanks unto the LORD call upon his name make known his deeds among the people 9 Sing unto him sing psalms unto him talk ye of all his wondrous works 10 Glory ye in his holy Name let the heart of them rejoyce that seek the LORD 11 Seek the LORD and his strength seek his face continually 12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done his wonders and the judgments of his mouth 13 O ye seed of Israel his servant ye children of Jacob his chosen ones 14 He is the LORD our God his judgments are in all the earth 15 Be ye mindful always of his covenant the word which he commanded to a thousand generations 16 Even of the * Gen. 17. 2. 26. 3. 28. 13. covenant which he made with Abraham and of his oath unto Isaac 17 And hath continued the same to Jacob for a law and to Israel for an everlasting covenant 18 Saying Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan †Heb. the cord the lot of your inheritance 19 When ye were but †Heb. men of number few * Gen. 34. 30. even a few and strangers in it 20 And when they went from nation to nation and from one Kingdom to another people 21 He suffered no man to do them wrong yea he Gen. 12. 17. 20. 3.
and impurer sort of Gold and seven thousand talents of refined silver to overlay the walls of the houses withal e The Walls of the Temple with Gold and of the Rooms adjoyning to it with Silver beaten out into Plates and put upon the other Materials here and there as it was thought fit 5 The gold for things of gold and the silver for things of silver and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers And who then is willing †Heb. to fill his hand to consecrate his service f Heb. to fill his hand i. e. to offer an Offering as Exod. 32 29. Levit. 8. 33. as I have done this day unto the LORD 6 Then the chief of the ‖ Or families 〈◊〉 Gr. fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel and the captains of thousands and of hundreds with the * Ch. 27. 25. rulers over the kings ‖ Or substance work offered willingly 7 And gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams and of silver ten thousand talents and of brass eighteen thousand talents and one hundred thousand talents of iron 8 And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of the LORD by the hand of * Ch. 26. 21. Jehiel the Gershonite 9 Then the people rejoyced g Because this was both an Effect of Gods Grace in them and an Eminent Token of Gods Favour and Goodness to be continued to them and a good Pledge that this great and long-desired Work of the building of the Temple would receive a certain and a speedy Accomplishment for that they offered willingly because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD and David the king also rejoyced with great joy 10 Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation and David said †Gr. thou art to be blessed Blessed be thou LORD God of Israel our father †Heb. from everlasting for ever and ever 11 * Mat. 6. 13. 1 Tim. 1. 17. Rev. 5. 13. Thine O LORD is the greatness and the power h i. e. Thou art Great and Powerful c. and the glory and the victory and the majesty for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine thine is the kingdom O LORD and thou art exalted as head above all i As the Soveraign Lord and Owner of all Persons and Things 12 Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all k i. e. Thou disposest of Riches and Honour as thou pleasest and in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all l Even to the weakest whom thou canst make strong and to the strongest who are weak without thy help 13 Now therefore our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious name 14 But who am I and what is my people that we should †Heb. 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be able to offer so willingly m i. e. That thou shouldest give us both such Riches out of which we should be able to make such an Offering and such a willing and free heart to offer them both which are thy Gifts and the Fruits of thy good Grace and Mercy to us after this sort for all things come of thee and †Heb. 〈◊〉 hand of thine own have we given thee n We return onely what we have received and therefore we do onely pay a Debt to thee and do not hereby oblige thee or deserve any thing from thee 15 For * Psal. 〈◊〉 Heb. 11. 〈◊〉 1 Peâ—… 2. 〈◊〉 we are strangers before thee and sojourners as were all our fathers o These Words may contain a reason either 1. of the first clause of v. 14. Who am I c. i. e. What mean and contemptible Creatures are we and how unworthy of so high a Favour For saith he here we I and my People as it is v. 14. are strangers c. poor Pilgrims who bring nothing into the World and pass hastily thorough it and can carry nothing with us out of it Or rather 2. of the last clause of that 14tâ—… verse of thine own c. For the Land which we possess is thine not ours we are not the Proprietors or perpetual Possessors of it but onely thy Tenants and as our Fathers once were meer strangers in it even with or before men Psal. 105. 12. so we at this day are no better with or before thee having no absolute Right and Title in it but onely to travel through it and sojourn in it for that short time 〈◊〉 we live in the World And thus the Argument seems to be 〈◊〉 from Levit. 25. 23. where this is given as a reason why 〈◊〉 Inheritances of the Land of Canaan could not be sold for ever but onely till the Jubily for saith God the land is mine as to Dominion and Propriety for ye were or for or but you are onely strangers and sojourners with me * Psal. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our days on the earth are as a shadow and there is none †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lev. 25 〈◊〉 abiding p We onely give to thee what we must shortly leave and what we cannot keep to our selves and therefore it is a great Favour that 〈◊〉 wilst accept such Offerings or and therefore we are not perpetual Possessors of this Land and the Fruits of it but onely Pilgrims and Passengers thorough it 16 O LORD our God all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand and is all thine own 17 I know also my God that thou * 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightness As for me in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things and now have I seen with joy thy people which are †Heb 〈◊〉 present here to offer willingly unto thee q By the largeness of their Offering I disâ—…ern the Sincerity Willingness and Generosity of their Hearts towards thee for David judged as in reason and charity he ought of the Tree by its Fruit and of their Hearts by their Actions 18 O LORD God of Abraham Isaac and of Israel our father keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people r Since it is from thy Grace that thy People have such willing Minds to thy Service as was before acknowledged I beg the continuance of that Gracâ—… to them that they may persist in the sâ—…me generous and Pious Disposition towards thee and thy Worship and ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prepare their heart unto thee s Or rather as it is in the Margent stablish or confirm c. Thou who hast begun a good Work confirm and carry it on by thy Grace otherwise it will languish and this
32. to Jerusalem 2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer b Of whom see 1 Kin. 16. 1 2. went out to meet him and said to king Jehoshaphat shouldest thou help the ungodly and * Psal. 139. 21. love them that hate the LORD c Was this agreeable to thy Duty and Love which thou proâ—…essest to God and Godliness that thou hast entred into so strict an Alliance and Friendship with wicked Ahab my sworn Enemy and given such Assistance to him therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD d Therefore God is angry with thee and will chastise thee for this Miscarriage Which he did partly by stirring up the Moabites and others to invade him ch 20. partly by permitting his Eldest Son Jehoram to kill all his Brethren ch 21. 4. and principally by bringing that sore and almost general Destruction upon his Grandchildren by Jehu 2 King 9. 27. and 10. 13 14. which was the proper Fâ—…uit of his Alliance with Ahab 3 Nevertheless there are * Ch. 17. 4. 6. good things found in thee e i. e. Good Works proceeding from an Honest Heart which God more regards than this particular Errour and therefore though he will chasten thee yet he will not utterly destroy thee in that thou hast taken away the gâ—…oves out of the land and hast prepared thine heart f Or directed or set thy heart i. e. Thou hast sought and served God with all thy Heart and not feignedly as many others do And this work of preparing or directing his heart is here ascribed to Jehoshaphat as elsewhere it is attributed to God Prov. 16. 1. Phil. 2. 13. because it is mans Action but performed by Gods Grace preventing enabling and enclining him to it to seek God 4 And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem and †Heb. he returned and went out he went out again through the people from Beersheba to mount Ephraim h i. e. Through his whole Kingdom whereof these were the two Bounds and brought them back unto the LORD God of their fathers i Such of them as had revolted from God to Idols he reclaimed by his good Counsel and Example and by the Instructions of the Levites and Priests whom doubtless now he carried with him as he sent them before with his Officers of State g Once he went by his Officers ch 17. 7 c. Now he went in his own person 5 And he set Judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah city by city k In every City for it self and the Country adjacent that Justice might be administred with the most ease and convenience to the People and they might not all be forced to go up to Jerusalem 6 And said to the judges Take heed what ye do for * Deut. 1. 17. ye judge not for man but for the LORD l You represent Gods Person to whom Judgment belongeth and you have your Commission and Power from God and not from Man onely and your Administration of Justice is not onely for Mans good but also for Gods Honour and Service * Psal. 82. 1. Eccles. 5. 8. who is with you m Both to observe your Carriage and to 〈◊〉 you against all those Enemies whom the Impartial Exercise of Justice may provoke †Heb. in the matter of Iudgment in the judgment 7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you take heed and do it for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God nor * Deut. 10. 17. Job 34. 19. Act. 10. 34. Rom. 2. 11. Ephes. 6. 9. Col. 3. 25. 1 Pet. 1. 17. respect oâ—… persons n And therefore you are in Gods stead and do his Work and must give an Account to him must imitate God here Of respect of persons see Deut. 10. 17. job 34. 19. Act. 10. 34. nor taking of gifts o So as to pervert Judgment for them by comparing this with Exod. 23. 8. Deut. 16. 19. Prov. 17. 23. 8 Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites and of the priests and of the chief of the fathers of Iâ—…rael p Who were not Priests and Levites but such persons of other Tribes as were most Eminent for their Dignity Ability and Integrity But whether these persons made up one Court called the Sanhedrim by which all Causes Ecclesiastical and Civil were decided or there were two distinct Courts the one Ecclesâ—…astical consisting of the Priests and Levites the other Civil consisting of the Chief of the Fathers of Israel belongs to another place to determine and requires more words than the Nature of this Work can permit for the * Deut. 16. 18. judgment of the LORD q i. e. For Sacred matters concerning the Laws and Worship and Service of God and for controversiâ—…s r For Matters of Difference between Man and Man †Heb. and they returned whâ—…n they returned to Jerusalem s i. e. When Jehoshaphat and his Company were returned to Jerusalem then he made this Order â—…ing establishing Judges there But so this last Clause may seeâ—… superfluous and tautological being more than implyed in the beginning of the Verse Or rather when they i. e. the Causes and Controversies last mentioned shall return or be returned tâ—… Ierusalem i. e. When the Causes shall be so difficult that the Judges ordained in every City cannot determine them or when your Brethren that dwell in every City shall come to you as it is expressed v. 10. appealing from their City-courts to the great 〈◊〉 or Councel at Jerusalem Of which see on Exod. 18. 26. 〈◊〉 1. 17. 17. 8. As for the Phrase not onely Persons but Thingâ—… are said to return or be returned as Blood 1 King 2. 33. and Clouds Eccles. 12. 2. and Reproach Hos. 12. 14. If it be further objected that these Causes were never brought to Jerusalem before and therefore cannot be properly said to be returned thither That may be answered both from the usage of our Law wherein sucâ—… Causes are said to be returned to Westminster which never were there before and from the use of Scripture wherein sinners are commonly said to return to the Lord though they had never been with the Lord in that Sence before but were estranged from God even from the Womb till the Time of their Conversion And tâ—…e Dust i. e. Mans Body is said to return to the Earth Eccles. 12. 7. though it was never there before 9 And he charged them saying Thus shall ye do in the fear of the LORD faithfully and with a perfect heart t Passing such Sentences with your Mouths as your own Minds and Consciences upon the hearing of the Parties shall judge to be Just and not acting against your own Consciences for 〈◊〉 Motives as Corrupt Judges do 10 And what cause soever shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in their cities between blood and blood u Of
altar 23 And they brought †Heb. near forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation and they r i. e. The King and the Elders of the Congregation in the Name of the whole Congregation laid their * Lev. 4. 15 24 hands upon them 24 And the priests killed them and 〈◊〉 made reconciliation with their blood upon the â—…tar to make an atonement for all Israel s i. e. For Judah and Benjamin and all the rest of the Tribes whereof a considerable Number were now in his Dominions for the king commanded that the burnt-offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel 25 * 1 Chr. 16. 4. 25. 6. And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals with psalteries and with harps * 1 Chr. 23. 5. 25. 1. according to the commandment of David and of Gad the kings seer and Nathan the prophet for so was the commandment †Heb. by the hand of the LORD of the LORD †Heb. by the hand of by his prophets 26 And the Levites stood with the instruments * 1 Chr. 23. 5. Amos 6. 5. of David and the priests with * Num. 10. 10 the trumpets 27 And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt-offering upon the altar and †Heb. in the time when the burnt-offering began the song of the LORD began also with the trumpets and with the †Heb. hands of instruments instruments ordained by David king of Israel 28 And all the congregation worshipped and the †Heb. song singers sang and the trumpets sounded and all this continued until the burnt-offering was finished 29 And when they had made an end of offering the king and all that were †Heb. found present with him bowed themselves and worshipped 30 Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer and they sang praises with gladness and they bowed their heads and worshipped 31 Then Hezekiah answered and said Now ye have ‖ Or filled your hand consecrated your selves unto the LORD t Now that you have reconciled your selves and the House to Gods Favour and that he is willing and ready to accept your Sacrifices come near and bring sacrifices and †Heb. thanks * Lev. 7. 12. thank-offerings into the house of the LORD And the congregation brought in sacrifices and †Heb. thanks thank-offerings and as many as were of a free heart burnt-offerings u Wherein there was more generosity than in the other Sacrifices because they were wholly burnt and offered to God and the People had no share in them as they had in the rest 32 And the number of the burnt-offerings which the congregation brought was threescore and ten bullocks an hundred rams and two hundred lambs all these were for a burnt-offering unto the LORD 33 And the consecrated things x i. e. All the Offerings consecrated to God besides the Burnt-offerings already mentioned were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep 34 But the priests y To wit such as were sanctified and fit for their Work as the following words shew for otherwise the Number of the Priests was more than sufficient for this Employment were too few so that they could not flay all the burnt-offerings z And much less all the other Sacrifices which were more numerous the flaying whereof was the Priests proper Work Levit. 1. 5 6. wherefore their brethren the Levites †Heb. strengthened them did help them ‖ Necessity excusing their deviation from the Rule as it hath excused others in like Cases till the work was ended and untill the other priests had sanctified themselves for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctifie themselves than the priests 35 And also the burnt-offerings were in abundance * Or For the Burnt-offerings were to be offered also in abundance So it is a reason why the Priests could not stay all the burnt-offerings as was said v. 34. Because there was so much other work for them for the Burnt-offerings were not onely to be flayed but also to be offered to wit wholly and with them the Fat of Peace-offerings c. with the fat of the peace-offerings and the drink-offerings for every burnt-offering So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order 36 And Hezekiah rejoyced and all the people that God had * 1 Chr. 29. 18. prepared the people for the thing was 〈◊〉 suddenly †It was as a very great so a sudden Change that the People who but the other day were so ready to comply with wicked Ahaz in his Idolatrous and Impious Prescriptions were now so free and forward in Gods Service whereby it plainly appeared to be the Work of the Almighty God changing their Hearts by his Holy Spirit CHAP. XXX 1 ANd Hezekiah sent to all Israel a Whereby he understands all the Persons of the Ten Tribes who were now setled in his Kingdom as appears by their contradistinction to Ephraim and Manasseh here following and Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh b i. e. To all the remainders of the Ten Tribes v. 5. who are here Synecdochically expressed by the names of Ephraim and Manasseh as elsewhere by the name of Ephraim onely But he names these two Tribes because they were nearest to his Kingdom and a great Number of them had long since and from time to time joyned themselves to the Kingdom of Judah 2 Chron. 15. 8 9. and therefore had most hopes of success amongst them that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem c Admonishing them of their Duty to God and perswading them to comply with it to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel 2 For the king had taken counsel and his princes and all the congregation in Jerusalem to keep the passover in the second * Num 9. 10 11. month d Which was against the common Rule and Practise but was justified by that Supreme Law of Necessity and by a just Impediment which made the doing of this in its proper time to 〈◊〉 the 14th Day of the first Month impossible because the Temple was not cleansed nor they prepared till that time was past 〈◊〉 29. 3. 1â—… Compare Numb 9. 10 11. 3 For they could not keep it at that time e Which God had appointed for it Exod. 12. 6. One Reason whereof was evident in it self because the Temple was not then purified and prepared to which he adds two other Reasons because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently f To wit in such manner and degree as was fit nor in such Numbers as were necessary for the sâ—…aying and offering of so many thousands of Paschal-offerings as appears because they were not
contented himself with the Worship of the Calves and did not practise that great Idolatry which his Predecessors had used and therefore would patiently suffer the breaking of these Images of Baal and the things belonging to them which is all that was done at this time 2 And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses every man according to his service the priests and Levites for burnt-offerings and for peace-offerings to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the tents of the LORD b i. e. Within the Gates of the House of the Lord which is here called tents partly because all Houses are oft so called as Iudg. 19. 9. 20. 8. Psal. 69 25. And partly because the Host of the Lord to wit the priests and Levites frequently so called encamped there and kept their Stations and Orders there by course 3 He appointed also the kings portion of his substance for the burnt-offerings c Which had hitherto been and were to be taken out of the Treasures of the Temple which were collected from the People 1 Chron. 26. 20. Nehem. 10. 32 33. but that he might ease them in their present Poverty which his Predecessor had brought upon them and engage them to a more chearful attendance upon Gods Service he took the Burden upon himself to wit for the morning and evening burnt-offerings and the burnt-offerings of the sabbaths and for the new moons and for the set feasts as it is written in the * Numb 28. 29. law of the LORD 4 Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD d i. e. Freed from worldly Cares and Distractions and enabled to give up themselves entirely to the serious Study of Gods Law in which many of them were ignorant and to the Instruction and Direction and quickning of the People in their several Duties 5 And as soon as the commandment †Heb. brake forth came abroad e Either 1. As soon as the Report of this Command of the King v. 4. was got abroad into other parts Or 2. as soon as the King enlarged and extended that Command to all the Parts of his kingdom which v. 4. was confined to them that dwell in Jerusalem the children of Israel brought in abundance the first-fruits of corn wine and oil and ‖ Or dates honey f Or Dates as the Hebrew Writers generally and many other Learned Hebricians understand this word which is given to them because of the Sweetness of their Tast in some sort resembling Honey For the Law requires no Tithes but of the Fruits of Trees or of the Earth or of Beasts and of all the increase of the field and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly 6 And concerning the children of Israel and Judah that dwelt in the cities of Judah they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep g They brought in not onely the same Tithes which the Dwellers in Jerusalem did to wit of corn and wine and oil c. which they had in their own Storehouses in that City but also Oxen and Sheep which were more proper to the Country For under the Cities of Iudah are comprehended the Suburbs and Territories adjacent and belonging to them as is evident from the Nature of the thing and the Law of God and the * Lev. 27. 30. Deut. 14. 28. tithe of holy things which were consecrated unto the LORD their God h This may be taken either 1. By way of Explication even the Tithe of Holy things c. Or rather 2. By way of Addition the Tithe of all Holy things which were consecrated unto the Lord whether by Vow or voluntary Promise or otherwise as the Tithes of Gains by Merchandise or Spoils of War c. of which see Gen. 14. 20. 28. 22. Numb 31. 28. 30. and laid them †Heb. heaps heaps by heaps 7 In the third month i To wit of the Sacred Year Exod. 12. 2. in which their Harvest began they began to lay the foundation of the heaps and finished them in the seventh month k In which their Harvest ended and the Feast of Tabernacles was kept Exod. 23. 16. Levit. 23. 34. 8 And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps they blessed the LORD l Both for giving such plentiful Provisions to his Land in this Year and for giving his People such Liberal and Pious Hearts towards this good Work and his people Israel m They praised them for their forwardness and faithfulness in it 9 Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps n How it came to pass that no more of their Provision was spent and that there yet remained such great Heaps of it 10 And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok o Either 1. the High-priest called also Zadok 1 Chron. 6. 12. because he was of his Line and Family Or 2 The Chief Priest or the Head of that Family of Zadok or of Eleazar as there was another Chief Priest of the Family of Abiathar or of Ithamaâ—… See 2 Sam. 8. 17. 1 Chron. 24. 3. but both Subject to the High-Priest answered him and said * 〈◊〉 3. 12. Since the people began to bring the offerings p Which they did from the beginning of the Harvest according to the manner into the house of the LORD we have had enough to eat and have left plenty for the LORD hath blessed his people q In an Extraordinary Degree and that which is left is this great store 11 Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chambers in the house of the LORD r Largely so called to wit in the Courts or in the Chambers adjoyning to the House and they prepared them 12 And brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicate things faithfully over which Cononiah the Levite was ruler and Shimei his brother was the next 13 And Jehiel and Azaziah and Nahath and Asahel and Jerimoth and Jozabad and Eliel and Ismachiah and Mahath and Benajah were overseers †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hand under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother s i. e. To dispose of those Provisions by their Direction and to be accountable to them therein at the commandment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of the house of God t Either the Supreme Ruler to wit the High-priest or the Chief Ruler under him and in his stead being appointed by him to inspect this Work See above v. 10. 1 Chron. 9. 11. Ier. 20. 1. 14 And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite the porter toward the east u At the East-gate of the Lords House of which see on ch 23. 5. was over the free-will-offerings of God
