to the first time for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever 25 And it shall come to pass when ye be come to the land h Viz of Canaan as ver 19. For in the Wilderness they kept this Feast but once and that by Gods particular direction Numb 9. 2. which the LORD will give you according as he hath promised that ye shall keep my service 26 * Jos. 4. 6. And it shall come to pass when your children shall say unto you what mean you by this service i Or part of Divine Worship God expects this even from the Jewish Children and much more from Christian men that they should enquire and understand what is said or done in the publick Worship or service of God and therefore not to rest in dumb signs whereof they neither enquire nor know the meaning or in the service of God in a language which they understand not 27 That ye shall say It is the sacrifice of the LORDS Passe-over k The Passeover was both a Sacrifice as it was offered to God as it appears from Exod. 23. 18. and 34. 25. Numb 9. 7 13. Deut. 16. 2 5. and because there was in it the shedding and sprinkling of blood wherein the essence of a Sacrifice consists 2 Chron. 30. 16. and 35. 11 13. and also a Sacrament as it was received and eaten by men who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians And the people * chap. 4. 31. bowed the head l In token of their thankful acknowledgement of Gods favours and of their chearful submission to Gods command and ordinance See 2 Chron. 29. 30. and worshipped 28 And the children of Israel went away and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron so did they m They killed and did eat the Paschal Lamb in such manner as God prescribed 29 * chap. 11. 4. And it came to pass that at midnight n A great aggravation of the Plague For then darkness it self strikes men with horrour and makes any calamity more terrible then they were asleep and secure and least expected such a stroke * Numb 8. 17. and 33. 4. Psal. 78. 51. and 105. 36. and 135. 8. 136. 10. the LORD smote all the first-born o Both of man and beast whether Male or Female Some extend it to all that were first-born and so many persons might be killed in one house as both Father and Mother and several Sons which might be the first-born by several Mothers and Sons sons or Daughters c. Others confine it to the first-born Child in the Family I conceive the heads of the Family are not included for these though they might be the first-born Children of their Parents Families yet were not nor ever are called or accounted the first-born of their own Families but the heads and roots of them But for all the rest I conceive they are all included because all such were really first-born and did first open their mothers Womb and all such were to be set apart unto the Lord instead of these first-born of the Egyptians now slain chap. 13. 12 15. and therefore are in both places to be understood in the same latitude in the land of Egypt * Wisd. 18. 11. chap. 4. 23. from the first-born of Pharaoh that sate on his throne unto the first-born of the captive that was in the †Heb. house of the pit dungeon and all the first-born of cattle 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night he and all his servants and all the Egyptians and there was a great cry in Egypt for there was not an house p To wit of those houses which had any first-born in them for in divers families there might be no first-born And such restrictions of the universal particles are frequently understood where there was not one dead 31 And he called for Moses and Aaron q i. e. He sent this message to them for they came no more to him chap. 10. 29. by night and said Rise up and get you forth from amongst my people * chap. 10. 5. both you and the children of Israel and go serve the LORD as ye have said 32 * chap. 10. 26. Also take your flocks and your herds as ye have said and be gone and bless me also r Pray to God for me that I may not perish by this or any other plague 33 And the Egyptians were urgent s Not by force which they durst not now use but by earnest and importunate intreaties Exod. 11. 8. This was the ground of that fable of the heathens mentioned in Tacitus that the Iews were driven out of Egypt for their Scabs so they falsly and maliciously ascribed their own ulcers and scabs sent upon them by God to the Israelites upon the people that they might send them out of the land in haste for they said We be all dead men 34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened their ‖ Or dough kneading-troughs t Or as others rightly render it their dough-lumps or food or lumps of paste unleavened being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders 35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses and they borrowed of the Egyptians u Either before this time as they had opportunity when their hearts were mollified by the foregoing plagues or even at this time when the Israelites might well take confidence to borrow and the Egyptians would be willing to lend them partly that they might gain their affections and prayers and partly that they might more readily depart from them * chap. 3. 22. jewels x Wherewith they used to adorn themselves in the worship of their Idols and therefore supposed the Israelites might use them in the worship of their God Or vessels of which see on chap. 11. 2. of silver and jewels of gold and raiment 36 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians y i. e. Inclined their hearts to do it willingly and not onely out of fear so that they lent unto them such things as they required z Heb. and they lent them to wit the jewels or vessels mentioned ver 35. and they * Gen. 15. 14. chap. 3. 22. Psal. 105. 37. spoiled the Egyptians a To wit of their ornaments Quest. Was not this unjustly done of the Israelites to borrow these jewels which they never paid again Ans. No 1. because they did nothing in this matter but by Gods appointment chap. 11. 1 2. so that if there be any injustice it must be in God in whom there neither can be in any thing nor is in this thing the least blot or shadow of iniustice as well because he hath an unquestionable right in and power to dispose of all persons and things as being the maker and giver and lord of
its own accord Levit. 25. 5. from those seeds which in the last reaping time were scattered here and there which were much more numerous now than in other years because God gave a special blessing to the sixth year whereby it did bring forth the fruit of 3 years Lev. 25. 21. and in years of so great plenty men are generally more negligent in their reaping and therefore the relicks are more and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard and with thy ‖ Or olive trees olive-yard x i. e. Thou shalt not prune nor dress them nor gather and appropriate to thy own use what they shall produce but shalt leave them to the poor 12 * chap. 20. 8 9 Deut. 5. 13. Luk. 13. 14. Six dayes thou shalt do thy work and on the seventh day thou shalt rest y This command is here repeated lest any should think the weekly rest might cease when the whole year was consecrated to rest There were three sorts of Sabbaths to the Jews 1. of days 2. of years to wit the seventh year 3. of weeks of years to wit the Jubilee and all these are types of the eternal rest in heaven that thine oxe and thy ass may rest and the son of thine handmaid and the stranger may be refreshed 13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect and * Deut. 12. 3. make no mention of the names of other gods z To wit with honour or delight or without detestation as fornication is not to be named among Saints Eph. 5. 3. Or not mention them in your worship or in oaths or in common discourse and without special occasion lest the frequent mention of them might keep up their memory or introduce their worship Hence the names of Idols and Idolatrous places were oft-times changed by the Israelites See Numb 32. 38. Ios. 23. 7. Compare Psal. 16. 4. Hos. 2. 17. Zech. 13. â—… neither let it be heard out of thy mouth 14 * chap. 24. 2â—… Deut. 16. 16. Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year 15 * chap. 13. 3. 34. 18. Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread thou shalt eat unleavened bread as I have commanded thee in the time appointed of the month Abib for in it thou camest out from Egypt * Deut. 16. 16. Eccl. 35. 4. and none shall appear before me empty a This may be either 1. a precept as it is generally understood that none should ever come at those times without some offering or other for the support of the Levites and of the worship of God but the determination of this or what they would give was left to their choice Or 2. a promise to encourage them to come so oft from their remotest habitations to Ierusalem because they should never appear before God in vain i. e. to no purpose or without some benefit for so the word rekam oft signifies So it may be parallel to Isa. 45. 19. I said not unto the seed of Iacob seek ye me in vain But the former sence is more probable by comparing this with its parallel place Deut. 16. 16 17. 16 And the feast of harvest b i. e. Of wheat-harvest for barley-harvest was before this time This feast was otherwise called Pentecost the first-fruits of thy labours c How were these the first-fruits when a sheaf was offered to God in the feast of the Passeover Ans. That sheaf was generally of barly which was less considerable than their wheat but this was the first-fruits of their wheat which was their principal grain and they had no bread before this time from the growth of that year which thou hast sown in the field and the feast of in-gathering d To wit of all the rest of the fruits of earth as of the vines and olives This was called also the feast of booths and of Tabernacles See Levit. 23. 34. Numb 29. 12. Deut. 16. 13. All their three feasts had a respect to the harvest which began in the Passeover was carried on at Pentecost and was fully compleated and ended in this feast which is in the end of the year e Of the common or civil year which began in September as the sacred year began in March when thou hast gathered in thy labors out of the field 17 Three times in the year all thy males f To wit such as are of competent years and health and strength and such as were at their own dispose for that servants were not bound to this may seem probable because none of these concerned were to appear before the Lord empty or without an offering but the generality of servants had not any thing to offer And the care and management of their domestick affairs did require the presence and care of many of their males shall appear before the LORD God g i. e. In that place where God shall record his name Exod. 20. 24. as the Tabernacle or Temple 18 * Lev. 2. 11. Deut. 16. 3. Thou shalt not offer the bloud of my sacrifice with leavened bread h This and the following clause most understand of the Passeover by comparing this place with its parallel Exod. 34. 25. where the Passeover is mentioned But the words being here universal by the laws of interpretation they ought to be universally understood if they can bear that sence which here they may for both these clauses agree to other sacrifices For as every sacrifice had a Minchah or a meat-offering of flour attending upon it and offered with it so it was expresly cautioned that no leaven should be in that Minchah Lev. 2. 11. And the fat of every sacrifice was consecrated to God Lev. 3. 16. 2 Chron. 35. 14 c. and was presently to be burnt upon the Altar Lev. 7. 2 3. And for Exod. 34. 25. what hinders but what is here more generally prescribed may be there particularly applied to the Passeover and that seems more reasonable than to make that an idle repetition of the same thing And my sacrifice may be here put for my sacrifices by the common Enallage Moreover the two principal things which were offered to God in every sacrifice were blood and fat â—…v 17. 6 11 c. neither shall the fat of my †Or feast sacrifice remain untill the morning i This if understood of the Passeover may seem superfluous because nothing of it neither fat nor lean was to remain until the morning Exod. 12. 10. but all of it was to be eaten even the purtenance thereof ver 9. and that for ought I see without any exception of the fat as there was in other sacrifices Lev. 3. 16. And therefore in that parallel place Exod. 34. 25. where the Passeover is mentioned there is not a word of the fat but onely it is said in the general neither shall the
4. There was indeed a law that that sin-offering whose blood was not carried into the Tabernacle which was the case here should not be burnt but eaten Lev. 6. 30. and 10. 18. But that concerned the people not the priests who did not eat but burn their own sin-offerings Leviticus 4. 3 12. 15 Thou shalt also take one ram and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram 16 And thou shalt slay the ram and thou shalt take his blood and sprinkle it round about upon the altar o Which signifies that not onely our persons but our very Altars and Sacrifices and best services need the sprinkling of Christs blood upon them to render them acceptable to God 17 And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces and wash the inwards of him and his legs and put them unto his pieces and ‖ Or upon unto his head 18 And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar it is a burnt-offering unto the LORD it is a sweet savour p Heb. A savour of rest wherewith God will be well-pleased and for which as representing Christ who offered up himself he will graciously accepte of the offerings of the priests for themselves and for the people an offering made by fire unto the LORD 19 And thou shalt take the other ram q For a peace-offering So here were all the three sorts of sacrifices which were afterwards to be offered by them for the people and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram 20 Then shalt thou kill the ram and take of his bloud and put it upon the tip of the right ear r These parts are conscerated in the name and stead of all the rest the ear as the instrument of hearing and receiving the mind and will of God in all their sacred administrations and in their whole conversation the hand and foot as the instruments of action and execution of that which they hear and understand to be the mind of God And the right parts are chosen rather than the left as being usually more vigorous and expeditious And all these parts are sprinkled with this blood to shew the absolute necessity of Christs blood to qualifie them for an acceptable and successful discharge of their office of Aaron and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons and upon the thumb of their right hand r These parts are conscerated in the name and stead of all the rest the ear as the instrument of hearing and receiving the mind and will of God in all their sacred administrations and in their whole conversation the hand and foot as the instruments of action and execution of that which they hear and understand to be the mind of God And the right parts are chosen rather than the left as being usually more vigorous and expeditious And all these parts are sprinkled with this blood to shew the absolute necessity of Christs blood to qualifie them for an acceptable and successful discharge of their office and upon the great toe r These parts are consecrated in the name and stead of all the rest the ear as the instrument of hearing and receiving the mind and will of God in all their sacred administrations and in their whole conversation the hand and foot as the instruments of action and execution of that which they hear and understand to be the mind of God And the right parts are chosen rather than the left as being usually more vigorous and expeditious And all these parts are sprinkled with this blood to shew the absolute necessity of Christs blood to qualifie them for an acceptable and successful discharge of their office of their right foot and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about 21 And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar and of * chap. 30. 25. the anointing oyl and sprinkle it upon Aaron and upon his garments and upon his sons and upon the garments of his sons with him and * Heb. 9. 22. he shall be hallowed and his garments and his sons and his sons garments with him 22 Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump and the fat that covereth the inwards and the caul of the liver and the two kidneys and the fat that is upon them and the right shoulder for it is a ram of consecration s Of the Priests in their office Therefore the right shoulder was burnt which in other sacrifices was given to the Priest 23 And one loaf of bread and one cake of oiled bread and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD 24 And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons and shalt ‖ Or Shake to and fro wave them t Either toss them from one hand to another as giving all from themselves to God or shake them to and fro towards the several parts of the world to note Gods dominion over all places and people and the extent of that true and great sacrifice represented in these types to all for a wave-offering before the LORD 25 And thou shalt receive them of their hands and burn them upon the altar for a burnt-offering for a sweet savour before the LORD it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD 26 And thou shalt take * Lev. 8. 29 the breast of the ram of Aarons consecrations and wave it for a wave-offering before the LORD and it shall be thy part u To wit the breast alone whereas both shoulder and breast were given to Aaron afterwards the reason whereof might be either because Moses was not a proper and compleat Priest as Aaron afterward was but onely appointed by God for this time to do that work Or because now there were in a manner two Priests the one consecrating to wit Moses the other consecrated to wit Araon and therefore these parts were divided the breast given to the former to be eaten the shoulder offered unto God for the latter verse 22. he being not yet a perfect Priest and therefore not in a capacity of eating it 27 And thou shalt sanctifie * Lev. 7. 34. Num. 18. 18. Deu. 18. 3. the breast of the wave-offering and the shoulder of the heave-offering which is waved and which is heaved up x This was done by throwing the parts upward and catching them again of the ram of the consecration even of that which is for Aaron and of that which is for his sons y The words may be rendred thus of which breast and shoulder of the ram shall be Aarons portion and of which shall be the portion of his sons So there is onely an Ellipsis of the verb substantive which is most common and the Hebrew prefix Lamed designs a thing belonging to the person to whom that is prefixed as it is in other like cases as Gen. 40.
yet were burning or rather 2. after it for the daily burnt-offering was first to be offered both as more eminently respecting Gods honour which ought to be preferred before all things and as the most solemn and stated sacrifice which should take place of all voluntary and occasional oblations and as a sacrifice of an higher nature and use being for expiation and atonement without which no peace could be obtained nor peace-offering offered with acceptance which is upon the wood that is on the fire it is an offering made by fire of a sweet savour unto the LORD 6 And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace-offering unto the LORD be of the flock male or female he shall offer it without blemish 7 If he offer a lamb for his offering then shall he offer it before the LORD 8 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering and kill it before the Tabernacle of the Congregation and Aarons sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar 9 And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace-offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD the fat thereof and the whole rump e Which in sheep is fat and sweet and in these parts was very much larger and better than ours as is agreed both by antient and modern writers and therefore was fitly offered to God it shall he take off hard by the back-bone and the fat that covereth the inwards and all the fat that is upon the inwards 10 And the two kidneys and the fat that is upon them which is by the flanks and the caul above the liver with the kidneys it shall he take away 11 And the Priest shall burn f i. e. The parts now mentioned and for the rest they fell to the Priest Levit. 7. 31. it upon the altar it is †Heb. the bread 〈◊〉 16. chap. 21. 6. the food g i. e. The fewel of the fire or the matter of the offering It is called food Heb. bread to note Gods acceptance of it and delight in it as men delight in their food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD 12 And if his offering be a goat then he shall offer it before the LORD 13 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it and kill it before the Tabernacle of the Congregation and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about 14 And he shall offer thereof his offering even an offering made by fire unto the LORD the fat that covereth the inwards and all the fat that is upon the inwards 15 And the two kidneys and the fat that is upon them which is by the flanks and the caul above the liver with the kidneys it shall he take away 16 And the Priest shall burn them g The parts mentioned among which the tail is not one as it was in the sheep because that in goats is a refuse part upon the altar it is the †Heb. bread food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour All the fat h This is to be limited 1. to those beasts which were offered or might be offered in sacrifice as it is explained and restrained Levit. 7. 23 25. 2. to that kind of fat which is here above mentioned and required to be offered which was separated or easily separable from the flesh for the fat which was here and there mixed with the flesh they might eat Deut. 32. 14. Neh. 8. 10. is the LORDS 17 It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings i Not onely at or near the Tabernacle nor onely of those beasts which you actually sacrifice but also in your several dwellings and of all that kind of beasts that ye eat neither fat k This was forbidden 1 To preserve the reverence of the holy rites and sacrifices 2. That they might be taught hereby to acknowledge God as their Lord and the Lord of all the creatures who might reserve what he pleased to himself 3. To exercise them in obedience to God and self-denial and mortification of their appetites even in those things which probably many of them would much desire nor * Gen. 9. 4. chap. 7. 23 26. 17. 10 14. Deut. 12. 16. 1 Sam. 14. 33. Ezek. 44. 7. blood l This was forbidden partly to maintain reverence to God and his worship partly out of opposition to Idolaters who used to drink the blood of their sacrifices partly with respect unto Christs blood thereby manifestly signified and partly for moral admonition about avoiding cruelty c. CHAP. IV. 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying 2 Speak unto the children of Israel saying * Num. 15. 24 If a soul shall sin a This must necessarily be understood of more than common sins and daily infirmities for if every such sin had required an offering it had not been possible either for most sinners to bear such a charge or for the altar to receive so many sacrifices or for the Priests to manage so infinite a work And for ordinary sins they were ceremonially expiated by the daily offering and by that on the great day of atonement Levit. 16. 30. through ignorance b Or errour either not knowing his fact to be sinful as appears by comparing ver 13 14. or not considering it but rashly and unadvisedly falling into sin through the power of some sudden passion or temptation as the Hebrew word signifies Psal. 119. 67. Compare Iob 19. 4. Psal. 19. 13. The words may be thus rendred in or about every or any of the commandements of the Lord which should not be done or which concern things that should not be done to wit in any negative commands And there is great reason why a sacrifice should be more necessary for these than for other sins because affirmative precepts do not so strictly and constantly bind men as the negative do and if a man through ignorance have neglected them he may yet recover his errour and fulfil them against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which †Heb. shall not be done ought not to be done c and shall do against any of them d Then he shall offer according to his quality which is here to be understood out of the following verses 3 If the Priest that is anointed e i. e. The High-priest who onely was anointed after the first time See Exod. 29. 7. and 30. 30. and 40. 15. Lev. 10. 7. Numb 3. 3. His anointing is mentioned because he was not compleat High-priest till he was anointed do sin f Either in doctrine or practise which it is here supposed he may do And this is noted as a blot and character of imperfection in the Priesthood of the law whereby the Israelites were directed to expect another and better High-priest even one who is holy harmless and separate from sinners Heb.
the meat-offering it self was fine flour Levit. 2. 1. It is not likely that they eat it with 〈◊〉 bread shall it be eaten in the holy place * chap. 10. 12. in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation y In some special room appointed for that purpose See Levit. 8. 31. 1 Sam 3. 3. Ezek. 42. 13. and 46. 19 24 The reason why this was to be eaten onely by holy persons â—…nd that in an holy place is given ver 17. because it is most holy and therefore to be treated with greater reverence they shall eat it 17 It z That part which remains to the Priest for the part here offered to God seems not to have been bake at all shall not be baken with leaven * Num. 18. 9 1â—… I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire it is * chap. 2. 3. most holy as is the sin-offering and as the trespass-offering 18 All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it it shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the LORD made by fire * chap. 22. 4 5 6. every one that toucheth them shall be holy a It may be understood either 1. Of persons that none should touch or eat them but consecrated persons to wit Priests Or this may be an additional caution that they wâ—…o eat them should be not onely Priests or their made-children but also 〈◊〉 i. e. having no uncleanness upon them 〈◊〉 in that case even the Priests themselves might not touch them Or 〈◊〉 2. Oâ—… things as may be gathered by compariâ—… 〈◊〉 with ver 2â—… 28. Whatsoever toucheth them as 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 that receives them the knife or spoon c. which is used about them those shall be taken for holy and not employed â—…or common uses See Exod. 29. 37. 19 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 20 This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons which they shall offer unto the LORD in the day when he is anointed b When any of them are anointed for High-Priest for he onely of all the Priests was to be anointed in future ages This Law of his consecration was delivered before Exod. 29. 2 24 25. and is here repeared because of some additions made to it the tenth part of an * Exod. 16. 36 Ephah of fine flour for a meat-offering perpetual c To wit whensoever any of them shall be so anointed half of it in the morning and half thereof at night d Or In the evening the one to be annexed to the morning sacrifice the other to the evening sacrifice over and besides that meat-offering which every day was to be added to the daily morning and evening sacrifices Exod. 29. 40. 21 In a pan it shall be made with oyl and when it is baken e Or Fryed so that it swells and bubbles up thou f Who art so anointed and consecrated verse 22. shalt bring it in and the baken pieces of the meat-offering shalt thou offer for a sweet savour unto the LORD 22 And the Priest of his sons * chap. 4. 3. that is anointed in his stead shall offer it it is a statute for ever unto the LORD * Exod. 29. 25. it shall be wholly burnt 23 For every meat-offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt it shall not be eaten f No part of it shall be eaten by the Priest as it was when the offering was for the people The reason of the difference is partly because when he offered it for the people he was to have some recompence for his pains which he could not expect when he offered it for himself partly to signifie the imperfection of the Levitical Priests who could not bear their own iniquity for the Priests eating part of the peoples sacrifices did signifie his typical bearing of the peoples iniquity as appears from Levit. 10. 17. and partly to teach the Priests and Ministers of God that it is their duty to serve God with singleness of heart and to be content with Gods honour though they have no present advantage by it 24 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 25 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons saying This is the law of the sin-offering * chap. 1. 3 5 11 and 4. 24 29 33. in the place where the burnt-offering is killed shall the sin-offering be killed before the LORD it is most holy 26 * chap. 21. 22. The priest that offereth it for sin g For the sins of the rulers or of the people or any of them but not for the sins of the Priests for then its blood was brought into the Tabernacle and therefore it might not be eaten shall eat it in the holy place shall it be eaten in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation 27 ‖ Or whosoever ver 18. Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy * Of which see the note on verse 18. and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment h Upon the Priests garment for it was he onely that sprinkled it and in so doing he might easily sprinkle his garments thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place i Partly out of reverence to the blood of sacrifices which hereby was kept from a prophane or common touch and partly that such garments might be decent and fit for sacred administrations 28 But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden * chap. 11. 33. shall be broken k Because being full of pores the liquor in which it was sodden might castly sink into it whereby it was ceremonially holy and therefore was broken least afterwards it should be abused to prophane or common uses and if it be sodden in a brazen pot it shall be both scoured and rinsed in water l And not broken as being of considerable value which therefore God would not have unnecessarily wasted And this being of a more solid substance than an earthen vessel was not so apt to drink in the humour 29 All the males among the Priests shall eat thereof it is most holy 30 * Heb. 13. 1â—… And no sin-offering m Such were the sacrifices offered for the High-priest or for the whole assembly either severally Levit. 4. 7 18. or jointly for both in the yearly atonement Levit. 16. 27 33. whereof any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to reconcile withal in the holy place shall be eaten it shall be burnt in the fire CHAP. VII 1 LIkewise * chap. 5. â—… this is the law of the trespass-offering * chap. 21. â—… it is most holy 2 In * chap. 1. 3. â—… 11. and 4. 2 29. 33. the place where they kill the burnt-offering shall they kill the trespass offering and the blood thereof shall he sprinkle round about upon the
* chap. 19. 8. And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings be eaten at all on the third day it shall not be accepted neither shall it be imputed unto him s For an acceptable service to God that offereth it it shall be an abomination and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity 19 And the flesh t To wit of the holy offerings of which he is here treating and therefore the general word is to be so limited for other flesh one might eat in this case Deut. 12. 15 22. that toucheth any unclean thing u After its oblation which might easily happen as it was conveyed from the Altar to the place where it was eaten for it was not eaten in the holy place as appears because it was eaten by the priests together with the offerers who might not come thither shall not be eaten it shall be burnt with fire and as for the flesh x i. e. The other flesh that which shall not be polluted by any unclean touch all that be clean y Whether priests or offerers or guests invited to the feast See 1 Sam. 9. 12. and 20. 26. Both the flesh and the eaters of it must be clean shall eat thereof 20 But the soul that eateth z Knowingly for if it were done ignorantly a sacrifice was accepted for it Levit. 5. 2. of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings that pertain unto the LORD * chap. 15. 3. having his uncleanness upon him a i. e. Not being cleansed from his uncleanness according to the appointment Levit. 11. 24 c. This verse speaks of uncleanness from an internal cause us by an issue c. for what was from an external cause is spoken of in the next verse even that soul * Gen. 17. 14. shall be cut off from his people 21 Moreover the soul that shall touch any unclean thing as * chap. 12. and 13. and 15. the uncleanness of man b Or Of woman for the word signifies both and that there were such things coming from Men or Women the touch whereof did pollute men and things may be seen Levit. 15. and elsewhere Others make it an Hypallage â—…anness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a man of uncleanness or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man But that seems not necessary here or any * chap. 11. 24 28. unclean beast or any abominable unclean thing and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings which pertain unto the LORD even that soul shall be cut off from his people 22 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 23 Speak unto the children of Israel saying ye shall eat no manner fat of oxe or of sheep or of goat c The general prohibition of eating sat Lev. 3. 17. is here explained of and restrained to those kinds of creatures which were sacrificed to God 24 And the fat of the †Heb. 〈◊〉 beast that dieth of it self and the fat of that which is torn with beasts d He speaketh still of the same kinds of beasts and sheweth that this prohibition reacheth not onely to the fat of those beasts which were offered to God but also of those that died or were killed at home And if this seems a superfluous prohibition concerning the fat since the lean as well as the fat of such beasts was forbidden Levit. 22. 8. it must be noted that that prohibition reached onely to the priests verse 4. may be used in any other use but ye shall in no wise eat of it 25 For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people 26 * Gen. 9. 4. chap. 3. 1â—… and 1â—… 14. Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood whether it be of fowl or of beast in any of your dwellings 27 Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood even that soul shall be cut off from his people 28 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 29 Speak unto the children of Israel saying He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace-offerings unto the LORD shall bring e Not by another but by himself as it is explained ver 30. his oblation f i. e. Those parts of the peace-offering which are in a special manner offered to God to wit the fat and breast and shoulder as it follows unto the LORD g i. e. To the Tabernacle where the Lord was present in a special manner He shews that though part of such offerings might be eaten in any clean place Levit. 10. 14. yet not till they had been killed and part of them offered to the Lord in the place appointed by him for that purpose of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings 30 * chap. 3 3 4 19 14. His own hands shall bring h After the beast was killed and the parts of it divided the Priest was to put the parts mentioned into the hands of the offerer See Exod. 29. 22 23 24. the offerings of the LORD made by fire i So called not strictly as burnt-offerings are because some parts of these were left for the Priest ver 31. but more largely because even these peace-offerings were in part though not wholly burnt the fat with the breast it shall he bring that the breast may be waved k To and fro by his hands which were supported and directed by the hands of the Priest for a wave-offering before the LORD 31 And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar but the breast shall be Aarons and his sons l i. e. The portion of every succeeding High-priest and his family compare Exod. 29. 26. 32 And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest for an heave-offering of the sacrifices of your peace-offerings 33 He among the sons of Aaron that offereth the blood of the peace-offerings and the fat shall have the right shoulder for his part 34 For * Exod. 29. 28. chap. 10. 14. Numb 18. 18. Deut. 18. 3. the wave-breast and heave-shoulder m The breast or heart is the â—…eat of Wisdom and the shoulder of strength for action and these two may denote that Wisdom and Vertue or Power which was in Christ our High-priest 1 Cor. 1. 24. and which ought to be in every priest have I taken of the children of Israel from off the sacrifices of their peace-offerings and have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons by a statute for ever from among the children of Israel 35 This is the portion of the anointing n i. e. Of the Priesthood the sign put for the thing signified and the anointing by a like figure is put for the right or part of the sacrifices belonging to the Priest by vertue of his anointing as plainly appears from the words here following out of the offerings c. of Aaron and of the anointing of his sons
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
that day shall the priest make an atonement for you to cleanse you that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD 31 It shall be a sabbath of rest y Observed as a sabbath day by cessation from all worldly and servile works and diligent attendance upon Gods worship and service unto you and ye shall afflict your souls by a statute for ever 32 * And the priest whom he shall anoint z Heâ—… i. e. either God who commanded him to be anointed as men are oft said to do what others do by their command or the High-priest who was to anoint his successour Or the third person is here put indefinitely or impersonally for who shall be anointed chap. 4. 3 5 6. and whom he shall †consecrate to minister in Heb. fill his â—…d the priests office in his fathers stead shall make the atonement and shall put on the linen clothes even the holy garments 33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation and for the altar and he shall make an atonement for the priests and for all the people of the congregation 34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins * once a year And he Exod 30 10. â—…b 9. 7. did as the LORD commanded Moses CHAP. XVII 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying 2 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons and unto all the children of Israel and say unto them This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded saying 3 What man soever there be of the house of Israel that killeth a Not for common use or eating for such beasts might be killed by any person or in any place but for sacrifice as manifestly appears both from ver 4. where that is expressed and from the reason of this law which is peculiar to sacrifices ver 5. and from Deut. 12. 5 15. 21. an oxe or lamb or goat in the camp b In Canaan the city answered to the camp and so it forbids any mans doing this either in the city or in the country or that killeth it out of the camp b In Canaan the city answered to the camp and so it forbids any mans doing this either in the city or in the country 4 And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle c This was appointed partly in opposition to the heathens who sacrificed in all places partly to cut off occasions of Idolatry partly to prevent the peoples usurpation of the Priests office and partly to signify that God would accept of no sacrifices but through Christ and in the Church of both which the Tabernacle was a type See Heb. 9. 11. and according to his own prescript But though men were tyed to this law God was free to dispense with his own law which he did sometimes to the Prophets as 1 Sam. 7. 9. and 11. 15. c. and afterwards more fully and generally in the days of the Messiah Mal. 1. 11. Ioh. 4. 21 24. of the congregation to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD blood shall be imputed unto that man d He shall be esteemed and punished as a murderer both by God and by men See Isa. 66. 3. The reason is because he sned that blood which though not mans blood yet was as pretious being sacred and appropriated to God and typically the price by which mens lives were ransomed he hath shed blood and that man shall be cut off from among his people e By death either by the hand of God in case men do not know it or neglect to punish it or by men if the fact was publick and evident 5 To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they f Either 1. the Egyptians and other idolatrous nations which commonly sacrificed to Idols or Devils in fields or any places who are not here named but may be designed by the particle they in way of contempt as if they were not worthy to be named as that particle is used Luk. 14. 24. and 19. 27. Ioh. 7. 11. and 8. 10. Or rather 2. the Israelites now mentioned and plainly understood in the following they who before the building of the Tabernacle took the same liberty herein which the Gentiles did from which they are now restrained offer in the open field even that they may bring them unto the LORD unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation unto the priest and offer them for peace-offerings g He nameth these not exclusively to others as appears from the reason of the law and from ver 8 9. but especially because in these the temptation was more common in regard of their frequency and more powerful because part of these belonged to the offerer and the pretence was more plausible because their sanctity was something of a lower degree than others these being onely called holy and allowed in part to the people when the other are called most holy and were wholly appropriated either to God or to the Priests unto the LORD 6 And the priests shall sprinkle the blood h This verse contains a reason of the foregoing law because of Gods propriety in the blood and fat wherewith also God was well pleased and the people reconciled And these two parts onely are mentioned as the most eminent and peculiar though other parts also were reserved for God upon the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation and burn the fat for a * Exod. 29. 18. chap. 4. 31. sweet savour unto the LORD 7 And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils i So they did not directly or intentionally but by construction and consequence because the Devil is the author of idolatry and is eminently served pleased and honoured by it And as the Egyptians were notorious for their Idolatry as appears by the testimony of Scripture and of all antient writers so the Israelites were infected with their leaven Ios. 24. 14. Ezek. 20. 7. and 23. 2 3. And the name of Devils is commonly given in Scripture to Idols yea even to those which seemed most innocent as to Ieroboams Calves 2 Chron. 11. 15. by which he and the people designed and professed to worship the true God as is manifest from the nature of the thing and from many places of Scripture and the worshippers of Idols are esteemed and called worshippers of Devils See Deut. 32. 17. Psal. 106. 37. 1 Cor. 10. 20. Rev. 9. 20. The Hebrew word rendred Devils signifies goats either because goats were eminently worshipped by the Egyptians as Herodotus Strabo and others note and diverse of the Idols of the Heathens were of that or a like form or because the Devil did oft appear to the Heathens in that shape as their own
authours note after whom they have gone a whoring k For Idolatry especially in Gods people is commonly called 〈◊〉 as Ezek. 16. 16 26. 23. 8 19 21 c. and that justly because it is a violation of that covenant by which they were peculiarly betrothed or married to God See Hos. 2. 19 18 19. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations 8 And thou shalt say unto them Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel or of the strangers which sojourn among you that offereth a burnt-offering or sacrifice 9 And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation to offer it unto the LORD even that man shall be cut off from among his people 10 * Gen. 9. 4. chap. 7. 26. 19. 26. Deut. 12. 16 15. 23. 1 Sam. 14. 33. Ezek. 44. 7. And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel or of the strangers that sojourn among you that eateth any manner of blood * Jer. 44. 11. I will even set my face against that soul l i. e. I will be an enemy to him and execute vengeance upon him immediately because such persons probably would do this in private so as the Magistrate could not know nor punish it See this or the like phrase Lev. 20. 3. and 26. 17. Ier. 3. 12. Ezek. 14. 8. that eateth blood and will cut him off from among his people 11 For the †Heb. soul. life of the flesh m i. e. Of living creatures is in the blood n i. e. It depends upon the blood is preserved and nourished by it and is extinguished when the blood is gone And this law was given to the Iews an hard-hearted people as they are oft said to be that by this restraint from the blood of brute creatures they might be wrought to the greater abhorrency of taking away the life of a man and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul o Typically and in respect of the blood of Christ which it represented by which the atonement is really made Heb. 9. 12. So the reason is double 1 because this was the eating up of the price or ransom of their own lives which in construction was the destroying of themselves 2 because this was ingratitude and irreverence towards that sacred blood of Christ which they ought to have in continual venerution 12 Therefore I said unto the children of Israel No soul of you shall eat blood neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood 13 And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel or of the strangers that sojourn among you †Heb. that hunteth any hunting which * chap. 7. 26. hunteth and catcheth any beast p He instanceth in this kind either because persons much given to that exercise are commonly too licentious and being in haste might easily transgress or because some might think the former prohibition did reach onely to the blood of such creatures as were offered to God in sacrifice or fowl that may be eaten he shall even pour out the blood thereof and cover it with dust q Partly to beget an honourable respect unto the blood even of beasts and much more of men partly least the beasts should lick it up and by tasting the sweetness of it be made more fierce and cruel to devour and destroy others and partly as a license from God upon this condition giving them a right to kill and eat such creatures without any fear of the blood being imputed to them for as the not covering of the blood portends the punishment which the sin of blood-shedding calls for Iob 16. 18. Ezek. 24. â—… 8. so covering it notes impunity 14 * Gen. 9. 4. For it is the †Heb. soul. life of all flesh the blood of it is for the †Heb. soul. life thereof therefore I said unto the children of Israel Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh for the †Heb. soul. life of all flesh is the blood thereof whosoever eateth it shall be cut off 15 * Exod. 22. 3â—… Ezek. 44. 31. And every soul that eateth r To wit through ignorance or inadverrency as appears by the sleightness of the punishment for if it was done knowingly it was a presumptuous sin against an express law here and Deut. 14. 21. and therefore more severely punished †Heb. a 〈◊〉 * chap. 22. 8. that which died of it self or that which was torn with beasts whether it be one of your own country or a stranger s Understand of the Proselytes either of the Proselytes of the gate who were obliged to observe the precepts of Noah whereof this was one or of the Proselytes of righteousness or converts to the Jewish Religion for other strangers were allowed to eat such things Deut. 14. 21. he shall both wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean untill the even then shall he be clean 16 But if he wash them not nor bathe his flesh then he shall bear his iniquity t i. e. The punishment of it and therefore must offer a sacrifice for it See Levit. 5. 1 2 c. and 7. 18. CHAP. XVIII 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying 2 Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them I am the LORD your God a Your Soveraign and Lawgiver This is oft repeated here because the things here forbidden were practised and allowed by the Gentiles to whose custom he here opposeth Divine authority and their obligation to obey his commands 3 After the doings of the land of Egypt b These two nations he mentions because their habitation and conversation among them made their evil example in the following matters more dangerous But under them he includes all other nations as he elsewhere expresseth it wherein ye dwelt shall ye not do and after the doings of the land of Canaan b These two nations he mentions because their habitation and conversation among them made their evil example in the following matters more dangerous But under them he includes all other nations as he elsewhere expresseth it whither I bring you shall ye not do neither shall ye walk in their ordinances c Or statutes either because their laws did indeed allow such things or because prevailing customes have the force of laws 4 Ye shall do my judgments d Mine universally Deut. 27. 26. Gal. 3. 10. for though the words be indefinite the matter is necessary and mine solely Deut. 6. 13. compared with Mat. 4. 10. and therefore those that here follow though you do not see the particular reason of some of them and though they be contrary to the laws and usages of the nations and keep mine ordinances d Mine universally Deut. 27. 26.
