Chron. 2. must be added to the 20000 measures of wheat and the twenty measures of pure oil here expressed and the whole sum is to be made up from both places that Book of Chronicles being written to supply and compleat the Histories of the Books of Samuel and of the Kings thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year y Either First For sustenance to the Workmen during the Years wherein they were employed in the cutting down and hewing of the Timber Or Secondly For the Yearly support of the Kings House during the said time And these words being left out in â—… Chron. 2. may seem to favour their opinion that these places speak of divers passages and several Recompences the one given to the King's House the other to the Labourers although the Argument is not cogent and this might be omitted there either because it was sufficiently implied in the nature of the thing or because it had been plainly expressed here 12 And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom z i. e. He increased in Wisdome more and more which is here mentioned because he shewed his Wisdom in all his Transactions with Hiram * Chap. 3. 12. as he promised him and there was * Judg. 4 17. peace between Hiram and Solomon and they two made a league together 13 ¶ And king Solomon raised a ‡ Heb. tribute of men levy out of all Israel and the levy was thirty thousand men a Which were to be Employed in the most honourable and easie parts of the Work relating to the Temple in manner expressed ver 14. And these were Israelites but those 150000 mentioned ver 15. were Strangers by comp this with Chap. 9. 21 22. If it seem strange to any man that so many Thousands should be employed about so small a Building as the Temple was it must be considered 1. That the Temple all its parts being considered was far larger than men imagine of which more hereafter 2. That it is probable that they were employed by turns as the 30000 were ver 14. else they had been oppressed with hard and uninterrupted Labours 3. That the Timber and Stone hewed and carried by them was designed not onely though principally for the Temple but also for Solomon's own Houses and Buildings because we read of no other Levy of Men nor of any great care and pains taken after the Building of the Temple for the procurement or preparation of Materials for his own Houses or his other Buildings which implies That that Work was done before nay that this very Levy of Men was made and employed for the building of the Lords house and Solomons house and Millo and the wall of Ierusalem and Hazor and Megiddo and Gezer is expressed 1 King 9. 15. which may fully satisfie that scruple 14. And he sent them to Lebanon ten thousand a month by courses a month they were in Lebanon and two months at home and * Chap. 4. 6. Adoniram was over the levy 15 And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens and fourscore thousand hewers b Either of Timber or rather of Stones for Hiram had taken care for the Timber in the mountains 16 Besides the chief of Solomons officers which were over the work three thousand and three hundred c Whereof 3000 were set over the 150000 expressed ver 15. each of these over 50 of them and the odd 300 were set over these 3000 each of these to have the oversight of ten of them to take an account of the Work from them But in 2 Chron. 2. 18. these Overseers are said to be 3600. Answ. The 300 added in 2 Chron. 2. might be a reserve to supply the places of the other 3000 yea or of the 3300 as any of them should be taken off from the Work by Death or Sickness or Weakness or necessary occasions which was a prudent Provision and not unusual in such like cases And so there were 3600 Commissioned for the Work but onely 3300 employed at one time and therefore both Computations may fairly stand together Some Learned men add That those 3600 were Strangers which indeed is manifest from 2 Chron. 2. 17. And that those 3300 were a distinct number of Men and Israelites which were set over all the rest both Strangers and Israelites who therefore are here called the chief of Solomons officers and are said to rule over the workmen whereas all that is said of those 3600 2 Chron. 2. 18. is that they were overseers to set the people a work Which may deserve further consideration Others say That the 300 added in 2 Chron. were Overseers of the Tyrian Workmen in Mount Lebanon and the rest in all other places or that they were set over some particular and more curious and considerable parts of the Work which ruled over the people that wrought in the work 17 And the king commanded and they brought great stones costly stones d Marble or Porphiry or other Stones of great size and value and hewed stones to lay the foundation of the house e Where they could not afterward be seen and therefore that this was done is mentioned onely as a point of Magnificence except it was intended for a Type or Mystical signification of the Preciousness of Christ who is the foundation of the true Temple the Church of God as â—…e is called Isa. 28. 16. 1 Cor. 3. 11. 18 And Solomons builders and Hirams builders did hew them and the ‖ Or Giblites as Ezek. 27. 〈◊〉 stone-squarers f Heb. the Giblites the Inhabitants of Gebel a place near Zidon named Psal. 83. 7. Ezek. 27. 9 famous for Artificers and Architects Iosh. 13. 5. These are here mentioned apart as distinct from the rest of Hiram's Builders as the most Eminent of them so they prepared timber and stones to build the house CHAP. VI. AND * 2 Chron. 3. 1 it came to pass in the four hundred and fourscore year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt a This Chronological difficulty is too vast and comprehensive to be fully discussed here or to be determined by Unlearned Readers and for the Learned I refer them to what is largely digested in my Latine Synopsis upon this place It may suffice at present to suggest these particulars 1. That Israels coming out of Egypt is variously understood in Scripture and with some latitude so as not onely to note the time when first they came out of Egypt but the time of their being in or coming out of the Wilderness as is manifest from Deut. 4. 45. where the Words in the Hebrew are not after c. as we translate it but in their coming forth out of Egypt And Psal. 114. 1 2 3. When Israel came forth c. Heb. in their coming forth c. And it is not impossible it may be so understood here after they were come out c. to wit compleatly i. e. towards the end
and Bizjothjah 29 Baalah and lim and Azem 30 And Eltolad and Chesil and Hormah 31 And Ziklag and Madmannah and Sansannah 32 And Lebaoth and Shilhim and Ain and Rimmon all the cities are twenty and nine r Obj. Here are 37 or 38 Cities named before how then are they only reckoned 29 Ans. There were only 29 of them which either 1. Properly belonged to Iudah the rest fell to Simeons Lot or 2. Were Cities properly so called i. e. walled Cities or such as had Villages under them as it here follows the rest being great but unwalled Towns or such as had no Villages under them with their villages 33 And in the vale Eshtaol and Zoreah and Ashnah 34 And Zanoah and Engannim Tappuah and Enam 35 Jarmuth and Adullam Socoh and Azekah 36 And Sharaim and Adithaim and Gederah * Or or and Gederothaim fourteen cities s Obj. There are 15 numbred Ans. Either one of them was no City strictly called or Gederah and Gederothaim is put for Gederah or Gederothaim so called possibly because the City was double as there want not instances of one City divided into two parts called the old and the new City So the conjunction and is put for the disjunctive or whereof examples have been given before with their villages 37 Zenan and Hedashah and Migdal-gad 38 And Dilean and Mizpeh and Joktheel 39 Lachish and Bozkath and Eglon 40 And Cabbon and Lahmas and Kithlish 41 And Gederoth Beth-dagon and Naamah and Makkedah sixteen cities with their villages 42 Libnah t Heb. Libnah See Ios. 10. 29. and Ether and Ashan 43 And Jiphta and Ashnah and Nezib 44 And Keilah and Achzib and Mareshah nine cities with their villages 45 Ekron u Here and in the following Verses are contained all the Cities of the Philistines among which are Gath and Askelon which peradventure are here omitted because they were not at this time places of such Power and Eminency as afterwards they were but were the Daughters of some of these following Cities though afterwards the Daughter might overtop the Mother as is usual with her †Towns x Heb. Her Daughters i. e. lesser Cities or great Towns subject to Ekrons Jurisdiction and her villages ‡ Heb. Daughters Numb 21. 25. y i. e. Lesser Towns or Hamlets 46 From Ekron even unto the sea all that lay †near Ashdod with their villages ‡ Heb. by the place of 47 Ashdod with her †towns and her villages Gaza with her * Heb. Daughters * Heb. Daughters towns and her villages unto the river of Egypt and the great sea and the border thereof z i. e. The Sea-Coast and all other Cities Towns and Villages upon it 48 ¶ And in the mountains a i. e. In the higher grounds called Mountains or Hills in comparison of the Sea-Coast Shamir and Jattir and Socoh 49 And Dannah and Kirjath-sannah which is Debir b Which also is called Kiriath-sepher above v. 15. So this City had three Names 50 And Anab and Eshâ—…emoh and Anim 51 And Goshen c See Ios. 10. 41. and Holon and Giloh eleven cities with their villages 52 Arab and Dumah and Eshean 53 And * Janum and Beth-tappuah and 〈◊〉 Janus Aphekah 54 And Humtah and * Chap. 14. 15. Kirjath-arba which is Hebron and Zior nine cities with their villages 55 Maon d Of which see 1 Sam. 23. 25. and 25. 2. Carmel e Nabals Country 1 Sam. 25. and Ziph f Which gave its name to the Neighbouring Mountain 1 Sam. 26. 1. and Juttah 56 And Jezreel and Jokdeam and Zanoah 57 Cain Gibeah and Timnah ten cities with their villages 58 Halhul Bethzur and Gedor 59 And Maarath and Beth-anoth and Eltekon six cities with their villages 60 Kirjath-baal which is Kirjath-jearim and Rabbah two cities with their villages 61 ¶ In the wilderness g So the Hebrews call places either uninhabited by men or having but few Inhabitants Beth-arabah Middin and Secaâ—…ah 62 And Nibshan and the city of salt h So called either from the Salt Sea which was near it or from the Salt which was made in it or about it and Engedi six cities with their villages 63 As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jeruâ—…em i For though Ierusalem was in part taken by Ioshua before this yet the upper and stronger part of it called Zion was still kept by the Iebusites even until Davids time and it seems from thence they descended to the lower Town called Ierusalem and took it so that the Israelites were forced to win it a second time yea and a third time also for afterwards it was possessed by the Iebusites Iudg. 19. 11. 2 Sam. 5. 6 7. the children of Judah could not drive them out k Namely because of their unbelief as Christ could do no mighty work because of the peoples unbelief Mark 6. 5 6. Mat. 13. 58. and because of their Sloth and Cowardise and Wickedness whereby they forfeited Gods help and then they must needs be imporent but this inability was wilful and brought upon them by themselves but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem l The same things which are here said of the children of Iudah are said of the Benjamites Iudg. 1. 21. Hence ariseth a question To which of the Tribes Ierusalem belonged whether to Benjamin as is gathered from Gen. 49. 27. Deut. 33. 12. Ier. 6. 1. or to Iudah as is implied here and Psal. 78. 68 69. Some think that being in the Borders of both it was common to both and promiscuously inhabited by both and it is certain that after the Captivity it was possessed by both Neh. 11. 4. But for the present though it did belong to Benjamin yet the Children of Iudah being possibly very active in the first taking of it by Ioshua as they certainly were after his Death Iudg. 1. 8. they might thereby get some right to share with the Benjamites in the Possession of it It seems most probable that part of it and indeed the greatest part and main body of it stood in the Tribe of Benjamin and hence this is mentioned in the List of their Cities and not in Iudah's List and part of it stood in Iudah's share even Mount Moriah on which the Temple was built and Mount Sion when it was taken from the Iebusites unto this day m When this Book was written whether in Ioshuah's Life and Old Age which continued many years after the taking of Ierusalem or after his Death when this Clause was added here and elsewhere in this Book by some other man of God which must needs be done before Davids time when the Iebusites were quite expelled and their Fort taken CHAP. XVI AND the lot of the children of Joseph a i. e. Of Ephraim and the half Tribe of Manasseh which are here put together in one not because they had but one Lot for
shall despair of me to seek me any more in any coast of Israel so shall I escape out of his hand 2 And David arose and he passed over with tâ—…e six hundred men that were with him unto Achish the son of Maoch king of Gath c it might seem a bold adventure but 1. He thought himself forced to it by Saul's inveterate Rage and continued resolutions to Persecute him 2. It is probable he had sent some persons to Treat with him and had agreed upon conditions and received assurance of his safe and peaceable abode with him 3. David reasonably thought that Achish would gladly receive him as indeed he 〈◊〉 partly because he saw Saul's implacable Enmity against him partly because by this means he should be freed from the most formidable Enemy which he had in all Israâ—…l who might do him most mischief in the Battel which it seems at this time he designed and partly because he came noâ—… now alone as he did before but brought with him sufficient Pledges of his Fidelity to Achish namely all his Souldiers and his and their Wives v. 3. 3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath he and his men every man with his houshold even David with his two wives Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess Nabals wiâ—…e 4 And it was told Saul that Davâ—…d was sled to Gath and he sought no more again for him d By which it is implyed That he would have gone on in Persecuting David if he had continued in his Dominions 5 ¶ And David said unto Achish If I have now found grace in thine eyes let them give me a place in some town in the country that I may dwell there e A prudent desire Hereby David designed 1. To preserve his People both from the Idolatry and other Vices which conversation with the Philistines would have exposed them to and from that envy and malice and mischief which diversity of Religion or other prejudices might have caused 2. That he might have opportunity of enterprizing something against Gods Enemies without the knowledge or observation of the Philistines â—…or why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee f Which is too great an honour for me and too burdensome to thee and may be an occasion of suspicion and offence to thy People and of many other inconveniences 6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag g Not onely to Inhabit but to Possess it as his own Which he did to lay the greater obligations upon David whom he knew so able to serve him that day wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah h It was given to the Tribe of Iudah before Iosh. 15. 31. and afterwards to the Tribe of Simeon Iosh. 19. 5. whose inheritance was given them within the 〈◊〉 of the children of Iudah Chap. 19. 1 But the Philistâ—…nes kept the Possession of it till this time and were hitherto 〈◊〉 to do so And being now given by them to David it now belonged not to the people of the Tribe of Iudah to whom it was allotted before but to the Kiâ—…g of Iudah David and his Heirs for ever unto this day i This and some such Clauses seem to have been added by some Sacred Writers after the main substance of the several Books was written 7 And ‡ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 number 〈◊〉 days the time that David dwelt in the countrey of the Philistines was ‡ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of dayes a full year and four months k Heb. days and four months days being put for a year as Levit. 25. 29. Or some days and four months i. e. Some days above four Months Or some days and for even or that is the Conjunction and being oft so used as hath been proved above four months 8 ¶ And David and his men went up and invaded the Geshurites and the ‖ Or 〈◊〉 Gezrites l Who were anciently seated in other places Iosh. 12. 12. and 16. 3. but for some reasons not now known they changed their Seats as was then very usual and seated themselves and had for some considerable time lived near the Amalekites and the Amalekites m The remnant of those whom Saul destroyed 1 Sam. 15. who fled from his Sword and retired into Remote and Desert places for those nations were ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 eterniâ—…y 〈◊〉 5. 2. of old the inhabitants of the land as thou goest to Shur even unto the land of Egypt 9 And David smote the land and left neither man nor woman alive n To wit in that part where he came but there were more of the Amalekites yet left in another part of that land Chap. 30. 1. and took away the sheep and the oxen and the asses and the camels and the apparel and returned and came to Achish 10 And Achish said ‖ Or did 〈◊〉 make â—… 〈◊〉 c. Whither have ye made a rode to day And David said Against the south of Judah o These and the following Words are Ambiguous for they may be understood either of the Southern parts of Iudah c. which he would have Acâ—…ish understand or of another Country lying Southward from Iudah c. which David meant and which was the truth So though it was not a downright lye yet it was an Equivocation with an intention to deceive which is the formality of a Lye and was contrary to that simplicity which became David both as a Prince and as an Eminent Professor of the true Religion and p For that is for in the following words he particularly expresseth what part of the South of Iudah he went against even that which was Inhabited by the Ieraâ—…meelites and by the Kenites against the south of the Jerahmeelites q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 a Family of Iuâ—… â—… 〈◊〉 2 â—… 〈◊〉 and against the south of the Kenites r 〈◊〉 Posterity of Ieâ—…hro which chose to dwelâ—… in the South of Iudah Iudg. 1. 16. See Numb â—…4 21. 11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring tidings to Gath saying Lest they should tell on us s That the tidings of this Action against this People who were it seems either tributaries to or confederates with Achish might neither come quickly nor certainly to Achish his Court which he might the rather promise himself because Achish and all his Men were now busily imployed in their Warlike preparations against the Israelites and if any flying rumour came thither he thought by his Interest and Artifices he could easily discredit and dash it Besides the consideration of Gods Curse denounced against the People whom he had now destroyed and of Gods particular Promises made to him and of his special Providence which he constantly experienced watching over him made him more secure and confident in this and in many other hazardous attempts saying So did David and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the countrey of the Philistines 12 And Achish
appears to us more dissonant from the Hebrew then any other yet most of the Quotations of the Old Testament which we have in the new are apparently from that Version which learneth us that it is not every private Ministers work to make a new Version of the Scripture but he ought to acquiesce in the Version which God hath provided for the Church wherein he lives and not ordinarily or upon light grounds to enter into a dissent to it and if in any thing he sees it necessary to do it yet not to do it as to a particular text without great modesty and a preface of Reverence This Translation of the Scriptures into a Language understood by all people in that Country into which the Church came was lookt upon so reasonable and necessary as it was opposed by none till the Papists had patched up a Religion for the upholding of which it was necessary for them to maintain That Ignorance was the mother of Devotion after which it was very difficult in any places where these Spiritual Tyrants had a dominion to get the Scriptures translated into the Language of that Country Not to instance in other places I shall give some short account of England Our Records tell us of a Translation of some part of them into the Saxon Language which was then a great part of ours within 700 years after Christ and of the Translation of the whole into the same Language by Beda within 40 years after Beda was himself a Papist but the mystery of iniquity grew up gradually to its height Soon after Bibles which the people could understand were very scarce commodities in England and thus it continued for 600 years Wickliff who lived in the time of Richard the 2d and died 1384. being the first we know of afterward who Translated the Scriptures into a Language understood by any who were not skilled in some or other of the three learned Languages That great man easily understood that without the Scriptures in their own Language the people must take all for the Will of God that their Priests told them was so and that the Popish Priests were generally of ignorance and impudence enough to entitle God to any of their own blasphemies and superstitions But within thirty years after the death of Wickcliff Anno viz. 1414. The Council or Conventicle rather of Constance Decreed all Wickliffs Books to the Fire and though some were spared yet the battel was so hard that there were very few that escaped This was our state till the year 1527 in all which years the poor people of the Land of our Nativity were without a teaching Bible as to the common people and indeed without a teaching Priest yea and for sometime after this as we shall hear In the year 1527. God put it into the heart of Mr. Tindall to Translate the New Testament into English as also 1527. the Five Books of Moses he being then an exile in Germany for his Religion but he lost all his papers upon a Shipwrack in his passage to Hamborough and had his work to begin again which yet that faithful and most unwearied servant of God did accomplish adding some Prefaces to the several Books and some Notes to the particular chapters and verses The publishing of which much netled the Popish Bishops in England and all means were then used to suppress it Amongst others the then Bishop of London advised with one Packington a Merchant of that City concerning the most accommodate mean to that design The Merchant could think of none so probable as with a summe of money to buy up the whole impression The Bishop approving it furnished him with a round summ to that purpose which the Merchant being more a Friend to Mr. Tindal then the Bishop knew sent to Mr. Tindall and had the Impression sent him some few Copies being as we must Sculteti Annales in anno 1532. imagine first sold off with this mony Mr. Tindall supported himself in his exile and was also inabled to go on with his Translation of the other part of the Bible and to prepare a perfect English Bible In the mean time a passage happened so pleasant that I shall think it worth the while here to relate it Sir Thomas More being Lord Chancellor and having several persons accused for Heresie and ready for execution offered to compound with * George Constantine one of them for his Life upon the casie terms of his discovery to him who they were in London that maintained Tindall beyond Sea After that the poor man had got as good a security for his Life as the Honour and Truth of the Chancellour could give him he told him It was the Bishop of London maintained him by sending him a summe of mony to buy up the impression of his Testaments The Chancellour smiled saying that he believed he said true Thus was this poor Confessors Life saved But to return to our story In the year 1536. Mr. Tindall was Martyred at Villefort in Flanders For Translating into English the New Testament and part of the Old saith Sir Richard Baker but his great adversary Sir Thomas More was the year before gone Bakers Chron. p. 282. to his own place being executed for Treason Mr. Tindall and Mr. Coverdale as Mr. Fox telleth us before Mr. Tindalls death had translated the whole Bible But it came out after his death under the name of Thomas Matthews with the addition of the Apocrypha Translated by John Rogers The Lord Cromwel with Archbishop Cranmer presented it to the King and obtained an order from His Majesty for leave for any of his Subjects to read it but this was not without the great regret of the Bishops About thirteen years after this or not so much the Lord Cromwel obtained Letters from King Henry 8. for a subject 1540. of his to Reprint at Paris the Bible in English the King also wrote a Letter to Bonner at that time his Embassador in France to further it Grafton and Whitchurch undertook the work upon what seeming encouragement from Bonner may be read in Mr. Foxes 2d vol. of his Martyrology pr. 1641. p. 515. 516. But how it came to pass I cannot tell though Bonners Treachery was suspected in the case when it was upon the point finished the Copies were seized and ordered to be burnt and the work had wholly ceased but for the Covetousness of the Officer who sold four great dry fatts filled with them to an Haberdasher to lay Caps in By this means having recovered some Copies they came to London and there made a new impression But after this my Lord Cromwel being put to death the Bishops and Popish-party made so great complaint to the King whose warmth for the Reformation much abated in the latter part of his Life That the Sale of the English Bible was again prohibited and the Printer imprisoned and altho the Bishops promised the King they would make a more correct Translation
