they have imagined to do 7. Go to let us m i. e. The blessed Trinity See Gen. 1. 26. go down and there confound their Language n By making them forget their former Language and by putting into their minds several Languages not a distinct Language into each person but into each Family or rather into each Nation that they may not †Heb. hear understand one anothers speech o And thereby be disenabled from that mutual commerce which was altogether necessary for the carrying on of that work 8. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the Earth p Thus they brought upon themselves the very thing they seared and that more speedily and more mischievously to themselves For now they were not only divided in place but in Language too and so were unfitted for those Consederacies and Correspondencies which they mainly designed and for the mutual Comfort and Help of one another which otherwise they might in good measure have enjoyed And they left off to build the City 9. Therefore is the Name of it called ‖ That is confusion Babel because the LORD did there confound the Language of all the Earth and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the Earth 10. * Chap. 10. 32. 1 Chron. 1. 17. These are the Generations of Shem q Not all of them as appears both from the next verse and from the former Chapter but of those who were the seminary of the Church and the Progenitors of Christ. Shem was an hundred years old and begat Arphaxad two years after the Flood 11. And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years r So that he lived almost all the time of Abraham which was a singular blessing both to himself who hereby saw his Children of the tenth Generation and to the Church of God which by this means enjoyed the Counsel and Conduct of so great a Patriarch and begat Sons and Daughters 12. And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years and begat Salah 13. And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years and begat Sons and Daughters 14. And Salah lived thirty years and begat Eber. 15. And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years and begat Sons and Daughters 16. * 1 Chro. 1. 19. And Eber lived four and thirty years and begat * called Luk. 3. 35. Phalec Peleg 17. And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years s So that he was the longest liv'd of all the Patriarchs which were born after the Flood and begat Sons and Daughters 18. And Peleg lived thirty years and begat Reu. 19. And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years and begat Sons and Daughters 20. And Reu lived two and thirty years and begat * Luk 3. 35. Saruch Serug 21. And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years and begat Sons and Daughters 22. And Serug lived thirty years and begat Nahor 23. And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years and begat Sons and Daughters 24. And Nahor t The first Patriarch who fell to Idolatry lived nine and twenty years and begat * Luk. 3. 34. Thara Terah 25. And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years and begat Sons and Daughters 26. And Terah lived seventy years and * Josh. 24. 2. 1 Chro. 1. 26. begat u i. e. Began to beget as Gen. 5. 32 Abram x Who is first named in order of Dignity for which cause Shem is put before Ham and Iapheth and Moses before Aaron not in order of time which seems to be this Haran probably was the eldest because Nahor married his Daughters Nahor the second and Abram certainly was the youngest because Terah Abrams Father lived two hundred and five years ver 32. and Abram after his Fathers Death Acts 7. 4. went out of Haran when he was seventy five years old Gen. 12. 4 5. therefore he was not begotten in Terahs seventieth year when Terah began to beget his Sons as here is said but in his one hundred and thirtieth year and so there remains seventy five years precisely to Abrams departure And Sarai Harans Daughter was but ten years younger than Abram Gen. 17. 17. and therefore Haran was Abrams Elder Brother Nahor and Haran 27. Now these are the Generations of Terah Terah begat Abram Nahor and Haran And Haran begat Lot 28. And Haran died before his Father Terah y i. e. In the presence and during the Life of his Father in the Land of his Nativity in Ur of the Caldees 29. And Abram and Nahor took them Wives The Name of Abrams Wife was Sarai and the Name of Nahors Wife Milcah the Daughter of Haran z Such Marriages of Uncles and Nieces being permitted then Exod. 6. 20. as in the beginning of the World the Marriages of Brethren and Sisters were though afterwards the Church being very much enlarged they were severely forbidden Levit 18. 12 14. the Father of Milcah and the Father of Iscah a Who is either Sarai as the Jews and many others think or rather another person For 1. Why should Moses express Sarai thus darkly and doubtfully Had he meant her he would have added after Iscah this is Sarai according to his manner in like cases Gen. 14. 2 7. and 35. 6. He elsewhere calleth her the Daughter not of his Brother as he should have done had she been Iscah but of his Father by another Mother 30. But Sarai was barren she had no child b See Gen. 16. 1 2. and 18. 11 12. 31. And Terah took Abram his Son c See Ios. 24. 2. Nehem. 9. 7. 1 Chron. 1. 26. Being informed by his Son of the command of God he did not despise it because it came to him by the hands of his inferiour but chearfully obeyeth it and therefore he is so honourably mentioned as the Head and Governour of the Action and Lot the Son of Haran his sons son and Sarai his daughter in law his Son Abrams wife and they went forth with them †i. e. Terab and Abram went with Lot and Sarâ—…i as their Heads and Guides from * Neh. 9. 7. Act. 7. 4. Ur of the Caldees to go into the Land of Canaan and they came unto Haran d Called Charran Act. 7. 4. and by the Romans Carrae a place in Mesopotamia strictly so called in the way to Canaan and near to it well known by Crassus his defeat there See Gen. 24. 10. and 28. 10. and 29. 4. and dwelt e Or rested or abode being detained there for a season peradventure by Terab's disease which begun there for the next verse tells us of his death there 32. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years and Terah died in Haran CHAP. XII 1.
some think the Abyssines in Africa and Havilah c The Father of the Inhabitants of the Land of Havilah mentioned Gen. 2. 11. a Land in the most Eastern part of Arabia this being opposed to Sur a Desart near Aegypt as the two remotest bounds of Arabia Gen. 23. 18. 1 Sam. 15. 7. Sabtah d The Father of those People who were seated in the lower part of Arabia the happy near the Persian Gulf who also sent forth a Colony into Persia. For in those parts we meet with the Sabateni in Iosephus the Stabaei and Messabathi in Ptolomy and Pliny and Raamah e From whom descended another People dwelling in the same Arabia See Ezek. 27. 22. and Sabtecha f The Father of another People adjoyning to them And the Sons of Raamah Sheba g The Father either of that People which inhabited Aethiopia who were known by that Name See 1 Kings 10. 1 4. Ezek. 27. 22. Matth. 12. 42. Acts 8. 27. Or rather of another People in Arabia So the several Sons of Cush are conveniently seated one near another And those Aethiopians in Africa might be a Colony either of these or rather of the Posterity of the former Seba. and Dedan h Of whose Posterity See Ezek. 27. 15. and 38. 13. 8. And Cush begat Nimrod i Whom he placeth last of all his Sons because he was to say more of him he began to be a mighty one in the Earth 9. He was a mighty Hunter k First of Beasts and by that occasion of men For when men were few and lived dispersedly and wild Beasts abounded and most of all in those parts by Hunting and Destroying of those Beasts he got much reputation and favour with men who thereby were secured in their dwellings In confidence hereof and having this occasion to gather great Companies of the youngest and strongest men together to himself by their help he established a Tyranny and Absolute Power over Men ensnaring hunting after and destroying like Beasts all those men who opposed his dominion Tyrants and Persecutors are oft in Scripture called Fowlers and Hunters as Psal. 91. 3. Ier. 16. 16. Lament 3. 52. and 4. 18. before the LORD l An aggravation of his crime that it was done in Gods presence impudently and in contempt both of God who had so lately manifested his derestation of this sin by the destruction of the World amongst other Sins for this very sin of violence Gen. 6. 13. and of his great Grand-Father Noah then living and Preaching who probably did admonish him of the wickedness and danger of this practise Thus he shewed that he neither feared God nor reverenced Man if they withstood him in his usurpation of Dominion Wherefore it is said m It became a Proverb when any man was haughty and cruel and tyrannical and that joyned with impudence and obstinacy That he was another Nimrod Even as Nimrod the mighty Hunter before the LORD 10. And the beginning of his Kingdom n i. e. Either his Chief and Royal City Or the place where his dominion began and from whence it was extended to other parts was †Gr. Babylon Babel o Which being not built till the confusion of Languages Chap. 11. 4. sheweth that this though here mentioned upon occasion of the Genealogy was not executed till afterward it being very usual in Scripture to neglect the order of time in historical relations and Erech and Accad and Calneh p Called Calno Isa. 10. 9. and Canne Ezek. 27. 23. and as it is here Calnâ—…h Amos 6. 2. Where it is mentioned amongst the eminent Cities in the Land of Shinar q i. e. In Mesopotamia This clause belongs to all the Cities here named and is added for distinction sake because there is a Babylon in the Land of Aegypt and there might be other Cities of the same Name with the rest in other Countries 11. Out of that Land ‖ Or he went out into Assyria went forth Asshur r A man so called either 1. Asshur the Son of Sem who forsook the Land either being forced by or weary of Nimrods Tyranny and Impiety and erected another Kingdom But it is not probable either that Moses would here relate an exploit of a man whose birth is not mentioned till ver 22. or that one single Son of Shem would be here disorderly placed among the Sons of Ham. Or 2. Another Asshur of Hams race But it seems most likely that Asshur is the Name of a Place or Countrey even of Assyria which in the Hebrew is called Asshur and that the words should be thus rendred he i. e. Nimrod went forth out of his own Land to Asshur to War against it and adde it to his Empire For to go forth is commonly ascribed to those that go to War or to Battle as Iud. 2. 15. and 11. 3. 2 Sam. 11. 3. Psal. 60. 12. and the particle to is here understood as it is 2 Sam. 6. 10. and 10. 2. compared with 1 Chron. 13. 13. and 19. 2. and built Nineveh s A famous and vast City near the River Tigris but so ruined by time that the Learned are not agreed about the place where it was scituate and ‖ Or The Streets of the City the City Rehoboth t Of whiâ—… 〈◊〉 Genesis 36. 37. 1 Chron. 1. 48. and Calah 12. And Resen between Nineveh and Calah The same u Either 1. Nineveh which is called a great City Ionah 3. 3. and 4. 11. and indeed was so being 60 miles in compass Thus it is a trajection and the relative is referred to the remoter noun as sometimes is done though this seems to be a little forced Or 2. Resen so the meaning is though this City be much inferiour to Nineveh yet this also if compared with most others is a great City is a great City 13. And Mizraim begat * Jer. 46. 9. Ludim x Of this and the following names here and ver 14. observe two things 1. They are not the Names of Persons but of People or Nations and the word Father is here understood Ludim for the Father of the People called Ludim and so the rest 2. That they are the several Nations dwelling in Africa springing from the Aegyptians which as they multiplied went further and further Westward and Southward from Aegypt and Anamim and Lehabim and Naphtuhim 14. And Pathrusim y The Inhabitants of Pathros of which see Isa. 11. 11. Ier. 44. 1 15. Ezek. 29. 14. and Casluhim out of whom came Philistim z The meaning is they came out of his Loyns or were his oft-spring which might be true though afterwards we find them seated amongst the off-spring of Canaan having driven out the former Inhabitants as was usual in those antient times Object The Philistins are elsewhere said to come from Caphtorim See Ier. 47. 4. Answ. Therefore some make a trajection here which is not unusual and
to wit that he hath seen c. Compare Gen. 20. 16. Either way it is an Ellipsis of the pronoun which is usual as appears by comparing 1 King 10. 7. with 2 Chron. 9. 6. and Psal. 41. 9. with Ioâ—… 13. 18. and the labour of mine hands and rebuked thee yesternight 43 And Laban answered and said unto Jacob These daughters are my daughters and these children are my children and these cattel are my cattel and all that thou â—…eest is mine and what can I do this day unto these my daughters or unto their children which they have born o He pretends that to be an act of his natural affection and kindness which was indeed the effect of his fear 44 Now therefore come thou let us make a covenant I and thou and let it be for a witness between me and thee p Both to our own consciences of our mutual Obligations and to God against either of us who shall break it that he may severely punish us for it 45 And Jacob took a stone and set it up for a pillar q In Testimony of his compliance with Labans proposal and his entring into this Covenant See Exod. 24. 4. 46 And Jacob said unto his brethren Gather stones and they took stones and made an heap and they did eat r To wit afterwards ver 54. though it be here mentioned by anticipation there upon the heap s Or rather by or beside the heap as the Hebrew particle al is oft understood as Psal. 23. 2. and 81. 7. 47 And Laban called it ‖ That is the heap of witness Jegar-sahadutha but Jacob called it Galeed t Both names signifie the same thing an heap of witness onely Laban gives the name in the Syrian Language but Iacob though he had been long conversant in Syria and understood that Language yet he chose to give it in Hebrew which was both a secret renouncing of the Syrian Manners and Religion together with their Language and an implicit profession of his conjunction with the Hebrews as in their Tongue so in their Religion 48 And Laban said This heap is a witness between me and thee this day Therefore was the name of it called Galeed 49 And ‖ That is abeacon or watch-tower Mizpah for he said The LORD watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another 50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters u The curse is here understood as it commonly is to maintain a greater reverence for Oaths and to beget a greater dread of the curse belonging to the violators of it no man is with us x i. e. Here is now no man with us who when we are parted can witness and judge between us and punish the Transgressour Or thus Though now we have many with us as witnesses of this agreement yet shortly when we shall be parted no man will be with us to observe and report our actions to the other or to do the injur'd person right See God is witness betwixt me and thee 51 And Laban said to Jacob Behold this heap and behold this pillar which I have cast betwixt me and thee 52 This heap be Witness and this pillar be witness that I will not pass over this heap to thee and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me for harm 53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor the God of their father y He joyns Idols with the true God and secretly chargeth the Religion of Iacob and Abraham with novelty and prefers his own as the most antient Religion See Ios. 24. 2. whence we may learn that Antiquity of it self is no certain argument of the true Church or Religion judge betwixt us And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac 54 Then Jacob ‖ Or killed beasts offered sacrifice z Either to give God thanks for the great mercies and deliverances vouchsased to him or to beg Gods blessing upon the present treaty and upon their whole family But it is not so probable that Iacob would chuse that time for the offering of Sacrifices when Laban was present whom he could neither honestly admit to them nor conveniently exclude from them And therefore seeing the same Hebrew word signifies killing as well as sacrificing as appears from Numb 22. 40. 1 Sam. 28. 24. 1 King 1. 9. 2 Chron. 18. 2. c. I rather understand it of his killing of beasts in order to a Feast which he made for his brethren whom he called as it here follows to eat bread c. under which phrase all meats are usually comprehended in Scripture as hath been already noted and will appear hereafter And this practise was usual in those times to confirm Covenants by a Feast See Gen. 26. 30. upon the mount and called his brethren to eat bread and they did eat bread and tarried all night in the mount 55 And early in the morning Laban rose up and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them and Laban departed and returned unto his place CHAP. XXXII 1 AND Jacob went on his way and the Angels of God met him a In visible humane and glorious shape as they frequently appeared to the Patriarchs 2 And when Jacob saw them he said This is Gods host b So the Angels are justly called for their great number Dan. 7. 10. Luk. 2. 13. excellent order mighty power and for their use and service to God and to his Church for whose protection they are sent See 2 King 6. 17. Psal. 34. 7. and he called the name of that place ‖ That is two hosts or camps Mahanaim c i. e. Two hosts so called either because the Angels divided themselves into two companies and placed themselves some before others behind him or some on each side of him for his greater comfort and security or because the Angels made one host and his family another 3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir d Of which see Gen. 14. 6. and 36. 9 20 21. whither Esau had removed his habitation from Canaan partly out of discontent at his Parents partly as most convenient for his course of life and principally by direction of Divine Providence that Canaan might be left free and clear for Iacob and his posterity the †Heb. field countrey of Edom e So that Seir and Edom either are one and the same place or rather Seir was a part of Edom. Some say both names are put here for distinction For they make two lands of Edom the one Southward from Canaan the other Eastward and this latter they understand here alledging that the other or Southern was so remote from mount Gilead whence Iacob was now descending that Iacob need not fear Esau at that distance nor send to him But as that distinction seems to be without
Or 2. forward to the doubtful and miserable condition of Gad. 19 Gad troup z i. e. 〈◊〉 of enemies shall frequently invade his country â—…d for 〈◊〉 conquer and spoil it And so it came to pass becaâ—… the inheritance of that tribe lay beyond 〈◊〉 near to the Ammoâ—… â—…nd Moabites two inveterate enemies of 〈◊〉 and to other hostile nations on the East shall overcome him but he shall overcome at the last a Or afterward This was fulfilled 1 Chron. 5. 18. c. He shews that the events of the Wars should be various but Gad should one time or other spoil his spoilers See Deut. 33. 20. 20 Out of Asher b i. e. Out of the land of Aher Or As for or concerning Aher his bread shall be fat c His bread-corn shall be fuller and sweeter and better than ordinary and he shall yield royal dainties d Not onely oyl for Ointments but also delicious and excellent fruits fit to be presented to a King See Deut. 33. 24 25. 21 Naphtali is a hind let loose e Not pursued by hunters nor shut up in some little enclosure but wholly left to its own freedom to seed upon the best pastures See Deut. 33. 23. Or free from the yoke which they rogether with the other Tribes did bear in Eâ—…pt free from its former restraints which â—…ke it run away mâ—…e swiftly So it may note their â—…mbleness and expedition either in encountring enemies or in avoiding dangers See Iudg. 4. 6 1â—… and 5. 1â—… Or like a â—…ame hind left to its liberty in which the owner takes delight as Prov. 5. 19. For he seems to be commended rather for arts of Peace then War And this may note that his temper and conversation was civil obliging and amiable which sence the next words favour he giveth goodly words f His speeches and discourses with others are fair and friendly and winning It is not strange that this Tribe was generally of a sweeter disposition than others seeing it is commonly observed that there is a great difference in the tempers of people of divers Provinces or cities bordering one upon another But this verse may be otherwise rendred according to the opinion of a late learned writer Napthali is a tree so the Hebrew word signifies onely jod is inserted here as it is in the same word Isa. 1. 29. and 61. 3. shot forth or spread forth into many branches for the Hebrew verb Shalach is oft used concerning trees and their shooting forth of branches as Psal. 80. 11. Ezek. 17. 6. and 31. 5. sending forth goodly branches the word â—…re which is by others rendred words here signifying branches as either the same word or one coming from the same root and consisting of the same radical Letters is taken Isa. 17. 6 9. And it is usual in the Hebrew language for two words coming from the same root to exchange their significations And this interpretation is favoured by the antient Interpreters the LXX and one of the Arabick Manuscripts which make Napthali here to be compared to a goodly tree bringing forth excellent fruit 22 Joseph is a fruitful bough g In regard of those two numerous Tribes which proceeded from his two sons even a fruitful bough by a well h Or fountain or water-course which scituation doth much further the growth of trees See Psal. 1. 3. and Ezek. 19. 10. whose †Heb. daughters branches run over the wall i i. e. Which is planted by a wall whose heat furthers its growth no less than the moisture of the water doth 23 The archers k i. e. His adversaries as well his own brethren as his Master and Mistress have sorely grieved him l With their scoffes and slanders and injuries which in Scripture are oft compared to Arrows and shot at him and hated him 24 But * Job 29. 20. his bow l Wherewith he opposed his enemies which was no military bow but that which he opposed to all their injuries to wit his own vertue his innocence his patience his temperance his faith and hope in God whereby he resâ—…sted and vanquished all the temptations and difficulties which he met with so that all his enemies coâ—… neither detile nor destroy him abode in strength and the armes of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob m i. e. Of my God the noun for the pronoun which is frequent When men forsook and persecuted him my God and his God stood by him He sheweth that it was not Iosephs Wisdom or Courage but Gods gracious assistance that made him conquerour from thence is the Shepherd the stone of Israel n Either 1. From that great deliverance vouchsafed by God to Ioseph it is that Israel or Iacob hath a shepherd to feed him a stone to lay his head upon as once he did Gen. 28. 11. or a rock of refuge to flie to in his great distresses or a foundation stone or corner stone or pillar to sustain and preserve Iacobs house Or rather 2. from the hands of the mighty God of Iacob last mentioned or from the God of his father as it follows the next verse So the sence is this Though Ioseph was a blessed instrument in this wonderful work yet the God of Jacob was the chief authour of it by whose wise and merciful providence it was so ordered that Joseph should be first sold and afterward advanced and all in order to this end that his Israel with whom he hath been pleased to make a gracious and everlasting Covenant should have a shepherd to feed him in the time of Famine and a stone or rock to support him 25 Even by the God of thy father o Here he explains and determines that doubtful expression from thence by adding even by or rather from as this particle Mâ—…m properly signifies and was just now used the God of thy father i. e. who hath chosen and loved thy father and made a league with him and blessed him with all manner of blessings who shall help thee and by the Almighty who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above p i. e. The sweet and powerful influences of the heavenly bodies and the dews and rains which fall from heaven whereby the fruits of the earth are produced in great plenty See Levit. 26. 4. Deut. 28. 12. and 33. 14. blessings of the deep that lieth under q i. e. Of that great sea of waters both about the earth and in the earth whence come those springs and rivers by which the earth is moistned and made fruitful See Gen. 1. 2. and 7. 11. and Deut. 8. 7. blessings of the breasts and of the womb r Whereby both men and beasts shall be greatly multiplyed and abundantly supplied with all necessaries This was true 1. in the extent of the blessings Ihmael was excluded from Abrahams blessing and my brother excluded from Isaacs blessing but
the sons of Uzziel Mishael and Elzaphan and Zithri 23 And Aaron took him Elisheâ—…a daughter * Ruth 4. 19 20. 1 Chro. 2. 10 of Aminadab m A Prince of the Tribe of 〈◊〉 Numb 1. 7. and â—… 3. Marriages were not yet confined to their own Tribes and when they were the Levites seem to have had this priviledge thâ—… they might marry a daughter of any other tribe because indeed the reason of that law did not concern them there being no danger of confusion or loss of inheritance on their part And especially there were many marriages made between the Tribes of Iudah and Levi to signifie that both were united in Christ who was to be both King and Priest It is observable that Moses is here silent in his own progeny but gives a particular account of his brothers not onely from his great humility and modesty which shines forth in many other passages but because it was of more concernment and the honour of Priesthood given to Aaron was to be hereditary and peculiar to his seed and therefore it was necessary they should be exactly known whereas Moses his honour and government was onely personal and did not pass to his children Sister of Naashon to wife and she bare him * Num. 3. 2. 26. 60. 1 Chron. 6. 3. and 24. 1. Nadab and Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar 24 And the sons of Korah Assir and Elkanah and Abiasaph these are the families of the Korhites 25 And Eleazar Aarons son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife and * Numb 25. 11. she bare him Phinehas these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families 26 These are that Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies n i. e. According to their numerous families which were equal to great Armies and which went out of Egypt like several Armies in military order and with great power See Exod. 12. 41 51. and 13. 18. and 14. 8. 27 These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt These are that Aaron and Moses 28 And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt 29 That the LORD spake unto Moses saying I am the LORD speak thou unto Pharaoh King of Egypt all that I say unto thee 30 And Moses said before the LORD Behold I am of uncircumcised lips and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me CHAP. VII 1 AND the LORD said unto Moses See I have made thee a god to Pharaoh a To represent my person to act like God by requiring his obedience to thy commands and by punishing his disobedience with such punishments as none but God can inflict to which end thou shalt have my omnipotent assistance and Aaron thy brother shall be thy Prophet b i. e. Thy Interpreter or spokesman as chap. 4. 16. to deliver thy commands to Pharaoh 2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh that he send c Heb. and he will send or dismiss to wit at last being forced to it Success shall attend your endeavours the children out of his land 3 And I will harden Pharaohs heart and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt 4 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you that I may lay my hand upon Egypt and bring forth mine armies and my people the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt * chap. 6. â—… by great judgments 5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them 6 And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them so did they d An emphatical repetition to shew their courage in attempting to say and do such things to so great a Monarch in his own dominions and their fidelity in the execution of all Gods commands 7 And Moses was fourscore years old and Aaron fourscore and three years old when they spoke unto Pharaoh e The ages of Moses and Aaron here as of Levi and Kohath chap. 6. 16 18. and before them of Iacob and Ioseph are so exactly set down that thence we may understand the accomplishment of Gods prediction Gen. 15. 13. and the time of Israels being in Egypt 8 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying 9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you saying Shew a miracle for you then thou shalt say unto Aaron f By whose hands this and other miracles were to be done and not by Moses immediately partly to take off the suspition that these miracles were wrought by some magical artifice of Moses and partly for the greater honour of Moses that he might be what God had said ver 1. a God to Pharaoh who not onely could work wonders himself but also give power to others to do so * chap. 4. 2 17. Take thy rod g The same rod is called the rod of God and of Moses and of Aaron here and ver 12. because it was appointed and as it were consecrated by God and used both by Moses and Aaron in their great works And this rod Moses ordinarily held in his hand and delivered it to Aaron upon occasion for the execution of his commands and cast it before Pharaoh and it shall become a serpent h Heb. A dragon which is a great serpent Others a Crocodile to whose jaws he had exposed the Israelitish Infants 10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh and they did so as the LORD had commanded and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants and it became a serpent 11 Then Pharaoh also called the wisemen * Under which general title he seems to comprehend all who were most eminent in any sort of wisdom either natural or civil or divine who were all called to give their opinion and advice in these matters and the sorcerers now the Magicians i The same now called sorcerers who acted by the power of the Devil whom by certain rites and ceremonies they engaged to their assistance Of these the two chief were Iannes and Iambres 2 Tim. 3. 8. of Egypt they also did in like manner k In shew and appearance which was not difficult for the devil to do either by altering the air and the spectatours sight and by causing their rods both to look and move like serpents or by a sudden and secret conveyance of real serpents thither and removing the rods Nor is it strange that God permitted those delusions partly because it was a just punishment upon the Egyptians for their horrid and manifold Idolatry and barbarous cruelty towards the Israelites and their other wickedness and partly because there was a sufficient difference made between their
light of the heavenly bodies but also put out their candles or other artificial lights or at least so darken them that men could have no benefit by them neither rose any from his place y Place here may be taken either 1. more strictly and particularly so the sence is the horrour of that darkness was so great that they durst not remove at all but stood or sat where the darkness found them like men astonished or affrighted and therefore unmoveable having their minds disturbed being terrified with their guilty Consciences which most affect men in the dark and with the dreadful noises which they heard Wisd. 17. 5. and with the apparitions of evil Angels as may seem from Psal. 78. 49. where the plague of evil Angels is put instead of this plague of darkness which therefore is omitted in that place where all the rest are reckoned up Or rather 2. more largely for their own houses or dwellings for so the Hebrew word is certainly used Exod. 16. 29. So the sence is they did not stir abroad out of their houses upon their most necessary occasions Obj. He saith not that they could not go but that they could not rise from their place which may seem to limit this expression to their particular places Ans. The word to rise is commonly put for going about any business and here it is a pregnant word as they call it and implies going in it none arose viz. to go or remove from his place And rising cannot be properly taken here for that particular posture unless we will suppose that this darkness found all men sitting which is absurd to imagine for three dayes * Wisd. 18. 1. chap. 8. 22. but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings z Whereby they might have conveyed themselves and families and goods away as afterwards they did in haste but they waited for Moses his orders and he for Gods command and God intended to bring them forth not by stealth but in a more honourable and publick manner in spight of all opposition 24 And a Or Therefore or Then to wit after the darkness was either wholly or in part removed Pharaoh called unto Moses and said Go ye serve the LORD only let your flocks and your herds be stayed b Either as a pledge of your return after your sacrifice is ended or as a recompence for the cattel which I have lost by your means let your little ones c And consequently the women whose help and service was necessary for their little ones in diverse regards also go with you 25 And Moses said Thou must give †Heb. into our hands us * i. e. Suffer us to take of our own stock also sacrifices and burnt-offerings that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God 26 Our cattel also shall go with us there shall not an hoof be left behind for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God and we know not with what we must serve the LORD until we come thither d Which was not a pretence but a real truth For this being a solemn and extraordinary sacrifice by the express and particular appointment of God they knew not either of what kinds or in what number or manner their sacrifices must be offered And for all these things they did not receive particular directions till they came to mount Sinai 27 But the LORD * chap. 14. 4 8. hardened Pharaohs heart and he would not let them go 28 And Pharaoh said unto him Get thee from me take heed to thy self see my face no more for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die 29 And Moses said thou hast spoken well e Heb. right not morally for so it was very ill said but logically that which agrees though not with thy duty yet with the event and truth of the thing for as thou hast warned me to see thee no more so I in the name of God assure thee that thou shalt see me no more to beg my prayers or to be helped out of thy troubles by my means And therefore that discourse of Moses to Pharaoh which follows chap. 11. 4 c. though it be put there out of its order and proper place as many other passages are yet was delivered at this time and upon occasion of these words I will see thy face again no more CHAP. XI 1 AND the LORD said unto Moses a Either 1. Whilest Moses was not yet gone out of Pharaohs presence So God might suggest this to his mind as he did other things to Michaiah when he was before Ahab and Iehosaphat 1 King 22. or rather 2. before his last coming to Pharaoh and the words may be rendred thus Now the Lord had said unto Moses And this is here added as the reason why Moses spake so boldly to Pharaoh because God had assured him of a good issue Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt afterwards he will let you go hence * chap. 12 31 33 39. when he shall let you go he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether b Men and women and children and cattel and all that they had which he would never do before 2 Speak now in the ears of the people and let every man borrow of his neighbour c The Israelites who at first lived distinctly by themselves when they were greatly multiplyed and Pharaoh began to cast a jealous eye upon them and to take cruel counsels against them were more mixed with the Egyptians as appears from chap. 12. 12 13. and many other places either by their own choice that they might receive protection and sustenance from them or rather by Pharaohs design who planted many of his own people among them to watch and chastise them Exod. 1. 11. and it may be removed some of them from Goshen to the parts adjoyning to it which were inhabited by his people and every woman of her neighbour * chap. 3. 22. and 12. 35. jewels d Or vessels as the Hebrew word properly signifies for they might more plausibly ask and the Egyptians would with less suspition lend them vessels which might be proper and useful both for their sacrifices and feasts than Jewels for which they had no present need or use of silver and jewels of gold 3 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians Moreover the man * Eccl. 45. 1. Moses was very great in the land of Egypt in the sight of Pharaohs servants and in the sight of the people e Therefore they complyed with their request not onely out of love to the people but out of fear of Moses lest he should punish them severely in case of refusal 4 And Moses said f To Pharaoh before his departure as appears by comparing ver 8. with chap. 10. 29. And therefore the three first verses of this chapter come in by way
* Eccles. 38. 5. tree which when he had cast into the waters the waters were made sweet b Not so much by any vertue in that tree as by the power of God who used this rather as a sign to the Israelites than as an instrument to himself in this work there he made for them a statute and an ordinance c God or Moses in Gods name and by his order constituted and published to them a statute Which seems to be understood not of any particular Statute or Law as that concerning the Sabbath or their duty to their Parents or the like for the specifying of their duties is reserved to another time and place but of a general Law or Rule formerly given and now solemnly renewed by Moses at Gods command like that given to Abraham their Father Gen. 17. 1. Walk before me and be perfect God having thus far performed his part of that Covenant made with Abraham and his seed to bring them out of Egypt towards Canaan tells them that he expects and requires of them their observance of the condition of that covenant and gives them this indefinite and universal Law or Precept that they should obey and fulfill all the commands which God had already laid upon them or their Parents and which he should hereafter reveal to them This sense may be gathered out of the following verse wherein he explains what he meant by this Statute even all Gods Statutes or Commandements which if they would keep he engageth himself to preserve and deliver them So it is onely a change of the number the singular Statute being put for the plural Statutes which is a figure very frequently used both in Scripture and in other Authors God having now eased them of the hard and iron yoke of the Egyptians puts his sweet and easie yoke upon them and having undertaken to be their King and Protector and Captain he claims their subjection to himself and to his Laws or Statutes and there * chap. 16. 4. he proved them * Or tryed them i. e. the Israelites There he tried both their Faith by the difficulty now mentioned viz. their want of water and their future obedience by this general command which he is about to branch forth into divers particulars 26 And said if thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God and wilt do that which is right in his sight and wilt give ear to his Commandements and keep all his Statutes * Deut. 7. 15. I will put none of these diseases upon thee d Nor other evils or plagues But on the contrary I will bless thee with all manner of blessings Under one branch or part of the blessings of Gods covenant he includes all the rest by a very common Synecdoche which I have brought upon the Egyptians for I am the LORD * that healeth thee e Or Thy Physitian for all thy maladies both of Soul and Body chap. 23. 25. Psal. 103. 3. 〈◊〉 3. 27 * Numb 33. 9. And they came to Elim where were twelve wells of water and threescore and ten palm-trees f Which were both pleasant for their shade and refreshing for their sweet fruit Thus the Israelites are obliged and encouraged to the obedience commanded by being put into better circumstances than they were under in their last station and they encamped there by the waters CHAP. XVI 1 AND they took their journey from Elim and all the congregation of the children of Israel came a Though not immediately for there is another stage of theirs by the Red-sea mentioned Numb 33. 10. in which chapter Moses designed exactly to set down all their stations but omitted here because nothing remarkable happened in it and Moses in this place designed to record onely the memorable passages unto the wilderness of Sin b A great Wilderness between the Red-sea and Mount Sinai but differing from that Sin mentioned Numb 20. 1. which is between Elim and Sinai on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt 2 And the whole Congregation of the children of Israel murmured c For want of meat as appears from the following verse their provisions brought out of Egypt being now spent against Moses and Aaron in the Wilderness 3 And the children of Israel said unto them Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD d By any of those Plagues wherewith God destroyed the Egyptians in the land of Egypt * Numb 11. 4 5. when we sate by the flesh-pots and when we did eat bread to the full e Which is not probable but they amplifie their former mercies that they might aggravate their present calamity as the manner of impatient and ungoldly men is for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger f Quest. What danger was there of dying with hunger seeing they had their flocks and their herds which they brought out of Egypt Answ. 1. There was no great danger of it but they use aggravating expressions as discontented persons use to do 2. Their flocks and herds were not so numerous as to suffice them for above a months provision if they had all been slain and eaten as it is implyed Numb 11. 21 22. So there was some danger of it though neither immediate nor great 3. They were it seems resolved to spare these partly for increase and for their future subsistence and partly for sacrifice as not knowing how many of them they should be required to offer See Exod. 10. 26. 4 Then said the LORD unto Moses Behold I will rain * Psal. â—…8 24 25. and 105. 40. Joh 6. 31 32. 1 Cor. 10. 3. bread g i. e. Manna which shall serve them instead of bread Numb 11. 8. and was a more delicate and pleasant kind of bread called therefore The bread of Angels Psal. 78. 24 25. from heaven ‖ The air oft called Heaven in which Manna iâ—… produced for you and the people shall go out and gather †Heb. the portion of a day in his day Prov. 30. 8. Matth. 6. 11. a certain rate every day h Heb. The thing i. e. the provision of a day in his day i. e. every day as much as was sufficient for a mans sustenance that day that I may * chap. 15. 25. Deut. 8. 2 16. prove them i Either 1. whether by my giving them such miraculous and excellent provision they will be won to love and obey me Or 2. Whether by raining it down upon them for several days together they will learn to trust me for the following days and therefore gather no more than that day required whether they will walk in my Law or no. 5 And it shall come to pass that on the sixth day they shall prepare k Lay up grind bake or seethe See ver 23. and Numb 11. 8.