Lord by whose power and goodness the trees bring forth fruit to perfection 25 And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof that it may yield unto you the increase thereof q That God may be pleased to give his blessing which alone can make them fruitful I am the LORD your God 26 * chap. 17. 10. c. Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood r i. e. Any flesh out of which the blood is not first poured See 1 Sam. 14. 32. The Jews write that the Egyptians and other Nations when they offered sacrifices to the Devils did eat part of the sacrifices beside the blood which was kept in basins for that end which also they believed to be as it were the special food of the Devils neither shall ye use inchantment nor observe times s To wit superstitiously by the observation of the clouds or stars or otherwise by esteeming some days lucky others unlucky See Deut. 18. 10 11. Esth. 3. 7. 27 * chap. 21. 5. Ye shall not round the corners of your heads t i. e. Your Temples Ye shall not cut off the hair of your heads round about your Temples This the Gentiles did either for the worship of the Devils or Idols to whom young men used to consecrate their hair being cut off from their heads as Homer Plutarch and many others write or in funerals or immoderate mournings as appears from Isa. 15. 2. Ier. 48. 37. And the like is to be thought concerning the beard or the hair in the corner i. e. corners of the beard The reason then of this prohibition is because God would not have his people agree with Idolaters neither in their Idolatries nor in their excessive sorrowing no nor so much as in the appearances and outward significations or expressions thereof neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard 28 Ye shall not * Deut. 14. 1. make any cutting in your flesh u Which the Gentiles commonly did both in the worship of their Idols and in their solemn mournings Ier. 16. 6. for the dead x Heb. for a soul i. e. either 1 improperly for a dead body as that word is sometimes used as Lev. 19. 28. and 21. 1. Numb 6. 6â—… or 2. properly for the soul ye shall not cut your flesh or your bodies for your souls or upon pretence of doing your souls any good either in way of mortification or in the worship of God as they did 1 King 18. 28. in like manner as others were willing to give to God the fruit of their body for the sin of their soul Mic. 6. 7. nor print any mark upon you I am the LORD 29 Do not †Heb 〈◊〉 prostitute thy daughter to cause her to be a whore y As the Gentiles frequently did for the honour of some of their Idols to whom diverse women were consecrated and publickly prostituted lest the land fall to whoredom and the land become full of wickedness 30 * chap. 26. 2. Ye shall keep my sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary z Not presuming to approach it with irreverence or with any kind of uncleanness upon you I am the LORD 31 * Isa. 8. 19. Acts 16. 16. Regard not them that have familiar spirits a That have entred into covenant with the Devil by whose help they foretell many things to come and acquaint men with secret things See Lev 20. 27. Deut. 18. 11. 1 Sam. 28. 3 7 9. 2 King 21. 6. neither seek after wizards b Another name expressing the same thing for substance to wit persons in league with the Devil with some difference onely in the manner of their operation I am the LORD your God 32 Thou shalt rise up c To do them reverence when they pass by for which end they were obliged as the Iews say presently to sit down again when they were past that it might be manifest they arose out of respect to them before the hoary head and honour the face of the old man and fear thy God d A reason of the former precept both because old men in some respect do most resemble God who is stiled the ancient of days Dan. 7. 9 22. and because this respect is due to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for themselves who may be unworthy or contemptible yet for Gods sake who requires this reverence and whose singular 〈◊〉 old age is I am the LORD 33 And * Exod. 22. 21. and 23. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sojourn with thee in your land ye 〈◊〉 not ‖ Or oppress vex him e Either with opprobrious expressions or grievous exactions 34 * Exod. 12. 49. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born amongst you f Either 1 as to the matters of common right as it here follows so it reacheth to all strangers Or 2. as to Church-priviledges so it concerns onely those who were proselytes of righteousness and * Deut. 10. 19. thou shalt love him as thy self for ye were strangers g And therefore are sensible of the fears distresses and miseries of such which call for your pity and you ought to do to them as you would that others should do to you when you were such in the land of Egypt I am the LORD your God 35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment in mete-yard h In the measuring of lands or any dry and continued things as cloth ribband c. in weight or in measure i In the measuring of liquid or such dry things as are not continued or contiguous as of corn or wine c. Or the former may note greater the latter less measures 36 * Deut. 2â—… 1â—… Prov. 11. 1. and 16. 11. and 2â—… 1â—… Just balances just †Heb. 〈◊〉 weights a just ephah and a just hin i These two measures are named as most common the former for dry the latter for moist things but under them he manifestly comprehends all other measures shall ye have I am the LORD your God which brought you out of the land of Egypt 37 Therefore k Because my blessings and deliverances are not indulgences to sin but greater obligations to all duties to God and men So that if religion and righteousness were utterly lost in the world they ought in all reason to be found among you as my peculiar people and freed men shall ye observe all my statutes and all my judgments and do them I am the LORD CHAP. XX. 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying 2 * chap. 18. 21. Again thou shalt say to the children of Israel a Here follow the punishments of the crimes forbidden in the former chapters * Deut. 18. 10. 2 Kin. 17. 17. and 23. 10. Jer. 32. 35. Whosoever he be of the children of Israel or of the strangers b Not onely such as were Proselytes but all others these being gross
that * Josh. 8. 32. thou shalt set thee up great stones and plaister them with plaister b For conveniency of writing upon them 3 And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law c Either 1. all the words of this book of Deuteronomy But that seems too large for this place Or 2. the blessings and curses here following But they are mentioned as a different thing Or 3. the law properly so called i. e. the sum and substance of the precepts or laws of Moses especially such as were moral and general as may be guessed from the following part of the chapter where the curses pronounced against all that confirm not all the words of this law to do them are particularly applied unto the transgressours of moral laws onely ver 15 16 c. And especially the Decalogue which oft goes under that name Compare Ios. 8. 32. c. when thou art passed over that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee a land that floweth with milk and hony as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee 4 Therefore it shall be when ye are gone over Jordan that ye shall set up these stones which I command you this day in mount Ebal ‖ The mount of cursing Here the law is written to signify that a curse was due to the violatours of it and that no man could expect justification or blessing from the works of the law by the sentence whereof all men are justly accursed as being all guilty of the transgression of it in one kind and degree or other Here the sacrifices are to be offered to shew that there is no way to be delivered from this curse but by the blood of Christ which all these sacrifices did typifie and by Christs being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. and thou shalt plaister them with plaister 5 And there thou shalt build an altar unto the LORD thy God an altar of stones * Exod. 20. 25 Josh. 8. 31. thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them 6 Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones d i. e Rough not hewed nor polished and thou shalt offer burnt-offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God 7 And thou shalt offer peace-offerings and shalt eat there and rejoyce before the LORD thy God 8 And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly e So as to be easily read by all 9 And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel saying Take heed and hearken O Israel this day thou art become the people of the LORD f By thy solemn renewing of thy covenant with me thy God 10 Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God and do his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day 11 And Moses charged the people the same day saying 12 These shall stand upon mount Gerizzim g Obj. In Ios. 8. 33. they stood over against mount Gerizim Ans. 1. Both are true they who stood upon the one mount stood over against the other 2. These words may be rendered beside or near to as the Hebrew al oft signifies mount Gerizim which might be over against it to â—…less the people h Whence it appears that the blessings also were pronounced as well as the curses though they be not here mentioned See Ios. 8. 33. when ye are come over Jordan Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Joseph and Benjamin i All these were the children of the free-women Leah and Rachel to shew both the dignity of the blessings above the curses and that the blessings belong onely to those that are Evangelically such as this is expounded and applied Gal. 4. 22 c. even to those that receive the Spirit of adoption and liberty Ioseph is here put for both his sons and tribes Manasseh and Ephraim which are here reckoned as one tribe because Levi is here numbred but when Levi is omitted as it is where the division of the land is made there Manasseh and Ephraim pass for two tribes 13 And * chap. 11. â—… these shall stand upon mount Ebal †Heb. â—…r â—… cursing to curse k He saith to bless the people ver 12. but here onely to curse not expressing whom either because he was loath to mention the people as objects of the curse or because he presumed and hoped that though some particular persons might deserve the curse yet the generality of the people would keep out of the reach of it or to intimate that though the blessing was peculiar to the people of Israel yet the curse was indefinite and common to all nations as may appear from the particular sins here numbred which are such as made the Gentiles guilty and abominable to God as is elsewhere affirmed See Lev. 18. 28. Reuben Gad and Asher and Zebulun Dan and Naphtali l Four of these are the children of the bondwomen to shew that the curse belongs to those of servile and disingenuous spirits and carriages to God With these are joyned Reuben who by his shameful sin fell from his dignity Gen. 49. 4. and Zabulon as the youngest of Leahs children who was necessarily to be joyned with those that the numbers might be equal 14 And * Dan. 9. 11. the Levites m i. e. Some of the Levites to wit the Priests which bare the Ark as it is expressed Ios. 8. 33. for the body of the Levites stood upon mount Gerizim v. 12. But these stood in the valley between Gerizim and Ebal looking towards the one or the other mountain as they pronounced either the blessings or the curses as may be gathered from Ios. 8. 33. shall speak and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice n So as they might be heard by a great number of the people by whom the rest were informed and directed by some signal when they should answer 15 * Exod. 20. â—… 23. and 34. 1â—… Lev. 19. 4. Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image o Under this particular he understands all the gross violations of the first Table as under the following branches he comprehends all other sins against the second Table as is manifest from hence that there are other sins not here mentioned which are as sinful as these and will as certainly expose a man to the curse as any of the rest an abomination unto the LORD the work of the hands of the craftsmen and p Or although as that particle sometimes signifies putteth it in a secret place q He takes special notice of such partly to shew the folly of those men who think to hide their sins by this means and partly to deter men from such practises which men could not see nor punish by making them their own condemners and executioners and all the people shall
2 Chron. 1. 12. I will as certainly give them as if I had actually done it for future certain things are oft expressed in Scripture in the past time as is well known to all thee that which thou hast not asked both riches and honour so that there ‖ Or 〈◊〉 not been shall not be i So it is true of all the succeeding Kings of Israel of whom he speaks Or hath not been as it is in the Hebrew and so it may be true of all the Kings that then were or had been in the world whereof none was like to him to wit in all the things here mentioned and wherein he is compared with them which is not onely in Riches but also in Wisdom and in Honour or Renown any among the kings like unto thee all thy days k To wit of thy life Whereby he signifies that these gifts of God were not temporary and transient as they were in Saul but such as should abide with him whilst he lived 14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways l This caution God gives him lest his great Wisdom should make him proud or careless or presumptuous as if he were out of all danger and to oblige him to more care and circumspection to avoid the snares and mischiefs to which so much prosperity and glory would probably expose him and withal to justify himself in case he should afterwards alter the course of his Providence towards Solomon and that when men are surprized with Solomon's dreadful fall they might know it was no surprizal to God but that he did foresee it and would over-rule it to his own Glory one way or other to keep my statutes and my commandments * Chap. 15. 5. as thy father David did walk then I will lengthen thy days 15 And Solomon awoke and behold it was a dream m i. e. He perceived that it was a Dream not a vain Dream wherewith men are commonly deluded but a Divine Dream assuring him of the thing which he knew partly by a Divine impression and inspiration thereof in his mind after he was awakened and partly by the vast alteration which he presently found within himself in point of Wisdom and Knowledge and he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD n Which was there in the City of David 2 Sam. 6. 17. before which he presented himself in way of Holy Ministration and Adoration which may be noted by the word stood Or that word may note his abode there for some considerable time as the offering of so many Sacrifices required and offered up burnt-offerings o Chiefly for the expiation of his and his peoples sin through the Blood of Christ manifestly signified in these Sacrifices and offered peace-offerings p Solemnly to praise God for all his Mercies and especially for giving him a quiet and fixed possession of the Kingdom and for his Glorious appearance to him in a Dream and for the great promise therein made to him and the actual accomplishment of it since wrought in him and made a feast to all his servants 16 ¶ Then came there two women that were harlots q Or Victuallers for the Hebrew word signifies both See on Ios. 2. 1. And possibly they might be both this by their open profession and the other by their secret practice not that they were common Harlots for neither would Solomon have tolerated such nor durst such have presented themselves before so wise and just a Ruler nor do such use either to bring forth Children or to have such a tender care of and affection to them as these express Yet that they were unmarried persons and so guilty of Fornication seems most probable both because there is no mention of any Husbands whose office it was if there were any such to contest for their Wives and because they lived a solitary life in one House unto the king r Haply they had presented their Cause to the Inferior Courts who could not determine and therefore now they bring it to the King as the Supreme Magistrate and famous for his Wisdom and stood there before him s Desiring and expecting his Sentence in the case 17 And the one woman said O my lord I and this woman dwell in one house and I was delivered of a child with her in the house 18 And it came to pass the third day t So they could not be distinguished by their Age. after that I was delivered that the woman was delivered also and we were together there was no stranger with us in the house u Therefore no Witness on either side and although there might be some sensible difference to an exact observer between the features of the two Children yet it is not probable that was much minded by the Neighbours for though civil Women might assist them both in their Child-births yet it is not likely they would afterwards converse much with them as being persons of suspected fame and the features of the Children especially for so few days night easily be so like that it was difficult to discern the one from the other And the Testimonies of the Women were of equal credit i. e. of none at all save we two in the house 19 And this womans child died in the night because she over-laid it x And so smothered it which she justly conjectures because there were evidences of that kind of death but no appearance of any other cause thereof 20 And she arose at midnight y When I was asleep as she reasonably and truly concluded and took my son from beside me z Either because the really desired the comfort of a Child to be educated by her and owned as hers or because she would not be thought guilty of the Childs death for which she knew not how severely Solomon would punish her while thine handmaid slept a As the might well know because had she been awake she had discovered and prevented her design and laid it in her bosome and laid her dead child in my bosome 21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck behold it was dead but when I had considered it in the morning behold it was not my son which I did bear 22 And the other woman said Nay but the living is my son and the dead is thy son and this said No but the dead is thy son and the living is my son Thus they spake before the king b Both peremptorily and vehemently affirmed the same thing oft repeating the same words 23 Then said the king The one saith This is my son that liveth and thy son is the dead and the other saith Nay but thy son is the dead and my son is the living 24 And the king said Bring me a sword and they brought a sword before the king 25 And the king said c With seeming sincerity and earnestness though with a
house of the LORD a Which Ahaz his Father had shut up ch 28. 24. and repaired them 4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them together into the east-street b Which was before the Eastern Gate of the Temple 5 And said unto them Hear me ye Levites sanctifie now your selves and sanctifie the house of the LORD God of your fathers and carry forth the filthiness c That filthy Altar which Ahaz had put in the Place of Gods Altar 2 King 16. 11 c. and the Idols or other abominable or polluting things which were there out of the holy place d The Temple or the Priests Court which also is called an holy Place Levit. 6. 16. 10. 13. Numb 28. 7. 6 For our fathers have trespassed and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God and have forsaken him and have turned away their faces from the †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. habitation of the LORD and †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turned their backs e Either 1. Metaphorically they have wilfully and obstinately and contumeliously forsaken me and my House and Worship that posture being a signification of Contempt Or 2. Literally and properly For Ahaz having removed the Altar of God into a By-place 2 King 14. and directing his Worship towards the East after the manner of the Heathens whom he designed to follow and not to the West as the Israelites did by Gods Command in which Quarter the Ark was he must needs consequently turn his Back upon the Altar and House and Ark of God 7 Also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they have shut up the doors of the porch and put out the lamps and have not burnt incense nor offered burnt-offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel 8 Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem and he hath delivered them to †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trouble to astonishment and to * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 25. Kin. 9. 8. hissing f i. e. To such Calamities as all that see and hear of shall be astonished at and hiss at those who by their own Sin and Folly have brought such Miseries upon themselves See on 1 King 9. 8. as ye see with your eyes 9 For lo our fathers have fallen by the sword and our sons and our daughters and our wives are g Or were though they were presently released ch 28. 5 14 15. in captivity for this 10 Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel that his fierce wrath may turn away from us 11 My sons h So he calls them indifferently though many of them were elder than himself because he was by his tender Love and Affection as he was by his Office obliged to be a Nursing Father to them See Isa. 49. 23. ‖ 〈◊〉 noâ—… 〈◊〉 be not now negligent i In sanctifying your selves and the Temple v. 5. and in quickning and preparing your selves and the People to Gods Service for the LORD hath * 〈◊〉 â—… 14. 〈◊〉 2 6. chosen you to stand before him to serve him and that ye should minister unto him and ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 burn incense 12 Then the Levites arose Mahath the son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah of the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of Merari Kish the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehallelel and of the Gershonites Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah 13 And of the sons of Elizaphan Shimri and Jehiel and of the sons of Asaph Zechariah and Mattaniah 14 And of the sons of Heman Jehiel and Shimei and of the sons of Jeduthun Shemajah and Uzziel 15 And they gathered their brethren and sanctified themselves and came according to the commandment of the king ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the words of the LORD to cleanse the house of the LORD 16 And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD k Not the Holy of Holies into which onely the Highpriest might enter and that but once in a year but the Holy Place to cleanse it and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court l To wit the Priests Court called here the Court by way of Eminency of the house of the LORD And the Levites took it to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron 17 Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctifie and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the LORD so they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end m In 16 Days purging the House and Porch and Courts and all the Chambers belonging to the Temple This is noted to imply partly the Universal Abuse and Defilement of all the Parts of it by Ahaz which required so much time to remove and partly the Diligence of the Priests in this Work 18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king and said We have cleansed all the house of the LORD and the altar of burnt-offering with all the vessels thereof and the shew bread table with all the vessels thereof 19 Moreover all the vessels which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression have we prepared and sanctified and behold they are before the altar of the LORD 20 Then Hezekiah the king arose early and gathered the rulers of the city and went up to the house of the LORD 21 And they brought seven bullocks and seven rams and seven lambs and seven he-goats n The Number of seven is famous and customary in Sacred matters and is here used in regard of the vast Numbers and various Kinds of Sins the Guilt whereof yet lay upon the Kingdom which was now to be expiated Indeed in case of one particular Sin of Ignorance done by the People there was but one Bullock to be offered Levit. 4. 13 14. but here the Sins were many and presumptuous c. for a * Lev. 4. 3 14. sin offering for the kingdom o To make Atonement for the Sins of the King and the Royal Family and the Court. and for the sanctuary p For all the Idolatry and Uncleanness wherewith the Temple had been polluted which as it had been cleansed naturally by the Priests Hands so now was to be purged morally by Sacrifices and for Judah q For the Sins of all the People of Judah and he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD 22 So they killed the bullocks and the priests received the blood and * Lev. 8. 14 15. Heb. 9. 21. sprinkled it on the altar likewise when they had killed the rams they sprinkled the blood upon the altar they killed also the lambs and they sprinkled the blood upon the
reach thee I indeavour to pay a singular Respect and Love and Kindness to all Saints for thy sake whose Friends and Servants they are and whose image they bear This may seem more properly to agree to David than to Christ whose goodness was principally designed for and imparted to Sinners and did not find men Saints but make them so nor was it confined to them that lived with him upon the Earth but extended to all the Believers of all Ages before and after him and to the excellent l Or the magnificent or mighty or honourable to wit the Saints as he now called them whom because they were mean and despicable in the Eyes of the World he honours with their just Titles and by appropriating them to the Saints he sufficiently intimates that all other men how great sover are but ignoble and vile Persons as he had called them Psal. 15. 4. in whom is all my delight m i. e. Whose Company and Conversation is most Pleasant and desirable to me Compare Psal. 119. 63. 4. Their sorrows shall be multiplied that ‖ Or give gift to 〈◊〉 hasten after another God n Or that present or endow as this Verb signifies Exod. 22. 16. another God to wit with Oblations as it follows God is not expressed in the Hebrew text but seems fitly and necessarily to be understood because of the following Offerings which are made to none that is not either really or by Reputation a God The Sence is Idolaters notwithstanding all their zeal or cost about their Idols gain nothing to themselves but abundance of sorrow and misery This he mentioneth partly as one Reason why he would have no fellowship with them in their Idolatrous worship which he adds in this Verse and partly that by this Comparison he might illustrate and commend his own Happiness in having the Lord for his Portion of which he speaks v. 5 6. Or thus let their sorrows be multiplied c. Having shewed his great Respect and Affection to the Saints and excellent Servants of the true God he now declares what an abhorrency he had for those that forsake the true God and worship Idols To whom he wisheth increase of their sorrows whereby they may either be awakened and converted to the Lord again or may be cut off if they be impenitent and incorrigible their drink offrings o Under which he comprehends all their Offerings the reason being for Substance the same in all but he mentions these particularly because of a special Corruption in them above their other Sacrifices to wit that the very matter of them was unlawful as we shall see Which also might serve both to convince and deter those Israelites which harkened after Idolatry and made no Conscience of maintaining Communion with Idolaters which was the Case of many of them in Saul's time and to justifie himself for his Detestation of them and of all fellowship with them of blood p In which the Gentiles used as divers learned men have observed to Offer and sometimes to drink part of the Blood of their Sacrifices whether of Beasts or of Men as either of them were Sacrificed Which must needs be very hateful to God because he had so severely forbidden the drinking of Blood to his people either at their Sacrifices or in their common Food will I not offer * Josh. 23. 7. nor take up their names q i. e. Of those other Gods mentioned before I abhor the very name and memory of them Not that he thought it unlawful to name these Idols which is frequently done by the holy Prophets but to express the odiousness of the thing by his loathing of the very name and shadow of them Compare Exod. 23. 13. Deut. 12. 3. Hos. 2. 16 17. Eph. 5. 3. Or the Sence is I will not swear by them For taking up ones names is used for swearing Exod. 20. 7. into my lips 5. * Deut. 32. 9. Psal. 73. 26. 142. 5. â—…am 3. 24. The LORD is the portion †Heb. of 〈◊〉 paâ—…t of mine inheritance r Or of my devision i. e. Of that inheritance which God hath mercifully divided or distributed to me and which I by his grace have chosen for my self I envy not the vast Riches and Glory of Idolaters but do heartily rejoyce in God as my portion and desire no better nor no other Felicity God who hath suffered other Nations to walk in their own Idolatrous ways hath granted this favour to me to know and worship him the only true God And as other Nations have chosen and do adhere to their false Gods so have I chosen God and will cleave to him and of my cup s The same thing repeated in other Words The portion of my Cup is the portion which is put into my Cup as the ancient manner was in feasts where each had his portion of Meat and of Wine allotted to him See Psal. 11. 6. The Cup oft denotes a Mans portion oâ—… Condition as Mat. 20. 22. and 26. 39. thou maintainest my lot t i. e. My inheritance divided to me by lot as the Custome then was Ios. 18. 11. Iudg. 1. 3. u As thou hast given me an excellent lot having planted me among thine own People and in that place which thou hast chosen for thy dwelling and worship so I doubt not thou wilst uphold aâ—…d preserve me there in spight of all the malicious designs of mine Enemies that seek to drive me thence 6. * 〈◊〉 17. â—… Heb. Psal. 7 55 Miâ—… 2. 4. 5 The lines u i. e. My portion which was measured with lines Comp. Ios. 17. 5. Deut. 3. 4. are fallen unto me in pleasant places x In a sweet land flowing with Milk and Hony and above all blessed with the Presence and Knowledge and Service of the true God yea I have a goodly heritage 7. I will bless the LORD who hath given me counsel y Heb. consulted for me i. e. By his wise and gracious Counsel hath provided so good an heritage for me and withal inspired that Counsel and Wisdom into me by which I have chosen the Lord for my Portion and am so fully satisfied with him my reins z i. e. My inward thoughts and affections which are commonly signified by the Reins as Psal. 7. 9. and 26. 2. and 73. 21. and 139. 13. Ier. 11. 20. and 12. 2. and 17. 10. being inspired and moved by the holy Spirit also instruct me a i. e. Direct me what course to take how to please and serve God and to put my whole Trust and Confidence in him as it follows in the night-seasons b Not only in the day time but also in the night when others are asleep but my mind is working upon God and the things of God and improving the silence and leasure and solitude of the night to holy Meditations and the exciting of my affections towards God 8. *
and destroying biting and devouring one another when God shall be at peace with a people these things shall not be found amongst them saith the Lord. CHAP. LXVI 1 THus saith the LORD * 1 Ein 8. 27. Act. 7. 48 49. 17. 24. The heaven is my throne a The Heaven that is the highest Heavens are the place where I most manifest my power and glory and shew my self in my Majesty So Psal. 11. 4. Psal. 103. 19. Matth. 5. 34. Hence we are taught to pray Our Father which art in Heaven and the earth is my footstool b And the Earth is my footstool or place wherein I set my feet Matth. 5. 35. where is the house that ye build unto me c Can there be an house builded that will contain me who can encompass the Heavens and the Earth with an house and where is the place of my rest d Or where is the place wherein I can be said to rest in a proper sense The Ark â—…deed called God's footstool and the place of his rest in a figurative sense because there God manifested himself though in degrees much beneath the manifestations of himself in Heaven but properly God hath no certain place of Rest. 2 For all those things hath my hand made e The Heavens and the Earth are the work of my hands Gen. 1. 1. Ioh. 1. 3. some expound it of the Temple and the Sacrifices and all those things have been f They were not onely made by God but subsisted and were kept in being by him These things were not therefore valued by him nor could he have any need of or respect to an house which is but a very little part of the Earth he having made the Heavens and the Earth had all them at his command and how could he need a Temple or wherein could he be advantaged from it saith the Lord but to this man will I look * Psa. 34. 18. 51. 17. Chap. 57. 15. even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit * Ezr. 9. 4. 10. 3. Prov. 28. 14. v. 5. trembleth at my word h who trembleth when he heareth God's threatning words nor ever heareth any revelation of the Divine Will without a just Reverence g But God will look with a respecâ—… and with a favourable Eye to him that hath a broken and contrite spirit whose heart is subdued to the Will of God and who is poor and low in his own Eyes Mat. 5. 3. Luke 6. 20. And 3 He that killeth an ox i Solomon Prov. 15. 8. gives us a short but full commentary on this whole verse The Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. He that killâ—… an ox that is for Sacrifice as it is expounded by the next words He that sacrificeth a Lamb. is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a lamb ‖ Or kid as if he * Deut. 23. 18. cut off a dogs neck k The comparison shewâ—…th God's detestation of ceremonial performances from men of wicked hearts and lives he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines blood he that †Heb. makes a memorial of burneth incense as if he blessed an idol l From hence it is plain that the Prophet is not here reflecting upon Idolatrous Worship but Formal Worship for to say He that burneth Incense to an Idol is as he that blesseth an Idol is but to say he that blesseth an Idol blesseth an Idol but upon those who in a formality worshipped the true God and by acts which he had appointed such were offering Sacrifices Oblation Incense God by the Prophet declares that these mens Services were no more acceptable to him then Murther Idolatry or the most horrid prophanation of his name such would cutting off a dogs neck for Sacrifice have been or offering Swines blood so little do ritual performances though instituted by God himself please God when they are but meer formalities as they alwaies are yea they have chosen their own ways m When those that perform them live as they list leud and loose lives and think to save themselves by their prayers like the Whore Prov. 7. 14 15. and their soul delighteth in their abominations n Not only 〈◊〉 by humane frailty but taking pleasure in their sins Prov. 15. 26. to offer a Sacrifice with an heart resolved when it is offered to go on in sinful courses is to offer it with an evil mind This is a dreadful text to persons who will murder and steal and swear and câ—…rse and lie and commit Adultery and then come and stand before God in his house which is called by his name that is come to serve him in acts of Worship Levit. 10. 3. See Psal. 50. 16 17 18. Isaiah 1. 11 12 13 14. Ier. 7. 9 10. Mat. 7 21 22 23. Iohn 4. 24. 1 Tim. 4. 8. 4 I also will chuse o They had made their choice they chose not the ways of God but their own ways that which God delighted not in as in the latter part of this verse therefore saith God I will also chuse their ‖ Devicâ—…s delusions p Their delusions or illusions or devices Montanus translates it adinventionibus it is a Noun derived from a word which signifies to speak childishly or corruptly the word in this form is only used in this text and in 1 Sam. 25. 3. it signifieth studies or works Psal. 12. 4. Isa. 3. 4. Hos. 4. 9. It is an ordinary thing for God thus generally to declare his justice against men That he will deal with sinners as they deal with him so Psal. 18. 25 26. Lev. 26. 27. Ier. 34. 17. Prov. 1. 24. 28. The meaning is I will be no kinder to them then they have been to me They have chosen to mock and delude me I will chuse to suffer them to delude themselves or they have chosen to work wickedness I will chuse to bring the fruit of their works upon them They have chosen the cause I will chuse the effect and bring their fears upon them q That is say some the things which they feared and did these things to avoid as Ier. 42. 16. Eze. 11. 8. Others by their fears chuse rather to understand such terrors and affrightments as are natural to men upon the prospect of great evils as Ier. 20. 4. as God in mercy delivereth his people from their fears Psal. 34. 4. So in judgment he causeth â—…ears as a great judgment to possess sinners Lev. 26. 16. Deut. 28. 66. * Prov. 1. 24. ch 65. 12. Jer. 7. 13. because when I called none did answer r Because when by my Prophets I exhorted you to your duty very few yielded obedience see Prov. 1. 24. ch 65. 12. Ier. 7. 13. when I spake they did not hear s Hearing here signifieth hearkning or obeying not hearing is expounded by doing evil and chusing