with a variety of senses we have onely hinted the senses which in our judgment have seemed fairest and least constrained and shortly shewed the consonancy of them to other Scriptures We have avoided all Polemical discourses as no way proper to our design and very rarely hinted those practical conclusions which have arose from the Text when opened the most we have done of that nature is in our discourses upon the Parables Our Reverend Brother designing but two Volumes and the first to end with the Song of Solomon tho since it hath been determined to conclude it with the Prophet Isaiah that all which he lived to finish might be comprehended in one Volume had an hard task to contract his discourses so as to bring them within that compass and thereby was necessitated not to give the entire sense of each verse in his notes but onely of those words or Terms in the verse which he conceived to stand in need of explication referring by letters in the Text to the parts of the Commentary This was not necessary in such parts of the Scripture where the entire sense of the whole Text is given Nor indeed as to some parts is it possible such we mean as are opened harmonically Of which nature are the three first Evangelists It is confessed by all that the Evangelists make up but one entire History tho some of them have some things which the others have not and they seldom agree in the phrases and circumstances of any one piece of History This made it reasonable that with the Interpretation of one Evangelist should be joyned what the others had with reference to the same piece of History Which method hath been accordingly pursued being the same in which the most Iudicious Mr. Calvin and others have gone before us nor indeed could any other course have been taken without a needless writing the same things over again so as that in our Notes upon Mark we have only enlarged in the explication of what he hath which we did not meet with before in Matthew and in the explication of Luke we have onely opened what he hath which was not in Matthew or Mark where they all three concurred or but two of them concurr'd in any story we have opened what they all or both say in our Notes upon the first of them and when we have come to it again in one or both the other we have onely referred to our former Notes John having little which the other Evangelists have we have considered by himself mostly yet sometimes taking in something from him where we found it completory of any thing related by the other Evangelists In magnis voluisse sat est We cannot say that we have left no room for others to come after us and add to or correct what we have said But this we can say in truth that we have not willingly baulked any obvious difficulty and have designed a just satisfaction to all our Readers and if any knot yet remain untied we have told our Readers what hath been most probably said for their satisfaction in the untying of it If it had pleased God to have lent a little longer life to our Reverend Brother the work had very probably been done to greater advantage and more general satisfaction We are but entred upon his Harvest and have wanted his sickle we cannot pretend to any double portion of his Spirit His mantle dropt from him before he was Translated we mean his Synopsis we have taken that up out of that great work of his we have taken so much as we judged proper for his design in this work and made use of a great number of other Authors some of which he left out or very little considered in his Synopsis upon design to make a further use of them in this English work as thinking their labours more proper for this then his other work Our design good Reader was not to tell thee how the Fathers interpreted Texts Aquinas Justinianus and others have done that work nor yet to tell thee any Grammatical niceties or what learned men have critically noted upon Terms or Phrases that is done in the Synopsis Criticorum Nor yet to tell thee what conclusions of Truth may be raised from the verses that hath been done profitably upon many books of Scripture by Mr. Dickson Hutchinson Fergusson Guild Durham and some others much less to handle the controversies that have risen from any portion of Scripture Our work hath been onely to give thee the plain sense of the Scripture and to reconcile seeming contradictions where they occurred and as far as we were able to open Scripture by Scripture which is its own best Interpreter comparing things Spiritual with Spiritual That thy Faith might not stand in the wisdom of men but in the wisdom and power of God If we have reached this end it is all we aimed at if thou gettest any good by what we have done Remember thy Sacrifice is due at another Altar even his who ministreth seed to the sower who both watereth the furrows of the field and blesseth the springing of the Corn let him have the Praise and we onely thy Prayers that we may live an useful Life and dye an happy Death and attain to the Resurrection of the Dead in which we shall all see and understand more perfectly then we yet do Mr. POOL'S English Synopsis OF ANNOTATIONS UPON THE HOLY BIBLE Collected out of the Latin Synopsis Criticorum and divers other Learned Interpreters and Accommodated to the use of Vulgar Capacities GENESIS The ARGUMENT THis Book is called Genesis i. e. Generation or Birth giving an accompt of passages during 2300 years and upwards viz. From the Creation of all things to the death of Joseph In which History Moses by Divine inspiration treats of the Creation of the World with all the parts and uses in it and of it but chiefly of Man who alone was made after God's Image where he lays down God's concessions and prohibitions to him and Man's Transgressioâ—… together with the woful effects and the remedy of them in the promise of a Saviour The Original Progress and Preserâ—…ion of the true Church springing from Abel and carried on by Seth Enoch c. And the ground and rise of Apostasiâ—… begun in Cain and carried on by his posterity separating themselves from the Holy Seed till by their monstrous provocations they had brought an universal Deluge to destroy all mankind from off the Earth excepting only Noah and his Family out of which as the Church did again spring forth so another cursed race carrying on the former enmity to a greater height not only fell into Idolatry after it had continued a considerable time in Sem's race but breaking out into all Outrages and Tyrannical oppressions it was almost extinct among those numerous Nations that Noah's Posterity sprang out into But God calling Abraham into the Land of Promise who was an Idolater in Chaldea and giving him Temporal and
devoted which shall be devoted of men y Not by men as some would elude it but of men for it iâ—… manifest both from this and the foregoing verses that men here are not the persons devoting but devoted Quest. Was it then lawful for any man or men thus to devote another person to the Lord and in pursuance of such vow to put him to death Ans. This was unquestionably lawful and a duty in some cases when persons have been devoted to destruction either by Gods sentence as Idolaters Exod. 22. 20. Deut. 23. 15. the Canaanites Deut. 20. 1â—… the Amalekites Deut. 25. 19. 1 Sam. 15. 3 26. Benhadad 1 King 20. 42. or by men in pursuance of such a sentence of God as Numb 21. 2 3. and 31. 17. or for any crime of an high nature as Iudg. 21. 5. Ios. 7. 15. But this is not to be generally understood as some have taken it as if a Iew might by vertue of this Text devote his child or his servant to the Lord and thereby oblige himself to put them to death which peradventure was Iepthe's errour For this is expresly limited to all that a man hath or which is his i. e. which he hath a power over But the Iews had no power over the lives of their children or servants but were directly forbidden to take them away by that great command thou shalt do no murder And seeing he that killed his servant casually by a blow with a rod was surely to be punished as is said Exod. 21. 20. it could not be lawful wilfully and intentionally to take away his life upon pretence of any such vow as this But for the Canaanites Amalekites c. God the undoubted Lord of all mens lives gave to the Israelites a power over their persons and lives and a command to put them to death And this verse may have a special respect to them or such as them And although the general subject of this and the former verse be one and the same yet there are two remarkable differences to this purpose The verb is active ver 28. and the agent there expressed that a man shall devote but it is passive ver 29 and the agent undetermined which shall be devoted to wit by God or men in conformity to Gods revealed will 2. The devored person or thing is onely to be sold or redeemed and said to be most holy ver 28. but here it is to be put to death and this belongs onely to men and those such as either were or should be devoted in manner now expressed shall be redeemed but shall surely be put to death 30 And * Gen. 28. 22. Num. 18. 21 24. Mal. 3. 8. 10. all the tithe of the land z There are divers sorts of Tithes but this seems to be understood onely of the ordinary and yearly tithes belonging to the Levites c. as the very expression intimates and the addition of the fifth part in case of redemption thereof implies whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree is the LORDS it is holy unto the LORD 31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof 32 And concerning the tithe of the herd or of the flock even of whatsoever passeth under the rod ‖ Either 1. the tithers rod it being the manner of the Iews in tithing to cause all their cattel to pass through some gate or narrow passage where the tenth was marked by a person appointed for that purpose and reserved for the Priest Or 2. the shepherds rod under which the herds and flocks passed and by which they were governed and numbred See Ier. 33. 13. Ezek. 20. 37. the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD 33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad neither shall he change it and if he change it at all then both it and the change thereof shall be holy it shall not be redeemed 34 These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in Mount Sinai ANNOTATIONS ON NUMBERS The ARGUMENT THis Book giveth us an History of almost forty years travel of the children of Israel through the Wilderness where we have an account of their journeys and what happened to them therein with their Government and how they were managed thereby Called Numbers by reason of the several Numbrings of the people as at the offerings of the Princes and at their several journeys c. But especially two One Chap. 1. Out of which the Priests and Levites were excepted but numbred by themselves viz. in the second year after they were come out of Egypt in the first month whereof the Passeover was instituted with the order about the Tabernacle both of the Levites and People and their several marches encampings and manner of pitching their Tents the Priest's maintenance and establishment by the miraculous budding of Aarons rod with the several impediments in their marches both among themselves by several murmurings seditions and conspiracies and from their enemies viz. the Edomites Canaanites over whom having obtained a victory and afterwards murmuring they were stung with fiery Serpents and cured by the brazen one Amorites whose Kings Sihon and Og they overcame and slew and Moabites where by the allurements of Balaam who was hired by Balak to curse Israel they joyned themselves to Baal-peor and are plagued for it that openly opposed them The other chief numbring is in Chap. 26. where they are found almost as many as the first though among them were none of the first numbring according to what God had threatned Chap. 14. save Moses Joshua and Caleb by reason of their desire to return back into Egypt upon the discouraging report of ten of those twelve that Moses sent to spy out the Land whereupon they were forced to wander above 38 years in the wilderness where he gave them several Laws Civil Ecclesiastical and Military as also particular directions about women's inheriting occasioned by the case of Zelophehad's daughters and concerning vows And then brings them back to the borders of Canaan where after divers victories obtained against their enemies they were directed how the Land of Canaan was to be divided among the Tribes and what portion the Levites were to have among them together with six cities of Refuge set apart for the Man-slayer At length Aaron being dead and Eleazar placed in his stead and Moses also having received the sentence of Death doth by God's appointment deliver up the people unto the charge and conduct of Joshua CHAP. I. 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai a Where now they had been a full year or near it as may be gathered by comparing this place with Exod. 19. 1. and 40. 17. and other places in the tabernacle b From the mercy-seat of the congregation on the first day of the second month in the second year after they
God unto all Israel b To wit by the Heads or Elders of the several Tribes or others who were to communicate these discourses to all the people in several Assemblies on this side Jordan in the wilderness in the plain c Either 1. In the vast desert of Arabia But that is no where called a plain Or rather 2. In the plain of Moab as may appear by comparing this with v. 5. and Numb 22. 1. and Deut. 34. 8. Obj. That was far from the Red-Sea here mentioned Answ. The word Suph here used doth not signifie the Red-Sea which is commonly called jam-suph and which was at too great a distance but some other place now unknown to us as also most of the following places are so called from the Reeds or Flags or Râ—…hes which that word signifies that grew in or near it which reason of the name being common to other places with the Red-Sea it is not strange if they got the same name Compare Numb 21 14. over against the ‖ Oâ—… Zuph Red sea between Paran d Not that Numb 10. 12. Which there and elsewhere is called the Wilderness of Paran and which was too remote but some other place called by the same name than which nothing more usual and Tophel and Laban e Places not mentioned elsewhere and Hazeroth f Of which see Numb 11. 35 and 33. 17 18. And these places seem to be the several bounds and limits not of the whole Country of Moab but of the plain of Moab where Moses now was and spake these words and Dizahab 2 There are eleven days journey g This is added to shew that the reason why the Israelites in so many years were advanced no further from Horeb than to these plains was not the great distance of the places or length of the way which was but a journey of eleven days at most but because of their rebellions as is mentioned before and repeated in this book from Horeb h Or Sinai the place where the Law was given which is promiscuously called by both those names by the way of mount Seir i Or Mount Edom i. e. the mountainous Country of Seir which was first possessed by the Horims and afterwards by the Edomites Deut. 2. 12. unto Kadesh barnea k Which was not far from the borders of Canaan See Gen. 16. 14. Numb 13. 26. 3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year in the eleventh month l Which was but a little before his death on the first day of the month that Moses spake unto the children of Israel according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them 4 * Numb 21. 24 33. After he had slain Sihon the King of the Amorite which dwelt in Heshbon and Og the King of Bashan which dwelt at * Josh. 13. 31. Astaroth in Edrei m His palace or Mansion-house was at Astharoth and he was slain at Edrei Numb 21. 33. of both these places see Gen. 14. 5. Jos. 13. 31. 5 On this side Jordan in the land of Moab ‖ Or willed to declare that is willingly declared See Joh. 6. 21. Gr. began Moses to declare this law saying 6 The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb saying ye have dwelt long enough in this mount i Of Horeb where they continued about a years space Exod. 19. 1. Numb 10. 11 12. 7 Turn ye and take your journey and go to the mount of the Amorite k i. e. To the mountainous Country where the Amorites dwelt which is opposed to the plain here following where others of them dwelt And this is first mentioned because it was in the borders of the land See below v. 19 20. The divers pâ—… or bounds of the land are here mentioned and unto †Heb. All his Neighbours all the places nigh thereunto in the plain in the hills and in the vale and in the south and by the sea-side to the land of the Canaanite and unto Lebanon unto the great river the river †Heb. Of Euphrates Euphrates 8 Behold I have †〈◊〉 given set the land before you l Heb. before your faces it is open to your view and to your possession there is no impediment in the way See of this phrase Gen. 13. 9. and 34. 10. go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers * 〈◊〉 12. 7. 〈◊〉 17 7 〈◊〉 18. 26. 〈◊〉 28. 13. Abraham Isaac and Jacob to give unto them and to their seed after them 9 And I spake unto you at that time m i. e. About that time to wit a little before their coming to Horeb. Exod. 18. 18. saying I am not able to bear you my self alone 10 The LORD your God hath multiplyed you and behold ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude 11 * 2 Sam. 24. 3. The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many moe as ye are and bless you * Gen. 15. 5. 22. 17. 26. 4. Exod. 32. 13. as he hath promised you 12 How can I my self alone bear your cumbrance and your burden n The trouble of ruling and managing so perverse a people and your strife o Either your quarrellings with God or rather your coatentions amoung your selves for the determination whereof the Elders were appointed 13 †Heb. 〈◊〉 Take ye wise men and understanding p Persons of Knowledge Wisdom and Experience and known q Men Famous and had in reputation for ability and integrity for to such they would more readily submit among your tribes and I will make them rulers over you 14 And ye answered me and said The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do 15 So I took the chief r Not in Authority which yet they had not but in endowments for good government of your tribes wise men and known and †Heb. gave made them heads over you captains over thousands and captains over hundreds and captains over fifties and captains over tens and officers s Inferiour Officers that were to attend upon the Superiour Magistrates and to execute their decrees among your tribes 16 And I charged your judges at that time saying Hear the causes between your brethren and * Joh. 7. 24. judge righteously between every man and * Lev. 24. 22. his brother and the stranger that is with him t That converseth or dealeth with him To such God would have justice equally administred as to his own people partly for the honour of Religion and partly for the interest which every man hath in matters of common right 17 * Lev. 19. 15. chap 16. 19. 1 Sam. 16. â—… Prov. 24. 23. Ye shall not †Heb. acknowledge faces respect persons u Heb. Not know or acknowledge Faces i. e. Not give sentence according to
these stones 7 Then ye shall answer them That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark h As it were at the sight and approach of the Ark to give it and the Israelites a safe passage of the covenant of the LORD when it passed over Jordan the waters of Jordan were cut off and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever 8 And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan as the LORD spake unto Joshua according to the number of the Tribes of the children of Israel and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged and laid them down there 9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan i Properly so called as Iosh. 3. 17. Qu. How could these stones be a Monument of this work when they were not seen but generally covered with the Waters of Iordan Ans. These stones are not the same with those which a man could carry upon his shoulders v. 5. And therefore might be very much larger and being set up in two rows one above another they might possibly be seen at least some times when the Water was low and especially where the Water was commonly more shallow as it might be ordinarily in this place though not at this time when Iordan overflowed all its banks Add to this That the Waters of Iordan are said to be very pure and clear and therefore these stones though they did not appear above it might be seen in it either by those who stood upon the shore because that River was not broad or at least by those that passed in Boats upon the River who could easily discern them by the peculiar noise and motion of the Water occasioned by that heap of stones And this was sufficient especially considering that there was another more distinct and visible Monument of this Miracle set up in Gilgal in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood and they are there unto this day k This might be written either 1. by Ioshua who wrote this Book near 20. years after this was done Or 2. by some other holy man divinely inspired and approved of by the whole Iewish Church who inserted this and some such passages both in this Book and in the Writings of Moses 10 For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people l i. e. To command the people to do according to all that Moses commanded Joshua m Which he did not particularly but in the general because he commanded Ioshua to observe and do all that God had commanded him by Moses and all that he should command him any other way and the people hasted and passed over n i. e. Passed over with haste which is noted as an Argument of their fear or weakness of their Faith as on the contrary the Priests are commended that they stood firm and fixed and settled in their minds as well as in the Posture of their Bodies 11 And it came to pass when all the people were clean passed over that the ark of the LORD passed over and the priests in the presence of the people o The people looking on and beholding this wonderful work of God with Attention and Admiration 12 And * Numb 32. 20 27. the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and half the Tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the rest of the children of Israel as Moses spake unto them 13 About forty thousand †prepared for war ‡ Or ready armed passed over before the LORD p Either 1. before the Ark by which they as well as the rest passed when they went over Iordan Or 2. in the presence of God who diligently observed whether they would keep their Promise and Covenant made with their Brethren or not unto battel to the plains of Jericho 14 On that day the LORD * Chap. 3. 7. magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel and they feared him as they feared Moses all the days of his life 15 And the LORD spake unto Joshua saying 16 Command the Priests that bear * Exod. 25. 16 22. the ark of the Testimony that they come up q For being now in the middle and lowest and deepest place of the River of which see on Iosh. 3. 17. they are most properly said to ascend or go up to the land which word is thrice used in this and the two next following Verses out of Jordan 17 Joshua therefore commanded the Priests r Who stayed contentedly in the River till God by Ioshua called them out saying Come ye up out of Jordan 18 And it came to pass when the priests that bare the ark of the Covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan and the soles of the priests feet were †lift up unto the dry land ‡ Heb. plucked up that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place s Came down from their heaps and returned with all convenient speed into their proper Channel according to their natural and usual course and †flowed over all his banks as they did ‡ Heb. went before 19 And the people came out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month t To wit of Nisan which wanted but 5 days of 40 years from the time of their coming out of Egypt which was on the fifteenth day of this Month. So punctual is God in the performing of his word whether promised or threatned And this day was very seasonable for the taking up of the Lambs which were to be used four days after according to the Law Exod. 12. 3 6. and incamped in Gilgal u A place so called hereafter upon a following occasion Iosh. 5. 9. So here it is an Anticipation in the east border of Jericho 20 And those twelve stones which they took out of Jordan did Joshua pitch in Gilgal x Which most probably were placed severally and in order like so many little Pillars which was most proper to keep up the remembrance of this miraculous Benefit vouchsafed to this people 21 And he spake unto the children of Israel saying When your children shall ask their fathers †in ‡ Heb. tâ—… 〈◊〉 row time to come saying What mean these stones 22 Then ye shall let your children know saying Israel came over this Jordan on dry land 23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you until ye were passed over as the LORD your God did to the Red-sea * Exod. 〈◊〉 21. which he dried up from before us y i. e. My self and Caleb and all of us here present for this Benefit though done to their Fathers is justly and rightly said to be done
Prophet q Because he did discern and could discover things secret and unknown to others And these are the words Either First Of some later Sacred Writer which after Samuel's Death inserted this Verse Or Secondly Of Samuel who being probably 50 or 60 Years Old at the Writing of this Book and speaking of the state of things in his first Days might well call it before-time Or rather Thirdly Of Saul's Servant who might be now stricken in Years and might speak this either by his knowledge of what was in his Juvenile Years or upon the Information of his Father or Ancestors And so it is a fit Argument to perswade Saul to go to the Man of God that he might shew them their way and where the Asses were because he was likely to inform them for the Prophets were Anciently called Seers because they knew and could reveal hidden things And the meaning is that Anciently they were not Vulgarly called Prophets but Seers only whereas now and afterwards they were called Seers yet they were more commonly called Prophets was before time called a Seer r. 10 Then said Saul to his servant ‡ Heb. thy word is 〈◊〉 Well said come let us go so they went unto the city where the man of God was 11 ¶ And as they went up ‡ Heb. the ascent of 〈◊〉 city the hill to the city they found young maidens going out r i. e. Out of the City and down to the bottom of the Hill where the Fountain or River was to draw water and said unto them Is the Seer here 12 And they answered them and said He is behold he is before you make haste now for he came to day to the city s She so speaks though this was his own constant habitation because he had been travelling abroad possibly in his Circuit described 1 Sam. 7. 16 17. and was now returned to his own House in Ramah as he used to do and so she implies they come in a good and seasonable time to meet with him for there is a ‡ Or feast sacrifice t Otherwise Feast but it seems to be understood of a Sacrifice First Because so the Hebrew word signifies most properly and most frequently Secondly Because this Eating was in the High place which was the common place for Sacrifices but not for private Feasts Thirdly The Prophets presence was not so necessary for a Feast as for a Sacrifice of the people u So this Sacrifice is called because this was a publick Solemnity and possibly the New Moon when the People brought several Sacrifices to wit Peace-offerings whereof part fell to the Offerer's share and of these parts united together they here made a common Feast not without Samuel's direction who being forewarned the day before by God of Saul's coming made this Feast more Solemn for his entertainment v. 22 23 24. to day in the high place x Upon the Hill mentioned v. 11. and near the Altar which Samuel built for this kind of use 1 Sam. 7. 17. by Divine Dispensation as was there Noted Otherwise to Sacrifice in High places was forbidden by the Law after the Building of the Tabernacle 13 Assoon as ye be come into the city ye shall straightway find him y At Home and at leasure before he go up to the high place to eat z The Relicks of the Sacrifices according to the manner for the people will not eat until he come because he doth bless the sacrifice a i. e. Either First The Meat left of the Sacrifice which is the matter of the following Feast as this is commonly understood Or rather Secondly The Sacrifice it self for what reason is there to depart from the proper signification of the Word For that the Sacrifices under the Law were accompanied with Confession or Petition or Thanksgiving may be gathered from divers places of Scripture as Levit. 5. 5. and 16. 21. Numb 5. 7. Luk. 1. 10. And who so proper to perform this work as Samuel an eminent Prophet And the Blessing of this Sacrifice seems to have consisted both of Thanksgiving this being a Thank-Offering and of Prayer to God for his acceptance Psal. 20. 3. and afterwards they eat that be bidden Now therefore get ye up b With speed lest he be sat down before you come for about ‡ Heb. to day this time ye shall find him 14 And they went up into the city and when they were come into the city behold Samuel came out c Out of his own House just as they passed by against them for to go up to the high place 15 ¶ * Chap. 15. 1. Act. 13. 21. Now the LORD had ‡ Heb. uncoâ—…ered the ear â—…f Samuel told Samuel in his ear d i. e. Secretly a day before Saul came e That he might prepare himself for Saul's reception saying 16 To morrow about this time I will send thee a man f I will by my secret Providence so dispose of matters and of the Hearts of Saul and his Father that Saul shall come to thee though with another Design out of the land of Benjamin and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines g For though they were now most pressed with the Ammonites as we read chap. 12. 12. yet they looked upon these as a Land-Flood which thâ—… hoped would be soon up and soon down again but the Philistines their constant inveterate and nearest Enemies they most dreaded And from these Saul did in some measure save them and should have saved them much more if his and the Peoples manifold Sins had not hindred it for I have looked upon my people h To wit with Compassion and Resolution to help them An usual Synecdoche because their cry i i. e. Their earnest Prayers to me for help is come unto me 17 And when Samuel saw Saul the LORD said unto him k In his Ear as before v. 15. by secret instinct so as none but he could hear it Behold the man whom I spake to thee of this same shall ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 in c. reign over my people 18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate l The Gate either Frst Of Samuel's House But he was come out thence before v. 14. Or rather Secondly Of the City for the word Gate being put by its self according to reason and common use must be understood of the most eminent in its kind which the Gate of the City is And through this Gate Samuel seems now to have been passing to go to the High-Place which probably was without the City and there he makes a stand to hear what these Persons now approaching to him were about to speak and said Tell me I pray thee where the Seers house is 19 And Samuel answered Saul and said I am the Seer Go up before me