to distribute x To the Priests and Levites to whom they were appropriated by God the oblations of the LORD and the most holy things y To wit the remainders of the Free-will-offering Levit. 2. 3 10. The Sin-offering and Trespass-offering Levit. 6. 18 22. 7. 1. and the Shew-bread Levit. 24. 9. 15 And †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hand next him were Eden and Minjamin and Jeshua and Shemajah Amariah and Shecaniah in * Josh. 21. the cities of the priests z Who were intrusted with the Receiving and Distributing of the several Portions belonging to the Priests who abode in their several Cities whilest their â—…rethren came up to Jerusalem in their ‖ Or 〈◊〉 set office to give to their brethren by courses as well to the great as to the small 16 Beside their genealogy of males from three years old and upward a To whom a Portion of these things was allotted as is here implied even unto every one that entreth into the house of the LORD b That were capable of entring thither and doing Service there which they were at twenty years old as is expressed here v. 17. 1 Chron. 23. 24. Through the whole Company of the Priests and Levites his daily portion for their service in their charges according to their courses 17 Both to the genealogy of the priests by the house of their fathers and the Levites ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 from twenty years old and upward in their charges by their courses 18 And to the genealogy of all their little ones their wives and their sons and their daughters through all the congregation c This is alledged as a Reason why their Wives and Children were provided for out of the Holy things because they sequestred themselves from worldly Affairs by which they might otherwise have provided for their Families and intirely devoted themselves to Holy Administrations for in their ‖ 〈◊〉 set office they sanctified themselves in holiness 19 Also the sons of Aaron the priests which were in * 〈◊〉 25. 34. 〈◊〉 35. 2. the fields d Who are opposed to those that lived in or resorted to the great City Jerusalem of the suburbs of their cities in every several city the men that were expressed by name to give portion to all the males among the priests and to all that were reckoned by genealogies among the Levites 20 And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God 21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God and in the law and in the commandments to seek his God he did it with all his heart and prospered CHAP. XXXII 1 AFter * 〈◊〉 18. 13 〈◊〉 these things and †〈◊〉 36. â—… c. â—… Heb. tâ—…is the establishment thereof a An Emphatical Preface signifying that notwithstanding all his Pious Care and Zeal for God yet God saw fit to Exercise him with a fore Trial and Calamity which yet he turned to his great Honour and Advantage Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entred into Judah and encamped against the senced cities and thought †〈◊〉 Gr. 〈◊〉 31. 20. â—… Heb. 〈◊〉 break 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to win them for himself b He designed and bragged that he would win them all and did actually win many of them 2 King 18. 13. 2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come and that †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 face 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was purposed to sight against Jerusalem 3 He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains c With Earth or other things cast into them and withal to derive the Waters by secret Paths and Pipes under ground to Jerusalem which were without the city and they did help him 4 So there was gathered much people together who stopt all the fountains and the brook that †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ran through the midst of the land saying Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water d Which was a scarse Commodity in this Country and the want of it might much annoy the Assyrian Army 5 Also * 〈◊〉 22. 9. he strengthened himself and built up all the wall that was broken e By Joash ch 25. 23. and not since repaired 2 Chron 25. 23. and raised it up to the towers f Either 1. As high as the Towers or the tops of the Wall Or 2. As far as the two Towers or Gates which were made in the Form of Towers and had the use of Towers to wit that of Ephraim and the Corner-Gate both mentioned above ch 25. 23. Or brought up Engines or Instruments of Defence upon the Towers and another wall without and repaired * 2 Sam. 5. 9. Millo g Of which see 1 King 9. 24. 11. 27. in the city of David and made ‖ Or swords or weapons darts and shields in abundance 6 And he set captains of war over the people and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city and †Heb. spake to their heart spake comfortably to them saying 7 Be strong and couragious be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria nor for all the multitude that is with him for * 2 Kin. 6. 16. there be mo with us than with him 8 With him is an * Jer. 17. 5. arm of flesh but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battels And the people †Heb. leaned rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah 9 After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem h Of this and the following Verses see the Notes on 2 King 18. 17. c. and 19. 10 c. but he himself laid siege against Lachish and all his †Heb. â—… mâ—…n power with him unto Hezekiah king of Judah and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem saying 10 Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria Whereon do ye trust that ye abide ‖ Or in the strong hold in the siege in Jerusalem 11 Doth not Hezekiah perswade you to give over your selves to die by famine and by thirst saying The LORD our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria 12 Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars and commanded Judah and Jerusalem saying Ye shall worship before one altar and burn incense upon it 13 Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands were the gods of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand 14 Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed that could deliver his people out of mine hand that your God should be able to deliver you out of
the Jews from whom possibly they had been taken and were secured somwhere by those Enemies of the Jews who had made the work of the Temple to cease by force or power Ezra 4 23. and †Chal. 〈◊〉 brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem every one to his place and place them in the house of God 6 Now therefore Tatnai governour beyond the river Shethar-boznai and †Chal. their 〈◊〉 your companions the Apharsachites which are beyond the river be ye far from thence h i. e. From hindering or discouraging the work 7 Let the work of this house of God alone let the governour of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place 8 Moreover †Chal. by me 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of the Jews for the building of this house of God that of the kings goods even of the tribute beyond the river forthwith expences be given unto these men that they be not †Chal. made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hindred i From proceeding in their work for want of Money 9 And that which they have need of both young bullocks and rams and lambs for the burnt-offerings of the God of heaven wheat salt wine and oil according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem let it be given them day by day without fail 10 That they may offer †Chal. sweet 〈◊〉 or rests sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and of his sons 11 Also I have made a decree that whosoever shall alter this word let timber be pulled down from his house and being set up †Chal. let him 〈◊〉 let him be hanged thereon and let his house be made a dunghil for this 12 And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem I Darius have made a decree let it be done with speed 13 Then Tatnai governor on this side the River Shethar-boznai and their companions according to that which Darius the king had sent so they did speedily 14 And the elders of the Jews built and they prospered through the prophecying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo k This is a seasonable intimation that this great and unexpected success was not to be ascribed to chance nor to the kindness or good humour of Darius but unto God only who by his Prophets had required and encouraged them to proceed in the work and by his mighty power disposed Darius Heart to such kind and noble Purposes and Actions and they built and finished it according to the commandment of the God of Israel and according to the †Chal. decree commandment of Cyrus â—…and Darius and Artaxerxes l Who is thought to be either 1. Xerxes Darius his Son and Successor who was called also Artaxerxes and Ahashuerus who is here joined with his Father Darius possibly because he favoured the Jews and promoted their Cause with his Father and saw to the Execution of his Fathers Decree and was his Fathers Vice-Roy if not made Co-Emperour with his Father in his Life time which was not unusual Or 2. Artaxerxes Longâ—…s the Son of Xerxes who was best known by the name of Artaxerxes who is here joined with Cyrus and Darius because though the Temple was finished as to the substance of the work in Darius's Reign v. 15. yet it was afterwards more fully compleated and adorned by Artaxerxes as is evident from ch 7. v. 20 27. by whom Nehemiah was sent to Ierusalem with a large Commission and full Power to take care about the Building of the City and all other things concerning the Jewish Nation and Religion kings of Persia. 15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month * 〈◊〉 3. 13. Adar which was in the sixth year of the the reign of Darius the king 16 And the children of Israel the priests and the Levites and the rest of †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 the children of the captivity kept the dedication of this house of God with joy 17 And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks two hundred rams four hundred lambs and for a sin offering for all Israel * 〈◊〉 35. 〈◊〉 â—… 63. 〈◊〉 7. 5. twelve he-goats according to the number of the tribes of Israel 18 And they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses for the service of God which is at Jerusalem †Chal according to the writing * Numb 3. 6 8. 9. as it is written in the Book of Mo ses 19 And the children of the captivity kept the passover * Exod. 1 2. 6. upon the fourteenth day of the sixth month 20 For the priests and the Levites were purified together all of them were pure and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity and for their Brethren the priests and for themselves 21 And the children of Israel which were come again out of captivity and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen m i. e. Such as had forsaken that filthy and Idolatrous Religion of the Heathens and were proselyred to the Jewish Religion for such were allowed to eat the Passover Exod. 12. 48. Numb 9. 14. of the land to seek the LORD God of Israel did eat 22 And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy for the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria n i. e. Of the King of Persia which was now king of Assyria also or Emperour of that vast and famous Assyrian Empire which was first subdued by the King of Babylon who therefore is somwhere called the Assyrian and for the same reason the Persian Monarch is here so called emphatically to note the great Power and Goodness of God in turning the hearts of these great Monarchs whose predecessors had been the chief persecutors and oppressors of Gods People unto them to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God the God of Israel CHAP. VII 1 NOw after these things in the reign of * Neh. 2. 1. â—… Artaxerxes a The same of whom he speaks ch 6. 14. king of Persia Ezra * 1 Chr. 6. 14. the son of Serajah b i. e. His Grandson Here are divers persons omitted for brevity sake which may be supplied out of 1 Chr. 6. 7 8 9 10 11. the son of Azariah the son of Hilkiah 2 The son of Shallum the son of Zadok the son of Ahitub 3 The son of Amariah the son of Azariah the son of Merajoth 4 The son of Zerajah the son of Uzzi the son of Bukki 5 The son
find him out deeper than hell what canst thou know r Concerning him and his ways which are far out of thy sight and reach 9. The measure thereof is longer than the earth r From one end to the other and broader than the sea s Which is called the great and wide sea Psalm 104. 25. 10. * Chap. 9. 12. If he ‖ Or make a change cut off t To wit a Person or a Family and shut up u In a Prison or in the hands of an Enemy This shutting up is opposed to the opening of the prison-doors and to that enlargement which God is elsewhere said to give to men or gather together x Either 1. in a way of judgment as a like word is used Psalm 26. 9. Gather not my soul with sinners Or rather 2. in a way of mercy as this word is generally used in Scripture this being every where promised by God to his people as an eminent mercy that he would gather them together So this is opposed to the former actions and the sense of the place is whether it pleaseth God to scatter a Family or to gather them together from their dispersions then †Heb. who can turn him away who can hinder him y From doing what he pleaseth and designeth with his own Creatures Who can restrain him either by giving Law to him or by force and power Or who can contradict or answer him or object against him or retort or return upon him i. e. charge him with injustice in such proceedings Which sense may seem to agree best both with the scope of the place and state of the question between him and Iob which was not whether any man could resist God's power but whether he could question his justice and with the following Verse 11. For * Ps. 10. 11 14. 35. 22. he knoweth vain man z Though men know but little of God and therefore are very unfit Judges of all his Counsels and Actions yet God knows man exactly and his vanity or â—…abhood or folly or rashness for all these this word signifies He knoweth that every man in the World is guilty of much vanity and folly and therefore seeth sufficient reason for his severity against the best men such as thou O Iob fanciest thy self to be and if thou wert so thou hast no reason to wonder at or quarrel with his proceedings And if thy quarrel be that he shuts thee up or cuts thee off when he gathers others under his wing and protection whom thou thinkest or knowest to be worse than thy self while thou doest impeach his justice thou doest but betray thy own vanity and folly For he knows both whom he chastiseth and whom he spareth and why he doth it though he do not acquaint thee with the reasons of all his actions he seeth wickedness also a As he knoweth the vanity of all men so he exactly perceiveth the wickedness of evil men though it be covered with the Veil of Religion He seeth thy evil heart which discovers it self by such wicked and scandalous speeches against the justice and goodness of his Providence which gives him just cause to continue and encrease thy miseries Though thou art partial and flatterest thy self with a conceit of thy own Integrity yet he knoweth thy hypocrisie and wickedness will he not then consider it b Shall he only see it as an idle Spectator and not observe it as a Judge to requite and punish it 12. For †Heb. empty or hollow * Ps. 73. 22. 92. 6. Eccl. 3. 18. vain man would be wise c Or Yet or But vain or empty man that foolish Creature that since the fall is void of all true wisdom and solid knowledge and judgment of the things of God would be wise i. e. pretends to be and would be thought wise and able to pass a censure upon all God's ways and works Or thus But vain man is foolish or without heart i. e. without understanding unable to judge aright of the ways and things of God For a Verb very like this and coming from the same Root signifies to have ones heart taken away Cant. 4. 9. though man be born d And man is born i. e. he is by his birth such this evil is now natural and hereditary and therefore common to all men and therefore it is not strange if Iob partake of the common distemper like a wild asses colt e i. e. Ignorant and dull and stupid as to the knowledge of divine things and withal heady and untractable and therefore very incompetent to judge of these high affairs 13. * Ch. 5. 8. 22. 21. If thou f O Iob thy business is not to quarrel with thy Maker or his Works but to address thy self to him prepare thine heart g To wit to seek God as it is expressed 2 Chron. 19. 3. 30. 19. Psalm 78. 8. If thou prepare thy heart by sincere repentance for all thy hard speeches of God and fins against him and with a pure and upright heart seek unto him without which thy prayers will be in vain Or If thou directest or rectifiest thine heart turning thy bold contentions with God into humble and sincere supplications to him and stretch out thine hands h i. e. Pray which is here described by its usual gesture as Chap. 15. 25. Psalm 88. 9. towards him i i. e. To God as appears both from the nature of the thing and from the Context 14. If iniquity be in thine hand k Either 1. If thou hast in thine hand or possession any Goods got by injury or oppression as it seems they supposed that he had Or 2. more generally If thou allowest thy self in any sinful practises The hand is put for action Whereof it is the Instrument put it far away l Keep thy self aâ—… a great distance not only from such actions but also from the very occasions and appearances of them and let not wickedness dwell m Let it not have a quiet and settled abode or allowance in thy tabernacles n i. e. In thy habitation i. e. either in thy self or in thy family whose sins Iob was obliged as far as he could to prevent or reform as he had done Chap. 1. 5. He saith Tabernacles because anciently the habitations of great men consisted of several Tents or Tabernacles as we see Gen. 24. 67. 31. 33. 15 For then shalt thou lift up thy face o Which notes chearfulness and holy boldness and confidence as a dejected Countenance notes grief and shame See Gen. 4. 5 6. 2 Sam. 2. 22. Iob 22. 26. Luke 21. 28. without spot p Or Being without spot So it is only an Ellipsis of the Verb Substantive which is most frequent And this fitly follows as the ground of his confidence because he should in this case have a clear and unspotted Conscience and a
or Error and in their Effect as guiding and directing men in the right and ready way to eternal Happiness Which also reflects upon that knowledge of Divine things which men have by the light of Nature and works of God or by the Doctrines of the Philosophers or others that wanted or neglected the light of God's word wherein there is a great deal of darkness and uncertainty and Error and Danger rejoycing the heart m Partly by that clear and certain knowledge of Divine things which it gives for knowledge is pleasant to the Soul Prov. 2. 10. and partly by the discoveries of God's Love and Grace to sinful men in Offers and Promises of Mercy therein contained the commandement of the LORD n i. e. All his Commands is * Psal. 119. 140. pure o Without the least mixture of Error or injustice or Deceit Which cannot be said of humane Laws enlightning the eyes p To wit of the Mind with an evident and compleat manifestation of God's Will and Man's Duty both which the works of Nature and all the Writings of men discover but darkly and imperfectly 9. The fear of the LORD q By which he understands not the Grace of God's fear as this Phrase is commonly taken nor the whole Worship of God as it is taken Psal. 34. 9. 11. Mat. 1â—… 9. but the Law and Word of God which is the only thing that is hâ—…re commended and which is meant by all the other parallel Titles of his Testimony and Statutes and Commandements and Iudgments and consequently by this of his â—…ear which is as it were hemmed in within them And this may well be so called by an usual Metonymy because it is both the Object and the Rule and the Cause of this Grace of holy Fear as God himself is called Fear for the like reason Gen. 31. 53. and in the Hebrew Psal. 76. 11. is clean r i. e. Sincere not adulterated with any mixture of Vanity or Falshood or Vice not requiring noâ—… allowing any uncleanness or wickedness as the Religion of the Gentiles did enduring for ever s Constant and unchangeable the same for Substance in all the Ages of the Church and the World Which is most true both of the moral Law and of the Doctrine of God's Grace and Mercy to sinful and miserable man which two are the Principal partâ—… of that Law of which he here speaks as is Evident from the whole Context For as the difference between the Old and the New Testament that lyes only in Circumstantial and Ceremonial or Ritual things which are not here intended and that Alteration also was foretolâ—… in the Old Testament and consequently the accomplishment of it did not destroy but confirm the certainty and constancy of God's word This also is opposed to humane Laws wherein there are and ought to be manifold Changes according to the difference of Times and People and Circumstances the judgments of the LORD t i. e. God's Laws frequently called his Iudgments because they are the Declarations of his righteous Will and as it were his legal oâ—… judicial Sentence by which he expects that men should govern themselves and by which he will judge them at the last day are †Heb. truste true and righteous altogether u. 10. More to â—…e desired are they than gold * Psal. 1â—…9 12. 127 Prov. 8. 11. 19. yea than much fine gold x Than Gold of the best quality and in the greatest quantity * Psal. 119. 103. sweeter also than honey y Which was most sweet in those Eastern Countries and †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 the honey comb z Than that Honey which the Bees have most diligently wrought in their Combs and which freely flows from them which is sweeter than the rest 11. Moreover by them is thy servant a I thy servant though a King and a Prophet and of some Repute for Wisdom and Knowledge yet I am daily taught by them Or 〈◊〉 as Dan. 12. 3. or clearly admonished as this word signifies 〈◊〉 18. 20. 2 Kings 6. 10. Eccles. 4. 13. 〈◊〉 3. 17 c. and 33. 3. 9. It is a faithful and excellent Monitor to shew me my Duty in all Conditions and to preserve me from falling into sin and danger and Mischief warned and in keeping of them b To those that make it their great Design and care to conform their whole Lives to them For he speaks not of a Legal and perfect keeping of them which no man attaineth to in this Life 〈◊〉 7. 20. Gâ—…l 3. 10 11 12. 1 Ioh. 1. 8. but of doing it in an Evangelâ—…al Sence with the allowances which God through Christ makes for Humane infirmities there is great reward c In this Life and especially in the next 12. * Psal. 40. 12. Who can understand d This may be here added Either 1. As a further Proof of the Excellency and necessity of God's Law because mens Errors are so many and hard to be discovered and prevented that they indispensably need such a Friend and Counsellor as the Law is to give them the true knowledge of themselves and of their sins Or 2. As a just and sorrowful Censure of himself upon the Consideration of the exact Purity of God's Law and the Comparing of his Life with it Thy Law O Lord is Holy and just and Good But I am a poor sinful Wreâ—…ch falling infinitely short of it and Condemned by it Or 3. As a signification of the insufficiency of God's Law strictly so called for the healing and saving of mens Souls and of the necessity of further supplies of the Gospel and grace of God whereby the eyes of their Minds may be enlightned to see that light which shines in God's Law and their Hearts may be renewed to yield universal Obedience to it for which therefore he prays in the following words And withal he implies that he did not expect that reward which he last mentioned as a just Recompence to his Obedience which he confesseth to need a Pardon more than to deserve a reward but only as an effect of God's grace and goodness his Errors e Either 1. His sins of ignorance of which this word is used Levit. 4. 2 22 27. 〈◊〉 5. 6. Or rather 2. His sins in general â—…â—…ich afterwards he divides into secret and presumptuous sins Or all deviations from God's Law which are thus called 1 Saâ—… 26. 21. Psal. 119. 67 118. Heb. 9. 7. Iam. 5. 20. The Sence is I cannot comprehend the numbers or the several kinds or all the Hainous Aggravations of my sins cleanse thou me f Both by justification or the Pardon of my sins through the Blood of thy Son which is to be shed for me and by Sanctification through thy holy Spirit co-working in and with thy Word to the further Renovation of my Heart and Life For these are the two ways of câ—…eansing Sinners