countenance have been upright and pleasant which now is sad and dejected And if thou doest not well sin lieth at the door t Sin is here taken either 1. Properly so the sense is sin will be growing upon thee one sin will bring in another and that maliâ—… and purpose of revenge against thy Brother which now lies hid in the secret chamber of thy Mind and Heart lies at the door ready to break forth into the view of the World in open Murder Or 2 For the punishment of sin as it is taken Gen. 19. 15. Levit. 5. 1. and 2â—… 20. Numb 18. 1. 2 King 7. 9. Zach. 14. 19. So the sense is if thou wilt go on in sin and execute thy wicked purpose which I perceive lies working in thy Heart be sure thy sin will find thee oâ—…t as is said Numb 32. 23. Thou shalt not long enjoy the Fruits of thy wickedness but a dreadful judgment shall tread upon the heels of thy sin and lie like a furious Mastive-dog at the very door of thy house to seize upon thee at thy first coming in or going out For that person or thing which is very near to us or at hand is said to be at the doors Matth. 24. 33. Iam. 5. 9. And ‖ Or subject unto thee unto thee shall be his desire and thou shalt rule over him u Those two clauses may relate either 1. To sin which may be here spoken of as a person as it is Rom. 7 8 9 11 c. So the place may be rendred and expounded thus The desire of sin is to thee i. e. to assault seduce conquer and destroy thee As it is said Luke 22. 31. Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you c. Or thus its desire objectively not subjectively taken i. e. Thy desire intention or resolution of smning that evil motion of thy heart against thy Brother shall be against as the Hebrew particle el oft signifies thee i. e. howsoever at present it pleaseth thee yet it is really not only against him but against thy self and will certainly turn to thy own ruine But for so the particle and is commonly taken If thou be wise give no place to it but resist it do thou rule for the future tense is oft put imperatively as in the Ten Commandements and it frequently signifies not what a man can or shall do but his duty or what he ought to do as is evident from Gen. 20. 9. Mal. 1. 6. Luke 3. 14. over it i. e. conquer and subdue it which is thy duty or thou shalt rule over it i. e. by my grace assisting thy endeavours thou shalt be enabled to subdue thy evil concupiscences and passions and so over-rule prevent or remove those punishments which otherwise sin will infallibly bring upon thee Or 2. To Abel and so the sense is And as for thy Brother Abel to whose Faith and Piety I have given this publick and honourable testimony which thy naughty heart makes an occasion of envy and malice and intention of Murther that thou mayst not by a mistake be led to the perpetration of so horrid a crime know that this favour of mine concerns only his spiritual priviledge and the happiness of the Life to come which thou despisest but it makes no change in civil rights nor doth it transfer the domimon from thee whose it is by Birth unto him nor doth he so understand it for notwithstanding this unto thee shall be his desire subject i. e. he shall and will nevertheless yield to thee as his Superiour and thou according to thy own hearts desire shalt rule over him If it be said the name of Abel is not here mentioned it may be answered that this is sufficiently included in the pronouns his and him and it is not unusual to put those relative pronouns alone the antecedent being not expressed but to be gathered either from the foregoing or following words of which see my notes on Gen. 3. 1. 8. And Cain †Heb spake to c. talked with Abel his Brother x Either 1. Familiarly and friendly as he used to do thereby to make him secure and careless Or by way of expostulation and contention And it came to pass when they were in the Field y Into which Abel was led either by his own employment or by Cains perswasion this being a fit place for the execution of his wicked purpose that Cain rose up against Abel his Brother and * Matth. 23. 35. 1 John 3. 12. Jude 11. slew him z Possibly with stone or club or with some Iron tool belonging to Husbandry 9. And the LORD said unto Cain where is Abel a Not that God was ignorant where he was but partly to convince him of his sin and to lead him to Repentance and partly to instruct Judges to enquire into causes and hear the accused speak for themselves before they pass sentence thy Brother b Whom nature and near relation obliged thee to love and preserve And he said I know not Am I my Brothers Keeper c Why dost thou enquire of me concerning him who is of age to look to himself Is he such a stripling that he needs a Guardian Or didst thou ever make me his Guardian 10. And he said what hast thou done d I hear thy words but what say thy actions What an hideous crime hast thou committed In vain dost thou endeavour to hide it or deny it The voice of thy brothers †Heb. bloods Blood e In the Hebrew it is Bloods either to aggravate the crime Or to shew the plenty of the blood spilt Or to charge him with the Murder of all those that might naturally have come out of Abels loyns which was a far greater crime in the nonage of the World when the World greatly wanted people * Rev. 6. 10. crieth unto me from the ground f Upon which it was spilt by thy bloody hands 11. And now art thou cursed g As the earth was cursed for thy Fathers sake so now art thou cursed in thy own person from the Earth h Or In regard of the Earth which shall grudge thee both its Fruits and a certain dwelling place which hath opened her mouth to receive thy Brothers blood from thy hand i Which had more humanity to thy Brother than thou hadst for it kindly received and covered that blood which thou didst cruelly and unnaturally shed upon it 12. When thou tillest the ground k Or That ground which doth or shall fall to thy share which besides the first and general curse inflicted upon the whole Earth shall have this peculiar curse added to it it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength l i. e. It s vertue and fruit in such proportion as it hath hitherto done A fugitive and vagabond m Banished from thy own Land and Kindred and fathers house and from
unclean see on chap. 7. 2. Levit. 11. 2. c. 21. And the Lord smelled †Heb. a savour of rest a sweet savour x i. e. Graciously accepted the Person and Faith and Praise-offering of Noah and was as well pleased therewith as men use to be with a sweet smell and the Lord said in his Heart y i. e. Determined within himself and expressed so much to Noah The Hebrew preposition el sometimes signifies in as Gen. 6. 6. 1 Sam. 27. 1. Others said to his Heart i. e. spake to the Heart of Noah who is mentioned ver 20. To speak to the Heart in Scripture use signifies to comfort I will not again curse the ground z i. e. The whole Earth with this kind of curse with another deluge Otherwise God doth not hereby tye his hands that he may not either destroy a particular Land by a deluge which hath been done since or destroy the World by Fire when he sees fit as he hath declared he will do any more for mans sake for the * Chap. 6. 5. Matth. 15. 19. imagination of mans Heart is evil a The reason is this since all mens Hearts are naturally corrupt and from that filthy spring wicked actions will be continually flowing forth into the World and consequently if I should be severe to punish men according to their sins I should do nothing but send one deluge after another Or these words may be joyned with the former and the sense may be this I will not again destroy the Earth with a deluge for mans sake or for mans sin or because the imagination c. i. e. because his heart is corrupt and his actions are agreeable to it which was the cause of the last deluge Or the particle chi may be rendred although as it is frequently taken as Exod. 5. 11. and 13. 17. and 34. 9. Ios. 17. 13. Psal. 25. 11. and 41. 5. and so the sense is plain I will not again destroy the Earth although the imagination c. i. e Although I have just cause to do so from his youth Neither will I again smite b i. e. Kill or destroy as the word smiting is taken Exod. 21. 18. Numb 14. 12. and 35. 16. Deut. 28. 22 27. Amos 4. 9. any more every thing living as I have done ‖ Or From his very childhood and infancy as the Chaldee and Greek interpreters Translate it 22. †Heb. as yet all the days of the Earth While the Earth remaineth c In this estate For though it seems probable that the substance of the Earth will abide for ever after the dissolution of the World by fire yet that will be in another manner and for other purposes and then there will be no need of Seed-time or Harvest c. Seed-time and Harvest and Cold and Heat and Summer and Winter and Day and Night d Which distinction in a manner ceased in the Ark the Heavens being covered and all its lights eclipsed by such thick and black Clouds as never were before noâ—… since shall not cease CHAP. IX 1. AND God blessed a i. e. Renewed the old blessing and grant made chap. 1. 28. which might seem to be forfeited and made void by mans sin and by Gods Judgment consequent upon it Noah and his Sons and said unto them * Chap. 1. 28. and 8. 17. be fruitful and multiply and replenish the Earth 2. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every Beast of the Earth and upon every Fowl of the Air upon all that moveth upon the Earth and upon all the Fishes of the Sea ‖ Before they loved and reverenced you as Lords and Friends now they shall dread you as Enemies and Tyrants into your hand are they delivered * For your use and service I restore you in part to that Dominion over them which you for your sins have forfeited 3. Every moving thing b Which is wholesome and fit for food and clean An exception to be gathered both from the nature of the thing and from the distinction of clean and unclean Beasts mentioned before and afterwards that liveth c This is added to exclude the use of those Creatures which either died of themselves or were killed by wild Beasts which is here forbidden implicitely and afterwards expresly See Exod. 22. 31. Levit. 22. 8. shall be meat for you d It is not a command that we must but a permission that we may eat of them A grant possibly given before the Flood but now expressed either because the former allowance might seem to be forfeited or because as men now grew more infirm and needed better nourishment so the Earth was grown more feeble by the Flood and its fruits yeilded less and worse nourishment even as the * Chap. 1. 29. green herb have I given you all things †Understand this with the limitation above mentioned The green Herbs were given before chap. 1. 29. 4. * Levit. 17. 14. Deut. 12. 23. Act. 15. 20. But Flesh with the †Heb. Soul Life thereof e i. e. Whilst it lives or taken from the Creature before it be quite dead Which was an antient practice and an effect either of luxury or cruelty which is the blood thereof f i. e. Which life or soul hath its seat in and its support from the blood and the spirits contained in it It is certain Blood is the thing which is here principally minded and forbidden and so the words may be thus translated and understood but flesh i. e. the Flesh of living Creatures hereby allowed you with the Life thereof that is to say with the blood thereof wherein its life consists Or But Flesh whilst it hath in it its Life or Soul or which is all one its Blood shall you not eat g God thought fit to forbid this partly that by this respect shewn to the blood of Beasts it might appear how sacred a thing the blood of man was and how much God abhorred the sin of Murther and principally because the Blood was reserved and consecrated to God as was the means of atonement for man which reason God himself gives Levit. 17. 11 12. and did in a special manner represent the Blood of Christ which was to be shed for the Redemption of mankind 5. And * Or For as the particle is oft taken This being the reason of the foregoing prohibition surely your blood of your †Heb. Souls Lives h Or Of your Souls i. e. Of your persons the word Soul being oft put for Person Or your Blood which is for your lives i. e. which by the spirits it generates is the great preserver and instrument of your lives and of all your vital actions and the great bond which ties your Souls and Bodies together The sense of the place is If I am thus carefull for the blood of Beasts
be assured I will be much more solicitous for the blood of men when it shall be shed by unjust and violent hands will I require i I will make inquisition for the Author of such bloodshed as I did after Cain and consequently punish him For this phrase of requiring implies punishment See Gen. 42. 22. Deut. 18. 19. compared with Acts 3. 23. Psal. 9. 13. If Magistrates neglect this duty I my self will avenge it by my own hand At the hand of every Beast will I require it k Not for the punishment of the Beast which being under no Law is not 〈◊〉 of sin nor punishment but for caution to men for whose use seeing they were made it is no abuse of them if they be destroyed for mans benefit Compare Exod. 21. 28. Levit. 20 15. and at the hand of Man at the hand of every mans Brother l This is added either 1. as an aggravation of the crime because the man slain was the Brother of the Murderer all men being made of one blâ—…od Act. 17 26. And having one Father even God Mal. 2. 10. and Adam too Upon which accounts all men are frequently called one anothers 〈◊〉 as is manifest from Gen. 26. 31 and 29. 4. Levit. 19. 17. and 25. 14. and 26. 37. and from many other places of Scripture Or 2. As an assurance of the punishment of the Murderer without any exception of the nearest relation which though it makes the sin greater yet many times is a security against punishment the murtherer easily finding favour and pardon from his Parents and dear Friends But the former sense seems the better will require the †Heb Soul Life of Man 6. * Matth. 26. 52. Revel 13. 10. Whoso sheddeth ‖ Or the blood of man in man mans blood m Willfully and unwarrantably For there is a double exception to this Law 1. Of casual Murder expressed Numb 35 31. Deut. 19. 4. 2. Of death inflicted by the hand of the Magistrate for crimes deserving it mentioned in the following words and elsewhere by man n i. e. By the hand of man namely the Magistrate Rom. 13. 4. Who is hereby impowered and required upon pain of my highest displeasure to inflict this punishment See Exod. 21. 12. Levit. 24. 17. Matth. 26. 57. 〈◊〉 For that Man i. e. For that mans sake whose blood he hath shed which cries for vengeance shall his blood be shed * Chap. 1. 2â—… For in the image of God made he man o So that Murder is not only an offence against man but also an injury to God and a contempt of that image of God which all men are obliged to reverence and maintain and especially Magistrates who being my Vice-gerents and Servants are therefore under a particular obligation to punish those who dâ—…face and destroy it 7. And yet be ye fruitful and multiply p i. e. As for you I do not repent of that former blessing I gave to your Parents Gen. 1. 28. but do hereby renew it to you and â—…your Seed after you bring forth abundantly in the Earth and multiply therein 8. And God spake unto Noah and to his Sons with him saying 9. And I behold I establish my Covenant q i. e. My promise For the Beasts included in this Covenant ver 10. are not capable of a Covenant properly so called And the word Covenant is oft used for a simple promise as we shall see hereafter with you and with your Seed r i. e. Your posterity as that word is frequently taken as Gen. 12. 7. Exod. 28. 43. c. after you 10. And with every †Heb. living soul. living Creature that is with you of the Fowl of the Cattle and of every Beast of the Earth with you from all that go out of the Ark to every Beast of the Earth ‖ To wit which shall hereafter be in the Earth So they are distinguished from these which were now with them 11. And * Isai. 54. 9 I will establish my Covenant with you neither shall all Flesh be cut off any more by the Waters of a Flood neither shall there any more be a Flood s i. e An universal deluge For particular inundations there have been whereby Towns and Countries have been overwhelmed with all their inhabitants to destroy the Earth 12. And God said This is the token of the Covenant t This i. e. The bow mentioned in the next verse I appoint to you for a sensible sign and evidence to assure you that I shall perform this Covenant or Promise which I make between me and you and every living Creature that is with you for perpetual Generations 13. I do set ‖ Heb. I have given i. e. I will from time to time give and place my Bow u God calleth it his Bow partly because it was his workmanship and chiefly because it was his pledge and the seal of his promise in the Cloud x A proper seat for it That they might now fetch an argument of Faith from thence whence before they had matter of just fear and that which naturally was and is a sign of Rain might by this new appointment of God be turned into an assurance that there should be no such overflowing Rain as now had been and it shall be for a token of a Covenant between me and the Earth 14. And it shall come to pass when I bring a Cloud over the Earth y Not always but very frequently which is sufficient for this purpose that the Bow shall be seen in the Cloud 15. And I will remember my Covenant which is between me and you and every †Heb. every living Soul in all flesh living Creature of all Flesh and the Waters shall no more become a Flood to destroy all Flesh. 16. And the Bow shall be in the Cloud and I will look upon it that I may remember the Everlasting Covenant z i. e. This Covenant made with all succeeding Generations of men and Beasts This and the like speeches are oft ascribed to God after the manner of Men who being forgetfull need helps for their memory between God and every living Creature of all Flesh that is upon the Earth 17. And God said unto Noah This is the token of the Covenant a The same thing is so oft repeated for the strengthning of the Faith of all men and especially of Noah and his Sons whom the remembrance of that dreadful deluge which they had experience of had made exceeding prone to fears of the like for time to come which I have established between me and all Flesh that is upon the Earth 18. And the Sons of Noah that went forth of the Ark were Shem and Ham and Iapheth And Ham is the Father of †Heb. Chanaan Canaan b Which is here mentioned to make way for the following relation 19. These are the three Sons
oxen than for sheep Ans. 1. Because it argued greater boldness and customariness in the thief to steal that which might more easily be discovered 2. Because besides the intrinsecal worth of the oxe the labour of the oxe was very considerable to his owner Prov. 14. 4. and therefore the loss greater 2 If a thief be found breaking up d To wit an house which the Chaldee here addes and by night as appears from the next verse and be smitten that he die there shall no bloud be shed for him e i. e. For the thief though he be killed by a man in his own defence Because in that case the thief might be presumed to have a worse design and the owner of the house could neither expect or have the help of others to secure him from the intended violence nor guide his blows with that discretion and moderation which in the day-time he might use 3 If the Sun be risen upon him there shall be blood shed for him f He that kills him shalt be put to death because he punished him more than his crime deserved and might have been otherwise either secured or righted and in that case it is probable the thief designed not murder but theft onely But if it were evident that the house-breaker designed murder he might doubtless kill him in his own defence for he should make full restitution if he have nothing then he shall be sold g Either so long till his service was worth the thing stollen or rather for the ordinary time of six years because this was not a simple thief but an house-breaker which was much worse Quest. How can he be sold who is supposed to be killed Ans. The Hebrew word may be better rendred should be sold as the foregoing word of the same future time is rendred should make restitution to wit if he were not killed and therefore the killer of him being sufficiently secured against this injury was more culpable in killing him without necessity for his theft 4 If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive h Not killed nor sold as ver 1. whether it be oxe or ass or sheep he shall restore double i Not more 1. because in that case it was presumed either that he intended to restore it or at lest that he was but raw and unexercised in the trade of stealing and so should be more gently punished 2. because the right owner recovered his goods with less charge and trouble or 3. because it was but a single crime whereas the other ver 1. was an aggravated and complicated crime where one sin and injury was added to another Obj. It is said he shall restore seven-sold Prov. 6. 31. Ans. 1. Seven-sold is put for abundantly as that word is oft used as Gen. 4. 24. Ps. 12. 6 79. 12. and a learned man observes it is never used for that definite number Ans. 2. This seven-sold or seven-times may relate not to the proportion of his restitution but to the number of his Thefts or rather of his detections and the sence is this Though he be found guilty of theft seven times all his punishment is that he shall restore as the law prescribes Whereas adultery of which he there speaks in the following verses is a crime of that nature that if a man be once found guilty of it restitution cannot be made nor will it serve his turn but he falls into all the mischiefs there reckoned up 5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard k Or Orchard or other things of like nature which is generally to be observed in Laws to be eaten and shall put in his beast and shall feed in another mans field of the best of his own field and of the best of his own vineyard shall he make restitution 6 If fire break out and catch in thorns so that the stacks of corn or the standing corn or the field be consumed therewith he that kindled the fire l Whether wilfully for such a purpose or carelesly in such a time or place as was dangerous shall surely make restitution m Which if he were not able to do it is probable he was to be sold for it as in like cases was provided 7 If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff n Heb. Vessels garments utensils or any kind of houshold stuffe to keep and it be stollen out of the mans house if the thief be found let him pay double 8 If the thief be not found then the master of the house shall be brought unto the Judges to see o That they may examine all circumstances and use all means to find out the truth by offering him his Oath or otherwise whether he have put his hand unto his neighbours goods p Either to take and reserve them for his own use or to dispose of them to another for his own advantage 9 For all manner of trespass q To wit about matters deposited upon trust and lost of which alone this place speaks whether it be for oxe for ass for sheep for raiment or for any manner of lost thing which another challengeth to be his r Or when or concerning which he shall say this is it viz the thing that I have lost Or rather this is he to whom I committed it and whom I suspect and charge as guilty the cause of both parties shall come unto the Judges and whom the Judges shall condemn s Whether the person with whom the things were deposited if they judged him guilty of Theft or the depositor if he were convicted of a false-accusation he shall pay double unto his neighbour 10 If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass or an oxe or a sheep or any beast to keep t As his servant not freely but for wages and it dye or be hurt or driven away no man seeing it 11 Then shall an Oath of the LORD u So called here as also 1 Kings 1. 43. because it is taken by his authority and appointment and for his honour and in his name alone God being made both witness and judge and avenger thereby be between them both x i. e. Shall â—…nd the difference between them both the one shall give his Oath and the other shall accept of it Or be taken by them both by the one that he did deliver them to him upon agreement and for hire by the other that he put not his hand to them that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbours goods and the owner of it shall accept thereof and he shall not make it good 12 And if it be stollen from him y Heb. from with him which is an emphatical expression and notes that this was taken away either 1. From those things which were with him or which were his i. e. from the midst of his own goods which supposeth fraud in him Or 2. From under his
thought it consisted onely in the external performances and abstinences expressed 4 And Moses wrote i To wit in a book Heb. 9. 19. And the ten commandments God himself wrote also in tables of stone Exod. 31. 18. all the words of the LORD and rose up early in the morning and builded an altar k Representing God in Christ as one party in the covenant under the hill and twelve pillars l Representing the people of Israel the other party So here are the outward signs and symbols of a covenant made between God and the Israelites according to the twelve tribes of Israel 5 And he sent young men m It matters not whether they were the first-born or others it is sufficient that they were persons appointed and authorized for the present service not without Gods direction of the children of Israel which offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen n One kind as the principal is named for all for there were offered also goats as appears both from Heb. 9. 19. and from hence that burnt-offerings were usually made of the goats Lev. 1. 10. Numb 7. 28. unto the LORD 6 And Moses took half of the bloud o Of the beasts killed which for conveniency of sprinkling was mixed with a little water Heb. 9. 19. whereby also Christ was most fitly represented who came by water and blood 1 Ioh. 5. 6. and put it in basons and half of the bloud he sprinkled on the altar ‖ To signify as well that God was appeased and atoned by this blood as it represented the blood of Christ as also that Christ was sanctified with his own blood Heb. 9. 12. 7 And he took the book of the covenant p Wherein Moses had written the conditions of this covenant to wit the words and laws of God above ver 4. and read in the audience of the people q i. e. In the hearing of a great number of them or of some in the name of all the people by whom it was read or otherwise published to all the people successively and they said * Verse 3. All that the LORD hath said will we do and be obedient 8 And Moses took the bloud r The other half of the blood which was put in the basons for this end ver 6. and sprinkled it on the people s Either upon the 12 pillars representing the people or upon the peoples representatives to wit the Elders mentioned ver 1. as when the people are commanded to lay on their hands the Elders do it in their name and stead Lev. 4. 15. Deut. 21. 2. or upon those of the people which were nearest him which was imputed to all the rest and was to be taken by them as if it had reached unto them all Now this sprinkling of the bloud upon the people did signify 1. their ratification of the covenant on their parts and their secret wishing of the effusion of their own blood if they did not keep it 2. the sprinkling of their consciences with the blood of Christ and their obtaining redemption justification and access to God through it alone See Heb. 9. 20 22. and 13. 20. and said Behold * 1 Pet. 1. 2. the bloud of the covenant t Whereby the covenant is made and confirmed as was usual both in Scripture Mat. 26. 28. Luk. 22. 20. and among heathens which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words 9 Then went up u In obedience to that command of God given ver 1. Moses and Aaron Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the Elders of Israel 10 And they saw the God of Israel x Not any visible resemblance of the Divine nature which is expresly denied Deut. 4. 15. 1 Tim. 6. 16. and was refused to Moses when he desired it Exod. 33. 18 20. and therefore surely would never be granted to the Elders of Israel but some glorious appearance or token of Gods special presence or rather the second person in the Trinity who now shewed himself to them in an humane and glorious shape as an essay and testimony of his future incarnation This may seem probable 1. because here is mention of his feet 2. because this way of Christs appearance was not unusual See Gen. 18. c. 3. because the person who delivered the law in Sinai was Christ as appears from Act. 7. 38. though he be there called an Angel a name oft given to Christ as hath been sormerly shewed and there was under his feet as it were a paved work * Ezek. 1. 26. and 10. 1. of a Saphire stone y Which is of a clear sky-colour mixed with golden spots like stars in the sky and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness z Or for clearness A clear sky in Prophetical style signifies Gods favour as a cloudy sky notes his anger 11 And upon the nobles a Or separated or select ones i. e. the persons who were singled out to go up with Moses ver 1. 9. the same of whom it is said here and ver 10. that they saw God of the children of Israel he laid not his hand b i. e. Did not hurt or destroy them as they might expect according to the vulgar opinion Gen. 16. 13. and 32. 20. c. and the conscience of their own guilt as being now before their Lord and Judge And so the phrase of putting or stretching forth the hand is most frequently used as Gen. 37. 22. 1 Sam. 26. 11 23. Esth. 2. 21. Iob 1. 11 12. Psal. 138. 7 c. also they saw God and did eat and drink c So far were they from being destroyed that they were not affrighted at this glorious appearance of God but were refreshed and comforted by it and did joyfully eat and drink together in Gods presence celebrating the sacred feast made of the remnant of the peace-offerings according to the manner Thus God gave them a taste of his grace and mercy in this covenant and an assurance that he would not deal with them according to the rigors of the law but for the sake of the blood of Christ typically represented here would graciously pardon and accept all those that sincerely though imperfectly obey him 12 And the LORD said unto Moses Come up to me into the mount and be d i. e. Abide as that verb is used 1 Tim. 4. 15. and elsewhere there and I will give thee * chap. 31. 18. and 32. 16. tables of stone e He chose that material partly as very durable yet so that it was capable of being broken which God foreseeing their wickedness intended to do and partly for signification to note the hardness of their hearts upon which no impression could be made but by the finger of God and a law and commandments f Or the law and because that is ambiguous to the moral and ceremonial and judicial he addes even the commandment
8. Dâ—…t 1. 17. Psal. 47. 9. 28 And it shall be Aarons and his sons by a statute for ever from the children of Israel for it is an heave-offering z Under which is comprehended also the wave-offering as plainly appears both from the context and from the parity of reason these offerings being of the same nature and designed for the same purpose and it shall be an heave-offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace-offerings even their heave-offering unto the LORD 29 And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons a i. e. His eldest sons successively after him to be anointed therein and to be consecrated b By some other Priest there being no other higher person who could do it and therefore the necessity of it made it warrantable in them 30 And †Heb. he of his sons * Num. 20. 2â—… that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven dayes c For so long the solemnity of the consecration lasted ver 35. when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place d Both that strictly so called and in the most holy place for as none could go into the most holy place except the High-Priest so there were some things to be done in the holy place which none but he could do See Levit. 4. 7 8. 31 And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration and seethe his flesh in the holy place e In the Court-yard at the door of the Tabernacle where it was both boiled and eaten as appears from this and the next verse and from Levit. 8. 31. And part of this was eaten by the person or persons that brought the offering though they were of the people who were not admitted into any other Holy place but this 32 And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the * Lev. 8. 31. Matth. 12. 4. bread that is in the basket by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation 33 And they shall eat those things f i. e. The remainders of the oblations mentioned verse 32. wherewith the atonement was made to consecrate and to sanctifie them but a stranger g i. e. One who is not of the Priestly race whereas in other peace-offerings the offerer did eat a part shall not eat thereof because they are holy 34 And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations or of the bread remain unto the morning then thou shalt burn the remainder h According to the Law of all Peace-offerings except those which were vows or voluntary offerings Levit. 7. 16 17. which these were not compare Exod. 12. 10. with fire it shall not be eaten because it is holy 35 And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron and to his sons according to all things which I have commanded thee seven dayes shalt thou consecrate them 36 And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement i As well for the Priests as for the Altar both which as they were or might be polluted so they needed the sprinkling of this blood to sanctifie them to shew that all persons and things were fitted for Gods service and accepted by him onely for and thorough the blood of Christ. and thou shalt cleanse the altar when thou hast made an atonement for it and thou shalt anoint it to sanctifie it 36 Seven dayes thou shalt make an atonement for the altar and sanctifie it * chap. 40. 1â—… and it shall be an altar most holy k As appears from the following reason because it was not onely holy in it self but by its touch communicated a legal Holiness to other things ‖ Or 〈◊〉 Lev. 6. 18. * chap. 30. 29. whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy l This may be understood either 1. Of persons as a caution that none should touch the Altar but holy and consecrated persons Or rather 2. Of things yet not of all things for polluted things were not made holy by the touch of holy things which is affirmed Hagga 2. 12. but of things belonging to the Altar of offerings which by Gods appointment were to be offered which were sanctified by being laid upon this Altar and therefore the Altar was greater and more holy than the gift as our blessed Saviour notes Matth. 23. 19. 38 Now this is that which thou shalt offer m This is the chief end and use of this Altar though it served also for other sacrifices upon the altar * Numb 28. 〈◊〉 two lambs of the first year * Dan. 12. 〈◊〉 day by day continually n To shew partly that men do daily contract new defilement and daily need new pardons and partly that God is not onely to be Worshipped upon Sabbath-dayes and other set and solemn times but every day 39 The one lamb thou shalt offer in the mornning o Which two seasons were selected as most commodious that men might both begin and end their worldly actions and businesses with God and might see their need of Gods assistance and blessing in all their concerns and the justness of giving him the praise and glory of all and the other lamb thou shalt offer †Heb. 〈◊〉 the two eveâ—… at even o Which two seasons were selected as most commodious that men might both begin and end their worldly actions and businesses with God and might see their need of Gods assistance and blessing in all their concerns and the justness of giving him the praise and glory of all 40 And with the one lamb a tenth-deal p The tenth part of an Ephah as is evident from Numb 28. 5. which is an Omer Exod. 16. 36. of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil and the fourth part of a hin q An Hin was a measure for liquid things as the Ephah was for dry things containing six pints of our measure of wine for a drink-offering 41 And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even and shalt do thereto according to the meat-offering of the morning and according to the drink-offering thereof for a sweet savour an offering made by fire unto the LORD 42 This shall be a continual burnt-offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle †Heb. of 〈◊〉 ing of the congregation before the LORD where r Either 1. At which door for there the Lord stood and talked with Moses Exod. 33. 9 10. Or rather 2. In which Tabernacle to wit in the innermost part of it because that was the principal place where God did ordinarily reside and meet with his people Exod. 30. 6. Levit 16. 2. whereas God met but once at the door of the Tabernacle and that with Moses onely not with the people with whom he is said to meet in this place verse 43. Adde to this that the place where God