place being Sanctified by Gods special presence in and by the Angel and offered burnt-offerings u To make atonement for his sins and peace-offerings x To praise God for his Gracious manifestation of himself so the LORD was intreated for the land y As appeared both by fire from Heaven which consumed the Sacrifices as was usual in such cases and by the speedy cessation of the Plague and the plague was stayed from Israel I. KINGS The ARGUMENT THese two Books called of the Kings because they treat of the Kings of Judah and Israel were written by the Prophets or Holy Men of God living in or near their several times and by some one of them digested into this order But whoever was the Penman that these are a part of those Holy Scriptures which were Divinely inspired is sufficiently evident First From the concurring Testimony of the whole Jewish Church in all Ages to whom were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. who also did Faithfully discharge their Duty in preserving and delivering them entirely and truly to their Posterity from time to time as plainly appears because Christ and his Apostles who reproved them freely for their several sins never taxed them with this fault of depraving the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament Secondly Because this is manifest concerning divers parcels of them which were taken out of the Records of the Prophets Nathan Ahijah and Iddo 2 Chron. 9. 29. and out of the Prophesies of Isaiah and Jeremiah and the rest doubtless were of the same nature Thirdly From the approbation of these Books by the New Testament both generally as 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is given by inspiration from God c. which is affirmed concerning all those Holy Scriptures which Timothy had known from a child v. 15. and therefore must necessarily be meant of all the Books of the Old Testament which the Jews owned for Canonical Scripture and particularly Rom. 11. 2 3. c. where a passage out of these Books is quoted and owned as a part of the Holy Scripture called the Scripture by way of eminency CHAP I. NOW king David was old and ‡ Heb. entred into days stricken in years a Being in the end of his seventieth Year and they covered him with cloathes but he gat no heat b Which is not strange in a person not onely of so great an age but also who had been exercised with so many hardships in War and with such tormenting cares and fears and sorrows for his own sins as divers of his Psalms witness and for the sins and miseries of his Children and People See Prov. 17. 22. Besides this might be from the nature of his Disease or Bodily Distemper 2 Wherefore his servants c His Physicians said unto him ‡ Heb. let them seek Let there be sought for my lord the king ‡ Heb. a damsel a virgin a young virgin d Whose Natural heat is fresh and wholsom and not impaired with bearing or breeding of Children The same counsel doth Galen give for the cure of some cold and dry Distempers and let her stand before the king e i. e. Minister unto him or wait upon him as this Phrase is oft used in his sickness as occasion requires and let her ‡ Heb. be a cherisher unto him cherish him and let her lie in thy bosom f As his Wife or Concubine for that she was so may appear by divers arguments First Otherwise this had been a wicked counsel and course which therefore neither his Servants durst have prescribed nor would David have used especially being now in a dying condition And seeing this was easily prevented by his taking her for his Concubine which then was esteemed allowable it is absurd to think that he would not chuse the safer way 2dly That passage v. 4. but the king knew her not implies that the King might have had carnal knowledge of her without sin or scandal Thirdly It appears from this Phrase of lying in his bosom which is every where in Scripture mentioned as the priviledge of a Wife and Concubine as Gen. 16. 5. Deut. 13. 6. 2 Sam. 12. 8. Mic. 7. 5. Fourthiy This made Adonijah's crime in desiring her to Wife so hainous in Solomon's account because he wisely saw that by Marrying the Kings Wife he designed to revive his pretence to the Kingdom at least in case of Solomon's death which pretence had been ridiculous if she had been onely the Kings handmaid that my lord the king may get heat 3 So they sought for a fair damsel g Whose beauty might ingage his affections and refresh his spirits and invite him to those embraces which might communicate some of her Natural heat to him as was designed throughout all the coasts of Israel and found Abishag a Shunammite h Of the City of Shunem in Issachar Ios. 19. 18. See 2 King 4. 8. and brought her to the king 4 And the damsel was very fair and cherished the king and ministred unto him but the king knew her not i Which is mentioned to note the continuance and progress of the Kings malady and the ground of Adonijah's Rebellion and of his following request chap. 2. 17. 5 ¶ Then k Upon notice of the desperateness of the Kings Disease and the approach of his death Adonijah the son of Haggith l See 2 Sam. 3. 4. exalted himself m Entertained high thoughts and designs saying I will ‡ Heb. reign be king n As the right of the Kingdom is mine v. 6. so I will now take possession of it lest Solomon attempt to deprive me of it and he prepared him charets and horsemen and fifty men to run before him o As Absalom had done upon the like occasion 2 Sam. 15. 1. such ill use did he make of that example that he committed the same wickedness which he had done and yet feared not the same disappointment and destruction which he brought upon himself 6 And his father had not displeased him ‡ Heb. from his days at any time p This is noted as David's great error and the occasion of Adonijah's presumption in saying Why hast thou done so q He neither restrained him from nor reproved him for his miscarriages which was a great sin against that plain Law Levit. 19. 17. and severely punished in Eli which David was not ignorant of except Adonijah's errors were small or concealed from David And he also r This particle relates either â—…irst To Absalom here following who also was a goodly man Or rather Secondly to what goes before to signifie that this was a second ground of his confidence because his great comeliness made him amiable in the peoples eyes as his Fathers indulgence was the first was a very goodly man and his mother bare him after Absalom s i. e. Next after Absalom was born of his Mother See 2 Sam.
Comfort which their people have or should have from them Compare 2 Sam. 21. 17. 1 King 15. 4. Psal. 132. 17. In my presence which is in Ierusalem and under my favour and protection alway before me g in Jerusalem the city which I have chosen me to put my Name there 37 And I will take thee g And place thee in the Throne as it follows and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth h He secretly taxeth him for his ambitious and aspiring mind and shalt be king over Israel 38 And it shall be if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee and wilt walk in my ways and do that is right in my sight to keep my statutes and my commandments as David my servant did that I will be with thee and build thee a sure house i i. e. Firmly settle thee and thy Posterity in the Throne as this or the like Phrase is used 2 Sam. 7. 16 27. but he doth not say he would do this for ever as is there said of David's House v. 16. as I built for David and will give Israel unto thee 39 And I will for this k For this cause which I mentioned ver 33. afflict the seed of David but not for ever l There shall a time come when the seed of David shall not be thus molested by the Kingdom of Israel but that Kingdom shall be destroyed and the Kings of the House of David shall be uppermost as it was in the days of Asa Hezekiah and fosiah And at last the Messiah shall come who shall unite together the broken sticks of Iudah and Ioseph and rule over all the Iews and Gentiles too 40 Solomon m To whose ears this might come either 1. by Ieroboam himself who might speak of this either out of vain-glory and ostentation or with design to prepare the People for his purpose Or 2. By the Servants See above on ver 29. sought therefore to kill Jeroboam and Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt unto Shishak king of Egypt n Who was either first Solomon's Brother-in-law who yet might be jealous of him or alienated from him because he had taken so many other Wives to his Sister as is here noted ver 1. or might cast a greedy eye upon the great riches and glorious things which Solomon had amassed together and upon which presently after Solomon's Death he laid Violent hands 2 Chron. 12. 9. All this was known to Ieroboam who therefore durst put himself into Shishak's Protection especially considering how little such Relations commonly signifie in the Affairs of Princes and withal being made confident by God's Promise of the Kingdom Or 2. One of another Line or House to whom that Crown might Descend for want of Issue and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon 41 ¶ And the rest of the ‖ Or words or things acts of Solomon and all that he did and his wisdom are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon o In the Publick Records where the Lives and Actions of Kings were Registred from time to time So this was onely a Political but not a Sacred Book 42 And the Heb. days time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was * â—… Chron. 9. â—… forty years 43 And Solomon slept with his fathers p This Expression is promiscuously used concerning good and bad and signifies onely That they died as their Fathers did But hence Interpreters question Whether Solomon was Saved or Damned That he was Damned some believe upon this onely Argument That he died without Repentance which they gather 1. Because his Repentance is not mentioned in his History 2. Because if he had Repented he would have Abolished the Monuments of Idolatry which he had Erected which that he did not they gather from 2 King 23. 13. Of which God Assisting I shall speak upon that place But to the former many things may be said 1. We read nothing of the Repentance of Adam Noah after his Drunkenness Lot Sampson Asa c. shall we therefore conclude they were all Damned The silence of the Scripture is a very weak Argument in matters of History 2. If he did Repent yet the silence of the Scripture about it in this History was not without wise Reasons as among others That his Eternal Condition being thus far left doubtful his Example might have the greater influence for the Terror and Caution of future Offenders 3. His Repentance is sufficiently implied in this to omit divers other Passages That after Solomon's death the way of Solomon is mentioned with Honour and joyned with the way of David 2 Chron. 11. 17. But it seems to be put out of dispute by the Book of Ecclesiastes which by the general consent both of Jewish and Christian Interpreters was written by Solomon and that after his Fall as is evident not onely from the unanimous Testimony of the Hebrew Writers who thence conclude That he did Repent and was Saved but also from the whole strain of that Book which was written long after he had finished all his Works and after he had liberally drunk of all sorts of Sensual Pleasures and sadly Experienced the bitter Effects of his love of Women Eccles. 7. 17 c. Which makes it more than probable that as David writ Psal. 51. so Solomon wrote this Book as a publick Testimony and Profession of his Repentance And this Argument is so cogent that those Interpreters who are of the other Opinion confess it if Solomon did write this Book after his Fall which they pretend he wrote before it but they offer not any Argument to prove it And therefore we have reason to conclude That Solomon did Repent and was Saved and was buried in the city of David his father and * 〈◊〉 1. 7. called Roboam Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XII AND â—… Câ—… 10. â—… Rehoboam went to Shechem for all Israel were come to Shechem a Rehoboam did not call them thither but went thither because the Israelites prevented him and had generally pitched upon that place rather than upon Ierusalem partly because it was most convenient for all as being in the Center of the whole Kingdom partly because that being in the potent Tribe of Ephraim they supposed there they might use that freedom of speech which they resolved to use to get their Grievances Redressed and partly by the secret direction of Ieroboam or his friends who would not trust themselves in Ierusalem and thought Shechem a fitter place to execute their Design to make him king b To Confirm him in the Kingdom which they generally intended to do he being the undoubted Heir of the Crown and the onely Son which Solomon had from so vast a number of Wives 2 And it came to pass when Jeroboam the son of Nebat who was yet in * Chap. 11. 4â—… Egypt heard of it c In
second year of Asa king of Judah and reigned over Israel two years k Not compleat as appears from v. 28. and 33. 26 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin l i. e. In the worship of the Calves which his Father had made 27 ¶ And Baasha the son of Ahijah of the house m i. e. Of the Tribe which is oft called an house as Iudg. 10. 9. Psal. 135. 20. Hos. 1. 7. of Issachar conspired against him and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon which belonged to the Philistines n Who taking advantage of the division between Israel and Iudah had retaken this Town which belonged to the Tribe of Dan Ios. 19. 44. and belonged to the Levites Ios. 21. 23. upon whose departure to Iudah 2 Chron. 11. 14. the Kings of Israel seized their Towns and Lands to their own use as was noted before which made them so much concerned for this Town to besiege both now and many Years after this time chap. 16. 15. for Nadab and all Isaael laid siege to Gibbethon 28 Even in the third year of Asa n How this agrees with 2 Chron. 16. 1. see in the notes there king of Judah did Baasha slay him o Which he did not to fulfil God's Threatning but onely to advance himself and therefore this is called Murder Chap. 16. 7. and reigned in his stead 29 And it came to pass when he reigned that he smote all the house of Jeroboam he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed until he had destroyed him according unto * Chap. 14. 10. the saying of the LORD q So God over ruled Baasha's ambition and cruelty to fulfil his own Counsel and Prediction which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite p i. e. Any of the Males of that Family See Deut. 20. 16. Iosh. 10. 40. 30 Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned and which he made Israel sin r So that same wicked Policy which he used to Establish the Kingdom in his Family proved his and their Ruine which is very frequently the event of ungodly Counsels by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger 31 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel * See above 14 19. 32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days 33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah * And reigned twenty and four years 34 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin CHAP. XVI THen the word of the LORD came to Jehu a A Prophet of whom see more 2 Chron. 19. 2. and 20. 34. the son of Hanani b Who also was a Prophet 2 Chron. 16. 7. against Baasha saying 2 Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust c Out of a low and mean Estate See 1 Sam. 2. 8. Psal. 113. 7. Quest. How is Baasha's Exaltation to the Kingdom ascribed to God when he got it by treachery and cruelty Answ. Though that way or manner of Invading the Kingdom was from himself and his own wicked heart yet the Translation of the Kingdom from Nadab to Baasha simply considered was from God who by his Decree and Providence ordered it and disposed of all occasions and of the hearts of all the Soldiers and People so that Baasha should have opportunity of Executing God's Judgment upon Nadab and such success thereupon that he should get a present and quiet Possession of the Kingdom Nay the very act of Baasha to wit the Killing of his Master Nadab was an act of Divine Justice foretold and appointed by God Chap. 14. 10. And if Baasha had done this in obedience to God's Command and with a single Design to Execute God's Vengeance threatned against him it had been no more a Sin than Iehu's act in Killing his Master King Iehoram upon the same account 2 King 9. But that Baasha did this meerly to gratifie his own Pride or Covetousness or Malice this was not from God but from himself and therefore is charged upon him as Murder here ver 7. and made thee prince over my people Israel and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam and hast made my people Israel to sin to provoke me to anger d See on 1 King 14. 9. with their sins 3 Behold I will take away the posterity of Baasha and the posterity of his house and will make thy house like * Chap. 15. 29. the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat 4 * Chap. 14. 11. Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat and him that dieth of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat 5 Now the rest of the acts of Baasha and what he did and his might * 2 Chro. 16. 1. are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 6 So Baasha slept with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah and Elah his son reigned in his stead 7 And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the LORD e The meaning is The Message which came from the Lord to Iehu ver 1 c. was here delivered by the hand i. e. the Ministry of Iehu unto Baasha Iehu did what God commanded him in this matter though it was not without apparent hazard to himself against Baasha and against his house even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands in being like the house of Jeroboam and because he * Chap. 15. 29. and 2 King 10. 17. killed him f i. e. Nadab who though he be not expressed yet is sufficiently understood 1. By the manifest reference which these words have to the Murder committed by Baasha which was done upon Nadab onely ch 15. 28. 2. By the foregoing words the house of Ieroboam i. e. His Posterity which was Nadab Quest. Why doth God punish him for doing God's Work Answ. 1. Though God appointed That Ieroboam's Family should be cut off yet he did not give Baasha Commission to do it nor had declared how or by whom he would do it 2. Baasha did this not to fulfil God's Will but his own Lusts. See on ver 2. 8 In the twentieth and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah two years g One compleat and part of the other ver 10. which in Scripture-account is reckoned for a Year See above 7. 15. and 15. 25. 9 And his
servant Zimri captain of half his chariots h i. e. Of all his Military Chariots and the Men belonging to them the Chariots for carriage of necessary things being put into other and meaner hands conspired against him as he was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza ‡ Heb. which was over c. steward of his house in Tirzah i Whilst his Forces were elsewhere imployed ver 15. which gave Zimri advantage to execute his Design 10 And Zimri went in and smote him and killed him in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his stead 11 ¶ And it came to pass when he began to reign assoon as he sat on his throne that he slew all the house of Baasha he left him * 1 Sam. 25. 22 not one that pisseth against a wall ‖ Or both his kinsmen and his friends neither of his kinsfolks k Heb. avengers to whom it belonged to Revenge his Death See Numb 35. 12. nor of his friends l His confidents and familiar Acquaintance such as were most likely to hinder his Settlement in the Throne and to Avenge their Friends Quarrel 12 Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha according to the word of the LORD which he spake against Baasha m i. e. Thus fulfilling God's Threatning but either without his knowledge oâ—… meerly for his own ends ‡ Heb. by the hand of c. by Jehu the prophet 13 For all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his sons by which they sinned and by which they made Israel to sin in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities n i. e. Idols oft called vanities as Deut. 32. 21. 1 Sam. 12. 21. Ier. 14. 22. because they are but imaginary Deities and meer nothings 1 Cor. 8. 4. having nothing at all of a God in them and nothing of Power to do either good or hurt 14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel * See above 14. 19. 15 ¶ In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign seven days in Tirzah and the people were encamped against Gibethon which belonged to the Philistines o Which had been Besieged before Chap. 15. 27. but it seems was then relieved or afterwards recovered by the Philistines taking the advantage of the Disorders and Contentions which were among their Enemies 16 And the people that were encamped heard say Zimri hath conspired and hath also slain the king wherefore all Israel made Omri the captain of the host king over Israel that day in the camp 17 And Omri went up from Gibbethon and all Israel with him and they besieged Tirzah 18 And it came to pass when Zimri saw that the city was taken that he went into the palace of the Kings house and burnt the kings house over him p Or and he burnt c. Either 1. Omri burnt it over Zimri for Pronouns sometimes respect more remote Nouns Or rather 2. Zimri to whom both the foregoing and following words apparently belong who burnt it upon himself that neither himself nor the Royal Palace and Treasures might come into the hands of his insulting Adversary with fire and died 19 For his sins q i. e. This befel him for his Sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the LORD in walking in the way of Jeroboam r Which he might do either before his Reign in the whole course of his Life which is justly charged upon him because of his Impenitency or in the Seven days of his Reign in which he had time enough to publish his Intentions or Decrees about the continuance of the Worship of the Calves or to Sacrifice to them for his good Success either already obtained or further desired and in his sin which he did to make Israel sin 20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri and his treason that he wrought are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel * See Chap. 14. 19. 21 ¶ Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts s Fell into a Civil War yet neither this nor any other of God's dreadful Judgments could win them to Repentance which is an evidence of their Prodigious Impiety and Incorrigibleness and how ripe they were for Ruine half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath to make him king t Disdaining that the Soldiers should Usurp such a Power over the whole Kingdom and half followed Omri u Because they approved the Person though not the manner of his Election 22 But the people that followed Omri prevailed x Partly because they had the Army on their side and principally by the appointment and judgment of God giving up the Israelites to him who was much the worst ver 25 26. against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath so Tibni died y A violent Death in the Battel and Omri reigned 23 ¶ In the thirty and one year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel twelve years z i. e. And he Reigned Twelve Years not from this 31 year of Asa for he died in his 38 year ver 29. but from the beginning of his Reign which was in Asa's 27 year ver 15 16 So he Reigned four years in a State of War with Tibni and Eight years peaceably six years reigned he in Tirzah 24 And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver and built a To wit the City and especially a Royal Palace because that at Tirzah was burnt ver 18. on the hill and called the name of the city which he built after the name of Shemer owner of the hill ‡ Heb. Shemeron * See Chap. 13. 32. Samaria 25 ¶ But * Mic. 6. 16. Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD and did worse than all that were before him 26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam b i. e. Did not onely promote the Worship of the Calves as Ieroboam and all his Successors hitherto had done but did also imitate all Ieroboam's other sins which doubtless were many and great and peradventure he added this to the rest that together with the Calves he Worshipped Devils i. e. other Idols of the Heathens as may be thought from 1 Cor. 10. 20. 20. where his Worship of the Devils and of the Calves is distinguished Besides though he did no more for the substance of the Action than his Predecessors did yet he might justly and truly be said to do worse than they because he did it with greater Aggravations after so many terrible Examples of Divine Vengeance upon the Kings and People of Israel for that Sin or because he made seveâ—…er Laws concerning the Calf-Worship whence we
read of the statutes of Omri Mich. 6. 16. or did more industriously and violently Execute them with greater despight against God and malice against his servants the son of Nebat and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities 27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did and his might that he shewed are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 28 So Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria and Ahab his son reigned in his stead 29 ¶ And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him 31 And it came to pass ‡ Heb. was it a light thing c. as if it had been a light thing for him c As if that Sin were not big enough to express his contempt of God as if he thought it below his Wit and Dignity to content himself with such a Vulgar Fault But the Hebrew runs thus Was it a light thing c i. e. Was this but a small Sin that therefore he needed to add more Abominations Where the question as is usual among the Hebrews implies a strong denial and intimates That this was no small Sin but a great Crime and might have satisfied his wicked Mind without any additions to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat that he took to wife Jezebel d A Woman infamous for her Idolatry and Cruelty and Sorcery and Filthiness See Chap. 18. 4. and 21. 8. 2 King 9. 22. Revel 2. 20. the daughter of Ethbaal e Called Ithobalus or Itobalus in Heathen Writers king of the Zidonians f So she was of an Heathenish and Idolatrous Race and such whom the Kings and People of Israel were expresly forbidden to Marry and went and served Baal g i. e. The Idol which the Sidonians Worshipped which is thought to be Hercules or false gods for this name is common to all such And this Idolatry was much worse than that of the Calves because in the Calves they Worshipped the True God but in these false gods or Devils as is evident from Chap. 18. 21. and worshipped him 32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he had built in Samaria 33 And Ahab made a grove h Against God's Express Prohibition Deut. 7. 5. and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him 34 In his days i This is here added 1. As a Character of the time and an instance of the truth and certainty of Divine Predictions and Comminations this being fulfilled 800 years after it was threatned and withal as a warning to the Israelites not to think themselves innocent or safe because the Judgment threatned against them by Ahijah Chap. 14. 15. was not yet Executed though they continued in that Calf-worship which he condemned but to expect the certain accomplishment of it in due time if they persisted in their Impenitency Or 2. As an Evidence of the horrible Corruption of his times and of that high Contempt of God which then Reigned did Hiel the Bethelite k Who lived in Bethel the Seat and sink of Idolatry wherewith he was thoroughly leavened build Jericho l A place seated in the Tribe of Benjamin but belonging to the Kingdom of Israel which place he seems to have chosen for his Buildings not so much for his own advantage as out of a contempt of the True God and of his Threatnings which he designed to convince of falshood by his own Experience and out of an Ambitious desire to advance his own Reputation and Interest thereby by attempting that which he knew his King and Queen too would be highly pleased with he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his first-born and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub m i. e. In the beginning of his Building God took away his First-born and others successively in the progress of the Work and the youngest when he finished it And so he found by his own sad Experience the truth of God's Word and how vain it was to contend with him Qu. Why did not God rather punish Hiel himself Answ. This was a terrible Punishment to see his Children Cut off by Divine Vengeance before their time one after another and all this for his own folly and rashness Compare Ier. 52. 10. And as for Hiel himself possibly after he had been spared so long that he might be an Eye-witness of his Sons untimely Deaths he also might be Cut off though it be not Recorded as not belonging 〈◊〉 the Prophecy here mentioned or if not his present Impunity was his greatest Misery either as it continued his Torment in the sad and lasting Remembrance of his Loss and Misery or as it was a mean to harden his Heart so for greater Judgments to which he was reserved * Josh. 6. 26. according to the word of the LORD which he spake by Joshua n Of which see on Iosh. 6. 26. the son of Nun. CHAP. XVII AND ‡ Heb. Elijahu â—…uk 4. 2â—… he is called Elias Elijah a The most Eminent of the Prophets Matt. 17. 3. who is here brought in like Melchisedek Gen. 14. 18. Heb. 7. 3. without any mention of his Father or Mother or beginning of his days like a man drop'd out of the Clouds and raised by God's special Providence as a Witness for himself in this most degenerate time and state of things that by his Zeal and Courage and Power of Miracles he might give some check to their various and abominable Idolatries and some reviving to that small number of the Lords Prophets and People who yet remained in Israel as we shall see the Tishbite b So called either from the place of his Birth or Habitation or for some other reason not now known who was of the ‡ 〈◊〉 sojourtus inhabitants of Gilead c Which was the Land beyond Iordan See Gen. 31. 21. said unto Ahab d Having doubtless admonished him of his Sin and Danger before this and now upon his obstinacy in his Wicked courses he proceeds to declare and execute the Judgment of God upon him * â—…am 5. 17. As the LORD God of Israel liveth e I Swear by the God of Israel who is the onely True and Living God when the gods whom thou hast joyned with him or preferred before him are dead and sensless Idols before whom I stand f Either 1. Whose Minister I am as this Phrase is oft used as Numb 3. 6. Deut. 10. 8. and 17. 12. and