of the north Psal. 4â—… 2. and more specially to wit on mount Calvary which was on the North and West side of Ierusalem before the LORD and the Priests Aarons sons shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the Altar 12 And he shall cut it into his pieces with his head and his fat and the Priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar 13 But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water and the Priest shall bring iâ—… all and burn it upon the altar it is a burnt-sacrifice an offering made by fire of a sweet savour unto the LORD 14 And if the burnt-sacrifice for his offering to the LORD be of fowles then he shall bring his offering of * chap. 5. â—… turtle doves or of young pigeons z These birds were appointed for the relief of the poor who could not bring better And these birds are preferred before others partly because they were easily gotten and partly because they are fit representations of Christs chastity and meekness or gentleness for which these birds are remarkable The pigeons must be young because then they are best but the turtle-doveâ—… are better when they are more grown up and therefore theâ—… are not confined to that age 15 And the Priest shall bring it unto the altar and ‖ Or 〈◊〉 off the head with the 〈◊〉 wring off a To wit from the rest of the body as sufficiently appears because this was to be burnt by it self as it here follows and the body afterwards ver 17. And whereas it is said Levit. 5. 8. he shall â—…ing his 〈◊〉 from his neck but shall not divide it 〈◊〉 that is spoken not of the burnt-offering as here out of the sin-offering in which there might be a differing 〈◊〉 his head and burn it on the altar and the blood thereof shall be wrung out †Heb. 〈◊〉 wâ—…ll at the side of the altar 16 And he shall pluck away his crop with ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his feathers b Or with its dung or filth to wit contained in the crop and in the guts and cast it beside the altar on the East-part c To wit of the Tabernacle Here the filth was cast because this was the remotest place from the Holy of Holies which was in the West-end to teach us that impure things and persons should not presume to approach to God and that they should be banished from his presence by the place of the ashes d The place where the ashes fell down and lay whence they were afterwards removed without the camp See Levit. 4. 12. and 6. 10 11. and 8. 17. 17 And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof but shall not divide it asunder e Shall cleave the bird thorough the whole length yet so as not to separate the one side from the other and so as there may be a wing left on each side See Gen. 15. 10. and the Priest shall burn it upon the altar upon the wood that is upon the fire it is a burnt-sacrifice an offering made by fire of a sweet savour unto the LORD CHAP. II. 1 AND when †Heb. 〈◊〉 any will offer a meat-offering a This was of two kinds the one joyned with other offerings Numb 15. 4 7 10. which was prescribed together with the measure of proportion of it the other of whâ—…h this plaâ—… speaks was a distinct and separate offering and â—…as 〈◊〉 â—…o the offerers good will both for the thing and for the 〈◊〉 And the matter of this offering waâ—… 〈◊〉 without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corn cakes c. Now this sort of sacrifices were appointed 1. because these are things of greatest necessity and benefit to man and therefore it is meet that God should be served with them and owned and praised as the giver of them 2. in condescension to the poor that they might not want an offering for God and to shew that God would accept even the meanest services when offered to him with a sincere mind 3. these were necessary provisions for the feast which was here to be represented to God and for the use of the Priests who were to attend upon these holy ministrations unto the LORD his offering shall be of fine flour b Searched or sifted and purged from all bran it being fit that the best things should be offered to the best being and he shall pour oyl upon it c Which may note the graces of the Holy Ghost which are compared to oyl and anointing with it Psal. 45. 7. 1 Ioh. 2. 20. and which are necessary to make any offering acceptable to God and put frankincense thereon d Which manifestly designed Christs satisfaction and intercession which is compared to a sweet odour Eph. 5. 2. and to incense Rev. 8. 3. 2 And he shall bring it to Aarons sons the Priests and he e i. e. That Priest to whom he brought it and who is appointed to offer it shall take thereout his handfull of the flour thereof and of the oyl thereof with all the frankincense thereof * chap. 5. 12. 6. 15. and the Priest shall burn the memorial of it f That part thus selected and offered which is called a memorial either 1. to the offerer who by offering this part is minded that the whole of that he brought and of all which he hath of that kind is Gods to whom this part was paid as a quit-rent or acknowledgment Or 2. to God whom to speak after the manner of men this did put in mind of his gracious covenant and promises of favour and acceptance of the offerer and his offering See Exod. 30. 16. Levit. 6. 15. Numb 5. 26. upon the altar to be an offering made by fire of a sweet savour unto the LORD 3 And * chap. 7. 6. Eccl. 7. â—…1 the remnant of the meat-offering shall be Aarons and his sons ‖ To be eaten by them Levit. 6. 16. it is a * Num. 18. 9. thing most holy g i. e. Most holy or such as were to be eaten onely by the Priests and that onely in the holy place near the Altar See Levit. 6. 26. and 7. 6 9. and 21. 22. of the offerings of the LORD made by fire 4 And if thou bring an oblation of a meat-offering baken in the oven h Made in the Sanctuary for that use as may seem from 1 Chron. 23. 28 29. Ezek. 46. 20. it shall be an unleavened cake of fine flour mingled with oyl or unleavened wafers anointed with oyl 5 And if thy oblation be a meat-offering baken ‖ Or on a flat plate or slice in a pan it shall be of fine flour unleavened mingled with oyl 6 Thou shalt part it in pieces i Because part of it was offered to God and part given to the Priest and pour oyl thereon it is a meat-offering 7 And if thy oblation
which the LORD commanded that ye should do and the glory of the LORD h The glorious manifestation of Gods powerful and gracious presence ver 24. Compare Exod. 24. 16 17. â—…nd 40. 34 35. Ezek. 43. 2. shall appear unto you 7 And Moses said unto Aaron Go unto the altar and * Heb. 5. 3. offer i Moses had hitherto sacrificed but now he resigneth his work to Aaron and actually gives him that commission which from God he had received for him thy sin offering and thy burnt-offering and make an atonement for thy self and for the people k The order is very observable first for thy self otherwise thou art unfit to do it for the people Hereby God would teach us both the deficiency of this Priesthood and the absolute necessity of an higher and better Priest Heb. 7. 26 27. and how important and needful it is that Gods Ministers should be in the grace and favour of God themselves that their ministrations may be acceptable to God and profitable to the people and offer the offering of the people and make an atonement for them as the LORD commanded 8 Aaron therefore went unto the altar and slew the calf of the sin offering which was for himself 9 And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him and he dipt his finger in the blood and put it upon the horns of the altar l To wit of burnt-offerings of which alone he speaks both in the foregoing and following words and the blood was poured out at the bottom of this altar onely not of the altar of incense as appears from Lev. 4. 7. where indeed there is mention of putting some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of incense in this case of the Priests sacrificing for his own sins But there seems to be a double difference 1. that sacrifice was offered for some particular sin this for his sins indefinitely 2. there he is supposed to be compleat in his office and here he is but entring into his office and therefore must prepare and sanctify himself by this offering upon the brazen Altar in the court before he can be admitted into the holy place where the Altar of incense was And the like is to be said for the difference between the sin-offering for the people here and Lev. 4. 17 18. and poureâ—… out the blood at the bottom of the altar 10 But the fat and the kidneys and the cawle above the liver of the sin offering he burnt m Either 1. disposed it for the burning i. e. laid it upon the altar where it was to be burnt by the heavenly fire ver 24. Thus Interpreters generally understand the word here as also ver 13 17 20. by an anticipation or the consequent is put for the antecedent of which there are examples in Scripture Or 2. properly burnt by ordinary fire which was used and allowed until the fire came down from heaven ver 24. though afterwards it was forbidden And if it had not been allowed otherwise yet this being done by Aaron at the command of Moses and consequently with Gods approbation it was unquestionably lawful And therefore there seems to be no necessity of departing from the proper sence of the word Adde to this that there is nothing said to be consumed by that heavenly fire but the burnt-offering with the fat belonging to it namely that burnt-offering mentioned ver 16. which therefore is not there said to be burnt as it is said of the other burnt-offering ver 13. and of the rest of the sacrifices in their places upon the altar * chap. 4. 8. as the LORD commanded Moses 11 And * chap. 4. 11. the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp 12 And he slew the burnt-offering and Aarons sons presented unto him the blood which he sprinkled round about upon the altar 13 And they presented the burnt-offering unto him with the pieces thereof and the head and he burnt them upon the altar 14 And he did wash the inwards and the legs and burnt them upon the burnt-offering on the altar 15 And he brought the peoples offering n Which was to be offered for the people as the former was for himself ver 7. and took the goat which was the sin offering for the people and slew it and offered it for sin as the first o To wit in like manner as he did that for the Priest ver 8. and consequently burnt this as he did the other ver 11. for which Moses reproves him Lev. 10. 17. 16 And he brought the burnt-offering p Which also was offered for the people as the last mentioned sin-offering was and offered it * chap. 1. 3 10. according to the ‖ Or ordinance manner 17 And he brought the * chap. 2. 1 2. meat-offering q Which was always to be added to the burnt-offering See Levit. 6. and †Heb. filled his band out of it took an handful thereof and burnt it upon the altar * Exod. 29. 38. besides the burnt-sacrifice of the morning r Which was to be first offered every morning for God will not have his ordinary and stated service swallowed up by extraordinary 18 He slew also the bullock and the ram for * chap. 3. 1. a sacrifice of peace-offerings which was for the people and Aarons sons presented unto him the blood which he sprinkled upon the altar round about 19 And the fat of the bullock and of the ram the rump and that which covereth the inwards s The fat which covereth the inwards or the guts Which words are here understood as appears by comparing this place with Levit. 3. 3 9. and 4. 8. and 7. 3. where they are expressed and the kidneys and the caul above the liver 20 And they put the fat upon the breasts t Which were reserved for the Priest out of the peace-offerings which were offered for the people See Levit. 7. 30 31 34. and he burnt the fat upon the altar 21 And the brests and the right shoulder Aaron waved for a * Exod. 29 24 28. wave-offering before the LORD as Moses commanded 22 And Aaron lift up his hand u His right hand which the Iews say was lifted up highest or his hands according to the other reading which was the usual rite of blessing See Luk. 24. 50. By this posture he signified both whence he expected the blessing and his hearty desire of it for them towards the people and blessed them x In some such manner as is related Numb 6. 24 c. though not in the same form as some suppose for it is not probable that he used it before God delivered it And this blessing was an act of his Priestly office no less than sacrificing See Gen. 14. 18 19. Numb 6. 23. Deut. 10. 8. and 21. 5. Luk. 24. 50. and came down y To wit from the altar whence he
they gave publick testimony that they heard this person speak such words and did in their own and in all the peoples names desire and demand justice to be executed upon him that by this sacrifice God might be appeased and his judgments turned away from the people upon whom they would certainly fall if he were unpunished and let all the congregation stone him d The same punishment which was before appointed for those who cursed their parents whereas it deserved a far more grievous death Thus God in this life mixeth mercy with judgment and punisheth men less than their iniquities deserve 15 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel saying Whosoever curseth e i. e. Speaketh of him reproachfully and with contempt They therefore are greatly mistaken that understand this of the heathen Gods whom their worshippers are forbidden to reproach or curse But Moses is not here giving laws to Heathens but to the Israelites nor would he concern himself so much to vindicate the honour of Idols nor doth this agree either with the design of the holy Scriptures which is to beget a contempt and detestation of all Idols and Idolatry or with the practise of the holy Prophets who used oft to vilify them See 1 â—…ing 18. 27. Ier. 10. 11. his God shall bear his sin f i. e. The punishment of it shall not go unpunished Some say he was to be beaten with stripes other say with death which is described ver 16. 16 And †Or. â—…e that 〈◊〉 he that blasphemeth the Name of the LORD g This some make a distinct sin from 〈◊〉 his God mentioned ver 15. but the difference they make seems arbitrary and without evidence from reason or the use of the words And therefore this may be a repetition of the same sin in other words which is common And as this law is laid down in more general terms ver 15. so both the sin and the punishment are more particularly expressed ver 16. Or the first part of ver 16. may be an application of the former rule to the present case And as for him that blasphemeth c. or is blaspheming c. in the present tense which is fitly used concerning words just now uttered and scarce yet out of their ears he shall c. And so the following words as well the stranger c. may be a repetition and amplificatioâ—… of the former law he shall surely be put to death and all the congregation h To shew their zeal for God and to beget in them the greater dread and abhorrency of blasphemy shall certainly stone him as well the stranger as he that is born in the land when he †Or 〈◊〉 blasphemeth the name of the LORD shall be put to death 17 * Exod. 21. 12. Num. 35. 31. Deut. 10. 21. And he that †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a 〈◊〉 killeth any man i This law is repeated here either to justifie this sentence of putting blasphemers to death from the same severity executed for a less crime or to prevent the mischievous effects of mens striving or contending together which as here it caused blasphemy so it might in others lead to murder shall surely be put to death 18 And he that killeth a beast shall make it good †Heb. sâ—…l for sâ—…l beast for beast 19 And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour as * Exod. 21. 24. Deut. 19. 21. Mat. 5. 38. he hath done so shall it be done unto him 20 Breach for breach eye for eye tooth for tooth as he hath caused a blemish in a man so shall it be done to him again 21 * Exod. 21. 33 34. And he that killeth a beast he shall restore it and he that killeth a man he shall be put to death 22 Ye shall have * Exod. 12. 49. one manner of law k To wit in matters of common right but not as to Church priviledges as well for the stranger as for one of your own countrey for I am the LORD your God 23 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp and stone him with stones and the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses CHAP. XXV 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai a i. e. Near mount Sinai So the Hebrew particle beth is sometimes used as Gen. 37. 13. Ios. 5. 13. Iudg. 8. 5. 2 Chron. 33. 20. compared with 2 King 21. 18. So there is no need to disturb the order of the Iâ—…story in this place saying 2 Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them When ye come into the land b So as to be settled in it for the time of the wars was not to be accounted nor the time before Ioshua's distribution of the land among them Ios. 14. 7 10. which I give you then shall the land †Heb. rest keep * Exod. 23. 11. See ch 26. 34. a sabbath c i. e. Enjoy rest and freedom from plowing tilling c. unto the LORD d i. e. In obedience and unto the honour of God This was instituted partly for the assertion of Gods soveraign right to the land in which the Israelites were but tenants at Gods will partly for the trial and exercise of their obedience partly for the demonstration of his providence aswell in the general towards men as more especially towards his own people of which see below ver 20 21 22. partly to wean them from inordinate love and pursuit of or trust to worldly advantages and to inure them to depend upon God alone and upon Gods blessing for their subsistence partly to put them in mind of that blessed and eternal rest provided for all good men wherein they should be perfectly freed from all worldly labours and troubles and wholly devoted to the service and enjoyment of God See on Exod. 23. 11. and lastly that by their own straits in that year they might learn more compassion to the poor who were under the same straits every year 3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard and gather in the fruit thereof 4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land a sabbath for the LORD thou shalt neither sow thy field nor prune thy vineyard 5 * â—… King 19. 29. That which groweth of its own accord e From the grains that fell out of the ears the last reaping time of thy harvest thou shalt not reap f i. e. As thy own peculiarly but onely so as others may reap it with thee for present food neither gather the grapes †Heb. of thy separation of thy vine undressed g Heb. the grapes of thy separation i. e. The Grapes which thou hast separated or set apart to the honour of God and to the ends and uses appointed by God
were come out of the land of Egypt saying 2 * Exod. 30. 12. Take ye the sum c This is not the same muster with that Exod. 38. 26. as plainly appears because that was before the building of the Tabernacle which was built and setup on the first day of the first moneth Exod. 40. 2. but this was after it to wit on the first day of the second moneth as is said ver 1. And they were for differing ends that was to tax them for the charges of the Tabernacle but this was for other ends partly that the great number of the people might be known to the praise of Gods faithfulness in making good his promises of multiplying them and to their own comfort and encouragement partly for the better ordering of their camp and march for they were now beginning their journey and partly that this account might be compared with the other in the close of the book where we read that not one of all this vast number except Caleb and Ioshua were left alive which was an evident discovery of the mischievous nature of sin by which so vast a company were destroyed and a fair warning to all future generations to take heed of rebelling against the Lord for which their ancestours had been so dreadfully plagued even to extirpation It is true the sums and numbers agree in this and that computation which is not strange because there was not much time between the two numbrings and no eminent sin among the people in that interval whereby God was provoked to diminish their numbers Some conceive that in that number Exod. 30. and 38. the Levites were included which are here excepted ver 47. and that in that interval of time there were grown up as many more men of those years as there were Levites of the same age of all the congregation of the children of Israel d So the strangers mixed with them were not numbred after their families by the house of their fathers e The people were divided into twelve Tribes the Tribes into great Families Num. 26. 5. these great Families into lesser Families called the houses of their fathers because they were distinguished one from another by their fathers with the number of their names every male by their poll 3 From twenty years old and upward †Heb. 〈◊〉 that goith 〈◊〉 all that are able to go forth to war in Israel thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies 4 And with you there shall be a man of every tribe f To inspect the work that it might be faithfully and impartially done every one head of the house of his fathers 5 And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you g To wit with Moses and Aaron who were the chief managers of the work of the tribe of Reuben h The Tribes are here numbred according to the order or quality of their birth first the children of Leah then of Rachel and then of the handmaids Elizur the son of Shedeur 6 Of Simeon Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai 7 Of Judah Nahshon the son of Amminadab 8 Of Issachar Nethaneel the son of Zuar 9 Of Zebulun Eliab the son of Helon 10 Of the children of Joseph of Ephraim Elishama the son of Ammihud of Manasseh Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur 11 Of Benjamin Abidan the son of Gideoni 12 Of Dan Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai 13 Of Asher Pagiel the son of Ocran 14 Of Gad Eliasaph the son of Deuel i Called Reuel Numb 2. 14. the Hebrew letters Daleth and Resh being very like and oft changed 15 Of Naphtali Ahira the son of Enan 16 These were the renowned k Heb. the named or called to wit by Moses and by Gods appointment to manage this affair and others as there was occasion Compare Numb 16. 2. and 26. 9. of the congregation princes of the tribes of their fathers heads of thousands l See Exod. 18. 21. Numb 10. 4. in Israel 17 And Moses and Aaron took these men which are expressed by their names 18 And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month and they declared their pedigrees after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward by their poll 19 As the LORD commanded Moses so he numbred them in the wilderness of Sinai 20 And the children of Reuben Israels eldest son by their generations m Heb. to wit their generations i. e. the persons begotten of Reubens immediate Children who are here subdivided into families and they into houses and they into particular persons after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names by their polls every male from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 21 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Reuben were fourty and six thousand and five hundred 22 Of the children of Simeon by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers those that were numbred of them according to the number of the names by their polls every male from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 23 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Simeon were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred 24 Of the children of Gad by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 25 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Gad were fourty and five thousand six hundred and fifty 26 Of the children of Judah by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 27 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Judah were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred n Far more than any other tribe in accomplishing of Iacobs prophecy Gen. 49. 28 Of the children of Issachar by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 29 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Issachar were fifty and four thousand and four hundred 30 Of the children of Zebulun by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 31 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Zebulun were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred 32 Of the children of Joseph namely of the children of Ephraim by their generations after their families by the
house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 33 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Ephraim were fourty thousand and five hundred o Above 8000 more than Manasseh towards the accomplishment of that promise Gen. 48. 20. which the Devil in vam attempted to defeat by stirring up the men of Gath against them i Chron. 7. 21 22. 34 Of the children of Manasseh by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 35 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Manasseh were thirty and two thousand and two hundred 36 Of the children of Benjamin by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 37 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Benjamin were thirty and five thousand and four hundred p The smallest number except one though Benjamin had more immediate children than any of his brethren Gen. 46. 21. whereas Dan had but one immediate son Gen. 46. 23. yet now his number is the biggest but one of all the Tribes and is almost double to that of Benjamin Such great and strange changes God easily can and frequently doth make in families 1 Sam 2. 5. And therefore let none boast or please themselves too much in their numerous off-spring 38 Of the children of Dan by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 39 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Dan were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred 40 Of the children of Asher by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 41 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Asher were forty and one thousand and five hundred 42 Of the children of Naphtali throughout their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 43 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Naphtali were fifty and three thousand and four hundred 44 These are those that were numbred which Moses and Aaron numbred and the princes of Israel being twelve men each one was for the house of his fathers 45 So were all those that were numbred of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war in Israel 46 Even all they that were numbred were * Exod. 38 26. See Exod. 12. 37. chap. 26. â—…1 six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty 47 But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbred among them 48 For the LORD had spoken unto Moses saying 49 Onely thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi q Because they were not generally to go out to war which was the thing principally eyed in this muster ver 3 20 45. but were to attend upon the service of the Tabernacle and therefore are reserved to another distinct muster Numb 3. 15. and 4. 2. c. And least this should be thought to be designed and done through Moses his ambition to give his own Tribe the preeminence he assures them it was done by Gods express command neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel 50 But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony r So called here and Exod. 38. 21. because it was made chiefly for the sake of the Ark of the Testimony 2 Sam. 7. 2. which is oft called the Testimony as hath been observed before and over all the vessels thereof and over all things that belong to it they shall bear the tabernacle and all the vessels thereof and they shall minister unto it and shall encamp round about the tabernacle 51 And when the tabernacle setteth forward the Levites shall take it down and when the tabernacle is to be pitched the Levites shall set it up and the stranger s The stranger elsewhere is one of another Nation here one of another Tribe one no Levite that cometh nigh t So as to do the offices mentioned ver 50. shall be put to death 52 And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents every man by his own camp and every man by his own standard throughout their hosts 53 But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony that there be no wrath u To wit from God who is very tender of his worship and will not suffer the profaners of it to go unpunished whose wrath is called simply Wrath by way of eminency as the most terrible kind of wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel and the Levites shall keep the charge x i. e. Shall suffer no stranger to approach through curiosity or any other motive of the tabernacle of testimony 54 And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses so did they CHAP. II. 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying 2 Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard a Or ensign by that to which he is allotted by the following order It is manifest that there were four great Standards or Ensigns which here follow distinguished by their colours or figures or otherwise also that there were other particular Ensigns belonging to each of their Fathers Houses or Families as is here said with the ensign of their fathers house †Heb. over against far off b Partly out of reverence to God and his Worship and the portion allotted to it and partly for caution least their vicinity to it might tempt them to make too near approaches to it It is supposed they were at 2000 cubits distance from it which was the space between the people and the Ark Ios. 3. 4. and it is not improbable because the Levites encamped round about it between them and the Tabernacle about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch 3 And on the east-side toward the rising of the Sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah 4 And his host and those that were numbred of them were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred 5 And those that do pitch
the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai and they had no children and Eleazar and Ithamar ministred in the priests office in the sight of Aaron d In the time of Aarons life as this phrase is taken Nâ—…ab â—… 4. See also Psal. 72. 5 17. and under their fathers inspection and direction and as their fathers servants or ministers in the Priests-office for servants are oft described by this phrase of being or standing or 〈◊〉 in the sight or 〈◊〉 of their master their father 5 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 6 Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them e Offer them to the Lord for his special service This was promised to them before and now actually conferred upon them before Aaron the priest that they may minister unto him 7 And they shall keep his charge f i. e. Aarons charge or those things which are committed principally to Aarons care and oversight and under him and his direction to the Levites and the charge of the whole congregation g i. e. Of all the sacrifices and services which were due to the Lord from all the people and because all the people could not and might not perform them or at least diverse of them in their own persons therefore they were to be performed by some particular persons in their name and stead formerly by the first-born Numb 8. 16. and now by the Levites See Numb 1. 53. and 16. 9. before the tabernacle h Emphatically not within the Tabernacle for the care of these things within the holy place was appropriated to the Priests as the care of the most holy place was peculiar to the High-priest of the congregation to do the service of the tabernacle 8 And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation and the charge of the children of Israel i Those things which all the children of Israel are in their several places and stations obliged to take care of though not in their persons yet by others in their stead to do the service of the tabernacle 9 And * chap. 8. 19. thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons they are †Heb. 〈◊〉 giveâ—… wholly given unto him k To attend upon him and observe his orders and case him of part of his burden in things hereafter mentioned out of the children of Israel 10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons and they shall wait on their priests office l In their own persons not by the Levites and the stranger m i. e. Every one who is of another family than Aarons yea though he be a Levite See Numb 1. 53. and 16. 40. that cometh nigh n To wit to execute any part of the Priest office shall be put to death 11 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 12 And I behold * chap. 8. 16 and 18. 6. I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the first-born n Who were Gods propriety by right of Redemption Exod. 13. 12. and to whom the administration of holy things was formerly committed which now was taken away from them either because they had forfeited this priviledge by joyning with the rest of their brethren in the idolatrous worship of the calf or because they were to be mainly concerned in the distribution and management of the inheritances which now they were going to possess and therefore could not be at leisure to attend upon the service of the Sanctuaâ—…y Which made it fit that this work should be committed to other hands And God would not commit it to some other persons in each Tribe which might be an occasion of Idolatry confusion division and contempt of sacred things but to one distinct Tribe which might be intirely devoted to that service and particularly to the Tribe of Levi partly out of his respect to Moses and Aaron branches of this Tribe partly as a recompence of their zeal for God and against Idolaters See Exod. 32. 25 29. Deut. 33. 9. and partly because it was the smallest of the Tribes and therefore most likely to find both employment in and maintenance for the work that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel therefore the Levites shall be mine 13 Because * Exod. 13. 2. Lev. 27. 26. chap. 8. 16. Luk. 2. 23. all the first-born are mine * Exod. 13. 12 15. for on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the first-born in Israel both man and beast mine they shall be I am the LORD o Who may appoint whom I please for my service 14 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai saying 15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers by their families every male from a month old p Because at that time the first-born in whose stead the Levites came Numb 8. 16. were offered to God Luk. 2. 22. and to be redeemed Numb 18. 16. And from that time the Levites were consecrated to God and were as soon as they were capable to be instructed in their work Elsewhere they are numbred from twenty five years old when they were entred as novices to part of their work Numb 8. 24. and from thirty years old when they were compleatly admitted to their whole office and upward shalt thou number them 16 And Moses numbred them according to the †Heb. mouth word of the LORD as he was commanded 17 * Gen. 46. 11. Exod. 6. 16. chap. 26. 57. 1 Chron. 6. 1 2. and 23. 6. And these were the sons of Levi by their names Gershon and Kohath and Merari 18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families Libni and Shimei 19 And the sons of Kohath by their families Amram and Izhar Hebron and Uzziel 20 And the sons of Merari by their families Mahli and Mushi these are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers 21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnite and the family of the Shimite these are the families of the Gershonite 22 Those that were numbred of them according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward even those that were numbred of them were seven thousand and five hundred 23 The families of the Gershonite shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward 24 And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonite shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael 25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the * Exod. 25. 9. tabernacle q Not the boards which belonged to Merari ver 36. but the ten curtains mentioned Exod. 26. 1. and the * Exod. 26. 1. tent r To wit the curtains of goats hair * Exod. 26. 7. 14. the covering thereof s i. e. The coverings of