contented with multitudes of partners So this is properly said to be the name of God whereby he is known and distinguished from all other Gods is a * chap. 20. 5. jealous God 15 Lest thou make a covenant r For cohabitation or to suffer them quietly to live among you whom you should drive out with the inhabitants of the land and they go a whoring s i. e. Commit Idolatry which is oft called and compared to spiritual whoredom See Ier. 2. and 3. and Ezek. 16. after their gods and do facrifice unto their gods and one call thee and thou eat of his sacrifice t To wit of the parts or remainders of his sacrifices whereby thou wilt partake with him in an idolatrous worship because such feasts were a part of the Worship offered to the Idol and were accompanied with solemn benedictions and thanksgivings to the Idol See Numb 25. 2. Psal. 106. 28. Ezek. 18. 6. and 22. 9. 1 Cor. 10. 20. Rev. 2. 20. 16 And thou take of * 1 King 11. 2. their daughters unto thy sons and their daughters * Num. 25. 1 2. go a whoring after their gods and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods 17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods u Nor graven nor any other as it plainly appears both from the nature of the things and from many parallel Scriptures But he mentions molten because their late Idol was of that kind 18 The feast of * chap. 12. 15. c. 23. 15. unleavened bread shalt thou keep seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread as I commanded thee in the time of the month Abib for in the * chap. 13. 4. month Abib thou camest out from Egypt 19 * chap. 22. 29. Ezek. 44. 30. Luk. 2. 23. All that openeth the matrix is mine and every firstling amongst thy cattle whether oxe or sheep that is male x Heb. And for That is as the particle and is oft used the words following here and verse 20. being a particular explication of the general sentence in the beginning of this verse all thy cattle which a particle oft understood shall be born male as it is also explained Exod. 13. 12. the opening or whatsoever to wit of the male-kind openeth the matrix which word is fitly understood cut of the former member which is very usual of Ox or and put for or as it is oft done Sheep 20 But the * chap. 13. 13. firstling of an ass thou shait redeem with a ‖ Oâ—… â—…id lamb and if thou redeem him not then shalt thou break his neck All the first-born of thy sons thou shalt redeem and none shall appear before me * chap. 23. 15. 1 Sam. 9. 7 8. 2 Sam. 24. 24. empty y Either without a gift to me so it is a precept or without benefit to himself so it is a promise See Exod. 23. 15. 21 * chap. 23. 1â—… Deut. 5. 12. Luk. 13. 14. Six dayes thou shalt work but on the seventh day thou shalt rest in earing-time and in harvest thou shalt rest z Which times are expressed because the great profit and seeming necessity of working at that time was likely to be a powerful temptation to make men break the Sabbath 22 * chap. 23. 16. And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks a i. e. Which is numbred by weeks being just seven weeks after the Passe-over whence it is called Pentecost i. e. the fiftieth day to wit after the passe-over See Levit. 23. 15. and 25. 8. of the first-fruits of wheat-harvest b So this is a designation of the time and business of the feast of weeks and the feast of in-gathering c To wit of the fruits of the Earth at the †Heb. revolution of the year years end d So it was in regard of the jubilee and civil contracts 23 * chap. 23. 14 17. Deut. 16. 16. Thrice in the year shall all your men-children appear before the LORD God the God of Israel 24 For I will cast out the nations e So thou shalt have no intestine enemy to do thee or thine mischief This God promised to do but upon condition of Israels discharge of their duty in following God in this work of driving them out which they neglecting it was not fully done before thee and enlarge thy borders * Gen. 35. 5. Act. 18. 10. neither shall any man desire thy land f I will not onely tye their hands that they shall make no invasion upon you but I will take off their thoughts and affections from such an enterprize which it was very easie for God to effect many ways when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year 25 * chap. 23. 18 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of passeover be left unto the morning 26 * Deut. 26. 2. The first of the first-fruits of thy land g Thou shalt not delay to do this but shalt bring the very first of them Or the first-fruits even the first-fruits of thy land Which limitation seems here conveniently added because they were not bound to bring thither all their first-fruits to wit those of their own bodies their children thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God Thou shalt not seethe a * chap. 23. 19. Deut. 14. 21. kid in his mothers milk 27 And the LORD said unto Moses Write thou these words h Object God saith I will write verse 1. Answ 1. Moses was to write the ritual precepts mentioned here above God wrote the Moral Law 2. Moses wrote what he wrote in a book See Exod. 24. 7. but what was written upon the Tables of stone was written by God himself not by Moses who had no graving instruments with him in the Mount and could not without them writeupon the stone for after the tenour of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel 28 And he was there with the LORD fourty days and forty nights i As he had been before being now to renew the broken covenant This forty dayes fast of his is mentioned four times Exod. 24. 18. and here and Deut. 9. 18. and 10. 10. but it is evident it was performed but twice as the occasion of it happened onely twice he did neither eat bread nor drink water and he * chap. 31. 18. and 34. 1. Deut. 4. 13. wrote k Not Moses but the Lord as appears from verse 1. and from Deut. 10 the relative pronoun being here referred to the remoter antecedent of which there are many instances as Gen. 10. 12. 1 Sam. 21. 14. and 27. 8. Psal. 99. 6. upon the tables the words of the covenants the Ten †Heb. words Commandments 29 And it came to pass when Moses came down from mount Sinai with
congregation 19 And he shall take all his fat from him and burn it upon the altar 20 And he shall do with the bullock as he did * Ver. 3. with the bullock for a sin-offering z To wit for the Priests sin-offering called the first bullock ver 21. so shall he do with this and the Priest shall make an atonement for them and it shall be forgiven them 21 And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp and burn him as he burned the first bullock it is a sin-offering for the congregation 22 When a Ruler a To wit of the people or a civil Magistrate hath sinned and done somewhat through ignorance b Either not knowing it to be sin or not observing and considering it till it be done See before on ver 2. against any of the commandments of the LORD his God concerning things which should not be done and is guilty 23 * Or 〈◊〉 Or c The disjunctive or is here put for the copulative and as it is 1 Cor. 12. 13. and 13. 8. and 15. 11. For it is evident that he speaks of the same person and of the same sin if his sin wherein he hath sinned come to his knowledge he shall bring his offering a kid of the goats a male without blemish 24 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt-offering d So called by way of eminency to wit the daily burnt-offering of which Exod. 29. 38. of which place see Lev. 1. 11. before the LORD it is a sin-offering e And therefore to be killed where the burnt-offering is killed as is expressed Lev. 6. 25. and 7. 2. Whereby it is distinguished from the peace-offerings which were killed elsewhere Lev. 3. 2. 25 And the Priest shall take of the bloud of the sin-offering with his finger and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt-offering and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt-offering 26 And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar as * chap. 3. 5. the fat of the sacrifice of peace-offerings and the Priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin and it shall be forgiven him f Both ceremonially and judicially as to all ecclesiastical censures or civil punishments and really upon condition of their repentance and faith in the Messias to come 27 And * Num. 15. 27. if †Heb. any soul. any one of the ‖ Or people of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common people g Whether Israelites or strangers embodied with them and proselytes for both were under one and the same law Exod. 12. 49. Numb 15. 16. sin through ignorance while he doth somewhat against any one of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done and be guilty 28 * Or And. Or if his sin which he hath sinned come to his knowledg then he shall bring his offering a kid of the goats a female h Which here was sufficient because the sin of one of those was less than the sin of the ruler for whom a male was required ver 21. without blemish for his sin which he hath sinned 29 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin-offering and slay the sin-offering in the place of the burnt-offering 30 And the Priest shall take of the bloud thereof with his finger and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt-offering and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar 31 And * Lev. 3. 14. he shall take away all the fat thereof * chap. 3. 3. as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace-offerings and the Priest shall burn it upon the altar for a * Exod. 29. 18. sweet savour unto the LORD and the Priest shall make an atonement for him and it shall be forgiven him 32 And if he bring a lamb for a sin-offering he shall bring it a female without blemish 33 And he i To wit the offerer shall lay his hand upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the sin-offering and slay k Not by himself but by the hands of the Priest it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt-offering 34 And the Priest shall take of the blood of the sin-offering with his finger and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt-offering and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar 35 And he shall take away all the fat thereof as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace-offerings and the Priest shall burn them l i. e. The fat but he useth the plural number because the fat was of several kinds as we saw ver 8 9. Heb. upon them together with them or after them because the burnt-offerings were to have the first place See on chap. 3. 5. upon the altar according to the offerings made by fire m unto the LORD and the Priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed and it shall be forgiven him CHAP. V. 1 AND if a soul sin and a And for that is as that particle is oft used as Gen. 13. 15. 1 Chron. 〈◊〉 12. compared with 2 Sam. 24. 13. For this declares in particular what the sin was hear the voice of ‖ Oâ—… adjuration swearing b Either 1. of adjuration upon oath when the Judge adjures a witness to speak the whole truth of which see Mat. 26. 63. But this seems too much to narrow the sence and this and the other laws both before and after it speak of private sins committed through ignorance Or 2. of false swearing before a Judge But that is expressely forbidden Lev. 6. 3. Or rather 3. of cursing or blasphemy or execration as the word commonly signifies and that either 1. against ones neighbour as 2 Sam. 16. 7. or 2. against God as Levit. 24. 10 11. which may seem to be principally intended here because the crime here spoken of is of so high a nature that he who heard it was obliged to reveal it and prosecute the guilty And though God be not here mentioned yet the general word is here to be understood of the most famous particular as it is frequently in all authors of which there are many instances and is a witness whether he hath * Being present when it it was said seen or known c By sufficient information from others of it if he do not utter it then he shall bear his iniquity d i. e. The punishment of it as that word is oft used as Gen. 19. 15. Numb 18. 1. See of this phrase Levit. 17. 16. and 20. 20. Isa. 53. 11. 2 Or * chap. 11. 2â—… 28 31 39. if a soul touch any unclean thing e To wit ceremonially Of which see more fully chap.
11. c. and Deut. 14. whether it be a carkass of an unclean beast or a carkass of unclean cattel or the carkass of unclean creeping things and if it be hidden from him f If he do it unwittingly yet that would not excuse him because he should have been more diligent and circumspect to avoid all unclean things Hereby God designed to awaken men to watchfulness against and repentance for their unknown or unobserved sins See Psal. 19. 12. 1 Ioh. 3. 20. he also shall be unclean and guilty g Not morally for the conscience was not directly polluted by these things Mat. 15. 11 18. but ceremonially 3 Or if he touch the * chap. 12. and 13. and 15. uncleanness of man whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal and it be hid from him when he knoweth of it h As soon as he knowethit he must not delay to make his peace with God And though it was sin before though not known yet the knowledge of it made it worse and therefore required the more speedy repentance then he shall be guilty i Not onely ceremonially by that touch but morally for his violation and contempt of Gods authority and command 4 Or if a soul swear k To wit rashly without consideration either of Gods law or his own power or right as David did 1 Sam. 25. 22. pronouncing with his lips to do evil l Either 1. to himself to wit to punish himself either in his body or estate or something else which is dear to him Or rather 2. to his neighbour as 1 Sam. 25. 22. Act. 23. 12. or * Psal. 49. 18. to do good m To wit to his neighbour as Mark 6. 23. when a man either may not or cannot do it which may frequently happen whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath and it be hid from him n i. e. He did not know or not consider that what he swore to do was or would be impossible or unlawful when he knoweth of it o When he discovers it to be so either by his own consideration or by information from others then he shall be guilty in one of these p Either in the good or evil which he swore to do 5 And it shall be when he shall be guilty in one of these things q In one of the three forementioned cases either by sinful silence and compliance with others in their sin ver 1. or by an unclean touch as ver 2 3. or by rash swearing ver 4. that he shall confess r Before the Lord in the place of publick worship And this confession is not to be restrained to the present case but by a parity of reason and comparing of other Scriptures to be extended to other sacrifices for sin to which this was a constant companion and as it was signified by the guilty persons laying his hand upon his offering so it is probable it was expressed in words See Numb 5. 6 7. that he hath sinned in that thing 6 And he shall bring his trespass-offering ‖ Quest. How comes confession and a sacrifice to be necessary for him that touched an unclean thing when such persons were cleansed with simple washing as appears from Levit. 11. and Numb 19 Ans. This place speaks of him that being so unclean did come into the Tabernacle as may be gathered by comparing this place with Numb 19. 13. which if any man did knowing himself to be unclean which was the case there he was to be cut off for it and if he did it ignorantly which is the case here ver 2. he was upon discovery of it to offer this sacrifice Interpreters dispute much what the difference is between sins and trespasses and between siâ—…-offerings and trespass-offerings Some make the one for omissions the other for commissions the one for greater the other for lesser sins the one for known sins the other for sins of ignorance In all which there seems to be more curiosity than solidity Either they seem to be the same as may be gathered from 〈◊〉 6. where those two words asham and chata which they so carefully and critically distinguish are both used concerning the trespass-offerings and from 〈◊〉 9. or the difference may be this that sin-offerings were more indefinite or general being for any particular sin and trespass-offerings more restrained and particular for such sins as were more scandalous and injurious either to God by blasphemy as ver 1. or to his Sanctuary by approaching to it in ones uncieanness ver 2 3. as hath been now said or to ones neighbour by swearing to do to them either the good which we afterwards cannot or do not or the evil which we should not or to the Priests and holy things of God ver 15. unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned a female s Because those sins were less than others as being committed ignorantly or unwittingly and therefore God would accept a meaner sacrifice for them from the flock a lamb or a kid of the goats for a sin-offering and the Priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin 7 And * chap. 14. 21. if †Heb. his hand cannot reach to the sufficiency of â—…lamb he be not able t Through poverty as ver 11. and 25. 26. And this exception was allowed also in other sin-offerings to bring a lamb then he shall bring for his trespass which he hath committed two turtle doves or two young pigeons u Of which see Levit. 1. 14. unto the LORD one for a sin-offering x Which was for that particular sin and therefore is offered first before the burnt-offering which was for sins in general to teach us not to rest in general confessions and repentances for sin as Hypocrites commonly do but distinctly and particularly as far as we can to search out and confess and loath and leave our particular sins without which God will not accept our other religious services Note that the burnt-offering was for the expiation of sin as well as the sin-offering Lev. 1. 4. onely that was for sin in general and this for particular sins and the other for a burnt offering 8 And he shall bring them unto the Priest who shall offer that which is for the sin-offering first and * chap. 1. 15. wring off his head fom his neck but shall not divide it asunder 9 And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin-offering upon the side of the altar and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar it is a sin-offering y This is added as the reason why its blood was so sprinkled and spilt See Lev. 4. 7 18 30 34. 10 And he shall offer the second for a burnt-offering according to the ‖ Or ordinance * chap. 1. 14. manner z Or order appointed by God
altar 3 And he shall offer of it * Exod. 29. 1â—… chap. 3. 4. 1â—… 4. 8 9. all the fat thereof the rump and the fat that covereth the inwards 4 And the two kidneys and the fat that is on them which is a Or and that which is c. So this is another fat as may seem probable from the mention of the several parts the kidneys and the flanks For it seems preposterous after a plain and exact description of the very particular place of the fat the kidneys to adde another more dark and doubtful description of it from the flanks And the Hebrew writers whose common practise of these things makes them the best interpreters of it make these divers kinds or parts of fat And so there is onely an Ellipsis of the conjunction copulative which is Psal. 133. 3. and in many other places as hath been already shewed by the flanks and the caul that is above the liver with the kidneys it shall he take away 5 And the Priest shall burn them upon the altar for an offering made by fire unto the LORD it is a trespass offering 6 * Num. 18. â—… 10. Every male b Supposing him not to have any uncleannesse upon him verse 20. or other impediment among the priests shall eat thereof it shall be eaten in the holy place it is most holy 7 As the sin offering is so is * chap. 6. â—… the trespass-offering c To wit in the matter here following for in other things they differed there is one law for them the priest that maketh atonement therewith shall have it d i. e. By a Synecdoche that part of it which was by God allowed to the Priest See Levit. 6. 26. 8 And the priest that offereth any mans burnt-offering even the priest shall have to himself the skin of the burnt-offering which he hath offered 9 And all * chap. 2. 3 â—… the meat-offering e Except the part reserved by God Levit. 2. 2 9. that is baken in the oven and all that is dressed in the frying-pan and ‖ Or on 〈◊〉 plate or 〈◊〉 in the pan shall be the priests that offereth it f Because these were ready drest and hot and to be presently eaten and because the priest who offered it was in reason to expect and have something more than his brethren who laboured not about it and that he had onely in this offering for the other were equally distributed 10 And every meat-offering mingled with oyl and dry g Without oyl or drink-offering as those Levit. 5. 11. Numb 5. 15. shall all the sons of Aaron have one as much as another h The sense may be either 1. That every priest shall have equal right to this when the course of his ministration comes But then there was no reason to make so great an alteration of the phrase nor to make any distinction of the differing kinds of meat-offerings if in both they were to be the Priest that offered them as is expressed verse 9. and here as they say intended Or rather 2. That these were to be equally divided among all the priests And there was manifest reason for this difference because these were in greater quantity than the former and being raw might more easily and commodiously be divided and reserved for the several priests to dress it in that way which each of them best liked 11 And * chap. 3. 1. 22. 18. â—… this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which he shall offer unto the LORD 12 If he offer it for a thanksgiving i For mercies received See Levit. 22. â—… 2 〈◊〉 â—… 31. and 33. 16. then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oyl and unleavened wafers anointed with oyl and cakes mingled with oyl of fine flour fryed 13 Besides the cakes he shall offer for his offering leavened bread k Partly because this was a sacrifice of another kind than those in which leaven was forbidden this being a sacrifice of thanksgiving for Gods blessings among which leavened bread was one partly to shew that leaven was not so strictly forbidden in other sacrifices as if it were evil in it self but to teach us wholly to rest in the will of God in all his appointments without too scrupulous an enquiry into the particular reasons of them Obj. Leaven was universally forbidden Lev. 2. 11. Ans. 1. That prohibition concerned onely things offered and burnt upon the Altar which this bread was not but it was offered onely towards the Priests food 2. That was another kind of sacrifice and therefore it is no wonder if it had other Rites 3. That leaven was not universally forbidden appears from Levit. 23. 17. with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace-offerings l Or With toâ—… sacrifice of thanksgiving for his peace or prosperity 14 And of it m Of it i. e. Either of the loaves of leavened bread mentioned verse 13. or of the offering one of each part of the whole oblation as it follows it being most probable and agreeable to the rules and laws laid down before and afterward that the Priest should have a share in the unleavened cakes and wafers as well as in the leavened bread Concerning the heave-offerings See Exod. 29. 24 28. he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for an heave-offering n unto the LORD and it shall be the priests that sprinkleth the blood of the peace-offerings 15 And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten n By the Priests and offerers Levit. 22. 30. the same day that it is offered he shall not leave any of it untill the morning 16 But * chap. 19. 5 6. if the sacrifice of his peace-offering be a vow o Offered in performance of a vow the man having desired some special favour from God and vowed the sacrifice to God if he would grant it or a voluntary offering p Which a man freely offered to God in testimony of his Faith and Love to God without any particular injunction from God or design of his own special advantage thereby See Levit. 22. 23. Ezek. 46. 12. it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten q Which was not allowed for the thank-offering The reason of which difference is to be fetched onely from Gods good pleasure and will to which he expects our obedience though we discern not the reason of his appointments 17 But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire r That it might neither putrefie and thereby be exposed to contempt nor yet be reserved either for superstitious abuse or for the Priests domestick use which would savour of covetousness and of distrust of Gods care for their future provisions 18
peace-offerings which she or her husband offered which otherwise she might have done and if she be a Priests wife she shall not eat any of the â—…ithes or first-fruits or part of the hallowed meats which at other times she together with her husband might eat nor come into the sanctuary until the dayes of her purifying be fulfilled 5 But if she bear a maid-child then she shall be unclean two weeks as in her separation and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six dayes h The time in both particulars is double to the former not so much from natural causes because the purifications in female births are longer and flower which if it were true yet doth not extend to any such time as here is mentioned as for moral reasons either to be as a blot upon that sex for being the first in mans transgression 1 Tim. 2. 14. or to put an honour upon the Sacrament of Circumcision which being administred to the Males did put an end to that pollution sooner than otherwise had been or to shew the priviledge of the man above the woman and that the women were to be purified sanctified and saved by one of the other sex even by the man Christ Jesus without whom they should have still continued in their impurity 6 And when the dayes of his purifying are fulfilled for a son or for a daughter i For the birth of a son or of a daughter but the purification was for her self as appears from the following verses she shall bring a lamb of the †Heb. son of his year first year for a burnt-offering and a young pigeon or a turtle-dove for a sin offering k Either because of her ceremonial uncleanness which required a ceremonial expiation or for those particular sins relating to the time and state of child-bearing of which she is justly presumed to be guilty which might be many ways unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation unto the Priest 7 Who shall offer it before the LORD and make an atonement for her and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood This is the Law for her that hath born a male or a female l For though there was a difference in the time of her uncleanness for the one and for the other yet both were to be purified one and the same way to note that though all sins and sinners were not equal yet all were to be cleansed by the same means to wit by Christ and by faith See 1 Cor. 7. 14. Gal. 3. 28. 8 * Luk. 2. 24. And if †Heb. her hand find not sufficiency of she be not able to bring a lamb then she shall bring two turtles or two young pigeons the one for the burnt-offering and the other for a sin offering and the priest shall make an atonement for her and she shall be clean CHAP. XIII 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron saying 2 When a man shall have in the skin a For there was the seat of the Leprosy of his flesh a ‖ Or swilling rising a scab or bright spot b Shining like the sâ—…ale of â—… fish as it is in the beginning of a Leprosy and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy c A distemper most frequent in Egypt and Syria c. known also among the Greeks who note that it was not so properly a disease aâ—… a defilement or distemper in the skin whence Christ is not said to heal but to clearse the Lepers that came to him And this distemper is here provided against not because it was worse than others but because it was externally and visibly filthy and because of its infectious nature that hereby we might be instructed to avoid converse with such vitious persons who were likely to infect us * Deut. 17. 8. and 24. 8. then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest d Not to the Physitian because as was now said it needed not so much healing as cleansing and was rather a ceremonial pollution than a disease and because it belonged to the Priest to cleanse him and therefore to search and discover whether he was defiled and needed cleansing The Priest also was â—…o admit to or exclude from the Sanctuary and therefore to examine who were to be excluded And the discovery of this distemper was not so difficult that it required the Physitians art but the Priest by experience and the observation of those rules might easily make it or unto one of his sons the priests 3 And the priest shall look on the plague e i. e. The sign or appearance of the plague of leprosy And it is observable that the same signs of it are given by Moses here and by the learned Physitians in their works in the skin of the flesh and when the hair in the plague is turned white f And when the Leprosy came to its height not the hair onely but also the skin was turned white as Exod. 4. 6. Numb 12. 10. And this change of colour was an evidence both of the abundance of excrementitious humours and of the weakness of nature as we see in old and sick persons and the plague in sight is deeper than the skin of his flesh g For the Leprosy did consume both the skin and the flesh as appears from 2 King 5. 14. it is a plague of leprosy and the priest shall look on him and †Heb. polluâ—… him pronounce him unclean h Heb. make him unclean i. e. ministerially and declaratively in which sense ministers are said to remit siâ—…s Mat. 16. 19. and to destroy nations Ier. 1. 10. 4 If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh and in sight be not deeper than the skin and the hair thereof be not turned white then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague i For greater assurance to teach Ministers not to be rash nor hasty in their judgments and censures but diligently to search and examine all things before-hand The plague is here put for the man that hath the plague as pride is put for a proud man Ier. 50. 31. and dreamers Ier. 27. 9. seven dayes 5 And the priest shall look on him the seventh day and behold if the plague in his sight be at a stay k This translation is justified by the following clause which is added to explain it Otherwise the words are and may be rendred thus stand or abide in its own colour the Hebrew word being used for colour as well as for sight and the plague spread not in the skin then the priest shall shut him up seven dayes more 6 And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day and behold if the plague be somewhat dark l Which is opposed to the white colour of the leprosy But the word may be rendred have contracted it self
bird that was killed over the running water 7 And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosie seven times k To signifie his perfect cleansing and restoration to all his former priviledges Compare Levit. 4. 17. and 7. 15 16. 10. 14 19. and shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird loose †Heb. upon the face of the field into the open field l The place of its former abode signifying the taking off that restraint which was laid upon the leper and the liberty which the leper now had to return to his former habitation and conversation with other men 8 And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes and shave off all his hair m Partly to discover his perfect soundness partly to preserve him from relapse through any seeds or relicks of it which might remain in his hair or in his clothes and partly to teach him to put off his old lusts and to become a new man and wash himself in water that he may be clean And after that he shall come into the camp and shall * Numb 12. 15. tarry abroad out of his tent n Out of his former habitation in some separate place least some of his leprosie yet lurking in him should break forth to the infection of his family seven dayes 9 But it shall be on the seventh day that he shall shave all his hair o Which began to grow again since it was first shaved and now for more caution is shaved again off his head and his beard and his eye-brows even all his hair he shall shave off And he shall wash his clothes also he shall wash his flesh in water and he shall be clean 10 And on the eighth day he shall take two he-lambs without blemish and one ewe lamb of †Heb. 〈◊〉 of her year the first year without blemish and three tenth deales of fine flour for * chap. 2. 1. a meat-offering mingled with oyl p Oyl is added here as a fit sign of Gods grace and mercy and of the lepers healing and one log q A measure for liquid things containing six eggshels full of oyl 11 And the priest that maketh him clean r The healing is ascribed to God ver 13. but the ceremonial cleansing or making of him clean and fit for society was an act of the Priest using the rites which God had prescribed whereby the sinner was cleansed shall present the man that is to be made clean and those things before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation 12 And the priest shall take one he-lamb and offer him for a trespass offering s To teach them that sin was the cause of leprosie and of all diseases and that these ceremonial observations had a further meaning even to make them sensible of their spiritual diseases their sins and to fly to God in Christ for the cure of them and the log of oyl and * Exod. 29. 〈◊〉 wave them for a wave-offering before the LORD 13 And he shall slay the lamb in * Exod. 29. 11 chap. 3. 8. 〈◊〉 4. 4 24. the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt-offering in the holy place t To wit in the Court of the Tabernacle See Levit. 1. 11. and 7. 7. for * chap. 7. â—… as the sin offering is the priests so is the trespass offering it is * chap. 2. 3. and 21. 22. most holy u Both of them are equally holy and therefore to be offered in the same place 14 And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering and the priest shall put it upon * Exod. 29. 〈◊〉 chap. 8. 23. the tip of the right ear x To signifie that he was now free to hear Gods word in the appointed places from which he was before excluded and to touch any person or thing without defiling it and to go whither he pleased hand and upon the great toe of his right foot x To signifie that he was now free to hear Gods word in the appointed places from which he was before excluded and to touch any person or thing without defiling it and to go whither he pleased 15 And the priest shall take some of the log of oyl z As the blood signified Christs blood by which men obtain remission of sins so the oyl noted the graces of the spirit by which they are regenerated and renewed and pour it into the palm of his own left hand 16 And the priest shall dip his right-finger in the oyl that is in his left hand and shall sprinkle of the oyl with his finger seven times before the LORD a i. e. Before the second vail which covered the Holy of Holies where God is oft said to dwell and to be present in a peculiar manner 17 And of the rest of the oyl that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed and upon the thumb of his right hand and upon the great toe of his right foot upon the blood of the trespass offering b i. e. Upon the place of that blood as it is expressed verse 28. or where that blood was put ver 14. Or over and besides the blood c. i. e. As the blood was put in those places so shall the oyl be 18 And the remnant of the oyl that is in the priests hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD 19 And the priest shall offer * chap. 5. 1. the sin offering and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness and afterward he shall kill the burnt-offering 20 And the priest shall offer the burnt-offering and the meat-offering upon the altar and the priest shall make an atonement for him and he shall be clean 21 And * chap. 5. 7. if he be poor and †Heb. his hand reap not cannot get so much then he shall take one lamb for a trespass-offering †Heb. for waving to be waved to make an atonement for him and one tenth-deal of fine flour mingled with oyl for a meat-offering and a log of oyl 23 And two turtle doves or two young pigeons such as he is able to get and the one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt-offering 23 And he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD 24 And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering and the log of oyl and the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before the LORD 25 And he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering and the priest shall take some of the