to all generations 12. * Psal 65. 4. c. 94. 14. 144. 15. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance u Seeing the Lord is so great and glorious in Wisdom and Power and Goodness as hath been hitherto said as they must needs be very miserable who are Strangers or Enemies to him so thrice Happy is that people of Israel who though they be despised by the Gentiles are chosen by this Almighty God to be his peculiar Portion and Friends and Servants 13. * 2 Chr. 16. 9. Job 28. 24. Psal. 11. 4. The LORD looketh from heaven he beholdeth all the sons of men x Although he hath a special Relation to Israel yet he hath a general Care and Inspection over all Mankind all whose Hearts and Ways he discerns and observes 14. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth 15. He fashioneth y Or fashioned or made Or formeth For this may relate Either 1. To the work of Creation So he proves what he said v. 13 14. that God beheld all men because he made them yea even their Hearts the most secret piece of them Or 2. To the works of his Providence Having said that God sees and observes all Men he now addes that he Rules and Governs them yea even their Hearts which are most Masterless and unmanageable and yet he frameth and disposeth and inclineth them this way or that according to the Counsel of his Will See Exod. 34. 24. Psal. 105. 25. their hearts alike z Or equally one as well as another Whether they be Iews or Gentiles Bond or Free Princes or Peasants all are alike subject to his Jurisdiction he considereth all their works a Both outward and inward all the workings of their Minds and Affections and all their Indeavours and Actions 16. There is no king b He instanceth in these as the most potent and uncontroll able persons in the World and most Confident of themselves and least sensible of their Dependence upon God By which he strongly proves his general Proposition of God's powerful Providence over all Men. saved by the multitude of an host c But only by God's Providence who disposeth of Victory and Success as he pleaseth and that frequently to the weakest and most foolish side Eccles. 9. 11. a mighty man is not delivered by much strength 17. * Psal. 147. 10. Prov. â—…1 31. An horse d Though he be strong Iob 39. 19. c. and fit for Battel Prov. 21. 31. Or for flight if need requires And so this is put for all Warlike provisions of which Horses were and are a very Considerable part is †Heb. a Lye a vain thing e Heb. a Lye because it promiseth that help and safety which it cannot give for safety neither shall he deliver any by his great strength 18. * Job 36. â—… Psal. 34. 15 1 pet 3. 12. Behold the eye of the LORD f Whosoever therefore would have Safety and Deliverance must seek and expect it only from the watchful Eye and Almighty hand and mercy of God is upon them that fear him g These are the chief Object of his Care and Favour upon them that hope in his mercy h That place their Hope and Trust and Happiness not in any Creature but only in God and in his Mercy and Blessings The Conjunction and Order of these two qualifications of the Person whom God careth for is observable here they must be such as fear God and so make Conscience of keeping his Commands Eccles. 12. 13. and then they may and must hope in Or relye upon his Mercy for their Safety and Happiness 19. To deliver their soul i i. e. Their Life when he sees it to be expedient for them sometimes it is better for them to dye than to Live as both good and bad Men have declared and when it is so it is known to God but not to us And therefore the constant Accomplishment of this and the like promises in a literal Sence is not to be expected nor simply desired but with Submission to God's wise and gracious Will from death and to keep them alive * Job 5. â—… Psa. 37. 19. in famin 20. Our soul waiteth for the LORD he is our help k The help of us Israelites to whom he hath made many Promises and glorious Discoveries of his Goodness and our shield 21. For l Or Therefore for this seems to be an Inference Either from the foregoing or from the following Sentence our heart shall rejoyce in him because we have trusted in his holy name 22. Let thy mercy O LORD be upon us according as we hope in thee PSAL. XXXIV A Psalm of David when he changed a A Psalm made upon that occasion though not at that time his behaviour b Or his Habit or Posture or his Reason as this word is taken 1 Sam. 25. 33. Psal. 119. 66. Prov. 11. 22. When he Counterfeited madness Wherein whether he sinned or not is matter of Dispute but this is undoubted that God's Favour and his Deliverance at that time was very Remarkable and deserved this Solemn acknowledgment before ‖ Or Achish 1 Sam. 21. 11 13. Abimelech c Called Achish 1 Sam. 21. 10. But Abimelech seems to have been the common Name of the Kings of the Philistins Gen. 20. 2. and 26. 1. as Pharao was of the Egyptians and Caesar of the Romans who drove him away and he departed 1. I Will bless the LORD at all times d I will never forget to bless God for this miraculous Deliverance his praise shall continually be in my mouth 2. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD e Shall glory in this that I have so powerful and so gracious a Lord and Master the humble f Or the Meek i. e. The Godly oft called in Scripture by that Title and particularly my Friends and Favourers in Israel whom he thus calls in Opposition to his proud and furious Adversaries in Saul's Court and Camp shall hear thereof and be glad g Both for their Love to me and to the publick good of Israel which they know that I design and seek above all things and for the Comfort and Benefit of my example to them in like Straits and Difficulties 3. O magnifie the LORD with me h Joyn your Praises with mine O all ye humble Ones and let us exalt his name together i Not in place for David was now banished from the place of God's publick Worship but in Affection and Work Let our Souls meet and let our Praises meet in the Ears of the all-hearing God Or alike i. e. With equal Zeal and Fervency let none be willing to be out stripped by another 4. I sought the LORD and he heard me and delivered me
Comparatively of which see on Psal. 40. 6. and with particular respect to David's Crimes of Murder and Adultery which were not to be expiated by any Sacrifice but by the Law of God were to be punished with Death Thou requirest more and better Sacrifices which here follow ‖ 〈◊〉 that I 〈◊〉 give it else would I give it x Else I should have spared no cost in that kind thou delightest not in burnt-offering 17. * 〈◊〉 57. 15. â—… 66. 2. The sacrifices y This is instead of or of more Value than many Sacrifices of God z Which God in such Cases as mine requires and will accept in which Sence we Read of the Works of God Ioh. 6. 28. are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart a i. e. An Heart deeply afflicted and grieved for sin humbled under the Sence of God's displeasure and earnestly seeking and willing to accept of Reconciliation with God upon any Terms See Isa. 57. 15. and 61. 1. and 66. 2. Mat. 11. 28. This is opposed to that hard or slony Heart of which we Read so oft which signifies an Heart insensible of the Burden of sin stubborn and Rebellious against God impenitent and incorrigible O God thou wilt not despise b i. e. Thou dost highly approve as such negative Phrases oft signifie as hath been formerly proved 18. Do good in thy good pleasure c unto Sion d Synecdochically put for Ierusalem as the next Clause explains it and both put for the whole People of Israel and Church of God whom I have highly scandalized and injured already and exposed to the Danger of utter Destruction which thou mightest inflict upon them for the sins of their King as thou usest to do in like Cases build thou the walls of Jerusalem e Perfect the Walls and Buildings of that City and especially let the Temple be built and established in this City notwithstanding its Pollution by my sins which I pray thee to Purge away Or For or according to for the Hebrew prefix Beth is frequently used both those ways thy good Grace or Favour or Pleasure i. e. Thy free and rich Mercy and thy gracious Purpose and Promise made to and concerning Zion Of which see Psal. 132. 14. and do not repent of it nor retract it as I have given thee cause to do 19. Then f When thou hast granted my humble Requests expressed in the former Verses when thou hast renewed and Pardoned and Comforted me and restored thy Favour unto thy People and this City shalt thou be pleased with * Mal. 3. 3. the sacrifices g Which now for our sins thou mayst justly reject and abhor of righteousness h Which I and thy People being justified and reconciled to thee shall offer with sincere and Penitent Hearts These are opposed to the Sacrifices of the Wicked which God abhors Prov. 15. 8. Isa. 1. 11. c. with burnt-offering and * 1 Sam. 7. 9. whole burnt-offering then shall they i i. e. They who by thy appointment are to do that Work the Priests in the Name and on the behalf of thy People offer bullocks k The best and costliest Sacrifices and that in great Numbers in Testimony of their gratitude to God for thy great Favour in pardoning mine and their sins and preventing that Total Ruin which we had reason to expect and Fear upon that Account upon thine altar PSAL. LII To the chief musician Maschil a Psalm of Davidâ—… * 1 Sam. 22. 〈◊〉 when Doeg the Edomite a So called Either 1. Because he was born or bred in Edom Or 2. From his Treacherous and Bloody disposition for which the Edomites are infamous in Scripture as the Israelites are called Sodom and Gomerrah Isa. 1. 10. came and told Saul and said unto him David is come to the house of Ahimelech 1. WHy boastest thou thy self b As if thou hadst done a great Exploit which none else durst undertake and thereby established the Crown upon Saul's Head and thy self in his Favour and broken all David's Designs by striking a Terror into all his Favourers by this sad Example in mischief O mighty man c He speaks Ironically O Valiant Captain Oh glorious Action To kill a few Weak and unarmed Persons in the Kings Presence and under the Protection of his Guards Surely thy Name will be Famous to all Ages for such Heroical Courage the goodness of God endureth †Heb. all the day continually d God's Love and Favour to his People and in particular to me is not fading and inconstant but everlasting and unchangeable and therefore not to be hindred or defeated by any wicked Designs or Practises And therefore though he hath permitted thee and may do others to Rage for a season yet he will defend and in due time deliver his People 2. Thy tongue deviseth e i. e. Expresseth what thy wicked Mind had devised Thus Skilfulness is ascribed to those 〈◊〉 which are governed by a skilful or prudent Man Psal. 78. last This Word implies that Doeg's Words were not uttered rashly and unadvisedly but with Premeditated malice and a mischievous Design which he waited for an Opportunity to Execute and therefore he readily took the first occasion which offered it self mischiefs * Psa. 57. 4. 59. 7. 64. 3. like a sharp rasor working deceitfully f Wherewith a man pretending onely to shave off the Hair doth suddenly aâ—…d unexpectedly cut the Throat So Doeg pretended onely to Vindicate himself from the Imputation of Disloyalty 1 Sam. 22. 8. but really intended to expose the Priests who were Friends to David to the Kings fury and Cruelty 3. Thou lovest evil more than good g Evil and Good may be here taken Either 1. Morally Thou lovest Wickedness and not Goodness for so Comparative passages are oft meant as Psal. 118. 8. It is better to trust in the Lord then to put Confidence in Man i. e. It is good to trust God but it is not good to trust Man for this is absolutely forbidden Psal. 146. 3. Ier. 17. 5. Or 2. Physically Thou lovest to speak or Act to the hurt and Ruin of others rather than to their Benefit Thou mightest without any Danger to thy self have been silent concerning 〈◊〉 's Fact or have put a Favourable Construction upon it but thou hast chosen rather to mis-represent and Aggravate it He saith thou lovest to imply that he did this not by any Constraint or Necessity but by choice and with Complacency and out of a Love to mischief and lying h Whereof Doeg was guilty Partly in reporting that hi i. e. Abimeâ—…ech enqqired of the Lord for him David 1 Sam 22. 10. which he did not Ch. 21. where all that History is recorded and Partly in putting a false Interpretation upon what he did in giving him Victuals and a Sword as if he had done it knowingly and in
Lamp meerly for want of Moysture 5 They are not †Heb. in the Trouble of other Men. in trouble as other men l Either 1. As good Men frequently are Or 2. As Men generally are They do by a secret and favourable Providence of God escape even common Calamities neither are they plagued †Heb. with like other men 6. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain m This Phrase notes both the extent of their Pride which appears on every side of them in their Countenances Discourses Gestures c. and their glorying in it The like may be said of the next Phrase violence covereth them as a garment 7 * Psal. 119. 70. Their eyes stand out with fatness n As they do in some fat Persons though not in others The meaning is They live in great Plenty and Prosperity as the next Clause explains it †Heb. they pass the Thoughts of the Heart they have more than heart could wish 8 They are corrupt o Or dissolved in Pleasure Or they Corrupt themselves and speak wickedly concerning oppression p Wickedly boasting of their Oppressions Either of what they have done or of what they intend to do in that kind they speak loftily q Arrogantly presuming upon their own strength and despising both God and Men. 9 They set their mouth against the heavens r i. e. Against God blaspheming his Name denying or deriding his Providence reviling his Saints and Servants and their tongue walketh through the earth s Using all manner of Liberty introducing and reproaching all sorts of Persons not caring whom they displease or hurt by it 10 Therefore his people t Either 1. The people of those wicked Blasphemers all their Children and Servants and Friends encouraged by their Example Or rather 2. The people of God who is oft understood under the pronoun Relative he or his though he be not expressed as Psal. 105. 19. Isa. 30. 23. See the like Psal. 87. 1. Cant. 1. 2. But then as God's People are of two sorts some that are so really and sincerely and others that are so onely in Profession and shew in which Sence the whole Body of the Israelitish Nation yea even the wicked among them are called his People as Psal. 81. 11. Isa. 1. 3. Ier. 2. 11. c. so this may be understood Either 1. Of those true Israelites v. 1. Even the godly were startled and stumbled at this as David was Psal. 37. and Ieremy Ch. 12. But although they might have some murmuring Thoughts about this Matter it seems not probable that they would either give Way to such Thoughts or break forth into such Expressions as are here ascribed to them v. 11. nor are such things to be imputed to them without necessity nor did either David or Ieremy in their Conflicts utter any thing of this Nature Or rather 2. Of the Carnal and Hypocritical Israelites who perceiving the impunity and Prosperity of these ungodly Wretches were easily drawn to the Approbation and imitation of their Courses And this may seem most suitable to the Context for the Description of the Condition and Carriage and Words of these ungodly men which begins v. 4. seems to be continued to v. 13. then follows the Psalmist's reflection and Consideration upon the whole Matter from v. 13. to the end return hither u Or turn hither i e. To this wicked Company or to their Course and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them x Waters in Scripture do oft times signifie Afflictions and as oft Comforts and Mercies So the Sence may be Either 1. And whilst the wicked prosper God doth wring out Waters out of the Cup of Tribulation and causeth his holy Ones to drink them up Compare Psal. 75. 8. and 80. 5. Isa. 51. 17. Ier. 25. 15. c. Or rather 2. And those Hypocritical Israel's find themselves gainers by their Apostacy and they partake of the same Prosperity with their Leaders and God seems to give them a full Cup of Consolation and to pour forth his Mercies upon them in such abundance as if he would wring or squeeze out all his Blessings out of his stores to bestow upon them And meeting with such success to their Wickedness it is not strange if they put that question v. 11. 11 And they y Either 1. The godly Or rather 2. Those wicked ones whose Words and Actions he hath been hitherto describing or the People Confederate with them For these and such like opinions are oft ascribed to the wicked in Scripture but never as far as I know to any good man And Iob though he used many intemperate Speeches and though some such Expressions as this were charged upon him by his Friends as Iob 22. 13 yet he utterly disowned them say How doth God know and is there knowledge in the most High z Seeing these cursed and impudent Blasphemers of God and Enemies of all goodness are Crowned with so many Blessings how is it Credible that there is a God who sees and Orders the Affairs of this lower World For if God did know these things certainly he neither could or would suffer them to be thus managed 12 Behold these are the ungodly a This is their Condition and Carriage in it These seem to be the Words of the Psalmist summing up the Matter and preparing his passage to the other part of the Psalm who prosper in the world they encrease in riches 13 * Job 21. 15. 34. 9. 35. 3. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain b and * Psal. 26. 6. washed my hands in innocency c i. e. Kept my Hands the great Instrument of Action and consequently the rest of the Members of my Body innocent and pure from evil Practises I have washed my Hands not onely Ceremonially with water wherewith Hypocrites satisfie themselves but also Morally or with the Waters of God's Grace and Spirit Innocency or Purity l Hence I was sometimes tempted to think that Religion was a vain and unprofitable thing at least as to the Happiness of this Life which yet God had promised as a reward to Piety True Religion is here fitly and fully described by its two Principal parts and works the cleansing of the Heart from sinful Lusts and Passions and of the Hands or outward Man from a Course of sinful Actions And although it be God's work to cleanse the Heart yet he saith I have cleansed it because every good man doth Cooperate with God's Grace in cleansing it Compare 2 Cor. 6. 1. and 7. 1. 14 For all the day long have I been plagued and †Heb. 〈◊〉 Chaâ—… was chastened every morning d Whilst their ungodliness hath been attended with constant Prosperity my Piety hath been exercised with continual Afflictions 15 If I say I will speak thus e I will give Sentence for the ungodly in this manner behold I should offend
the first from v. 2. to v. 10. of the latter thence to the end 2 In the day of my trouble I sought the LORD †Heb. my hand my fore ran c The hand in the Hebrew Tongue and Scripture use is oft puâ—… for a blow or stroke given by the hand Heb. My hand or hands the singular number being frequently put for the plural flowed or poured forth i. e. Spread abroad to God in Prayer This Phrase he useth rather than were stretched out which is frequent in like Cases to imply that his Case was low and almost desperate his Spirits and strength quite gone so that he was not able to stretch them out as he had done in the night d Which to others was a time of rest and quietness but to me of Torment and ceased not my soul refused to be comforted e I rejected all those Consolations which either my Friends or my own Mind suggested to me 3 I remembred God and was troubled e Yea the thoughts of God and of his infinite Power and Truth and Goodness which used to be very sweet and Comfortable to me were now matter of Terror and Trouble because they were all ingaged against me and God himself my onely Friend was now very Angry with me and become mine Enemy I complained f Unto God in Prayer and my spirit was overwhelmed g So far was I from finding relief by my Complaints that they increased my Misery Selah 4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking h I am so troubled that I cannot speak By those sharp and continual Griefs and those perplexing and tormenting Thoughts and Cares which from time to time thou stirrest up in me i The greatness of my sorrows stupefie my Mind and make me both Lifeless and unable to speak nor can any Words sufficiently express the Extremity of my Misery 5 * Psal. 143. 5. I have considered k If by that means I could get any Comfort the days of old l i. e. The mighty works of God done for his People in former times Days are put for Events done in them as Psal. 37. 13. 〈◊〉 137. 7. Obad. v. 12. Mich. 7. 4. †Heb. the 〈◊〉 of Ages Gr. eternal years the years of ancient times 6 I call to remembrance my song in the night m The many and great Mercies and Favours of God vouchsafed by him to me and to his People which have obliged me to adore him and sing his Praises not onely in the day the time appointed for that work but also by night as oft as they come into my Mind I commune with mine own heart and my spirit made diligent scarch n What should be the cause of this strange and vast Alteration and how these â—…ore Calamities could come from the hand of so gracious and merciful a God as ours is and what might be expected as to their continuance or removal 7 Will the Lord cast off o His peculiar and chosen People This doth not seem to agree Either with God's Nature or with that everlasting Covenant which he hath made with them for ever and will he be favourable no more 8 Is his mercy clean gone for ever p Are all the stores of his Mercy quire spent Doth he now cease to be what he hath styled himself the Lord gracious and merciful Long-suffering and abundant in Goodness doth his promise fail †Heb to Geâ—…tion and Generation for evermore q Will he never more make good those gracious Promises upon which he hath commanded us to hope 9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious r Because he hath so long disused it hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies s So as they can never flow forth no not to his own People Selah 10 And I said t I thus answered these Objections This is my infirmity u These suspicions of God's Faithfulness and Goodness proceed from the weakness of my Faith and from the mistake of a diseased Mind but I will remember x Which words may be understood out of the following Verse as other words frequently are in like Cases * Psal. 102. 24. 25. the years of the right hand of the most High y The years wherein God hath done great and glorious Works which are oft asscribed to God's right hand as Psal. 17. 7. and 20. 6. and 45. 4. and 118. 15. But the Word rendred years doth also signifie changing and accordingly this Verse is by other learned Interpreters and may well be rendred otherwise without any such Supplement as is in our Translation thus And I said This is my Affliction or Grievancâ—… The sum of all and the chief cause of my Trouble and Anxiety is this the Change of the right hand of the most High that that right hand which formerly hath done such great and wonderful things for his People is at this time not onely hid in God's Bosom and not drawn forth for their defence but is also stretched forth against them and is the principal Cause of all our present Miseries I could bear the malice and rage of our Enemies from whom we could not expect better things but that our gracious and Covenanted God should forsake and persecute his own People this is that which makes it intolerable 11 I will remember the works of the LORD surely I will remember thy wonders of old z And yet upon second and serious Thoughts of what God had formerly done for his People many times far above their Expectations I will take Comfort in Remembrance of them because God is still the same that he was in Power and Goodness and Love to his People and therefore will pity and help us in this present Calamity as he hath oft done in others of the same Nature 12 I will meditate also of thy work and talk of thy doings 13 * Psal. 68. 24. c. Thy way a i. e. Thy doings or the Course of thy Providence which is oft called God's way the various Methods and Causes of thy dealings with thy People O God is in the sanctuary b Is there contained and declared As the Prosperity of wicked men so also the grievous Calamities of God's People are great Riddles and slumbling Blocks to the ignorant and ungodly World but a full and satisfactory Resolution of them may be had from God's Sanctuary as is observed in the former Case by this same Asaph Psal. 73. 16 17. and here in the latter Or is in Holiness So the Sence is God is holy and just and true in all his Works yea even in his Judgments upon his own People as will Evidently appear from the issue of them who is so great a God as our God c And although our God at present suspends his Power and doth not put it forth to deliver his People out of the hands of their Idolatrous Enemies who thence take