Gods service and their cattle for themselves as Gods ministers and for their support in Gods work in stead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel 42 And Moses numbred as the LORD commanded him all the first-born among the children of Israel 43 And all the first-born males by the number of names from a month old and upward of those that were numbred of them were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen 44 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 45 Take the Levites k To wit the 22000 reckoned up ver 39. of which see the notes there in stead of all the first-born among the children of Israel and the cattle of the Levites in stead of their cattle and the Levites shall be mine I am the LORD 46 And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the first-born of the children of Israel which are more than the Levites 47 Thou shalt even take five shekels a piece l Which was the price to be paid for the redemption of a first-born a month old Numb 18. 15 16. but this mony though paid for these 273 persons was probably paid out of the common stock of all except lots were cast who should pay which is not probable in so small a concern accompanied with so much trouble by the poll after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them * â—…xod 30. 13. 〈◊〉 27. 25. 〈◊〉 18. 16. 〈◊〉 45. 12. the shekel is twenty gerahs 48 And thou shalt give the number wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons m To whom all the Levites were given and therefore the mony which came in their stead 49 And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites 50 Of the first-born of the children of Israel took he the money a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels after the shekel of the sanctuary 51 And Moses gave the mony of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons according to the word of the LORD as the LORD commanded Moses CHAP. IV. 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying 2 Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi after their families by the house of their fathers 3 From thirty years old a This age was prescribed as the age of full strength of body and therefore most proper for their present laborious work of carrying the parts and vessels of the Tabernacle and of maturity of judgment which is necessary for the right management of holy services Whence even Iohn and Christ entred not upon their Ministery till that age And it may still seem to be the fittest season for mens undertaking the Ministery of the Gospel except in case of extraordinary abilities or the Churches pressing necessity Object They might enter upon this work at their 25th year Numb 8. 24. and in David's time and afterward at their twentieth year Answ. 1. Their first entrance upon their work was at their five and twentieth year when they began as learners and acted onely under the inspection and direction of their brethren but in their thirtieth year they were compleatly admitted to a full discharge of their whole office 2. David being a Prophet and particularly directed by God in the affairs of the Temple might and did make a change in this matter which he might the better do both because it was but a change in a circumstance and because the magnificence of the Temple and the great multitude of sacred utensils and sacrifices required a greater number of attendants than formerly was necessary and upward even until fifty years old b When they were exempted from the toilsome work of carrying burdens but not discharged from the honourable and easie work done within the Tabernacle Numb 8. 26. all that enter c i. e. That do and may enter having no defect Levit. 21. 17. nor other impediment into the host d The society of sacred Ministers he calls an host because of that excellent order which was among them as to persons place time the matter and manner of their services to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation 4 This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation about the most holy things e Hereafter mentioned as the Ark Table Altar c. Compare Numb 3. 31. 5 And when the camp setteth forward Aaron shall come and his sons and they f For upon this necessary occasion the inferiour Priests are allowed to come into the Holy of Holies which otherwise was peculiar to the High-priest Heb. 9. 7. shall take down the covering vail g The second vail of which see Exod. 26. 31 c. Levit. 4. 6. Heb. 9. 3. wherewith the Ark was covered while the Tabernacle stood Exod. 40. 3. and cover the ark h Because the Levites who were to carry the Ark might neither see nor immediately touch it of testimony with it 6 And shall put thereon the covering of badgers-skins i Whereby the Ark was secured from the injuries of the weather and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue and shall put in the staves thereof k Object How could these staves be put in when they were never to be taken out Exod. 25. 15. compared with 1 King 8. 8. 1. Answ. These places may speak of the staves while the Ark and Tabernacle stood but when they were to be removed the posture of all things was altered 2. The Hebrew verb doth not signifie putting in but barely putting or placing or disposing and may be understood not of putting the staves into the rings wherein they constantly remained but of the putting of them either upon their shoulders to try and fit them for carriage or into the holes or receptacles which probably were made in these coverings for the receiving and covering of these guilded staves to keep them both from the touch of the Levites and from the inconveniences of bad weather 7 And upon the * Exod. 2â—… 3â—… table of shew bread l Heb. Of faces or presence for of the bread of faces or presence i. e. of the bread which was continually standing in the presence of the Lord. they shall spread a cloth of blue and put thereon the dishes m Upon which the shew-bread was put and the spoons and the bowls and covers to ‖ Or. pour out withal cover withall and the continual bread n i. e. Shew-bread so called because it was continually to be there even in the wilderness where though they had onely Manna for themselves yet they reserved corn for the weekly making of these loaves which they might with no great difficulty procure from some of the people bordering upon the wilderness in the
Nazarite may drink wine f And return to his former freedom and manner of living he is discharged from his vow 21 This is the Law of the Nazarite who hath vowed and of his offering unto the LORD for his separation besides that that his hand shall get g i. e. Besides what he shall voluntarily promise and give according to his ability according to the vow which he vowed so he must do after the law of his separation 22 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons saying On this wise h Heb. Thus in this manner or in these words yet so as that they were not tied to these very words because after this we have examples of Moses and David and Solomon and others blessing the people in other words ye shall bless the children of Israel i To wit in the publick assembly saying unto them 24 The LORD bless thee k i. e. Bestow upon you all manner of blessings temporal and spiritual Compare Gen. 12. 2. and keep thee l i. e. Continue his blessings to thee and preserve thee in and to the use of them keep thee from sin and its bitter effects 25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee m and be gracious unto thee l i. e. Smile upon thee this is opposed to the hiding of his face and to the covering himself or his face with a cloud and it is explained by the following words be gracious unto thee Others expound it of illumination or direction and the revelation of himself and of his will to them 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee n i. e. Look upon thee with a chearful and pleasant countenance as one that is reconciled to thee and well pleased with thee and thy offering and services See of this phrase Psal. 4. 6. Prov. 16. 15. To this is opposed the falling and the casting down of the countenance of which see Gen. 4. 5 6. Iob 29. 24. Or Regard Protect and help thee Compare Psal. 33. 18. and give thee peace o Peace with God and with thy own conscience and with all men and all prosperity which is comprehended under this word 27 And they shall put my Name upon the children of Israel p i. e. Shall call them by my name shall recommend them to me as my own people and bless them and pray unto me for them as such which is a powerful argument to prevail with God for them and therefore hath been oft used by the Prophets interceding for them as Ier. 14. 9. Dan. 9. 18 19. Compare 1 Sam. 12. 22. and I will bless them q I will ratify their blessings and give those blessings to the people which the Priests pray for CHAP. VII 1 AND it came to pass on the day a Either 1. precisely and so this history as many others is put out of its proper place and this chapter and the 8th and 9th and 10th and 11th should follow next after Exod. 40. and this day is the same on which the Tabernacle was erected which was the first day of the first moneth of the 2 year Exod. 40. 17 18. Or 2. largely day being put for time and on the day for about the time or a little after the time And thus it seems to be taken here because all the princes did not offer these things upon one and the same day but on several dayes as here it follows And so there is no disorder in the history and this chapter comes in its proper place and those things were done in the second moneth of the second year after the Tabernacle and Altar and all other instruments thereof were anointed as is here expressed and after the Levites were separated to the service of the Tabernacle and appointed to their several works as is manifest from ver 5 6 7 8 9. which was done about a moneth after the Tabernacle was erected c. and after the numbring of the people Numb 1. when the Princes here employed in the offerings were first constituted and after the disposal of the Tribes about the Tabernacle the order of which is here observed in the time of their offerings that Moses had fully * Exod. 40. 18. Lev. 8. 10. set up the tabernacle and had anointed it b and sanctified it and all the instruments thereof both the altar and all the vessels thereof and had anointed them and sanctified them 2 That * chap. 1. 4. the princes of Israel heads of the house of their fathers who were the princes of the tribes †Heb. who stood and were over them that were numbred offered c To wit in the manner and days hereafter mentioned 3 And they brought their offering before the LORD six covered wagons d For the more convenient and safe carriage of such things as were most cumbersome and twelve oxen a wagon for two of the princes and for each one an oxe and they brought them before the tabernacle 4 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 5 Take it of them that they may be to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation and thou shalt give them unto the Levites to every man according to his service e i. e. More or fewer of them as the nature of their service and of the things to be carried required 6 And Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them unto the Levites 7 Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon according to their service 8 And four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari according unto their service under the hand of Ithamar f i. e. Under his care and inspection See Gen. 39. 22. And it must be noted that these words belong both to the Merarites here and to the Gershonites ver 7. because both of them were under his hands as is affirmed Numb 4. 28 33. the son of Aaron the priest 9 But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders g Because of the greater worth and holiness of the things which they carried See Numb 4. 6 8 10 12 14. 2 Sam. 6. 6 13. 10 And the princes offered for dedicating of the altar h To wit of burnt-offerings and incense too as appears from the matter of their offerings The singular number for the plural Not for the first dedication of them for it is apparent they were dedicated or consecrated before this time by Moses and Aaron for diverse days together Numb 8. and 9. but for a further dedication of them these being the first offerings that were made for any particular persons or tribes in the day i i. e. About the time as soon as it was anointed See on ver 1. that it was anointed even the princes offered their offering before the altar 11 And
oâ—…n fancies before my commands and to live onely by present sight or sence and not at all by faith in my promises 40 That ye may remember and do all my commandments and be holy unto your God 41 I am the LORD your God which brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God I am the LORD your God m Though I am justly displeased with you for your frequent and horrid rebellions for which also I will keep you 40 years in the wilderness yet I will not utterly cast you off but will continue to be your God to preserve and provide for you there and after that time to bring you into Canaan CHAP. XVI 1 NOW * chap. 27. 3. Jude 11. Korah a The first and chief authour of this rebellion ver 21. Iude ver 11. the son of Izhar b Amrams brother Exod. 6. 18. therefore Moses and he were cousen germans Moreover Izhar was the second son of Kohath whereas Elizaphan whom Moses had preferred before him and made prince or ruler of the Kohathites Numb 3. 30. was the son of Uzziel the fourth son of Kohath This the Iewish writers say made him malecontent which at last broke forth into sedition the son of Kohath the son of Levi and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab and On the son of Peleth sons of Reuben c These are drawn into confederacy with Korah partly because they were his next neighbours both being encamped on the south-side and therefore could easily communicate counsels partly in hopes to recover their rights of primogeniture in which the Priesthood was comprehended which was given away from their father took men d To wit those 250 mentioned ver 2. In the Hebrew there is nothing but took and the Hebrew words are placed and may well be rendred thus Now Korah took both Dathan and Abiram c. or took Dathan c. the particle Vau being here superfluous as it is Gen. 8. 6. and elsewhere 2 And they e i. e. Korah Dathan and Abiram last mentioned rose up f i. e. Conspired together and put their seditious design in execution before Moses g Not privily and obscurely but openly and boldly not fearing nor regarding the presence of Moses who was an eye-witness of their conspiracy with certain of the children of Israel two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly * chap. 26. 9. Ruth 4. 11. 14. famous h For place and birth in the congregation men of renown 3 And * Psal. 106. 16. they i i. e. Either Korah and the 250 Princes which may seem probable by comparing this with ver 12 25 27. where we find Dathan and Abiram in another place even in their tents whither it is likely they were gone by consent to form and strengthen their party there while Korah and the rest went to Moses Or Korah Dathan and Abiram and the rest who were all together when Moses spake those words ver 5 6 7. but after that Dathan and Abiram retired to their tents and then Moses sent for Korah and the Levites who had more special and more colourable pretences to the Priesthood and treats with them apart and speaks what is mentioned ver 8 9 10 11. and then having dispatched them he sends for Dathan and Abiram ver 12. that he might reason the case with them also apart gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron k Against Aaron to whom the Priesthood was confined and against Moses both because this was done by his order and because before Aarons consecration Moses appropriated it to himself For whatever they intended they seem not now directly to strike at Moses for his supreme civil government but onely for his interest and influence in the disposal of the Priesthood as may appear by the whole context and particularly by ver 5 10 15 c. and said unto them †Heb. it is much for you ye take too much upon you l By perpetuating the Priesthood in your selves and family with the exclusion of all others from it seeing all the congregation are holy m A kingdom of Priests an holy nation as they are called Exod. 19. 6. a people separated to the service of God and therefore no less fit to present themselves before God and to offer sacrifice and incense for themselves than you are every one of them and the LORD is among them n By his Tabernacle and cloud the tokens of his special and gracious presence and therefore ready to receive all their sacrifices and services from their own hands wherefore then lift ye up your selves o Thou Moses by prescribing what laws thou pleasest about the Priesthood and confining it to thy brother and thou Aaron by usurping it as thy peculiar priviledge above the congregation of the LORD 4 And when Moses heard it he fell upon his 〈◊〉 p Humbly begging that God would direct him and defend and vindicate him from this false and odious imputation See Numb 14. 5. Accordingly God answers his prayers and inspires him with this following answer to Korah and strengthens him with new courage and confidence of good success 5 And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company saying Even to morrow q Heb. In the morning the time appointed by men for administring justice Psal. 101. 8. Ier. 21. 12. and chosen by God for that work Psal. 73. 14. Isa. 47. 11. Zeph. 3. 5. Some time is allowed partly that Korah and his company might prepare themselves and their censers and partly to give them space for consideration and repentance the LORD will shew who are his and who is holy and will cause him r Or and whom he will cause to come near unto him s i. e. To serve him in the Priesthood even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him t i. e. He will by some evident and miraculous token declare his approbation of him and his ministery 6 This do take ye censers u Since ye will be Priests take your censers and act as Priests at your peril Korah and all his company 7 And put fire therein and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose x i. e. Declare his choice and appointment of them for that work he shall be holy ye take too much upon you ye sons of Levi. 8 And Moses said unto Korah Hear I pray you ye sons of Levi y Consider what I say before it be too late and repent of your great wickedness 9 Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel to bring you near to himself z Nearer than the other Tribes though not so near as the Priests to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD and to stand before
digested the books of Moses into this order and inserted some very few passages to accommodate things to their own time and people 15 And * Num. 32. â—…9 I gave Gilead o i. e. The half part of Gilead as appears from ver 12 13. See on Numb 32. 40. unto Machir p i. e. Unto the children of Machir son of Manasseh for Maâ—…hir was now dead 16 And unto the Reubenite and unto the Gadite I gave from Gilead even unto the River Arnon half the valley q Or rather to the middle of the River for the word rendred half signifies commonly middle and the same Hebrew word signifying both a valley and a brook or river it seems more reasonable to understand it of a River as the same word is here rendred in the next foregoing clause of this verse than of a valley which was not mentioned before especially seeing there is here an article added which seems to be emphatical and to note that River to wit now mentioned Adde to this that there was no such valley much less any half-valley belonging both unto the Reubenites and Gadites But according to the other translation the sense is plain and agreeable to the truth that their Land extended from Gilead unto Arnon and to speak exactly to the middle of that River for as that River was the border between them and others so one half of it belonged to them as the other half did to others And that this is no subtil device as some may think it but the truth of the thing and the reall meaning of the place will appear by comparing this place with two others 1. with Ios. 12. 2. where the same thing is expressed in the same words in the Hebrew which are here though our translatours render the self-same words there from the middle of the River which here they render half of the valley and where the bounds of Sihons Kingdom which was the same portion here mentioned as given to Reuben and Gad are thus described from Aroer which is upon the baâ—…k of the River of Arnon and from the middle of the River and from half Gilead even unto the river Iabbok which is the border of the children of Ammon 2. With Deut. 2. 36. From Aroer which is by the brink of the River of Arnon and from the city that is by the River or rather as the Hebrew hath it in the River i. e. from Ar which was the chief city of the Moabites and therefore denied to the Israelites as is here implyed and more fully expressed Deut. 2. 9. which City was seated in an Island in the middle of the River So that here we have a just and full reason why the border of this Land given to Reuben and Gad is so nicely and critically described here even to the middle of a River which although in truth and strictness it be the bound of those Lands which are divided by a River yet is not usually expressed in the deleription of borders either in Scripture or other Autnours because here was an eminent City of the Meabites in the middle of this River which by this curious and exact description is excepted from their possession as God would have it to be and the border even unto the river Jabbok r The meanning seems to be this And the border to wit of their Land was which 〈◊〉 substantive is commonly understood or went 〈◊〉 as the phrase is Iâ—… 15. 6 7 c. from thence to 〈◊〉 from the River Arâ—…on even unto the River Iabbok for so indeed their border did proceed * Num 21. 24. Josh. 12. â—… which is the border of the children of Ammon s Object This was the border between them and the 〈◊〉 as is evident and therefore not the border of the Ammonites 〈◊〉 It bordered upon the 〈◊〉 in one part and upon the Ammonites in another part to wit in that part which is remoter from Iordan and so both are true 17 The plain t The Low Country towards Iordan also and Jordan and the coast thereof from Chinnereth u Of which see on Numb 34. 1â—… Ios. 12. 3. even unto the sea of the plain x i. e. That salt Sea as it here follows which before that dreadful conflagration was a goodly plain called the plain of Iordan Gen. 13. 10. even the salt sea ‖ Or â—…nder the springs of Pisgah or the hill under Ashdoth Pisgah y The proper name of a City of which Ios. 13. 20. eastward 18 And I commanded you z To wit the Reubenites and Gadites mentioned ver 16. to whom he now turns his speech by an Apostrophe at that time saying The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it * Num. 32. 20. ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel all that are †Heb. sons of power meet for the war a In such number as your brethren shall judge necessary See Ios. 1. 14. and 4. 13. 19 But your wives and your little ones and your cattle for I know that ye have much cattle shall abide in your cities which I have given you 20 Until the LORD have given rest b A peaceable and fixed possession unto your brethren as well as unto you and until they also possess the land which the LORD your God hath given them beyond Jordan and then shall ye * Josh. 22. 4. return every man unto his possession which I have given you 21 And * Num. 27. 18. I commanded Joshua at that time saying Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two Kings so shall the LORD do unto all the Kingdoms whither thou passest 22 Ye shall not fear them for the LORD your God he shall fight for you 23 And I besought the LORD at that time saying 24 O LORD God thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness and thy mighty hand for * Psal. 8â—… 8. and 89. 6. what God is there in heaven or in earth that can do according to thy works and according to thy might 25 I pray thee let me go over c For he supposed Gods threatning might be conditional and reversible as many others were and see the good land that is beyond Jordan that goodly mountain d Or that blessed mountain which the Jews not improbably understand of that mountain on which the Temple was to be built For as Moses desired and determined to prepare an habitation for God Exod. 15. 2. and knew very well that God would chuse a certain place for his habitation and to put his name there Deut. 12. 5. So he also knew that it was the manner both of the true worshippers of God and of Idolaters to worship their God in high-places and particularly that Abraham did worship God in the mount of Mâ—…a Gen. 22. 2. and therefore did either reasonably conjecture that God would chuse
bottom of Mount Sinai to hear and receive Gods ten Commandements from his own mouth 11 And it came to pass at the end of fourty dayes and fourty nights that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone even the tables of the covenant 12 And the LORD said unto me * Exod. 3â—… 3. Arise get thee down quickly from hence for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them they have made them a molten image 13 Furthermore the LORD spake unto me saying I have seen this people and behold it is a stiff-necked people 14 Let me alone o Stop not the course of my fury by thy intercession that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven and I will make of thee a nation greater and mightier than they 15 So I turned and came down from the mount and the mount burned with fire and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands 16 And * Exod. 32. 19. I looked and behold ye had sinned against the LORD your God and had made you a molten calf ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the LORD had commanded you 17 And I took the two tables and cast them out of my two hands and brake them before your eyes p Not by an unbridled passion but in zeal for Gods honour and by the direction of Gods spirit to signifie to the people that the covenant between God and them contained in those tables was broken and made void and they were now quite cast out of Gods favour and could expect nothing from him but fiery indignation and severe justice See on Exod. 32. 19. 18 And * Psa. 106. 23. I fell down q In way of humiliation and supplication on your behalf before the LORD as at the first forty dayes and forty nights I did neither eat bread nor drink water because of all your sins which ye sinned in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to anger 19 For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure wherewith the LORD was wroth against you to destroy you But the LORD hearkned unto me at that time also 20 And the LORD was very angry with Aaron r Though he was onely accessary as being perswaded and in a manner compelled to comply with your desire to have destroyed him And I prayed for Aaron also the same time 21 And * Exod. 32. 20. I took your sin s i. e. The object and matter of your sin as sin is taken Isa. 31. 7. the calf which ye had made and burnt it with fire and stamped it and ground it very small even until it was as small as dust and I cast the dust thereof into the brook t That there might be no monument or remembrance of it left that descended out of the mount 22 And at * Num. 11. 1 3. Taberah and at * Exod. 17. 7. Massa and at * Num. 11. 34. Kibroth-hattaavah ye provoked the LORD to wrath 23 Likewise * Num. 13. 3. when the LORD sent you from Kadesh-barnea saying Go up and possess the land which I have given you then ye rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God and ye believed him not nor hearkned to his voice 24 Ye have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you 25 Thus I fell down before the LORD forty dayes and forty nights u The same mentioned before v. 18. as appears 1. By comparing this with Exodus where this History is more fully related and where this is said to be done twice onely 2. By the occasion and matter of Moses his prayer here following which is the same with the former 3. By the words here following as I fell down at first which shew that this was the second time of his so doing as I fell down * Ver. 18. at the first because the LORD had said he would destroy you 26 I prayed therefore unto the LORD and said O LORD God destroy not thy people and thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed through thy greatness x i. e. Through the greatness of thy power which appeared most eminently in that work as is noted v. 29. which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand 27 Remember thy servants y i. e. The promise made and sworn to thy servants which was mentioned above v. 5. Abraham Isaac and Jacob look not unto the stubborness of this people nor to their wickedness nor to their sin 28 Lest the land whence thou broughtest us out say * Num. 14. 15. Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which he promised them and because he hated them he hath brought them out to slay them in the wilderness 29 Yet they are thy people z Whom thou hast chosen to thy self out of all mankind and publickly owned them for thine and hast purchased and redeemed them from the Egyptians and thine inheritance which thou broughtest out by thy mighty power and by thy stretched-out arm CHAP. X. 1 AT that time a When God was newly appeased by my intercession the LORD said unto me * Exod. 34. 1. Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first and come up unto me into the mount and make thee an ark of wood b Either a temporary Ark for this use till the other was finished or the famous Ark as may seem by comparing this with v. 5. It is not evident in what order these things were done nor is it strange if Moses in this short and general relation neglect the order of time as being nothing to his present purpose 2 And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest and thou shalt put them in the ark 3 And I made an ark of * Exod. 25. 1 10. Shittim wood and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first and went up into the mount having the two tables in mine hand 4 And * Exod. 34. â—… he wrote on the tables according to the first writing the ten †Heb. 〈◊〉 commandments which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly and the LORD gave them unto me 5 And I turned my self and came down from the mount and put the tables in the ark which I had made and there they be as the LORD commanded me 6 And the children of Israel took their journey c This following History comes in manifestly by way of parenthesis as may appear from ver 10. where he returns to his former discourse and it seems to be here inserted Either 1. Because the Priests and Levites here mentioned were the Guardians and Keepers of the Ark and Tables here mentioned