this being no matter of religious priviledge but of common right and agreeable to the Law of nature and practise of wise heathens and for the sojourner among them that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither 16 * 〈◊〉 12 14. And if he smite him with an instrument of iron n Wittingly and wilfully though not with premeditated ma lice or design as appears by comparing this with ver 20 21 22 23. so that he die o To wit suddenly not so if he walked abroad afterward Exod. 21. 19 20. he is a murderer the murderer shall surely be put to death p Yea though he were fled into the City of refuge 17 And if he smite him †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with throwing a stone q Heb. with the stone of 〈◊〉 hand i. e. cast by the hand and that knowingly as appears by ver 23. wherewith he may die and he die he is a murderer the murderer shall surely be put to death 18 Or if he smite him with an hand-weapon of wood wherewith he may die and he die he is a murderer the murderer shall surely be put to death 19 The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer r Either 1. By himself as the following words shew so it is onely a permission that he may do it without offence to God or danger to himself Or 2. By the Magistrate from whom 〈◊〉 shall demand justice so it is a command as may appear by comparing this with ver 31. and Deut. 19. 12 13. when he meeteth him he shall slay him 20 But * Deut. 19. 11. if he thrust him of hatred or hurl at him by laying of wait that he die t Through sudden passion or provocation Or by 〈◊〉 or unawares 21 Or in enmity smite him with his hand that he die he that smote him shall surely be put to death for he is a murderer the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer when he meeteth him 22 But if he thrust him suddenly s * Exod. 21 1â—… without enmity or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait 23 Or with any stone wherewith a man may die seeing him not and cast it upon him that he die and was not his enemy neither sought his harm 24 Then u If the man slayer flee to the city of refuge the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments 25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge whither he was fled and he shall abide in it x Be confined to it partly to shew the hatefulness of wilful murder in Gods account by so severe a punishment as this in many cases might prove inflicted upon the very appearance of it and partly for the security of the manslayer least the presence of such a person and his conversation among the kindred of the deceased might occasion reproach and blood-shed unto the death of the high priest y Partly because the publick grief for the loss of so publick a person was likely to asswage the private griefs and passions of men the rather because by this example they were minded of their own mortality and thereby withheld from taking vengeance and principally to shew that the death of Christ the true High-Priest whom the others did evidently and eminently represent and typifie is the onely mean whereby sins are pardoned and sinners are set at liberty * Exod. 29. â—… Lev. 4. 3. and 21. 10. which was anointed with holy oyl 26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of his city of refuge whither he was fled 27 And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge and the revenger of blood kill the slayer he †Heb. 〈◊〉 blâ—…d shall be to 〈◊〉 shall not be guilty of blood z i. e. Not liable to punishment from men though noâ—… free from guilt before God because he kiâ—…s an innocent person as appears from Deut. 19. 10. This God ordained to oblige the man-slayer to abide in his city of refuge See ver 22. 28 Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession 29 So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings 30 Whoso killeth any person the murderer shall be put to death by the * Deut. 17. 6. and 19. 15. Mat. 18. 16. 2 Cor. 13. 1. Heb. 10. 28. mouth of witnesses but one witness shall not testifie against any person to cause him to die a No Judge shall condemn any man to death upon a single testimony 31 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer b No intercession nor ransome shall be accepted to save his life or procure him a pardon which is †Heb. faulty to die guilty of death but he shall be surely put to death 32 And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge that he should come again to dwell in the land untill the death of the priest c Whereby God would signifie the absolute and indispensable necessity of Christs death to expiate sin and to redeem the sinner 33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are for blood it * Mic. 4. 11. defileth the land and †Heb. there can be no expiation for the land the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein but by the blood of him that sheddeth it d These words are added as a reason not of the last Law ver 32. for in that case the land was cleansed without the blood of the man-slayer but of the Law next foregoing that verse 31. in which case it holds and the sense is if you shall spare the murderer or take any satisfaction for him you do together with your selves involve your Land and People in guilt and will certainly bring down Gods vengeance upon your selves and them 34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inherit e Be not cruel to your own Land by making it a den of murderers wherein I dwell for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel CHAP. XXXVI 1 AND the chief fathers of the families a Who had the care and management of the publick affairs of that Tribe committed to them of the children of Gilead the son of Machir the son of Manasseh of the families of the sons of Joseph came near and spake before Moses and before the princes the chief fathers of the children of Israel 2 And they said * chap. 26. 55. the LORD commanded
because thy soul longeth to eat flesh thou mayest eat flesh whatsoever thy soul lusteth after 21 If the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to put his name there be too far from thee ‖ In which case being obliged to carry their sacrifices to the place of worship that the blood might be there poured forth c. they might think themselves obliged for the same reason to carry their other cattel thither to be killed They are therefore released from all such obligations and left at liberty to kill them at home whether they lived nearer to that place or further from it onely the latter is here mentioned as being the matter of the scruple and as containing the former in it then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock which the LORD hath given thee as I have commanded thee l In such manner as the blood may be poured forth as above ver 16. and below ver 24. and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after 22 * Verse 15. Even as the ro-buck and the hart m As common or unhallowed food though they be of the same kind with the sacrifices which are offered to God is eaten so thou shalt eat them the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike n Because there was no holiness in such meat for which the unclean might be excluded from it 23 * Verse 16. Onely †〈◊〉 bestrong be sure that thou eat not the blood for the blood is the †〈◊〉 soul. life o Of which see on Gen. 9. 4. Lev. 17. 11. The animal life depends upon the blood and thou mayest not eat the †〈◊〉 soul. life with the flesh 24 Thou shalt not eat it thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water 25 Thou shalt not eat it that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD 26 Onely thy holy things p Mentioned before ver 6. 12 17. which thou hast consecrated to God which thou hast and thy vows thou shalt take and go unto the place which the LORD shall chuse 27 And * Lev. 1. 5 9 13. thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings the flesh and the blood upon the altar of the LORD thy God and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the LORD thy God and thou shalt eat the flesh q Excepting what shall be burned to Gods honour and given to the Priest according to his appointment 28 Observe and hear all these words which I command thee that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee for ever when thou dost that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God 29 When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee whither thou goest to possess them r Of which phrase see Deut. 9. 1. and 11. 23. and thou †Heb. inheritest or possessest them succeedest them and dwellest in their land 30 Take heed to thy self that thou be not snared s Drawn into their sin and ruine †Heb. after them by following them after that they be destroyed t i. e. By following the example they left when their persons are destroyed from before thee and that thou inquire not after their gods u Through curiosity to know their Gods and the manner of the worship lest thy vain and foolish mind be seduced by its speciousness or newness saying How did these nations serve their gods even so will I do likewise 31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD x Either 1. Not offer him that indignity and injury to worship other Gods together with him Or rather 2. Not worship him in such manner as they worshipped their Gods to wit by offering thy children to him as they did to their gods as it here follows or by thy own devises or superstitions as is implied ver 32. thy God for every †Heb. 〈◊〉 of the abomination to the LORD which he hateth have they done unto their gods for * Lev. 18. 21. and 20. 2. chap. 18. 10. Jer. 32. 35. even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods 32 What thing soever I command you observe to do it * chap. 4. 2. Josh. 1. 7. Prov. 30. 6. Rev. 22. 18. thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it CHAP. XIII 1 IF there arise among you a i. e. One of your nation for such might be both seduced and afterward seducers a prophet or a dreamer of dreams b One that pretends himself to be one to whom God hath revealed himself either by visions or dreams See Numb 12. 6. and giveth thee a sign or a wonder c i. e. Shall foretell some strange and wonderful thing to come as appears from ver 2. as the true prophets used to do as 1 Sam. 10. 2 And * See chap. 18. 22. Jer. 28. 9. Mat. 7. 22. the sign or the wonder come to pass d Which God may suffer for the reason after mentioned whereof he spake unto thee saying e This word is to be joyned with the beginning of verse 1. If there arise among you a prophet or dreamer of dreams saving what here follows and giveth thee a sign c. to confirm his doctrine such transpositions are frequent Let us go after other gods which thou hast not known and let us serve them 3 Thou shalt not hearken to the words of that prophet e Not receive his doctrine though the sign come to pass For although when such a sign or wonder foretold did not follow or come to pass it was a sign of a false prophet as is said Deut. 18. 22. yet when it did come to pass it was no sufficient or infallible sign of a true one especially in such a case when he brings in new Gods The reason of the difference is because many causes must concurre to make a thing good and true but any one failure is sufficient to make a thing bad or false And particularly there are many signs yea such as men may think to be wonders which may be wrought by evil spirits God so permiting it for divers wise and just reasons not onely for the trial of the good as it here follows but also for the punishment of ungodly men who would not receive Divine Truths though attested by many evident and unquestionable miracles and therefore are most justly exposed to these temptations to believe lies or that dreamer of dreams for the LORD your God * 1 Cor. 11. 19. proveth you f i. e. Tryeth your faith and love and obedience examineth your sincerity by your constancy See Mat. 24. 24. 2 Thes. 2. 11. Rev. 13. 14. See on Gen. 22. 1. Deut. 8. 2 7. to know g That he
Name of the LORD if the thing e Which he gives as a sign of the truth of his prophecy He means the prediction of some strange and wonderful event as appears by comparing this with Deut. 13. 1 2. follow not nor come to pass that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken f The falshood of his prediction shews him to be a false prophet though the truth and accomplishment of his prediction had not proved him to be a true Prophet as is evident from Deut. 13. 2 3. but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously g Impudently ascribing his own vain and lying fancies to the God of truth thou shalt not be afraid of him h i. e. Of his predictions or threatnings so as to be scared from doing thy duty in bringing him to deserved punishment CHAP. XIX 1 WHen the LORD thy God * chap. 12. 29. hath cut off the nations whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee and thou †Heb inheritest or possessest succeedest them and dwellest in their cities and in their houses 2 * Exod. 21. 13. Num. 35. 10. 11. Josh. 20. 2. Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land a To wit beyond Iordan as there were three already appointed on this side Iordan Numb 35. 14. He saith in the midst of the land either for in the land as in the midst of the city Ier. 52. 25. is the same with that in the city 2 King 25. 19. or to design the places that they should be scituated in the midst of the several parts of their land to which they might conveniently and speedily flee from all the parts of the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it 3 Thou shalt prepare thee a way b Distinguish it by evident marks and make it plain and convenient to prevent mistakes and delays and divide the coasts of thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit into three parts c Not into more because it was fit that these places should as far as it was possible be at some considerable distance from the friends of the slain person least the sight of the manslayer might have provoked their passion and occasioned his ruine that every slayer may flee thither 4 And this is the case of the slayer which shall flee thither that he may live whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly whom he hated not †Heb. froâ—…â—…terday the 〈◊〉 day in time past 5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree and the †Heb. 〈◊〉 head slippeth from the †Heb. 〈◊〉 helve and †Heb. 〈◊〉 lighteth upon his neighbour that he die he shall flee unto one of those cities and live 6 Lest the avenger of blood pursue the slayer d This verse is to be joyned with ver 3. as is evident the 4th and 5th verses coming in as a parenthesis which is usual in Scripture and other authors while his heart is hot and overtake him because the way is long and †Heb. 〈◊〉 him in 〈◊〉 slay him e Which is supposed but not allowed as appears from the following words But the avenger of blood is not to be punished with death for killing the manslayer in case he found him without the borders of the city of refuge after he had been received there Numb 35. 26 27. because then he was guilty of a new crime to wit a contempt of Gods ordinance and a gross neglect of the duty of self-preservation and therefore deserved death from God who might permit it to be inflicted by the avenger of blood whereas he was not worthy of death inasmuch as he hated him not †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in time past 7 Wherefore I command thee saying Thou shalt separate three cities for thee 8 And if the LORD thy God * chap. 1â—… 〈◊〉 enlarge thy coast f As far as Euphrates See Gen. 15. 18. Exod. 23. 31. Deut. 1. 7. as he hath sworn unto thy fathers and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers 9 If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them which I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God and to walk ever in his wayes * Josh. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then shalt thou add three cities moe for thee beside these three 10 That innocent blood be not shed in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance and so blood be upon thee 11 But if any man hate his neighbour and lie in wait for him and rise up against him and smite him †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in life mortally that he die and fleeth into one of these cities 12 Then the elders of his city g Either of the slain person who were most likely to prosecute the murderer or of the murderer because God would oblige even his own fellow citizens to prosecute him to death that it might appear how hateful murder and the murderer is to God and ought to be to all men shall send and fetch him thence h Demand him of the Elders of the city of refuge who upon the hearing of the cause and the evidence of the murder were obliged to deliver the offender to justice and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood that he may die 13 Thine eye shall not pity him but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with thee 14 * chap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbours †Heb. 〈◊〉 land-mark i By which the several portions of lands distributed to several families were distinguished one from another See Iob 24. 2. Prov. 22. 28. Hos. 5. 10. which they of old time have set in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it 15 * Nâ—…m 35. 〈◊〉 chap. 17. â—… Mat. 18. 1â—… Joh. 8. 17. 2 Cor. 13. â—… Heb. 10. 〈◊〉 One witness shall not rise up k Or not stand or not be established accepted owned as sufficient it is the same word which in the end of the verse is rendred be established against a man for any iniquity or for any sin in any sin that he sinneth at the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses shall the matter be established 16 If a false witness l A single witness though he speak truth is not to be accepted for the condemnation of another man but if he be convicted of false witness this is sufficient for his own condemnation rise up against any man to testifie against him ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is wrong 17 Then both the men between whom the controversie is shall stand before the LORD before the priests and the judges
for David d He that wisheth David good success against Sheba and against all Rebels Whereby he implies that though this Fact of his was done against the Kings Command yet it was for his Interest and Defence let him go after Joab 12 And Amasa wallowed e Heb. rolled himself being in the Pangs of Death yet having so much Life left as to move himself a little though not to raise himself up from his place in blood f In his own blood which was shed there in the midst of the high-way and when the man saw that all the people g To wit the Soldiers which were upon their March stood still h Wondering at the Spectacle and enquiring into the Author and occasion of it he removed Amasa out of the high-way into the field i Perceiving that it both incensed them against Ioab and hindred the Kings present Service and cast a cloth upon him when he saw that every one that came by him stood still 13 When he was removed out of the high-way all the people went on after Joab to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri ¶ 14 And he k Either 1. Ioab who pursued Sheba through all the Tribes as far as Abel Or rather 2. Sheba who was last mentioned who Marched from Tribe to Tribe to stir them up to Sedition and to him the following words seem best to agree went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel and to Beth-maachah l Or rather to Abel even to Bethmaachah i. e. unto Abel-beth-maachah as this place is called here in the Hebrew text ver 15. and 1 King 15. 20. 2 King 15. 29. to distinguish it from other Abels and to signifie that this was that Abel which was in the Tribe of Napthali in the Northern border of Canaan towards that part of Syria called Maachah 2 Sam. 10. 8. and all the Berites m Such as lived in the City or Territory of Beeroth of Benjamin Iosh. 18. 25. who being of the same Tribe if not City with Sheba and his greatest Acquaintance and Friends or being most Implacable against David adhered to Sheba and followed him through all the Tribes of Israel and they n to wit the Tribes of Israel i. e. a considerable Number of them as might well be expected when the discontents were so high and general were gathered together and went also after him o i. e. After Sheba 15 And they p i. e. Ioab and his Army which is easily understood both from the foregoing and following Verses came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah and they cast up a bank against the city q From whence they might either batter the Wall or shoot at those who defended it against them who should Assault it See 2 King 19. 32. Ier. 32. 24. and 33. 4. Otherwise they threw down the bank of the City which they had raised up to Defend the City on the weakest side and ‖ Or it stood against the outmost Wall it stood in the trench r i. e. The Bank stood in or near to the Trench or the Wall of the City so that the City was in great danger of being taken Otherwise the City stood within the Trench or Wall being Defended onely by a single Trench or a weak Wall the Bank which was raised up there to Defend it being thrown down and all the people that were with Joab †battered the wall to throw it down ‡ Heb. marred to throw down 16 ¶ Then cried a wise woman out of the city Hear Hear say I pray you unto Joab Come near hither that I may speak with thee 17 And when he was come near unto her the woman said Art thou Joab And he answered I am he Then she said unto him Hear the words of thine handmaid And he answered I do hear 18 Then she spake saying ‖ Or They plainly speak in the beginning saying Surely they will ask of Abel and so make an end They were wont to speak in old time saying They shall surely ask counsel at Abel and so they ended the matters s According to this Translation the sence is This City which thou art about to Destroy is no mean and contemptible one but so honourable and considerable for its Wisdom and the Wise People in it that when any differences did arise among any of the Neighbours they used Proverbially to say We will ask the Opinion and Advice of the Men of Abel about it and we will stand to their Arbitration and so all parties were satisfied and Disputes ended But there is another Translation in the Margent embraced also by some others which seems to be the best They i. e. The Citizens of this City plainly or commonly spake among themselves in the beginning to wit when Sheba and his Men first came into the City and they were informed That Ioab was pursuing him saying Surely they will ask of Abel and so make an end i. e. They will peaceably Expostulate the business with us and enquire Why we received Sheba into our City and whether we would deliver him up into their hands and would inform us of the reason of their Hostile Attempt upon us and offer to us Conditions of Peace which by Gods Law Deut. 20. 10. they were to do even to strange and much more to Israelitish Cities So she doth both modestly reprove Ioab for the neglect of his Duty and oblige him to the Performance of it 19 I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel t Or I to wit the City of Abel in whose Name and Person she speaks this am one of the peaceable and faithful Cities of Israel Whatsoever Sheba may design whom we have innocently received into our City before we well understood the matter We of this City abhor the thoughts of Warring and Rebelling against the King as having had no hand in Absalom's late Rebellion which is probable enough considering both their Scituation in the utmost Borders of the Land very remote from the Seat of that Civil War and their open Profession of their Peaceableness and Fidelity or Loyalty to the King which had been Impudent if they had been so lately Involved in the last War and Rebellion thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother u i e. A Mother City for great Cities are commonly called Mothers as lesser Towns or Villages subject to them and depending upon them for Direction and Defence are called their Daughters as Ezek. 16. 27 46. in Israel why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD x i. e. A considerable part of that Land which God hath chosen for his peculiar Possession The Destruction which thou art about to bring upon us is an injury also to Israel and to the God of Israel 20 And Joab answered and said Far be it far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy 21 The matter is not
at least from the Execution of his Office For some think that he was thrust from his Office before David's Death when Zadok was formerly made Priest i. e. High-priest in his stead 1 Chron. 29. 22. But that seems to be a mistake for although that passage immediately follows the History of what was done in the time of David's Life and Health when he was in a capacity of going into the Publick Congregation yet it manifestly belongs to another time and was done after it for he there speaks of Solomon's being made King the second time and he was made King but twice once undoubtedly before this 1 Chron. 23. 1. and again 1 King 1. 39. When David was Bedrid and Adonijah's Usurpation made a second Unction necessary And therefore what is said 1 Chron. 29. 22. of Zadok's being made Priest was done after Abiathar's Deposition and upon that occasion that he might * 1 Sam. 2. 31. 35. fulfil the word of the LORD n For what hinders but Solemon might intend this not onely as a Punishment for his Treason but also as a means to accomplish God's Word which he spake concerning the house of Eli o i. e. Concerning the Translation of the Priesthood from the House of Eli and of Ithamar unto that of Eleazar which being threatned 80 years ago is now Executed So Divine Vengeance though sometimes it be slow is always sure in Shiloh 28 ¶ Then tidings p Concerning Adonijah's Death and Abiathar's Deposition came to Joab for Joab had turned after Adonijah though he turned not after Absalom and Joab sled unto the Taberna cle of the LORD q Which then was at Gibeon 1 King 3. 4. compared with 2 Chron. 1. 3 5. and caught hold on the horns of the altar r Of which see before Chap. â—… 50. 29 And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD and behold he is by the altar then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada saying Go fall upon him s To wit if he will not come thence as I foresee he will not 30 And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD and said unto him Thus saith the king Come forth t That the King gave him this Command though it be not mentioned before is evident both from the nature of the thing for Solomon would not pollute the Altar without necessity and from Benaiah's Affirmation of it for why should he tell a lye without a cause and from his return to the King for new 〈◊〉 upon Ioab's Resolution not to come thence And he said Nay but I will die here u For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either that Solomon would not defile that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blood or that he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to it as he had done Adonijah or he had a superstitious conceit that his dying there might give his guilty and miserable Soul some advantage And Benaiah brought the king word again saying Thus said Joab and thus he answered me 31 And the king said unto him Do as he hath said x Either 1. Kill him in that place and for so doing Solomon might seem to have Warrant from God Exod. 21. 14. and might further design by this just severity to deter future Offenders by shewing that no place nor person should protect them from the stroak of Justice Or rather 2. let him Die as he is resolved kill him though he be there take him by violence from that place and then kill him for Exod. 21. 14. doth not command the Ruler to kill the Murderer there but to remove him thence to take him from the Altar that he may die And seeng this might be done why should Solomon unnecessarily stain the Altar with his Blood and fall upon him and bury him that thou mayst take away the innocent blood y i. e. Both the Guilt of it which would rest upon my Fathers and my Family if it went unpunished and the scandal and reproach of it that neither this nor following Ages may imagine that it was done by David's secret instigation or with his consent which Joab shed from me and from the house of my father 32 And the LORD shall return his blood z i. e. The guilt of the Blood which he shed upon his own head who sell upon two men more righteous and better than he a Of more ingenuous and generous Tempers abhorring from all such Treacherous Practises and both of them then devoted to and employed in my Service and slew them with the sword my father David not knowing thereof to wit * 2 Sam. 3. 27. Abner the son of Ner captain of the host of Israel and * Amasa the son of Jether 2 Sam. 20. 10. captain of the host of Judah 33 Their blood therefore shall return * 2 Sam. 3. 2â—… upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his seed for ever b Either as long as he shall have a Posterity or for a long time as that Phrase is commonly used but upon David and upon his seed and upon his house and upon his throne shall there be peace for ever from the LORD c In and by this Execution of Justice upon him and such 〈◊〉 my Throne shall be Established and God will bless me and mâ—…ne with Peace and Prosperity 34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and tell upon him and slew him and he was â—…uried in his own house in the wilderness d Places which have but few Houses and Inhabitants aâ—…e oft so called in Scripture as Isa. 42. 11. Ier. 25. â—…4 Ezek 34. 25. 35 ¶ And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar e He now put him in the execution of that Office to which he may seem to have been Anointed before 1 〈◊〉 29. 22. But of that see my notes here on ver 27. 36 ¶ And the king sent and called for * 〈◊〉 Shimei and said unto him Build thee an house in Jerusalem and dwell there and go not sorth thence any whither f This Solomon ordered partly for his own security that being removed from that place where his Kindred and Estate and Interest lay to a place where he was but a stranger and sufficiently odious for his former and never-to-be forgotten Insolency towards his Lord and King he might be uncapable of raising any Tumults and Seditions partly as a penalty for his former Wickedness wherein yet there was more Mercy than Justice and from which David had not promised him any security but onely given him his Life and partly That being in this Publick Theatre all his Words and Actions might be narrowly observed which considering his busie and covetous and wicked Temper was likely to give Solomon the advantage which he sought for and this very Prohibition would probably inflame his desire of
of his own mâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 as he promised to do and 〈◊〉 the hopes and design of their enemies of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. 6 At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath f i. e. Took it from the Iews who had noâ—… long since taken it chap. 14. 22. It lay in the land of Edom upon the Red Sâ—…a very conveniently for navigation of which see on 1 Kings 9. 2â—… to Syria and drave the â—…ews from Elath and the Syrians came to Elath and dwelt theâ—…e unto this day 7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria saving I am thy servant and thy son g I 〈◊〉 my self to thee as thy Vassal to serve and obey 〈◊〉 and pay thee Tribute upon condition thou doest assist me â—…ainst my enemies come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria and out of the hand of the king of Israel h For though they were now gone from â—…erusalem yet he justly concluded they would return again and from time to time moâ—…est and vex him which rise up against me 8 And Ahaz * Chap. 12. 18. took the silver and the gold that was sound in the house of the LORD and in the treasures of the kings house and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria 9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him for the king of Assyria went up against ‡ Heb. Dammeseâ—… Damascus i The Metropolis of the Syrians and the head of that Kingdom Isa. 7. 8. and took it and carried the people of it captive k As was prophesied Amos 1. 5. to Kir l Not Kir of Moab Isa. 15. 1. but a part of Media which then was subject to the King of Assyria and slew Rezin 10 ¶ And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria m To congratulate his Victory and acknowledg his favour and help and to beg the continuance of it and saw an altar n Of an excellent structure upon which the Syrians used to offer to their Idols see 2 Chron. 28. 23. that was at Damascus and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar and the pattern of it according to all the workmanship thereof 11 And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus o So he complied with the King's command against his own 〈◊〉 and against the express command of that great God to whom the King and he both were subâ—…ect so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus p He made haste and delayed not to do it to please the King and advance himself 12 And when the king was come from Damascus the king saw the altar and the king approached to the altar and offered thereon q To wit a Sacrifice and that not unto God but unto the Syrian Idols as appears from 2 Chron. 28. 23 24. to whom that altar was appropriated Whether he offered this by himself or by a Priest is not certain 13 And he burnt his burnt-offering and his meat-offering and poured his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of ‡ Heb. which were his his peace offerings r For the Heathens and Ahaz in imitation of them offered the same sorts of Offerings to their false gods which the Israelites did to the true the Devil being noted to be Gods Ape in his Worship upon the altar 14 And he brought also the brazen altar s Of Burnt-Offerings made by Solomon and placed there by God's appointment which was before the LORD t i. e. From before the Lord's House See on Lev. 1. 3. from the fore-front of the house from between the altar and the house of the LORD u Or rather from between his Altar c. or that Altar c. His new Altar was at first set below the brazen Altar and at a further distance from the Temple This he took for a disparagement to his Altar and therefore most impiously and audaciously takes that away and puts his in its place and put it on the north side of the altar x Or of that Altar or of his Altar as before So he put God's Altar out of its pâ—…ce and use 15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest saying Upon the great altar y i. e. This new Altar which was greater than Solomon's either in quantity or in his estimation burn * Exod. 29 39 40 41. the morning burnt-offering and the evening meat-offering and the kings burnt-sacrifice and his meat-offering with the burnt-offering of all the people of the land and their meat-offering and their drink-offerings and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt-offering and all the blood of the sacrifice z Whatsoever is offered to the true God either in my name for possibly he did not yet utterly forsake God but worshipped Idols with him or on the behalf of the people shall be offered upon this new Altar Which he seems to prescribe not onely to gratifie his own humour but also in design to discourage and by degrees to extinguish the worship of the true God for he concluded that the Worshippers of God would never be willing to offer their Sacrifices upon his Altar and the brazen altar shall be for me to enquire by a That shall be reserved for my proper use to enquire by i. e. at which I may seek God or his favour or enquire of his will to wit by Sacrifices joyned with prayer when I shall see fit He saith onely to seek or to enquire not seek the Lord or to enquire of the Lord as the Phrase is more largely expressed elsewhere but he would not vouchsafe to mention the name of the Lord whom he had so grosly forsaken and despised 16 Thus did Urijah the priest according to all that king Ahaz commanded b Having once began to debauch his conscience he could not now make an honourable retreat and therefore proceeds to execute all the King's Commands 17 ¶ And king Ahaz cut off * 1 Kings â—… 27 28. the borders of the bases and removed the laver from off them and took down the * 1 Kings â—… 23 25. sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it and put it upon a pavement of stones c Which he did either to express his contempt of them or to render them inconvenient for the uses to which they had been designed or to dispose of them or of the Brass of them in some other place and way as best suited with his fancy or for the King of Assyria as it follows in the next Verse 18 And the covert for the sabbath d The form and use whereof is now unknown It is generally understood of some Building or Covert either that where the Priests after their weekly course was ended abode until the next course came and