to come might know them even the children which should be born who should arise and declare them to their children 7 That they might set their hope in God m That by the Consideration of God's gracious Promises and wonderful Works wrought by God for his People they might be incouraged to trust in him and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments 8 And might not be as their fathers * Ex. 32. 9. 33. 3. 34. 9. Deut. 9. 6 13. 31. 27. a stubborn and rebellious generation a generation †Heb. That prepared not their Heart that set not their heart aright n Who though they outwardly and seemingly complyed with the forms of Worship which God had prescribed yet did not direct or prepare their Hearts to the Obedience and Service of God and whose spirit was not stedfast with God o Who quickly discovered their Hypocrisie by their Apostacy from God and from the Religion which they had professed 9 * Am. 2. 1â—… The children of Ephraim p This passage concerns Either 1 The Tribe of Ephraim and some exploit of theirs wherein they met with this Disaster whether it were that mentioned 1 Chron. 7. 21. or some other not particularly related in any other place of Scripture For we must not think that all the Actions and Events of the several Tribes are recorded in Scripture but onely some of the most memorable ones Or 2. The ten Tribes who are very frequently called Ephraim because that Tribe was the chief of them and the seat of the kingdom And so this is referred by some to the Captivity of the ten Tribes 2 Kings 17. Although the Historical references of this Psalm seem not to go beyond David's time Or rather 3. All the Tribes and People of Israel who are sometimes designed by the Name of Ephraim as Ier. 31 9. 18. 20. Zech. 10. 7. as well they might be because of the Eminency of this Tribe out of which came Ioshua their first Governour in Canaan and in which the Ark of God continued for a long time and whose People were both most numerous and most valiant and therefore they are fidy named for all to shew that this slaughter was not made amongst them for any defect of power or courage in them but merely from God's just judgment upon them for their sins here following And that Ephraim is here put for all Israel seems to be evident from the following Verses wherein the sins upon which this overthrow is charged are manifestly the sins of all the children of Israel and they who are here called Ephraim are called Iacob and Israel vers 21. And so this passage is by divers Learned Interpreters referred unto that dreadful overthrow related 1 Sam. 4. Wherein they did not stand to fight but turned their backs and fled as is there expressed which though it reached all Israel yet Ephraim is particularly named because as the Ark so the Fight was in that Tribe and therefore it may be presumed that the Ephraimites were a very considerable part of that Israelitish Army And the Psalmist having related this amazing providence and judgment of God upon his own people he falls into a large Discourse of the causes of it to wit the great and manisold and continual sins of that and the former Generations which having prosecuted from hence to Verse 60 he there returns to this History and relates the sad consequences of that disaster to wit the captivity of the Ark and God's forsaking of Shiloh and Ephraim and removing thence to the Tribe of Iudah and Mount Zion the reason of which change of place he designed to give in the relation of this passage being armed and †Heb. Throwing forth carrying bows q Which includes Arrows and these being then the chiefest and most common Weapons are put for all other Arms. turned back in the day of battel p This passage concerns Either 1 The Tribe of Ephraim and some exploit of theirs wherein they met with this Disaster whether it were that mentioned 1 Chron. 7. 21. or some other not particularly related in any other place of Scripture For we must not think that all the Actions and Events of the several Tribes are recorded in Scripture but onely some of the most memorable ones Or 2. The ten Tribes who are very frequently called Ephraim because that Tribe was the chief of them and the seat of the kingdom And so this is referred by some to the Captivity of the ten Tribes 2 Kings 17. Although the Historical references of this Psalm seem not to go beyond David's time Or rather 3. All the Tribes and People of Israel who are sometimes designed by the Name of Ephraim as Ier. 31 9. 18. 20. Zech. 10. 7. as well they might be because of the Eminency of this Tribe out of which came Ioshua their first Governour in Canaan and in which the Ark of God continued for a long time and whose People were both most numerous and most valiant and therefore they are fidy named for all to shew that this slaughter was not made amongst them for any defect of power or courage in them but merely from God's just judgment upon them for their sins here following And that Ephraim is here put for all Israel seems to be evident from the following Verses wherein the sins upon which this overthrow is charged are manifestly the sins of all the children of Israel and they who are here called Ephraim are called Iacob and Israel vers 21. And so this passage is by divers Learned Interpreters referred unto that dreadful overthrow related 1 Sam. 4. Wherein they did not stand to fight but turned their backs and fled as is there expressed which though it reached all Israel yet Ephraim is particularly named because as the Ark so the Fight was in that Tribe and therefore it may be presumed that the Ephraimites were a very considerable part of that Israelitish Army And the Psalmist having related this amazing providence and judgment of God upon his own people he falls into a large Discourse of the causes of it to wit the great and manisold and continual sins of that and the former Generations which having prosecuted from hence to Verse 60 he there returns to this History and relates the sad consequences of that disaster to wit the captivity of the Ark and God's forsaking of Shiloh and Ephraim and removing thence to the Tribe of Iudah and Mount Zion the reason of which change of place he designed to give in the relation of this passage 10. They kept not the covenant of God and refused to walk in his law r Their disobedience was accompanied with obstinacy and contempt of God's Laws 11 And forgate s Not historically but practically They did not so remember them as to love and serve and trust that God of whose infinite power and goodness they had such ample experience Words of knowledge such
proper name of the place where that happened and which also was called Massah as is evident from Exod. 17. 7. and Deut. 33. 8. and as in the day of temptation p In the day in which you tempted me Or as in the day of Massah i. e. when you were at Massah in the wilderness 9 When q Or In which place Which may belong either to Meribah and Massah or to the Wilderness last mentioned Or Surely as this word is oft used in Scripture as hath been observed once and again your fathers tempted me proved me and saw r Or Although or After that they saw or had seen Which is added as a just and great aggravation of their unbelief after such a sensible and evident experience of Gods power and goodness to them my works s Both my works of mercy which gave them abundant cause to trust me and my works of justice for which they had reason to fear and please me Heb. my work to wit that great and stupendous work of bringing my people out of Egypt with a strong hand and of conducting them safely through the Red Sea into the Wilderness and of destroying the Egyptians For not many more of Gods great works were done before they came to Meribah 10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation s Or rather with that generation which then lived who were your Ancestors and said It is a people that do err in their hearts t They do not onely sin through infirmity and the violence and surprizal of temptations but their hearts are unsincere and inconstant and given to backsliding and therefore there is no hopes of their amendment Compare Psal. 78. 8. and they have not known u Or they do not know to wit with a practical and useful knowledge as that word commonly notes in Scripture They did not rightly understand nor duly consider nor seriously lay to heart They remain ignorant after all my teachings and discoveries of my self to them my ways x Either 1. my laws or statutes which are frequently called Gods ways Or rather 2. my works as it is expressed v. 9. which also are commonly so called They did not know nor consider and remember those great things which I had wrought for them and among them 11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath y Being full of just wrath against them I passed an irreversible sentence and confirmed it by an Oath of which we read Numb 14. †〈◊〉 if they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my 〈◊〉 that they should not enter into my rest z Into the promised land which is called the rest Deut. 12. 9. See also 1 Chron. 23 25. Psal. 132. 14. And this History the Psalmist propounds to the men of his Age not as a matter of meer speculation but as an instruction for all after Ages and particularly for those Israelites who should live in the times of the Messias that they should take heed of falling after the same example of unbelief as the Apostle insers from this place Heb. 4. 11. PSAL. XCVI This Psalm was composed by David upon occasion or at the time of the bringing of the Ark of God into the Tabernacle which David had prepared for it in Zion as may be gathered by comparing it with 1 Chron. 16. 7. 23 24 c. where almost the whole Psalm is to be found But as the Ark was an evident type of the Messiah which David very well knew as hath been oft noted before so Davids thoughts or at least the design of Gods spirit which indited this Psalm was extended beyond and above it even to the times of the Messiah and to his glorious and universal Kingdom in which not the Jews onely but the Heathen Nations also should worship the true God and kiss his Son the Messiah 1 O * â—… Chron. 16. â—… 〈◊〉 33. 3. Sing unto the LORD a new Song a Upon this new and great occasion not the removal of the Ark wherein there was nothing new but an inconsiderable circumstance of place and that not yet fixed but the coming of the Messiah and the confirming of the New Covenant by his blood and the calling of the Gentiles sing unto the LORD all the earth b All the Nations of the Earth who shall then partake of those great blessings and priviledges which are now peculiar to Israel 2 Sing unto the LORD bless his name shew forth his salvation c That great work of the redemption and salvation of the World by the Messias from day to day 3 Declare his glory among the heathen his wonders among all people d You who shall be called out of all the Heathen Nations to the knowledge of God and Christ publish this glorious and wonderful work amongst all the Heathen Nations to whom you belong or may come 4 For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised * Psal 95 3. he is to be feared above all gods e The gods of the nations as the next Verse expounds it 5 For all the gods of the nations are idols f Or nothings as they are called 1 Cor. 8. 4. and 10. 19. or vain things as the word signifies and is translated by others The sence is Though they have usurped the name and place of the Divine Majesty yet they have nothing of his nature or power in them but the LORD made the heavens 6 Honour and majesty are before him g i. e. In his presence like beams shot out from his face who is the Sun of righteousness There is an unconceivable glory and majesty in his countenance and in the place of his presence strength and beauty are in his sanctuary h Or in his holy place where he records his name and affords his presence There are the manifestations of Gods power and grace or goodness and all his perfections 7 Give unto the LORD O ye kindreds of the people i Or O ye families of the people of the World And the word families may be understood either 1. strictly and properly and so it may be intimated that this great blessing of salvation by Christ should not be imparted to whole Nations but onely to some persons taken out of every people and nation as it is expressed Revel 5. 9. or 2. more largely for nations as it is taken Gen. 12. 3. Ier. 25. 9. Zech. 14. 18. and so it may be implied that not onely some few of the Heathen people should be brought to the acknowledgment and worship of the true God as was usual in the times of the Old Testament but that whole Nations should come in to the Church of God together give unto the LORD k Ascribe to him or acknowledge to be in him glory and strength 8 * Psal. 29. â—… 2. Give unto the LORD the glory †Heb. of his name due unto his name bring an offering and come into his courts l Into
the House with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise be thankful unto him and bless his name 5 For the LORD is good his mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth †Heb. to generation and generation to all generations PSAL. CI. A Psalm of David This Psalm was composed by David between times of Gods promising the Kingdom to him and his actual and plenary possession of it as appears both from v. 2. and from the contexture of the Psalm wherein he speaks not of his present practice but of his purpose for the future and solemnly declares his resolution and obligeth himself to these things when he shall be in a capacity to put them in Execution 1 I Will sing of mercy and judgment a Either 1. of God towards me of Gods mercy towards me and of his just judgments upon mine Enemies Or 2. of mine towards my people I will in my Song declare my obligation and full purpose to execute mercy and judgment in my Dominion which are the two Pillars of Government of which he speaks in the following Verses Interpreters are much divided which to chuse Possibly both may be joined together and the sence may be this I will praise thee O Lord as for all thy other excellencies so particularly for those two Royal perfections of mercy and justice or judgment which thou hast so eminently discovered in the Government of the World and of thy people Israel and I will make it my care and business to imitate and follow thee as in other things so especially in those vertues which are so necessary for the discharge of my trust and the good government of thy and my people unto thee O LORD will I sing 2 I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way b I will manage all my affairs with wisdom and integrity which are the two chief qualifications requisite for all men Mat. 10. 16. and most necessary in Princes O when wilt thou come unto me c O when wilt thou give me the Kingdom which thou hast promised me that so I may be capable of executing these good purposes both for my own comfort and for the benefit of thy people Or without an interrogation as this Particle is used Exod. 20. 24. when thou shalt come to me to wit in the performance of that promise to me He speaks not exclusively as if he would not walk wisely and righteously in the mean time but emphatically that he would continue to do so when he was advanced to the Kingdom and that he would not suffer himself to be corrupted by his Royal Power and Dignity as the Princes of the World commonly were Withal he may intimate that now he could not do as he desired and that by the necessity of his affairs he was forced to make use of such men as he did not like and to wink at those miscarriages which it was not now in his power to reform God is oft said in Scripture to come to men when he fulfils a promise to them or confers a favour or blessing upon them as Gen. 18. 10. Exod. 20. 24. Psal. 80. 2. Isa. 35. 4. c. I will walk within my house d In my own Court and Family as well as in my publick administrations knowing how great an influence the example of my private conversation will have upon my people either to reform or corrupt them with a perfect heart e This Clause adds weight to the former I will not onely walk in a perfect or right way which a man may do for politick reasons or with evil design but I will do so with an upright and honest heart which is most acceptable to God 3 I will set no †Heb. thing of Belial wicked thing before mine eyes f To wit to look upon it with deliberation and design or with desire and delight as this phrase here and elsewhere implies If any ungodly or unjust thing shall be suggested to me whatsoever specious pretences it may be covered with as reason of state or worldly advantage I will cast it out of my mind and thoughts with abhorrency so far will I be from putting it in Execution I hate the work of them that turn aside g From God and from his Laws it h To wit such work Or the Contagion of such Examples I will neither imitate nor indure such works nor such workers shall not cleave to me 4 A froward heart i A man of a corrupt mind and wicked life such as other Princes chuse and prefer as being suitable to themselves and to their wicked designs shall depart from me k Shall be turned out of my Court lest they should tempt me or infect the rest of my Family or be injurious or scandalous to my people I will not know l i. e. Not own nor countenance a wicked person 5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour m Such as by secret and false informations and accusations of others seek to gain my favour and to advance themselves by the ruine of others which are the common pests of Courts and Kingdoms him will I cut off him that hath an high look and a proud heart n These he mentions because Pride is the common Plague of Courts and the Fountain of many enormities in Courtiers it makes them imperious and insolent towards the poor oppressed Subjects that resort to them for relief it inclines them to those counsels and courses not which are best for the publick good but which are most for their own honour and advantage it makes them oppressive and injurious to others that they may have wherewith to satisfy their own lusts will not I suffer 6 Mine eyes shall be upon o Either 1. to find them out Or 2. to favour and encourage them as this phrase is oft used as Psal. 34. 15. Ier. 39. 12. and 40. 4. the faithful p Men of truth justice and integrity who will be faithful first to God and then to me and to my people of the land that they may dwell with me q Or to â—…it or abide or converse with me in mine House and Counsels and publick administrations he that walketh ‖ Or perfect in the way in a perfect way r In the way of Gods precepts which are pure and perfect he shall serve me s In domestick and publick employments 7 He that worketh deceit t He who shall use any frauds or cheats or subtil artifices to abuse or wrong any of my people Which Davids Courtiers were more likely to indeavour because he would not permit any open violence shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lies u He that shall abuse me with lies as Courtiers usually do their Princes either to defend and excuse the guilty or to betray the innocent shall †Heb shall not 〈◊〉 not tarry in my sight x I will certainly and immediately banish him