rather by the Power and Providence of God which disposeth the hearts of Kings as he pleaseth and inclined them to this course that they might though ignorantly accomplish his word and counsel 32 And it came to pass when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat that they said Surely it is the king of Israel And they turned aside d They drew their Forces from their several quarters towards Iehoshaphat to fight against him and Jehoshaphat cried out e To the Lord for help 2 Chron. 18. 31. 33 And it came to pass when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel f Which they easily perceived either by their words uttered to God or them or by the difference of his shape and countenance from that of Ahab which probably many of them very well knew that they turned back from pursuing him 34 And a certain man drew a bow ‡ Heb. in his simplicity at a venture g Heb. In his simplicity i. e. ignorantly without care or choice or any design or thought of reaching Ahab Or according to his perfection i. e. with his perfect and utmost strength which is mentioned as the reason why it pierced through the joynts of his Armour and smote the king of Israel between the ‡ Heb. joynts and the breast-plate joynts of the harness h Where the several parts of his Armour are joyned together which possibly were not then joyned with so much art and closeness as now they are wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot Turn thine hand and carry me out of the host i Out of the midst of the Host where the heat of the Battel was into a safer part of the Army See the next Verse for I am ‡ Heb. made sick wounded 35 And the battel ‡ Heb. ascended increased k i. e. Grew hot and violent that day and the king was stayed up l Was supported by Cordials or by his Servants that by his presence he might encourage his Soldiers to Fight more couragiously and that he might see the event of the Battel in his chariot against the Syrians and died at even and the blood ran out of the wound into the ‡ Heb. bosom midst of the chariot 36 And there went a proclamation throughout the host m Probably by Iehoshaphat's order with the consent of the chief Captains of Israel and possibly with the permission of the King of Syria upon notice of Ahab's Death which was the onely thing at which he aimed ver 31. about the going down of the sun saying Every man to his city and every man to his own countrey n The King is Dead and the Battel ended and therefore every man hath liberty to return to his own House and private occasions 37 ¶ So the king died and ‡ Heb. came was brought to Samaria and they buried the king in Samaria 38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria and the dogs licked up his blood o Together with the Water wherewith it was mixed and they washed his armour according * Chap. 21. 19. unto the word of the LORD which he spake p Of which see the Note on chap. 21. 19. 39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did and the ivory house q Heb. the house of the tooth or teeth to wit of Elephants See chap. 10. 18. Not that it was made wholly of solid Ivory but because the other materials were covered or intermixed or adorned with Ivory Compare Amos 3. 15. which he made and all the cities that he built are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 40. So Ahab slept with his fathers and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead 41 ¶ And * 2 Chr. 20. 31. Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab r Who Reigned 22 Years therefore he Reigned about 18 Years with Ahab king of Israel 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign and he reigned twenty and five years s Part by himself and partly with his Sons whom he took into the Fellowship of his Kingdom Of which see more on 2 King 1. 17. in Jerusalem and his mothers name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi 43 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father t He took the same care for the Government of his Kingdom and especially for the Reformation of Religion that Asa did of whom see Chap. 15. 11. he turned not aside from it doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD nevertheless the high places were not taken away u Object It is said he did take them away 2 Chron. 17. 6. Answ. He took away those which were Erected to Idols of which he seems to speak there because the high places are there joyned with groves which were generally Erected to Idols and not to the True God as will appear to any one that shall compare all the Scriptures where groves are mentioned but he could not take away those which were Erected to the True God of which this place manifestly speaks as also that Parallel place 1 King 15. 14. where see the notes Or he took them away but not fully or not in the very beginning of his Reign for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places 44 And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel x With Ahab first and then with his Son This is noted as a Blemish in his Government 2 Chron. 19. 2. and proved of most Mischievous Consequence to Iehoshaphat's Posterity as we shall see 2 King 9. and 10. 45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat and his might that he shewed and how he warred are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah y Whence the most memorable Passages were Translated into that Canonical Book of the Chronicles 46 And the remnant of the Sodomites z Of whom see Deut. 23. 17. 1 King 14. 24. and 15. 12. which remained in the days of his father Asa he took out of the land 47 There was then no king in Edom a deputy a Sent and set over them by the Kings of Iudah from the time of David 2 Sam. 8. 14. until the days of Iehoram 2 Chron. 21. 8. was king 48 Jehoshaphat ‖ Or had ten ships made ships b As it is expressed 2 Chron. 20. 36. Or there were to Iehoshaphat ten ships the Ellipsis of the Verb Substantive and of the Praefix Lamed being frequent in the Hebrew Language Some render the Words he made ten ships so joyning both Texts together and out of both compleating the sence of Tharshish c Either 1. Of the Sea as this Word is thought sometimes to be used Or rather 2. To go to Tarshish
‡ Heb. Observed not took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart l His Obedience wanted three necessary Properties Care or Heedfulness Universality and Sincerity for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam m His resolved continuance in one single Course is justly alledged as an Argument of his False-heartedness in all his other Actions which made Israel to sin 32 In those days n In the time of Iehu's Life and Reign as may be gathered by comp v. 34. the LORD began ‡ Heb. to cut off the ends to cut Israel short o and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel p i. e. In their Borders or the outtermost part of their Land beyond Iordan as it is explained ver 33. And at this time possibly he Executed those Cruelties mentioned Chap. 8. 12. a Either to diminish the number of the People by cutting them off or to straiten their Borders 33 From Jordan ‡ Heb. toward the rising of the sun eastward q To wit from the Land of Canaan all the land of Gilead the Gadites and the Reubenites and the Manassites from Aroer which is by the river Arnon ‖ Or even to Gilead and Bashan even * Amos 1. 3. Gilead and Bashan 34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu and all that he did and all his might are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 35 And Jehu slept with his fathers and they buried him in Samaria and Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead 36 And ‡ Heb. the days were the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years CHAP. XI AND when * 2 Chro. 22. 10. Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead she arose and destroyed all the ‡ Heb. seed of the Kingdom seed royal a i. e. All of the Royal Family left after those Slaughters 2 Chron. 21. 2 4. and 22. 1. and 2 King 10. 13 14. except one as the next Verse limits and explains it This she did partly out of Rage at the Extirpation of her Family resolving that David's Family should not out-live hers partly from ambition and desire of Rule for which many persons have Destroyed their nearest Relations partly from the zeal which she had for Idolatry and the Worship of Baal which she intended to Establish to which she knew the House of David were implacable Enemies And partly in her own Defence that she might secure her self from Iehu's Fury who was commanded by God and resolved in himself utterly to destroy all the branches of Ahab's Family whereof she was one Chap. 8. 18 26. For had she not done this she suspected that either the King or People of Iudah would have delivered her up to Iehu upon his Demand Possibly those whom she slew were Ioram's Children by another Wife Of which see on the next Verse And this was the fruit of Iehoshaphat's Marrying his Son to a Daughter of that Idolatrous and Wicked House of Ahab even the Extirpation of all his Posterity but one And this Dreadfull Judgment God permitted and Inflicted upon him and his to shew how much he abhors all such sinful and unequal affinities 2 But Jehosheba b Called Iehoshabeath 2 Chron. 22. 11. the daughter of king Joram c To wit by another Wife and not by this Athaliah for it is not likely Iehoiadah who Married her 2 Chron 22. 11. would have Married one of that Wicked and Cursed House except he were Married very young and therein over-ruled by his Parents sister of Ahaziah took Joash the son of Ahaziah c Either 1. His Adopted and Legal Son who was to Succeed him though he was of another House and of Nathan's Family as many think such persons being sometimes called the Sons of their Predecessors as we shall see hereafter Or rather 2. His proper and Natural Son for not onely he but the rest who were Slain are here called the kings i. e. Ioram's sons and stole him from among the kings sons which were slain d Either 1. From amidst of the Carcasses where this Infant was laid and supposed by her to be killed though it was not quite dead either through the compassion or connivence of the Instruments of this Execution or by some other Artifice which his Nurse used Or 2. Out of that Apartment of the Palace which was allotted for the King's Children and they e Iehosheba and her Husband Iehoiadah hid him even him and his nurse in the bed chamber f Which was in the house of the Lord as is affirmed in the next Verse So that it was one of those Chambers adjoyning or near to the Temple which were for the uses of the Priests and Levites and for them onely which made it more proper for this purpose from Athaliah so that he was not slain 3 And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years g Either Athaliah thought they were all Dead or if she suspected that this was preserved she thought an Infant could do her no great harm and that she could so well assure the Kingdom to her self within a few years that she need not fear any such weak Competitor or she was willing to smother up the business lest if she had made a strict and diligent search for it the people should thereby learn that there was yet a Son of David's Family left and so be unquiet under her Government and desirous of a Change and Athaliah did reign over the land h Which she had an opportunity to do because she was not onely the late Kings Wife but also was probably made Queen-Regent upon Ioram's going to Ramoth-Gilead 4 And * 2 Chron. 23. 1. in the seventh year Jehoiada sent i If this action of Iehoiadah's seem strange and irregular this was no ordinary case but there were divers peculiar things in it as that Athaliah was a meer Usurper having no pretence of Right to the Crown and one of that wicked House which God had particularly and by Name Devoted to Destrnction that Iehoiadah's Wife was neareâ—… Allied and had more Right to the Crown than Athaliah that the Crown of Iudah was by Divine appointment appropriated to the Sons of David and therefore the Right of the Crown was inherently in him whom Iehoiadah set up which right her Usurpation could not Exclude That Iehoiadah was not a meer private person but the Husband of the Kings Aunt and probably the High-Priest to whom it belonged in great part to see the Laws of God Executed That Iehoiadah did not act alone in the business but had the consent and concurrence of the Chief Rulers both Civil and Ecclesiastical and besides all this that it is conceived That he had a special Motion of God's Spirit or the direction and encouragement of the Prophets of
the baseness and cowardise of their King but meerly from the Righteous and Dreadful Judgment of God who was now resolved to reckon with them for their filthy Apostacy are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 9 And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers and they buried him in Samaria and Joash his son reigned in his stead 10 ¶ In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah o By which compared with v. 1. it may be gathered that Iehoahaz had two or three Years before his death made his Son Iehoash King with him which is very probable because he was perpetually in the state of War and consequently in danger of an untimely death and because he was a Man of valour as is implied here ver 12. and declared 2 Chron 25. began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria and reigned sixteen years 11 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nabat who made Israel sin but he walked therein 12 And the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did and his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 13 And Joash slept with his fathers and Jeroboam sat upon his throne and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel 14 ¶ Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died and Joash the king of Israel came down unto him and wept over his face p Noâ—… for any true Love and Respect to him for then he would have followed his counsel in forsaking the Calves and returning to the Lord but for his own and the Kingdoms inestimable loss in him and said O my father my father the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof q See 2 King 2. 12. 15 And Elisha said unto him Take bow and arrows And he took unto him bow and arrows 16 And he said to the king of Israel ‡ Heb. Make thine hand to ride Put thine hand upon the bow And he put his hand upon it and Elisha put his hands upon the kings hands 17 And he said Open the window east-ward r Either towards Syria which lay North-East-ward from the Land of Israel or towards the Israelites Land beyond Iordan which lay East-ward from Canaan and which was now possessed by the Syrians Either way this Arrow is shot against the Syrians as a token what God intended to do against them and he opened it Then Elisha said Shoot and he shot And he said The arrow of the LORDS deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek s Not in the City but in the Territory of it where it seems there was a great Battel to be fought between the Israelites and Syrians Of Aphek see 1 Sam. 4. 1. and 29. 1 1 King 20. 30. though it is possible there might be several Cities of that name Or as in Aphek i. e. thou shalt smite them as they were smitten in the City and Territory of Aphek i. e. utterly destroy them See 1 King 20. 26 29 30. the Particle as being oft understood as hath been formerly and frequently proved till thou have consumed them t i. e. The Syrians not all that people but their Armies or at least that which was to be at Aphek where a dreadful Battel was to be fought Or if this be meant of all the Syrian Armies this is to be understood conditionally if he did not hinder it by his unbelief or neglect signified in the following Verses 18 And he said Take the arrows and he took them And he said unto the king of Israel Smite upon the ground u The former sign portended Victory and this was to declare the number of the Victories and he smote thrice and stayed 19 And the man of God was wroth with him and said Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice x Quest. Wherein was Iehoash his fault or why was the Propher angry with him Ans. The Prophet himself did not yet know how many Victories Iehoash should obtain against the Syrians but God had signified to him that he should learn that by the number of the Kings strokes And he was angry with him not simply because he smote onely thrice but because by his unbelief and Idolatry he provoked God so to over-rule his heart and hand that he should smite but thrice which was a token that God would assist him no further Although his smiting but thrice might proceed either from his unbelief or negligence For by the former sign and the Prophets Comment upon it he might clearly perceive that this also was intended as a sign of his success against the Syrians and therefore he ought to have done it frequently and vehemently 20 ¶ And Elisha died and they buried him y In or near Samaria and the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year z In the Spring when the Fruits of the Earth grew ripe 21 And it came to pass as they were burying Or were about to bury as that Particle is oft used in the Hebrew Tongue a man that behold they spied a band of men a Coming towards them but at some distance and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha b Not daring to carry the dead Corps further to the place appointed for his burial they made use of the next burying-place where Elisha was buried and there they removed some Stone or opened some Door and hastily flung down their dead Corps there and when the man c i. e. The mans dead Body or the Coffin in which he was put ‡ Heb. went down was let down and touched the bones of Elisha d Which might easily be the Coffin and Linen in which Elisha's Body was put and the Flesh of his Body being now consumed for this was some considerable time after his death he revived and stood up on his feet e Which Miracle God wrought there partly to do honour to that great Prophet and that by this Seal he might confirm his Doctrine and thereby confute the false Doctrine and Worship of the Israelites partly to strengthen the Faith of Ioash and of the Israelites in his promise of their success against the Syrians and partly in the midst of all their Calamities to comfort such Israelites as were Elisha's followers with the hopes of that Eternal life whereof this was a manifest pledge and to awaken the rest of that people to a due care and preparation for it 22 ¶ But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz 23 And the LORD was gracious unto them and
king of Judah the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah at Beth-shemesh and came to Jerusalem x Commanding entrance in Amaziah's name and with his consent which he durst not deny and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim y Which led to Ephraim unto the corner-gate four hundred cubits z Which was done partly in scorn and contempt and partly that he might re-enter and re-take it if they should attempt to renew the War 14 And he took all the gold and silver and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD and in the treasures of the kings house and hostages a To assure their peaceable carriage towards him and returned to Samaria b He did not keep Ierusalem nor seek to gain the possession and dominion of that Kingdom partly because he thought he could not keep it considering the difficulty he found in keeping his own from such potent and near Enemies as the Syrians were and the great affection which 〈◊〉 Iudah bare to David's House and partly because God so inclined his heart that he might make good his promue to David and his Family 15 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did and his might and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead 17 ¶ And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years 18 And the rest of the acts of Amaziah are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah 19 Now * 2 Chr. 25 27. they i. e. The People or the Princes and chief men among them possibly those whose Sons he had delivered up as Hostages to Iehoash with the connivence if not approbation of the People as appears because the desigâ—… was carried on openly and steddily and irresistibly as the following words shew made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish c A strong City in Iudah towards the Philistines Of which see Ios. 10. 31. and 15. 39. 2 King 19. â—… but they sent after him d Either secret Murderers or rather bands of Soldiers for this Rebellion was carried on by strong hand and open force Compare 2 King 12. 20. and 15. 10 15. to Lachish and slew him there 20 And they brought him on horses e Or with horses to wit in a Chariot and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David 21 ¶ And all the people of Judah took * Chap. 15. 13. 2 Chron. 26. 1. he is called Uzziah Azariah which was sixteen years old and made him king in stead of his father Amaziah f Which they did either in opposition to the conspirators or to shew their affection to the House of David and that their quarrel was onely personal against Amaziah whom they looked upon as the Author of all their late Calamites This Azariah is called Uzziah 2 King 15. 30. 2 Chron. 26. 1. both names signifying the same thing for substance that Gods help and this Gods strength 22 He built Elath g i. e. Repaired and Fortified it for it was built before Deut. 2. 8. and restored it to Judah h From whom it had revolted with the rest of Edom in which Land this place was upon the Red-Sea after that the king i i. e. His Father Amaziah who did not perfect his Conquest of Edom but left some work for his Son slept with his fathers 23 ¶ In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria and reigned forty and one years 24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin 25 He restored the coast of Israel from the entring of Haâ—…nath k Which was the Northern border of the Kingdom of Israel Numb 13. 21. and 34. 8. unto the sea of the plain l i. e. Unto the dead Sea which once was a goodly plain Gen. 13. 10. which was their Southern border according to the word of the LORD God of Israel which he spake by the hand of his servant * Matth. 22. 39 40. called Jonas Jonah m Or Ionas one of the small Prophets though this Prophecy of his be not Recorded there and thereâ—…re it is remembred here the son of Amittai the prophet which was of Gath-Hepher 26 For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel that it was very bitter n Whereby he was moved to pity and help them though they were an unworthy people for there was not any shut up nor any left o See of this Phrase on Deut. 32. 36. 1 King 14. 10. and 21. 21. nor any helper for Israel 27 And the LORD said not o i. e. Not yet he had not yet declared this as afterwards he did by the succeeding Prophets though not in those words See Hos. 1. 5 6 9. that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash 28 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did and his might how he warred and how he recovered Damascus and Hamath which belonged to Judah ‡ For Israel p These were Cities of Syria but were taken from the Syrians by David and Solomon 2 Sam. 8. 6. 2 Chron. 8. 3. and probably by them incorporated with and added to the possessions of their own Tribe to which from that time they belonged but afterwards they were re-taken by the Syrians and were now recovered by this Ieroboam are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers even with the kings of Israel and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XV. IN the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel a Quest. How can this be true seeing Amaziah the Father of this Azariah lived onely till the 15th Year of Ieroboam's Reign chap. 14. 2 23 Ans. This might be either First Because Ieroboam was made King by and Reigned with his Father eleven or twelve Years and afterwards Reigned alone and so there is a twofold beginning of his Kingdom by the former this was his 27 Year and by the later his 15th Year Or Secondly Because there was an inter-Reign for eleven or twelve Years in the Kingdom of Iudah either through the prevalency of that Faction which cut off Amaziah the Father and kept the Son out of his Kingdom or because Azariah was
very young when his Father was slain and the people were not agreed to restore him to his right till his 16th Year chap. 14. 21. 2 Chr. 26. 1. And yet these 11 or 12 Years of inter-Reign in which he was excluded from the exercise of his Regal office some think to be included in those 52 Years which are here ascribed to Azariah's Reign ver 2. which may well be doubted ‡ Heb. reigned began Azariah b Called also Uzziah here and v. 13 30. son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign c Solely and fully to exercise his Regal power 2 Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign and he reigned two and fifty years d Besides the sixteen Years of his minority last mentioned in Jerusalem and his mothers name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem 3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD according to all that his father Amaziah had done e i. e. In the same manner unsincerely and but for a time 4 Save that f Understand this as howbeit chap. 14. 4. the high places were not removed the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places 5 ¶ And the LORD * 2 Chr. 26. 19. smote the king so that he was a leper g The cause whereof see 2 Chron. 26. 16. unto the day of his death and dwelt in a several house h Separated from conversation with others by vertue of that Law Lev. 13. 46. which being the Law of the King of kings bound kings no less than subjects and Jotham the kings son was over the house judging the people of the land i i. e. He governed the Kings Court and whole Kingdom in his name and as his Vicegerent 6 And the rest of the acts of Azariah and all that he did are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah 7 So Azariah slept with his fathers and * 2 Chr. â—…6 〈◊〉 they buried him with his fathers in the city of David and Jotham his son reigned in his stead 8 ¶ In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah k Of which see the Note on ver 2. did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months 9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD as his fathers had done he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin 10 And Shallum the son of Jabesh l One of his chief Captains conspired against him and * Job 34. â—…6 Amos 7. 9. smote him before the people m Openly and impudently which he presumed to do either because he remembred that the promise of the Kingdom made to Iehu was confined to the fourth Generation chap. 10. 30. which he observed to be now expired or because he perceived that the people were generally disaffected to their King and favourable to his attempt and slew him and reigned in his stead 11 And the rest of the acts of Zachariah behold they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 12 This was * Chap 〈◊〉 the word of the LORD which he spake unto Jehu saying Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation And so it came to pass 13 ¶ Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calâ—…ed 〈◊〉 Uzziah king of Judah and he reigned ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 of days a full month in Samaria 14 For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah and came to Samaria and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and slew him and reigned in his stead 15 And the rest of the acts of Shallum and his conspiracy which he made behold they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 16 ¶ Then Menahem smote Tiphsah n Either that Tiphsah mentioned 1 King 4. 24. or another City of that name and all that were therein and the coasts thereof from Tirzah o i. e. All the people dwelling between Tirzah and Tiphsah because they opened not to him p Because they refused to open the Gates of their City to him and to submit to him as Conqueror therefore he smote it and all * Chap. 〈◊〉 the women therein that were with child he ript up q That by this example of severity he might affright all the rest of the people into obedience 17 In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel and reigned ten years in Samaria 18 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin 19 And * 1 Chr. 〈◊〉 Isa. 9. 1. Pul the king of Assyria r Called by Heathen Anâ—…hors Pul-Belochus who by the help of Arbaces the Mede vanquished Sardanapalus the last Monarch of Assyria and translated the Kingdom to Chaldaea and was the first King of Babylon and Assyria Arbaces being made King of the Medes and Persians came against the land s To wit of Israel as the context shews and Menahem gave t i. e. Agreed or promised to give as the next Verse explains it Pul a thousand talents of silver that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand u That he might assist him against all that did or should oppose him By which it appears that his cruelty to Tiphsah was so far from establishing him as he expected that it weakned and endangered him so far that he was forced to call in a Foreign Prince to his aid 20 And Menahem ‡ Heb. caused to come forth exacted the money of Israel even of all the mighty men of wealth of each man x i. e. Of each of those wealthy Israelites But as each of these were not equally Wealthy so it is not probable that he taxed them equally Others therefore render it to or for each man i. e. for every Assyrian Soldier which Interpretation is favoured by the placing of the words in the Hebrew Text which differs from that in our Translation fifty shekels of silver to give to the king of Assyria so the king of Assyria turned back and stayed not there in the land 21 ¶ And the rest of the acts of Menahem and all that he did are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 22 And Menahem slept with his fathers and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead 23 ¶ In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria and reigned two years 24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam
the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin 25 But Pekah the son of Remaliah a captain of his conspired against him and smote him in Samaria in the palace of the kings house with Argob and Arieh ‖ Who might be either Pekah's Partners in this Treason or the Kings Courtiers or Officers who were now slain with him and ‡ 〈◊〉 were with him fifty men of the Gileadites y Who assisted him in the execution of his Treason and he killed him and reigned in his room 26 And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah and all that he did behold they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 27 ¶ In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah * 〈◊〉 7. 1. Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria and reigned twenty years 28 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin 29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel came * â—… Chr. 5. 26. Tiglath-pileser z Or Tiglath-pilneser 2 Chron. 28. 20. called in Heathen Authors Phulasar or Phul-Assur the Son of that Pul or Phul above v. 9. king of Assyria and took Ijon and Abel-beth-maachah a Of which see 1 King 15. 20. and Janoah b A City of Ephraim Jos. 16. 6. and Kedesh and Hazor c Two Cities of Napthali Jos. 12. 22. and 19. 36. and Gilead d All the Land beyond Iordan which was nigher to the Assyrian than the rest and Galilee e To wit the upper Galilee as may be gathered from the following words all or even all the land of Naphthali which seem to be added by way of explication or restriction to shew what Galilee he meant even the upper in which Naphthali's lot fell See the Notes on Isa. 9. 1. all the land of Naphtali and carried them captive to Assyria 30 And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah and smote him and slew him f Which he did more easily effect because the people were enraged against Pekah as the Man who by his murder of King Pekahiah the Son of Menahem whom the Assyrian Monarch set up and favoured and by his unnecessary War with Ahaz had brought the Assyrian upon them and caused the loss of one half of that Kingdom and reigned in his stead in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah g Quest. How could this be when Iotham Reigned onely 16 Years below v. 33 Ans. The meaning is That he began his Reign in the twentieth Year after the beginning of Iotham's Reign or which is the same thing in the fourth Year of Ahaz Son of Iotham as appears from chap. 16. 1. But the Sacred Writer having not yet maâ—…e mention of Ahaz thought it more proper to number Hoshea's Years by Iotham of whom he had spoken than by Ahaz Besides as Iotham did Reign divers Years in his Fathers life so might Ahaz in Iotham's life and Iotham might for divers reasons which it is needless heâ—…e to enquire resign up the Administration of the Kingdom wholly into Ahaz his hands some Years before his death and therefore might be said to Reign but 16 Years though he lived longer 31 And the rest of the acts of Pekah and all that he did behold they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 32 ¶ In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began * 2 Chr. 2â—… 1. Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign 33 Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign h To wit properly and alone for he had Reigned before this as his Fathers Deputy and Vice-Roy and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem and his mothers name was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok 34 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done 35 ¶ Howbeit the high places were not removed the people sacrificed and burnt incense still in the high places he built the higher gate of the house of the LORD i Not of the Temple properly so called but of one of the Courts of the Temple probably that which led to the Kings Palace 2 Chron. 23. 20. called also the new gate Jer. 26. 10. and 36. 10. 36 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all that he did are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah 37 In those days k i. e. Towards the end of Iotham's Reign the LORD began to send l i. e. Disposed their hearts to unite their Forces together and to make preparation for a War against Iudah which yet they did not execute till Ahaz his Reign against Judah * Isa. 7. 1. Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah 38 And Jotham slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XVI IN * â—… Chr. 28. 1. the seventeenth year of Pekah a Of which see on ch 15. 30. the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign 2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign b Of the difficulty hence arising see the Notes on chap. 18. 2. to which it more properly belongs and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God like David his father 3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel yea and made his son to pass through the fire c Either 1. by way of lustration to pass hastily thorow it so as to be scorched and as it were baptized with it Or 2. by way of oblation so as to be utterly consumed and offered for a burnt-offering which was the practise of Heathens and of some Israelites in imitation of them of which see 2 Kings 21. 6. Psal. 10â—… 36. Ier. 7. 31. which seems best to agree with 2 Chron. 28. 3. where it is said he burnt his children i. e. some of them first one as is here noted and afterwards others of them as is there observed Of these practises see more on Lev. 18. 21. and Deut. 18. 10. according to the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel 4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places and on the hills and under every green 〈◊〉 d After the manner of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hos. 4. 13. 5 ¶ Isâ—… 7. â—… Then Reziâ—…â—…ing of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remalâ—…ah king of Israel 〈◊〉 up to Jerusalem to war and they besieged 〈◊〉 but could â—…ot overcome 〈◊〉 Because God
relieved them which was done upon the Sabbath day see 2 Kings 11. 5 7. or that in which the Guard or Watchmen of the Temple kept their station or that under which the King used to sit to hear God's Word and see the Sacrifices which is called the covert of the Sabbath because the chief times in which the King used it for those ends was the Weekly Sabbath and other solemn days of Feasting or Fasting which all come under the name of Sabbaths in the Old Testament upon which the King used more certainly and solemnly to present himself before the Lord than at other times that they had built in the house and the kings entry without e By which the King used to go from his Palace to the Temple see on 1 Kings 10. 5 12. turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria f i. e. That he might ingratiate himself with the King of Assyria by his publick contempt and rejection of that Religion which had been the onely Partition-Wall between the Kings of Iudah and other Kings and which possibly the present King of Assyria did vehemently dislike and hate and therefore required these things from Ahaz 19 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah 20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XVII IN the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah ‡ Heb. reigned began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign a Quest. How can this be true seeing it is said that he reigned or began to reign in Israel in the twentieth year of Iotham chap. 15. 30. which was the Fourth Year of Ahaz as was there noted Ans. He usurped the Kingdom in Ahaz his Fourth Year but either was not owned as King by the generality of the People or was not accepted and established in his Kingdom by the Assyrian till Ahaz his Twelfth Year Or in his Eight First Years he was onely a Tributary Prince and the King of Assyria's Viceroy and after that time he set up for himself which drew the Assyrian upon him in Samaria over Israel nine years b To wit after his confirmation and peaceable possession of his Kingdom For in all he reigned Seventeen or Eighteen Years to wit Twelve with Ahaz who reigned Sixteen Years and Six with Hezekiah 2 Kings 18. 10. 2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD but not as the kings of Israel that were before him c For he neither worshipped Baal as many of his predecessors did nor compelled the People to worship the Calves one of them that of Dan being destroyed or carried away before as the Hebrew Writers affirm nor as some add hindred those by force who were minded to go to Ierusalem to worship And yet the measure of the Israelites sins being now full vengeance comes upon them without remedy Compare 2 Kings 23. 26. 3 ¶ Against him came up Shalmaneser d The Son or Successor of Tiglath-pileser The ancient Hebrew Writers make him the same with Sennacherib who Eight Years after this time invaded the kingdom of Iudah See chap. 18. 10 13. it being very frequent in the Eastern parts for one man to be called by several Names especially by the People of several Countries Iosephus affirms that he met with his Name in the Annals of the Tyrians which were extant in his days He came against him either because he denied the Tribute which he had promised to pay or that he might make him Tributary king of Assyria and Hoshea became his servant and ‡ Heb. rendred gave him ‖ Or tribute presents e Swore Fealty to him and engaged to pay him a Tribute 4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt f By Heathen Writers called Sua or Sabacus that by his assistance he might shake off the Yoke of the King of Assyria who now was and for many Years had been the King of Egypt's Rival See 2 Kings 18. 21. Ier. 37. 5. and brought no present to the king of Assyria as he had done year by year therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison g To wit after he had come up against him and taken him with Samaria the particular Relation whereof here follows 5 ¶ Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land and went up to Samaria and besieged it three years 6 ¶ * Chap. 18. 10. In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away into Assyria and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan and in the cities of the Medes h This is added to distinguish this place from the former which was either in Assyria or in the Mountainous and less inhabited parts of Media Hither he carried them partly to replenish his own Country and partly because these places were at so great a distance from Canaan that this would cut off all hopes and thoughts of returning to their own Country 7 For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt and had feared other gods 8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen i i. e. According to the Laws and Customs of the Heathen is the Worship of their Baals and other of their sins whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel and of the kings of Israel which they had made k i. e. Which the Kings of Israel had ordained concerning the Worship of the Calves and against their going up to Ierusalem to worship 9 And the children of Israel did secretly thâ—…e things that were not right against the LORD l This belongs either 1. to their gross Idolatries and other abominable practises which they were ashamed to own before others Compare Ezek. 8. 12. Or 2. to the worship of Calves And so the words are otherwise â—…ndered and that agreeably to the Hebrew Text thâ—…â—…ed or disguised or covered things that were not 〈◊〉 against or before or towards the Lord i. e. They 〈◊〉 their idolatrous worship of the Calves with fair preâ—…ences of necessity the Two Kingdoms being now divided and at enmity and of their honest intention of serving the true God and retaining the substance of the Iewish Religion from which they alledged that they differed onely in circumstances of Worship their God and they built them high places in all their cities from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city m In all parts and places both in Cities and in the Country yea in the most uninhabited and neglected parts
it not good if peace and truth be in my days k Which he speaks not as if he were careless and unconcerned for his Posterity which neither the common inclinations and affections of Nature in all Men nor that singular Piety and Charity which was eminent and manifest in Hezekiah can suffer us to believe or for the Church and People of God for whose welfare he was so solicitous and industrious in the whole course of his Life but because it was a singular favour that this Judgment did not immediately follow his sin the cause of it but was suspended for a longer time 20 ¶ And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and all his might and how he made a pool and a conduit and brought water into the city are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah 21 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XXI MAnasseh * â—… 〈◊〉 33. 1. was twelve years old when he began to reign and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem a In which time the Years of his Imprisonment are comprehended 2 Chron. 33. 11. and his mothers name was Hephzi-bah 2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD b Partly by the instigation of the wicked Princes of Iudah who in Hezekiah's time were secret Enemies to his Reformation and now when their Fetters were knock't off by Hezekiah's death break forth into open Hostility against it and corrupt the Kings tender years with their wicked counsel and principally by his own vicious inclination after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel 3 For he built up again the high places * 〈◊〉 18. 4. which Hezekiah his father had destroyed and he reared â—…p altars for Baal and made a grove as * 1 〈◊〉 16. 33 did Ahab king of Israel and worshipped all the host of heaven c The Stars which the Gentiles had transformed into gods See on Deut. 4. 19. and served them 4 And * 〈◊〉 32. 34. he built altars in the house of the LORD d i. e. In the Temple its self in the Holy-place because this is distinguished from the courts of the house ver 5. of which the LORD said * 2 Sam. 7. 13. 1 〈◊〉 8. 29. 〈◊〉 9. 3. In Jerusalem will I put my Name e That place I have peculiarly Consecrated to my Worship and Honour which made it the greater Injustice and Impiety and Sacriledge to Alienate it from God and to Dedicate it or any part of it especially the Temple to the service of Idols whom God abhorreth 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts f The one of the Priests the other of the People 1 King 6. 36. of the house of the LORD 6 And * Lev. 18. 2â—… and 2â—… â—… he made his son pass through the fire g Of which see the Notes on Lev. 18. 21. and 2 King 16. 3. and observed times h i. e. Lucky or unlucky days or seasons for the dispatch of businesses according to the superstitious practise of the Heathens See Esth. 3. 7. See also Lev. 19. 26. Deut. 18. 10 11. and used inchantments and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to anger 7 And he set a graven image of the grove i Either First The Image of that Baal which was worshipped in the Grove Or Secondly A representation of the Grove as may seem by comparing chap. 23. 6. Or Thirdly The Graven Image of Asherah a god or goddess so called possibly the same called elsewhere Ashtaroth See Iudg. 6. 25 28. 2 King 23. 6. 2 Chron. 15. 16. that he had made in the house of which the LORD said to David and to Solomon his son * 2 Saâ—… â—… 1â—… 1 King â—… 〈◊〉 and 9. 3. Chap. 23. 27 Psal. 1â—… 13. In this house and in Jerusalem which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel will I put my Name for ever 8 Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land k They shall no more be carried Captives into a strange Land as it had happened before which I gave their fathers onely if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them 9 But they hearkened not and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel l Partly because they were not contented with those Idols which the Canaanites worshipped but either themselves invented or they borrowed from other Nations many new Idols and kinds of Idolatry and partly because as their light was far more clear their obligations to God infinitely higher and their helps and antidotes against Idolatry much stronger than the Canaanites had so their sins though the same in kind were unspeakably worse in respect of these dreadful aggravations 10 ¶ And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets saying 11 * Jer. 15. 4. Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites m i. e. The Canaanitish Nations all so called from one eminent part of them See on Gen. 15. 16. did which were before him and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols n By his Example Encouragement Counsel Authority and Command 12 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel Behold I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah that whosoever heareth of it both * 1 Sam. 3. 11. his ears shall tingle o By the great commotion which such terrible reports shall cause in the hearts and heads of the hearers See on 1 Sam. 3. 11. Ier. 19. 3. 13 And I * Isa. 34. 11. will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria p She shall have the same measure and lot i. e. the same Judgments which Samaria had The line is oft put for ones lot or portion as Psal. 16. 6. 2 Cor. 10. 16. because mens portions or possessions used to be measured by Lines Psal. 78. 55. Amos 7. 17. Or it is a Metaphor from workmen who mark out by Lines what parts of the Building they would have thrown down and what they would have stand See Isa. 34. 11. Lam. 2. 8. Amos 7. 7 8. Zech. 1. 16. Or it is an allusion to that fact of David who destroyed the Moabites by a measuring Line 2 Sam. 8. 2. ‡ Heb. over the House of Manasseh and the plummet of the house of Ahab and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish ‡ Heb he wipeth and turneth it upon the face thereof wiping it and turning it upside down q As men do with a
e Mentioned also ch 12. 15. supposed to be the same who is called Obed ch 15. 1. This and the other Prophets mentioned were also Historians and wrote some Annals or Histories of their times out of which these Sacred and Canonical Books were taken either by these or other Prophets against Jeroboam the son of Nebat 30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years 31 And Solomon slept with his fathers and he was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead CHAP. X. 1 ANd * Rehoboam went to Shechem a The Contents of this Chapter are in 1 King 12. where see the Notes for 1 Kin. 12. â—… c. to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king 2 And it came to pass when Jeroboam the son of Nebat who was in Egypt whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king heard it that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt 3 And they sent b Or For as that Particle is oft used as hath been noted before they had sent c. So this is the Reason why he returned as was said v. 2. and called him So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam saying 4 Thy father made our yoke grievous now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father and his heavy yoke that he put upon us and we will serve thee 5 And he said unto them come again unto me after three days And the people departed 6 And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived saying What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people 7 And they spake unto him saying If thou be kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them they will be thy servants for ever 8 But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him that stood before him 9 And he said unto them What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people which have spoken to me saying Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us 10 And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him saying thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee saying thy father made our yoke heavy but make thou it somewhat lighter for us thus shalt thou say unto them My little finger shall be thicker than my fathers loins 11 For whereas my father †Heb. 〈◊〉 put a heavy yoke upon you I will put more to your yoke my father chastised you with whips but I will chastise you with scorpions 12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king bade saying Come again to me on the third day 13 And the king answered them roughly and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men 14 And answered them after the advice of the young men saying My father made your yoke heavy but I will add thereto my father chastised you with whips but I will chastise you with scorpions 15 So the king hearkened not unto the people for the cause was of God that the LORD might perform his word which he spake by the * 1 Kin. 11 〈◊〉 hand of Abijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat 16 And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them the people answered the king saying What portion have we in David and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse every man to your tents O Israel and now David see to thine own house So all Israel went to their tents 17 But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah Rehoboam reigned over them 18 Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram that was over the tribute and the children of Israel stoned him with stones that he died but king Rehoboam †〈…〉 made speed to get him up to his chariot to â—…lee to Jerusalem 19 And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day CHAP. XI 1 ANd * â—… Kin. 12. 21 â—… when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin a Of this verse and v. 2 3 4. see the Notes on 1 King 12. 21. c. an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men which were warriours to fight against Israel that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam 2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemajah the man of God saying 3 Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon king of Judah and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin saying 4 Thus saith the LORD Ye shall not go up nor fight against your brethren return every man to his house for this thing is done of me And they obeyed the words of the LORD and returned from going against Jeroboam 5 And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem and built cities b i. e. Repaired and enlarged and fortified them as building is oft used in Scripture as hath been formerly proved For these Cities or divers of them were built before as appears from Ios. 10. 10. 12. 15. 15. 24 33 35 58. 19. 42. for defence in Judah 6 He built even Beth-lehem and Etam and Tekoa 6 And Beth-zur and Shoco and Adullam 8 And Gath and Maresha and Ziph 9 And Adoraim Lachish and Azekah 10 And Zorah and Ajalon and Hebron which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities 11 And he â—…ortified the strong holds and put captains in them and store of victuals and oyl and wine 12 And in every several city c To wit so fortified as he said v. 11. he put shields and spears and made them exceeding strong having Judah and Benjamin on his side 13 And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel †resorted to him out of all their coasts 〈…〉 14 For the Levites left their * suburbs and their possession and came to Judah and Jerusalem for * 〈◊〉 â—…5 2. 〈◊〉 13. 9. Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priests office unto the LORD d They would not suffer them to instruct and assist the Israelites in the worship and service of God nor to go up to Jerusalem to worship in their Courses and these Priests would not joyn with them in the Worship of the Calves as they were desired and commanded to do and therefore they willingly forsook all their Patrimonies and Possessions for Gods Sake 15 And he ordained him priests for the high places and for the devils and for the calves e Or for the high places both for the Devils i. e. the Baals or false gods which divers of his People worshipped whom he permitted and encouraged to do so giving them liberty to do any thing 〈◊〉 to serve God at Jerusalem and for the Calves So he erected two sorts of High places