and †〈◊〉 set a 〈◊〉 upon the land put the land to a tribute k To wit a Yearly Tribute whereby they should acknowledge him to be their Superior and for which he would be their Protector when they needed his help of an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold 34 And Pharaoh-nechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah l Whom he perceived to be of a more mild and peaceable disposition king in the room of Josiah his father and turned his name to * Matt. 1. 11. called Ioâ—…im Jehoiakim m Because the giving of Names was accounted an act and sign of Dominion which therefore Parents did to their Children and Conquerors to their Vassals or Tributaries Compare Chap. 24. 17. Dan. 1. 7. and took Jehoahaz away n Partly as a Punishment for him and partly that he might give no disturbance to his Brother and he came to Egypt and died there 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh but he taxed the land to give the money according to the ‡ Heb. mouth commandment of Pharaoh he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land of every one according to his taxation to give it unto Pharaoh-nechoh 36 ¶ Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign o Either 1. When he began to Reign alone and with full Power or after Iehoahaz his Death till which the people would not disown him whom they had Anointed King which was esteemed a great tie 2 Sam. 19. 10. nor own or accept Iehojakim as their King but only as his Brothers Vice-roy though Pharaoh had by violence forced him upon them And so Iehoahaz might be his Elder Brother and the same who is called Iohanan and is first mentioned as the eldest son 1 Chron. 3. 15. though he may be placed first not in regard of his Birth but of his Dignity the Crown being first put upon his Head Or 2. When he was first set up by Pharaoh and so this was the Elder Brother though by popular Violence put by his Right See on ver 31. and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem and his mothers name was Zebudah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah 37 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD p By Idolatry the Oppression of his People and the Persecution of the Prophets and other good men Ier. 26. 20. Ezek. 19. 5 6 7. according to all that his fathers had done CHAP. XXIV IN * 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his days a i. e. In Iehoiakim's Reign in the end of his third Year Dan. 1. 1. or the beginning of his Fourth Ier. 25. 1. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon b The son of Nabopolassar who quite subdued the Assyrian first his Lord and then his Competitor and made himself Absolute Monarch of all those parts of the World came up c To wit against Iehoiakim as the Friend and Confederate of Pharaoh whose Forces he had lately Conquered Ier. 46. 2. and Jehoiakim became his servant three years then he turned and rebelled against him d By the instigation of the Egyptian who threatned him if he did not Rebel and promised him his utmost Assistance if he did 2 And the LORD sent against him bands of the Caldees and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the children of Ammon e For Nebuchadnezzar's Army was made up of several Nations who were willing to Fight under the Banner of such a Puissant and Victorious Emperor and sent them against Judah to destroy it * Chap. 〈◊〉 and 23. 〈◊〉 according to the word of the LORD which he spake ‡ Heb. by the hand oâ—… by his servants the prophets 3 Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah to remove them out of his sight for * Chap. 〈◊〉 and 2â—… 〈◊〉 the sins of Manasseh f Properly and directly for their own sins and occasionally for the sins of Manasseh which had never been charged upon them if they had not made them their own by their impenitency for them and repetition of them according to all that he did 4 And also for * Chap. 〈◊〉 the innocent blood g To wit of those Prophets and Saints who either reproved or would not comply with his Idolatrous Worship that he shed for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 God 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 or â—…e â—…rable 〈◊〉 which the LORD would not pardon 5 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and all that he did are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah 6 So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers and Jehoiachin h Called also Iechoniah 1 Chron. 3. 16. as Iehojakim also was by comparing this with Matt. 1. 11. and in way of contempt Choniah Ier. 22. 24. his son reigned in his stead 7 And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land i To wit in this Kings days nor until Zedekiah's time Ier. 37. 6 7. nor to any purpose He could not now come out to Protect the King of Iudah being scarce able to defend his own Kingdom for * Jer. 4â—… â—… the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt 8 ¶ Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reigh k Object He was then but Eight years old 2 Chron. 36. 9. Answ. 1. Both are true in his Eighth Year he began to Reign with his Father who made him King with him as divers other Kings of Israel and Iudah had done in the like times of trouble and in his Eighteenth Year he Reigned alone 2. He is called a son of eight years when he began to reign 2 Chron. 36. 9. because this was the Eighth Year not of his Age but of the Babylonish Captivity or Bondage under which both he and his Father had been just so long for it began in the Fourth Year of Iehojakim as it is affirmed Ier. 25. 1. and continued all his Reign which lasted Eleven Years Chap. 23. 36. and so the First Year of Iehojakim was precisely the Eighth Year of that Captivity And this is certain That the Years of Kings mentioned in Scripture are not always accounted from the beginning of their Age but from some other Remarkable Time or thing thus Saul when at Man's Estate is called the son of one year 1 Sam. 13. 1. of which see my notes there and Ahaziah whose Father lived onely Forty Years 2 Chron. 21. 20. is called a son of forty and two years when he began to reign 2 Chron. 22. 2. because that was the Forty and second Year of the Reign of Omri's Family as most think And therefore it cannot seem strange if the Years of this King be computed not from liis Birth but from the beginning of so great
lest the Angel in the mean time should destroy Ierusalem for the prevention whereof he thought it most proper to continue to worship God in that place which he had consecrated by his special Presence and gracious Acceptance CHAP. XXII 1 TThen David said a Partly by his Observation of this gracious and glorious Appearance of God and his Command to erect an Altar and his Acceptance of a Sacrifice offered in this place and partly by the Instinct and Direction of Gods Spirit by which as he is said to have had the pattern of the house porch altar c. 1 Chron. 28. 11 12 19. so doubtless he was also instructed as to the place where the House should be built * Deut. 12. 5. 2 Sam. 24. 18. This is the house of the LORD God b This is the place appointed by God for the building of his Temple and Altar and this is the altar of burnt-offering for Israel 2 And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel c The same persons whom Solomon afterwards employed in the same Work of which see 1 King 5. 15. compared with 1 King 9. 20 21. and he set masons to hew wrought stones d Wherein he could not do much being prevented by death but Solomon carried on and perfected what David had begun to build the house of God 3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates and for the joynings e To be used together with melted Lead for the joyning of thâ—…se great and square Stones together and brass in abundance without weight 4 Also cedar-trees in abundance for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar-wood to David 5 And David said f Within himself or in his own thoughts * Ca. 2â—… 1. Solomon my son is young and tender g And therefore through youthful Vanity and Folly and Unsettledness may not use that Care and Consideration and Diligence in making such Provisions as this great Work requires Of Solomons â—…ge see 1 King 3. 7. and the house that is to be built for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical of fame and of glory throughout all countries I will therefore now make preparation for it So David prepared abundantly before his death 6 Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build an house for the LORD God of Israel 7 And David said to Solomon My son as for me * â—… Sam. 〈◊〉 it was in my mind to build an house * 〈◊〉 12â—… â—… 11. unto the name of the LORD my God 8 But the word of the LORD came to me saying * Ch 〈◊〉 1 King 5. â—… Thou hast shed blood abundantly and hast made great wars thou shalt not build an house unto my name because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth h Not that Wars either now are or then were simply Unlawful or that David sinned in shedding the Blood of War for it is manifest that Davids Wars were undertaken by Gods Command or with his Leave and were attended with his Blessing but partly because Davids Military Employments did for a good while fill his Head and Hands and gave him no leisure for Temple Work and principally for mystical Sgnification to teach us that the Church whereof the Temple was a manifest and illustrious Type should be built by Christ the Prince of Peace Isa. 9. 6. and that it should be gathered and built up not by might or power or by force of Arms but by Gods Spirit Zech. 4. 6. and by the preaching of the Gospel of Peace in my sight i Which I have taken particular notice of And this expression may possibly be added in reference to Uriah and the rest of the Israelites who were slain at the Siege of Rabbah by Davids contrivance which peradventure David had in his Eye Psal. 51. 4. where David confessing this Sin useth this very Expression I have done this evil in thy sight 9 Behold a son shall be born to thee who shall be a man of rest and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about for his name shall be ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solomon and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days 10 * 2 Sam. 〈◊〉 1 Kiâ—… â—… â—… Ch. 1â—… 〈◊〉 He shall build an house for my name and he shall be my son and I will be his father and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever k Of this see my Notes on 2 Sam. 7. 13. 11 Now my son the LORD be with thee and prosper thou l Go on prosperously in carrying on this Work Or the Lord give thee that Rest and Prosperity which is necessary for it and build the house of the LORD thy God as he hath said of thee 12 Onely the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding and give thee charge concerning Israel m i. e Give thee Instructions or Direction rightly to manage and rule his People Israel Or and set thee over Israel as the Syriack renders it whom the Arabick follows Or when as the Hebrew vaâ—… is oft used he shall set thee over Israel i. e. when thou shalt be King for then Solomon would need this Wisdom for which therefore he prayeth 1 King 3. 9. that thou mayest keep the Law of the LORD thy God 13 Then shalt thou prosper if thou takest heed to fulfill the statutes and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel Be strong and of good courage dread not nor be dismayed 14 Now behold ‖ Or iâ—… my poâ—… in my trouble n This he alledgeth as a Reason why he could do no more because of the many Troubles and Wars both Foraign and Civil whereby much of his Treasures was exhausted I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold o A Talent of Gold in the first constitution was 3000 Shekels as may be gathered from Exod. 38. 24 25 26. and so this amounts to a very vast Sum yet not Impossible for David to get considering how many and great Conquests he made and what vast Spoils and Presents he got and that he endeavoured by all just and honourable ways to get as much as he could not out of Covetousness or for his own Ends 〈◊〉 meerly out of Zeal for Gods House And whereas some object that this quantity of Gold and Silver was sufficient though the whole Fabrick of the Temple had consisted of Massy Gold and Silver it is to be considered that all this Treasure was not spent upon the Materials of the Temple but a very great part of it upon the Workmen which were nigh 200000 whereof a great number were Officers which being employed for so long time together would exhaust a considerable part of it and what was not employed in the building of the Temple was laid up in the
them to fit themselves for so great and solemn a Work that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses 7 And Josiah †〈…〉 gave to the people of the stock lambs and kids h For either of these might be used for the Paschal-offering Exod. 12. 5. all for the passover offerings for all that were present to the number of thirty thousand and three thousand bullocks i Which were to be offered after the Lambs upon the several days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread these were of the kings substance 8 And his princes k Not the Political but Ecclesiastical Princes or the Chief of the Priests and Levites whose Names here follow †〈…〉 gave willingly unto the people to the priests and to the Levites l For the use of any of the Families of any of them as need should be For they supposed the 30000 which the King had given were not sufficient for all the Families Or the King gave his Cattel to the People onely or principally for they onely are mentioned for that Gift v. 7. And therefore these persons here named give their Cattel not onely to the People but also to the Priests and to the Levites as it is here expressed And the Levites being not yet sufficiently provided for some of their Brethren named v. 9. gave 5000 more peculiarly unto the Levites as is there said Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel rulers of the house of God m For so they were Hilkiah being the High-priest and the other the two Chief Priests of the two Lines of Eleazar and Ithamar who many times were to officiate in the High-priests stead and were in Power and Dignity next to him and were in some sort joynt-commissioners with him in ruling the Affairs of the Temple gave unto the priests for the passoverofferings two thousand and six hundred small cattel and five hundred oxen 9 Conaniah also and Shemajah and Nethaneel his brethren and Hashabiah and Jehiel and Jozabad chief of the Levites †〈…〉 gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand small cattel and five hundred oxen 10 So the service was prepared and the priests stood in their place and the Levites in their courses according to the kings commandment 11 And they killed the passover and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hand and the Levites * 〈◊〉 â—…9 flayed them n Which they did though properly it belonged to the Priests because the Priests who were sanctified were not sufficient for that Work there being so many thousands of the Cattel and they were fully employed in the killing of the Sacrifices and the sprinkling of the Blood which was more properly the Priests work than the other 12 And they removed the burnt-offerings o i. e. Those Cattel which were to be offered for Burnt-offerings to wit some of the lesser Cattel for these also might be offered as burnt-offerings Levit. 1. 10. And hence it may seem that all these small Cattel were not given to the People to be eaten by them for their Paschal-lambs but that some of them were to be offered as burnt-offerings for the People And these they put apart by themselves partly lest they should be confounded with them which were for another use and partly that they might not be hindred from that which was their present and more immediate work as it follows that they might give To wit the Paschal-lambs or Kids that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people to offer unto the LORD p These words may belong either 1. to the more remote words the burnt-offerings the other words being to be put within a Parenthesis or there being a trajection in the words which is frequent in Scripture and which is here observed by some learned Interpreters Or 2. to the last words and to the Paschal-lambs which they were first to be offered to the Lord by Killing them and sprinkling the Blood as was noted before and then to be given to the People though the giving be here mentioned before the offering such transpositions being usual in Scripture and other Authors as it is written * Lev. 3. 3. in the book of Moses and so did they with the oxen q To wit as they did with the lesser Cattel of which see the first Note on this Verse They removed those Oxen which were to be offered as Burnt-offerings from those which were to be offered as Peace offerings 13 And they * Exod. 12. 8 9. rosted the passover with fire according to the ordinance but the other holy offerings r Those from which the Burnt-offerings were removed v. 12. to wit the Peace-offerings part of which fell to the share of the Offerer who was Josiah and by his Gift to the People sod they in pots and in caldrons and in pans and †Heb. made them run divided them speedily among all the people 14 And afterward they made ready s To wit the Paschal-lambs and their part of the Peace-offerings for themselves and for the priests because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt-offerings and the fat until night therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests the sons of Aaron 15 And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their †Heb. station place according to the * 1 Chr. 25. 1â—… c. commandment of David and Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun the kings seer and the porters * 1 Chr. 9. 17 18. 26. 14 c. waited at every gate they might not depart from their service for their brethren the Levites prepared for them 16 So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day to keep the passover and to offer burnt-offerings upon the altar of the LORD according to the commandment of king Josiah 17 And the children of Israel that were †Heb. found present kept the passover at that time and the feast of unleavened bread seven days 18 And * 2 Kin. 23. 22. there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept and the priests and the Levites and all Judah and Israel that were present and the inhabitants of Jerusalem 19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept 20 * 2 Kin. 23. 2â—… Jer. 46. 2. After all this when Josiah had prepared the †Heb. house temple t When he and his People hoped that God was reconciled and the Foundation of a solid and lasting Happiness was laid their Hopes were quickly blasted So much are men oft mistaken in their Judgments about the Designs of Gods Counsel and Providence Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish u Which the Assyrian had lately taken from the King of
sowed together not upon my other garments but next to my skin as was done in great Calamities as 2 Kings 6. 30. So far am I from stretching out my hands against God whereof I am accused Chap. 15. 25. that I have humbled my self deeply unâ—…er his hand and defiled my horn in the dust q I have willingly parted with all my Wealth and Power and Glory as the horn oft signifies in Scripture as Psâ—…lm 75 5. 132. 17 Luke 1. 69. and been contented to lie in the dust and to endure the contempt which God hath brought upon me 16 My face is foul with weeping and on my eye-lids is the shadow of death r i. e. A gross and terrible darkness My sight is very dim and dark as is usual in case of fore Diseases or excessive grief and weeping Lamâ—…nt 2 11. and especially in the approach of death Compare Psalm 6. 7. 38. 10. Lament 5. 17. 17. Not for any injustice in mine hands s And all this is not come upon me for any injurious dealing with others by oppression or deceit or bribery wherewith I am implicitely charged Chap. 15 16 20 34. but for other reasons known to God onely for I cannot discover them also my prayer is pure t I do not cast off God's fear and service as I am accused to do Châ—…p 15. 4. I do still pray and worship God and my Prayer is accompanied with a sincere Heart and â—…defiled Conscience See Psalm 109 7. Prov. 28. 9. 1 Tim. 2. 8. So that I have lived inâ—…ffensively towards God and towards men And therefore your Assertion is both uncharitable and false that eminent Afflictions are peculiar to ungodly men 18. O earth cover not thou my bloud u So called not actively to wit his own blood but passively or obâ—…ctively i. e the blood of others shed by him and lying upon his Conscience The Earth is said to cover that blood which lies undiscovered and unrevenged Of which see on Gen. 4. 10 11. Isa. 26 21. But saith Iob. if I be guilty of destroying any one man by Murder or Oppression as I am traduced O Lord let the Earth disclose it let it be brought to light that I may suffer condign punishment for it and let my cry x Either 1. passively to wit the cries and groans which I have forced from others by my Oppressions Let those Cries have no place to hide them Or rather 2. actively the Cry of my Complaints to men or Prayers to God let them find no place in the Ears or Hearts of God or men if this be true Or no place i. e. no regard or no power or success in which sense God's Word is said not to have place in evil men Iohn 8. 37. And Esaâ—… not to find place of repentance Heb. 12. 17. i. e. All his Intreaties and Tears could not prevail with his Father to repent of and retract the Blessing given from him to Iacob have no place 19. Also now behold my Witness is in Heaven y Besides the Witness of Men and of my own Conscience God is Witness of my Integrity and my Record †Heb. in the high places is on high 20. My Friends z Who should defend me from the Scorns and Injuries of others †scorn me a So this word is used Psal. 119. 51. Prov. 3. 34. 19. 28. but mine Eye Heb. are my â—…orners poureth out tears unto God b I pour forth my Prayers and Tears to God that he would judge me according to my Innocency and plead my righteous cause against you 21. * Ch. 31. 35. Eccl. 6. 10. Isa. 45. 9. Rom. 9. 20. O that one might plead for a man * with God c O that either I or some faithful Advocate might be admitted to plead my Cause either with God or rather with you before God's Tribunal God being Witness and Judge between us But this Verse is and that very agreeably to the Hebrew Text otherwise translated and Interpreted either 1. With respect to Christ And he i. e. God last mentioned to wit God the Son Christ Jesus will plead for a man i. e. for me against whom you plead He modestly speaketh of himself in the third Person as is usual with God to wit with God the Father and the Son of man as Christ is oft called will plead for his Friend or Companion or Neighbour i. e. For a man whom he hath taken into that Relation to himself It is plain that the mystery of Mans Redemption by Christ was known to the ancient Patriarchs as hath been oft noted before and to Iob among others Ch. 19. 25. Or 2. as the matter for which he prayed and cried to God That so the Hebrew Vau is frequently used he i. e. God would plead or judge or give sentence for a man i. e. for me or in my cause with God i. e. with himself the Noun being put for the Pronoun as Gen. 2. 20. 4. 15. Lev. 14. 15 16. and elsewhere or at his own Tribunal to which I have appealed as a man pleadeth for his Friend or Neighbour with or before an earthly Judge and Tribunal This seems most agreeable to the scope of the place which was to maintain his own Integrity against his Friends before God as a man pleadeth for his ‖ Or friend Neighbour 22. When †Heb. years of number a few years are come then I shall go the way whence I shall not return d i. e. To the state and place of the dead whence men do not and cannot return to this Life The meaning is my death hastens and therefore I earnestly desire that the cause depending before God between me and my Friends may be searched out and determined that if I be guilty of these things whereof they accuse me I may bear the shame and blame of it before all men and if I be innocent that I may live to see my own Integrity and the credit of Religion which suffers upon this occasion vindicated that so I may die in peace with God and may leave the favour of a good name behind me CHAP. XVII 1. MY ‖ Breath is corrupt a i. e. It stinks as it doth in dying persons Or my Spirit is corrupted or spent or lost i. e. My vital Spirits and natural Powers are wasted my Soul is ready to leave the Body my days are extinct b The lamp of my Life is wasted and upon the point of going out and that in a Snuff Or my Spirit is spent the Graves c i. e. The Grave the plural number being put for the singular as Sepulchres 2 Chron. 21. 20. Cities Judg. 12. 7. Asses Zech. 9. 9. are put for one of each of these are ready for me d Open their mouths as ready to receive me The sense and scope of this Verse is the same with the former 2. Are there not Mockers with
or Error and in their Effect as guiding and directing men in the right and ready way to eternal Happiness Which also reflects upon that knowledge of Divine things which men have by the light of Nature and works of God or by the Doctrines of the Philosophers or others that wanted or neglected the light of God's word wherein there is a great deal of darkness and uncertainty and Error and Danger rejoycing the heart m Partly by that clear and certain knowledge of Divine things which it gives for knowledge is pleasant to the Soul Prov. 2. 10. and partly by the discoveries of God's Love and Grace to sinful men in Offers and Promises of Mercy therein contained the commandement of the LORD n i. e. All his Commands is * Psal. 119. 140. pure o Without the least mixture of Error or injustice or Deceit Which cannot be said of humane Laws enlightning the eyes p To wit of the Mind with an evident and compleat manifestation of God's Will and Man's Duty both which the works of Nature and all the Writings of men discover but darkly and imperfectly 9. The fear of the LORD q By which he understands not the Grace of God's fear as this Phrase is commonly taken nor the whole Worship of God as it is taken Psal. 34. 9. 11. Mat. 1â—… 9. but the Law and Word of God which is the only thing that is hâ—…re commended and which is meant by all the other parallel Titles of his Testimony and Statutes and Commandements and Iudgments and consequently by this of his â—…ear which is as it were hemmed in within them And this may well be so called by an usual Metonymy because it is both the Object and the Rule and the Cause of this Grace of holy Fear as God himself is called Fear for the like reason Gen. 31. 53. and in the Hebrew Psal. 76. 11. is clean r i. e. Sincere not adulterated with any mixture of Vanity or Falshood or Vice not requiring noâ—… allowing any uncleanness or wickedness as the Religion of the Gentiles did enduring for ever s Constant and unchangeable the same for Substance in all the Ages of the Church and the World Which is most true both of the moral Law and of the Doctrine of God's Grace and Mercy to sinful and miserable man which two are the Principal partâ—… of that Law of which he here speaks as is Evident from the whole Context For as the difference between the Old and the New Testament that lyes only in Circumstantial and Ceremonial or Ritual things which are not here intended and that Alteration also was foretolâ—… in the Old Testament and consequently the accomplishment of it did not destroy but confirm the certainty and constancy of God's word This also is opposed to humane Laws wherein there are and ought to be manifold Changes according to the difference of Times and People and Circumstances the judgments of the LORD t i. e. God's Laws frequently called his Iudgments because they are the Declarations of his righteous Will and as it were his legal oâ—… judicial Sentence by which he expects that men should govern themselves and by which he will judge them at the last day are †Heb. truste true and righteous altogether u. 10. More to â—…e desired are they than gold * Psal. 1â—…9 12. 127 Prov. 8. 11. 19. yea than much fine gold x Than Gold of the best quality and in the greatest quantity * Psal. 119. 103. sweeter also than honey y Which was most sweet in those Eastern Countries and †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 the honey comb z Than that Honey which the Bees have most diligently wrought in their Combs and which freely flows from them which is sweeter than the rest 11. Moreover by them is thy servant a I thy servant though a King and a Prophet and of some Repute for Wisdom and Knowledge yet I am daily taught by them Or 〈◊〉 as Dan. 12. 3. or clearly admonished as this word signifies 〈◊〉 18. 20. 2 Kings 6. 10. Eccles. 4. 13. 〈◊〉 3. 17 c. and 33. 3. 9. It is a faithful and excellent Monitor to shew me my Duty in all Conditions and to preserve me from falling into sin and danger and Mischief warned and in keeping of them b To those that make it their great Design and care to conform their whole Lives to them For he speaks not of a Legal and perfect keeping of them which no man attaineth to in this Life 〈◊〉 7. 20. Gâ—…l 3. 10 11 12. 1 Ioh. 1. 8. but of doing it in an Evangelâ—…al Sence with the allowances which God through Christ makes for Humane infirmities there is great reward c In this Life and especially in the next 12. * Psal. 40. 12. Who can understand d This may be here added Either 1. As a further Proof of the Excellency and necessity of God's Law because mens Errors are so many and hard to be discovered and prevented that they indispensably need such a Friend and Counsellor as the Law is to give them the true knowledge of themselves and of their sins Or 2. As a just and sorrowful Censure of himself upon the Consideration of the exact Purity of God's Law and the Comparing of his Life with it Thy Law O Lord is Holy and just and Good But I am a poor sinful Wreâ—…ch falling infinitely short of it and Condemned by it Or 3. As a signification of the insufficiency of God's Law strictly so called for the healing and saving of mens Souls and of the necessity of further supplies of the Gospel and grace of God whereby the eyes of their Minds may be enlightned to see that light which shines in God's Law and their Hearts may be renewed to yield universal Obedience to it for which therefore he prays in the following words And withal he implies that he did not expect that reward which he last mentioned as a just Recompence to his Obedience which he confesseth to need a Pardon more than to deserve a reward but only as an effect of God's grace and goodness his Errors e Either 1. His sins of ignorance of which this word is used Levit. 4. 2 22 27. 〈◊〉 5. 6. Or rather 2. His sins in general â—…â—…ich afterwards he divides into secret and presumptuous sins Or all deviations from God's Law which are thus called 1 Saâ—… 26. 21. Psal. 119. 67 118. Heb. 9. 7. Iam. 5. 20. The Sence is I cannot comprehend the numbers or the several kinds or all the Hainous Aggravations of my sins cleanse thou me f Both by justification or the Pardon of my sins through the Blood of thy Son which is to be shed for me and by Sanctification through thy holy Spirit co-working in and with thy Word to the further Renovation of my Heart and Life For these are the two ways of câ—…eansing Sinners