which is called the spirit of a beast Eccles. 3. 11. which is called their breath or spirit for the word is the same there and here v. 29. and here may be called Gods spirit because it was given and preserved by him Or rather 2. thy quickning spirit for here seems to be an opposition between their spirit v. 29. and thy spirit here and this latter is mentioned as the creating or productive cause of the former And this may be understood either 1. of the Holy Ghost to whom no less than to the Father and the Son the work of Creation is ascribed Iob 33. 4. Psal. 33. 6. or rather 2. that quickning power of God by which he produceth life in the Creatures from time to time For he speaks not here of the first Creation but of the continued and repeated production of living Creatures they are created u Either 1. the same living Creatures which were languishing and dying are strangely revived and restored which may not unfitly be called a creation as that word is sometimes used because it is in a manner the giving of a new life and being to a Creature Or 2. other living Creatures are produced or generated the word created being taken in its largest sence for the production of things out of indisposed matter by second Causes as it is used Isa. 41. 20. and 54. 16. c. thou renewest the face of the earth x And thus by thy wise and wonderful Providence thou preservest the succession of living Creatures upon the Earth which otherwise would be desolate or without Inhabitants 31 The glory of the LORD †Heb. shall be shall endure for ever the LORD shall rejoyce in his works y So the sence is Thus God doth and will advance the glory of his wisdom and power and goodness in upholding and continuing the works of his hands from generation to generation and he doth and will take pleasure both in the preservation and blessing of his works as also in his reflection upon these works of his Providence as he did rest and delight himself in the contemplation of his works of Creation as is noted Gen. 1. 31. 2. 2 3. But the words are by divers and as it may seem more agreeably to the Hebrew Text rendred thus Let for the first word is of the Imperative Mood the glory of the Lord endure for ever and let the Lord have joy Or then shall the Lord rejoyce in his works So this is added as a convenient Doxology or Thanksgiving after the Commemoration of his great and gracious works and the sence may be this Seeing therefore God hath enriched the Earth and us with so many fruits of his bounty let it be our constant desire and endeavour that God may be perpetually served and glorified in and by them and that God may be no more grieved at the remembrance of his kindness to us as he was Gen. 6. 5 6. and thereby be again provoked to destroy us but may take pleasure in beholding and cherishing of his own workmanship 32 He looketh on the earth and it trembleth * Psal. 144. 5. he toucheth the hills and they smoke z This is a further illustration of Gods powerful Providence over all the Creatures and their dependence upon him As when he affords his favour to Creatures they live and thrive so on the contrary one angry look or touch of his upon the Hills or Earth makes them tremble and smoke as once Sinai did when God appeared in it And this consideration he may possibly suggest to inforce the foregoing exhortation of glorifying God because if we do not give him the glory due to his name he can quickly right himself and destroy us and all his works 33 * Psal. 146. 2. I will sing unto the LORD a But whatsoever others do I will not fail to give God his glory and due praises as long as I live I will sing praise unto my God while I have my being 34 My meditation b Or my speech or discourse my praising of God mentioned v. 33. of him c Concerning the glory of his works shall be sweet d Either 1. to God he will graciously accept it praise being his most acceptable Sacrifice as is affirmed Psal. 69. 30 31. Or rather 2. to my self as may be gathered from the next Clause He implies that he shall not onely do this work which a man may do unwillingly or by constraint but that he will do it chearfully and with delight which is most pleasing to God I will be glad in the LORD e I will rejoice in the contemplation of Gods works and in praising him for them 35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more f But as for those ungodly Creatures who do not regard the works of the Lord which is noted as a most grievous sin and punished with a grievous imprecation like this Psal. 28. 4 5. nor give him the glory due to his name but dishonour God and abuse his Creatures and thereby provoke God to destroy the Earth and the men and things which are upon it it is my Prayer for thine honour and for the safeguard of all mankind that those Sinners who obstinately and resolutely continue in this practice of dishonouring and disobeying their Creatour may be taken out of this World that they may no longer infect it nor procure its total destruction Or it may be a prediction delivered in the form of an imprecation as hath been noted before in like Cases bless thou the LORD O my soul g But thou O my Soul come not into this wretched Society but employ thy self in this great work of blessing and praising God and it is my desire and hope that others will follow my Example Praise ye the LORD PSAL. CV The Pen-man of this Psalm was David as is manifest from 1 Chron. 16. 8 c. It is a thanksgiving to God for his mercies to his People of Israel 1 O * 1 Chron. 16. 8. Isai. 12. 4. Give thanks unto the LORD call upon his name a Or proclaim his name i. e. the same and glory of his works as it follows make known his deeds among his people b Each of you amongst his and your people or even among the Heathens as you have opportunity 2 Sing unto him sing psalms unto him talk ye of all his wondrous works 3 Glory ye in his holy name b Glory in the God whom you serve as the onely true God and one of infinite power and goodness let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD c That seek his face or presence as it follows his acquaintance and favour above all the World 4 Seek the LORD and his strength d i. e. by a figure called Hendiaduo the Lord in his strength to wit in his Sanctuary or before the Ark which is called
2. 12. They did not fall into sin once or twice as good men may do but it was their usual practice and therefore they are justly punished and because of their iniquities are afflicted d With wasting sickness as appears from v. 18 20. Compare Iob 33. 19 c. Psal. 39. 12 c. 18. * Job 33. 20. Their soul e Either themselves with all their soul or their appetite as the soul is taken Iob 33. 20. Isa. 29. 8. abhorreth all manner of meat f Which is an usual effect of great sickness and they draw ‖ Psal. 9. 13. 8â—… 3. near unto the gates of death g They are sick well-nigh unto death 19. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble he sayeth them out of their distresses 20. He sent his word h His command or his blessing which came with power and healed them and delivered them from their destructions 21. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men 22. And * Lev. 7. 12. Psal. 50. 14. let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving i Either properly so called or praises and thanksgivings to God which in Scripture are called Sacrifices because they are no less acceptable to God than costly Sacrifices and declare his works with †Heb. singing rejoycing 23. They that go down to the sea k He saith go down either because the Sea or the shore of it is commonly lower than their habitations from whence they come or than the natural or artificial banks which are raised to prevent the inundation of the waters or because the Sea is lower than the earth as may be gathered from the rivers which run down into it in ships that do business l Whose occupation lies there either as Merchants or as Mariners in great waters 24. These see the works of the LORD and his wonders m His wonderful works either 1. of Creation fishes of various kinds and shapes and some of prodigious greatness which are unknown to other men Or 2. of Providence in raising and laying storms of which he speaks in the following verses in the deep 25. For he commandeth and †Heb. maketh to stand raiseth the stormy wind n The winds and storms come not by chance but by the disposition of Divine providence which lifteth up the waves thereof 26. They mount up to the heaven they go down again to the depths o Towards the bottom of the Sea their soul is melted because of trouble p Through the perplexity of their minds and fear of sudden and violent death 27. They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man q Not so much from the giddiness of their heads which is not usual in persons accustomed to the Sea as through the violent and various motions of the Sea and the ship and †Heb. all 〈◊〉 wisdom is swallowed up are at their wits end 28. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble and he bringeth them out of their distresses 29. He maketh the storm a calm so that the waves thereof are still 30. Then are they glad because they be quiet so he bringeth them unto their desired haven 31. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men 32. Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people r Not only in their own hearts and families but even in publick assemblies and before all persons as they have opportunity and praise him in the assembly of the elders s The Magistrates or Rulers who are here opposed to the people The sence is let them not be ashamed nor afraid to speak of Gods wonderful works and praises before the greatest of men as mean persons commonly are Compare Psal 119. 46. Or he mentions the Elders particularly because they were most apt to neglect and forget God and to exaâ—…t themselves above and against him and therefore it was meet and necessary that they should be acquainted with the Almighty power and universal providence and dominion of God that they themselves might learn subjection and reverence to God and might promote it among their people 33. He turneth rivers t Either 1. properly so called which he can divert or dry up when he pleaseth as sometimes he hath done Or father 2. those grounds which are well watered and therefore very fruitful as the next verse explains this And so the water-springs here and v. 35. and the standing water v. 35. are taken into a wilderness u Into a dry ground as it follows which is like a parched and barren wilderness and the water-springs into dry ground 34. A fruitful land into †Heb. saltness barrenness x Heb. Into saltness which procures barrenness See Deut. 29. 23. Iudg. 9. 45. for the wickedness of them that dwell therein y He doth not inflict these judgments by choice or without cause but for the punishment of sin in some and the prevention of it in others 35. * Isa. 41. 18. He turneth the wilderness into a standing water z Into a well-watered and fruitful land and dry ground into water-springs 36. And there he maketh the hungry a Poor people who could not provide for themselves or were banished from their own land by potent oppressors and were driven into wildernesses like them Iob 30. 3. which God in pity to them made fruitful to dwell that they may prepare a city for habitation 37. And sow the fields and plant vineyards which may yield b Heb. and they shall make or procure from their fields and vineyards fruits of increase c Such fruits as they use to produce 38. He blesseth them also so that they are multiplied greatly and suffereth not their cattel to decrease d Preserves them from abortion and deadly diseases and on the contrary causeth them to increase as he said in the former branch which is here repeated in other words after the same manner 39. Again they e These poor men who when they are exalted and blessed by God kick at him and grow insolent and secure as the manner of men is are minished and brought low f Are by Gods just judgment diminished in their numbers and in their blessings through oppression affliction and sorrow g Or through wicked oppression by the tyranny of others whom God sends to spoil them of their abused riches and by other griefs or grievous calamities which God inflicts 40. * Job 12. 21 24. He poureth contempt upon princes h Those who were honourable and adored like Gods by their people and terrible to all their enemies he renders them despicable to their own Subjects and to other Nations and this he doth suddenly abundantly and unavoidably as this phrase of pouring it out upon them seems to
imply and causeth them to wander in the ‖ Or void place wilderness where there is no way i Either 1. he giveth them up to foolish and pernicious counsels by which they are exposed to contempt and brought to their wits end not knowing what course to take Or 2. he banisheth them from their own Courts and Kingdoms and forceth them to flee into desolate wildernesses for shelter and subsistence 41. * 1 Sam. 2. 8. Psal. 113. 7 8. Yet setteth he the poor on high k And whilst he bringeth down great potentates at the same time he advanceth those who were obscure and contemptible ‖ Or after from affliction and maketh him families like a flock l Which increase very much in a little time 42. †Job 22. 19. The righteous shall see it m Or rather these things as it is expressed in the next verse They shall diligently observe these wonderful works of Gods mercy and justice and rejoice n Not only in the mercies of God vouchsafed to them and to other persons in want and misery but also in Gods judgments upon his implacable enemies which afford matter of rejoicing to good men as hath been once and again declared in this book both for the honour which God hath by them and for the sins and calamities of others which by this means are prevented and all * Job 5. 16. iniquity o i. e. Unrighteous or ungodly men the abstract being put for the concrete as faithfulnesses for the faithful Psal. 12. 2. and pride for the proud Psal. 36. 12. shall stop her mouth p Shall be put to silence So this or the like phrase is used Iudg. 18. 19. Iob 5. 16. 21. 5. 29. 9. They who used to speak loftily and wickedly and to sit their mouth against the heavens as they did Psal. 73. 8 9 to reproach God and his providence as either negligent or unrighteous in the management of the world shall now be forced to acknowledge his power and justice in those judgments which he hath brought upon them 43. * Hos. 14. 9. Whose is wise and will observe those things q Or Who for the Hebrew particle mi is interrogative is wise for as this conjunctive particle is frequently used he will observe these things All who are truly wise will consider all these events and lay them to heart as being very useful for their own instruction even they r Or each of them all such wise and considering persons shall understand the kindness of the LORD s Will see and acknowledge that God is kind or good to all and that his tender mercies are over all his works as it is said Psal. 145. 9. and singularly kind and gracious to all wise and godly men PSAL. CVIII A Song or Psalm of David This Psalm is almost word for word taken out of two foregoing Psalms the first five verses out of Psal. 57. 7 8 9 10 11. and the rest out of Psal. 60. 5 c. to which the Reader must resort for the explication of it This only is observable that the Psalmist designing to take the body of this Psalm out of Psal. 60. doth industriously lay aside that mournful Preface v. 1 2 3 4. and borrows one more pleasant out of Psal. 57. The reason of which change is supposed to be this that Psal. 60. was composed in the time of his danger and distress and the latter after his deliverance 1. O God my heart * Psal. 57. 7 8 c. is fixed I will sing and give praise even with my glory a Either 1. with my heart or soul which is fixed for that work as he said in the former branch Or rather 2. with my tongue which is called a mans glory Psal. 16. 9. comp with Act. 2. 26. So the first branch describes the fixedness of his heart to which this adds the expressions of his mouth 2. Awake psaltery and harp I my self will awake early 3. I will praise thee O LORD among the people and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations 4. For thy mercy is great above the heavens and thy truth reacheth unto the ‖ Or skies clouds 5. Be thou exalted O God above the heavens and thy glory above all the earth 6. * Psal. 60. 5 c. That thy beloved may be delivered save with thy right hand and answer me 7. God hath spoken in his holiness I will rejoyce I will divide Shechem and mete out the valley of Succoth 8. Gilead is mine Manasseh is mine Ephraim also is the strength of mine head Judah is my law-giver 9. Moab is my wash-pot over Edom will I cast out my shoe over Philistia will I triumph 10. Who will bring me into the strong city who will lead me into Edom b This he repeats in this place either because though the enemies were defeated and subdued yet there was some strong city or cities which were not yet taken or in way of thankful commemoration of Gods goodness in answering his former requests as if he had said I remember this day to thy glory and my own comfort my former straits and dangers which made me cry out Who will bring me c. 11. Wilt not thou O God who hast cast us off and wilt not thou O God go forth with our hosts 12. Give us help from trouble for vain is the help of man 13. Through God we shall do valiantly for he it is that shall tread down our enemies PSAL. CIX To the chief musician A Psalm of David It is sufficiently evident from the body of this Psalm that it was composed by David when he was in a state of persecution either by Saul or by Absalom and that amongst and above all the rest of his enemies he takes very particular notice of and breaks forth into vehement expressions of anger against one particular person which whether it were Doâ—…g or Ahitophel is not certain nor at all necessary to know But as David was and very well knew himself to be a Type of Christ and consequently his enemies did typifie or represent the enemies of Christ and this particular adversary of his did represent some singular and eminent enemy of Christ which though David might not yet the Spirit of God which indited this Psalm did know to be Iudas and accordingly directed all these bitter invectives and imprecations against him who deserved and received far worse punishments for his monstrous wickedness than all which are here mentioned And that he was the person principally aimed at in this Psalm will seem very probable to him who considers Davids mild and merciful temper even towards his enemies which he both professed in words in this very book as Psal. 35. 12 13 14. and practised in deeds as 2 Sam. 16. 10 11. 19. 22 23. and withal the severity of these imprecations reaching not onely to the persons of his
Ruler of many Countries and indeed of all Nations except that of Israel or the Roman Empire which was the great enemy and obstructer of Christs Kingdom and therefore was to be destroyed by him as is declared Dan. 2. 44. 45. 7. 7 c. or the great Antichrist or the Beast after which the whole World wondered Revel 13. 3. which Christ will destroy as we read 2 Thess. 2. 8. and in divers places of S. Iohns Revelation Or 2. of all those Heads or Princes which oppose him the Singular number Head being here put collectively for Heads as is very usual in the Hebrew Tongue and Text. And so the meaning is that none of Christs enemies though never so many or great and their Empire be never so large and potent shall be able to withstand his force or escape out of his hand and that he shall not onely destroy the common Souldiers but also their greatest Commanders and Princes who in such cases do frequently make their escape But this and the other like passages both here and in the Prophets are not to be understood grosly and carnally but spiritually according to the nature of Christs Kingdom the weapons of Christs warfare by which he accomplisheth his great works being spiritual and therefore such must be his battels and judgments as is evident from many other Scriptures although these also are followed many times with temporal plagues over ‖ Or great many countries 7 He shall drink of the brook in the way g This may be understood either 1. properly to express the great fervency and diligence of the Messias in the prosecution of his business who having routed and destroyed the main body of his enemies forces pursues those that fled with such eagerness that he will not lose any time in refreshing himself as might seem necessary after such hot and hard service but will content himself with drinking a little water out of the brook which he finds in his way that being a little refreshed therewith he may proceed with more vigour and efficacy in his work And so this place alludes to the History of Gideons 300 men who onely lapped a little of the water of whom see Iudg. 7. Or 2. metaphorically to express the humiliation and Passion of the Messias and thereby to prevent a great mistake which might arise in mens minds concerning him from the great successes and victories here ascribed to him which might induce them to think that the Messias should be exempted from all sufferings and be crowned with constant and perpetual Triumphs To 〈◊〉 this conceit he intimates here that the Messias before 〈◊〉 obtain that power and glory mentioned in the foregoing verses should have a large portion of afflictions in the way to it or whilst he was in the way or course of his life before he came to his end or rest and to that honour of sitting at his Fathers right hand Waters in Scripture do very frequently signifie afflictions or sufferings as Psal. 42. 7 c. To drink of them signifies to feel or bear them as Isa. 51. 17. Ier. 25. 15. 49. 12. Mat. 20. 22. and in this case it may note Christs willing submission to them A brook or river of water is oft used in Scripture to express a great abundance either of comforts as Psal. 36. 8. or of tribulations as Psal. 18. 4. 124. 4. and therefore may be more fitly used in this place than a cup by which the afflictions of other men are commonly expressed to intimate that the sufferings of the Messiah were unspeakably more and heavier than the sufferings of other men and that he should drink up not a small cup but the whole river or Sea of his Fathers wrath due to our sins therefore h Which word may note either the effect or the consequent of his sufferings shall he lift up the head i i. e. Shall be delivered from all his sorrows and sufferings and exalted to great glory and joy and felicity as this phrase usually signifies as Psal. 3. 4. 27. 6. Ier. 52. 31. and oft elsewhere as on the contrary to hang down the head is a signification of great grief and shame as Lament 2. 10. PSAL. CXI The excellency of this Psalm appears as from other things so from the Psalmists care to digest the several parcels of it into an exact order according to the order of the letters of the Hebrew Alphabet that it might be better fixed in the memories of those who read it It is a short yet full commemoration of Gods works 1 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 PRaise ye the LORD I will praise the LORD with my whole heart in the assembly of the upright a Of the sincere Worshippers of God of the Israel of God as this very word is explained Numb 23. 10. where they who are called Israel in one clause are called righteous or upright in the next And this title he gives to the Assembly or Congregation of Israelites partly because many of them were such and he was obliged in charity to judge all of them to be so of whom he had no evidence to the contrary partly because upright persons do most exercise and delight themselves in this duty of praising God and hypocrites though sometimes they give themselves to prayer yet are very apt to neglect the duty of thanksgiving partly because this duty of praise is most comely for the upright Psal. 33. 1. and partly because Davids heart was most united to the sincere Israelites and his desire was as far as he could to associate himself with such in the worship and service of God and in the congregation 2 The works of the LORD b Either 1. the works of Creation or rather 2. the works of his Providence in the World and especially in and for his Church and people of which he speaks in the rest of the Psalm are great c For the infinite power and wisdom and goodness manifested in them sought out d Highly valued and regarded as this very word and phrase is used Deut. 11. 12. Isa. 62. 12. or frequently called to mind and diligently meditated upon when others either never regard them or instantly forget them or found out as this word is taken Isai. 65. 1. the antecedent being put for the consequent which is frequent in Scripture as Rom. 12. 2. where proving or trying for so the Greek word there signifies is put for approving which follows after it And found out i. e. truly and throughly understood both as to the nature of them and Gods counsels and ends in them whereas the works of God are oft-times not apprehended or minded or are mistaken and misconstrued by ungodly men of all them that have pleasure therein e Of all them who take delight in observing and considering the works of God 3 His work f Either all his works of which see the Note 〈◊〉 v. 2. or that eminent branch of