Or rather 2. As an evidence of Gods gracious answer to Moses his prayers and of his reconciliation to the people notwithstanding their late and great provocation For saith he after this they proceeded by Gods guidance in their journeys some eminent stages whereof he names for all and though Aaron dyed in one of them yet God made up that breach and Eleazar came in his place and ministred as Priest one branch of which office was to intercede for the people Then saith he God brought them from the barren parts of the wilderness to a land of rivers of waters v. 7. a pleasant and fruitful soil Then he adds God separated the Levites c. v. 8. from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to * Num. 33. 3â—… Mosera d Obj. This place seems directly contrary to that Numb 33. 31. where their journey is quite contrary to this even from Moseroth to Bene-jaakan This indeed is a great difficulty and prophane wits take occasion to cavil And if a satisfactory answer be not yet given to it by interpreters it ought not therefore to be concluded unanswerable because many things formerly thought unanswerable have been since fully cleared and therefore the like may be presumed concerning other doubts yet remaining And it were much more reasonable to acknowledge here a transposition of the words through the Scribes mistake than upon such a pretence to reject the divine Authority of those sacred books which hath been confirmed by such irresistable Arguments But there is no need of these general pleas seeing particular answers are and may be given to this difficulty sufficient to satisfie modest and impartial enquirers Ans. 1. The places here mentioned are differing from those Numb 33. it being very frequent in Scripture for divers persons and places to be called by the same names and yet the names are not wholly the same for there it is Bene-jaakan and here Beeroth bene-jaakan or Beeroth of the children of Iaakan there Moseroth here Moserah there Hor-hagidgad here Gudgodah there Iotbathah here Iotbath If the places were the same it may justly seem strange why Moses should so industriously make a change in every one of the names And therefore these may be other stations which being omitted in Numb 33. are supplyed here it being usual in sacred Scripture to supply the defects of one place out of another Answ. 2. Admitting these two places to be the same with those Numb 33. 31. yet the journeys are divers They went from Beeroth of the children of Iaacan to Mosera which is omitted in Numbers and therefore here supplyed and then back again from Moserah or Moseroth to Bene-jaakan as is there said for which return there might then be some sufficient reason though now unknown to us as the reasons of many such like things are or God might order it so for his own pleasure and it is not impossible he might do it for this reason that by this seeming contradiction as well as some others he might in just judgment do what he threatned to the Iews Ier. 6. 21. even lay stumbling blocks before prophane and proud wits and give them that occasion of deceiving and ruining themselves which they so greedily seek and gladly embrace which is the reason given by some of the antients why God hath left so many difficulties in Scripture Ans. 3. The words may be otherwise rendred from Beeroth of the children of Iaakan and from Moserah where the order of the places is not observed as was noted before of the order of time v. 1. because it was nothing to the purpose here and because that might be easily fetched from Numb 33. where those journeys are more particularly and exactly described For the conjunction and that may be here wanting and to be supplyed as it is Exod. 6. 23. 1 Sam. 4. 7. Psal. 133. 3. Isa. 63. 11. Hab. 3. 11. And the preposition from is easily supplyed from the foregoing words as is most usual Nor seems there to be any more reason to render it to Moserah than from Moserah seeing the Hebrew letter He in the end is made a part of the proper name and therefore is not local * Num. 20. â—… there Aaron died e Qu. How it is true when Aaron dyed not in Moserah but in Mount Hor Numb 33. 37. Ans. 1. Moserah may be a differing place from Moseroth and that may be the name of a Town or Region in which Mount Hor was or to which it belonged Or the same mountain in respect of divers parts and opposite sides of it might be called by divers names here Moserah and there Hor. And it is possible they might go several journeys and pass to divers stations and by fetching a compass which they oft did in their Wilderness travels come to the other side of the same Mountain Ans. 2. The Hebrew particle soham may here note the time and not the place of Aarons death and may be rendred then as it is taken Gen. 49. 24. Psal. 14. 5. Eccles. 3. 17. Zephan 1. 14. And then is not to be taken precisely but with some latitude as it is oft used in Scripture that is about that time after a few removes more as the words at that time v. 8. must necessarily be understood and there he was buryed and Eleazar his son ministred in the priests office in his stead 7 * Num. 33. 32 â—… From thence e Either 1. From that place and that either from Moseraâ—… last mentioned or from Bene-jaakan for relatives many times in Scripture belong to the remoter antecedent Or 2. From that time for this particle sometimes notes not place but time as 2 King 2. 21. Isa. 65. 20. So the meaning is At or about that time as it is v. 8. which being considered may serve to clear the great difficulty discoursed upon the last verse concerning the seeming contradiction of this place and Numb 33. 31 32. they journeyed unto Gudgodah and from Gudgodah to Jotbath a land of rivers of waters 8 At that time f About that time i. e. when I was come down from the mount as was said v. 5. For these words manifestly look to that verse the 6 and 7. verses being put in by way of parenthesis as was said before Or if it relate to the words immediately foregoing this may be meant of a second separation of them upon Aarons Death and having mentioned the separation of Eleazar to the Office of the high Priest in his Fathers stead v. 6. he now repeats it that the Levites who were his as they had been his Fathers Servants were separated as before or were confirmed in their office * 〈◊〉 3. 6. 〈◊〉 8. 14. the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD to stand before the LORD g A phrase used concerning the Prophets 1 King 17. 1. and 18. 15. this being the posture of Ministers Hence the Angels are said to
incestuous or any prohibited mixtures of man and woman Obj. 1. This Law seems harsh and too severe for the innocent Bastard Ans. 1. It was onely an exclusion from Government which was a tolerable burden 2. It was a necessary caution to prevent and brand the sin of uncleanness to which the Jews were more than ordinarily prone Obj. 2. Pharez and Iephthe were both Bastards yet advanced to great Honour and Authority Answ. God gives laws to us and not to himself and therefore he might when he saw fit confer what favour or power he pleased upon any such person as he did to these But some add that the Hebrew word mamzer signifies not every Bastard but a Bastard born of any strange Woman as the word may seem to intimate and as such persons generally seem to have been because of that special provision that there should be no whore of the daughters of Israel as it is here below v. 17. shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD even to his tenth generation d Or his tenth generation as it is in the Hebrew and so in the following verses shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD 3 * Neh. 13. 1. An Ammonite or Moabite e This may be understood either 1. Of the Males onely or the children of such fathers as Interpreters commonly take it Or rather 2. Of Females also or of all that were born either of such Fathers or Mothers as may be gathered from Ezra 10. and Nehem. 13. where the Children of strange Wives were separated from Israel no less than the Children of strange fathers And it is an allowed maxime that the birth follows the belly And whereas the Children of Rahab and Ruth are produced to the contrary it may be said as it was before that these were extraordinary instances and that God when he pleased might exempt any particular person of them from this curse though the Israelites might not do so shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever f So it seems to note the Immutability and perpetuity of this Law that it should be inviolably observed in all succeeding ages and not dispensed with for any merit in the persons or any pretence whatsoever But why then should this clause be added onely here seeing the foregoing laws are as inviolable as this It seems therefore to extend the duration of this exclusion of them from the Congregation of the Lord beyond what was said at first and to be added by way of aggravation even to their tenth generation shall they not enter yea even for ever i. e. they shall never enter as it is expressed without any mention of the tenth Generation Neh. 13. 1. that they should not come into the Congregation of God for ever 4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way g As the manner of those times was to waite and provide for Strangers and Travellers see Gen. 14. 18. and 18. 2 3. and 19. 1 2. Iudg. 19. 18 19 20 21. which was the more necessary because in those times and Countries there were no such publick houses of entertainment as now there are among us Their fault then was unmercifulness to Strangers and Pilgrims and Afflicted Persons which was aggravated both by their relation to the Israelites as being the children of Lot and by the special kindness of God and of the Israelites to them in not fighting against them as they had just occasion to do and as they did by others Deut. 2. Obj. Qu. How doth this agree with Deut. 2. 28 29. where the Moabites which dwell in Ar are said to have sold them meat and drink Answ. 1. It is one thing voluntarily to meet them and kindly to relieve them with bread and water which they are here denyed to have done and a quite differing thing to sell them bread and water when they are upon their very borders and their own interest forced them to do so 2. It may seem that it was onely these Moabites that dwelt in Ar did so as is said Deut. 2. 29. and that all the rest of the people neglected or refused to do it and therefore the sin being so general and national no wonder if the punishment be so too 3 These and the following words both here and Nehem. 13. 1. are to be taken distributively and this first member of the verse belongs to the Ammonites who did not meet them with bread c. and the latter part to the Moabites who together with the Miaianites but not with the Ammonites hired Balaam c. when ye came forth out of Egypt and * Num. 〈◊〉 because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia to curse thee 5 Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee h i. e. Forced Balaam to bless thee who was hired and inclined to curse thee if possibly he could because the LORD thy God loved thee 6 Thou shalt not seek their peace i i. e. Make no Contracts either by Marriages or Leagues or commerce with them but rather shalt constantly keep a jealous eye over them as enemies who will watch every opportunity to ensnare or disturb thee This counsel was now the more necessary because a great part of the Israelites lived beyond Iordan in the borders of those people and therefore God sets up this wall of partition betwixt them as well knowing the mischief of bad Neighbours and Israels proneness to receive infection from them Each particular Israelite is not hereby forbidden to perform any Office of humanity to them but the body of the Nation are forbidden all friendly and familiar conversation with them nor their †Heb. â—… prosperity all thy dayes for ever 7 Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite k The children of Edom onely the Amalekites are excepted by Gods particular order and upon special reason Deut. 25. 17 18 19. for he is thy brother l By Esau Iacobs brother thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian because thou wast a stranger in his land m And didst receive habitation protection and provision from them a long time which kindness thou must not forget for their following persecution It is ordinary with great men and others that one injury or offence blots out the remembrance of twenty courtesies but God doth not deal so with us nor will he have us to deal so with others but commands us to overlook and forget injuries and to remember kindnesses 8 The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation n Supposing their Grand-father or great Grand-father turned Proselyte and the Children continue in that faith received by such ancestours 9 When the host goeth forth against
these stones 7 Then ye shall answer them That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark h As it were at the sight and approach of the Ark to give it and the Israelites a safe passage of the covenant of the LORD when it passed over Jordan the waters of Jordan were cut off and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever 8 And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan as the LORD spake unto Joshua according to the number of the Tribes of the children of Israel and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged and laid them down there 9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan i Properly so called as Iosh. 3. 17. Qu. How could these stones be a Monument of this work when they were not seen but generally covered with the Waters of Iordan Ans. These stones are not the same with those which a man could carry upon his shoulders v. 5. And therefore might be very much larger and being set up in two rows one above another they might possibly be seen at least some times when the Water was low and especially where the Water was commonly more shallow as it might be ordinarily in this place though not at this time when Iordan overflowed all its banks Add to this That the Waters of Iordan are said to be very pure and clear and therefore these stones though they did not appear above it might be seen in it either by those who stood upon the shore because that River was not broad or at least by those that passed in Boats upon the River who could easily discern them by the peculiar noise and motion of the Water occasioned by that heap of stones And this was sufficient especially considering that there was another more distinct and visible Monument of this Miracle set up in Gilgal in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood and they are there unto this day k This might be written either 1. by Ioshua who wrote this Book near 20. years after this was done Or 2. by some other holy man divinely inspired and approved of by the whole Iewish Church who inserted this and some such passages both in this Book and in the Writings of Moses 10 For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people l i. e. To command the people to do according to all that Moses commanded Joshua m Which he did not particularly but in the general because he commanded Ioshua to observe and do all that God had commanded him by Moses and all that he should command him any other way and the people hasted and passed over n i. e. Passed over with haste which is noted as an Argument of their fear or weakness of their Faith as on the contrary the Priests are commended that they stood firm and fixed and settled in their minds as well as in the Posture of their Bodies 11 And it came to pass when all the people were clean passed over that the ark of the LORD passed over and the priests in the presence of the people o The people looking on and beholding this wonderful work of God with Attention and Admiration 12 And * Numb 32. 20 27. the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and half the Tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the rest of the children of Israel as Moses spake unto them 13 About forty thousand †prepared for war ‡ Or ready armed passed over before the LORD p Either 1. before the Ark by which they as well as the rest passed when they went over Iordan Or 2. in the presence of God who diligently observed whether they would keep their Promise and Covenant made with their Brethren or not unto battel to the plains of Jericho 14 On that day the LORD * Chap. 3. 7. magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel and they feared him as they feared Moses all the days of his life 15 And the LORD spake unto Joshua saying 16 Command the Priests that bear * Exod. 25. 16 22. the ark of the Testimony that they come up q For being now in the middle and lowest and deepest place of the River of which see on Iosh. 3. 17. they are most properly said to ascend or go up to the land which word is thrice used in this and the two next following Verses out of Jordan 17 Joshua therefore commanded the Priests r Who stayed contentedly in the River till God by Ioshua called them out saying Come ye up out of Jordan 18 And it came to pass when the priests that bare the ark of the Covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan and the soles of the priests feet were †lift up unto the dry land ‡ Heb. plucked up that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place s Came down from their heaps and returned with all convenient speed into their proper Channel according to their natural and usual course and †flowed over all his banks as they did ‡ Heb. went before 19 And the people came out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month t To wit of Nisan which wanted but 5 days of 40 years from the time of their coming out of Egypt which was on the fifteenth day of this Month. So punctual is God in the performing of his word whether promised or threatned And this day was very seasonable for the taking up of the Lambs which were to be used four days after according to the Law Exod. 12. 3 6. and incamped in Gilgal u A place so called hereafter upon a following occasion Iosh. 5. 9. So here it is an Anticipation in the east border of Jericho 20 And those twelve stones which they took out of Jordan did Joshua pitch in Gilgal x Which most probably were placed severally and in order like so many little Pillars which was most proper to keep up the remembrance of this miraculous Benefit vouchsafed to this people 21 And he spake unto the children of Israel saying When your children shall ask their fathers †in ‡ Heb. tâ—… 〈◊〉 row time to come saying What mean these stones 22 Then ye shall let your children know saying Israel came over this Jordan on dry land 23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you until ye were passed over as the LORD your God did to the Red-sea * Exod. 〈◊〉 21. which he dried up from before us y i. e. My self and Caleb and all of us here present for this Benefit though done to their Fathers is justly and rightly said to be done
historical Books is lost not being a Canonical Book and therefore not preserved by the Iews with the same care as they were so the sun stood still b Here is no mention of the Moon because the Suns standing was the only thing which Ioshua desired and needed and the Moons standing he desired only by accident to prevent irregularity in the Motions of those celestial Lights Some take this to be but a Poetical Phrase and Relation of the Victory that Ioshua did so many and such great things in that day as if the Sun and Moon had stood still and given him longer time for it But the frequent Repetition and magnificent Declaration of this Wonder manifestly confutes that fancy That the Sun and Moon did really stand still is affirmed Habak 3. 11. and Sirach 46. 5 6. And if it seem strange to any one that so wonderful a Work observed by the whole World that then was should not be mentioned in any Heathen Writers he must needs be satisfied if he considers that it is confessed by the generality of Writers Heathens and others that there is no certain History or Monument in Heathen Authors of any thing done before the Trojan Wars which was a thousand years after Ioshua's time and that all time before that is called by the learnedst Heathens the uncertain unknown or obscure time in the midst of ‡ Or the 〈◊〉 rigâ—…t heaven c Not Mathematically in the very Meridian or middle part of that Hemisphere but morally and with some Latitude when it had begun a little to decline the consideration whereof seems to have given Ioshua occasion for his desire and hasted not to go down about a whole day d i. e. For the space of a whole day Understand an artificial day between Sun-rising and Sun-setting for that was the day which Ioshua needed and desired a day to give him light for his work 14 And there was no day like that e To wit In those parts of the World of which he here speaks and about which the Comparison is here made vain therefore is that Objection that the days are longer near the Northern and Southern Poles where they are constantly longer at certain seasons and that by the order of nature whereas the length of this day was purely contingent and granted by God in answer to Ioshua's Prayer as is here added Obj. In Hezekiah's time and at his Prayer there was a day which may seem to have been longer for the Sun went backward ten Degrees in ten hours and then returned again ten Degrees in ten hours and so it was 20. hours longer than a common day and so longer than this Ans. It is not certain either that each Degree designed an hour and not rather half an hour or a quarter as others think or that the Sun returned those ten Degrees as slowly as he went down before or after Besides it was now near Summer Solstice when the day was longest and about 14. hours and that being doubled the artificial day was 28. hours and because there is not the least evidence that Hezekiahs day was longer but rather of the contrary it is much more reasonable to believe this Scripture-assertion than to deny or question upon meer Suppositions or idle Conjectures before it or after it that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man f To wit in such a manner to alter the Course of nature and of the heavenly Bodies that a man might have more time to pursue and destroy his Enemies for the LORD fought for Israel g This is added as the reason why God was so ready to answer Ioshua's Petition herein because he was engaged and resolved to fight for Israel and that in â—… more than ordinary manner 15 ¶ And Joshua returned h Not immediately or upon that same day but after he had dispatched the matter which here follows as appears by v. 43. where the very same words are repeated to shew that that was the meaning of them And they are put here to close the general discourse of the fight which begun v. 10. and ends here which being done he particularly describes some remarkable Passages and closeth them with the same words and all Israel with him unto the camp to Gilgal 16 But these five kings i Named above v. 3. fled and hid themselves in a cave k As a place of most secrecy or security but there is no escaping the eye or hand of God who here brought them into a Net of their own making at Makkedah l Heb. in Makkedah not in the city for that was not yet taken but in the Territory of it as in Gibeon v. 10. 17 And it was told Joshua saying The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah 18 And Joshua said Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave and set men by it for to keep them 19 And stay ye not m Lose not your opportunity by your sloth or negligence but pursue after your enemies and †smite the hindmost of them n Their rereward all whom you can overtake Heb. cut off tail suffer them not to enter into their cities o Whereby they will recover their strength and renew the War for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand p Your work will be easie God hath already done the work to your hands 20 And it came to pass when Joshua and the children of Israel q i. e. Ioshua by the Children of Israel or the Children of Israel i. e. a Party of them by the Command Direction and Encouragement of Ioshua for Ioshua himself went not with them but abode in the Siege before Makkedah v. 21. had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter till they were consumed that the rest which remained of them entred into fenced cities 21 And all the people returned to the camp r To the body of the Army which were encamped there with Ioshua to besiege that place to Joshua at Makkedah in peace * Exod. 11. 7. none moved his tongue s Not so much as a Dog as it is expressed Exod. 11. 7. Not onely their men of War could not find their hands but they were all so confounded that they could not move their Tongues in way of Insultation or Reproach as doubtless they did when the Israelites were first repulsed and smitten at Ai but now they were silenced as well as conquered they durst no more provoke nor injure the Israelites against any of the children of Israel 22 Then said Joshua Open the mouth of the cave and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave 23 And they did so and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave the king of Jerusalem the king of Hebron the king of Jarmuth the king of Lachish and the king of Eglon. 24 And it came to pass when they brought out those
that with good Success ‡ Heb. was heavy prevailed so that they became tributaries 36 And the coast of the Amorites was from ‖ Or Maaleakrabbim the going up to Akrabbim s Which was in the Southern part of Canaan Ios. 15. 2 3. from whence it went up towards the North. This is added to shew the great power and large extent of this people from the rock and upward CHAP. II. AND an ‖ Or Messengeâ—… angel of the LORD a Either First a Created Angel Or Secondly a Prophet or man of God for such are sometimes called Angels which signifies onely Messengers of God and then the following words are spoken by him in the Name of God as may easily be understood Or Thirdly Christ the Angel of the Covenant who is oft called the Angel of the Lord as we have formerly seen to whom the conduct of Israel out of Egypt and thorough the Wilderness and into Canaan here spoken of is frequently ascribed as Exod. 14. 19. and 23. 20. and 33. 14. Ios. 5. 13 14. Iudg. 6. 12. and 13. 3. Who alone of all the Angels could speak the following words in his own Name and Person whereas created Angels and Prophets do universally usher in their Divine Messages with Thus saith the Lord or some equivalent Expression And this Angel having assumed the outward shape of a Man it is not strange that he imitates the local motion of a Man and comes as it were from Gilgal to the place where now they were by which motion he signified that he was the person that brought them to Gilgal the first place where they rested in Canaan and there renewed Covenant with them and protected them there so long and from thence went out with them to Battel and gave them success came up from Gilgal to Bochim b A place so called here by Anticipation for the reason expressed here v. 5. And it seems to be no other than Shilo where it seems probable that the people were met together upon some solemn Festival And this was the proper and usual place of Sacrificing v. 5. and said I made you to go up out of Egypt and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers and I said c i. e. I promised upon condition of your keeping Covenant with me I will never break my covenant with you 2 And * Deut. 〈◊〉 ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land * Deut. 1â—… â—… you shall throw â—…wn their altars but ye have not obeyed my voice Why have ye done this d i. e. Disobeyed these express Commands of mine 3 Wherefore I also said e With my self I have now taken up this peremptory resolution I will not drive them out from before you but they shall be as thorns in your sides f See on Numb 33. 55. Ios. 23. 13. and their gods shall be a * Exod. 2â—… 〈◊〉 and 34 1â—… sâ—…are unto you 4 And it came to pass when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel that the people liâ—…t up their voice and wept g Some of them from a true sense of their sins but most of them from a just apprehension of their danger and approaching misery from the Canaanites growing Power and Gods forsaking of them as the following History makes most probable 5 And they called the name of that place ‖ That is â—…pers Bochim and they sacrificed h For the expiation of their sins by which they had provoked God to this resolution and for the regaining of Gods favour there unto the LORD 6 ¶ And when * Josh. 〈◊〉 Joshua had let the people go i When he had distributed their Inheritances and dismissed them severally to take Possession of them This was done before this time whilst Ioshua lived but is now repeated in order to the discovery of the time and cause or occasion of the Peoples defection from God and of Gods desertion of them the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land 7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 longed 〈◊〉 after 〈◊〉 out-lived Joshua who had seen all the great works of the LORD that he did for Israel 8 And * Josh. 〈◊〉 Joshua the son of Nun the servant of the LORD died being an hundred and ten years old 9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres k Called Timnath-Sera Ios. 19. 50. and 24. 30. in the mount of Ephraim on the north-side of the hill Gaash 10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers and there arose another generation after them which knew not l Which had no experimental nor serious and affectionate knowledge of God nor of his works the LORD nor yet the works which he had done for Israel 11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD m Which notes the hainousness and the impudence of their sins above other peoples sins because Gods presence was with them and his eye upon them in a peculiar manner and he did narrowly observe all their actions which also they were not ignorant of and therefore were guilty of more contempt of God than other People and served Baalim n i. e. False gods He 〈◊〉 the Plural Number because the gods of the Canaanites and adjoyning Nations which Israel Worshipped were divers 〈◊〉 most of them called by the name of Baal 12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers which brought them out of the land of Egypt and followed other gods of the gods of 〈◊〉 people that 〈◊〉 round about them and bowed themselves unto them and provoked the LORD to anger 13 And they forsook the LORD and served â—…aal and Ashtaroth n â—… e. The 〈◊〉 and the Moon whom many Heathens 〈◊〉 thâ—…gh under divers names and so they ran into that Error which God had so expresly warned them aâ—…st Deut. 4. 19. 14 ¶ And the anger of the LORD was hot against 〈◊〉 and he delivered them into the hand of 〈◊〉 that spoiled them and 〈◊〉 â—…4 1â—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—… sold them o i. e. Delivered them up as the seller doth his Commodities unto the buyer Thus the same Phrase is used Iudg. 3. â—… and 4. 9. comp with v. 14. Psal. 44. 13. into the hand of their enemies round about so that they could not any longer stand before their Enemies 15 Whithersoever they went out p i. e. Whatsoever expedition or business they undertook which is usually signified by going out and coming in the hand of the LORD was against them for evil as the LORD had said and 〈◊〉 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the LORD had sworn unto them and they were greatly distressed 16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up q By inward
unto the high place for ye shall eat with me to day and to morrow I will let thee go and will tell thee all that is in thine heart m Either all that thou desirest to know as concerning the Asses or rather the secret thoughts of thy heart or such actions as none know but God and thy own heart that so thou mayst be assured of the truth and certainty of that which I am to acquaint thee with And this might be done though it be not here particularly related 20 And as for thine asses that were lost ‡ Heb. to day three days 〈◊〉 days ago set not thy mind on them n Trouble not thy mind about them for they are found And ‡ Cr. for whom are the â—…ble things on whom is all the desire of Israel o Who is he that shall be that Thing or Person which all Israel desire to have to wit a King is it not on thee and on all thy fathers house p That Honour is designed for thee and after thy Death for thy Family or Posterity if by thy Sin thou dost not cut off the Entail 21 And Saul answered and said Am not I a * Psal. 68. 27. Benjamite of the smallest of the tribes of Israel q For so indeed this was having been all cut off except 600 Iudg. 20. which Blow they never recovered and therefore they were scarce reckoned as an intire Tribe but only as a Remnant or Fragment of a Tribe and being Ingrafted into Iudah in the division between the Ten Tribes and the Two they in some sort lost their Name and they together with Iudah were accounted but one Tribe as 1 King 11. 32. c. and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin r i. e. One of the least obscure and inconsiderable in comparison of divers others Whence it may seem that Saul's Family was not so Noble and Wealthy as some imagine See on v. 1. wherefore then speakest thou ‡ Heb. according to this word so to me s Why dost thou feed me with vain hopes of the Kingdom 22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant t Whom he honoured for Saul's sake thereby both giving all the Guests occasion to think how great that Person was or should be whose very Servant was advanced above the Chief Persons of the City who were doubtless present upon this occasion and shewing how far himself was from envying Saul that Honour and Power which was to be translated from him to Saul and brought them into the parlour and made them sit in the chiefest place u Thereby to raise all their expectation and to prepare them for giving that Honour to Saul which his approaching Dignity required among them that were bidden which were about thirty persons 23 And Samuel said unto the cook Bring the portion which I gave thee x Or I appointed or disposed to thee i. e. which I bad thee reserve for this use of which I said unto thee Set it by thee 24 And the cook took up the shoulder y To wit the left Shoulder for the right Shoulder was the Priests Levit. 7. 32 33. This he gives him either First As the best and noblest part of the remainders of the Sacrifice the best parts being usually given by the Master of the Feast to such Guests as were most Honourable or best Beloved as Gen. 43. 34. Or Secondly As a secret Symbol or Sign of that burden which was to be laid upon Saul and of that strength which was necessary for the bearing of it the Shoulder being both the Seat of burdens and the subject of strength and that which was upon it z Something which the Cook by Samuel's order was to put upon it when it was drest either for Ornament or in the nature of a Sauce and set it before Saul and Samuel said Behold that which is ‖ Or reserved left a To wit left of the Sacrifice but so all or most of the rest of their Provisions were left Or rather reserved or laid by by my order for thy eating when the rest of the Meat was sent up and disposed of as the Cook pleased set it before thee and eat for unto this time b Till thou shouldst come hither and sit down here whereby thou maist know that thy coming hither was not unknown to me and was designed by God for an higher purpose hath it been kept for thee since I said c To wit to the Cook who was before mentioned as the Person to whose care this was committed I have invited the people d i. e. I have Invited or Designed some Persons for whom I reserve this part For since the word People is not here taken properly but for some particular Persons of the People which were not in all above thirty v. 22. why may not the same word be understood of two or three Persons whom Samuel specially Invited to wit Samuel and his Servant So some Learned Men understand this word People of three Men 2 King 18. 36. And they further Note That in the Arabick and Aethiopick and Persian Languages all which are near a-kin both to themselves and to the Hebrew and do oft-times communicate their signification each to other the word that signifies People is oft used for some few particular Persons Or if the word People be meant of the Chief of the People mentioned above v. 22. then Samuel was the Principal Author of this Sacrifice and Feast and it was not a Sacrifice of the People as it is rendred v. 12. but a Sacrifice and Feast made by Samuel for the People as it should be rendred there and the sence is When I first spake or sent word to the Cook that I had Invited the People first to joyn with me in my Sacrifice and then to partake with me of the Feast I then bad him reserve this part for thy use so Saul did eat with Samuel that day 25 ¶ And when they were come down from the high place into the city Samuel communed with Saul e Concerning the Kingdom designed to him by God and his Duty to expect it patiently till God actually called him to it and to Administer it Piously and Justly and Valiantly upon the top of the house f Which was flat after the manner Deut. 22. 8. and so fit for walking and for secret Prayers Dan. 6. 10. Act. 10. 9. or any private and familiar Discourses among Friends 26 And they arose early and it came to pass about the spring of the day that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house g A second time to impart something more to him saying ‡ 〈◊〉 other 〈◊〉 Up that I may send thee away h Prepare thy self for thy departure and journey and Saul arose and they went out both of them he and Samuel abroad i Samuel accompanying Saul part