and that sometimes he speaks in both these Capacities in the same Psalm as hath been noted before And this seems to be the Condition of this Psalm wherein there are some Passages which cannot belong to Christ as v. 13. and some which do not properly belong to David or to that time and state of the Church but onely to Christ and to the Times of the New Testament as v. 6 7. To the chief musician A Psalm of David 1. I †〈◊〉 in wait 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 waited patiently a Heb. Iâ—… waiting I waited which doubling of the Word notes that he waited diligently and earnestly patiently and perseveringly until God should please to help him for the LORD and he inclined b Or â—…wed to wit himself as this very Word is rendred Iudg. 16. 30. or his Ear as it is more fully expressed Psal. 17. 6. and 31. 2. Such Ellipses or Defects are frequent in Scripture as Psal. 3. 6. and 10. 1. Eâ—…les 6. 3. and 7. 15. unto me and heard my cry 2. He brought me up also out of †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pit of 〈◊〉 an horrible pit c Or out of a sounding Pit so called Either from the Clamours of Men or Beasts falling into it Or from the many Waters which fall down into it not without a great Noise I was not onely upon the brink but in the very bottom of the Pit i. e. In desperate Dangers and Calamities as this Phrase signifies Psal. 18. 16. and 69. 1 2. * 〈◊〉 69. 1. 2. out of the miery clay d In which my feet stuck fast and set my seet upon a rock e A place of strength and safety and established my goings f Or my steps i. e. Kept me from stumbling or falling into Mischief 3. And he hath put a new song in my Mouth g Partly by giving me new Matter or Occasion for a Song and Partly by inspiring me with the very Words of it even praise unto our God many shall see it h i. e. Shall observe Gods wonderful Mercies vouchsafed to me and fear i i. e. Shall stand in awe of that God whom by this instance they see to have so great Power either to save or to destroy and Tremble at his Judgments and give him that Reverence and Worship and Obedience which he requires and shall trust in the LORD k Yet their Fear shall not drive them from God or bring them into Despair but shall draw them to God and be attended with trusting in God 4. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust l i. e. His onely Trust or Refuge as appears from the following Words I said many shall trust in the Lord and they shall not be loosers by it nor disappointed of their Hope but they are and shall be Blessed and respecteth not m Heb. Looketh not towards to wit with Love and Delight and desire to imitate them Or with Confidence and Expectation of Relief from thence as this Phrase is oâ—…t used as Psal. 25. 15. and 69. 3. and 121. 1. and 141. 8. and as the Opposition of this Clause to the foregoing seems to imply the proud n Or the mighty i. e. The great and Proud Potentates of the World to whom most men are apt to look and trust and in whom the Psalmist forbids us to put ouâ—… Trust Psal. 146. 3. nor such as turn aside o To wit from God in whom alone they ought to trust to lyes p i. e. To lying Vanities such as World ly Power and Wisdom and Riches and all other Earthly things or Persons in which men are prone to Trust Which are called â—…yes here and Psal. 4. 2. and 62. 9. Mich. 1. 14. and elsewhere because they promise more than they can perform See also Psal. 7. 14. and 119. 118. Hos. 10. 13. and 12. 1. 5. * 〈◊〉 9. 〈◊〉 10. Psa. 71. Many O LORD my God are thy wonderful works q For which I and the rest of thy People included in the Pronoun plural us have abundant cause to Praise thee and to trust in thee as was said v. 3. And by which it will appear that he that trusteth in thee is in a most Blessed and safe Condition as he said v 4. And this Verse wherein he passeth from the singular Number to the plural may seem to be interposed as a Wall of Partition between that which David speaks in his own Person and that which he speaks in the Person of the Messias in the following Verses which thou hast done and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 92. 5. 〈◊〉 â—…39 17. 〈◊〉 thy thoughts r i. e. Thy gracious Counsels or Contrivances which are to us-ward s i. e. To me and to the rest of thy People with whom David oft joyns himself in this Book But these Words may be and are by some joyned to the following Words and the place thus rendred It is not with us or in our Power i. e. It passeth our skill and reach to order or to reckon them up in Order unto thee because indeed they are innumerable and therefore cannot be digested into any order ‖ 〈◊〉 none can 〈◊〉 them unto 〈◊〉 they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee if I would declare and speak of them t So the Particle if or when is wanting and to be supplied here as it is Psal. 39. 11. and in many other places Heb. Yet I will declare and speak to wit some part of them which accordingly he doth in the following Verses they are more than can be numbred u Although I am not able to express or Reckon them all 6. * Psal. 50. 8. 51. 16. Isa. 1. 11. 66 3. Hos. 6. 6. Mat. 12. 7. Heb. 10. 5. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire x These and the following Words may in an improper Sence belong to the Person and time of David when God might be said not to Desire or Require Legal Sacrifices Comparatively as negative Expressions are frequently understood as Mat. 9. 13. 1 Cor. 1. 17. and in this very Case of Sacrifices as Psal. 51. 16. Ier. 7. 22 23. Hâ—…se 6. 6. So the Sence is thou didst desire Obedience more or rather than Sacrifices as was said 1 Sam. 15. 22. But in a Proper and Literal and full Sence they belong onely to the Person and times of the Messias in whose Name David uttereth these Words And so the Sence of the place is God did not desire or require them for the Satisfaction of his own Justice and the Expiation of Mens sins which could not possibly be done by the Blood of Bulls or Goats as is said Heb. 10. 4 5 6. But onely by the Blood of Christ which was Typified by them and which Christ came into the World to shed in pursuance of his Fathers Will as it here follows v. 7 8. So here is a Prediction concerning the Cessation and Abolition
by the influences of his Government upon his People under him But this Phrase doth much better agree to Christ who was yet to come and who did come down from Heaven and brought or sent down from Heaven his Doctrine which is oft Compared to Rain and the sweet and powerful influences of his Spirit like rain upon the mown grass o Which it both refresheth and improveth or causeth to grow and flourish and therefore was very acceptable especially in Canaan where Rain was more scarce and more necessary than in many other places because of the scorching Heat and the natural dryness of the Soyl and the want of Rivers to overflow or water the Land as showers that water the earth 7 In his days shall the righteous flourish p As the wicked shall be discountenanced and punished so good men shall be encouraged and advanced and multiplyed and abundance of peace †Heb. till there be no Moon so long as the moon endureth q i. e. As long as time and the World shall last Which neither was nor could be true of Solomon who lived not long and the Peace of whose Kingdom was sadly disturbed and in a manner wholly lost presently after his Death but was undoubtedly and Eminently accomplished in Christ who brought Peace upon Earth Luk. 2. 14. and left it as his Legacy to his Disciples Ioh. 14. 27. 8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea r Either 1. From the Dead Sea or the Lake of Sodom or from the Red Sea to the Midland Sea For so far did Solomon's Dominion extend but so did David's also and therefore in that Respect Solomon hath not that Pre-eminence which this Promise plainly seems to give him above his Predecessours Or 2. More generally from one Sea to another or in all the parts of the habitable World So it was truly and fully accomplished in Christ and in him onely and from the river s To wit Enphrates which was the Eastern border of the Kingdom of Canaan allotted by God Exod. 23. 31. Numb â—…4 3. but enjoyed onely by David and Solomon and afterwards by Christ. Of whose Kingdom this may be here mentioned as one of the Borders Partly because the Kingdom of Christ is here described under the Type and shadow of Solomon's Kingdom whose bound this was and Partly because though Christ's Kingdom did for a time extend it self beyond Euphrates yet the chief part and almost the whole Body of it both did and doth lye on this side of it and things do generally receive their Denomination from the greatest part unto the ends of the earth t Either 1. Of the Land of Canaan Or 2. Of the World 9 They that dwell in the wilderness u In solitary places Even rude and barbarous People who lived without Order and Government among themselves Of which sort great numbers submitted to Christ and received the Gospel shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust x i. e. Shall prostrate themselves to the ground in token of Reverence and Subjection as the Custome of the Eastern People was See Isa. 49. 23. Mich. 7. 17. 10 * 〈◊〉 45. 12. 〈◊〉 29. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles y Or of the Sea as Tarshish is understood 1 Kings 22. 48. Psal. 48. 7. and Or that is for that Conjunction is oft used Exegetically of the Isles i. e. Of remote Countries to which they used to go from Canaan by Sea all which are frequently called Isles in Scripture as hath been noted before The Kings that Rule by Sea where Solomon had no great Power or by Land shall bring presents the kings of Sheba and Seba z Two Arabiaâ—… Countries unless the one be Arabia and the other Ethiopia beyond Egypt shall offer gifts 11 Yea all kings shall fall down before him all nations shall serve him a Which cannot be said of Solomon with any Truth or Colour but was unquestionably verified in Christ of whom therefore this must be understood For what is said 1 Kings 4. 21. that Solomon Reigned over all Kingdoms is there limitâ—…ed to them that Reigned from the River unto Egypt Whereas the Expressions here are unlimitted and universal 12 For he * 〈◊〉 â—…9 12. shall deliver the needy when he cryeth the poor also and him that hath no helper b The Fame of his just and merciful Government shall induce multitudes Either to put themselves under him or to shew great Respect and Reverence to him 13 He shall spare the poor and needy and shall save the souls c Properly so called this being Christ's proper Work to save Souls Or the Lives which Oppressours shall indeavour to take away of the needy 14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence d The two ways whereby the Souls or Lives of Men are usually destroyed and * Psal. 116. 15. precious shall their blood be in his sight e He will not be Prodigal of the Lives of his Subjects casting them away meerly to gratifie his own Revenge or Covetousness or inâ—…atiable Desire of enlarging his Empire as earthly Kings commonly do but like a true Father of his People will tenderly preserve them and severely avenge their Blood upon those who shall shed it 15 And he shall live f To wit long and Prosperously as Solomon did yea Eternally as Christ did Other Kings must lose both their Lives and Kingdoms but this King whom Solomon typified shall Live for ever and his Kingdom shall have no end and to him †Heb. one shall 〈◊〉 â—… shall be given of the gold of Sheba g As a Present or Tribute This was done to Solomon 1 Kings 10. 15. and to Christ Mat. 2. 11. and afterwards as need required Although such Expressions as these being used of Christ and his Kingdom are commonly understood in a spiritual Sence prayer also shall be made for him continually and daily shall he be praised h His Subjects shall be obliged and excited by his righteous and happy Government to pray heartily and frequently for him Either 1. For Solomon Or 2. For Christ not so much for his Person which needed not their Prayers as for the Protection and Propagation of his Kingdom and Gospel and Interest in the World 16 There shall be an handful of corn i Which intimates the small beginnings of this Kingdomâ—… and therefore doth not agree to Sâ—… whose Kingdom was in a manner as large at the beginning of his Reign as at the End but it exactly agrees to Christ and hiâ—… Kingdom 〈◊〉 13. 31 32. in the earth k Sown in the Earth upon the top of the mountains l In the most Barrâ—…n grounds and therefore this was an Evidence of extraordinary and prodigious Fertility the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon m It shall â—…ield such abundance of Corn that the Ears being thick and high
Lord awaked as one out of sleep m For God by giving up not onely his people but his Ark to the contempt and insolency of the Philistins might seem to be asleep and insensible of his own honour and interest till by a sudden and unexpected blow he convinced his enemies of the contrary and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine m Whose spirit and courage is revived and inflamed by a liberal draught of generous wine Which comparison is no more injurious to the Divine Majesty than that of a thiefs coming in the night to which Christ's second coming is compared 1 Thess. 5. 2. 66 And * 1 Sam. 5. 6. and 6. 4. he smote his enemies in the hinder parts n With the Disease of the Emerods which was both painful and shameful he put them to a perpetual reproach o He caused them to perpetuate their own reproach by sending back the Ark of God with their golden Emerods the lasting monuments of their shame 67 Moreover p And as he smotâ—… his enemies for their sins so he punished his own people for the same cause he refused the tabernacle of Joseph q Either 1. He rejected the Kingdom of the ten tribes whereof Ephraim was the Head But this Psalm reacheth not so far as the erection of that Kingdom Or rather 2. He would not have his Ark to abide longer in the Tabernacle of Shiloh which was in the Tribe of Ioseph or Ephraim See 1 Sam. 6. 12. and 7. 1 2. Ier. 7. 12 14 and 26. 6 9. and chose not the tribe of Ephraim r The same thing repeated in other words after the manner 68 But chose the tribe of Judah s Either 1. For the seat of the Kingdom Or rather 2. For the seat of the Ark and of God's Worship Obj. Ierusalem was in the Tribe of Benjamin Jos. 18 27 Ans. 1. It was so in part and part of it was in Iudah as appears from Ios. 15. 63. To which Tribe Zion belonged by special reason because David the Head of that Tribe conquered and took it 2. Benjamin after the division of the two Kingdoms was incorporated with Iudah and is oft comprehended under the name of Iudah the mount Zion which he loved 69 And he built his sanctuary t The Temple by Solomon like high palaces u Magnificently and gloriously like the earth which he hath †Heb. â—…ounded established for ever x Not now to be removed from place to place as the Tabernacle was but as a fixed place for the Arks perpetual residence unless the people by their Apostacy should cause its removal 70 * â—… Sam. 16. 11. â—… Sam. 7. 8. He chose David also his servant and took him from the sheep-fold 71 †Seb. from afâ—… From following the ewes great with young y By which employment he was inured to that care and diligence and self-denial which is necessary in a King or Governor and instructed to rule his people with all gentleness and tenderness he brought him * â—… Sam. 5. 2 1 Chr. 11. 2. to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance 72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands z He commends David for the now necessary ingredients of a good Prince 1. Integrity whereby he sincerely sought the good and welfare of his people avoiding and abhorring or those counsels and courses which were contrary thereunto 2. Skillfulness whereby he managed all the publick affairs with singular prudence which is here ascribed to his hands not because it was seated in them but because it was acted and discovered by them and appeared in all his actions or administrations PSAL. LXXIX The ARGUMENT This Psalm was doubtless composed upon the sad occasion of the destruction of Judaea and Jerusalem either by Antiochus or rather by the Chaldaeans as may be gathered from 1 Macc. 7. 16 7. where in the relation of the persecution of Antiochus the second and third Verses of this Psalm are cited A Psalm ‖ Or â—…or Asaph of Asaph 1 O God the heathen are come a As Invaders and Conquerors unto thine inheritance b Into Canaan and Iudaea which thou didst chuse for thine inheritance * â—…al 74. 5. thy holy temple have they defiled c By entring into it and touching and carrying away its holy Vessels and shedding blood in it and burning of it they have laid Jerusalem on heaps d Made of the ruines of those goodly houses which they burned or threw down 2 The dead bodies of thy servants e Either 1. Of thy faithful and holy servants whom they used as cruelly as the worst of the people Or 2. Of the Jews whom though the generality of them were very wicked he calleth God's Servants and Saints because they were all such by profession and some of them were really such and the Chaldaeans did never know nor regard those that were so but promiscuously destroyed all that came in their way have they given to be meat unto the fowls of heaven f By casting them out like dung upon the face of the earth and not suffering any to bury them the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth 3 Their blood they shed like water g Plentifully and contemptuously valuing it no more than common water round about Jerusalem * Psal. 141. 7. Jer. 14. 16. and 16. 4. and there was none to bury them h Because their friends who should have done it were either slain or fled or were not permitted or durst not undertake to perform that Office to them 4 * Psal. 44. 13. We are become a reproach to our neighbours a scorn and derision to them that are round about us i We who were their terrour and scourge are now neither feared nor pityed but become the matter of their scoffs and reproaches See Psal. 80. 6. and 137. 7. Ezek. 35 2 12 c. 5 * Psal. 89. 46. How long LORD wilt thou be angry for ever shall thy jealousie burn like fire 6 * Jer. 1â—… 25. Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen k Though we confess that we have deserved thy wrath yet the Heathen by whom thou hast scourged us deserve it much more as being guilty of far greater impieties than we living in gross ignorance and contempt of God and of his worship And therefore we pray transfer thy wrath from us to them that have not known thee and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name k Though we confess that we have deserved thy wrath yet the Heathen by whom thou hast scourged us deserve it much more as being guilty of far greater impieties than we living in gross ignorance and contempt of God and of his worship And therefore we pray transfer thy wrath from us to them
7 For they have devoured Jacob l The posterity of Iacob whom thou didst love and with whom and his Seed thou madest a sure and everlasting Covenant whereby thou didst ingage thy self to be an enemy to their enemies Exod. 23. 22. Besides thou haâ—…est cruelty especially when the wicked devour those who are more righteous than themselves Habak 1. 13. and laid waste his dwelling place 8 * Isa. 64. 9 O remember not against us ‖ Or the iniquities of them that were before us former iniquities m The sins committed by our Forefathers and by us who have filled up the measure of their sins for which we confess thou hast most righteously brought this desolating judgment upon us let thy tender mercies n Upon which all our confidence is fixed for merit and righteousness we have none See Dan. 9 7 9. speedily prevent us o Prevent our utter extirpation which we have deserved and have great reason to expect for we are brought very low p Past the hopes of all humane help and therefore the glory or our deliverance will be wholly thine 9 Help us O God of our salvation q From whom we have oft received and from whom alone we now expect salvation for the glory of thy name r Which is now obscured by the insolency and blasphemy of thine enemies who ascribe this Conquest to their Idols and triumph over thee no less than over thy people as one unable to deliver them out of their hands See Dan. 3. 15. and deliver us and †Heb. attone or expiate purge away our sins for thy names sake 10 * Psal. 42. 10. and 115. 2. Wherefore should the heathen say Where is their God! s He whom they served and of whom they boasted He is lost and gone or grown impotent or idle Let him be known among the heathen t By the expectation of his judgments upon them according to Psal. 9. 16. in our sight u That we may live to see it and praise thy name for it by the †Heb. vengeance revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed 11 Let * the sighing of the prisoner u Of thy poor people now in prison or at least in captivity come Psal. 102. 20. before thee according to the greatness of †Heb. thine arm thy power †Heb. reserve the children of death preserve thou those that are appointed to die x Heb. the children of death i. e. Which were either designed to death or in manifest danger of it as being wholly in the power of their cruel and barbarous enemies 12 And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom y i. e. Either 1. Abundantly as this Phrase notes Isa. 65. 6 7. Ier. 32. 18. Luke 6. 38. Or 2. Sensibly so as it may come home to them and fall heavily upon them in their own persons there reproach wherewith they have reproached thee z As impotent or unfaithful or unmerciful to his own people So they intimate that this dedesire did not proceed from a revengeful mind but from a due sence of God's favour O Lord. 13 * Psal. 9â—… 7. So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever we will shew forth thy praise †Heb. to generation and generation to all generations PSAL. LXXX The ARGUMENT This Psalm was Composed either 1. Upon the same ocasion with the former to wit the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldaeans as most conceive Which yet seems not probable because here is no mention of the Temple nor of Jerusalem as there is in the foregoing Psalm nor of the Tribe of Judah which was most concerned in that desolation but of Joseph Verse 1. and of the Tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh which were carried captive long before that time nor do the expressions of this Psalm import such a desolating judgment as those of the former do Or 2. Upon occasion of the captivity of the ten Tribes as some others think But why then is Benjamin named which is none of that number nor went into captivity with them but was joyned with Judah Or 3. Upon occasion of some other calamity or calamities which befel the Tribes of Israel after their division into two Kingdoms and before the captivity and destruction of either of them In which time all â—…he evils mentioned in this Psalm did befal them sometimes in one Tribe or part and sometimes in another as is manifest from their History To the chief musician upon Shoshannim-Eduth a It seems to be the name of a Musical Instrument though many separate the latter part of the word from the former and expound Eduth a testimony or witness between God and his people of his relation to them and of their dependence upon him a Psalm ‖ Or for Asaph of Asaph 1 GIve ear O shepherd of Israel b Thou who hast undertaken to seed and govern thy people of Israel as a shepherd doth his flock now perform thine Office and rescue thy â—…ock from those grievous Wolves which devour and destroy them thou that leadest c Or didst lead formerly though now thou hast forsaken them Ioseph d i. e. The Children of Ioseph or of Israel as he now said this Clause being but a repetition of the former in other words Compare Psal. 77. 15. And the name of Ioseph the most eminent of the Patriarchs both for his dignity and piety and the right of primogeniture transferred upon him from Reuben 1 Chron. 5. 1. is elsewhere put for all the ten Tribes as Ezek. 37. 16 19. Amos 5. 6 15. and 6. 6. Zech. 10. 6. And for all the Tribes as Psal. 81. 5. Obad. v. 18. like a flock thou that dwellest between the cherubims e Which were the Mercy-seat above the Ark. By which title he prudently and piously minds the ten Tribes of their revolt from God and of the vanity of their superstitious Addresses to their Calves at Daâ—… and Bethel and of the necessity of their returning to the true worship of God before the Ark at Ierusalem if they desired or expected any relief from him And by this title it seems more than probable that this Psalm was not made upon occasion of the Babylonish Captivity in and after which time there was no Ark nor Cherubims nor do I remember that David or any Prophets did then apply themselves to God by that Title See Dan. 9. shine forth f Out of the clouds wherein thou seemest to hide thy self Shew forth thy power and goodness to and for thy poor oppressed people in the face of thine and their Enemies 2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh g i. e. Before all the Tribes of Israel for whom he mentions onely these three Tribes either 1. Because of their special relation to Ioseph here named Vers. 1. Ephraim and Manasseh being his Sons and
unrighteous decrees which they have made in form of Laws Or by false pretences of law Or against law against all right and the laws both of God and men 21 They gather themselves together against the soul f Against the life as the soul commonly signifies and as the next clause explains it They are not satisfied with the spoil of their estates but do also thirst after their lives of the righteous and condemn the innocent blood g They shed the blood of those innocent persons whom they have wickedly condemned Innocent blood is here put for the blood or life of an innocent person as it is also 1 Sam. 19. 5. Mat. 27. 4. 22 But the LORD is my defence and my God is the rock of my refuge 23 And * Psal 7. 16. he shall bring upon them their own iniquity h i. e. The fruit and punishment of their sins and shall cut them off in their own wickedness i Either in the midst of their sins Or by their own wicked devices the mischief whereof he will cause to fall upon their own heads yea the LORD our God k The God of Iacob of whom they said that he did not see nor regard them but now they find the contrary proved to their cost shall cut them off PSAL. XCV The Author of this Psalm was David as is affirmed Heb. 4. 7. and although the Psalm be delivered in general terms as an invitation to mankind to yield unto the true God that praise and worship and obedience which he requireth and deserveth yet it hath a special reference to the days of the Messiah of which Christians have no great reason to doubt seeing it is so understood by the Hebrew Doctors themselves as also by the Apostle Heb. 3. 7 c. and especially Heb. 4. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. where he not onely expounds it of those times but proves that it cannot be meant of the former times and state of the Church 1 O Come let us a He speaks to the Israelites whose backwardness to this work in the times of the Gospel was foreseen by the spirit of God which dictated this Psalm sing unto the LORD let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation 2 Let us †Heb. 〈◊〉 his face Isai. 3â—… 33. come before his presence b Which he will then afford us in a singular manner in his Son the Messiah in and by whom he will be visibly present with the Sons of men with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms 3 For * Psal. â—…6 4. 135. 5. the LORD is a great God and a great King above * Psal. 86. 8. all gods c Above all that are accounted and called Gods Angels and Earthly Potentates and especially the false gods of the Heathens which upon Christs coming into the World were struck dumb and could no more deliver their Oracles as Platarch and other Heathens observed with admiration nor deceive the World but were forced to give place to the true God and to the knowledge and worship of him alone which was propagated among all Nations by the Gospel 4 †Heb. in 〈◊〉 In his hand d Under his Government are the deep places e Those parts which are far out of mens sight and reach and much more those that are at mens disposal of the earth ‖ Or the 〈◊〉 of the hills 〈◊〉 his the strength of the hills f The strongest or highest Mountains are under his feet and at his disposal The fence of the Verse is All the parts of the Earth whether high or low are subject to his power and providence and therefore it is not strange if all the Nations of the Earth be brought to the acknowledgment of him and if the Gentiles receive his Gospel is his also 5 †Heb. whos 's the sea is The sea is his and he made it and his hands formed the dry lands 6 O come let us worship and bow down let us kneel g By which expressions he teacheth that even in Gospel times God is to be glorified and worshipped as well with the members of our bodies as with the faculties of our Souls before the LORD our maker 7 For he is our God h In a peculiar manner and therefore it will be most unreasonable and abominable for us to forsake him when the Gentiles submit to his law and * Psal. â—…9 1â—… 80. 1. 10â—… 3. we are the people of his pasture i Whom he feedeth and keepeth in his own proper Pasture or in the land which he hath appropriated to himself and the sheep of his hand k Which are under his special care and conduct or government which is oft expressed by the hand as Numb 4. 28. and 31. 49. Judg. 9. 29. * Heb. 3. 7. 4. 7. to day l i. e. Forthwith or presently as this word is used Deut. 4. 4 8. and 27. 9. Ios. 22. 16 18 c. Or this day in this solemn day of grace or of the Gospel which the Psalmist speaks of as present according to the manner of the Prophets And this word though belonging to the following clause as appears from Heb. 3. 7. may seem to be thus placed to shew that it had some respect to the foregoing words also For the sence of the place may be this We Jews are or shall be the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand God will still own us for his people this day i. e. in the days of the Messiah if this day or in that time we shall hear his voice Otherwise God will reject us and receive the Gentiles in our stead if ye will hear his voice m If you will hearken to his call and obey his further commands Which may be added as a necessary caution and admonition to the Israelites that they might understand and consider that Gods presence and favour was not absolutely necessarily and everlastingly fixed to them as they were very apt to believe but was suspended upon the condition of their continued obedience which if they violated they should be rejected and the Gentiles performing it should be received to his mercy And this clause may be connected either 1. with the former words as the condition of their interest in God as their God as was now said Or 2. with the following Verse If you are willing to hearken to Gods call delivered by his Son take the following counsel 8 Harden not your hearts n By wilful disobedience and obstinate unbelief rebelling against the light and resisting the Holy Ghost and his clear discoveries of the truth of the Gospel * Exod. 17. 2 7. Numb 14. 2â—… 20. 13. Deut. 6. 16. as in the †Heb. conâ—… tion provocation o As you did in that hold and wicked contest with God in the Wilderness Or As in Meribah which was the
governing himself or others well and prudently 6. To understand a proverb and ‖ 〈◊〉 an eloâ—… speech the interpretation q i. e. The Interpretation of a Proverb by a Figure called Hendiaduo or the meaning and use of the wise sayings of God or of men to know this practically and for his direction and benefit for practice is the great design of this Book the words of the wise and their dark sayings r Such as are hard to be understood by inconsiderate and ungodly men but to be found out by diligent and humble enquiry 7. * Job 28. 28. Psal. 111. 10. Chap. 9. 10. Eccl. 12. 13. The fear of the LORD s Reverence and obedience to God or his Worship and Service as this word is commonly used is ‖ Or the principal part the beginning t Either the Foundation or the Top and Perfection or chief Point without which all other knowledge is vain and useless of knowledge but fools u Wicked men called Fools through this whole Book such as do not fear God despise wisdom and instruction x Are so far from attaining true Wisdom that they despise it and all the means of getting it Which fully proves what he now said that the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom 8. My son y He speaks to his Scholars with paternal Authority and Affection to make them more attentive and obedient Teachers among the Hebrews and others were commonly called Fathers and their Scholars their Sons * Chap. 6. 20. hear the instruction of thy father z His good and wholsome Counsels but not such as are contrary to Gods Law Prov. 19. 27. and forsake not the law of thy mother a Those pious instructions which thy Mother instilled into thee in thy tender years See Prov. 31. 1. 2 Tâ—…m 1. 5. 3. 14 15. This he adds because Children when grown up are very prone to sleight their Mothers advice because of the infirmity of their Sex and because they have not that dependence upon and Expectation from their Mothers which they have from their Fathers 9. For they shall be †Heb. an adding an ornament of grace unto thy head and chains about thy neck b This will make thee amiable and honourable in the fight of God and of men whereas the forsaking of those good Counsels will make thee contemptible 10. My son if sinners c Eminently so called as Gen. 13. 13 Psal. 1. 1. 26. 9. such as sell themselves to work all manner of Wickedness particularly Thieves and Robbers and Murtherers as appears from the next verses as also Oppressors and Cheaters by comparing this with v. 19. entice thee consent thou not 11. If they say come with us d We are numerous and strong and sociable let us lay wait for blood e To shed Blood He expresseth not their words which would rather affright than inveigle a young novice but the true nature and consequence of the Action and what lies at the bottom of their specious pretences let us lurk privily f So we shall neither be prevented before nor discovered and punished afterward for the innocent g Harmless Travellers who are more careless and secure and unprovided for opposition than such Villains as themselves without cause h Though they have not provoked us nor deserved this usage from us h This Solomon adds to discover their malignity and baseness and so deter the young Man from association with them 12. Let us swallow them up alive as †Heb. hell Num. 16. 33. the grave i Which speedily covers and consumes dead Bodies See Psalm 55. 15. 124. 3. We shall do our work quickly easily and without fear of discovery and whole as those that go down into the pit k into some deep Pit into which a Traveller falls unawares and is utterly lost and never discovered 13. We shall find all precious substance we shall fill our houses with spoil l As our danger is little so our profit will be great 14 Cast in thy lot among us m i. e. Put in thy Money into our Stock Or rather thou shalt cast thy lot amongst us i. e. thou shalt have a share with us and that equally and by lot although thou art but a Novice and we Veteranes This agrees best with their design which was to allure him by the promise of advantage let us all have one purse n Or. we will have c. One Purse shall receive all our profits and furnish us with all expences So we shall live with great facility and true friendship 15. My Son * Ch. 4. 14. walk not thou in the way with them o Avoid their courses and their conversation and company refrain thy foot from their path p When thou hast any thought or inclination or temptation to follow their counsels or examples suppress it and restrain thy self as it were by force and violence as the word implies 16. * Isa. 59. 7. Rom. 3. 15. For their feet run q They make hast as it follows without considering what they are doing to evil r To do evil to others as was expressed v. 11 12. which also will bring evil upon themselves and make hast to shed blood s To shed innocent blood which is an inhumane and dangerous practice 17. Surely in vain the net is spread †Heb. in the eyes of every thing that hath a wing in the sight of any bird t The design of these words is to set forth the folly of these men by the similitude of a Bird which yet is very variously applied and understood by divers Interpreters But I shall not confound the Reader with the rehearsal of them This Clause in vain upon the understanding whereof the whole depends may be understood either 1. in respect of the Fowler So the sense is The Fowler who spreads his Net in the sight of the Bird loseth his labour because the Bird perceiving the danger will not be tempted to come to the Bait but flees away from it But or yet these as the first words of the next Verse may well be and by the Chaldee Translator are rendred are more foolish than the silly Birds and though they are not Ignorant of the danger and mischief which these evil courses will bring upon themselves which I have here represented yet they will not take warning but madly rush upon their own ruine Or 2. in respect of the Bird. So the sense is The silly Bird although it see the spreading of the Net yet is not at all instructed and cautioned by it but through the greediness of the Bait rusheth upon it and is taken by it And these men are not one jot wiser but albeit they know and find that by these practises they expose themselves to the justice of the Magistrate and to the vengeance of