demean my self in all the varieties of my condition and in all my affairs and actions so as is most agreeable to thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works a Even the wonders of the Law mentioned before v. 18. 28 My soul †Heb. droppeth melteth b Like wax before the fire it hath no strength nor consistency left in it but consumeth or pineth away for heaviness c Through grief partly for my extreme danger and misery and principally for my sins and thy wrath and terrors following upon them strengthen thou me d That so I may bear my burdens patiently and cheerfully and vanquish all my temptations according unto thy word 29 Remove from me the way of lying e Or of falshood either 1. the practice of lying and dissembling and cheating which is so rise in Sauls Court and in the Courts of most Princes but Lord let it not be so in my Court or rather 2. every false way of doctrine or worship for to this way he opposeth Gods Law in the next clause And he justly prayeth to God to keep him from Apostasie Heresie Idolatry and Superstition because his own corrupt nature of it self and without Gods grace was prone to these errours and not onely Heathens but many Israelites did frequently fall into them and grant me thy law graciously f Vouchsafe unto me an accurate knowledge and firm belief of thy Word and that I may constantly attend and adhere to it and govern my self by it in all things 30 I have chosen the way of truth g To wit thy Word or Law for my portion and the rule of my worship and whole life thy judgments have I laid before me h Or set before me as the Phrase is fully expressed Psal. 16. 8. as a delightful object or as a mark to aim at or as a rule to direct me 31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies i I have resolutely persisted in the practice of thy precepts in spight of all temptations reproaches persecutions and discouragements to which I was exposed in and for so doing O LORD put me not to shame k Either 1. by giving me over to Apostasie or transgression which will bring shame Or rather 2. by the disappointment of my hopes and confidence in those promises of the blessings of this life as well as of the next which thou hast made to the obedient of which I have made my boast 32 I will run the way of thy commandments l I will obey thy precepts with all readiness fervency and diligence when thou shalt enlarge my heart m Either 1. when thou shalt bring me out of my present straits or distresses This indeed is called enlarging as Psal. 4. 2. 18. 36. but never to my remembrance the enlarging of the heart Or rather 2. when thou shalt replenish my heart with more wisdom and love to and delight in thee and thy Law for this enlargement of heart in Scripture is ascribed to wisdom 1 Kings 4. 29. and love 2 Cor. 6. 11. and joy Isa. 60. 5. When thou shalt knock off those fetters of remaining corruption and give me a more noble and generous disposition towards thee and stablish me with thy free Spirit as it is expressed Psal. 51. 12. Thus David both ownes his duty and asserts the absolute necessity of Gods grace to the performance of it HE. 33 Teach me O LORD the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end n Or that I may keep it c. That I may persevere for Apostasie proceeds from the want of a good understanding 34 Give me understanding and I shall keep thy law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart 35 Make me to go o By directing my mind into the right way by inclining my will and strengthening my resolution in the path of thy commandments for therein do I delight p Forsake not him who delighteth in thee and in thy service and as thou hast wrought in me to will work in me also to do 36 * Psal. 141. 4. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies q To the love and practice of them and not to covetousness r Not to the inordinate love and desire of riches Which particular lust he mentions partly because this lust is most spreading and universal and there is scarce any man who doth not desire riches either for the love of riches or upon pretence of necessity or for the service of pride or luxury or some other lust partly because this lust is most opposite to Gods testimonies and doth most commonly hinder men from receiving Gods word and from profiting by it See Mat. 13. 22. Luke 16. 14. and partly because this lust is most pernicious as being the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6. 20. and is most mischievous in Princes and Governors such as David was and therefore in a special manner forbidden to them Exod. 18. 21. 37 †Heb. make to pass Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity s The vain things and lusts of this present evil world such as riches honours pleasures from beholding them to wit with admiration and inordinate affection for such a sight of the eyes doth usually affect the heart and stir up mens lusts and passions Of which see Numb 15. 39. Iob 31. 1. Prov. 4. 25. 23. 5 6. Mat. 5. 28. and quicken thou me in thy * Ver. 27. way t As I desire that I may be dull and dead in affections to worldly vanities so Lord make me lively and vigorous and servent in thy work and service 38 Stablish thy word u Confirm and perform thy promises as concerning the Kingdom so also for the giving of gracious assistances directions and comforts to those that fear thee of which number I am one unto thy servant who is devoted to thy fear 39 Turn away my reproach x Either 1. for the shameful disappointment of my hopes and confident boastings concerning the truth and certainty of thy promises or 2. for my manifold failings and particularly for that shameful matter about Uriah and Bathsheba or 3. for my instability in or Apostasie from thy ways which in respect of mine own weakness and folly I have great cause to fear which I fear for thy judgments are good y This may be a reason either 1. why he prayed and hoped that God would turn away reproach from him because Gods word and statutes were good and therefore it was not fit for any to suffer reproach in and for his diligent observation of them or 2. why he feared reproach because he had and feared he might hereafter transgress those judgments or statutes of God which were and he very well knew to be good i. e. just and holy and excellent and therefore it was a shameful thing to violate them 40 Behold I have longed after thy precepts z After a
Angels just occasion to praise thee O LORD and thy saints shall bless thee 11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom and talk of thy power 12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious majesty of his kingdom 13 Thy kingdom is †Heb. a kingdom of all ages an everlasting kingdom and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations 14 The LORD upholdeth all h Either 1. all that look up to him for help or 2. all that are upheld whose support is not from themselves nor from other men but onely from Gods powerful and good providence that fall and * Psal. 146. 8. raiseth up all those that be bowed down 15 The eyes of all i Of all living creatures ‖ Or look unto thee wait upon thee k Expect and receive their supplies wholly from thy bounty Expectation is here figuratively ascribed to brute creatures as Psal. 104. 27. Rom. 8. 22. and * Psal. 136. 25. thou givest them their meat in due season l When they need it 16 Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing m Or as divers render it and which is more agreeable to the order of the words in the Hebrew Text thou satisfiest every living thing with thy favour or good-will i. e. with the fruits of thy bounty the Pronoun thy being easily and fitly understood out of the foregoing clause 17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways and ‖ Or merciful or bountiful holy n Or rather merciful as this word most commonly signifies There is a mixture of mercy in the most severe and terrible works of God in this life judgment without mercy being reserved for the next life Iam. 2. 13. Revel 14. 10. in all his works 18 * Deut. 4. 7. The LORD is nigh unto all them o To answer their prayers for relief that call upon him to all that call upon him in truth p Sincerely or with an upright heart trusting to him and waiting upon him in his way 19 He will fulfil the desire q So far as it is agreeable to his own will and convenient for their good not inordinate desires which God commonly denies to his people in mercy and granteth to his enemies in anger of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and will save them 20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him but all the wicked will he destroy r Frequently in this world but infallibly in the next 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD and let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever PSAL. CXLVI The design of this Psalm is to perswade men to trust in God and in him alone 1 †Heb. Hallelujah PRaise ye the LORD Praise the LORD O my soul. 2 * Psal. 104. 33. While I live will I praise the LORD I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being 3 * Psal. 118. 8. 9. Put not your trust in princes a In men of greatest wealth and power in whose favour men are very prone to trust nor in the son of man in whom there is no ‖ Or salvation help b Who are utterly unable frequently to give you that help which they promise and you expect 4 * Psal. 104. 29. Eccl. 12. 7. His †Heb. spirit So Gr. breath goeth forth he returneth c In his body Eccles. 12. 7. to his earth d To that earth from which all mankind Princes not excepted had their original in that very day e As soon as ever he is dead his thoughts f All his designs and endeavours either for himself or for others perish 5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the LORD his God 6 * Gen. 1. 1. Which made heaven and earth the sea and all that therein is which keepeth truth for ever g Both because he liveth for ever to fulfil his promises and because he is eternally and unchangeably faithful 7 * Psal. 103. 6. Which executeth judgment for the oppressed which giveth food to the hungry * Psal. 68. 6. the LORD looseth the prisoners 8 * Mat. 9. 30. John 9. 7 32. The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind h Either 1. the eyes of their mind which he enlightens and directs in doubtful and difficult cases or 2. their bodily eyes which he did abundantly by his Son Jesus Christ. * Psal. 145. 14. Luke 13. 13. the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down the LORD loveth the righteous i Even when he doth afflict them which also he doth out of love Heb. 12. 6. 9 * Deut. 10. 18. Psal. 68. 5. The LORD preserveth the strangers he relieveth the fatherless and widow but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down k He overthroweth their goings as the phrase is Psal. 140. 4. He maketh them to lose their way he not onely frustrateth their plots and enterprises but turneth them against themselves This and all the foregoing sentences are so many arguments to encourage all good men to trust in God in all their straits and afflictions 10 * Exod. 15. 18. Psal. 10. 16. 145. 13. The LORD shall reign for ever even thy God O Zion unto all generations Praise ye the LORD PSAL. CXLVII This Psalm may seem from v. 2. 13. to have been composed by some holy Prophet after the return of Israel from the Babylonish Captivity It containeth an ample celebration of Gods praises both for common mercies and for special favours 1 PRaise ye the LORD for it * Psal 92. 1â—… is good a It is acceptable to God and greatly comfortable and beneficial to our selves to sing praises unto our God for it is pleasant and * Psal. 33. 1. praise is comely 2 The LORD doth build up Jerusalem b It is the Lords own doing and not mans * Deut. 30. 3. he gathereth together the out-casts c Or the banished who were carried captives out of their own land and dispersed in divers strange countries of Israel 3 He healeth the broken in heart d Either with the sence of their sins or with their sorrows and grievous calamities He seems to speak peculiarly of the captive Israelites now returned and bindeth up their †Heb. griess wounds 4 * Isa. 40. 26. He telleth the number of the stars e Which no man can do Gen. 22. 17. For those thousand and twenty five which Astronomers number are onely such as are most distinctly visible to the eye and most considerable for their influences he calleth them all by their names f This signifies 1. that he exactly knows them as we do those whom we can call by name he is able to give distinct names to each of them because he
which their Honour and Happiness consists but every fool will be medling g To wit with matters of strife he is always ready to begin strife and obstinate in the continuance of it 4 * Ch. 10. 4. The sluggard will not plow by reason of the ‖ Or Winter cold h Of the Plowing season which is in Autumn and towards Winter He hates and avoids all laborious and difficult work although his own necessity and interest oblige him to it therefore shall he beg in harvest and have nothing i And not obtain an Alms not in that time of Plenty and bounty because mens Hearts are justly hardned against that Man who by his own sloth and wilfulness hath brought himself to want 5 * Ch. 18. 4. Counsel k Either 1. Wisdom or ability to give good Counsel Or 2. Designs or purposes of doing somthing of moment for this word is frequently used in both senses but the last seems fittest here in the heart of man is like deep Water l Either 1. is there in great abundance Or 2. is secret and hard to be discovered but a man of understanding will draw it out m By prudent Questions and Discourses and a diligent Observation of his words and actions 6 Most men will proclaim every one his own ‖ Or bounty goodness n Most men are forward to profess Religion and speak of their own good deeds but a faithful man o One who is indeed what he seemeth and professeth himself to be who can find p There are but few such to be found 7 The just man walketh in his integrity q He proveth himself to be so not onely by his profession of which he spoke in the former Verse but by his sincere and unblameable conversation * Ps. 112. 2. his children are blessed after him r By vertue of that Covenant which God hath made with such men which is not confined to their Persons but entaileth Blessings upon their Posterity 8 * Ch. 16. 10. Vers. 26. A king that â—…itteth in the throne of judgment s That makes it his great care and business to execute Judgment and Justice among his People especially if he do this in his own Person as was usual in ancient Times and sees things with his own Eyes As for the Phrase the sign or gesture is here put for the thing signified by it scattereth away all evil t Effectually punisheth and suppresseth all wickedness with his eyes u With his very looks or by his diligent inspection into affairs 9 * 1 Kin. 8. 46. 2 Chr. 6. 36. Job 14. 4. Ps. 51. 5. Eccles. 7. 20. 1 Ioh. 1. 8. Who can say x No Man living upon Earth can say this truly and sincerely Compare 1 Kings 8. â—…6 Iob 14. 4. 15. 14. Eccles. 7. 21. 1 Ioh. 1. 8. I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin y I am perfectly free from all guilt and filth of sin in my Heart and Life 10 * Vers. 23. Deut. 25. 13 c. Ch. 11. 1. 16. 11. Mic. 16. 1â—… †Heb. a stone and a stone Divers weights and †Heb. an Ephah and an Ephah divers measures z One greater and truer for publick shew and one lesser and false for private use when they had an opportunity of deceiving both of them are alike abomination to the LORD 11 Even a child is known by his doings a Young Children discover their inclinations or dispositions even by their childish speeches and carriages as not having yet learnt the art of dissembling whether his work b Or rather will be for it is not expressed in the Hebrew and therefore may be either way supplied The sense is The future disposition and conversation of a Man may very probably be conjectured from his childish manners be pure and whether it be right 12 * Exod. 4. 11. Ps. 94. 9. The hearing ear and the seeing eye the LORD hath made even both of them c It is God alone who gives us our Senses and Natural faculties and the use and exercise of them and especially a power of employing them aright to see and observe the works of God and to hear and receive his Word and all wholesom instructions Whence he leaves it to us to gather that God doth exactly see and hear all mens words and actions though never so secret He names the Eye and Ear because these are the two Senses by which instructions are conveyed to the mind but under them he seems to comprehend all other senses and powers of Soul or Body by a Synecdoche 13 * Ch. 6. 9. 12. 14. 19. 15. Love not sleep d i. e Immoderate sleep or sloth or idleness Take sleep because necessity requires it not from any love to it lest thou come to poverty open thine eyes e Awake out of sleep shake off sloth and betake thy self to thy employment with diligence and vigor and thou shalt be satisfied with bread 14 It is naught f The commodity is but of little worth it is naught saith the buyer g To wit to the Seller he discommends it that he may bring down the price of it but when he is gone his way h With the commodity purchased then he boasteth i That by his wit he hath over-reached the Seller and got a great advantage to himself This he notes as a common but reprovable practice 15 There is gold k To wit in the World in divers mens hands by whom it is highly prized and a multitude of rubies but * Ch. 3. 15. 8. 11. the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel l But wise speeches proceeding from an understanding or honest Heart are of far greater worth and use both to him that uttereth them and to those that receive and improve them to their own benefit 16 * Ch. 22. 27. 27. 13. Take his garment m To wit as a Pledge without which he ought not to be trusted because by this action he sheweth himself to be a Fool and he taketh the ready way to beggery Obj. This precept contradicts that Law which forbad the taking of a Garment for a Pledge Exod. 22. 26. Answ. It doth not contradict it for the cases vastly differ for that Law concerned onely the Poor who were forced to borrow for their own necessity and therefore deserve pity whereas this reacheth onely those who are or would be thought rich and sufficient Security for others and who borrow not for their own need but for a meer Stranger for which folly they deserve to be severely punished Besides this may be onely a Prediction though it be delivered in the form of a Precept as many Predictions are and so shews what may be expected by him that is guilty of such folly even that he shall be stripped of
Book Ch. 13. 9. 24. 20. as also Iob 21. 17. whereas the Plowing of the wicked is a Phrase not elsewhere used And this seems best to agree with the Context for by their Lamp he seems to understand all their pomp and glory that worldly greatness and Prosperity which is the Fewel of their Pride and therefore is most fitly joyned with it of the wicked is sin l It is by them turned into sin and made the occasion of much wickedness The whole Verse may be thus rendred An high look and a proud Heart which is the light or glory of the wicked i. e. wherein they glory esteeming it magnanimity or gallantry of spirit is sin i. e. is a great and grievous sin And in this manner the learned Mercer renders the Verse save onely that he translates the Hebrew word Nir the Plowing 5 * Chap. 10. 4 The thoughts of the diligent m Who carefully and industriously prosecutes what he hath wisely contrived and resolved tend onely to plenteousness but of every one that is hasty n Who manageth his affairs rashly without due consideration onely to want o Is likely to bring himself to po verty 6 * Ch. 10. 2. 13. 11. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue p By false-witness-bearing or by any other false or deceitful words or actions whereby many men get riches is a vanity tossed to and fro q Is like the Chaff or Smoak driven away by the Wind it is neither satisfactory nor durable but quickly vanisheth away as hath been frequently observed of Estates ill-gotten of them that seek death r Not designedly but eventually that take those courses which will bring Death or Destruction upon them or theirs 7 The robbery of the wicked shall †Heb. saw them or dwell with them destroy them s The injury which they do to others shall either by God or men be returned upon their own heads because they refuse to do judgment t They wilfully and obstinatly give up themselves to unrighteous practices 8 The way u The course of his life of man x Of every Man of Man by Nature and in his corrupt estate of a wicked or impure man to whom the pure is opposed in the next Clause is froward and strange y Estranged from God and from Man's primitive Integrity and from the rule of his actions Reason and Scripture in which respects wicked men are called strangers Psal. 54. 3. Ezek. 44. 7. and elsewhere but as for the pure his work is right z But he whose Heart is pure and upright his conversation is agreeable to it 9 * Vers. 19. Ch. 19. 13. 25. 24. 27. 15. It is better to dwell a To wit alone in quietness as appears from the opposite clause in a corner of the house top b Of the roof of the House which in those Countries was flat and plain and habitable but was exposed to all the injuries of the Weather than with †Heb. a woman of contentions a brawling woman in a †Heb. an house of Society wide house c Or in a common House or an House of Society where Husband and Wise live together or which is capable of many Friends or Companies 10 * Jam. 4. 5. The soul of the wicked desireth evil d His Heart is fully and earnestly set in him as it is expressed Eccles. 8. 11. to do evil to work wickedness to do mischief to others to satisfie his own lusts though it be with injury of others his neighbour †Heb. is not favoured findeth no favour in his eyes e If he either dissuade him from his wickedness or stand in the way of his Lusts. He spares neither friend nor foe 11 * When the scorner is punished the simple f The honest or plainhearted man as Chap. 19. 25. where this whole verse for the substance of it is contained and explained is made wise and when the wise is instructed g Or prospers as this word is used Prov. 17. 8. and elsewhere So the sense of the verse is The simple learn Wisdom both from the punishment of wicked men and from the prosperity of good men he receiveth knowledg 12 The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked h He looketh through its present Power and Glory which dazleth the Eyes of others unto that ruine to which it is designed but i Or now or that this being the thing which he wisely considereth God overthroweth k Or will overthrow in his due time though for a season he bear with them the wicked for their wickedness 13 * Mat. 18. 30 c. Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor l When they cry out by reason of Oppression or want and beg relief from him he also shall cry himself m Unto God or Men in his straits which God will bring upon him but shall not be heard 14 * Ch. 17. 8. 18. 16. A gift n To a person loffended and angry with us as the following words shew in secret o Which makes it more acceptable for gifts openly given savour of ostentation in the giver and cause some shame or contempt to the receiver pacifieth anger and a reward in the bosom p Secretly conveyed into his bosom See on Prov. 17. 8. 18. 16. strong wrath 15 It is joy to the just q The sense is either 1. He is highly pleased and delighted with it Or 2. He reapeth much comfort and benefit by it which is opposed to the following destruction joy is put for matter or cause of joy to do judgment r To do what is just or good for this is opposed to working of iniquity but destruction s Or as others render it terror or horror opposite to joy shall be to the workers of iniquity 16 The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding t That forsaketh the rule of Gods word and walketh after his own Lusts. shall †Heb. rest remain in the congregation of the dead u Shall without Repentance be condemned to eternal Death or Damnation 17 He that loveth ‖ Or sport pleasure x That gives up himself to the pursuit and enjoyment of sensual and immoderate pleasures shall be a poor man y Takes the ready course to Poverty he that loveth wine and oil z Which are put for all delicious fare and luxurious feasting for Wine and Oil were much used in Feasts in those parts shall not be rich 18 * Ch. 11. 8. The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous a The wicked shall be brought into those troubles which were either threatned by God or designed by wicked men against the righteous and by that means as by a ransom the righteous shall be delivered Thus