slaughter among the people that followeth Abâ—…alom 10 And he also that is valiant whose heart is as the heart of a lion shall utterly melt for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man and they which be with him are valiant men n The known fame of the 〈◊〉 valour of David and his followers will easily gain credit to that report and strike the stourest of our men with dread even Ahitophel himself if he should go with them 11 Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee o His pretence was that they might have a far greater Army and make sure though slow work his design was to gain David more time that he might increase his Army and make better provisions for the Battel and that the present heat of the people might be cooled and they might at last bethink themselves of their duty to David and return to their former Allegiance from Dan even to Beersheba as the sand that is by the sea for multitude and ‡ Heb. that thy face or presence go c. that thou go to battel in thine own person p For thy presence will put more Life and Courage into all thy Soldiers who will be ambitious to shew their utmost Skill and Courage in defending thy Person and Cause when they know that all their Actions are observed by him who hath the distribution of rewards and punishments in his hands So mayest thou also give counsel as occasion offers and encourage thy men to kill David which otherwise they may possibly be afraid to do Besides the glory of the Victory will be wholly thine which now Ahitophel seeks to get to himself 12 So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground q i. e. Plenteously suddenly irresistibly and on all sides for so the Dew falls and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one 13 Moreover if he be gotten into a city then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city r Not that they should do so or that it was the Custom to do so but it is an Hyperbolical and Thrasonical expression suited to the vain-glorious temper of this insolent young man and therefore most likely to prevail with him implying that they would do so if they could not discover and destroy him another way or that they should be enough to do so if there were occasion and we will draw it into the river s Adjoyning to the City it being usual to build Cities near some River both for defence and for other accommodations until there be not one small stone sound there 14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said t Being infatuated by a Divine power and given up to believe lyes and mistakes The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel for the LORD had ‡ Heb. commanded appointed to defeat the good counsel u So it was politically considered being the wisest and most effectual course to accomplish Absalom's end of Ahithophel to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom 15 ¶ Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests Thus and thus did Ahithopel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel and thus and thus have I counselled 16 Now therefore send quickly and tell David saying Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness x Lest the Kings and peoples minds change and Aâ—…itophel by his deep wit and great interest persuade the King to follow his former advice and to pursue you speedily but speedily pass over lest the king be swallowed up and all the people that are with him 17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz staied by En-rogel y Or the Fullers well A place near Ierusalem Ios. 15. 7. and 18. 16. for they might not be seen to come into the city and a wench z Pretending to go thither to wash some Cloathes went and told them and they went and told king David 18 Nevertheless a lad saw them a Who knew them to be favourers of David and observed them to wait there upon design and to gain intelligence and possibly saw the Wench speaking privately to them and told Absalom but they went both of them away quickly b Suspecting by this Lads observation and carriage that they were discovered and came to a mans house in Bahurim which had a well in his court whither they went down c Either to some hole in the side of the Pit or to the bottom of the Pit it being then dry as Pits often were in those hot Countries And this being in so open a place they concluded none would imagine them to be hid there And besides they relied upon Gods good Providence which they knew watched over David and them for his sake 19 And the woman took and spread a covering over the wells mouth and spread ground corn thereon Under pretence of drying it by the Sun which shews it was Summer-time and the thing was not known 20 And when Absaloms servants came to the woman to the house they said Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan And the woman said unto them They be gone over the brook of water d i. e. Over Iordan This was a manifest lye but because it was spoken for no hurt but good onely many persons in those times conceived such lies to be lawful Compare Exod. 1. 19. Ios. 2. 4 5. But although God was pleased to overlook and pardon the sin and graciously to reward the good intention which accompanied them yet it is certain that all kinds of lyes are moral Evils and condemned by plain Scriptures and that we must not do evil that good may come nor tell a lye for Gods glory Rom. 3. 7 8. And when they had sought and could not find them they returned to Jerusalem 21 And it came to pass after they were departed that they came up out of the well and went and told king David and said unto David Arise and pass quickly over the water for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you 22 Then David arose and all the people that were with him and they passed over Jordan e Either at the Ford or in Boats by the morning-light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan 23 ¶ And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not ‡ Heb. done followed he sadled his asse and arose and gate him home to his house to his city and ‡ Heb. gare charge concerning his house put his houshold in order f Disposed of his Estate by Will Compare Isa. 38. 1. and hanged himself g Partly because he could not indure to outlive his disgrace and the rejection of his Counsel and partly because he foresaw by this means David would gain time and strength
themselves and will not allow us any share in him let them therefore enjoy him alone and let us seek out a new King every man to his tents e An Expression of Contempt implying their Rejection of him that he was no more to be owned as their King but as a private Person as the Son of Iesse f Let us all desist from this unthankful Office of bringing the King back and go each to our homes that we may consider and then meet together to chuse a New King O Israel 2 So every man of Israel f i. e. The generality of those Israelites who were present went up from after David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri but the men of Judah clave unto their king from Jordan even to Jerusalem 3 ¶ And David came to his house at Jerusalem and the king took the ten women his * Chap. 15. 16. and 16. 22. concubines whom he had left to keep the house and put them in ‡ Heb. a house of ward ward g Partly because they had not vigorously Opposed Absaloms Lustful Desire as they should have done even with the hazard of their Lives and partly lest the sight of them should renew the Memory of Absalom's Filthiness and of their own and David's Reproach which it was fit to bury in perpetual Oblivion and partly because it might appear Incestuous to have to do with those who had been defiled by his own Son and partly because as David would not so it was not now convenient that any other man should have any Conjugal conversation with them and sed them but went not in unto them so they were ‡ Heb. bound shut up unto the day of their death ‡ Heb. in widowhood of life living in widowhood 4 ¶ Then said the king to Amasa ‡ Heb. Call Assemble me the men of Judah h And March in the Head of them as their General as I have promised thee Chap. 19. 13. within three days i Which he supposed Amasa having been their late General could easily do and the business required haste and be thou here present k Within that time to receive Orders and Instructions from me 5 So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah but he tarried longer than the set time l Either because the people being wearied out by the late Civil War were not forward to Engage in another or because the Soldiers had more Affection to Ioaâ—… than to their new General to whose ill Conduct possibly they might impute their unsuccessfulness in the last Battel Or because Amasa for his own Interest might seek delays to render himself more necessary and useful to the King and to keep up his Honourable and Profitable Employment which is the common Policy of such Men. which he had appointed him 6 And David said to Abishai m Not to Ioab lest by this means he should recover his Place and Amasa be discontented and David's Fidelity in making good his Promise to Amasa be questioned Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom take thou * Chap. 11. 11 thy lords servants n i. e. My Guards that attend upon my Person and the other Soldiers who are now present with me He speaks of himself in the Third Person as is very frequent For it is not probable he would now call Ioab his lord whom he had lately Deposed nor Amasa who had not yet taken actual Possession of his Place nor had the Command over the King's Guards and pursue after him lest he get him fenced cities and ‡ Heb. deliver himself from our eyes escape us 7 And there went out after him Joabs men o The remainders of Ioab's Army who were there present with whom also Ioab might go as a Reformade watching an opportunity to do what he designed and the * 〈…〉 Cherethites and the Pelethites p Of whom see on Chap. 8. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mighty men and they went out of Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba the son of 〈◊〉 8 When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon Amasa went before them q Having gathered some Forces and given due Orders for the rest to follow him he returned to Ierusalem and by the Kings Command went after those mentioned ver 7. and being come up to them at the place where they waited for him he put himself into the Head of Ioab's men and the Cherâ—…thites and the Pelethites and such as he had brought along with him and Marched before them as their Chief and General and Joabs garment that he had put on was girded unto him r After the manner of Travellers and Soldiers and upon it a ‡ Heb Girdle or belt of a Sword girdle with a sword fastned upon his loins in the sheath thereof and as he went forth s To meet and Salute Amasa who was coming towards him to do him Honor. it fell out t Things having it is likely been so contrived by Ioab that upon the least Motion of his Body his Sword should drop out and he might take it up without raising Amasa's Suspition 9 And Joab said to Amasa Art thou in health my brother And Joab took Amasa by the beard u As the manner of Ancient times was when they kissed and saluted one another with the right hand to kiss him 10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joabs hand x Which falling out as it seemed casually he supposed that Ioab intended onely to put it into its Scabbard and therefore took no care to defend himself against the stroke so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib y See on Chap. 2. 23. and shed out his bowels to the ground and ‡ Heb. doubled not his stroke strook him not again z He dispatched him at one stroke or gave him his Deaths Wound at the first blow and needed not to smite him again and he died so Joab a Who now boldly resumed his former Place and Marched in the Head of the Army It is not strange that Amasa's Soldiers did not fight to Revenge his Death partly because not many of them were yet come up but came by degrees as the following Verses â—…hew and partly because Ioab's Interest and Authority with the Military-men was very great especially with David's Guards who were here present and who had no kindness for Amasa as having been the General of the Rebellious Army and as they might think was not fit to be put into a Place of so great Power and Trust. and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri 11 And one of Joabs men b Left there on purpose to deliver the following Message stood by him and said He that favoureth Joab c He that would have Ioab to be General rather than such a Perfideous Rebel and Traytor as Amasa and he that is
so but a man of mount Ephraim y Qu. How can this be so when he is called a Benjamite ver 1. Answ. Either he was a Benjamite by Birth but dwelt in the Tribe of Ephraim as many did upon several occasions dwell out of their own Tribes or mount Ephraim was a place in Benjamin which might be so called either because it was upon the Borders of Ephraim and looked towards it or from some notable Action or Event of the Ephraimites in that place Comp. Chap. 18. 6. Sheba the son of Bichri ‡ Heb. by 〈◊〉 Name by name hath lift up his hand z i. e. Taken up Arms or raised Rebellion against the king even against David deliver him onely and I will depart from the city And the woman said unto Joab Behold his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall a Which she undertook because she knew the present temper and great fears of the Citizens and Soldiers too and that considering their evident and extream Danger they were generally desirous of Peace from which they were restrained onely by Sheba's Authority and Interest and therefore did not doubt by God's Blessing upon her Wise Counsel to effect it as indeed she did And it is not unlikely that this Woman might be a Governess in that City For though this Office was commonly performed by Men yet were not the Women wholly Excluded but sometimes Imployed in the Government As we see in Deborah who Judged Israel Iudg. 4. 4. And Queen Athalia 2 King 11. 22 Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom b Prudently Treated with them about it either severally or joyntly as she saw fit representing to them the certainty and nearness of all their Ruine if they did not speedily comply with her Desires and certain Deliverance if they did and they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and cast it out to Joab and he blew a trumpet and they c Ioab and his Army which Besieged them †retired from ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 scattered the city every man to his tent and Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king 23 ¶ Now * Chap. 〈◊〉 Joab was over all the host of Israel d The good success of this and of former Expedition under the conduct of Ioab had so fixed his Interest in the Army and others of David's fastest Friends that the King could not without danger to the publick weal displace him and Benajah the son of Jehoiadah was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites 24 And Adoram was over the tribute e The receiver and manager of the Kings publick Revenue See on 1 King 4. 6. and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was ‖ Or remembranceâ—… recorder f See 2 Sam 8. 16. 25 And Sheba was scribe and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests g See 2 Sam. 8. 17. and 15. 35. 26 And Ira also the Jairite h So called from his birth or dwelling in the Countrey of Iair in Gilead Numb 32. 41. Iudg. 10. 4. was ‖ Or a prince a chief ruler i Either the President of the Kings Council or his Chief Minister as the Hebrew word Cohen signifies of State instead of Ahitophes or in some other very high place near the Kings Person Compare 2 Sam. 8. 18. where this title is given to David's Sons the Chief of which were now cut off And these things are here repeated with some alteration to shew that David was now fully reestablished in his former Estate about David CHAP. XXI THen a When Either First After Absalom's and Sheba's Rebellion as it is here related Or rather Secondly In some other time before It is well known and confessed that the Particle then doth not always note that the thing was done in that order in which it is mentioned but is oft of an indefinite signification as also that the Scripture in its Histories and Relations doth not always observe the order of time but the order of things putting that after which was done before as occasion requires And so it seems to be here The things related here and chap. 24. are by the most and best Interpreters conceived to have been done long before Absalom's Rebellion And this opinion is not without sufficient grounds First This Particle then is here explained in the days i. e. during the Life and Reign of David which general and indefinite words seem to be added as an intimation that these things were not done after the next foregoing passages for then the Sacred Writer would rather have added after these things or some such expression as it is 2 Chron. 32. 1. and in many other places Secondly Here are divers passages which it seems very improbable to ascribe to the last Years of David's Reign such as these First That Saul's sin against the Gibeonites should so long remain unpunished And indeed that this was done and Saul's seven Sons hanged by David's order before that time seems plainly to be intimated by that passage 2 Sam. 16. 8. where he is charged with the blood of the house of Saul for which there was not the least colour till this time Secondly That David should not remove the Bones of Saul and Ionathan to their proper place here v. 12 13 14. till that time Thirdly That the Philistines should wage War with David again and again v. 15 c. so long after he had fully subdued them chap. 8. 1. and that David in his old age should attempt to fight with a Philistine Giant or that his people should suffer him to do so Fourthly That David should then have so vehement a desire to number his people chap. 24. 1 c. which being an act of youthful heat and vanity seems not at all to agree with his old age nor with that state of deep humiliation and great affliction in which he then was And the reason why these matters are put here out of their proper order is plainly this because David's sin being once related it was very convenient that David's punishments inflicted for it should immediately succeed this being very frequent in Scipture-story to put those things together which belong to one matter though they happened at several times And this is the more considerable because it tends to the clearing of that great difficulty 2 Sam. 15. 7. there was a famine in the days of David three years year after year and David ‡ Heb. sought the face of c. enquired of the LORD b Concerning the reason of his displeasure and this judgment And the LORD answered It is for Saul and for his bloody house because he slew the Gibeonites c Which was not onely an act of cruelty but also of perfidiousness and perjury because it was a direct and publick violation of that Solemn Oath given to them for their security by Ioshua and the Princes in the name of all the Israelites of that
to turn the hearts of the Israelites to himself as he desired but God for Wise and Just Reasons saw fit to deny and after the wind and earthquake but the LORD was not in the earthquake 12 And after the earthquake a fire but the LORD was not in the fire and after the fire a still small voice z Wherein it is implied That God was present Which peradventure was to insinuate that God would do his Work in and for Israel in his own time not by might or power but by his own spirit Zech. 4. 6. which moves with a Powerful but yet with a sweet and gentle Gale 13 And it was so when Elijah heard it that he wrapped his face in his mantle a Through horror and dread of Gods presence being sensible that he was neither worthy nor able to endure the sight of God with open face Compare Gen. 16. 13. Exod. 3. 6. and went out and stood in the entring in of the cave b Which God commanded him to do and as he was going towards the mouth of the Cave he was affrighted and stopped in his course by the dreadful Wind and Earthquake and Fire and when these were past he prosecutes his Journey and goeth on to the mouth of the Cave and there stands still Or the words may be rendred After as Vau is elsewhere used he was gone out and standing in the mouth of the cave which may be mentioned as the reason why he covered his Face because now he wanted the shelter of the Cave and behold there came a voice unto him and said What dost thou here Elijah 14 And he said c What before he spake by an Angel he now speaks to him again immediately I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant thrown down thine altars and slain thy prophets with the sword and I even I onely am left and they seek my life to take it away 15 And the LORD said unto him Go return on thy way d By which thou camest for so in part lay the way from Horeb to Damascus to the wilderness of Damascus and when thou comest anoint Hazael to be king over Syria e Anoint Either First Figuratively i. e. appoint or declare him King which was done 2 King 8. 12. For this word is oft used of them who were Anointed with Oil Psal. 45. 7. Isa. 45. 1. and 61. 1. Zech. 4. 14. Dan. 9. 24. Or Secondly Properly which might be done though it be not related Again anoint either by thy self or by another for so he Anointed Iehu by Elisha 2 King 9. 1 6. 16 And * 2 Kin. 9. 1 23. Jehu the son of Nimshi f i. e. His Grand-Son for he was the son of Iehoshaphat 2 King 9. 2. shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel and * Luk. 4. 27. called Elizeus Elisha g Whom he Constituted Prophet by casting his Mantle over him here v. 19. the son of Shaphat of Abel-Meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room 17 And it shall come to pass that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay h Here the order of times seems to be perverted for Elisha was Prophet before Iehu or Hazael were Kings and Hazael was King before Iehu But that is of no moment as to the substance of the thing threatned which is onely this That one or other of these should infallibly execute Gods Judgments upon the Apostatical Israelites Elisha is said to slay them either because he slew those 42 Children 2 King 2. 24. besides others whom upon like occasions he might destroy or because he by Gods appointment inflicted the Famine 2 King 6. 31. or rather by the Sword which came out of his mouth as Isa. 49. 2. Revel 1. 16. and 19. 15 21. by his cutting-Prophecies and threatnings of Gods Judgments the Prophets being said to pull down and to destroy what they onely declare and foretel shall be pulled down c. Hazael began to slay them before Iehu was King 2 King 8. 28. though his cruelty was much increased afterward 2 King 10. 32. and 13. 1 2 3. and Iehu destroyed those whom Hazael did not as King Ioram himself and Ahaziah and his 42 Brethren 2 King 9. 24 27. and 10. 14. all the near Relations of wicked Ahab 18 * Rom. 11. 4. Yet ‖ Or I will leave I have left i Or I have reserved to my self I have by my Grace kept from the common contagion therefore thou art mistaken to think that thou art left alone or that the People are universally corrupted Or I trill reserve from the slaughters last mentioned and from Iezabel's Rage me seven thousand k Either definitely so many or ratheâ—… indefinitely for many thousands the number of seven being oft used for a great number as Lev. 26. 18. Psal. 12. 6. Mic. 5. 5. Zech. 3. 9. Luk. 17. 4. For it is altogether improbable that all the Israelites except 7000 did worship Baal except Baal be here Synecdochically put for all their Idols and the Calves among others in Israel all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal and every mouth which hath not kissed him l i. e. All those who have not worshipped Baal nor professed reverence or subjection to him which Idolaters did to their Idols by bowing the Knee Rom. 11. 4. compare Rom. 14. 11. Phil. 2. 10. and by kissing them or by kissing their hand with their mouth before them and in respect to them of which mention is made both in Scripture as Iob 31. 26 27. Hos. 13. 2. compare Psal. 2. 12. and in Pliny Apuleiâ—…s and other profane Authors And God chuseth these expressions here to teach men that it is not sufficient to deny inward veneration of mind and heart to Idols unless they do also forbear all outward significations of worship or reverence to them and that he will own none for his People that do otherwise 19 ¶ So he departed thence and found Elisha the son of Shaphat who was plowing with twelve â—…oke of oxen before him and he with the twelfth m Who had twelve Ploughs going whereof eleven were managed by his Servants and the last by himself according to the simplicity and humility of those Ancient times in which men of good Worth and Estate submitted themselves to the meanest employments and Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him n By that Ceremony conferring upon him the Office of a Prophet which God was pleased to accompany with the Gifts and Graces of his Spirit wherewith he endowed and qualified him for it The Mantle was the usual Habit of the Prophets See 2 King 1. 8. Zech. 13. 4. But whether he did also Anoint him is uncertain See the Note on v. 16. 20 And he left the oxen and ran
the Lots were promiscuously put together and out of which they were severally taken to Jehojaâ—…ib the second to Jedajah 8 The third to Harim the fourth to Seorim 9 The fifth to Malchijah the sixth to Mijamin 10 The seventh to Hakkoz the eighth to * Neh. 12. 4 17 Luke â—… 5. Abijah 11 The ninth to Jeshua the tenth to Shecaniah 12 The eleventh to Eliasâ—…ib the twelfth to Jakim 13 The thirteenth to Huppah the fourteenth to Jeshebeab 14 The fifteenth to Bilgah the sixteenth to Immer 15 The seventeenth to Hezir the eighteenth to Aphses 16 The nineteenth to Pethahiah the twentieth to Jehezekel 17 The one and twentieth to Jachin the two and twentieth to Gamul 18 The three and twentieth to Delajah the four and twentieth to Maaziah 19 These were the orderings of them in their service h In this Order and Method they were to come to perform the Offices of the Temple i. e. To come into the Temple every Sabbathday and to continue there all the Week long until the next Sabbath when they were relieved by others as the Manner was See 2 King 11. 5. 1 Chron. 9. 25. to come into the house of the LORD according to their manner i under Aaron their father k i. e. Under the Inspection and Direction of the High-priest whom he calls Aaron because he represented his Person and executed his Office and also came out of his Loyns and their father because of the Authority which by Gods Appointment he had over them and that Love Reverence and Obedience which they owed to him as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him 20 And the rest of the sons of Levi l Either such as were onely Levites and not Priests or rather such as were not named or numbred before in this or the former Chapter were these Of the sons of Amram * Ch. 23. 16 Shebâ—…el Shubael of the sons of Shubael Jehdejah m Who being as it seems an Eminent Person or having a very numerous Family was not reckoned with or under his Fathers Family but was accounted as a distinct Head of another Family 21 Concerning Rehabiah n The Son of Eliezer ch 23. 17. of the sons of Rehabiah the first o By Birth or Place was Jeshiah 22 Of the Izharite * Ch. 23. 18. Shelomith Shelomoth p Called also Shelomith ch 23. 18. of the sons of Shelomoth Jahath 23 And the sons of * Ch. 23. 19. 26. 31. Hebron Jeriah the first q Which word is fitly supplied both out of the rest of this verse the second third and fourth having a manifest reference to the first and out of 1 Chron. 23. 19. 26. 31. where it is expressed Amariah the second Jahaziel the third Jekameam the fourth 24 Of the sons of Uzziel Michah of the sons of Michah Shamir 25 The brother of Michah was Isshiah of the sons of Isshiah Zechariah 26 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi the sons of Jaaziah r The Son either of Mahli or rather of Mushi last named for Mahli's Posterity comes v. 28. Beno 27 The sons of Merari by Jaaziah Beno s Whose Name is here repeated with his Brethren because he was the First-born and Head of the rest who were all reckoned with and under his Family as if they had been Branches of it and Shoham and Zaccur and Ibri 28 Of Mahli came Eleazar * Ch 23. 22. who had no sons 29 Concerning Kish t Another of Mahli's Sons as appears from 1 Chron. 23. 21. the son of Kish was Jerahmeel 30 The sons also of Mushi Mahli and Eder and Jerimoth These were the sons of the Levites after the house of their fathers 31 These likewise cast lots over against their brethren the sons of Aaron u i. e. Answerable for Number and Order to those of the Priests so as there should be a several course of the Levites for each course of the Priests This is expressed concerning the Singers ch 25. and the like is implied concerning the Porters ch 26. and is here sufficiently intimated concerning those Levites which were employed in other Sacred Ministrations in the presence of David the king and Zadok and Ahimelech and the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites even the principal fathers over against their younger brethren x The Lots of the Elder and Younger Brethren were promiscuously put together and the order was settled as the Lots came forth without any regard to the Age or Dignity or Number of the Persons or Families the youngest Family having the first Course if they had the first Lot c. CHAP. XXV 1 MOreover David and the captains of the host a Both of the Civil and Sacred Host to wit all the Princes of Israel with the Priests and the Levites whom David gathered together ch 23. 2. for this very end that in their Presence and with their Approbation and Consent all these things might be established who are here fitly called the Captains of the Host for the Princes were under David the Chief Captains or Commanders of the Militia or Trained Bands of the Kingdom and as the Levites are called an Host and the Lords Host Numb 4. 23. and elsewhere because of their Number and Order in Holy Ministrations so these Priests and Levites were the Captains and Governours of the rest separated b i. e. Distributed them into their several Ranks and Orders Which though chiefly done by David as a Prophet and by Divine Direction as hath been oft observed yet is here imputed in part to the Captains of the Host because it was done with their Concurrence and Approbation to the service of the sons of * Ch. 6. 33 39. 2 Chr. 29. 30. Asaph and of * ver 5. Heman and of * 2 Chr 35. 15. Jeduthun c i. e. To the Service of God under the Conduct and Command of these Persons who should prophecy d i. e. Praise God by singing the Psalms of David of which see on ch 16. 7. and other sacred Songs made by themselves who were Prophets in some sort or by other Prophets or Holy Men of God Or this Action of theirs is called prophecying because it had been formerly performed by the Prophets and the Sons of the Prophets of which see 1 Sam. 10. 5. 19. 20. 2 King 3. 15. 1 Chron. 15. 19. with harps with psalteries and with cymbals and the number of the workmen e Of the Persons employed in this Sacred Work according to their service was 2 Of the sons of Asaph Zaccur and Joseph and Nethaniah and ‖ Otherwise called Iesharelah ver 14. Asarelah the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph f i. e. Under his Oversight and Direction which prophesied †Heb. by the hands of the king according to the order of the king g In such Manner and Order as David appointed 3 Of