and countenance as Psal. 10. 4. In whose heart Pride rules is an abomination to the LORD though hand join in hand n Though they have many Friends and Assistants See the same Phrase Prov. 11. 21. he shall not be †〈…〉 unpunished 6 By mercy and truth o Either 1. By Gods Mercy or Grace and by his truth in performing his Promises made to sinners in Christ. Or 2 By mens Mercy and Truth as those very words are jointly used Prov. 3. 3. 20 28. and elsewhere and as in the following clause the fear of the Lord is a Grace or Disposition in men by a merciful and just and faithful frame of heart and course of Life which are here opposed to Sacrifices as mercy is Hos. 6. 6. by which the hypocritical Jews expected to obtain the expiation of their sins iniquity is †〈…〉 purged p Not meritoriously but instrumentally as they qualifie a man to offer up acceptable Prayers to God for the Pardon of his sins and to receive and apply to himself that pardon which Christ by his Blood hath purchased for all sincere Believers who are filled with Mercy and Truth and other Graces and by the fear of the LORD q By a filial Reverence or Respect unto God and by an holy fear of offending God and by a dread of Gods judgments men depart from evil r They are kept from abusing pardoning Mercy and from returning to Folly or Wickedness So he sheweth that Justification and Sanctification are constant and inseparable Companions 7 When a mans ways please the LORD he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him s By disposing their hearts to kindness towards him 8 * Psal. 37. 16. Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right t This was in effect said before Prov. 15. 16. and is here repeated partly because of the great importance and usefulness of this truth and partly because men are very hardly brought to a serious belief of it 9 * Ver. 1. A mans heart deviseth his way u Considers and proposeth to himself what he will do but the LORD directeth his steps x Over-ruleth and disposeth all their designs and actions as he pleaseth and not as they list 10 †Heb. diviâ—… A divine sentence y Heb. Divination which is somtimes taken in a good sense for Prudence as it is Isa. 3. 2. A great sagacity and piercing judgment to discern dubious and difficult cases is z Or should be for the verb is wanting in the Hebrew and this may be supplied as well as is And he seems not so much to speak of the matter of Fact as if it were thus in all Kings which is notoriously and confessedly untrue as of the duty of Kings in whom Wisdom is a necessary qualification For thus the two following Proverbs concerning Kings v. 12. 13. must be understood otherwise they are repugnant to common Experience in the lips of the king a Either 1. Of wise Kings who onely are worthy of that Name and Office King being here put for a wise King as a Name is put for a good Name and a Woman for a good Woman Eccles. 7. 28. and then this is true in fact as it was in David 2 Sam. 14. 17. and in Solomon 1 Kin. 3. 28. Or 2. Of Kings in general in the sense before given for seeing the word is generally expressed without any limitation both here and v 12 13. it may seem presumption to confine it to those few Kings which are or were wise and good * Chap. 20. 8. his mouth transgresseth not b Or Shall or should not transgress or go beyond the bounds of Religion and Justice in judgment 11 * Lev. 19. 36. Chap. 11. 1. A just weight and balance are the LORD's c Are Gods work as it follows made by his direction and appointment so as no man can corrupt or alter them without violating Gods Rights and Authority and incurring his displeasure †Heb. all the stones all the weights d Heb. the stones which they then used as weights See on Prov. 11. 1. of the bag are his work 12 It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness e They should not onely abstain from all wicked practices but abhor them both in their own persons and in all their servants and subjects It is too plain that he speaks not of the common practice but of the duty of Kings as on v. 10. And such affirmative expressions are oft used in Scripture to express mens duty onely as 1 Cor. 6. 19. your body is i. e. should be the temple c. and 7. 32. careth c. i. e. ought to care for * Ch. 20. 28. 25. 5. 29. 14. the throne is established by righteousness f And which is implied weakned and sometimes overthrown by unrighteousness and therefore this is necessary for their own security and happiness 13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings g All wise and good Kings do and all Kings should delight in employing such Counsellors Judges and Officers under them as are just and faithful in their Counsels and Sentences and Actions because such bring great honour and advantage to them and they love him that speaketh right 14 * Ch. 19. 12 The wrath of a king is as messengers of death h Is as terrible as if many Messengers were sent to denounce the sentence of death and to execute it but a wise man will pacifie it i Will use all prudent and lawful means to pacifie it 15 In the light of the kings countenance is life k His Favour and smiling Countenance is most sweet and refreshing especially to him that was under a Sentence of death v. 14. and * Ch. 19. 12. his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain l As acceptable as those clouds which brings the latter Rain whereby the fruits are filled and ripened a little before the Harvest of which see Deut. 11. 14. Iob 29. 23. Iam. 5. 7. 16 * Ch. 8. 11 19. How much better m It is inexpressibly and unconceivably better as this Phrase implies Psal. 31. 19. 36. 7. 92. 5. c. is it to get wisdom than gold n Because it brings a man more certain and compleat and lasting comfort and advantage and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver 17 The high-way of the upright o Their common road in which they constantly purpose and desire and customarily use to walk although somtimes through frailty or temptation they slip into the by-paths of sin is to depart from evil p From the evil of sin and consequently from the evil of punishment he that keepeth his way q That takes heed to walk in that high-way preserveth his soul r From that mischief which befalls those that walk
f In that Common-wealth The state of that Kingdom is honourable and comfortable and safe so as good men can shew their faces with courage and confidence but when the wicked rise g Are advanced to Honour and Authority a man is ‖ Or sought 〈◊〉 hidden h The state of that Nation is so shameful and dangerous that wise and good men who only are worthy of the name of men with-draw themselves or run into corners and obscure places partly out of grief and shame to behold the wickedness which is publickly and impudently committed and partly to avoid the rage and injuries of wicked Oppressors and the judgments of God which commonly follow such persons and their confederates in sin Or as others both ancient and later Interpreters render it a man is sought out Sober and good men who had retired themselves are searched for and brought forth like sheep to the slaughter as being most suspected and hated and feared by bloody Tyrants 13 * Ps. 32. 3 5. 1 Joh. 1. 9 10. He that covereth his sins i That doth not confess them as appears by the opposite clause to God and to Men too when occasion requires it That being convinced or admonished of his sins either justifieth ordenieth or excuseth them shall not prosper k Shall not succeed in his design of avoiding punishment by the concealment of his sins shall not find mercy as is implied from the next clause but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them l By hearty dislike and hatred of all his sins and by a resolved cessation from a sinful course of Life This is added to shew that although the dissembling or hiding ones sins is sufficient for his damnation yet meer confession without forsaking of sin is not sufficient for Salvation shall have mercy m Both from God who hath promised and from Men who are ready to grant pardon and favour to such persons 14 Happy is the man n Because he shall thereby avoid that mischief which besals fearless sinners which is expressed in the next clause and procure that eternal Salvation which they lose that feareth o To wit the offence and judgments of God Who having confessed and forsaken his sins as was now said is afraid to return to them again and careful to avoid them and all occasions of them alway p In all times companies and conditions not only in the time of great trouble when even Hypocrites will in some sort be afraid of sinning but in times of outward Peace and Prosperity * Rom. 11. 20. but he that hardeneth his heart q That goeth on obstinately and securely in sinful courses casting off due reverence to God and just fear of his threatnings and judgments shall fall into mischief 15 As a roaring lion and a ranging bear r The Lion and Bear are always cruel and greedy in their natures and especially when they are hungry and want Prey in which case the Lions roar Psal. 104. 21. Isa. 31. 4. and Bears range about for it so is a wicked ruler s Instead of being a nursing Father and a faithful and tender Shepheard as he ought to be he is a cruel and insatiable Oppressor and Devourer of them over the poor people t Whom he particularly mentions either to note his policy in oppressing them only who were unable to withstand him or to revenge themselves of him or to aggravate his sin in devouring them whom the Laws of God and common Humanity bound him to relieve and protect or to express the effect of his ill government in making his people poor by his frauds and rapines 16 The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor u The Tyranny or Oppression of a Prince though by some accounted Wisdom is in truth a manifest act and sign of great folly because it alienateth from him the Hearts of his People in which his Honour and Safety and Riches consist and oft times causeth the shortning of his days either from God who cuts him off by some sudden judgment or from men who are injured by him and exasperated against him but he that hateth covetousness x Which is the chief cause of all oppressions and unjust practices shall prolong his days y By Gods favour the peace and satisfaction of his own mind and the hearty love of his people which makes them careful to preserve his Life by their servent Prayers to God for him by willingly hazarding their own Estates and Lives for him when occasion requires it and by all other possible means 17 A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person z That sheddeth any mans Blood or taketh away his Life unjustly shall flee to the pit a Shall speedily be destroyed being pursued by divine Vengeance and the Horrours of a guilty Conscience and the Avengers of Blood let no man stay him b So it is a prohibition that no man should endeavour to save the Life of a wilful Murderer either by intercession or by offering satisfaction or any other way Of which see Gen. 9. 6. Exod. 21. 14. Numb 35. 31. Or as the ancient and many other Interpreters render it no man shall stay him None shall desire or endeavour to save him from his deserved punishment He shall die without pity being an object of publick hatred 18 * Ch. 10. 25. Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved c To wit from destruction because God hath undertaken and promised to protect him but he that is preverfe in his ways d Heb. in two ways of which Phrase see above on v. 6. shall fall at once e Once for all so as he shall not need a second thrust 1 Sam. 26. 8. and so as he shall never rise more Or in one to wit of his ways Though he hath various ways and arts to secure himself yet none of them shall save him but he shall perish in one or other of them and shall be given up by God to the mistake of his way that he shall chuse that course which will be most pernicious to him 19 * Ch. 12. 11. He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread but he that followeth after vain persons f Chusing their company and imitating their Example who gives up himself to vanity and idleness and so is fitly opposed to the diligent man in the former clause shall have poverty enough 20 * Ch. 13. 11. 20. 21. 23. 4. 1 Tim. 6. 9. A faithful man g Heb. A man of truth or truths who deals truly and justly in all his bâ—…rgains and transactions with men shall abound with blessings * Ch. 13. 11. 20. 21. 23. 4. 1 Tim. 6. 9. but he that maketh haste h More than God alloweth him that taketh the nearest and readiest way to Riches whether it be right or wrong that is unfaithful and unjust in
Consciences made them dread both the present Judgment here and the terrible Consequences of it hereafter Heb. Who shall dwell for us c. i. e. in our stead Who will interpose himself between God's Anger and us How shall we escape these Miseries That this is the Sence of this Question may be gathered from the Answer given to it in the following Verse in which he directs them to the right Course of removing God's Wrath and regaining His Favour 15. He that * Psal. 15. 2. 24. 4. walketh †Heb. in righteousnesses righteously u Who is just in all His dealings with Men of which the following Clauses explain it Which is not spoken exclusively as if Piety towards God were not as necessary as Righteousness towards Men but comprehensively this being one Evidence and a constant companion of Piety and speaketh †Heb. uprightnesses uprightly x Who speaks truly and sincerely what He really intends he that despiseth y That refuseth it not for politick Reasons as Men sometimes may do but from a contempt and abhorrency of injustice the gains of ‖ Or deceits oppressions that shaketh his hands from holding z Or from taking or receiving as this Verb signifies Prov. 4. 4. 5. 5. 28 17. That will not receive much less retain Bribes of bribes that stoppeth his ears from hearing of †Heb. bloods blood a Who will not hearken or assent to any Counsels or Courses tending to shed innocent Blood and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil b That abhorreth the very sight of Sin committed by others and guardeth his Eyes from beholding occasions of Sin of which see on Iob. 31. 1. 16. He shall dwell on †Heb. heights or high places high c Out of the reach of danger his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure d God will furnish him with all necessaries 17. Thine eyes shall see the king e First Hezekiah and then Christ as before in his beauty f Triumphing over all Enemies and Ruling his own People with Righteousness in which two things the beauty and glory of a King and Kingdome doth chiefly consist they shall behold †Heb. the land of far distance the land that is very far off g Thou shalt not be shut up in Ierusalem and confined to thine own narrow Borders as thou hast been but thou shalt have free Liberty to go abroad with honour and safety where thou pleasest even into the remotest Countries because of the great renown of thy King and the enlargement of his Dominions 18. Thine heart shall meditate terrour h This is Either 1. a Premonition concerning a future Judgment as if he said Before these glorious Promises shall be accomplished thou shalt be brought into great straits and troubles Or rather 2. a thankful Acknowledgment of deliverance from a former Danger as if he had said When thou art delivered thou shalt with pleasure and thankfulness recal to mind thy former Terrours and Miseries * 1 Cor. 1. 20. Where is the scribe where is the †Heb. weigher receiver where is he that counted the towers i These Words are Either 1. words of Gratulation and Insultation over the Enemy Thou shalt then say Where are the great Officers of the Assyrian Host They are no where they are not they are dead or slain Or rather 2. the words of Men dismayed and confounded such as proceeded from the Iews in the time of their distress and are here remembred to aggravate the present Mercy For the Officers here mentioned seem not to be those of the Assyrian Army who were actually fighting against the Iews and Ierusalem for then he would rather have mentioned the Captains of the host as the Scripture commonly doth in these cases than the scribes and receivers c. but rather of the Iews in Ierusalem who upon the approach of Sennacherib began to make Military preparations for the defence of the City and to chuse such Officers as were necessary and usual for that end such as these were to wit the scribe whom we call Muster-Master who was to make and keep a List of the Souldiers and to call them together as occasion required The receiver who received and laid out the Money for the Charges of the War and he that counted the Towers who surveyed all the parts of the City and considered what Towers or Fortifications were to be made or repaired for the Security of the City And unto these several Officers the People resorted with great distraction and confusion to acquaint them with all Occurrences or to quicken them to their several Works or to transact Matters with them as occasion required 19. * 2 Kin. 19. 32. Thon shalt not see a fierce people k As Moses said of the Egyptians Exod. 14. 13. So I say of the Assyrians that fierce and warlike People whom thou hast seen with great Terrour near the Walls of Ierusalem thou shalt see them again no more a * Deu. 28. 49. Jer. 5. 15. people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive l A forreign Nation whose Language is abstruse and unknown to thee of a ‖ Or ridiculous or barbarous stammering tongue m Of which see on Isa. 28. 11. that thou canst not understand 20 Look upon Zion n Contemplate Zions beauty and safety and her glorious and peculiar Priviledges It is an Object worthy of thy deepest Meditation the city of our solemnities o This he mentions as the chief part of Zions Glory and Happiness that God was solemnly Worshipped and the solemn Assemblies and Feasts kept in her thine eyes shall see * Psal. 46. 5. 125. 1 2. Ierusalem a quiet habitation a tabernacle that shall not be taken down not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken p Which was but very obscurely and imperfectly fulfilled in the literal Zion but was clearly and fully accomplished in the mystical Zion the Church of God in the times of the Gospel against which we are assured that the gates of Hell shall not prevail Mat. 16. 18. 21. ‖ Or but there glorious is the LORD we shall have a place c. But there q In and about Zion the glorious LORD will be unto us a place †Heb. broad of spaces or hands of broad rivers and streams r Though we have nothing but a small and contemptible Brook to defend us yet God will be as sure and strong a Defence to us as if we were surrounded with such great Rivers as Nilus or Euphrates which were a great security to Egypt and Babylon wherein shall go no galley with oars neither shall gallant ships pass thereby s But although they shall have from God the security of a great
their minds changed by some unexpected occurrent or by their lusts and passions none of which have place in God And therefore I plainly see that all our indeavours and repeated sacrifices are to no purpose and can make no impression in God nor induce him to curse those whom he hath purposed and solemnly and frequently promised to bless hath he said and shall he not do it k Is he like a man that oft speaks and promises what he either never intends or cannot or will not perform or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good 20 Behold I have received commandement to bless l Or I have received a blessing to wit a sentence of blessing which God hath put into my mind and mouth and which I cannot forbear to utter Heb. I have recieved to bless The infinitive put for the noun as is frequent and he hath blessed and I cannot reverse it 21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel m He i. e. God understood v. 20. and expressed v. 19. hath not or doth not behold or see iniquity or perverseness i. e. any sin in Iacob or Israel which cannot be meant of a simple seeing or knowing of him for so God did see and observe yea and chastise their sins as is manifest Exod. 32. 9. Deut. 9. 13. but of such a sight of their sins as should provoke God urterly to forsake and curse and destroy them which was Balaks desire and Balaams hope and design For as Balaam knew that none but Israels God could curse or destroy Israel so he knew that nothing but their sin could move him so to do and therefore he took a right though wicked course afterwards to tempt them to sin and thereby to expose them to ruine Numb 25. And Balaam had now hoped that God was incensed against Israel for their sins and therefore would be prevailed with to give them up to the curse and spoil But saith he I was mistaken I see God hath a singular favour to this people and though he sees and punisheth sin in other persons and people with utter destruction as he hath now done in Sihon and Og and the Amorites yet he will not do so with Israel he winks at their sins forgets and forgives them and will not punish them as their iniquities deserve In this sense God is said not to see sin as elsewhere he is said to forget them Isa. 43. 25. Ier. 31. 34. and to cover them Psal. 32. 1. which keeps them out of sight and so out of mind and to blot them out Psal. 51. 1 9. and to cast them behind his back Isâ—… 3â—… 17. or into the depth of the sea Miâ—… 7. 19. in which cases they cannot be seen nor read And men are oft said not to know or see those sins in their children or others which they do not take notice of so as to punish them And this sence best agrees with the context God hath decreed and promised to bless this people and he hath blessed them and I cannot reverse it ver 20. and he will not reverse it though provoked to do so by their sins which he will take no notice of Others thus He hath not beheld as hitherto he hath not so for the future he will not behold i. e. so as to approve it as that word is oft used as Gen. 7. 1. Isa. 66. 2. Hab. 1. 13. or so as to suffer it injury against Iacob c. For avâ—…n here rendred iniquity is oft used in that sence as Iob 5. 6 7. Prov. 12. 21. 22. 8. And the other word amal rendred perverseness oft notes vexation and trouble as Iob 5. 6 7. Psal. 25. 17. and 36. 4. and the particle bâ—…th rendred in is oft used for against as Exod. 14. 25 and 20. 16. Numb 12. 1. So the sence is God will not see them wronged or ruined by any of their adversaries whereof the following words may be a good reason for God is with him c. the LORD his God is with him n i. e. He hath a favour for this people and will defend and save them So the phrase of Gods being with a person or people signifies as Iudg. 6. 13. Psal. 46. 7. Isa. 8. 10. and the shout of a King is among them o i. e. Such joyful and triumphant shouts as those wherewith a people congratulate the approach and presence of their King when he appears among them upon some solemn occasion or when he returns from battel with victory and spoils The expression implies Gods being their king and ruler and their abundant security and just confidence in him as such And here is an allusion to the silver trumpets which were made by Gods command and used upon great solemnities in which God their king was present in a special manner Numb 10. 9. Ios. 6. 16 20. 1 Sam. 4. 5. 2 Chron. 13. 12. 22 * chap. 24. 8. God brought them out of Egypt p To wit by a strong hand and in spight of all their enemies and therefore it is in vain to seek or hope to overcome them he q Either 1. God last mentioned But so the comparison is mean and unbecoming Or rather 2. Israel whom God brought out of Egypt such change of numbers being very common in the Hebrew language The sence is Israel is not now what he was in Egypt a poor weak dispirited unarmed people but high and strong and invincible hath as it were the strength of an unicorn r Whose great strength and fierceness is celebrated in Scripture Numb 24. 8. Deut. 33. 17. Iob 39. 9. Psal. 22. 21. and 92. 10. But whether it be an Unicorn or a Rhinoceros or a strong and fierce kind of wild goat which is here called reem it is not needful here to determine 23 Surely there is no inchantment ‖ Or in against Jacob s I find by experience and serious consideration that all mine and thine endeavours to enchant Israel are in vain being frustrated by their omnipotent God I can do thee no service by my art against them neither is there any divination against Israel according to this time t Not onely in succeeding times and ages of which he speaks chap. 24. 17 c. but even now in this time and age and so forward it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel What hath God wrought u i. e. How wonderfull and glorious are those works which God is now about to do for Israel by drying up Iordan by subduing the Canaanites c. These things will be matter of discourse and admiration to all ages 24 Behold the people shall rise up x As a lion rowzeth up himself to fight or to go out to the prey so shall Israel stir up themselves to warlike attempts against all their enemies as occasion shall offer it self as * Gen. 49. 9. a great lion and lift up
himself as a young lion he shall not lie down y i. e. Not rest or cease from fighting and pursuing untill he eat of the prey and drink the bloud of the slain 25 And Balak said unto Balaam Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all 26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak Told not I thee saying All that the LORD speaketh that I must do 27 And Balak said unto Balaam Come I pray thee I will bring thee unto another place peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence 28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor z An high place called Beth-peor Deut. 3. 29. i. e. the house or temple of Peor because there they worshipped Baal-peor that looketh toward Jeshimon 29 And Balaam said unto Balak Build me here seven altars and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams 30 And Balak did as Balaam had said and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar CHAP. XXIV 1 AND when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel he went not as at * chap. 23. 3 1â—… other times †Heb. to the meeting of inchantments to seek for inchantments a i. e. To use enchantments which he is said to have done either because when he consulted and sacrificed to God he did also use enchantments and consult with the Devil that if one would not the other might help him or because he consulted God in a magical and superstitious way by using such postures or instruments or forms of words as inchanters used but he set his face toward the wilderness b Where Israel lay encamped either with intent to curse Israel without Gods leave or rather expecting what God of his own accord would suggest to him concerning this matter 2 And Balaam lift up his eyes and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes c In the order appointed Numb 2. and the spirit of God came upon him d i. e. Inspired him to speak the following words and so constrained him again to bless those whom he desired to curse 3 * chap. 23. 7 18. And he took up his parable and said Balaam the son of Beor hath said and the man †Heb. who had his eyes shut but now open whose eyes are open e The eyes either 1. of his body as in the following verse or 2. of his mind which God had opened in a peculiar and Prophetical manner whence Prophets are called Seers 1 Sam. 9. 9. He implies that before he was blind and stupid having eyes but not seeing nor understanding Some render the words having his eyes shut as the Hebrew verb Satham signifies the letters Schin and Samech being frequently exchanged and so the meaning is that he received this revelation either in a dream when mens eyes are simply shut or in an extasie or trance when mens eyes though open are in a manner shut to wit as to the use and exercise of them hath said 4 He hath said which heard the words of God which saw the vision f So called either strictly and properly because he was awake when this was revealed to him or largely and improperly for any extraordinary discovery of Gods mind to him whether sleeping or waking of the Almighty falling into a trance g Or extasy fainting and falling upon the ground as the Prophets used to do See 1 Sam. 19. 24. Ezek. 1. 28. and 3. 23. and 43. 3. Dan. 8. 17 18. and 10. 16. Rev. 1. 17. Others falling suddenly into a sleep as the Prophets sometimes did as Gen. 15. 12. Dan. 8. 18. but having his eyes open 5 How goodly are thy tents O Jacob and thy tabernacles O Israel 6 As the valleys h Which oft-times from a small beginning are spread forth far and wide Others as the brooks or rivers as the word signifies which stretch out and disperse their waters into several channels and sometimes further are they i i. e. The Israelites last mentioned spread forth as gardens by the rivers side k Pleasant and fruitful and secured by a fence as the trees of lign-aloes l An Arabian and Indian tree of a sweet smell yielding good shade and shelter both to man and beast such is Israel famous among the nations and not onely safe themselves but yielding shelter to all that joyn themselves to them which the LORD hath planted m Which are the best of the kind such as not man but God might seem to have planted as the best of all sorts are ascribed to God as the trees hills cities of God c. Compare Psal. 104. 16. and as cedar-trees n Which are famous for growth and height and strength and durableness whence Sâ—…lomons Temple was built of this wood 1 King 6. 9 10. beside the waters o Where trees thrive best 7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets p He i. e. God will abundantly water the valleys gardens and trees which represent the Israelites ver 6. i. e. he will wonderfully bless his people not onely with all outward blessings of which a chief one in those parts was plenty of water but also with higher gifts and graces with his word and spirit which are oft signified by watets Ioâ—… 3. 5. 4. 10. 7. 38 35. and at last with eternal life the contemplation whereof made Balaam desire to die the death of the righteous Others thus God shall make his posterity numerous for the procreation of Children is oft signified by waters fountains cisterns c. as Psal. 68. 26. Prov. 5. 15 18. 9. 17. Isa. 48. 1. But there is no necessity of flying to Metaphors here and therefore the other being the literal and proper sence is by the laws of good interpretation to be preferred before it and his feed shall be in many * Deut. 8. â—… waters q This also may be literally understood of their seed which shall be sown in waterish ground and therefore bring forth a better increase Isa. 32. 20. Others thus His seed shall be so numerous that it shall branch forth into many people the several tribes being reckoned and sometimes called several people Or his seed shall rule over many people or nations which are sometimes signified by many waters as Psal. 144. 7. Isa. 57. 20. Ier. 47. 2. Rev. 17. 15. But here also the literal sence seems best and his king r i. e. The King of Israel either God who was in a peculiar manner their King or Ruler Numb 23. 21. Iudg. 6. 23. 1 Sam. 8. 7. Isa. 33. 22. or their chief governour or governours whether King or others for Moses is called their king Deut. 33. 5. and the Judges were in a mâ—…ner Kings shall be higher than Agag s i. e. Than the king of the Amalekites which â—…ing and people were famous and potent in that age ver 20. as
of the Legal Sacrifices and the Substitution of a better instead of them * Isa. 50. 5. mine ears hast thou †Hbb. digged opened y Heb. bored The Sence is Either 1. Whereas many men have no Ears to hear as is implyed Revel 2. 7 11 17. or stop their Ears as Psal. 58. 4. Zech. 7. 11. thou hast given me open Ears to hear and obey thy Precepts as this Phrase is used Isa. 50. 5. although indeed there is another Verb in that Text which much alters the Case Or 2. I have wholly devoted my self to thy perpetual Service and thou hast accepted of me as such and signified so much by the boring of mine Ears according to the Law and Custom in that Case Exod. 21. 5 6. Deut. 15. 17. And whereas onely one Ear was then bored and here it is Ears this may be either an Enallage of the plural Number for the singular whereof divers instances have been given Or else it may be so expressed Emphatically to intimate that Christ was more strictly obliged to a more universal Obedience not onely Active to which the Legal Servants were bound but Passive also to be obedient even unto the Death to which they were not Obliged The LXX Jewish Interpreters whom the Apostle follows Heb. 10. â—… Translate these Words A Body hast thou prepared me Wherein though the Words differ the Sence is the same for the Ears suppose a Body to whom they belong and the preparing of a Body implies the preparing or disposing of the Ears and the Obligation of the Person for whom a Body was prepared to serve him who prepared it which the boring of the Ear signifies burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required 7. Then z When I understood and Considered thy Mind and Will therein expressed v. 6. said I a Either within my self by a firm purpose Or unto thee by way of Promise or Engagement Lo I come b He may seem to speak like a Servant answering to the Call of his Master and signifying his Readyness to obey him in which Sence it may be Accommodated to David But the Servants Answer is usually expressed in Scripture by another Phrase Here am I and never to my Remembrance in these Words Besides this Phrase in that Sence seems not to be Proper in this place but rather Lâ—… I heâ—… which best suits with the foregoing Words mine Ears hast thou opened But these Words do most Literally and â—…ruly belong to Christ and the Sence is this Seeing thou requirest a better Sacrifice than those of the Law Lo I do offer my self to Come and I will in due time Come to wit from Heaven or iâ—… the Flesh or into the World as this Phrase is more fully expressed and explained in divers places of Scripture and particularly Heb. 10. 5. where this place is explained and applied to Christ. in the Volume of the book it is †written of me c These two Words Volume and Book are indifferently used of any Writing and both Words seem here to express the same thing as may appear by Comparing Ier. 36. where we have the very same Words and what is called the Roll or Volume of a Book v. 2. 4. is called simply a Roll or Volume v. 6. 20 21. and the Book v. 10. 13. it being usual with the Hebrews to joyn two Words together in like manner of which we have an instance here above v. 2. Miry Clay Heb. Clay of Mire Now this Volume of the Book is meant Either 1 Of the Book of Predestination in which Christ was written as being fore-ordained before the Foundation of the World 1 Pet. 1. 20. But that is a secret Book not to be Read by any man Living and therefore not fitly alledged as an Evidence in this Matter Or 2. Of a Legal Instrument wherein the Contract was drawn between God and him wherein he did oblige himself to serve God and to Execute his Will in all things it being the manner of the Hebrews to write their Contracts in a little Volume or Book But 1. We Read of no such usage among the Hebrews in the Contracts between Master and Servant but onely of the boring of the Servants Ear Exod. 21. 6. So the Foundation of this allusion is destroyed 2. At least there was no such Contract written between God and him And if it be said that he onely speaks thus by way of allusion that is but a Supposition without ground And when the Words may be properly understood as they sound of a thing really done why should we forsake the plain Sence without Necessity 3. The Phrase here used doth not agree to this Sence for then he should have said I am written in the Volume of the Book i. e. In the Catalogue of thy Servants for in that Case the Persons or their Names are Constantly said to be written as Exod. 32. 32 33. Psal. 69. 28. Dan. 12. 1. Luk. 10. 20. Heb. 12. 23. Revel 13. 8. and 20. 15. and 21. 27. and not any thing to be written of them as it is here Or 3 Of the Holy Scriptures In which something indeed was written concerning David Namely that he was a man after God's own Heart 1 Sam. 13. 14. But it must be remembred that those Books were not written till after David's Death in whose time here was no other Book of Scripture exstant but the five Books of Moses unless you will except the Book of Ioh. And therefore this is meane of the Law of Moses which is commonly and Emphatically called the Book and was made â—…p in the form of a Roll or Volume as the Hebrew Books generally were See Ezâ—…k 3. 1 2. 3. Zech. 5. 1 2. Luk. 4. 17. 20. And so this place manifestly points to Christ and must necessarily be understood of him and of him onely concerning whom much is said in the Books of Moses as is Evident from Luk. 24. 27. 44. Ioh. 5. 46. Act. 3. 22. and 26. 22. and 28. 23. And this Sence being plain and Natural and unforced and exactly agreeing both with the Words and with the truth of the thing and with the Belief of all Christians I see no reason why I may not acquiesce in it 8. * Psal. 119. 16. 24. 47. 92. Rom. 7. 22 I delight to do thy will d This though in a general Sence it may be true of David and of all God's People yet if it be Compared with the â—…ing Verse and with the Explication thereof in the Neâ—… Testament in which those Mysteries which were darkly and doubtfully expressed in the Old Testement are fully and clearly revealed must be appropriated to Christ of whom it is eminently true and is here observed as an Act of Heroical obedience that he not onely resolved to do but deligâ—…ted in doing the Will of God or what God had Commanded him and he had promised to do which was to dye and that a most shameful and painful