Wherein men will or shall be silent either through grief as Iob 2. 12 13. or by sickness or weakness or because God denies a man ability to utter his mind and a time to speak 8 A time to love q When God will stir up the affection of Love or give occasion for the exercise or discovery of it to others and a time to hate a time of war and a time of peace 9 * Ch. 1. 3. What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth r Seeing then all actions and events in the world are out of mans power and no man can at any time do or enjoy any thing at his pleasure but only what and when God pleaseth as hath been now shewed in many particulars and it it as true and certain in all others hence it follows that all mens labours of themselves and without Gods help and blessing are unprofitable and utterly insufficient to make them happy 10 I have seen s I have diligently observed and considered upon this occasion the travel t Or the occupation or business mens various employments and the differing successes of them which God hath given to the sons of men u Either 1. Which God hath imposed upon Men as their duty and therefore Men must labour although it brings them no profit as was now said Or 2. Which God hath inflicted upon Mankind as a just punishment for their sins to which therefore Men ought quietly to submit to be exercised in it x That hereby they might have constant matter of exercise for their diligence and patience and submission to Gods Will and Providence and for all other Graces Or that they might be afflicted or humbled therewith as the same Phrase is rendred by divers Eccl. 1. 13. 11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time y This seems to be added as an Apology for Gods Providence notwithstanding all the contrary events and confusions which are in the world He i. e. God expressed in the last clause of the verse hath made or doth make or do by his Providence in the government of the world every thing which he doth either immediately or by the ministry of Men or other Creatures for God worketh in and with all his Creatures in all their actions as is agreed by Divines and Philosophers beautiful decently and conveniently so that all things considered it could not have been done better in his time in the time which he had appointed or which he saw most proper and fit for it or in its time or season when it was most fit to be done Many events seem to mens shallow and perverse judgments at least for a time to be very irregular and unbecoming as when wicked men prosper in their impious and unrighteous Enterprizes and good men are sorely oppressed and afflicted and that for righteousness sake but when men shall come throughly to understand God's works and the whole frame and contexture of them and to see the end of them they will then say that all things were done most wisely and most seasonably whereof we have eminent instances in Ioseph and David and Mordecai and the Iews of his time also he hath set the world in their heart z i. e. In the Hearts of men as the following words shew where Man is expressed The sense is either 1. Although all God's works are beautiful yet men do not discern the beauty of them because the World is in their Hearts their minds are so busied and distracted with the thoughts and cares and love and business of this World that they have neither leisure nor Heart seriously to study God's works But this inordinate love of the present World comes from Man's own corruption and not from God and therefore it seems harsh to impute it to God and improbable that Solomon would have phrased it thus that God hath set or put the World i. e. Worldly Lusts in mens Hearts Or 2. As God's works are beautiful in themselves so men are capable of discerning the beauty of them because God hath set the World in mens Hearts he hath exposed the World and all his dispensations in the World unto the view of mens minds both because he hath wrought his works so evidently and publickly that men might easily observe them and because he hath given men reason whereby they may discover the Wisdom and Beauty of all God's Works if they diligently apply themselves to the study of them so that * Ch. 8. 17. no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end a So this is another reason why men do not discern the beauty of God's works because they do not see the whole frame or course of them from the beginning to the end but onely some small parcels or fragments of them the eminent works of God being oft begun in one Age and finished in another Or yet so that c. Or except that as this Phrase properly signifies and is elsewhere used no Man can find out c. Thus it is an exception to the next foregoing clause and the sense is It is true God hath put the World into mens Hearts or made them capable of observing all events and dispensations of God in the World but this is to be understood with a limitation because there are some more mysterious works of God which no Man can fully understand because he cannot search them out through or from the beginning to the end 12 I know b By clear reason and my own long and certain experience that there is no good c No other satisfaction or felicity which a Man can enjoy in them d In Creatures or Worldly enjoyments but for a man to rejoyce and to do good e Either 1. to himself as it is fully expressed Psal. 49. 18. Or 2 to others to employ them in acts of Charity and liberality towards others Or 3. towards God to use them and to live in the fear of God which is necessary to the happiness of this as well as of the other life in his life 13 And also that every man should eat and drink f i. e. Hath power or an Heart to use what God hath given him as it is expressed Ch. 6. 2. and †Heb. see Job 7. 7. Ps. 34. 12. enjoy the good of all his labour it is the gift of God g Of which see the Notes on Ch. 2. 24. 14 I know that whatsoever God doth it shall be for ever h All God's counsels or decrees are eternal and unchangeable and his providence works effectually so as men cannot resist or hinder it nothing can be put to it nor any thing taken from it i Men can neither do any thing besides or against God's Counsel and Providence nor hinder any work or act of it and God doth it that men should fear before him k Not that men should make this
for thou dost not enquire †Heb. out of Wisdom wisely concerning this e This Question sheweth thy great folly in contending with thy Creator and the Soveraign Lord and Governour of all things in opposing thy shallow wit to his unsearchable Wisdom and thy Will to his Will 11 Wisdom ‖ Or As good as an Inheritance yea better too is good f i. e. Very good the Positive being put for the Superlative as it is frequently in the Hebrew Text. When Wisdom and Riches meet in one man it is an happy conjunction for Wisdom without Riches is commonly contemned Eccles. 9. 16. and wants opportunities and instruments of discovering itself and of doing that good in the world which it is both able and willing to do and Riches without Wisdom are like a Sword in a mad Mans Hand an occasion of much sin and mischief both to himself and others with an inheritance and by it there is profit g By Wisdom joined with Riches there comes great benefit Heb. and it is an excellency or priviledge or advantage to them that see the sun h i. e. To mortal men not only to a Mans self but to many others who live with him in this world Whereby also he intimates that Riches bear no price and have no use in the other world 12 For wisdom is a †Heb. shadow defence i Heb. is a shadow which in Scripture use notes both Protection and Refreshment And thus â—…ar Wisdom and Money agree and money is a defence but the excellency of knowledg is that wisdom giveth life to them that have it k But herein Knowledg or Wisdom which commonly signifie the same thing excels Riches that whereas Riches frequently expose Men to death or destruction true Wisdom doth oft times preserve a man from temporal and always from eternal Ruine 13 Consider the work l Not of Creation but of Providence his wife and just and powerful Government of all Events in the World which is proposed as the last and best Remedy against all murmurings and sinful disquietments of mind under the sense of the great and many disorders which happen in the World as is implied v. 10. against which Wisdom is prescribed as one Remedy â—… 11 12. and now here is another of God for * Ch. 1. 15. See Job 14. 4. who can make ‖ Or him so Gr. that streight which he hath made crooked m No Man can withstand or correct or alter any of Gods works and therefore all self-tormenting frettings and discontents at the injuries of men or calamities of times are not only sinful but also vain and fruitless This reason implies that there is an Hand or Work of God in all mens actions either effecting them if they be good or permitting them if they be bad and ordering and over-ruling them whether they be good or bad And God is here said to make things crooked as he is said to make the hearts of sinners fat or hard Isa. 6. 10. and elsewhere not positively but privatively because he denies or withdraws from men that Wisdom or Grace which should make them streight 14 In the day of prosperity be joiful n Enjoy Gods favours with chearfulness and thankfulness but in the day of Adversity consider o To wit Gods work which is easily understood out of the foregoing verse Consider that it is Gods hand and therefore submit to iâ—… humble thy self under his hand be sensible of it and duly affected with it Consider also why God sends it for what sins and with what design This is a proper season for serious consideration whereas Prosperity relaxeth the mind and calls it forth to outward things But this clause may be and is by some rendred thus and look for a day of adversity In Prosperity rejoice with trembling and so as to expect a change God also hath †Heb. 〈◊〉 set the â—…ne over against the other p God hath wisely ordained these vicissitudes that Prosperity and Adversity should succeed one another in the course of mens Lives to the end that man should find nothing after him q Either 1. After man himself or as it may be rendred after it i. e. after his present condition whether it be prosperous or affâ—…ctive So the sense is That no man might be able to foresee or find out what shall certainly befall him afterwards and therefore might live in a constant dependance upon God and might neither despair in trouble nor be secure or presumptuous in prosperity because of the frequent and sudden changes from one to the other Or 2. After God That no man might come after God and review his works and find any fault in them or pretend that he could have managed things better because this mixture of Prosperity and Adversity is most convenient both for the Glory of Gods Wisdom and Justice and Goodness and for the benefit of Mankind who have an absolute need of thâ—… vicissitude leâ—…t they should be either corrupted and ruined by perpetual Prosperity as many have been or overwhelmed with uninterrupted Adversity 15 All things r have I seen in the days of my vanity s Since I have come into this vain and transitory Life * Ch. 8. 14. there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness t Either 1. Notwithstanding his Righteousness whom his Righteousness doth not deliver in common calamities Ezek. 21. 3. 4. 33. 12. Or 2. For his Righteousness which exposeth him to the Envy and Hatred and Rage of Persecutors or wicked men In is somtimes used for for but it is not so taken in the next clause which answers to this and therefore the former seems to be the truer interpretation and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness u Notwithstanding all his wickedness whereby he provokes and deserves the justice both of God and Men who yet for many wise and just reasons is permitted to live long unpunished and secure All sorts of events both such as have been already mentioned and such as I am about to declare 16 Be not righteous overmuch x This Verse and the next have a manifest reference to v. 15. being two inferences drawn from the two clauses of the observation there recorded And this verse was delivered by Solomon either 1. In the name and person of an ungodly man who taketh occasion to dissuade men from the practice of Righteousness and true Wisdom because of the danger which attends it and is expressed in the middle of the former and the end of this verse Therefore saith he it is not good to be more nice than wise take heed of Strictness Zeal and forwardness in Religion And then the next verse contains an Antidote to this poisonous suggestion yea rather â—…aith he be not wicked or foolish overmuch for that will not preserve thee as thou maist imagine from the
embraceth 6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment r There is a fit way and season for the happy accomplishment of every business which a man designeth or undertaketh to do which is known to God but for the most part hidden from man as is implied and may be gathered from the following words See the Notes on Ch. 3. 1. therefore s Because there are very few who have that wisdom which is necessary to discern this as was now said v. 5. and most men do by their ignorance and loss of opportunities deprive themselves of many advantages and expose themselves to manifold miseries the misery of man is great upon him 7 For * Pro. 24. 22. Ch. 6. 12. he knoweth not that which shall be t Men are generally ignorant of all future events and of the success of their endeavours and therefore their minds are greatly disquieted and their expectations frequently disappointed and they fall into many mistakes and miscarriages which they could and would prevent if they did foresee the issues of things for who can tell him u No wise Man no Astrologer or other Artist can discover this ‖ Or â—…ow it shall be when it shall be 8 There is no man that hath power * Job 14. 5. over the spirit x i. e. The Soul of Man which is oft called a Spirit as Iob 7. 7. 10. 12. Psal. 78. 39. 104. 29 c. to retain the spirit y To keep it in the Body beyond the time which God hath allotted to it This is added as another evidence of Man's misery neither hath he power in the day z Or against the day i. e. to avoid or delay that day of death and there is no ‖ Or casting â—…ff weaponâ—… discharge a As there is in other Wars when Souldiers either are dismissed from the service or escape by flight or otherwise in that war b In that fatal conflict between Life and Death between Nature and the Disease when a Man is struggling with Death though to no purpose for Death shall always be Conqueror neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it c And although wicked men who most fear Death use all possible means whether good or bad to free themselves from this deadly blow yet they shall not escape it 9 All this d All these things before-mentioned I have seen and apply my heart unto every work e I have been a diligent observer of all actions and events that is done under the sun there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another e There are some Kings who use their power tyrannically and wickedly whereby they do not onely oppress their People but hurt themselves by bringing the vengeance of God and men upon their own heads Which is here noted partly for the terrour of Tyrants and partly for the caution and comfort of Subjects groaning under those heavy pressures which they are not able to remove that they may forbear unlawful or rebellious courses and quietly commit themselves and their cause to God who judgeth righteously and who both can and will call the greatest Monarchs to a sad account for all their impious and unrighteous courses 10 And so f In like manner or such another vanity or disorder I saw the wicked g Wicked Princes or Rulers as the next clause limits this buried h Die quietly in their Beds and afterwards be buried with state and pomp whereas in truth they deserved an untimely end and no other than the burial of an Ass. who had come †〈◊〉 and gone i Who had administred publick Justice and Government which is frequently signified by the Phrase of coming in and going out before the People as Numb 27. 17. Deut. 31. 2. The LXX Jewish Interpreters whom some others follow render the word they were praised applauded and adored by the variation of one Letter in the Hebrew word which also is very like that Letter which is in the Text. from the place of the holy k By which he understands either 1. the Holy City Ierusalem or the the Holy Land where Israel dwelt which may be added to aggravate the wickedness of such Persons from the obligations and counsels and examples which they had to do better things Or 2. the Seat of Majesty and Judgment which may well be called the place or Seat of the Holy i. e. of God who is called the Holy One Habak 3. 3. and oft elsewhere who is in a special manner present in and president over those places whose work and for whom and in whose Name and stead Magistrates act who are therefore called gods of all which see Exod. 22. 28. Deut. 1. 17. 1 Chro. 29. 23. Psal. 82. 1 c. And the Throne or Tribunal seems to be so called here to aggravate their wickedness who being Sacred Persons and advanced by God into so High and Sacred a place betrayed so great a trust and both practised and encouraged that wickedness which by their Office they were obliged to suppress and punish and they were forgotten l Whereas they designed to spread and perpetuate their Names and Memories to all succeeding Ages Psal. 49. 11. in the city where they had so done m i. e. Come to and go from the place of the Holy where they lived in great splendor and were buried with great magnificence which might have kept up their remembrance at least in that place this is also vanity n That men should so earnestly thirst after and please themselves with worldly greatness and glory which is so soon extinct and the very memory of it quickly worn out of the minds of men 11 * 〈◊〉 50. 21. 〈◊〉 26. 10. Because sentence against an evil work o Or the Decree c. God's determ inâ—…te counsel or sentence for the punishment of Tyrants and all evil-doers is not executed speedily therefore p Because God's forbearance makes them presumptuous and secure and confident of impunity the heart of the sons of men is fully set q Heb. is filled is carried on with full sail as the Seventy understand it like a Ship with a strong and violent wind or is bold or presumptuous as the same Phrase is understood Esth. 7. 5. Act. 5. 3. in them to do evil 12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times r Frequently and innumerably and his days s The time of his Life and Prosperity be prolonged yet surely I know that * Pâ—… 37. 11 18 19. Pro. 1. 32 33. 〈◊〉 3. 10 11. it shall be well with them that fear God t Whereby he implies both that good men might for a time suffer grievous things from such wicked Tyrants and that it should be very ill with the wicked which is manifest from the contrary course and condition of good and bad men and which is
not in general to his Prophetical Office but to the delivery of this special Message and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips u I am an unclean Branch of an unclean Tree and besides my own Uncleanness I have both by my Omissions and Commissions involved my self in the guilt of their Sins and therefore may justly fear to partake with them in their Plagues for mine eyes have seen the king the LORD of hosts x The sight of this glorious and holy God gives me cause to fear that he is come to Judgment against me together with others Whilst Sinners are secure and presumptuous the holiest Persons have ever been filled with great Reverence and oft times with Doubts and Fears at any extraordinary Manifestation of God's Presence See Gen. 16 13. 17. 3. Iudg. 13. 23. 6 Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me y By Gods Command †Heb. and in his hand a live coal having a live coal z Both a Token and an Instrument of Purification as the next Verse explains it in his hand which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar a Of Burnt-offering which stood in the Court of the Priests near the Porch and which had always Coals of Fire upon it Levit. 6. 12 13. Hence he took it to shew that Men are to expect Purification and Expiation of Sin onely by such means as God hath appointed and particularly by Christ whom that Altar did manifestly represent Heb. 13. 10. 7 And he †Heb. caused it to touch laid it upon my mouth b Sleightly so as onely to touch my Lips and not to burn them which God could easily effect and said Lo this hath touched thy lips and thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin †Heb. attoned or expiated purged c This is a Sign that I have pardoned and purged the Uncleanness of thy Lips and do own and accept thee as a fit Minister for my Service 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying Whom shall I send and who will go for * Gen. 1. 26. us d To deliver the following Message The change of the Number I and us is very remarkable and both â—…ing meant of one and the same Lord do sufficiently intimate a Plurality of Persons in the Godhead Then said I †Heb. behold me Here am I send me e God's last and great Favour to him did both encourage and oblige him to be forward in God's Service 9 And he said Go and tell this people f Not my people for I disown them as they have rejected me * Mat. 13. 14. Mar. 4. 12. Luk. 8. 10. Joh. 12. 40. Act. 28. 26. Rom. 11. 8. Hear ye ‖ Or without ceasing c. †Heb. Hear ye in hearing c. indeed but understand not and †Heb. in seeing see ye indeed but perceive not g The Hebrew Words are Imperative yet they are not to be taken as a Command what the People ought to do but onely as a Signification and Prediction what by their own Wickedness and by God's just Judgment they did and would do as is manifest by Mat. 13. 14. Act. 28. 26. where they are so rendred And Imperative Words among the Hebrews are frequently put for the future as is well known to the Learned The sence is Because you have so long heard my Words and seen my Works to no purpose and have hardned your Hearts and will not learn â—…or reform I will punish you in your own kind your Sin shall be your Punishment I will still continue my Word and Works to you not in Mercy and for your Good but to aggravate your Sin and Condemnation for I will blind your Minds and withdraw my Spirit so that you shall be as unable as now you are unwilling to understand or perceive any thing that may do you good 10 Make the heart of this people fat h i. e. Stupid and senseless For the Fat which is in the Body is without sense and Fatness in the Heart makes it dull and heavy Thus this Phrase is used Psal. 119. 70. And this seems best to agree with the following Words This making of their Hearts fat is here ascribed to the Prophet as it is ascribed to God in the repetition of this Prophecy Ioh. 12. 40. because God inflicted this Judgment upon them by the Ministry of the Prophet partly by way of Prediction foretelling that this would be the effect of his Preaching and partly by way of Judicial Operation withdrawing the Light and Help of his Spirit and giving them up to the Power and Arts of Satan and to their own Mistakes and Lusts whereby they are easily and commonly led to turn God's Word as they do other things into Occasions of Sin and make their ears heavy i Make them dull of hearing as Isa. 59 1. Zech. 7. 11. as sometimes the Ears are made by an excessive Noise and shut their eyes k Heb. dawb their eyes as the Word is used also Isa. 44. 18. * Jer. 5. 21. lest they see l That they may not be able as before they were not willing to see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert m Turn from their sinful Practices unto God and be healed n Of Sin which is the Disease of the Soul by Remission and Sanctification and of all the deadly Effects of Sin 11 Then said I Lord how long o An abrupt Speech arising from the Prophets great Passion and Astonishment How long shall this dreadful Judgment last And he answered Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant and the houses without man and the land be †Heb. desolate with desolation utterly desolate p Until this land be totally destroyed first by the Babylonians and afterward by the Romans 12 And the LORD have removed men far away q Hath caused this People to be carried away Captive into far Countries and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land r Till Houses and Lands be generally forsaken of their Owners either because fled away from the Sword into strange Lands or because they went into Captivity 13 But yet in it shall be a tenth s A small Remnant reserved that Number being put indefinitely as is very usual ‖ Or when it is returned and hath been broused and it shall return t To wit out of the Babylonish Captivity into their own Land and shall be eaten u That Remnant shall be devoured and destroyed a second time by the Kings of Syria and afterwards more effectually by the Romans as a teil-tree and as an oak x Or Yet as c. Or Nevertheless aâ—… c. such Particles being frequently understood in the Hebrew as hath been noted again and again So the Sence of the following Words of the Verse