Worship of God and in Obedience to their King chief fathers whom king David made rulers over the Reubenite the Gadite and the half-tribe of Manasseh for every matter pertaining to God and †Heb. 〈◊〉 2 Chr. 1â—… 〈◊〉 affairs of the king CHAP. XXVII 1 NOw the children of Israel after their number to wit the chief fathers and captains of thousands and hundreds and their officers a The standing Force or Militia of Israel as it was settled under their several Officers as it here follows that served the king in any matter of the courses b i. e. In all the business wherein the King had occasion for these Persons who were to attend upon him or his Commands by Courses or by Turns Or according to all the order or state of the Divisions or about the Companies or Courses into which they were distributed which came in and went out c i. e. Executed their Office which is commonly signified by this Phrase as Numb 27. 17. and elsewhere month by month d Who were to be Armed and Mustered and to wait upon the King either at Jerusalem on in other places as the King should see fit By this Order near 300000 of his People were instructed and exercised in the use of the Arms and fitted for the Defence of their King and Kingdom when it should be needful and in the mean time sufficient Provision was made against any sudden Tumults or Irruptions of Enemies And this monthly Course was contrived that the Burden of it might be easie and equally distributed 〈◊〉 the People throughout all the months of the year of every course were twenty and four thousand 2 Over the first course for the first month was Jashobeam e Of whom see 2 Sam. 23. 8. and 1 Chron. 11. 11. the son of Zabdiel and in his course were twenty and four thousand 3 Of the children of Perez f Or of Pharez of the Posterity of Iudah Gen. 46. 12. This seems to be understood of Iashobeam and to be mentioned as a reason why he was the Chief c. and the verse may be rendred thus He was which is easily understood out of the foregoing words of the children of Perez and consequently of the Tribe of Iudah to which the Pre-eminence belonged and of which Iudah was and he was or therefore he was the Chief to wit in Dignity and Precedency though not in Power and Authority for these captains were equal in Power and Ioah was their General of all the Captains of Host whose several Names here follow and was for the first month Therefore he was first in Order and was Captain for the first month was the chief of all the captains of the host for the first month 4 And over the course of the second month was ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 23. 9. Dodai an Ahohite and of his course was Mikloth also the ruler g Who was either 1. the Captain of this Course after the death of this Dodai as Zebadiah was after Asahel v. 7. But the differing Phrase there and here sufficiently intimates that the same thing is not meant in both Places Or 2. his Lieutenant or Deputy in case of his necessary Absence But why should such an one be named here and not in the rest of the Courses Or rather 3. one of the Officers of his Course who seems here particularly to be named as a person then of great Note and Eminency in his course likewise were twenty and four thousand 5 The third captain of the host for the third month was Benajah the son of Jehojada a ‖ 〈◊〉 principal 〈◊〉 chief priest h Or the chief Priest Or rather a chief Prince as this Hebrew Word is oft used as Gen. 41. 45. 47. 22. 2 Sam. 8. 18. 20. 26. 1 King 4. 5. 2 King 10. 11. and elsewhere Probably he was not onely a Captain of this Course but a great Officer in the Court and State For although the Priests might take up Arms in some special Cases yet it is not likely that such were constant Officers in the Kings Army especially seeing the rest of the Captains here named were of other Tribes Besides neither Benajah nor Jehojadah was High-Priest at that time but Zadok or Abiathar and before them Abimelech in whom the Priesthood had been for a long time together even in the days of Samuel and Sâ—…ul and David and Solomon and in his course were twenty and four thousand 6 This is that Benajah who was * 〈◊〉 23. 20 â—…3 〈◊〉 12. 22. mighty among the thirty and above the thirty and in his course was Ammizabad his son i Who seems to have been his Fathers Lieutenant because his Father was Captain of the Kings Guards 2 Sam. 8. 18. and therefore needed a Deputy in the one or in the other place 7 The fourth captain for the fourth month was * 〈◊〉 23. 24. 〈◊〉 26. Asahel the brother of Joab k By which it seems the Foundation of this Project was laid whilst David was in Hebron during which time Asahel was slain and Davids Forces were then divided into 24 Courses under 24 Chief Commanders whereof Asahel was one onely it is probable that the number of their Forces was much less than that which is here mentioned But when David was fully settled in his whole Kingdom the design was perfected and the numbers of their Souldiers increased to this Number and Zebadiah his son after him l i. e. After his death of which see 2 Sam. 2. 23. and in his m Not Asahels for in his time they were not so numerous but Zebadiahs his Son course were twenty and four thousand 8 The fifth captain for the fifth month was Shamhuth n Supposed to be the same called 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 23. 11. and Shaâ—…moth 1 Chron. 11. 27. the 〈◊〉 and in his course were twenty and four thousand 9 The sixth Captain for the sixth month was * Ch. 11. 28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite and in his course were twenty and four thousand 10 The seventh captain for the seventh month was Helez the Pelonite o So called also 1 Chron. 11. 27. and the Paltite 2 Sam. 23. 26. of the children of Ephraim and in his course were twenty and four thousand 11 The eighth captain for the eighth month was * 2 Sam. 21. 18. Sibbecai the Hushathite of the Zarhites p Of the Family of the Zarhites and in his course were twenty and four thousand 12 The ninth captain for the ninth month was Abiezer the Anetothite of the Benjamites and in his course were twenty and four thousand 13 The tenth captain for the tenth month was Maharai the Netophathite of the Zarhites and in his course were twenty and four thousand 14 The eleventh captain for the eleventh month was Benajah the Pirathonite of the children of Ephraim and in his course were twenty and four thousand 15 The twelfth
Israel to put his Name there and his mothers name was Naamah an Ammonitess 14 And he did evil because he ‖ Or fixed 1 Sam. 7. 3. prepared not k Or directed nâ—…t or settled not c. i. e. Although he humbled himself and seemed penitent for a season and professed the True Religion and Worship of God yet he quickly relapsed into his former Sins because he was not sincere nor serious in his Actions and his Heart was not right with God his heart to seek the LORD 15 Now the acts of Rehoboam first and last are they not written in the †Heb. words book of Shemajah the prophet and of Iddo the seer concerning genea logies l In an Historical Account written by him of the Genealogies and Actions of the Kings of Judah And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam conâ—…inually 16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David and Abijah his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XIII 1 NOw * 1 Kiâ—… 〈◊〉 c. in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem his mothers name also was Micajah the daughter of Uriel a Called Maachah the Daughter of Absalom 1 King 15. 2. She might be Daughter to one and Grand-daughter to the other or the proper and natural Daughter of the one and the others by Adoption of which there are Instances in Scripture or the same Person might be called Uriel and Absalom See 1 King 15. 2. of Gibeah and there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam 3 And Abijah †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set the battel in aray c Against Jeroboam We need not scrupulously enquire into the Lawfulness of this War for this Abijah though here he makes a fair Flourish and maintained the better Cause yet was indeed an Ungodly Man 1 King 15. 3. and therefore minded not the satisfaction of his Conscience but onely the Recovery of his Parents Ancient Dominions with an army of valiant men of war even four hundred thousand chosen men Jeroboam also set the battel in aray against him with eight hundred thousand men being mighty men of valour 4 And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim d Some commodious Place whence his Voice might be heard by Jeroboam and some of his Host who possibly were pitched in the Valley Or the two Armies being pitched near to one another Abijah might desire a Parly before they fought whereupon Jeroboam and some of his Commanders and Souldiers might draw near to him and stand below him at the bottom of the Hill where they might hear his Speech which Jeroboam was the more willing to do that in the mean time he might cause an Ambushment to come behind Abijah and his Army as he did v. 13. whilest he was quietly standing before them and seemed to hearken to any Terms of Accommodation which might be offered which is in mount Ephraim and said Hear me thou Jeroboam and all Israel 5 Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt e i. e. By a perpetual Covenant which thy â—…surpation cannot disanul For the Phrase see on Numb 18. 19. 6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat the servant of Solomon the son of David is risen up and hath * 1 〈◊〉 rebelled against his lord 7 And there are gathered unto him vain men the children of Belial f Such as have cast off the Yoke and Obedience which they owed both to God and to their King and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young g Not in Age for he was then 41 years old but in his Kingdom which he had but newly obtained and in Experience in Politick and especially in Military Affairs to which he was wholly a Stranger as having been born and bred up in a time of great Peace and Security and tender-hearted h i. e. Cowardly and fearful who durst not adventure to chastise the Rebels as he should have done But herein Abijah forgets his Duty both to his Father whom he falsely traduceth and to God by whose Express Command Rehoboam was restrained from the War against Israel which otherwise he had both Courage and Resolution to prosecute as appears from the History 1 King 12. 21. and could not withstand them 8 And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David i That Kingdom which was not set up by Vain Men in pursuance of their own Ambition and Discontent as yours was but ordained and established by God himself in the House of David and ye be a great multitude k Or because that Hebrew Particle being oft so used ye be c. This he mentions partly as the ground of their Confidence that they had more Triâ—…es and a greater Host and partly as a Presâ—…ge of their Downfal which trusting â—…o the Arm of Flesh is and there are with you golden calâ—…es l Or but there are c. There is that among you which may damp your Courage and Confidence You worship those Images which God aâ—…hors and severely forbids which Jeroboam * 1 Kiâ—… 〈◊〉 made you for gods m Or for God as that plural word is most commonly used i. e. instead of God to give them the Name of God as Exod. 32. 4. and that worship which is peculiar to him 9 * 〈◊〉 Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD the sons of Aaron and the Levites and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands so that whosoeveâ—… cometh †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to consecrate himself n i. e. To make himself a Priest See on Levit. 7. 37. with a young bullock and seven rams the same may be a priest of them that are no gods o That have nothing of the Nature or Power though you give them the Name of gods 10 But as for us the LORD p Heb. Iehovah the onely true and great God is our God and we have not forsaken him q We maintain his Honour and Worship which you have ungratefully rejected and the priests which minister unto the LORD are the sons of Aaron and the Levites wait upon their business 11 * 〈◊〉 And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew-bread also set they in order upon the pure table r So called because it was made of pure Gold Exod. 25. 23 24. and the candlestick of gold s He saith Table and Candlestick though there were ten of each 〈◊〉 4. 7 8. either 1. because Shishak had carried away all but onâ—… Or 2. the singular number is put for the plural as 1 King 7. 48. and oft
For what I am saying though most true will not be believed without serious consideration happy is the man whom God correcteth h Heb. Blessednesses i. e. various and great happiness as the plural number implies belong to that man whom God rebukes to wit with strokes Ch. 33. 16 19. Those afflictions are so far from making thee miserable as thou complainest that they are and will be if thou dost thy duty the means of thy happiness Which though a paradox to the world is frequently affirmed in holy Scripture and the reason of it is plain because they are pledges of God's love which no man can buy too dear and though bitter yet necessary physick to purge out that sin which is deeply fixed in all mens natures and thereby to prevent far greater even infinite and eternal miseries Without respect to which this Proposition could not be true or tolerable And therefore it plainly shews that good men in those antient times of the Old Testament had the prospect and belief and hope of everlasting blessedness in Heaven after this life therefore despise not thou i i. e. Do not abhor it as a thing pernicious and intolerable nor refuse it as a thing useless and unprofitable nor slight it as a mean and unnecessary thing but on the contrary prize it highly as a favour and vouchsasement of God for such negative expressions oft imply the contrary as 1 Thes. 5. 20. 1 Tim. 4. 12. See Prov. 10. 2. 17. 21. the chastening of the Almighty k Or of the alsufficient God who is able to support and comfort thee in thy troubles and to deliver thee out of them and to add more calamities to them if thou art obstinate and incorrigible 18. * Deut. 32. 3â—… 1 Sam. 26. Isa. 30. 26. Hos. 6 1. For he maketh sore and bindeth up l To wit the wounds as good Surgeons use to do when they have dressed them in order to their healing Comp. Psal. 147. 3. Ezek. 34. 4. The sense is Though he hath seen it fit to wound thee yet he will not alwaies grieve thee but will in due time release thee from all thy miseries Therefore despair not he woundeth and his hands make whole 19. * Psal. 〈◊〉 â—… Prov. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall deliver thee m To wit if thou seekest to him by prayer and repentance in six n i. e. Manifold or repeated as six is used for many Prov. 6. 16. troubles Yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee o To wit so as to undo or destroy thee as touching is used Ios. 9. 19. Heb. 11. 28. 1 Iohn 5. 18. See also Gen. 26. 11. 29. 2 Sam. 14. 10. Psal. 105. 15. Zech. 2. 8. Thou shalt have a good issue out of all thy troubles though they are both great and many 20. In famin p Which Iob might be thought to fear as being so poor that he needed his friends contributions for his relief he shall redeem thee from death q From that terrible kind of death and in †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 war from the power of the Sword r These things he utters with more confidence partly because the rewards or punishments of this life were more constantly distributed to men in the old Testament according to their good or bad behaviour than now they are And partly because it was his particular opinion that great afflictions were the constant fruits and certain evidences of a mans wickedness And consequently that great mercies and deliverances should infallibly follow upon true repentance and godliness 21. Thou shall be hid s i. e. Protected as in some secret and safe place ‖ 〈…〉 from the scourge of the tongue t i. e. From false accusations and virulent slanders and reproaches either by diverting their tongues to other persons or things Or by clearing thy integrity neither shalt thou be afraid u To wit upon others near thee or round about thee of destruction when it cometh x Thou shalt have no cause to fear it because God will secure thee in it and from it 22. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh y Thou shalt not onely be redeemed from famine v. 20. and not fear destruction v. 21. But thou shalt laugh at them not with a laughter of scorn and contempt as this word is used Ch. 39. 18. Psal. 2. 4. 37. 13. for Gods judgments are to be entertained with reverence and godly fear but with a laughter of joy and triumph arising from his just security and confidence in God's watchful and gracious providence which will either keep him from it or in it or do him much good by it * 〈◊〉 11. 9. 〈◊〉 65. 25. 〈◊〉 34. 25. 〈◊〉 2. 18. neither shalt thou be afraid of the Beasts y i. e. The wild beasts which were numerous and mischievous in those parts See Deut. 28. 26. 1. Sam. 17. 34. Ier. 7. 33. of the Earth 23. * 〈◊〉 91. 13. For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field z Thou shalt be free from any annoyance by stones either in thy walking or other postures or in thy plowing as if they had made an inviolable leaguewith thee Stones may be and in these stony Countries were hurtful to men many ways either by bruising or hurting their feet when the walked barefoot as the manner then was Or by giving them occasion of stumbling or slipping and falling Or by falling upon a man from a rock or higher ground as sometimes it hath happened Or filling his grounds so as to hinder his plowing and make his lands unfruitful Nay the stones shall not only cease to be hurtful but they shall be useful and beneficial to thee they shall as it were present themselves to thee when thou hast occasion either to sling them at thine enemies as then was usual Iudg. 20. 16. 2 Chron. 26. 14. or to make fences to thy ground Or to build an house This is a bold Metaphor but such are frequent as in other Authours so also in Scripture as Isa. 28. 15. Hos. 2. 18. And the beasts of the field a Either 1. the wild beasts and then this is an addition to the former priviledge they shall not hurt thee v. 22. nay they shall befriend thee as being at peace with thee here v. 23. Or 2. the tame Beasts who otherwise may be refractory and hurtful to a man many having been killed by them shall be at peace with thee 24. And thou shalt know b By certain and constant experience ‖ 〈…〉 that thy tabernacle c i. e. Thy habitation as it follows including also the Inhabitants Children or Friends and Servants shall be in peace d Shall enjoy great safety from all their Enemies and concord among themselves and prosperity in all their concerns all which are comprehended under the sweet name of Peace and thou shalt visit thy
that time to search out the depths of this divine Wisdom in the administration of the World say we have heard the fame thereof g We know it only by slight and uncertain rumours but not fully and perfectly with our ears 23. God h i. e. God alone as appears by the denial of it to all other things understandeth the way thereof i Either the way how it is to be obtained Or rather the methods or courses which it takes in the management of all affairs in the World together with its grounds and end 〈◊〉 them and he knoweth the place thereof k Where it dwells which is only in his own Breast and Mind and in the best of men but in part and only as far as it pleaseth him to afford it 24. For he looketh to the ends of the Earth and seeth under the whole heaven l He and he only knows it because his Providence and that only is infinite and universal reaching to all places and times and things past present and to come whereas the most acute and knowing men have narrow understandings and see but very few things and small parcels of the works of God and therefore are very unfit to pass a judgment upon them because the Wisdom and Justice and Beauty of Gods works is not clearly nor fully seen till all the parts of them be laid together 25. To make the weight for the winds m Which of themselves are most light and without any weight and inconstant and such as no Creature can order or govern them But God manageth them all by weight appointing to every Wind that blows its season its proportion its bounds and limits when and where and how much and how long each Wind shall blow and for what ends whether for Mercy as to refresh men in hot seasons with its gentle gales to cherish the fruits of the Earth to waft Ships on the Sea to their desired Havens c. or whether for Judgment as to corrupt the air and thereby the Bodies of men and Fruits of the Earth to blow down Houses upon their Inhabitants as he was pleased to deal with my poor unhappy Children He only doth all these things and he only knows why he doth them He instanceth but in some few of Gods works and those which seem to be most trivial and casual and uncertain that thereby he might more strongly imply and prove that God doth the same in other things which are more considerable and are managed by more constant causes and certain methods that he doth all things in the most exact order and weight and measure and he weigheth n But it seems a very improper speech to weigh things by measure and therefore this word may more fitly be otherwise rendred he examineth or disposeth or fitteth or directeth for so this verb is elsewhere used as 1 Sam. 2. 3. Psal 75. 3. Prov. 16. 2. 21. 2. the waters o To wit the Rain-waters as appears from the next Verse which God layeth up in his Store-houses or bottles the Clouds and thence draws them forth and sends them down upon the Earth in such times and proportions as he thinks fit and as may serve his several designs and ends by measure p For liquid things are examined by measure as other things are by weight and here is both weight and measure to signifie with what exact and perfect Wisdom God doth govern the World 26. When he made q Which was either from eternity or at the first Creation when he settled that course and order which should afterwards be continued Or when he maketh But our Translation seems best to suit with the then in the next Verse where the sense is compleated a decree for the rain r An appointment and as it were a Statute Law that it should fall upon the Earth and that in such times and places and proportions and manner as he should think fit either for correction or for mercy as Elihu speaks Iob 37. 13. and a way s Or path how it should get out of the thick Cloud in which it was shut up and as it were imprisoned or a course which should for the future be observed as to the time and measure and ends and other circumstances belonging to it for the lightning of the thunder 27. Then t Either from eternity when he decreed what he would do or when he first created them did he see it u i. e. Wisdom which is the subject matter of the present discourse This God saw not abroad but within himself he looked or reflected upon it in his own mind as the rule by which he would proceed in the Creation and Government of all things managing them in such ways and methods as were most agreeable to his own most wise and unsearchable Counsels which no humane or created Wit can reach or pierce into Or he saw it so as to declare it as it follows so as to make it visible and manifest in some measure to his Creatures Or he saw it i. e. he enjoyed it seeing being oft put for enjoying as Psal. 27. 13. 34. 12. Eccles. 3. 13. 2. 1. Compare Prov. 8. 22. and ‖ Or number it declare it x i. e. He made it evident he discovered his deep Wisdom which lay hid before in his own breast or he laid the foundation of that discovery of it which then was or afterward should be made to Angels and Men as the Heavens did in themselves declare the glory of God Psal. 19. 1. before there was such a Creature as man to take notice of it because the object was visible in itself and not made so by the Eye which afterwards beheld it Or did number it i. e. shewed it as it were by number not only in gross but as it were by retail in all the several works which he made he prepared it y i. e. He had it in readiness for the doing of all his works as if he had been for a long time preparing materials for them So it is a speech of God after the manner of men Or he disposed it i. e. used or employed it in his works Or he settled or established it i. e. he firmly purposed to do such and such things in such manner as he thought meet and he established the order which he first made in the World that it should continue in after ages Or he directed it and directed and ordered all things by it yea and searched it out z Not properly for so searching implies Ignorance and that a man is at a loss and requires time and industry all which is repugnant to the Divine Perfections but figuratively as such expressions are oft used concerning God i e. He did and doth all things with that absolute and perfect Wisdom and he knoweth all his own Counsels and Actionâ—… and the reasons of them so exactly and perfectly as if he had bestowed
be most convenient both for beauty and use upon it 6. Whereupon are the †Heb. 〈◊〉 foundations thereof †Heb. made to siâ—…k fastened o This strong and durable Building hath no Foundations but in God's power and word which hath marvellously established it upon it self or who laid the corner stone thereof p By which the several walls and parts of the Building are joyned and fastened together and in which next to the Foundations the stability of any Building does consist The sense is Who was it that did build this goodly Fabrick and establishâ—… it so firmly that it cannot be moved without a Miracle 7. When the morning stars q Either 1. the Stars properly so called who are said to sing and praise God objectively because they give men ample occasion to do it in regard of their glorious light and stupendious motions c. Compare Psal. 19. 1. 148 1 c. But 1. there stars are not here the objects or matter but the authors or instruments of God's praises for the founding of the Earth 2. the Stars were not created when the Earth was founded but upon the fourth day 3. there is no satisfactory reason given why all the Stars should be called Morning-stars especially when there is but one Star known by that Name Or rather 2. the Sons of God as it here follows the latter Clause of the Verse being explicatory of the former as is most frequent in this and some other Books of Scripture to wit the Angels who may well be called Stars as even men of eminent note and particuâ—…ly Ministers of God's Word are called Dan. 8. 10. 12. 3. 〈◊〉 1. 16 20. and Morning-stars because of their excellent lustre and glory for which they are called Angels of Light 2 Cor. 11. 14. and Christ for the same reason is called the Morning-star Revel 22. 16. sang together ‖ Or 〈◊〉 so Or. and all the sons of God r The blessed Angels for man not being yet made God had then no other Sons and these are called the Sons of God partly because they had their whole being from him and partly because they were made partakers of his divine and glorious Image And all these are said to join in this work of praising God probably because none of the Angels were as yet fallen from their first estate though they did â—…all within a very little time after shouted for joy s Rejoyced in and blessed God for his works Whereby he intimates that they neither did advise or any way assist him in his works nor dislike or censure any of his works as Iob had presumed to do with the works of his Providence which are not inferior to those of Creation 8. * Gen. 1. 9. Or who shut up the sea with doors t Who was it thou or I that did set bounds to the vast and raging Ocean and shut it up as it were with Doors within its proper place and store-house that it might not overflow the Earth which without God's powerful restraint it would do See Psal. 33. 7. 104. 9. This sense seems most proper and to be confirmed by the following Verses when it brake forth u Or after it had broken forth to it from the womb or bowels of the Earth within which the Waters were for the most part contained Gen. 1. 2. Compare 2 Pet. 3. 5. and out of which they were by God's command brought forth into the proper place or channel which God had appointed for them as if it had issued out of the womb 9. When I made the cloud the garment thereof x When I covered it with Vapours and Clouds which arise out of the Sea and by God's appointment hover above it and cover it like a garment and thick darkness y i. e. Black and dark Clouds called Darkness by an usual Metonymy of the Adjunct So the same thing is repeated in other words after the manner a swadling band for it z Having compared the Sea to a New-born Infant he continues in the same Metaphor and makes the Clouds as swadling-bands to keep the Sea within its bounds though indeed neither Clouds nor Air nor Sands and shores can bound the Sea but it is God alone who doth it in and with these things 10. And ‖ 〈…〉 * Ch. 26. 10. brake up for it my decreed place a i. e. Made those vallies or channels and hollow-places in the Earth which might serve for a Cradle to receive and hold this great and goodly Infant when it came out of the Womb. See Gen. 1. 9 10. Psal. 33. 7. Or ordained or established my Decree upon or concerning it and set bars and doors b i. e. Fixed its bounds as strongly as if they were fortified with Bars and Doors 11. And said Hitherto shall thou come but no further and here e To wit at the Sand and Shore of the Sea Ier. 5. 22. shall †Heb. 〈◊〉 pride 〈◊〉 waves thy proud waves f Which rage and swell as if they would over-whelm all the Earth be stayed 12. Hast thou commanded the morning g i. e. The Morning-light or the Sun which is the cause of it Didst thou create the Sun and appoint the order and succession of Day and Night since thy days h Since thou wast born This work was not done by thee but my me and that long before thou wast born and caused the day-spring to know his place i To observe the punctual time when and the point of the Heavens where it should arise which varies every day Was this thy contrivance or mine 13. That it might take hold of the †Heb wings 〈◊〉 3â—… 3. ends of the earth k That this Morning-light should in a moment spread it self over the face of the whole Earth from one end of the Hemisphear to the other that the wicked might be shaken out of it l From the face of the Earth And this effect the Morning light hath upon the wicked partly because it discovers them and drives them into their lurking-holes whereas the darkness hides them and draws them forth and gives them opportunity to execute their villanies without observation Iob 24. 15 16 17. and partly because it brings them to condign punishment the Morning being the most fit and the mâ—…st usual time for executing judgment of which see Psal. 101. 8. Ier. 21. 12. 14. It m To wit the Earth mentioned in the next foregoing Verse is turned n Is transformed and changed in its shape and appearance as clay ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the seal o Or by the seal which makes a beautiful or valuable impression upon that Clay which in it self hath no form nor worth nor comliness in it So the Earth which in the darkness of the night lies like a confused heap without either form or beauty when the light ariseth and shineth upon
is great k An ironical Question If thou pretendest that thou knowest these things and caâ—…t readily answer these Questions how comest thou by this knowledge Was it from hence because thou wast born when I made the World and that first constitution of the Light and Darkness in that order and succession which continues to this day and thereby hadst the opportunity of inspecting my works and seeing whence the Light came and because thou hast gained this knowledge by long experience as having lived ever since the Creation of the World until this time Whereas in truth thou art but of yesterday and knowest â—…othing as was said Ch. 8. 9. But the words are and may be otherwise rendred dost or didst thou know either by thy own remembrance or by the information of others that thou waâ—…t then born to wit when I made the World Or didst thou know that thou shouldst then be born then to wit when thou wast born Or didst thou then know the two Hebrew Particles being transplaced as is not unusual in that Language that thou shouldst be born How couldst thou know this when thou hadst no being and that the number of thy days should be great That thou shouldst live so long as thou hast lived Thou couldest neither foreknow the time of thy Birth nor the length of thy Life Or and is the number of thy days great i. e. So great that it reacheth to the time of the Worlds Creation 22. Hast thou entred into the treasures of the snow or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail l Dost thou know where I have laid up those vast quantitys of Snow and Hail which I draw forth when I see fit dost thou know the causes of them and the way to produce them But if thou art unacquainted with these treasures it is intolerable presumption in thee to pretend that thou knowest those treasures of Wisdom which lye hid in my own Breast 23. Which m i. e. Which Snow and especially hail I have reserved against the time of trouble n i. e. When I intend to bring trouble or calamity upon a Countrey or People for their sins or for their trial Or against the time of the enemy i. e. when I intend to punish mine or my Peoples enemies and to fight against them with these weapons Of which see instances Exod. 9. 14. Ios. 10. 11. Compare 1 Sam 7. 10. Iob 36. 31. Isa 30. 30. against the day of battle and war 24. By what way o Dost thou know all the causes means methods and circumstanceâ—… of this work of God is the light parted p Or dispersed or distributed to wit in the Air or upon the face of the Earth By light he understands either 1. the Lightning which breaks forth suddenly out of a Cloud and with strange swistness disperseth it self and Heeth from East to West as is noted Mat. 24. 27. But this word light put by it self and being understood properly is constantly used in this Book for the light of the Sun and never for the Lightning and where it is meant of the Lightning there is some other word added to it as Chap. 37. 15. where it is called the light of his Cloud And besides he speaks of the Lightning in the next Verse which were superfluous if it were here mentioned Or rather 2. of the light of the Sun which is commonly called light without any other word added to it as Iob 3. 4 9 16. 24. 14. 25. 3. c. And this light of the Sun is variously parted or distributed in the World shining in one place and time when it doth not shine in another or for a longer time or with greater brightness and power and vertue than it doth in another All which are the effects of God's infinite Wisdom and Power and such as were out of Iob's reach to understand or at least to effect which scattereth the east-wind upon the earth q i. e. Which light scattereth c. i. e. raiseth the East-wind and causeth it to blow hither and thither upon the Earth For as the Sun is justly called by the Poets and others the Father of the Winds because he draws up those exhalations which give matter to the Winds and for other reasons so in particular the East-wind is oft observed to rise together with the Sun from which also it hath both its Latin and Greek Name But some make this a distinct Question from the former and render the words thus and repeat by which way the East-wind under which all the other Winds may be comprehended scattereth it self upon the Earth i. e. Whence the Winds come and whither they go which is mentioned as a secret in Nature Ioh. 3. 8. and how it comes to pass that they blow in such several manners and with such various and even contrary effects Or thus and by which way the East-wind scattereth to wit the Clouds or other light things for this is noted in Scripture to be a most vehement Wind and to scatter the Clouds Exod. 14. 21. Ionah 4. 8. upon the Earth i. e. whence it comes to pass that the East-wind was so violent and furious But the words may be rendred thus Which i. e. which light of the Sun or when it to wit this light scattereth it self as divers here render this word that conjugation being often used reciprocally as is confessed from the prefix Mem being understood as it is very frequently in the Hebrew Text the East for this Hebrew word doth not onely signifie the Eastern Wind but also the East or the Eastern part of the Heavens or Earth as Ezek. 40. 19. 42. 16. Habakk 1. 9. in many other places and Kedem the root of this word is constantly so used upon or over the Earth all over the Earth and this is justly mentioned as a wonderful work of God that as soon as ever the Sun ariseth it parteth or scattereth its light in an instant from one end of the Hemisphear to another But this I propose with submission 25. Who hath divided a water-course for the overflowing of waters r For the showers of Rain which come down out of the Clouds orderly moderately and gradually as if they were conveyed in Pipes or Channels which without the care of God's Providence would fall confusedly and all together and instead of refreshing would overwhelm the Earth or a way for the lightning of thunder s i. e. For that Lightning which breaking out of the Cloud with violence causeth Thunder Or for Lightning and Thunder Who opened a passage for them out of the Cloud in which they were imprisoned And these are here joyned with the Rain because they are commonly accompanied with great showers of Rain which is here noted as a wonderful work of God that Fire and Water should come out of the same Cloud 26. To cause it to rain t That the Clouds being broken by Lightning and Thunder