many Instances in Scriptureâ—… some of which have been formerly given and others will be given in their proper places where the same Word or Phrase is taken differently and that in the very same Chapter and History And particularly this variety is elsewhere used both by Sacred and Profane Writers in the Computation of the years of Princes which are sometimes reckoned from the beginning of their Reign and sometimes from other remarkable Times and Occurrences Thus Nebuchadnezzars years are sometimes computed from the beginning of his Reign as 2 King 25. 8. Ier. 52. 12 29 30. and sometimes from his compleat Conquest of Syria and Egypt c. As that Passage Dan. 2. 1. In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar is by the general stream of Interpreters understood Thus Ahaziahs years which doubtless were usually computed from the time of his Birth are computed from another Head ch 22. 2. where see the Notes And the like differences are observed in computing the years of some of the Syrian Monarchs and Roman Emperours and particularly of Augustus the years of whose Reign are variously accounted by the Roman Historians sometimes from his first Consulship sometimes from the time of the Triumvirate and sometimes from that Famous Victory at Actium where he utterly overthrew his Competitour and made himself sole and unquestionable Emperour And therefore it is not strange if it be so here And that it must necessarily be thus understood appears from hence that it cannot be the 36th year of the Reign of Asa in his own person because Baasha began to reign in Asa's third year 1 King 15. 28. and reigned onely 24 years and consequently died in Asa's 26th or 27th year as it is said he did 1 King 15. 8. * 1 Kin. 15. 17. Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah to the intent that he might let none go out or come into Asa king of Judah b That he might keep his subjects from revolting to Asa as he perceived they began to do ch 15. 9. and keep Asa's Subjects from coming into his Dominions to seduce his â—…eople from their Obedience to him 2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold c This verse and v. 3 4 5 6. are explained 1 King 15. 18 c. out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the kings house and sent to Benhadad king of Syria that dwelt at †Heb. Darmâ—…sek Damascus saying 3 There is a league between me and thee as there was between my father and thy father behold I have sent thee silver and gold go break thy league with Baasha king of Israel that he may depart from me 4 And Ben-hadad hearkned unto king Asa and sent the captains of †Heb. which were his his armies against the cities of Israel and they smote Ijon and Dan and Abel-maim and all the store-cities of Naphtali 5 And it came to pass when Baasha heard it that he left off building of Ramah and let his work cease 6 Then Asa the king took all Judah and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timber thereof wherewith Baasha was a building and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah 7 And at that time * 1 Kin. 16. 1. Ch. 19. 2. Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said unto him Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria and not relied on the LORD thy God therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand d And so reserved to be a Scourge to thy Kingdom and Posterity hereafter Whereas if he had joyned with Baasha against thee thou shouldest have overthrown them both and prevented all that Mischief which that Monarch will do one day to thy Family 8 Were not * Ch. 14. 9. the Ethiopians and the Lubims e Either the Libians in Africa or another People possibly descended from them but now seated in some part of Arabia †Heb. in abundance a huge host with very many chariots and horsemen yet because thou didst relie on the LORD he delivered them into thine hand 9 For * Zech. 4. 10. the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth ‖ Or strongly to hold with them c. to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect f i. e. Upright and sincere as thine is not Obj. The heart of Asa is said to be perfect all his days ch 15. 17. Ans. He was perfect and sincere in the things here spoken of in the Establishment of the outward Worship of God but not in the inward Worship of God trusting and fearing and loving him with all his heart of which he here speaks Or thus He was perfect or sincere in the general Course of his Life though in some particulars whereof this is one his heart did not perfectly cleave to God as it should have done toward him herein thou hast done foolishly therefore from henceforth * 1 Kin. 15. 32. thou shalt have wars g With Baasha ch 16. 4. 10 Then Asa was wroth with the seer and put him in †Heb. a house of subversion aprison house h Or in the house of the Stocks in which the Feet or as some of the Hebrews say the Necks of the Prisoners were locked up See Iâ—…r 20. 2. 29. 26. for he was in a rage with him because of this thing And Asa †Heb. crâ—…shed oppressed some of the people the same time 11 And behold the acts of Asa first and last lo they are written in the books of the kings of Judah and Israel 12 And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet until his disease was exceeding great yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD but to the physicians i He did not humble himself before God nor earnestly desire his Help but put all his Confidence in the Skill and Faithfulness of his Physicians of whom it seems he had great experience 13 And Asa slept with his fathers and died in the one and fortieth year of his age 14 And they buried him in his own sepulchre which he had †Heb. digged made for himself in the city of David and â—…aid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries art k As the manner of those Nations was See Gen. 50. 2. 2 Chron. 21. 19. and they made a very great burning l To wit of Precious Spices thereby â—…estifying their Thankfulness for many Benefits which they enjoyed under his Government and their Respect to him notwithstanding his Miscarriages for him CHAP. XVII ANd * 1 Kin. 15. 24. Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead and strengthened himself against Israel a Against the King and People of Israel who had molested the Kingdom of Judah with Wars all the days of Asa
silver and they offered burnt-offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehojada 15 But Jehojada waxed old and was full of days when he died an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died 16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings because he had done good in Israel m i. e. In Judah which was an eminent part of Israel and the onely part of it which owned God or was owned by God as his Israel to whom therefore he oft appropriates this name thereby signifying that the other Tribes were unworthy of that honourable title and had forfeited all their right in it to Judah 〈◊〉 on ch 21. 2. both towards God and towards his house 17 Now after the death of Jehojada came the princes of Judah and made obeisance to the King n In that posture presenting their requests to him that they might not be confined to unnecessary and troublesom journeys in coming to Jerusalem to worship but might have the liberty which their Fore-fathers enjoyed of worshipping God in the High-places Which liberty when once they had obtained they knew they could then worship Idols without observation or disturbance which was the thing at which they aimed And for the prevention of such abuses God obliged all to worship him in one place then the King hearkned unto them 18 And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers and served groves and idols and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass o By Hazael King of Syria of which see 2 Kings 12. 17 18. 19 Yet he sent prophets to them to bring them again unto the LORD and they testified against them but they would not give ear 20 And the spirit of God †Heb. clothed 〈◊〉 Judg. 6. 34. came upon Zechariah the son of Jehojada the priest which stood above the people p In an higher place that his voice and message might be the better heard and said unto them Thus saith God Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD that cannot prosper because ye have forsaken the LORD he hath also forsaken you 21 And they q i. e. The people to whom he preached who were easily corrupted by the examples of their Apostate King and Princes conspired against him and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD 22 Thus Joash the king remembred not the kindness which Jehojada his father had done to him but slew his son And when he died he said The LORD look upon it and require it r i. e. Make inquisition for my innocent blood Which he did not wish from any desire of private revenge with which so wise and good a man would never be willing to die but partly from a zeal to publick Justice and the punishment of such gross wickedness and partly to deter them if possible from compleating their murderous intentions But these words may as well be rendred indicatively as optatively The Lord will look upon it and require it i. e. He will examine this action and require satisfaction from you for it 23 And it came to pass †〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the end of the year s So soon did God hear the cry of this holy Prophets blood and revenge it that the host of Syria came up against him and they came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people t That it might appear they were sent and directed by God to single out to destruction the first beginners and chief promoters of this general Apostacy and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iâ—… Damascus u To Hazael the king of that part of Syria called Syria Damascena from its capital City Damascus 24 For the army of the Syrians * 〈…〉 came with a small company of men and the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers So they executed Judgment against Joash 25 And when they were departed from him for they lest him in great diseases his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons x i. e. Of Zachariah his son the plural number Sons put for the singular Son as it is frequently both in Scripture as Gen. 46. 7. 〈◊〉 26. 42. and in Cicero and other profane Authors Or he might kill other sons of Jehojadah with him either because they owned him in what he had said or lest they should revenge his death of Jehojada the priest and slew him on his bed and he died and they buried him in the city of David but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings 26 And these are they that conspired against him ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 12. 21. Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess and Jehozabad the son of ‖ 〈…〉 Shimrith a Moabitess 27 Now concerning his sons and the greatness of the * burdens laid upon him y Either the severe prophecies against him which are oft called Burdens of which one instance is recorded and there might be others that are not recorded or the great Judgments of God upon him both by the Syrians v. 23 24. and by great disâ—…ses v. 25. and the †repairing 〈◊〉 12. 18. 〈◊〉 1â—… of the house of God behold they are 〈…〉 written in the ‖ story of the book of the kings And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XXV AMaziah * 〈…〉 was twenty and five years old a Of this Verse and v. 2 3 4. see the Notes on 2 King 14. â—… c. when he began to reign and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem and his mothers name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD but not with a perfect heart 3 Now it came to pass when the kingdom was †Heb. confirmed upon him established to him that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father 4 But he slew not their children but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses where the LORD commanded saying * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…6 2 Kin. 14. â—… Jer. 31. â—…0 Ezek. 18. 20 The fathers shall not die for the children neither shall the children die for the fathers but every man shall die for his own sin 5 Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together and made them captains over thousands and captains over hundreds according to the houses of their fathers throughout all Judah and Benjamin and he numbred them * Numb 1. 3 from twenty years old and above and found them three hundred thousand choice men able to go sorth to war that could handle spear and shield 6 He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel b Out of the
as it follows but by vehement perswasions and denunciations of Gods further Judgments upon him if he did not depart Some suppose that the Earthquake mentioned Amos 1. 1. Zech. 14. 5. happened upon this occasion as another token of Gods displeasure against this unparallel'd arrogancy yea himself * 〈◊〉 6. 12 hasted also to go out because the LORD had smitten him 21 * 〈◊〉 15. 5. 〈◊〉 13. 26 〈◊〉 And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death r God would have this Leprosy to be incurable as a lasting monument of his Anger against such presumptuous Invaders of the Priests office and dwelt in a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †several house being a leper s As he was obliged to do by Law Levit. 13. 46. which he durst not now resist being under the hand and stroke of God and under the fear of further and worse plagues if he did so for t So the following words are a reason of the former he dwelt in a several house because he might not come into the Temple or Courts nor consequently into any publick Assembly or the society of others Or and therefore as the Hebrew Chi oft signifies and the Particle and is oft understood So it is an inference from the next foregoing words He was a Leper and therefore he was cut off c. He who could not content himself with Gods allowance but usurped the Priests place and office is now deprived of the priviledge of the meanest of his People A just and most suitable Judgment he was cut off from the house of the LORD and Jotham his son was over the kings house judging the people of the land 22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah first and last did Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz write 23 So Uzziah slept with his fathers and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings for they said He is a leper and Jotham his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XXVII 1 JOtham * 2 Kin 15 32 c. was twenty and five years old when he began to reign and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem his mothers name also was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD according to all that his father Uzziah did howbeit he entred not into the temple of the LORD a To wit to offer Incense But seeing this was commendable how is this mentioned as an exception from the foregoing Character that he did as his Father did in that which was right c. Answ. It is an exception onely from the last clause where also one word may be supplied out of the foregoing words as is most usual in Scripture thus He did according to all that his father Uzziah did then it fitly follows howbeit c. i. e. except in his miscarriages And the people did yet corruptly 3 He built b i. e. Repaired it for it was built before ch 11. 5. the high-gate c 〈◊〉 wise called the New gate Jer. 36. 10. of the house of the LORD and on the wall of ‖ Or the 〈◊〉 â—…r Ophel d A Tower upon 〈◊〉 the wall of Jerusalem which probably he fortified as his Father 〈◊〉 done other Towers ch 2. 6. 9. he built much 5 He fought also with the king of the Ammonites e Who it seems endeavoured to shake off the yoke which from Davids time had been put upon them and prevailed against them And the children of Ammon gave him the same year an hundred talents of silver and ten thousand measures of wheat and ten thousand of barley †Heb. this So much did the children of Ammon pay unto him both the second year and the third 6 So Jotham became mighty because he ‖ Or established prepared his ways d Or directed his ways i. e. his counsels and actions by the rule of Gods Law before the LORD his God 7 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all his wars and his ways lo they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah 8 He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem 9 And Jotham slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city of David and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XXVIII 1 AHaz * 2 Kin. 16. 〈◊〉 was twenty years old when he began to reign and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD like David his father 2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and made also molten images for Baalim a To worship his Baalim or false gods in and by them 3 Moreover he ‖ Or offered sacrifice burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom and burnt * Lâ—…v 18. 21. his children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel 4 He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places and on the hills and under every green tree 5 Wherefore the LORD his God b God was his God though not by Covenant and Grace and special Relation which Ahaz had renounced yet by his Soveraign Dominion over him For God did not forfeit his Right by Ahaz his denying it delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria and they smote him and carried away a great multitude of them captives and brought them to †Heb. Darmesek Damascus and he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel who smote him with a great slaughter 6 For * 2 Kin. 15. 2â—… Isa. â—… â—… Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day which were all †Heb. sons of valour valiant men because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers 7 And Zichri a mighty man of Ephraim slew Maasejah the kings son and Azrikam the governour of the house and Elkanah that was †Heb. the second to the king next to the king 8 And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women sons and daughters and took also away much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria 9 But a prophet of the LORD was there whose name was Oded and he went out before the host that came to Samaria and said unto them Behold * Psal. 69. 26. Isa. 10. 5. 47. 6. Ezek. 2. 12 15. 26. 2. Obad. 10. c. Zech. 1. 15. because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah he hath delivered them into your hand and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven c i. e. In a most high and fierce manner An usual Hyperbole withal signifying that their Rage did cry aloud and
two and twenty years old when he began to reign and reigned two years in Jerusalem 22 But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD as did Manasseh his father for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made and served them 23 And humbled not himself before the LORD as Manasseh his father had humbled himself but Amon †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trespass trespassed more and more 24 And his servants conspired against him and slew him in his own house 25 But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead CHAP. XXXIV 1 JOsiah * 2 Kin. 22. â—… c. was eight years old when he began to reign a Of this Chapter see the Notes on 2 King 22. 23. and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD and walked in the ways of David his father and declined neither to the right hand nor to the left 3 For in the eighth year of his reign while he was yet young b In the 16th Year of his Age when he was entring into the Age and State of Temptations and Youthful Lusts and had the Administration of his Kingdom wholly in his own Hand and Power and none to rebuke or restrain him yet even then he begins to be Religious in good Earnest he began to seek after the God of David his father and in the twelfth year he began * 1 Kin 13 2. to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places and the groves and the carved images and the molten images 4 * Lev. 26. 30. 2 Kin. 23. 4. And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence and the ‖ Or sun-images images that were on high above them he cut down and the groves and the carved images and the molten images he brake in pieces and made dust of them and strowed it upon the †Heb. face of graves graves of them that had sacrificed unto them 5 And * 2 Kin. 23. 20 he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem 6 And so did he in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and â—…imeon even unto Naphtali c Which was in the utmost and northern Borders of the Kingdom of Israel For it must be remembred that the ten Tribes were now gone into Captivity and those who were come in their stead were weak and few and not able to withstand the Power of Josiah with their ‖ Or mauls mattocks round about 7 And when he had broken down the altars and the groves and had beaten the graven images †Heb. to make powder into powder and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel he returned to Jerusalem 8 Now in the * 2 Kin. 22 3. eighteenth year of his reign when he had purged the land and the house d The House of God called the House by way of Eminency he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah and Maasejah the governour of the city and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder to repair the house of the LORD his God 9 And when they came to Hilkiah the high-priest they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim and of all the remnant of Israel and of all Judah and Benjamin and they e i. e. The Levites who had gone abroad through all Josiahs Kingdom to gather Money for this good Use and now came with it to Jerusalem to lodge it in the Treasuries of the Lords House returned to Jerusalem 10 And they put it in the hand of the work-men that had the oversight of the house of the LORD and they gave it to the work-men that wrought in the house of the LORD to repair and mend the house 11 Even to the artificers and builders gave they it to buy hewen stone and timber for couplings and ‖ Or to rafter to floor the houses f i. e. The Chambers joyning to the Temple or within the Courts which the kings of Judah had destroyed 12 And the men did the work faithfully and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah the Levites of the sons of Merari and Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites to set it forward and other of the Levites all that could skill of instruments of musick g Or all these here named were skilful in Instruments of Musick Which may be here mentioned either to their Commendation that they were fit for and careful and diligent in this Employment wherewith they were now entrusted no less than in their own proper Work Or to intimate that as they were skilful so they were exercised in both their Employments and did successively oversee the Work and praised God with their Voices and Instruments for his Gracious and Powerful Help in carrying on the Work 13 Also they were over the bearers of burdens and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service and of the Levites there were scribes and officers and porters 14 And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD Hilkiah the priest * 2 Kin. 22. 8 c. found a book of the law of the LORD given †Heb. by the hand of by Moses 15 And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan 16 And Shaphan carried the book to the king and brought the king word back again saying All that was committed †Heb. to the hand of to thy servants they do it 17 And they have †Heb. poured out or melted gathered together the money that was found in the house of the LORD and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers and to the hand of the workmen 18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king saying Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book And Shaphan read †Heb. in it it before the king 19 And it came to pass when the king had heard the words of the law that he rent his clothes 20 And the king commanded Hilkiah and Ahikam the son of Shaphan and ‖ Or Achbor 2 Kin. 22. 12. Abdon the son of Micah and Shaphan the scribe and Asajah a servant of the kings saying 21 Go enquire of the LORD for me and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah concerning the words of the book that is found for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD to do after all that is written in this book 22 And
Egypt of which he boasts Isa. 10. 9. by Euphrates and Josiah went out against him 21 But he sent Embassadors to him saying What have I to do with thee thou king of Judah I come not against thee this day but against the †Heb. the house of my war house wherewith I have war x Heb. against the house or family of my war i. e. Against the House of the King of Assyria between whom and me there is War for God y Either his False God by their lying Priests Or the True God either 1. by some Prophet For Gods Prophets used sometimes to deliver or send Commands from God to Heathen Kings Though it is not probable either that Pharaoh would regard the Command of the True God Or that a Prophet of the Lord would not acquaint Josiah with this Message Or that Josiah would oppose Pharaoh in a War undertaken by Gods Command Or rather 2 by a Dream as God spoke to another Heathen King Abimelech Gen. 20. 3. Though it is not impossible that he pretended this for his own Advantage that Josiah might not assist his Enemies commanded me to make hast forbear thee from meddling with God who is with me that he destroy thee not 22 Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him z Being peradventure incouraged to do so by a Misinterpretation of that Promise made to him ch 34. 28. Thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace Thus God over-rules the Errours and Miscarriages of Men to the Accomplishment of his own Counsels but * So 1 Kin. 22. â—…0 disguised himself a Changed his Habit that he might not give his Enemies the Advantage of aiming at his Person which he wisely thought they would do that being a likely Course to end their Trouble as indeed it proved that he might sight with him and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God b Either 1. which Pharaoh sent to him in the Name of God or as coming from Gods Mouth Or rather 2. which Pharaoh received from the Mouth of God who was pleased some way or other to impart his Mind to him and which Pharaoh acquainted him with by the Command of God And therefore Josiah is here blamed for not hearkening to this Message Although if he sinned herein it was onely a Sin of Ignorance for he did not know that God had spoken this to Pharaoh and was not bound to believe his Testimony which he had good reason to suspect in this matter Yet methinks he ought so far to have regarded it as to have enquired the Mind of God about it which he neglected to do and therefore he cannot be wholly excused and is here taxed for it and came to sight in the valley of Megiddo 23 And the archers shot at king Josiah and the king said to his servants Have me away for I am â—…ore †Heb. made sick wounded 24 His servants therefore took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had and they brought him to Jerusalem and he died and was buried ‖ Or among the sepulehres in one of the sepulchres of his fathers And * Zech. 12. 11. all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah 25 And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah and all the singing men and the singing women spake to Josiah in their lamentations to this day c In all their succeeding Lamentations for their publick Calamities and for the ruine of their City and Temple and State and Church they remembred Josiahs death as their first and most fatal Blow and as that which opened the Flood-gates to all their following Miseries and it was ordained that they should do as the next words intimate and made an ordinance in Israel and behold they are written in the lamentations d Either in that Canonical Book of Jeremies Lamentations or in some other Volume of mournful Ditties made by divers Persons upon occasion of their following Calamities which is since lost 26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his †Heb. kindnesses Ch. 32. 32. goodness e Either 1. his Piety towards God and his House Or 2 his Penignity Clemency and Kindness towards all his Subjects being of 2 most tender Disposition and Carriage both towards God ch 34. 27. and towards Men. But the former seems principally intended because it best agrees both with the History of Josiah which is wholly taken up with the former and speaks little or nothing of the latter and with the following words and it doth not disagree with the Hebrew word hesed which though it doth most frequently express kindness to Men yet sometimes it notes a Mans Piety to God and his House as is manifest from Nehem. 13. 14. according to that which was written in the law of the LORD 27 And his deeds first and last behold they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah CHAP. XXXVI 1. THen * 2 〈◊〉 c. the people of the land took Jehoahaz a The Contents of this Chapter for the Substance of them are explained in the Notes upon 2 Kings ch 23. 31 c. 24. 25. what is peculiar to it shall be here opened so far as is necessary the son of Josiah and made him king in his fathers stead at Jerusalem 2 Joahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign and he reigned three months in Jerusalem 3 And the king of Egypt †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put him down at Jerusalem and †Heb. 〈◊〉 condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold 4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem and turned his name to Jehojakim And Necho took Joahaz his brother and carried him to Egypt 5 Jehojakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God 6 * 2 〈◊〉 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and bound him in ‖ Or 〈◊〉 fetters to carry him to Babylon 7 * 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon and put them in his temple at Babylon 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehojakim and his abominations which he did and that which was sound in him b That Crime of Rebellion against the King of Babylon which for a time he kept in his own Breast but when he saw fit he discovered it and was convicted of it See 2 King 24. 1. behold they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah and ‖ Or 〈◊〉 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jer. 〈◊〉 Jehojachin his son reigned in his stead 9 * 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jehojachin was eight years old when he began to reign c Of which see the Notes upon 2 King 24.