his Father Ahaz in whose time this Prophecy was delivered was King by comparing 2 Kings 16. 2. 18. 2. but of the Messiah out of his roots f Out of one of his Roots i. e. Branches as this Word root is sometimes used by a very usual Figure called a Metonymy as it is here below v. 10. Isa. 53. 2. Hos. 14. 5. 2 And the spirit of the LORD g The Holy Ghost wherewith he was anointed Act. 10. 38. and by whom his Mother was overshadowed Luk. 1. 35. shall rest upon him h Not onely come upon him at certain times as he did upon the Prophets now and then at his pleasure but shall have its constant and setled abode in him although the same phrase be sometimes used of other Prophets in an inferiour sense as Numb 11. 17. 2 Kings 2. 15. the spirit of wisdom and understanding i Which hath these Perfections in it self and confers them upon him It is neither easie nor at all necessary exactly to distinguish these two Gifts it is sufficient that they are necessary Qualifications for a Governour and for a Teacher both which Offices were to meet in the Messiah and it is evident that they signifie a practical and perfect Knowledge of all things necessary for the discharge of his Trust and for his own and Peoples Good and a sound Judgment to distinguish between things that differ the spirit of counsel and might k Of Prudence to give good Counsel and of Might and Courage to execute it which are two necessary Qualifications of a Ruler the spirit of knowledge l Of the perfect Knowledge of the whole Will and Counsel of God especially that which concerns the Salvation of Men the prosecution whereof was his great Work as also of all secret and hidden things yea of the Hearts of Men the Knowledge whereof is ascribed to Christ Mat. 9. 4. Revel 2. 23. and of the fear of the LORD m Not a Fear of Diffidence or Horrour but of Reverence a Care to please him and lothness to offend him which well became the Messiah towards his God and Father 3 And shall make him of †Heb. scent or smell quick understanding n Heb. he shall make him smell i. e. perceive as that Word is used Iudg. 16. 9. Iob 39. 25. understand or judg as it is explained in the next Clause Or his smelling shall be Smelling is put for Judging because the Sense of Smelling where it is quick and good is more exact and sure in the judging of its proper Objects than the Senses of Seeing and Hearing are in the fear of the LORD o Which is added either 1. as the Object of his Judging He is most perspicacious and judicious in the things which concern the fear i. e. the Worship and Service of God which he was to order and establish in his Church Or rather 2. as the Rule and Manner of his Judging as may be gathered from the opposite and following Clause So the sence is He shall not judge rashly and partially but considerately and justly as the Fear of God obligeth all Judges to do and he shall not judge p Of Persons or Causes And judging seems to be here Synechdochically put for absolving or giving Sentence for a Person as it is used Psal. 7. 9 11. and in many other places because this is opposed to reproving in the next Clause after the sight of his eyes q According to outward Appearance as men must do because they cannot search mens Hearts 1 Sam. 16. 7. or with respect of Persons but with righteous judgment which is opposed to judging by appearance Ioh. 7. 24. neither reprove r i. e. Condemn or pass Sentence against a Person For Christ is here supposed to be a Judge and so he speaks of a Judicial Reproof after the hearing of his ears s By false or uncertain Rumours or Suggestions but shall throughly examine all Causes and search out the Truth of things and the very Hearts of men 4 But * Psal. 17. 2. Rev. 19. 11. with righteousness shall he judge the poor t Defend and deliver them as judging is oft used as Deut. 32. 36. Ier. 5. 28. 22. 13. c. Or judge for the poor the Prefix lamed being understood out of the next Clause as is usual in the Hebrew Language He mentions the poor partly to signifie the Justice of this Judge because Humane Judges commonly neglect and oppress the Poor and partly to declare the Nature of Christ's Kingdom and the Quality of his Subjects who should for the generality of them be the poor and contemptible sort of men Mat. 11. 5. Iam. 2. 5. and ‖ Or argue reprove u Or as this Word seems to be taken v. 3. condemn to wit their malicious and furious Enemies with equity for the meek x On their behalf or giving Sentence for them He calls them meek whom before he called poor partly to shew his Justice in defending them who are most exposed to the Contempt and Injuries of men and partly to signifie that his Subjects should be poor in Spirit as well as in the World and not poor and proud as many worldly men are of the earth and he shall * Job 4. 9. 2 Thess. 2. 8. Rev. 1. 16. 2. 16. 19. 15. smite y i. e. Slay as this Word is used Isa. 37. 36. and very commonly and as it is expounded in the next Clause the earth z The men of the Earth the wicked as it is in the next Branch of the Verse fitly called earth either because of their Earthly Minds and Conversations as they are called the men of this world that have their portion here upon the Earth Psal. 17. 14. or because the far greatest part of the Inhabitants of the Earth is wicked the whole world lies in wickedness 1 Ioh. 5. 19. for which reason they are oft called the world as Iob. 16. 20. 17. 9 25. c. with the rod †Or word of his mouth of his mouth a With his Word which is his Scepter and the rod of his power Psal. 110. 2. which is sharper than a sword Heb. 4. 12. by the preaching whereof he subdued the World to himself and will destroy his Enemies 2 Thess. 2. 8. This he adds further to declare the Nature of Christ's Kingdom that it is not of this World and that his Scepter and Arms are not carnal but Spiritual as is said 2 Cor. 10. 4. and with the breath of his lips b With his Word breathed out of his Lips whereby he explains what he meant by the foregoing rod. shall he slay the wicked c Either spiritually by inflicting deadly Plagues upon their Souls or properly which he doth very frequently by his terrible Judgments executed upon many of them and will certainly do and that fully and universally at his coming to Judgment 5
terms of Wilderness and Desert seem to be here chiefly used in a metaphorical sence to express the desolate and forlorn condition of the Jewish Nation and especially of the Gentile-world when Christ came to redeem them for so these words are frequently used in prophetical writings as hath been noted in divers places Prepare ye the way h You to whom this work belongs He alludes to the custom of Princes who send Pioneers before them to prepare the way through which they intend to pass The meaning is onely this That God shall by his Spirit so dispose mens hearts and by his providence so order the Empires and affairs of the World as to make way for the accomplishment of this promise of the LORD i For the Lord as it is expounded in the next clause that the Lord may walâ—… in it Which though it may be understood of their coming out of Babylon when God might in some sort be said to march in the head of them conducting and preserving them yet it was much more evidently and eminently fulfilled when Christ who was and is God blessed for ever came into the World in a visible manner make straight k Either direct in opposition to crooked or even and level in opposition to the Mountains and Valleys mentioned in the next verse in the desert a high way for our God 4. Every Valley shall be exalted and every Mountain and Hill shall be brought low and the crooked shall be made ‖ Or a straight place straight and the rough places ‖ Or a plain place plain l This is only a more particular explication of that which was generally expressed ver 3. The sence is All obstructions shall be removed and the way made in all respects convenient and easy for the passenger 5. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed m So it was in some sort when God brought them out of Babylon which was a glorious work of God but far more properly and eminently when Christ who was the glorious God was manifested in the flesh and gave much clearer and fuller discoveries of Gods glorious wisdom and holiness and goodness and other divine perfections than ever yet had been imparted to mankind and to the Church and all flesh n All Nations both Iewes and Gentiles shall see it together for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it o Though this may seem incredible yet God is able to accomplish it 6. The voice said p God speakes unto his Prophets or Ministers Cry And he said q The Prophet desires to know Gods mind and his message What shall I cry * Job 14. 2. Psal. 102. 11. and 103. 15. Jam. 1. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 24. All flesh is grass and all the goodness thereof is as the flower of the field r The Prophet having foretold glorious and wonderful things which God had declared and determined to do and suspecting that men 〈◊〉 hardly believe them he confirmeth their faith and the certainty of the thing in this and the two next verses by representing to their minds the vast difference between the nature and word and work of men and of God All that men are or have yea their highest accomplishments are but like the grass or flower of the field weak and vanishing soon nipt and brought to nothing but Gods word is like himself Immutable and Irresistible and therefore as the mouth of the Lord and not of man hath spoken these things as was said ver 5. so doubt not but they shall be fulfilled 7. The grass withereth the flower fadeth because * Psal. 147. 18. Hos. 13. 15. the Spirit of the LORD s Or The breath c. as this word is rendred Psal. 147. 18. the wind as it frequently signifies which hath this effect upon grass and flowers Psal. 103. 16. Iam. 1. 11. bloweth upon it surely the People t The same which he called Flesh and said they were Grass ver 6. Which that he might prove in this verse he first declares the frail nature of Grass and Flowers and then he applies this to the People Or this People the Iewes no less than the Gentiles for here is an Article in the Hebrew Text which is frequently emphatical and restrictive is grass 8. The grass withereth the flower fadeth but the * John 12. 34. 1 Pet. 1. 25. word of our God shall stand for ever u Whatsoever God hath said shall infallibly come to pass 9. ‖ Or O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion O Zion that bringest good tidings x O Zion to whom the glad tidings of the coming of Christ into the World and of the Salvation of Mankind by him were first published by Christ and his Apostles and by whom they were published to all Nations But the words are otherwise rendred in the margent and by others O thou whosoever thou art Prophet or Apostle that bringest good tidings to Zion So Sion is not the deliverer but the receiver of these good tidings as she is in the Parallel place Isa. 52. 7. But our translation seems to agree better with the Hebrew Text in which the particle unto is not here expressed as it is in the latter part of the verse by comparing which part with the former it seems most probable that Zion or Ierusalem is the Speaker or Publisher and the Cityes of Iudah the hearers get thee up into the high mountain y That thy voice may be better heard as appears from the next branch of the verse See Iudg. 9. 7. 1 Sam. 26. 13 14. O Jerusalem that bringest good tidings lift up thy voice with strength lift it up be not afraid z Lest thou shouldest be found a false Prophet for it shall certainly be fulfilled say unto ‖ Or O thou that tellest good tidings to Ierusalem the Cities of Judah a To all my People in the several places of their abode whether Cityes or Countries Onely he names Cityes to intimate that they also though they should be destroyed yet should afterward be rebuilt and inhabited again Behold your God b Take notice of this wonderful Work and glorious appearance of your God who will be visiblyâ—… present with you so that men may point at him and say Behold here he is 10. Behold the Lord GOD will come ‖ Or against the strong with strong hand c With invincible strength conquering all his enemies The word Hand or Arm may very well be understood out of the following clause and his arms shall rule for him d He shall need no succours for his own power shall be sufficient to govern his People and to destroy his Adversaries behold * Chap. 62. 11. his reward is with him e He comes furnished with recompences as well of Mercy and Blessings for his friends and followers as of Justice and Vengeance for his enemies ‖ Or
Go ye forth of Babylon t The imperative is here as it is very frequently put for the future Ye shall go forth c. for this is not so much a command as a promise Although this form of speech may be the rather used to intimate That it was their duty to go forth as well as God's promise to carry them forth flee ye from the Caldeans with a voice of singing u With Joy and Songs of Praise to the Lord. declare ye x Publish God's wonderful Works on your behalf to all Nations tell this utter it even to the end of the earth say ye The LORD hath * Exod. 19. 4 5 6. redeemed his servant Iacob 21. And they thirsted not when he led them through the desarts y This is part of the matter which the Iews are obliged to declare to all People as they have opportunity to wit That God took the same care of them in their return from Babylon to Canaan which was through many dry and desert places as he did in their march from Egypt to Canaan They thirsted not c. i. e. They shall not Thirst. He speaks of things to come as if they were already past or present as the Prophets commonly do he * Exod. 17. 6. Num. 20. 11. caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them he clave the rock also and the waters gushed out 22. * Chap. 52. 21. There is no peace saith the LORD unto the wicked z God having in the next foregoing Verses foretold that Peace and blessed Deliverance which he would certainly give to his servant Iacob ver 20. He here adds an explication and limitation of this Mercy and declareth That wicked Men should not enjoy the benefit of this Mercy Where by the wicked he means Either 1. the Babylonians who well deserved that Title who shall be destroyed when God's Israel shall be delivered Or rather 2. the unbelieving and ungodly Iews of whom these very Words are used again Isa. 57. 21. and to whom such a Denunciation as this was far more proper and necessary at least in this place than to the Babylonians for he had already said far more and worse things than this concerning them having again and again deâ—…ared That Babylon should be destroyed in order to this deliverance of God's People out of it But there was great need why he should say this to the ungodly Iews because they were exceeding prone to cry peace peace to themselves when there was no solid ground of Peace and they confidently expected a share in this great Deliverance This therefore was a very seasonable Caution to the Iews in Babylon to take heed to themselves and to prepare for this Mercy and to purify themselves from all Wickedness because those of them who should either wickedly tarry in Babylon when God invited and required them to go out of it and when their Godly Brethren returned to their own Land and to the place of God's Worship or continue in Wickedness when they were restored to their own Country should not enjoy that Tranquillity and Comfort which they promised to themselves And the necessity of this Commination appears from the event for the Iews that returned to Canaan did for the most part relapse to many of their former Sins and therefore fell short of that Peace and Prosperity which otherwise they might have enjoyed CHAP. XLIX 1. LIsten O Isles a God having in the last Words secretly signified the Wickedness of the Iewish Nation after so glorious a deliverance and foreseeing that for their Wickedness he should cast them off he here turneth his Speech to the Nations of the Gentiles who are frequently described in this Prophecy and elsewhere under the Title of Iles as hath been formerly noted and inviteth them to hearken to those Counsels and Doctrines which the Iews would reject unto me b Unto Christ for it is apparent from ver 6. and other passages of this Chapter that Isaiah speaks these words in the name of Christ by whose Spirit they were dictated to him 1 Pet. 1. 11. and unto whom alone they belong as we shall see So this Chapter is a Prophecy of Christ which also is very proper and seasonable in this place The Prophet having at large prophesied of the Deliverance of the Iews out of Babylon he now proceeds further and prophesieth of the Redemption of the World by Christ of which that deliverance out of Babylon was a type and forerunner and hearken ye people from far c Which live in Countries far from Iudea now the onely Place of God's special Presence and Worship It is evident from the foregoing Clause and many other Passages following that he speaks of distance of Place not of Time The LORD hath called me from the womb d This or the like expression is used of Ieremy chap. 1. 5. and of Paul Gal. 1. 15. but it was far more eminently true of Christ who as he was chosen to this great office of Redemption form Eternity so he was separated and called to it before he was born being both conceived and sanctified by the Holy Ghost in his Mothers Womb and sent into the World upon this Errand of which see Mat. 1. 21. and Luke 1. 31. c. and 2. 11. c. from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name e Called by my Name and by such a Name as signified my Office and Work in the Places now mentioned 2. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword f As he made me the great Teacher of his Church and of the World so he assisted me by his Spirit and made my Word or Doctrine Quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged-sword c. as it is said to be Heb. 4. 12. killing Men's Lusts convincing humbling and converting their Souls and Mighty to the pulling down of strong holds And every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ as we read 2 Coâ—… â—…0 4 5. in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me g He will Protect me by his Power from all mine Enemies until I have finished the Work for which he sent me and made me a polished shaft h Like an Arrow whose point is bright and polished which therefore pierceth deeper This Metaphor signifies the same thing with the former Christ's piercing of Men's Hearts by his Word and Spirit in his quiver i Where Arrows are hid and kept This Quiver signifies the same thing with the shadow in the foregoing Clause even God's powerful and gracious Protection of him from Dangers and Mischiefs he hath hid me 3. And said unto me Thou art my servant O Israel k As the name of David is sometimes given to his Successors 1 Kings 12. 16. and particularly to Christ Ier. 30. 9. Ezek. 34. 23. Hos. 3.
very People will prove degenerate 19 And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart to keep thy commandments thy testimonies and thy statutes and to do all these things and to build the palace for the which I have made provision t By purchasing the Place 1 Chron. 21. and providing for the Expences of the Work 20 And David said to all the congregation Now bless the LORD your God And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers and bowed down their heads and worshipped the LORD and the king u The Lord with Religious and the King with Civil Worship as it is evident 21 And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the LORD x Before the Ark which was there and offered burnt-offerings unto the LORD on the morrow after that day even a thousand bullocks a thousand rams and a thousand lambs with their drink-offerings and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel y Either 1. on the behalf of all Israel to praise God in their Names to procure Gods Presence and Blessing for them all Or 2. so many that the Feasts which after the manner were made of the remainders of the Sacrifices were abundantly sufficient for all the Israelites which were then present and desired to partake of them or for all the Governours of Israel there assembled who may well pasâ—… under the name of all Israel because they represented them all 22 And did eat and drink before the LORD z i. e. Before the Ark in Courts or Places as near to it as they conveniently could Or as in Gods Presence in a Solemn and Religious manner praising God for this great Mercy and begging his Blessing upon this great Affair on that day with great gladness and they made Solomon the son of David king the second time a This is called the second time in reference to the first time which was either 1. when he was made King during Adonijahs Conspiracy of which see 1 King 1. 34 c. And so this was done after Davids death and not upon that day when this Feasting and Solemnity lasted as the words at first view seem to insinuate this being related in the same verse and immediately after the Relation of the Feast But there are Examples of things done at distant times put together in one verse as Act 7. 15. So Iacob went down into Egypt and died he and our Fathers i. e first he and afterward our Fathers So here They did eat on that day with great gladness and afterward they made Solomon king the second time And this Opinion seems to be confirmed by the following Passages in which it is related that at this same time they anointed Zadok to be Priest and that Solomon was King instead of David and that all Israel and all Davids sons submitted to him All which was not done till after Davids death as may be gathered by comparing this with 1 King 1. 2. or 2. in 1 Chron. 23. 1. where it is said that David made Solomon his Son King over Israel i. e. he declared him his Successor And so this second time was during Davids Life And what David had more privately declared ch 23. he now more solemnly owns in this great and general Assembly in which by Davids Order and the Consent of all that Assembly Solomon was anointed King i. e. to be King after his Fathers death And this Opinion the Text seems most to favour For it is said And they made Solomon King c. they who That must be fetched out of the foregoing Words and Verses they who did eat and drink before the Lord on that day with great gladness as it is here said and then immediately it follows and that with a copulative conjunction and they made Solomon King c. which without violence cannot be pulled away from the foregoing Words And therefore they must be David and all the Congregation who were then present v. 20. of whom it is said they sacrificed c. v. 21. and they did eat c. and they made Solomon c. The great Objection against this Opinion is that they anointed Zadok to be Priest at this time which was not done till after Davids death for till then Abiathar â—…s not thrust out from being Priest c. 1 King 2. 26 27. This indeed is a difficulty but not insoluble It must be remembred that the High-priest had his Vicegerent who might officiate in his stead when he was hindred by Sickness or other indispensable Occasion and that there seems to be something more than ordinary in Zadoks case for although Abiathar was properly the Highpriest yet Zadok seems after a sort to be joyned in Commission with him as we see 2 Sam. 15. 29. 19. 11. and it is expresly said Zadok and Abiathar were Priests 2 Sam. 20. 25. and 1 King 4. 4. And it may be further considered that this anointing of Zadok might be occasioned by some miscarriage of Abiathar not recorded in Scripture Possibly he was unsatisfied with this Design of translating the Crown to Solomon and did now secretly favour Adoniâ—…ahs Person and Right which afterward he did more openly defend Which being known to David by information might induce him and the Princes who favoured Solomon to take this course Which they might the more willingly do in consideration of that Divine Threatning 1 Sam. 2. 31 c. of translating the Priesthood from Ithamars and Elis House of which Abiathar was to Eleazars Line to which it had been promised to perpetuity Numb 25. 13. of which Line Zadok was And they might judge this a sit Season or might be directed by God at this time to execute that Threatning to the one and promise to the other Family And yet this Action of theirs in anointing Zadok did not as I suppose actually constitute him High-priest but onely settled the Reversion of it upon him and his Line after Abiathars death Even as Davids making Solomon king ch 23. 1. and their anointing Solomon to be the chief Governour here did not put him into actual Possession of the Kingdom but onely gave him a Right to it in Reversion after the present Kings death as Samuels anointing of David 1 Sam. 16. had done to David before him Hence notwithstanding this Anointing Abiathar continued to exercise his Office till Solomon thrust him out 1 King 2. 27 and even after he was removed from the Execution of his Office yet he was reputed the Priest till he died being so called 1 King 4. 4. And this I hope may in some sort resolve that difficulty For the other Arguments they seem not considerable For as for what follows v. 23 24 25. Then Solomon sat on the Throne c. that indeed seems to belong to the time after Davids death being sufficiently â—…eparated from this 22d verse and not so knit to the foregoing Words as those words and they made Solomon King c. are And for the particle then that is