with the rain of whose good effects he is yet speaking the cedars of Lebanon q Yea even the tallest and largest Cedars such as these were are supported and nourished by it * 〈◊〉 24. 6. which he hath planted 17 Where the birds make their nests as for the stork r Which make their Nests not onely in the tops of Houses but also in the Field and in high Trees as Varro and others have noted the fir-trees s Which also are Trees of great height and bigness and which being here said to afford the Storks an House are thereby supposed to be preserved and nourished by the rain Water are her house 18 The high hills are a refuge for wild goats and the rocks for the conies t So he passeth from the rain to other works of Gods Providence as that God hath made suitable and sufficient provision for the security of these Creatures against their Persecutors Although this Verse also may have a reference to the former work and the barren and rocky Hills may be mentioned as receiving benefit by the rain and it may be thus rendred And the high hills understand are satisfied which is expressed v. 16. and may very well be carried hither which that Particle being frequently understood are a refuge for wild goats and the rocks understand out of the former branch according to the usual manner which are a refuge for the conies or as others translate this word for the mountain-mice 19 He appointeth the moon for seasons u To measure and distinguish the times both Months and amongst many Nations Years also as also the Seasons of divers natural events as of the ebbing and flowing of the Waters and of the humours in mans Body and other Seasons for sacred and civil affairs which were commonly regulated by the Moon not onely amongst the Jews but among Heathens also See on Gen. 1. 14. the sun knoweth his going down x To wit the time and place in which he is to set every day of the Year which though varied from day to day yet he so regularly and exactly observes as if he had the understanding of a Man or Angel to guide him in obeying the Laws of his Creator See Iob 38. 12. What is here expressed concerning his setting is necessarily supposed concerning his rising also but he mentions onely his setting as most agreeable to the context because that did usher in the rising of the Moon of which he now spake and the entrance of the night of which he speaks in the next words 20 Thou makest darkness y Which succeeds the light by vertue of thy Decree and established Order and it is night wherein †〈◊〉 all the 〈◊〉 thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the beasts of the forest do creep forth z To look out for prey which in the day time they dare not do for fear of men So by this vicissitude of day and night God hath wisely and mercifully provided both for men that they may follow their day-labours without danger from Wild Beasts and for the Beasts that they may procure a subsistence 21 * Job 38. 39. The young lions a Which can no more subsist without Divine Providence than those which are most old and decrepit roar after their prey b They roar when they come within sight and reach of their prey as Naturalists observe whereby this place may be reconciled with Amos 3. 4. and seek their meat from God c This is a figurative and Poetical expression their roaring is a kind of natural Prayer to God for relief as the cryes of Infants are a kind of Prayers to their Mothers for the Breast And this is justly noted as an act of Gods special Providence because the Lions are very ravenous and need much prey and also are dull in their scent and so difficulty find it and slow in their motion and unable to reach it and therefore God hath provided another Creature of quicker sence and motion which is usually confederate with them and procures prey for them partaking of it with or after them 22 The sun ariseth they gather themselves together d Or rather they retire or betake themselves for the Lions do not commonly go in Companies to one place but severally each to his own Den. and lay them down in their dens 23 Man goeth forth e With security and confidence knowing the nature and custom of Wild Beasts that they hide themselves by day to his work and to his labour until the evening 24 O LORD how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches f Of excellent and comfortable things which are the effects of thy bounty and power 25 So is this great †Heb. wide of hands or spaces and wide sea wherein are things creeping g This word is common to all Creatures that move without feet touching with their Belly the Element in which they move whether they creep upon the Earth or swim in the Sea innumerable both small and great ‖ Or living creatures So Gr. beasts 26 There go the ships there is that Leviathan h Either the Whale or the Crocodile Of which see the notes on Iob 40. and 41. whom thou hast †Heb. formed made to play therein i Who being of such vast strength and absolute Dominion in the Sea tumbles in it with great security and sports himself with other Creatures which he taketh and devoureth at his pleasure 27 * Psal. 136. 25. 145. 15 19. These all k Both Beasts and Fishes wait upon thee l Expect supplies onely from thy Providence Which is said of them figuratively and with an allusion to the manner of tame Beasts and Fowls which commonly look after and wait upon those persons who bring their food to them that thou mayest give them their meat in due season m When it is necessary or convenient for them By which expression he intimates the moderation of the Beasts in their desires of food and tacitly reproves the intemperance of men who feed themselves in season and out of season 28 That thou givest them they gather n Whatsoever they receive is from thy bounty and gift thou openest thine hand o Thou providest plentifully for them as this phrase implies Deut. 15. 1. Comp. Prov. 31. 20. they are filled with good 29 Thou hidest thy face p When thou withdrawest or suspendest the favour and care of thy Providence they are troubled q Dejected and distressed * Psal. 146. 4. Eccles. 12. 7. thou takest away r So this word is used Hose 4. 3. Zeph. 1. 2. and elsewhere their breath they dye and return to their dust s To the Earth from whence they had their first original 30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit t Either 1. that spirit by which they live
and expresly from their own mouths Of which see my Latine Synopsis upon this place and from the matter of the Psalm which can by no means or arts be made to agree to David who was not Davids Lord nor a Priest much less a Priest for ever or after the order of Melchisedek the Priesthood of Aaron being in Davids time in use and force and in the hands of another person and family And whereas divers other Psalms though principally directed to and to be understood of the Messiah yet in some sort may be understood concerning David also or at least took their rise and occasion from David or from something relating to him this Psalm is directly and immediately and solely to be understood concerning the Messiah the Spirit of God wisely so ordering this matter that it might be a most express and convincing testimony against the unbelieving Jews concerning the true Messiah and concerning the nature and quality of his Kingdom 1 THE * 〈◊〉 22. 44. 〈◊〉 12. 36. 〈◊〉 20. 42. 〈◊〉 2. 34. 〈◊〉 Cor. 15 25. 〈◊〉 1. 13. LORD b God the Father the first Person in the Trinity to whom accordingly the Original of all things and especially of the work of mans Redemption by Christ is ascribed said c Decreed or appointed it from Eternity and in due time published this Decree as is noted Psal. 2. 7. and actually executed it which he did when he raised up Christ from the dead and brought him into his heavenly mansion unto my LORD d Unto his Son the Messias whom David designedly calls his Lord to admonish the Jews and the whole Church that although he was his Son according to the flesh or his humane nature Act. 2. 30. Rom. 1. 3. yet he had an higher Nature and Original and was also his Lord as being by Nature God blessed for ever and consequently Lord of all things as he is called Act. 10. 36. and by Office as he was God-man the Lord and King of the whole Church and of all the World for the Churches sake And this was a necessary provision to prevent that scandal which the Holy Ghost foresaw the Jews and others would be apt to take at the meanness of Christs appearance in the flesh The Hebrew word Adon is one of Gods Titles signifying his Power and Authority or Lordship over all things and therefore is most fitly given to the Messias to whom God hath delegated all his Power in the World Mat. 28. 18. Sit thou at my right hand e Thou who hast for many years been veiled with infirm and mortal flesh despised and rejected and trampled upon by men and persecuted unto the death do thou now take to thy self thy great and just power thou hast done thy work upon earth now take thy rest and the possession of that Soveraign Kingdom and Glory which by right belongeth to thee do thou rule with me with equal Power and Majesty as thou art God and with an Authority and Honour far above all creatures such as is next to mine as thou art man as this phrase is expounded in other places See Mark 16. 19. Luke 22. 69. 1 Cor. 15. 25. Heb. 1. 3 13. 8. 1. 10. 12 13. Eph. 1. 20 c. It is a Metaphor from the custom of earthly Princes who place those persons whom they honour most at their right hand of which see 1 Kings 2. 19. Psal. 45. 10. Mat. 20. 21. Sitting is put for reigning 1 Kings 3. 6. comp with 2 Chron. 1. 8. and withal notes the continuance of the Reign 1 Cor. 15. 25. until f Which word doth not necessarily note the end or expiration of his Kingdom at that time for in other places it notes only the continuance of things till such time without excluding the time following as is evident from Gen. 28. 15. Psal. 112. 8. Mat. 1. ult So here it may signifie that his kingdom should continue so long even in the midst of his enemies and in spight of all their power and malice which was the only thing which was liable to any doubt for that he should continue to reign after the conquest and utter ruine of all his enemies was out of all question And yet this is a word of limitation in regard of the mediatorial kingdom of Christ in respect of which Christ rules with a delegated power as his Fathers Vice-roy and with the use of outward means and instruments and ordinances c. for that manner of Administration shall cease which also seems to be intimated by this word as it is expounded 1 Cor. 15. 25. I make g By my Almighty power communicated to thee as God by eternal generation and vouchsafed to thee as Mediator to enable thee to the full discharge of thine Office thine enemies h Which also are the enemies of thy Church all persecutors and ungodly men who will not have Christ to rule over them Luke 19. 14. sin and death and the Devil 1 Cor. 15. 26. thy footstool i Thy slaves and vassals to be put to the meanest and basest services as this phrase implies 1 Kings 5. 3. Psal. 18. 39. 91. 13. being taken from the manner of Eastern Princes who used to tread upon the necks of their conquered enemies as we read Ios. 10. 24. Iudg. 1. 7. And long after those times Sapores the Persian Emperor trod upon Valerian Emperor of the Romans and Tamerlan used to tread upon Bajazet the Turkish Emperor whom he kept in an iron cage for that purpose 2 The LORD shall send k Or send forth into the world the rod of thy strength l Thy strong or powerful rod by an usual Hebraism And the Rod is put for his Scepter or Kingly power as it is Isa. 10. 24. Ier. 48. 17. Ezek. 7. 10 11. 19. 11 12. But as the kingdom of Christ is not carnal or of this world Ioh. 18. 36. but spiritual so this Rod or Scepter is nothing else but his Word published by himself or by his Apostles and Ministers and accompanied with his Spirit by which the Messias did his great exploits and set up and established his kingdom converting some of his enemies and confounding and destroying of others of them by that same instrument as is manifest by comparing Isa. 2. 3. 11. 4. Mich. 4. 2. 2 Cor. 10. 4. 2 Thess. 2. 8. Hence this word is called the word of the kingdom Mat. 13. 19. and the power of God Rom. 1. 16. David having spoken of the Messias v. 1. now turneth his speech to him out of Zion l From Ierusalem which is frequently understood by the name of Zion which was an eminent and venerable part of it as Psal. 48. 13. 87. 2. 102. 14 17 c. Where the Scepter of the Messias was first to be established according to the predictions of the Prophets Psal. 2. 6 8. 48. 3. Isa. 2. 3 c to which the event exactly
that time when multitudes were made Christs willing people by the preaching of the Apostles as we read Acts 2. 3. 4. 5 c. And for the second clause it is to be understood thus thou hast or as it is in the Hebrew to thee is the dew of thy youth or of thy childhood for the word jeled from which this is derived signifies sometimes a young man and sometimes a child or infant By youth or childhood he here seems to understand those young men or children which shall be born to the Messias who are called his children Heb. 2. 13. and his seed Isa. 53. 10. wherein possibly there might be an allusion to this dew Thus the abstract is here put for the concrete which is very frequent in the Hebrew Tongue as Circumcision and Uncircumcision are put for the circumcised and the uncircumcised c. And even in the Latine Tongue this very word youth is oft used for a young man or for a company of young men By the dew of youth he means youth or young men like dew the note of similitude being oft understood And this progeny of Christ is compared to the dew partly because of their great multitude being like drops of dew innumerable and covering the whole face of the earth see 2 Sam. 17. 12. and partly because of the strange manner of their generation which like that of the dew is done suddenly and secretly and not perceived till it be accomplished and to the admiration of those that behold it of which see Isa. 49. 21. Or 2. joyntly as one entire sentence The dew of thy youth i. e. Thy posterity which is like the dew as was noted and explained before is as the dew which may very well be understood out of the foregoing clause as the word feet is understood in like manner Psal. 18. 33. He maketh my feet like hinds feet of or from the womb of the morning it is like the morning dew as it is called both in Scripture as Hos. 6. 4. and in other Authors Not is it strange that a womb is ascribed to the morning seeing we read of the womb of the Sea and of the womb of the â—…oe and frost Job 38. 8 28 29. 4 The LORD hath sworn t Which he did not in the Aaronical Priesthood Heb. 7. 21. but did it here partly because the thing was new and strange and might seem incredible because God had already erected another and that an everlasting Priesthood Numb 25. 13. and given it to Aaron and his posterity for ever and therefore this needed all possible assurance and partly that this Priesthood might be established upon better promises as is said Heb. 8. 6. and made sure and irrevocable and such that God neither could nor would repent of it as it follows and therefore will not repent * Heb. 5. 6. 7. 17 21. Thou art u To wit by my order and constitution thou shalt be so and I do hereby make thee so a priest x As well as a King Those Offices which were divided before between two families are both united and invested in thee both being absolutely necessary for the discharge of thine Office and for the establishment of thy Kingdom which is of another kind than the Kingdoms of the World spiritual and heavenly and therefore needs such a King as is also a Minister of holy things This word plainly discovers that this Psalm cannot be understood of David as some of the Jews would have it but onely of the Messias And although this word Cohen be sometimes used of a Prince or great Person in the State as the Jews object yet it cannot be so understood here partly because it signifies a Priest in Gen. 14. 18. from whence this expression is borrowed partly because that word is never used of a Soveraign Prince or King such as the Jews confess the Messias to be but onely of inferiour Princes or Ministers of State as Gen. 41. 45. 2 Sam. 8. ult partly because such an inconsiderable assertion would never have been ushered in by so solemn an oath especially after far greater things had been said of him in the same kind v. 1 2 3. and partly because the Messias is called a Priest Zach. 6. 13. compare Ier. 20. 21. 35. 15 18. for ever y Not to be interrupted or translated to another person as the Priesthood of Aaron was upon the death of the Priest but to be continued to thee for ever after the order of Melchizedek z Or after the manner c. so as he was a Priest and also a King and both without any successor and without end in the sence intended Heb. 7. 3. 5 The Lord a Either 1. God the Father whose words and oath he last mentioned v. 4. So this is an Apostrophe of the Psalmist to Christ Thy God and Father is at thy right hand to wit to defend and assist thee as that phrase is used Psal. 16. 8. 109. 31. and elsewhere See the Notes on v. 1. And he to wit God the Father shall strike c. as it follows Although this latter clause may belong to the Messias and as in the former he spake to him so in this he speaketh of him such changes of persons being very frequent in this Book Or 2. God the Son or the Lord who is at thy right hand as was said before v. 1. shall strike c. So this is an Apostrophe to God the Father concerning his Son This seems best to agree with the following verses for it is evident that it is the same person who strikes thorow Kings and judgeth among the heathen and filleth c. And so this whole verse and those which follow speak of one person which seems most probable at thy right hand shall strike thorow kings b Shall mortally wound and destroy all those Kings and Potentates who are obstinate enemies to him and to his Church in the day of his wrath c In the day of battel when he shall contend with them and pour forth the flouds of his wrath upon them 6 He shall judge d Either 1. conquer and govern them or rather 2. condemn and punish them as it is explained in the following clauses and as this word is used Gen. 15. 14. Rom. 2. 1 2. 1 Pet. 4. 6. and elsewhere among the heathen he shall fill the places d Or the place of battel which is necessarily supposed in the fight and therefore may very well be understood with the dead bodies e Of his enemies slain by his hand and lying in the field in great numbers and heaps and that unburied to their greater infamy he shall wound the heads f Heb. the head Which may be understood either 1. of some one person and eminent adversary of Christ and of his Kingdom either the Devil by comparing this with Gen. 3. 15. Heb. 2. 14. who was indeed the Head or
all the parts of mans body and how excellently they were framed both for beauty and use have broken forth into pangs of admiration and adoration of the Creator of man as Galen particularly did in the lowest parts of the earth e Or as it were in the lowest parts of the earth So there is onely an Ellipsis of the note of similitude which is very frequent in Scripture as hath been often said and proved In a place as secret and remote from humane eyes as the lowest parts of the earth are to wit in my mothers womb And so what was said in the former clause is repeated in this in other words 16 Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect f When I was a meer Embryo a rude and shapeless lump when I was first conceived and in thy book g In thy counsel and providence by which thou didst coâ—…trive and effect this great work and all the parts of it according to that model which thou hadst appointed This is a Mâ—…taphor taken from workmen who when they are to make some curious structure they first draw a rude draught or delineation of it by which they govern themselves in the building of it †Heb. all of 〈◊〉 all my members h All the several parts of my substance were written ‖ Or what days 〈◊〉 should be â—…ed which in continuance were fashioned i Which in due time and by degrees were formed into bones fleshy sinews c. Or as it is in the margent what days and the days in which they werâ—… or should be fashioned by what steps in what order and time each part of the body should receive its proper form This also was written or appointed by God when as yet there was none of them k Heb. and not one of them understand either yet was as it is in our Translation or was lacking to wit in thy book All my parts without exception were written by thee But then these words are not to be joyned with those immediately foregoing but with the former and the words are to be read thus in thy book all my memâ—…ers were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet c. 17 * Psal. 40. 5. How precious also are thy thoughts l Thy is taken either 1. passively my thoughts of thee or rather 2. actively thy thoughts counseâ—…s or contâ—…ivances on my behalf which are admirable and amâ—…able in mine eyes Thou didst not onely form me at first but evâ—…â—…ince my conception and birth thy thoughts have been employed for me in preserving and providing for me and blessing of me unto me O God! how great is the summe of them m Thy gracious designs and providences towards me are numberless as it follows 18 If I should count them they are more in number than the sand when I awake I am still with thee n To wit by my thoughts and meditations Thy wonderful counsels and works on my behalf come constantly into my mind not onely in the day time but even in the night season which is commonly devoted to rest and sleep whensoever I awake either in the night or in the morning These are my last thoughts when I lye down and my first when I rise 19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked o And as thou hast precious and gracious thoughts towards me and all that love and fear thee so thou hast other kinds of thoughts and purposes towards wicked men such as thou knowest mine enemies to be even to destroy them utterly O God depart from me therefore p I renounce your friendship and society I will not partake with you in your sins lest I should also partake of your plagues ye bloody men q Heb. ye men of blood either 1. passively deserving death or guilty of blood or of death as the phrase is Numb 35. 27 31. Mat. 26. 66. Or rather 2. actively blood-thirsty or shedders of blood as this phrase is generally taken as 2 Sam. 16. 8. Psal. 26. 9. 55. 24. 59. 3. Having called them wicked men in general he now gives a particular account of their wickedness they were unjust and cruel towards men and withal profane and impious towards God as he tells us in the next verse 20 For they †Heb. speak of thee in wickedness or unto wickedness speak against thee wickedly r By profane scoffs and a professed denâ—…al or contempt of thine Omniscience and Providence Or they speak of thee in or unto wickedness they make use of Religion to cover or further their wicked designs But our Translation is more favoured by the Context which speaks of Gods open and professed enemies and thine enemies take thy Name in vain s Or according to the order of the Hebrew words and take thy Name in vain and are thine enemies or haters of thee as it follows v. 20. These words thy Name are understood here as also Isa. 3. 7. out of Exod. 20. 7. where they are expressed They abuse thy blessed Name with hellish oaths and perjuries and blasphemies 21 Do not I hate them O LORD that hate thee t I appeal to thee the omnipresent and omniscient God whether I do not perfectly hate them so far as they are enemies to God and goodness and am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee u In open hostility and rebellion against thine Authority 22 I hate them with perfect hatred I count them mine enemies x I am no less grieved with their enmity against thee than if they directed it against my self 23 * Job 31. 6. Psal. 26. 2. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts y And whether I do not speak this from my very heart do thou judge who art the searcher of hearts and deal with me accordingly 24 And see if there be any †Heb. way of pain or grief wicked way in me z Heb. way of trouble or grief any course of life which is grievous either 1. to my self as all sin is to the sinner sooner or later or 2. to others as I am accused of causing much trouble and designâ—…ng mischief to the King and Kingdom and * Psal. 5. 8. 143. 10. lead me in the way everlasting a In the right and good way which is lasting and leads to everlasting life whereas the way of wickedness to which this iâ—…opposed will perish as is said Psal. 1. 6. and bring men iâ—…o utter destruction Or as others render it in the old way which is the good way as it is called Ier. 6. 16. in the way of righteousness and holiness which may well bâ—… called the old way because it was from the beginning of the world written in maâ—…s heart whereas wickedness is of a later date Possibly it may be rendred in thy way the Ellipsis of the Pronoum being very frequent as
with perplexing cares and fears This is also vanity 24 * 〈◊〉 3. 12 13 12. 5. 18. 28. 15. There is nothing better for a man q Or Is there any thing better for a man Which implies that there is nothing better to wit for mans present comfort and satisfaction this is the chief and indeed the only considerable benefit of his labours than that he should eat and drink and that he ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should make his soul enjoy good r That he should thankfully take and freely and chearfully enjoy the comforts which God gives him in all his labour This also I saw that it was from the hand of God s That this also is a singular gift of God and not to be procured by a mans own Wisdom or Diligence 25 For who can eat t Who can more freely and fully enjoy the Comforts of this Life than I did This verse is added to confirm what he said in the foregoing verse from his own Experience which was the more considerable because no man ever was a more capable Judg of these matters none could either have more Creature-comforts or more addict himself to the enjoyment of them or improve them to better advantage than he did and therefore he could best tell what was the greatest good to be found in them and whether they were able of themselves without Gods special gift to yield a man satisfaction or who else can hasten hereunto u To wit to the procuring and enjoying of them Who can pursue them with more diligence or obtain them with more speed and readiness or embrace them with more greediness and alacrity more than I 26 For God giveth to a man that is good †Heb. before 〈◊〉 in his sight x Who not only seems to be good to Men as many bad Men do but is really and sincerely good Or who pleaseth him as this Phrase is rendred Ecclâ—…s 7. 26. and oft elsewhere Whereby he seems to intimate the Reason why he found no more comfort in his Labours because his ways had been very displeasing to God and therefore God justly denied him that gift wisdom and knowledge y To direct him how to use his Comforts aright that so they may be blessings and not snares and curses to him and joy z A thankful and contented Mind with his portion but to the sinner he giveth travel to gather and to heap up ‖ He giveth him up to insatiable desires and wearisom labours to little or no purpose that * â—…ob 27. 16 17. Pro. 28. 8. he may give to him that is good before God †That he may have no comfort in them but leave them to others yea to such as he least expected or desired to good and virtuous men into whose hands his Estate falls by the wise and all disposing Providence of God This also is vanity and vexation of spirit CHAP. III. 1 TO every thing there is a season a A certain time appointed by God for its being and continuance which no humane Wit or Providence can prevent or alter And by vertue of this Appointment or Decree of God all the vicissitudes and changes which happen in the world whether comforts or calamities do come to pass Which is here added partly to prove what he last said Ch. 2. 24 26. that both the free and comfortable enjoyment of the Creatures which some have and the crosses and vexations which others have with them are from the hand and counsel of God partly to prove the principal Proposition of the Book that all things below are vain and Happiness is not to be found in them because of their great uncertainty and mutability and transitoriness and because they are so much out of the reach and power of Men and wholly in the disposal of another to wit God who doth either give or take them away either sweeten or imbitter them as it pleaseth him and partly to bring the minds of men into a quiet and chearful dependance upon Gods Providence and submission to his Will and a state of preparation for all events and a time to every purpose b Or will or desire to wit of man To all mens designs attempts and businesses Not only natural but even the free and voluntary actions of men are ordered and disposed by God to accomplish his own purpose But it must be considered that he doth not here speak of a time allowed by God wherein all the following things may lawfully be done which is wholly besides his scope and business but only of a time fixed by God in which they would or should be done under heaven 2 A time †Heb. to bear to be born and a time to die c A certain period unknown to Man but fixed by God in which a man must unavoidably die of which see Iob. 14. 5. Iob. 13. 1. a time to plant d Wherein God enclines a mans heart to planting and a time to pluck up that which is planted 3 A time to kill e When a man shall die a violent death either by chance as Exod. 21. 13. or by the sentence of the Magistrate or by the hands of Murderers and a time to heal f When he who seemed to be mortally wounded shall be healed and restored a time to break down g When houses shall be demolished either by the fancy of the owner or by the rage of other men or otherwise and a time to build up 4 A time to weep h When Men shall have just occasion for weeping and mourning and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance 5 A time to cast away stones i Which were brought together in order to the building of a Wall or House but are now â—…ast away either because the man who gathered them hath changed his mind and deâ—…ists from his project or by other causes or accidents and a time to gather stones together a time to embrace k When persons shall enter into friendship and perform all friendly offices one to another and a time †Heb. to be far from to refrain from embracing l Either through alienation of affections or grievous calamities See Ioel 2. 16. 1 Cor. 7. 5. 6 A time ‖ Or seek to get and a time to lose m When Men shall lose their Estates either by Gods Providence or by their own choice a time to keep and a time to cast away n When a man shall cast away his Goods voluntarily as in a storm to save his Life as Ionah 1. 5. Act. 27. 18 19. or out of Love and Obedience to God as Mat. 10. 37 39 Heb. 10. 34. 7 A time to rent o When men shall rend their Garments as they did in great and sudden griefs as Gen. 37. 29 Ioel. 2. 13. and a time to sew a time to keep silence p