thirty priests garments 71 And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand drams of gold and two thousand and two hundred pound of silver 72 And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drams of gold and two thousand pound of silver and threescore and seven priests garments 73 So the priests and the Levites and the porters and the singers and some of the people and the Nethinims and all Israel dwelt in their cities and when the seventh month came the children of Israel were in their cities CHAP. VIII 1 AND all * 〈◊〉 3. 1. the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water-gate a Of which see Nehem. 3. 26. and they spake unto Ezra * Ezra 7. 6. the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had commanded to Israel 2 And Ezra the priest b Who came 12 or 13 years before Nehemiah to Ierusalem and either carried there or went back to Babylon being forced to do so by the Kings command or indispensable occasions and then returned again with Nehemiah brought the law before the congregation both of men and women and all †〈…〉 that could hear with understanding c i. e. And such children as were come to years of understanding upon the first day of the seventh month 3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water-gate †〈…〉 from the morning until mid-day before the men and the women and those that could understand and the ears of all the people were attententive unto the book of the law 4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a 〈…〉 pulpit of wood which they had made for the purpose and beside him stood Mattithiah and Shema and Anajah and Urijah and Hilkiah and Maaseiah on his right hand and on his left hand Pedajah and Mishael and Malchiah and Hashum and Hashbadana Zechariah and Meshullam d Partly to declare their consent and concurrence with Ezra in what he said and did and partly that they or some of them might bear a part in the work 5 And Ezra opened the book in the †〈…〉 fight of all the people for he was above all the people and when he opened it all the people stood up e Either in reverence to Gods Word of which see Num. 11. 32. Iudg. 3. 20. Or that they might hear his words the more distinctly or rather because they observed that Ezra composed himself to prayer or thanksgiving which is here generally declared but doubtless was more particularly and largely expressed in that assembly as appears by their answering Amen amen to his prayer 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD the great God and all the people answered Amen amen with lifting up their hands and they bowed their heads and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground 7 Also Jeshua and Bani and Sherebiah Jamin Akkub Shabbethar Hodijah Maaseiah Kelita Azariah Jozabad Hanan Pelaiah and the Levites caused the people to understand the law f As well the words which being Hebrew now needed to be translated into the Chaldee or Syriack language which was now and henceforth the common language of that people who together with their religion had also in a great part lost their language as also the sense and meaning of them they expounded the mind and will of God in what they read and applied it to the peoples present condition as they saw fit as the manner of the Prophets generally was And hence the people were so deeply affected with 〈◊〉 and the people stood in their place g i. e. In their several places and stations into which the company seems to have been distributed for conveniency of hearing it not being likely that so vast a Congregation could distinctly hear one mans voice Or by their stations i. e. by the several stations of the Levites persons last named who seem to have had several scaffolds by comparing this with ch 9. 4. upon which they stood as Ezra did upon his pulpit v. 4. 8 So they read h To wit Ezra and his companions successively or severally l. in the book in the law of God distinctly and gave the sense i The meaning of the Hebrew words which they expounded in the common language and caused them to understand the reading k i. e. That which they read to wit the holy Scripture the action being put for the object as vision is oft put for the thing seen and hearing for the thing heard and fear for the thing feared So they gave them both a translation of the Hebrew words into the Chaldee and an exposition of the things contained in them and of the duty incumbent upon the people by vertue of them the declaration whereof was a great part of the Priests work Mal. 2. 7. 9 And Nehemiah which is ‖ Or the governour Ezra 2. 63. the Tirshatha and Ezra the priest the scribe and the Levites that taught the people said unto all the people * Num. 29. 1. Deut. 16. 14 15. This day is holy unto the LORD your God l To wit as a day of feasting and thanksgiving to God and rejoycing in his mercies for otherwise even fasting days were holy to God in the general though not in the sense here meant mourn not nor weep for all the people wept m when they heard the words of the law n Out of a deep sense of their great guilt and of their extream danger by reason of it 10 Then he said unto them Go your way eat the fat and drink the sweet n Feast before the Lord as the duty of the day obligeth you to do and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared o For the relief of your poor brethren who else must mourn whilest you rejoyce See of this duty and practice Deut. 16. 11 14. Esth. 9. 19. for this day is holy unto our LORD p Being the feast of trumpets Levit. 23. 24. and the beginning of this joyful month wherein so many days of feasting and thanksgiving were to be observed neither be ye sorry for the joy of the LORD is your strength q i. e. Rejoycing in God in the manner prescribed in his word or serving him with cheerfulness and thankfulness which is your duty alwaies but now especially will give you that strength both of mind and body which you greatly need both to perform all the duties required of you and to indure and oppose all the crafty counsels and malicious designs of your enemies against you whereas this dejection of mind and excessive grief if you indulge it will both oftend God and damp your spirits weaken your very bodies make you unfit for Gods service or for your own necessary occasions and so an easy prey to your enemies 11 So the Levites stilled all
pollute them or the Priesthood and of the Levites 30 Thus cleansed I them from all strangers and * Ch. 12. 1. appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites every one in his business 31 And for the * Ch. 10. 34. wood-offerings at times appointed and for the first-fruits x And particularly I took care for these things because they had been lately neglected Remember me O my God for good ESTHER THis Book was constantly received for a part of the Canon of the Scripture by the People of the Iews whose authority herein is the more considerable because to them were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. to keep them safely and transmit them carefully to Posterity And it is a very strong presumption that they were true to their trust that our blessed Lord and his holy Apostles who taxed the Iews with many faults both greater and less never charged them with unfaithfulness herein which if the Iews had been guilty they would certainly have done and by their Office were obliged to do it for the Instruction and Caution of the Christian Church whose Faith was built no less upon the Writings of the Prophets than upon the Doctrine of the Apostles The Pen-man of it is both by Iewish and Christian Interpreters ancient and modern thought to be Mordecai who was both an holy man of God and a principal Actor in this History And therefore who so fit and proper for it as himself CHAP. I. 1 NOw it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus a Qu. Who was this King Ans. It is confessed and manifest that this was one of the Kings of Persia But which of them it was is not yet agreed nor is it of any necessity for us now to know But it is sufficiently evident that this was either 1. Darius Hystaspis as divers both Jewish and Christian Writers affirm for his Kingdom was thus vast and he subdued India as Herodotus reports and one of his Wives was called Atossa which differs little from Hadassah which is Esthers other name Esth. 2. 7. Or 2. Xerxes whose Wife as Herodotus notes was called Amestris which is not much differing from Esther by whom all these things were transacted whilst he was potent and prosperous before his unhappy expedition against the Grecians Or 3. Artaxerxes Longimanus to whom the characters of Ahasuerus represented in this Book do not disagree And whereas it is objected that by this account Mordecai must be a man of about 140 Years and consequently Esther who is called his Uncles daughter ch 2. 7. must be too old to make a Wife for the King as for Mordecai it may be granted there being divers instances of persons of greater Age than that in sacred and prophane Historians and for Esther it may be said that she was his Uncles Grand-Daughter nothing being more frequent than for the names of sons or daughters to be given to more remote posterity this is Ahasuerus which reigned from India even unto Ethiopia over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces b So seven new Provinces were added to those 120 mentioned Dan. 6. 1. 2 That in those days when the king Ahasuerus sate on the Throne of his kingdom c i. e. Either was lately advanced to it or rather was settled in the peaceable possession of it which was in Shushan the ‖ Or chief city palace d Or the castle or the chief or royal city as both Jewish and Christian Interpreters render it Shushan might be the proper name of the Palace which thence was given to the whole City Here the Kings of Persia used to keep their Courts chiefly in Winter as ordinarily they were in Ecbatana in Summer 3 In the third year of his reign he made a feast unto all his Princes and his servants the power e i. e. The mighty men the chief Officers of State and Commanders of all his Forces whom by this splendid entertainment he endeavoured to oblige and assure to himself of Persia and Media the nobles and princes of the provinces being before him 4 When he shewed the riches of his glorious Kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days even an hundred and fourscore days f Making every day a magnificent Feast either for all his Princes or for some of them who might come to the Feast successively as the King ordered them to do The Persian Feasts are much celebrated in Authors for their length and Luxury 5 And when these days were expired the king made a feast unto all the people that were †Heb. found present g Both such as constantly resided there and such as were come thither upon their occasions of whatsoever condition or quality in Shushan the palace both unto great and small seven days in the court of the garden h The Persian Gardens were exceeding large and pleasant of the kings palace 6 Where were white green and ‖ Or 〈◊〉 blue hangings fastened with cords of fine linnen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble the beds i For in those Eastern Countries and ancient times they did not sit at Tables as we do but rested or leaned upon Beds of which we have many testimonies both in Scripture as Esth. 7. 8. Amos 2. 8. 6. 4. Ioh. 13. 23. and in all other Authors were of gold and silver upon a pavement ‖ Or of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 of red and blue and white and black marble 7 And they gave them drink in vessels of gold the vessels being divers one from another and †â—…eb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 royal wine in abundance †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 king according to the state of the king 8 And the drinking was according to the law none did compel k i. e. According to this Law which the King had now made that none should compel another to drink more than he pleased which the Persians and other loose and heathenish Nations used to do though that practice was connemned by the wise and sober Heathens and among others by this great Prince Or no man did compel another to drink according to the Law i. e. as by the Laws or Orders of the Persians prescribed and used in their Feasts they might have done if not restrained by this Law for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house that they should do according to every mans pleasure 9 Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women l Whilest the King entertained the men For this was the common custom of the Persians that Men and Women did not feast together but in several places in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus 10 On the seventh day when the heart of the king was merry with wine he commanded Mehuman Biztha Harbona Bigtha and Abagtha Zethar and Carcas the seven ‖ Or 〈◊〉 chamberlains m Or
this is a Canonical Book of Scripture which is manifest both from the Stile and Matter of it and from the tacite Approbation given to it by Ezekiel and James in the places now cited and from that quotation taken from it as such 1 Cor. 3. 19. and from the unanimous consent of the Church both of Iews and Christians in all Ages 3. The time in which Job lived and these things were said and done most probably was before Moses and in the days of the ancient Patriarchs This may be gathered 1. From his long Life which by comparing Ch. 1. with 42. 16. could not want much of 200 Years whereas after Moses Mens Lives were far shorter as is manifest 2. From that considerable Knowledge of God and of the true Religion which then remained among divers Gentiles which after Moses his time was in a manner quite extinguished 3. From the Sacrifices here commonly used whereas after the giving of the Law all Sacrifices were confined to the place of the Tabernacle or Temple to which even the Gentiles were to repair when they would Sacrifice to God 4. From the way of Gods imparting of his Mind to the Gentiles at this time by Dreams and Visions agreeably to Gods Method in those ancient times whereas afterward those discoveries were withdrawn from the Gentiles and appropriated to the People of Israel 5. Because there is not the least mention in this Book of the Children of Israel neither of their grievous Afflictions in Egypt nor of their glorious Deliverance out of it though nothing could have been more seasonable or suitable to the matter which is here discoursed between Job and his Friends 4. The Pen-man of this Book is not certainly known nor is it material for us to know For it being agreed who is the principal Author it is of no moment by what Hand or Pen he wrote it But most probably it was either 1. Job himself who was most capable of giving this exact account who as in his Agony he wished that his Words and Carriage were written in a Book Ch. 19. 23 24. so possibly when he was delivered from it he satisfied his own and others desires therein Only what concerns his general Character Ch. 1. 1. and the time of his Death Ch. 42. 16 17. was added by another Hand the like small Additions being made in other Books of Scripture Or 2. Elihu which may seem to be favoured by Ch. 32. 15 16. Or 3. Moses who when he was in the Land of Midian where he had opportunity of coming to the knowledge of this History and Discourse and considering that it might be very useful for the Comfort and Direction of Gods Israel who was now oppressed in Egypt did by his own Inclination and the Direction of Gods Spirit commit it to Writing And whereas the Stile seems to be unlike to that of Moses in his other Writings that is not strange considering the differing nature of the Books this being almost all Poetical and the other meerly Historical for the most part or plain Precepts or Exhortations And for the Arabick words here used it must be remembred that Moses lived 40 Years in Midian which was a part of Arabia in which he must needs learn that Language CHAP. I. THere was a Man in the Land of Uz a Which was either in Edom called The Land of Uz Lam. 4. 21. or in some part of Arabia not far from the Chaldeans and Sabeans as this Chapter witnesseth so called probably from Uz one of Esau's Posterity Gen. 36. 28. Ier. 25. 20. whose Name was * 〈◊〉 14. 14. 〈◊〉 5. 11. Job and that man was †â—…p 2. 3. perfect b Not legally or exactly as he confesseth Ch. 9. 20. but comparatively to such as were partial in their Obedience to Gods Commands and as to his sincere Intentions hearty Affections and constant and diligent Endeavours to perform all his duties to God and Men. and upright c Heb. right exact and regular in all his dealings with Men one of an unblameable Conversation doing to others as he would have others to deal with him and one that feared God d Only truly pious and devoted to Gods Worship and Service and eschewed Evil e i. e. Carefully avoiding all sin against God or Men. 2. And there were born unto him Seven Sons and Three Daughters 3. His †Oâ—… 〈◊〉 Substance also was Seven Thousand Sheep and Three Thousand Camels f Camels in these parts were very numerous as is manifest from Iudg. 7. 12. 1 Chron. 5. 21. and from the plain testimonies of Aristotle and Pliny and very useful and Proper both for carrying of Burdens in these hot and dry Countries as being able to endure thirst much better than other Creatures and for service in War and Five Hundred Yoke of Oxen and Five Hundred She-Asses g Which were preferred before He-Asses as serving for the same uses as they did and for Breeding and Milk also But He-Asses also may be included in this Expression which is of the Feminine Gender because the greatest part of them from which the denomination is usually taken were She-Asses and a very great ‡ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Houshold so that this man was the greatest h i. e. One of the richest of all the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 men in the East i To wit that lived in those parts such general Expressions being commonly understood with such limitations 4. And his Sons went and feasted k To testifie and maintain their Brotherly Love in their houses every one his day l Not every day of the Week and of the Year which would have been burdensome and tedious to them all and gross Luxury and Epicurism which holy Iob would not have permitted but each his appointed day whether his Birth-day or the first day of the Month or any other set time it matters not and sent and called for their Three Sisters to eat and to drink with them 5. And it was so when the days of their feasting were gone about m When each of them had had his turn which peradventure came one speedily though not immediately after another And there was some considerable interval before their next feasting time that Job sent and * Neh. 12. 30. sanctified them n i. e. He exhorted and commanded them to sanctifie themselves for the following work to wit by purifying themselves from all Ceremonial and Moral Pollution as the manner then was Exod. 19. 10. and by preparing themselves by true Repentance for all their sins and particularly such as they had committed in their time of Feasting and Jollity and by fervent Prayers to make their Peace with God by Sacrifice and rose up early in the morning o Thereby shewing his ardent Zeal in Gods service and his Impatience till God was reconciled to him and to his Children and offered Burnt-Offerings according to the number of them all for
inspired by God the Excellency and Usefulness of the Matter the sacred and sublime Majesty of the stile and the singular efficacy of it upon the Hearts of sober and serious Persons who read it with due preparation and those other Characters which are commonly known and therefore it is needless here to enumerate 2. The form of this Book is dramatical wherein several parts or parcels of it are uttered by or in the Name of several persons which are chiefly Four the Bridegroom and the Bride and the Friends or Companions of the one and of the other Nor is it declared what or when each of them speak but that is secretly couched and is left to the observation of the prudent Reader as is usual in Writings of this Nature 3. The design of the Book in general is to describe the passionate Loves and happy Marriage of two persons and their mutual Satisfaction therein and the blessed Fruits and Effects thereof But then it is not to be understood carnally concerning Solomon and Pharaoh's Daughter as some have fancied although the occasion of this Love and Marriage may be taken from that or rather he makes an allusion to that but spiritually concerning God or Christ and his Church and People This is sufficiently evident from the descriptions of this Bridegroom and Bride which are such as could not with any decency be used or meant concerning Solomon and Pharaoh's Daughter as when he is brought in like a Country Shepherd Ch. 1. 7. and is called his Brides Brother Ch. 5. 2. and when he gives such high and excessive Commendations to himself as we shall see and when she is made the keeper of Vineyards and of Sheep Ch. 1. 6 8. and is said to be smitten and abused by the Watchmen Ch. 5. 7. and to be terrible as an Army Ch. 6. 4. and to be like Pharaoh's Horses and to have an Head like Carmel a Nose like a Tower Eyes like Fishpools Teeth like a flock of Sheep c. Ch. 7. 4 5. And there are many such like Expressions and Descriptions which being applied to them are absurd and monstrous Hence it follows that this Book is to be understood mystically or Allegorically concerning that spiritual Love and Marriage which is between God or Christ and his Church or every believing Soul And this will be more than probable to any man who shall consider the following particulars 1. That the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament are full of mystical and Allegorical passages which being known and confessed it is needless to prove 2. That the Doctrine of Christ or the Messias and of his being the Head and Husband and Saviour of Gods Church or People was well known at least to the Prophets and the wise and pious Israelites in the time of the Old Testament whereof we have many manifest and unquestionable evidences not only in the New Testament but in the Writings of Moses in the Books of Psalms and Proverbs and in the Prophets as hath been noted in part and will God assisting be further observed in the proper places 3. That God compares himself to a Bridegroom and his Church to a Bride Isa. 62. 5. and calls and owns himself the Husband of his People Isa. 54. 5. Hos. 2. 16 19 20. In which places by comparing these with many other Texts of Scripture by God or the Lord is meant Christ the second Person in the Godhead who then was to come down and since did come from Heaven to Earth for the consummation of that eternal project of Marriage between God and his People Which also is fully confirmed by the writings of the New Testament which were designed for the Explication of the Old in which Christ is expresly declared to be the Bridegroom or Husband of his Church as Mat. 9. 15. 22. 2. John 3. 29. 2 Cor. 11. 2. Eph. 5. 23. Rev. 19. 7. 21. 2. 22. 17. 4. That the 45th Psalm which is a kind of abridgment of this Book although it had its rise from or alludes to the Marriage between Solomon and Pharaoh's Daughter was written concerning the Messias as all Interpreters both Christian and Iewish agree and concerning the mystical Marriage between Christ and his Church of which see my notes upon that Psalm From these considerations and many others which might be suggested and which will offer themselves to our thoughts from several passages of it it is sufficiently manifest that the main scope and business of this book is to describe the mutual Love Union and Communion which is between Christ and his Church in the various conditions to which it is liable in this World as in the state of Weakness and Desertion and Persecution from foolish Shepherds and the like Chap. 1. 6 7. and 3. 1 2 3 4. and 5. 2 7 c. Moreover it is to be considered that Solomon doth here vary his Speech sometimes speaking of the Church in general as one Person or Body and sometimes of the particular Members of it or of several Believers both of such as really and sincerely are so or such as profess to be so and of their various dispositions and conditions And hence comes the difference of Persons here mentioned the Mother or Spouse and the Children or Daughters of Jerusalem Sixty Queens and Eighty Concubines some that are Strangers to the Bridegroom and some that are well acquainted with him c. These things being premised will give great light to the several passages of this Book CHAP. I. 1 THe song of songs a The most excellent of all Songs whether composed by profane or sacred Authors by Solomon or by any other So this Hebrew Phrase is understood in other cases as the holy of holies signifies the most holy and the highest King is called King of Kings there are multitudes of such instances as hath been oft observed And so this might well be called whether you consider the Author of it who was a great Prince and the wisest of all mortal Men the two Adams only excepted or the Subject of it which is not Solomon but a greater than Solomon even Christ and his Marriage with the Church as hath been noted or the Matter of it which is most lofty and mysterious containing in it the greatest and noblest of all the mysteries contained either in the Old or the New Testament most pious and pathetical breathing forth the hottest flames of Love between Christ and his People most sweet and comfortable and useful to all that read it with serious and christian Eves Nor is it the worse because prophane and wanton Wits abuse it and endeavour to fasten their absurd and filthy senses upon some passages in it The truth is this Book requires a sober and pious not a lascivious and foolish Reader for which reason some of the ancient Hebrews advised young men to forbear the reading of it till they were Thirty years old which is Solomons b Which was composed by
that wherein God delighted not God accounts that those do not heaâ—… who do not obey his will but they did evil before mine Eyes and chose that in which I delighted not 5 Hear the word of the Lord you that * V. 2. tremble at his word s The Prophet turneth his discourse from denâ—…uncing judgment against the Idolaters and formalists amongst the Jews to such as feared God whose religion is described by a trembling at his word as v. 2. such a turning of the Prophets discourse was ch 50. 10. ch 51. 1. 7. The same words belong not to Saints and presumptuous Sinners your brethren t Your Brethren by Nation or by external profession in Religion tho â—…alse brethren Gal. 2. 4. Thus Paul calls all the rejected â—…ews Brethren Rom. 9. 3. that hated you that cast you out u That either shut you out of their intimate society or which is more probable excommunicate and cast you out of their Synagogues or cast you out of their City and some of you out of the world Iohn 9. 35. 22. Iohn 16. 2. for my names sake x i. e. For my sake for your owning me and adherence to mâ—… law said said * Ch. 5. 1â—… Let the Lord be glorified y Either mocking you as the Jews did Christ 〈◊〉 hanging upon the cross Mat. 27. 43. Luke 23. 35. thus they mocked at David Psal. 42. 3. Or Let the Lord be glorified thinking they did God good service Ioâ—…n 16. 2. but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed z There will come a day when God shall appear and let them know his judgment concerning their violence and rage then you shall have joy and they shall be ashamed 2 Thes. 4. 16 17 18. 6 A voice of noise from the city a The expression of a Prophetical extasy as much as methinks I already hear a voice of noise rather a sad and affrighting noise then the noise of Triumphers as some think yea it comes not from the City only but from the Temple wherein these formalists have so much gloried and reposed so much confidence there is a noise of Soldiers slaying and of the Priests or poor people fled thither shrieking or crying out a voice from the temple a voice of the Lord that rendreth recompence to his Enemies b A voice of the Lord not in thunder which is sometimes called so Psal. 29. 3 4 5 c. but that rendreth recompence to his enemies Thus the noise of Soldiers the roaring of Guns the sounds of Drums and Trumpets are the Voice of the Lord. Thus the Prophet seemeth to express the destruction of the Jews by the Roman Armies as if a thing at that time doing 7 Before she travailed she brought forth before her pain came she was delivered of a man-child c The whole verse is expressive of a great and sudden salvation which God would work for his Church like the delivery of a woman and that of a man-child before her travel and without pain The onely doubt is whether it referreth to the deliverance of the People out of Babylon or the worlds surprizal with the Messiah and the sudden and strange propagation of the Gospel and it is a question not easily determined The delivery of the Jews out of Babylon indeed was without struglings or any pain not like their deliverance from Egypt after the wasting of their enemies by ten successive Plagues but by the kind Proclamation of Cyrus but it seems not to have been sudden only as to the day hour manner for Daniel understood by Books that the time was come Dan. 9. 2. and the people had a prospect of it 70 years before Ier. 25. 12. 29. 10. The Prophecy therefore seems rather to refer to the coming of Christ and the sudden propagation of the Gospel The Popish Interpreters applying it to the Virgin Mary bringing forth Christ is like other of their â—…ond dreams 8 Who hath heard such a thing d The Prophet calls either to the whole world or to such as feared God amongst the Iews to admire God in his stupendious works of Providence either in the easie manner of the deliverance of the Jews out of the Captivity of Babylon without any pain without so much as one throw or else in the erecting of his Gospel Church into which all the Jews that received Christ were gathered as well as the Gentiles making both one Eph. 2. 14. who hath seen such things e Which seems to be meant by the Earths bringing forth in one day as great a work of Providence as if all the women in the world should have brought forth in a day or as if all the plants of the Earth had brought 〈◊〉 their flowers and fruit in one day shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day or shall a Nation be born at once for as soon as Zion travelled she brought forth children f As soon as the Church of the Jews began to move out of the Captivity of Babylon God put it into the hearts of multitudes to go up Exod. 1. 5 ch 2. 1 2 c. Or as soon as the voice of the Gospel put the Church of the Jews into her Travel in Iohn the Baptists Christ's and the Apostles times it presently brought â—…orth In Iohn Baptist's time the Kingdom of Heaven suffered violence and the violent took it by force Mat. 11. 12. and it continued so as 3000 were converted at Peters Sermon Acts 2. The Gentiles were the Children of Zion being planted into their stock the law of the Gospel first going out of Zion 9 Shall I bring to the birth and not ‖ Or 〈◊〉 cause to bring forth saith the Lord g The work before spoken of seemeâ—…h not after the manner of men who do things that are great gradually nor in an ordinary course of nature whose motions also bring things by degrees to their perfection but you must consider who it is that speaketh saith the Lord now as is the God so is his strength Again men may undertake things and for want of power not bring them to perfection but shall I do such a thing I have by many prophecies and promises secured you in the expectation of such a thing and shall I not by my Providence effect it I that in the ordinary course of my providence use to give a birth to Women to whom I have given a power to conceive shall I not give a birth to Zion to my people whom by my 〈◊〉 and promises I have made to conceive such hopes and expectations shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb saith thy God h Nor shall Zion once only bring â—…rth but she shall go on teeming her womb shall not be shut she shall every day bring forth more and more children my presence shall be with my Church to that end to the end of the world 10 Rejoyce
u This looks like a lye for Iacob either did not know this fact or rather was so well assured of Iosephs clemency and goodness that he never feared his revenge But guilt doth so awaken fear that it makes a man never to think himself secure saying 17 So shall ye say unto Joseph Forgive I pray thee now the trespass of thy brethren and their sin for they did unto thee evil And now we pray thee forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father x For whose sake pardon those that joyn with thee in his worship And Joseph wept y Partly in Compassion to their fear and trouble And partly because they still retained a diffidence in his kindness after all his great and real demonstrations of it when they spake unto him 18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face and they said Behold we be thy servants z Ready and willing to undergo that servitude into which we so wickedly sold thee 19 And Joseph said unto them * chap. 45. â—… Fear not for am I in the place of God a It is Gods prerogative to take vengeance which I dare not usurp See Deut. 32. 35. Or â—…an I do what I please with you without Gods leave Therefore fear him rather than me and upon your experience of his wonderful care and kindness to you believe that God will not and therefore that I neither can nor will do you any hurt But it is not unusual to put the Hebrew he for halo as it is Gen. 27. 36. 1 Sam. 2. 28. 2 Sam. 23. 19. 1 Kings 16. 31. c. and so the words may be very well rendred Aâ—… not I 〈◊〉 God i. e. Subject to his will a minister of his Providence Dare I destroy those whom God so eminently designed to save Dare I punish those whom God hath pardoned 20 But as for you ye thought evil against me b Therefore I do not excuse your guilt though I comfort you against despondency but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day to save much people alive 21 Now therefore fear ye not I will nourish you and your little ones c Expect not onely a free pardon from me but all the kindness of a loving brother And he comforted them and spake †Heb. to their hearts kindly unto them 22 And Joseph dwelt in Egypt he and his fathers house and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years 23 * Numb 32. 39 And Joseph saw Ephraims children of the third generation d Reckoning from and after Ephraim i. e. Ephraims Grand-childrens children So early did Ephraims priviledge above Manasseh appear and Iacobs blessing Gen. 48. 19. take place the children e Heb. Sons For though he had but one Son viz. Giiead by his first wife yet he married a second Wife and by her had two other Sons 1 Chron. 7. 16. which Ioseph lived long enough to â—…ee Or under the name of children his grandchildren also might be comprehended So there is no need of that Enallage of Sons for one Son which we meet with in other places also of Machir the son of Manasseh were †Heb. born brought up upon Josephs knees f Laid upon Iosephs lap or knees where Parents use ofttimes to take up and repose their Infants to express their love to them and delight in them And some observe that it was an antient custom in divers Nations that the Infant as soon as it was born was laid upon the Grandfathers knees So it is an Ellipsis whereby one word is put for two or under one Verb. See more of this phrase on Gen. 30. 3. and 48. 12. 24 And Joseph said unto his brethren * Heb. 11. 22. Exod. 3. 16. I die and God will surely visit you g i. e. Deliver you out of this place where I foresee you will be hardly used after my decease or fulfill his promised kindness to you as that word is used Gen. 21. 1. Exod. 4. 31. There is a double visitation oft mentioned in Scripture the one of Grace and Mercy which is here meant the other of Justice or Anger as elsewhere and bring you out of this land unto the land * chap. 15. 14. and 26. 3. and 35. 1â—… and 46. 4. which he sware to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob. 25 And Joseph took an oath h For the same reason which moved Iacob to require an Oath from him Gen. 47. 30 31. of the children of Israel i He saith not of his brethren but of Israels children under which his Grandchildren are comprehended and seem principally intended here either because his brethren were most of them dead or rather because he knew that they were not to go out of Egypt in his brethrens time but in their second or third Generation saying * Exod. 13. 19. Josh. 24. 32. Acts 7. 16. God will surely visit you and ye shall carry up my bones k i. e. My dead body but he mentions onely his bones because part of his body was corrupted and the other part though preserved from corruption by the embalming yet was so changed and adulterated with the Spices and other materials which they used that it looked like another thing Onely his bones remained intire and unchanged Quest. Why did he not desire to be presently carried thither and buried there as his father did Answ. 1. Lest he should disoblige the Egyptians and provoke them against his brethren and children The removal of his Father thither was necessary and forced from him by an Oath but the order for the removal of himself would have been voluntary and designed and therefore could not have escaped the censure of an ungrateful contempt of the Land of Egypt which as it was thought good enough for him and his to live in should have been judged so too for his burial 2. That by these his remains his memory might be the longer and better preserved both with the Egyptians who for his sake might shew kindness to his near Relations and with the Israelites to whom this was a visible pledge of their deliverance and an help to their Faith and an obligation to them to persist in the true Religion hence 26 So Joseph died being an hundred and ten years old l So for about Thirteen years of affliction he enjoyed Eighty years of Honour and as much Happiness as Earth could afford him â—…nd they imbalmed him and he was put in a coffin in Egypt ANNOTATIONS ON EXODUS The ARGUMENT AFter the Death of Joseph who had sent for his Fathers house into Egypt the Children of Israel exceedingly multiplied notwithstanding Pharaoh's cruel oppressing of them from under which God hearing their cry brought them with a strong hand Wherefore this book is called by the Greeks Exodus i. e. a going forth containing an historical accompt of passages for about one hundred and
forty years with the wonderful raising up of Moses who together with Aaron were to be instruments of their deliverance and accordingly after the inflicting ten dreadful Plagues upon Pharaoh brought them into the Wilderness through the Red Sea wherein Pharaoh his heart being hardned under all these Plagues and all his host pursuing of them were drowned God having first instituted the Passeover as an abiding Sacrament to bring to their remembrance in after times this great deliverance In their conduct through the Wilderness God gave them the signal mark of his presence in the pillar of a Cloud and the pillar of fire who notwithstanding their great and reiterated murmurings gave them food both bread and flesh from Heaven and drink out of the rock and when they were come to mount Sinai he there gave them the Moral Law beside other both Politick and Ecclesiastical Ordinances Afterwards the breaking of the Tables being occasioned by the Idolatry of the golden Calf God graciously renewed his Covenant with them There being also a Tabernacle and Ark and other things to be made by God's command the bounty of the People in order to the making and furnishing thereof is here set down which being finished the Tabernacle is anointed and filled with the glory of God CHAP. I. 1 NOW these are the names of the * Gen. 46. 8. Exod. 6. 14. children of Israel which came into Egypt a This list is here repeated that by comparing this small root with so vast a company of branches as grew upon it we may see the wonderful Providence of God in the fulfilling of his promises every man and his houshold b His Children and Grandchildren as the word house is taken Ruth 4. 11. 2 Sam. 7. 11. 1 King 21. 29. came with Jacob. 2 Reuben Simeon Levi and Judah 3 Issachar Zebulun and Benjamin c Who though the youngest of all is placed before Dan Naphtali c. because these were the Sons of the handmaidens 4 Dan and Naphtali Gad and Asher 5 And all the souls that came out of the †Heb. thigh loyns of Jacob were * Gen. 46. 27. seventy souls d Including Iacob and Ioseph and his two Sons See Gen. 46. 26 27. and Deut. 10. 22. Or if they were but sixty nine they are called seventy by a round number of which we shall have many instances for Joseph was in Egypt already 6 And Joseph died and all his brethren and all that generation e i. e. All that were of the same age with Ioseph and his brethren 7 * Act. 7. 17. And the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly and multiplied f Here are many words and some very emphatical to express their incredible multiplication and waxed exceeding mighty g This may relate either to their numbers which greatly added to their strength or to their constitution to note that their off-spring was strong as well as numerous Atheistical wits cavil at this story and pretend it impossible that out of seventy persons should come above six hundred thousand men within two hundred and fifteen years Wherein they betray no less ignorance than impiety For to say nothing of the extraordinary fruitfulness of the Women in Egypt who oft bring forth four or five Children at one birth as Aristot. notes Hist. animal 7. 4. nor of the long lives of the men of that age nor of the plurality of Wives then much in use nor of the singular blessing of God upon the Hebrews in giving them Conceptions and Births without Abortion All which are but very reasonable suppositions the probability of it may plainly appear thus suppose there were only 200 years reckoned and onely fifty persons who did beget Children and these begin not to beget before they be twenty years old and then each of them beget onely three Children Divide this time now into ten times twenty years In the first time of 50 come 150. In the second of 150 come 450. Of them in the third come 1350. Of them in the fourth 4050. Of these in the fifth 12150. Of these in the sixth 36450. Of them in the seventh 109350. Of them in the eighth 328050. Of theâ—… in the ninth 984150. And of them in the tenth 2952450. It it be objected that we read nothing of their great multipâ—…tion till after Iosephs death which some say was not above 50 years before their going out of Egypt it may easily be replyed 1. This is a great mistake for there were above 140 years between Iosephs death and their going out of Egypt as may appear thus It is granted that the Israelites were in Egypt about 210 or 215 years in all They came not thither till Ioseph was near 40 years old as is evident by comparing Gen. 41. 46. with Gen. 45. 6. So there rests onely 70 years of Iosephs Life which are the first part of the time of Israels dwelling in Egypt and there remain 145 years being the other part of the 215 years 2. That the Israelites did multiply much before Iosephs death though Scripture be silent in it as it is of many other passages confessedly true cannot be reasonably doubted But if there was any defect in the numbers proposed in the first 55 years it might be abundantly compensated in the 145 years succeeding And so the computation remains good and the land was filled with them 8 Now there arose up a new King g i. e. Another King one of another disposition or interest or Family for the Kingdom of Egypt did oft pass from one Family to another as appears from the History of the Dynaâ—…es recorded in antient writers over Egypt which knew h Or acknowledged not the vast obligations which Ioseph had laid not onely upon the Kingdoms of Egypt and the King under whom Ioseph lived but upon all his Successors in regard of those vast additions of wealth and power which he had made to that crown This phrase notes his ungrateful disowning and ill requiting of Iosephs favours For words of knowledge in Scripture commonly include the affections and actions as men are oft said not to know God when they do not love nor serve him and God is said not to know men when he doth not love them not Joseph 9 And he said unto his people * Psal. 105. 24. Behold the people of the children of Israel are moe and mightier than we i This was not a true but an invidious representation and aggravation of the matter the better to justifie the severities which he designed 10 Come on * Act. 7. 19. let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply and it come to pass that when there falleth out any war k Which was not unusual in that countrey they joyn also unto our enemies and fight against us and so get them up out of the land l Which they might easily learn from some of the Hebrews that they were in