is Thou shalt use much Industry and Cost but to no purpose as it follows slips 11 In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish a Thou shalt from day to day beginning early in the Morning use all Care and Diligence that what thou hast planted and sown may thrive and thou shalt see some Effect of thy Labours and some Hopes of Success but the harvest shall be ‖ Or removed in the day of inheritance and there shall be deadly sorrow a heap in the day of greif and of desperate sorrow b The sence of the Words thus rendred is this But in the time of your grief c. or when this grievous Calamity shall come all your Harvest shall be but one Heap which in it self is very inconsiderable and is easily carried away by your Enemies But the Place is and may be otherwise rendred and that very ageeeably both to the Words and Order of the Hebrew Text But the heap or heaps the Singular Number being most commonly put for the Plural of the harvest i. e. in stead of those Heaps of Corn which thou didst expect and which Men usually reap in Harvest in the day or time to wit of the Harvest or in the day of Calamity of which I have spoken v. 4 9. or in a day i. e. speedily or suddenly shall be or thou shalt have grief and desperate sorrow This shall be all thy Harvest and the Event of thy Labours 12 Wo c This is a new Prophecy added for the present support and comfort of God's People to the ‖ Or many or noise multitude of many people d Combined together against Iudah It matters not whether you understand this of the Syrians and Israelites who were united against Iudah or of the Assyrians whose Army consisted of vast numbers and of men of several Nations The following Words agree to either of them which make a noise like the noise of the seas e Which invade my Land and Pâ—…ple with great force and fary as the Sea doth either in its â—…n Channel or when it enters into the Land by a Breach and to the rushing of nations that make a rushing like the rushing of ‖ Or many mighty waters 13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters but God shall rebuke them f Not in Words but Deeds shall discomfit and overâ—… them and they shall flee far off and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind and like ‖ Or thistle-down a rolling thing g Which is easily moved by every sleight touch and much more by a violent Wind. Or like a wisâ—… to wit of Straw which is sometimes rolled together before the whirlwind 14 And behold at evening-tide trouble and before the morning he is not h At Even there is a great Terrour and Consternation among God's People for fear of their Enemies and ere the Morning cometh their Enemies are cut off by the Hand of God This was literally and eminently fulfilled in the Destruction of Sennacherib's Army before Ierusalem Although the Words may be more generally understood of any great and sudden Change and unexpected Deliverance granted to God's People when their Enemies were ready to devour them And this Place may be compared with that in Psal. 30. 5. weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning this is the portion of them that spoil us and the lot of them that rob us i This is a triumphant Conclusion uttered by the Prophet in the name of God's People CHAP. XVIII WO to the land a Either 1. of Arabia or 2. of Ethiopia beyond Egypt or 3. of Egypt as some both ancient and later Interpreters judge of whom he speaks more darkly in this Chapter and then explains himself more clearly in the next Chapter But this Controversie will be best determined by examining the following Description shadowing with wings b The Title of wings is oft given both in Scripture and in other Authors unto divers things which have some general kind of resemblance to Wings as to the Battlements of an House or Temple as Mat. 4. 5. to the Skirts of a Garment as Ruth 3. 9. and oft elsewhere to an Army as Isa. 8. 8. Ier. 48. 40. 49. 22. and to the Sails of a Ship as this Word is here commonly understood and as it is unquestionably used in other Authors And shadowing with wings is nothing else but overspread or filled with them Which Title may be given either to Ethiopia or Egypt in regard of the great numbers either 1. of their Armies or rather 2. of their Ships or Vessels sailing upon the Sea or Rivers For 1. in these they exceeded most of those Nations who had Dealings with the Jews whereas other Nations either equalled or exceeded them in numerous Armies But they had an innumerable Company of Ships or Boats not onely because of the Commodiousness of the River Nilus and its many Branches and the Red Sea and the Midland Sea for Navigation but also because of the frequent Overflowings of the River Nilus over their Land which made them absolutely necessary 2. This best suits with the next Verse 3. Those ancient and venerable Interpreters the Seventy and the Chaldee who best understood the Hebrew Words and Phrases expound it so which is * Chap. 20. 4. Ezek. 30. 9. Zeph. 2. 12. 3. 10. beyond c Or on this side as this Particle is rendred Numb 21. 13. 22. 1. and in many other places Or as others translate it besides which may comprehend both sides and so the Land of which he speaks is supposed to be scituated on both sides of this River or Rivers which is most true both of Egypt and of Ethiopia the rivers d A late Learned Writer understands this of three or four Rivers of Arabia Chusâ—…a whereof one flows into the Red Sea another into the Midland Sea and a third into a great Lake Which being obscure and very inconsiderable Rivers and running in so distant Channels it is not probable that this Land should receive its Denomination from them And therefore it seems more reasonable to understand this of the great River Nilus which comes from Ethiopia and runs through the length of that Land and through Egypt into the Midland Sea and which is here called rivers in the Plural Number as it is also Exod. 7. 19. Isa. 7. 18. Ezek. 29. 3 4. and unquestionably Nahum 3. 8. And so it might well be called either for its Greatness or for the many Rivulets that run into it or for the various Streams or Channels into which it is divided as Tigris upon the same Reasons hath the same Title of rivers ascribed to it Nahum 2. 6. of Ethiopia e Heb. of Cush By which he seems to understand either 1. Arabia which in many places of
certainty of these Judgments and partly to awaken and affect the stupid Israelites who greatly needed it 20 The earth c The People of the Earth shall * Chap. 19. 14. reel to and fro like a drunkard d Shall be sorely perplexed and distressed not knowing whither to go nor what to do and shall be removed like a cottage e Or like a lodge in a Garden of which this Word is used Isa. 1. 8. which is soon taken down and set up in another place as occasion requires Or as others render it like a tent which is easily and commonly carried from place to place and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it f Those Sins which they formerly esteemed light and pleasant shall now be most burdensom and grievous to them because of the dreadful punishments which shall follow them and it shall fall and not rise again 21 And it shall come to pass in that day g Either when God shall punish the Apostatical Jews or about or after that time or in a time known to God for this Phrase is oft used indefinitely and without any respect to the time designed in the foregoing passages that the LORD shall †Heb. visit upon punish the host of the high ones that are on high h The proud and potent Enemies of God and of his People who possess the High-places of the Earth and the kings of the earth i Either 1. the great Monarchs of the World who now scorn and trample upon God's People or 2. the Princes and Rulers of Israel or Iudah for the Name of king is frequently given in Scripture unto mean and inferiour Rulers as Iudg. 1. 7. 1 Kings 20. 1 12. Psal. 119. 46. and elsewhere upon the earth 22 And they shall be gathered together k By God's special Providence in order to their punishment as the following Words shew And thus the unbelieving Iews were generally gathered together at Ierusalem to their Solemn Feast when Titus came and besieged and after some time took and destroyed them Which was a very remarkable Hand of God as 〈◊〉 and other Historians observed And I know nothing to the contrary but this very thing may be meant in this place it being confessed that divers Passages of this Chapter concern the times of the Messiah †Heb. with the gathering of prisoners as prisoners are gathered in the ‖ Or dungeon pit and shall be shut up in the prison l As Malefactors which are taken in several Places are usually brought to one common Prison where they are reserved in order to their Trial and Punishment and after many days shall they be ‖ Or found wanting visited m Either 1. in Judgment as visiting is oft used So the sence is After they have been punished with long Imprisonment and tormented with Expectation and Fear they shall be 〈◊〉 forth to receive coâ—…ign Punishment Or rather 2. 〈◊〉 Mercy And so the sence may be either 1. After the Jews shall have suffered many and grievous things from the Assyrians Chaldeans Persians and others at last their Messiah and Deliverer shall come into the World c. Or 2. After the Unbelieving and Apostate Jews shall have been shut up in Unbelief and in great Tribulations for many Ages together they shall be convinced of their Sin in crucifying their Messiah and brought home to God and Christ by true Repentance 23 Then the * Chap. 13. 10. Ezek. 32. 7. Joel 2. 31. 3. 15. moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed n The sun and moon are here considered either 1. as they were abused to Idolatry for these two were most eminent Idols and most generally worshipped especially in those Eastern Countries Deut. 4. 19. 17. 3. Iob 31. 26. c. and so may be put for all Idols which were confounded by Christ at his coming as was foretold in Scripture and verified by the Testimony of Ancient yea even of Heathen Historians Or 2. as they were the most eminent and glorious Lights of the World and were oft used both in Scripture and other Authors to signifie the great Kings and Potentates and Glories of the World as hath been formerly noted and we shall have further occasion to remember So the sence is That all Earthly Powers and Glories should be obscured with the far greater Splendour of Christ the King of Kings at whose Feet even the Kings of the Earth shall fall down and worship as we shall see in other parts of this Prophecy when the LORD of hosts o The Messiah who though Man yet is also God and the Lord of Hosts and is so called Zech. 2. 8 11. shall reign in mount Zion and in Jerusalem p Shall come in the Flesh and set up his Kingdom first in Ierusalem and afterward in all other Nations and ‖ Or there shall be glory before his ancients before his ancients q Before his Ministers who are in some sort the Courtiers of this King of Glory as being continually attending upon him and enjoying his Presence and executing the Powers and Offices of his Kingdom and especially before his Apostles who were the Witnesses of his Divine Words and Works and particularly of his Resurrection and Ascension by which he entred upon his Kingdom and of the Exercise of his Royal Power in subduing both Jews and Gentiles to himself The Word ancient or elder is not a Name of Age but of Office as it is in very many Texts of Scripture And the ancients are here put Synechdochically for the whole Church in whose Name and for whose Service they act gloriously r Heb. in glory for that Preposition is very frequently understood CHAP. XXV O LORD thou art my God I will exalt thee I will praise thy Name a The Prophet reflecting upon those great and glorious Prophecies which he had delivered concerning the Destruction of his Enemies and the Protection and Deliverance of his People and the sending of the Messiah and the Establishment of his own Kingdom in spight of all opposition interrupteth the Course of his Prophecies and breaketh forth into a Solemn Celebration of all these wonderful Works for thou hast done wonderful things thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth b Thy counsels from which all thy Works proceed and which thou hast from time to time revealed to thy Prophets and People which were of old being conceived from all Eternity and long since made known by thy Threatnings and Promises are true and firm and therefore shall certainly be accomplished 2 For thou hast made * Chap. 21. 9. 23. 13. of a city c Which is put collectively for cities He speaks of the Cities of strangers as the following Clause explains it or of Enemies of God and of his People And under the Name cities he comprehends their Countries and Kingdoms of which Cities are an eminent and
not believe and would make hast to prevent or remove their Dangers by any means whatsoever 17. Judgment also will I lay to the line and righteousness to the plummet q I will Execute just Judgment as it were by a Line and Plummet annexed to it i. e. with exactness and care And this may be understood either 1. That God would so order and settle things in His Church that Justice and Judgment should prevail and not Iniquity as hitherto it had done or rather 2. That as God would build up and preserve all Believers upon that Foundation-Stone so He would severely punish and utterly destroy all those unbelieving Iews who should reject that Stone For the line and pluâ—…met or the plumb-line was not onely used in erecting Buildings but also in pulling them down those parts of the Building being thus marked out which were to be demolished and therefore is used in Scripture to signify the Destruction of a Place or People as is evident from 2 Kings 21. 13. Isa. 34. 11. Lameâ—…t 2. 8. Amos 7. 7 8. And this sence agrees best with the following Clause and Verse and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies and the waters shall overflow the hiding place r My Judgments which in Scripture are compared to a storm of Hail or Rain shall discover the vanity of all your crafty and wicked Devices and shall sweep you away with the Besom of Destruction in spight of them 18. And your covenant with death shall be disanulled s Made void or of none effect it shall stand you in no stead and your agreement with hell shall not stand when the overflowing scourge shall pass through then ye shall be †Heb. a treading down to it troden down by it t Which you flattered your selves that it should not come unto you ver 15. 19. From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you u As soon as this overflowing Scourge or Judgment shall go forth from me into the Land it shall assuredly and with the first take or seize upon you scoffers or carry you away which agrees well both with the Hebrew word which is frequently taken in that Sence and with the Metaphor of a Flood which is here used for morning by morning it shall pass over x It shall not onely come to you contrary to your presumption ver 15. but it shall abide upon you and when it hath passed over you it shall return again to you morning after morning and shall follow you day and night without giving you the least respite by day and by night and it shall be a vexation onely ‖ Or when he shall make you to understand Doctrine to understand the report y So dreadful shall the Judgment be that it shall strike you with great horror when you onely hear the rumor of its approach or of the sad effects of it upon other persons or parts of the Land 20. For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it and the covering †Heb. narrow when he wrappeth himself narrower than that he can wrap himself in it z For those lying Refuges to which you trust will not be able to give you that Protection and Comfort which you expect from them no more than a man can stretch himself as these luxurious Israelites used to do Amos 6. 4. upon a bed which is too narrow for him or wrap and keep himself warm with a covering or bed cloaths which are not large enough for him 21. For the LORD shall rise up a To act and fight against you as he is said to sit still when he doth forbear to act as in mount * 2 Sam. 5. 20. 1 Chr. 14. 11. Perazim b Where he fought against the Philistines 2 Sam. 5. 20. he shall be wroth as in the valley of * Josh. 10. 12. 2 Sam. 5. 25. 1 Chr. 14. 16. Gibeon c Where he fought against the Canaanites Ios. 10. 10. c. and afterwards against the Philistines 1 Chron. 14. 16. that he may do his work his strange work d The execution of his Judgment against Israel which he calleth his strange work to intimate either 1. That God would punish them not with ordinary punishments but in a most dreadful and singular and extraordinary manner such a Judgment being called a marvellous work Isa. 29 14. although the Hebrew word there used be not the same with this but of a much differing signification Or rather 2. That this work of bringing total and irrecoverable Destruction upon Israel was contrary to the benignity of his own Nature and to his usual way of dealing with his people whom he used and delighted to protect and spare and bless and whom even when he is angry with them and punisheth them he handleth more gently than he doth other persons in Judgment remembring Mercy to them as was noted Isa. 27. 7 8. see also Chap. 26. 11. and bring to pass his act his strange act 22. Now therefore be ye not mockers e For your own sakes do not make a mock of God's Word and Threatnings as you use to do lest your bands be made strong f Lest thereby you make the Judgments of God which are oft compared to bands as Psal. 66. 11. and 73. 4. and elsewhere more sure and unavoidable and more severe and terrible as bands are when they are tyed faster and more strongly upon a prisoner for I have heard * chap. 10. 22 23. from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption even determined upon the whole earth g God hath assured me That He will utterly root out and destroy the people of Israel as indeed he did in Hezekiah's reign 23. Give ye ear and hear my voice hearken and hear my speech h Observe what I say and do you judge if it be not reasonable 24. Doth the plowman plow all day to sow i The plowman doth not spend all his time in plowing the Ground in order to the sowing it or as it follows in openâ—…g it and breaking its clods but he hath several times for several works a time for plowing and a time for sowing and harrowing and a time for reaping and a time for threshing or beating and bruising his Corn for his own use Which wisdom God hath put into him This is the Sum of the similitude propounded here and in the following Verses The design and meaning whereof seems to be this to teach them That God had his times and seasons for several Works and that the methods of his providence were various at several times and towards several persons or people and therefore that those scoffing Israelites were guilty of great Folly in flattering themselves and despising God's Threatnings because of God's long Patience towards them and because of their present impunity and prosperity for God would certainly and speedily take a time to Thresh
because it was carried on with deep Dissimulation and with a publick Profession of cleaving to God and with a design of Seeking deep to hide this their counsel from the Lord wherewith He charged this People Isa. 29. 15. 7. For in that day every Man shall * Chap. 2. 20. 30. 22. cast away his idols y For when the Assyrian shall invade your Land you shall find the vanity of those Idols to which you have trusted and therefore shall cast them away with indignation and be forced to seek to Me for Help So this is added as an Argument to perswade them to practise his Counsel of turning to God of silver and †Heb. the idols of his gold his idols of gold which your own hands have made unto you for a sin z Which you have made as Instruments of your sin of Idolatry Or Which your sinful hands by a common Hebraisme called hands of sin have made for you Or the sin as an Idol is called Deut 9. 21 which your hands have made for you So there is onely a Transposition of one Word which is very usual in the Hebrew Text. 8. Then a When you have cast away your Idols and seriously sought to Me for Help both which things were performed by Hezekiah shall the Assyrian fall with the sword not of a mighty man and the sword * See 2 Kin. 19. 35. not of a mean man b By the Sword not of any Man either mean or mighty but of an Angel shall devour him but he shall flee ‖ Or for fear of the sword from the sword c From or for fear of that Plague which so strangely and suddenly destroyed his Army and his young men d Heb. his choice young men his Guards and valiant Commanders and Souldiers shall be ‖ Or tributary †Heb. for melting or tribute discomfited e Heb. shall melt away a great part of them being Destroyed by the Angel and the Hearts of the rest melting for fear 9. And †Heb. his rock shall pass away for fear he shall pass over to ‖ Or his strength his strong hold f Sennacherib shall flee away with all speed from Ierusalem to his strong City of Nineveh Isa. 37. 37. Or as it is in the Margent and as the Words lie in the Hebrew Text his rock i. e. his Strength the greatest Champions of his Army to whom he trusted shall pass away shall flee with all speed from Ierusalem for fear lest the Sword of the destroying Angel should overtake them for fear and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign g Either 1. of any Ensign This dreadful Judgment shall strike them with such a Terror that they shall not dare to look any Enemy in the Face Or 2. of the Lord's Ensign which He hath lifted up against them saith the LORD whose fire is in Zion h So the Sence is Either 1. whose Fire is continually burning upon the Altar in Zion which signifies his Presence and Residence there Or rather 2. who is and will appear to be in Zion like a Fire to defend his People and to consume their Enemies for which end God promiseth That He would be uâ—…o Ierusalem a wall of fire round about Zech. 2. 5. And that He would make the Governours of Judah like a hearth of fire among the wood and like a Torch of fire in a sheaf and that they should devour all the people round about Possibly these and the following Words may be thus rendred and that very agreeable to the Hebrew words Who will be a fire to wit a consuming Fire to him to the King of Assyria of whom he is here speaking in Zion from whence he will send forth that Fire which shall consume his Army Or for Zion for Zion's sake for the Prefix here rendred in frequently signifies for as hath been proved and a furnace to him in or for Ierusalem But this I onely propose leaving it to the Judgment of the intelligent Reader and his furnace in Ierusalem i The same thing repeated in other Words CHAP. XXXII 1. BEhold * Psal. 45. 1. Zech. 9. 9 a king b shall reign c Therefore Hezekiah was not King when this Prophecy was delivered And whereas some say That he speaks of the good Government of Hezekiah after the Destruction of Sennacherib it is easy to observe That his Government was as good before that time as afterward and that in the very beginning of his Reign he Ruled with Righteousness and the fear of God as the History plainly declareth in righteousness and princes c The Ministers of State and Justice and War under the King For a wise and good King will take care to have like Ministers shall rule in judgment a This seems to me to be a distinct Prophecy from the former and delivered at another time and probably before that which is related in the former Chapters For this is certain and confessed by all That the Prophecies are not alwayes set down in that order in which the Prophets delivered them The foregoing Prophecy seems to have been delivered not in the time of Ahaz for he sent to the Assyrian and not to the Egyptian for Help but in the days of Hezekiah who Rebelled against the King of Assyria as is said 2 Kings 18. 7. and was too prone to trust upon the staff of Egypt as the Assyrian expressly chargeth him there ver 21. To which Course it is likely he was drawn or tempted by some of his wicked Princes and Counsellours whom the Prophet therefore severely censures and condemns in the two foregoing Chapters And this seems to have been delivered in the time of Ahaz and to speak of Hezekiah and of his righteous and happy Government but withal as Hezekiah and his Reign was an eminent Type of Christ and of His Kingdom so this Prophecy looks thorough Hezekiah unto Christ as many other Scriptures in their literal Sence do unquestionably concern David which yet have a mystical Sence and are also meant of Christ in whom those things were more fâ—…lly and eminently accomplished Hezekiah a Type of Christ and Christ Typified by him 2. And a man d Either 1. the Man or King spoken of Or 2. each or every one to wit of his Princes That King shall not patch up an old Garment with new Cloth nor mingle good and bad together but shall take care to purge out all the corrupt Magistrates and as far as he can to settle good Ones in all places A man is oft put for every or any man as Isa. 2. 20. and 3. 5 6. and elsewhere shall be as an hiding place e Unto the People under their Government especially to such as are oppressed or injured by those who are more Potent than they from the wind f From the rage and violence of evil Men. and a covert from the tempest as
Laws and Ordinances and Teachers by threatnings and corrections and many other wayes He seems to allude to the practice of Midwives who use to compose all the parts of the new-born Infant into a right frame which will help thee Fear not O Iacob my servant and thou Iesurun c Another name of Iacob or Israel given to him Deut. 32. 15. and 33. 5 26. whom I have chosen 3. For I will * Chap. 35. 7. Joel 2. 28. Joh. 7. 38. Act. 2. 18. pour water d My Spirit and Blessing which is frequently compared to Water and so it is expounded in the latter part of the Verse upon him that is thirsty e Either 1. upon him that desires it Or rather 2. upon him that is destitute of it For what is here thirsty in the next Clause it is called dry ground and floods upon the dry ground I will pour my spirit f The gifts and graces of my Spirit Which Expression he seems designedly to use to lift up the Minds and Hearts of the Iews from carnal and worldly Things to which they were too much addicted unto spiritual and heavenly Blessings and thereby to prepare them for the better entertainment of the Gospel upon thy seed and my blessing g All the blessings of my Covenant both Spiritual and Temporal upon thine off-spring 4. And they shall spring up as among the frass h They shall increase and flourish like Grass and those Herbs and Plants which grow up in the midst of it as willows by the water-courses 5. One shall say I am the LORDS and another shall ‖ Or name the name of Jacob. call himself by the name of Iacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD and ‖ Or name the name of Israel sirname himself by the name of Israel i The Blessing of God upon the Iews shall be so remarkable that the Gentiles shall joyn themselves unto them and accept the Lord for their God and own themselves for his People 6. Thus saith the LORD k Here God reneweth his Contest with Idols which he insisteth upon so oft and so much because his own People were exceeding prone to Idolatry the king of Israel and his redeemer the LORD of hosts * Chap. 41. 4. 48. 12. Rev. 1. 8 17. 22. 13. I am the first and I am the last and besides me there is no God 7. And who l Which of all the heathen Gods as I shall call and shall * Chap. 41. 22. 45. 21. declare m Shall by his powerful Call or Word cause it to be and by his infinite fore-Knowledge declare that it shall be Or Shall publish and declare Two words expressing the same Thing as is usual it n That which shall come to pass whatsoever it be which is easily understood out of the following Clause and set it in order o Orderly relate all future Events in the same manner as they shall happen for me p Heb. to me so as I may hear it and thereby be convinced of their Divinity since I appointed the ancient people q Since the time that I appointed or called the Israelites to be my People whom he calleth the ancient people because they were his People long before this time or as the Words may be rendred the everlasting people because he determined That he would never totally and finally cast them off and destroy them as he would do other Nations But the Words are and may well be otherwise rendred Since I constituted or made as this Word is elsewhere rendred The people of the world since I first made Man upon Earth as the Seventy and others understand it Let them give me an account of any of their Predictions of future Events from the beginning of the World to this day and the things that are coming and shall come r Such things as are near at hand and such as are to come hereafter let them shew unto them s Unto their Worshippers who consult their Oracles about future Events as I have told them unto thee O Iacob as it follows in the next Verse So the pronoun Relative is put for the Antecedent which is left to be understood out of the following Clause Or to or for themselves in their own defence Although these Words might have been omitted in the Translation as being insignificant such Pronouns being oft redundant in the Hebrew Language as Gen. 12. 1. and oft elsewhere as also in the Greek and Latine 8. Fear ye not neither be afraid have not I told thee t Thee O Israel whom he bids not to fear The Sâ—…nce is I call you Israelites to bear me Witness Whether I have not from time to time acquainted you with things to come such as your Sojourning in a strange Land for Four Hundred Years and your deliverance and happiness after that time Gen. 15. 13 14. and many things of the like nature from that time u From the time when I appointed the ancient people as I now said ver 7. These were pregrant Instances of God's Prediction of things to come not onely from the beginning of the Iewish Common-wealth but even from the first Ages of the World as unto Enoch Iude ver 14. and unto Noah Gen. 6. 3. To say nothing of what other Authors relate concerning Adam and Seth. and have declared it x Have published it to the World in my Sacred Records * Chap. 43. 10. ye are even my witnesses y Both of my Predictions and of the exact agreeableness of Events to them Is there a God besides me z Judge by this Character whether I be not the onely true God yea * Deut. 4. 35 39. 32. 39. 1 Sam. 2. 2. Chap. 45. 5. there is no †Heb. rock Deut. 32. 4. God I know not any a If any of you be wiser than I am I am willing to be informed It is a sarcastical Speech But this Clause may be and is by others taken interrogatively do not I know it Is it not a certain and undeniable Truth that there is no other God 9. They that make a graven image are all of them vanity b Hereby discover themselves to be vain empty or foolish Men. Or thus They that make graven images all of them make which Word may fitly be repeated out of the foregoing Clause as is very usual in Scripture a vanity or a thing of nought Which Translation seems better to agree 1. With the following Clause which is added to explain this in which not the Idol-makers but the Idols themselves are said to be vain or unprofitable 2. With the use of this Hebrew Word in Scripture which is never applied to Persons but constantly to Things and sometimes to Idols as 1 Sam. 12. 21. and their †Heb. desirable delectable things c Their Idols in the sight and
Sea coasts being usually noted for the worst of men shall now love thee or the wealth and traffick of those that trade by Sea the Riches of the Merchant and so possibly the Prophet may allude to Psa. 72. 10. for Tharsis is sometimes taken for the Sea as hath been before shewed see on 1 Kin. 10. 22. shall be converted unto thee o Thy traders shall not so much convert their Riches to their own use as to thine the ‖ Or noise of the sea shall be turned toward thee forces p Or wealth thou shalt not have only the wealth but the strength of the Nations to stand by thee which hath also an Eye as in the type to that readiness and willingness that would be in the Nations to help them out of Babylon of the Gentiles shall come unto thee 6 The multitude of camels q shall cover thee the dromedaries r or also or even the Dromedaries which are a lesser sort of Camel so called from their swiftness in running to which they are the better enabled because as Pliny observes they can indure thirst four days together q. d. They shall make all the hast imaginable in bringing their Riches to thee of Midian and Ephah s Both these Midianites and Ephaites descended from Abraham by Keturah Gen. 25. 2. 4. they dwelt beyond Arabia and Camels are mentioned coming from hence because of all places they were the most numerous here Iudge 7. 12. all they from Sheba t This Sheba descended from Cush the Son of cursed Ham the Son of Noah Gen. 10. 6 7. from whom a certain Country in Arabia Felix took its name whose Queen it was that came to visit Solomon 1 Kin. 10. 1. and her bringing gifts might be a type of this Solomon being a type of Christ of which the wise men might be the first fruits Mat. 2. shall come they shall bring ‖ Or wealth * Chap. 61. 6. gold and incense u The Principal Commodities with which this Country abounded and by which we are to understand what ever is precious and Frankincense is onely peculiar to Arabia and they shall shew forth the praises x The motive drawing them thither being more for Religion then trade of the LORD g i. e. The abundance of wealth and Treasure that is brought upon Camels this being the Creature the Eastern people used for carriage of their gold and spice and other rich Treasure which are said to cover them the like phrase with that Iudg 6. 5. or whereby is understood those people that did use to ride on Camels as the Arabians and the bordering Countries for by these and such like figurative and borrowed expressions in several verses of this Chapter is particularized several Nations and by them is implyed the coming in of all Nations unto Christ and therefore they are brought in as presenting the choicest Commodities of their respective Countries so that we may be the better excused from speaking particularly to them in their respective places 7 All the flocks of Kedar y The people whereof descended from Ishmael and lived in Arabia Petrea who were principally Shepherds shall be gathered together unto thee the rams z q. d. Nay the chief of the flock viz. for Sacrifice this Nebâ—…joth being put for the people thereof and sprang from Ishmael also Gen. 25. 13. Rich as the other were in flocks 〈◊〉 inhabiting the same Country as the Sabeans offered the Proper Commodities of their Country as gold and spice so these of theirs viz. Cattle shewing that each Country and so each Person should bring that wherewith they did most excel of Nebajoth a This shews that Abraham's Children according to the flesh should also be brought in to the Gospel comp Mal 1. 11. shall minister unto thee they shall come up with acceptance b Being offered they shall not now as heretofore be rejected and hereby they shall be distinguished from the profane oblations of the Gentiles i. e. In the name of Christ who is the true and only Gospel Altar on mine altar and I will glorify the house of my glory c i. e. The Temple or my house Glory being put here by a Metonymy of the Adjunct for God himself who is glorious God shall become glorious by the multitude of Sacrifices that shall be offered and accepted here Psa. 29. 9. and it is a type how glorious his New Testament Spiritual Worship shall be this Altar pointing at Christ out of whom nothing is accepted and that his Church should be glorious being built of living stones 1 Pet. 2. 5. 8 Who d In the 4th verse he spake to them as upon some high watch Tower where they might behold as in a Circle all the parts of the World Now espying from all parts he brings them in calling out with admiration who are these Partly with reference to the number or partly with reference to the Persons so the Heb. what are these They being not Jews but strangers and so directly intimating the Gentiles flocking into the Church that come so swiâ—…tly and in so great flocks the same thing still The former Metaphor of clouds imports their number as well as their speed Ezek. 38. 9. thus abundance of Witnesses is called a cloud of Witnesses Heb. 12. 1. the scope is to note the great confluence of people that should come into the Church that should be begotten by the Apostles Doctrine which the LXX Translation seems to point at who render it as Doves with their young ones unto me and by flying may be noted their Spiritual state being elevated above the world as the Clouds above the Earth and Doves when upon the wing are these that fly as a cloud and as the doves to their windows 9 Surely the isles f See Chap. 41. 1. and 59. 18. shall wait for me and the ships g viz. to conveigh them to me of Tarshish h i. e. Those that Traffique by Sea as before see Chap. 2. 16. these lying most convenient for that imployment in naming this he implies by a Synecdoche all that had commerce with other Nations first i Preferring this before any other business they take in hand this hath undergone the various senses of divers Interpreters such as are not futilous and vain I conceive may run into one of these two either 1. By reading it with a supplement of the note of similitude which is frequent as at first or formerly viz. As in the days of Solomon who was a type of Christ the matter here spoken of seeming to sâ—…it with it 1 King 10. 12. See 2 Chro. 9. 21 c. Or rather 2. By taking the word first as the Hebrews mostly do not so much with reference to time or order as to dignity namely they shall have the precedency and honour of bringing themselves and conducting others this may be true also as to time and so verified in the