Dreams it is but reasonable to allow something extraordinary For who can doubt but God may so clear up and assist a mans reason in his Dream that he may have a true and strong apprehension of some things which also may make a sutable impression upon the will or affections and consequently such acts of the Soul may be Moral acts and regardable by God and men And this might be a kind of exstatical rapture whereby his Soul might be as it were carried out of his Body as St. Paul's was 2 Cor. 12. 3. for a season in which case both his reason might clearly and distinctly apprehend Gods mind and his Gracious offer and his Will might make a free choice of Wisdom which therefore might be accepted and rewarded by God Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great ‖ Or bounty mercy according as he walked before thee in truth q Either First Sincerely and without dissimulation But that is more fully expressed in the following words in uprightness of heart Or rather Secondly in the true Worship and Service of God in the profession belief practice and defence of the truth or of the true Religion or of Gods Will or Word which is called truth Prov. 23. 23. Ioh. 17. 17. Gal. 3. 1. So truth here contains all his duties to God as righteousness doth his duties to men and uprightness the right manner of performing both sorts of duties and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with thee r i. e. In thy Judgment to whom alone his heart was known and to whom he oft appealed as the witness of his Integrity and with respect to whom he performed all his duties even to men and thou hast kept s Or reserved that which thou didst not reserve for Saul whose Posterity thou didst cut off from the Kingdom for him this great kindness that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne as it is this day 7 And now O LORD my God thou hast made thy servant king in stead of David my father and I am but a little child s So he was in Years not as if he were now but twelve Years old as many gather from this name of Child for that name is given to Ishmael when 18 Years old Gen. 21. 14 15 and to Rehoboam when 41 Years old 2 Chron. 13. 7. where the word is the same in the Hebrew and before this time David calls him a wise man chap. 2. 9. but he was now not above 20 Years old and withal which he principally intends he was raw and unexperienced as a Child in State-Affairs and altogether unfit for so hard a task I know not how to go out or come in t i. e. To govern my People and manage Affairs as that Phrase signifies Num. 27. 17. Deut. 31. 2. Ios. 14. 11. 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people u i. e. Is set over them to rule and guide them A Metaphor from the Overseer of divers Workmen who usually is in the midst of them that he may the better observe how each of them dischargeth his office which thou hast chosen x Thy peculiar People whom thou takest special care of and therefore wiltst expect a more punctual account of my Government of them a great people that cannot be numbred nor counted for multitude 9 * â—… Chr. 1. 1â—… Give therefore thy servant an ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 understanding heart y Whereby I may both clearly discern and faithfully perform all the parts of my duty for both these are spoken of in Scripture as the effects of a good understanding and he that lives in the neglect of his duties or the practice of wickedness is called a Fool and one void of understanding to judge z Or govern as that word is used Iudg. 3. 10. and 4. 4. Psal. 7. 8. and 67. 4. Isa. 2. 4. and 16. 5. thy people that I may discern between good and bad a To wit in Causes and Controversies among my People that I may not through mistakes or prejudices or passions give wrong Sentences and call evil good or good evil for who is able b Of himself or without thy Gracious assistance to judg this thy so great a people 10 And the speech pleased the LORD c How such a Dreaming-prayer could please God see in the notes on v. 5 and 6. that Solomon had asked this thing 11 And God said unto him Because thou hast asked this thing and hast not asked for thy self ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 days long life neither hast asked riches for thy self nor hast asked the life of thine enemies d That God would take away their lives or put them into thy power to destroy them but hast asked for thy self understanding ‡ Heb to 〈◊〉 to discern judgment 12 Behold I have done according to thy word e I have granted and do at this present grant unto thee thy desire And accordingly at this time God did infuse into him a far higher degree and greater measure of Wisdom than he naturally had lo I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart f i. e. Wisdom to govern thy People to know and do thy several duties which was the thing that Solomon desired v. 7 9. and the effects whereof here follow v. 16 c. and withal all Divine and human Wisdom the knowledge of all things of all the Arts and Sciences as may be gathered from 1 King 4. 29 c. and that in a far greater proportion than by his years and the time he could get for his study could possibly produce so that there was none g Either no King or rather no man for he is herein preferred not onely before all Kings but before all men chap. 4. 31. no meer man since the fall equalled him to wit in universal knowledge and especially in the art of well governing his People like thee before thee neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee ‖ Quest. Did not the Apostles excel him Ans. They did not in Natural and Political knowledge but onely in the knowledge of the mysteries of Faith which were more freely and more fully imparted in those times the ignorance whereof was no disparagement to Solomon's Wisdom because they were not discoverable by any Creature without Divine revelation which God saw fit not to afford in Solomon's time I know no inconvenience in affirming that Solomon's Natural capacities were higher than any of the Apostles and Solomon had a more comprehensive knowledge of all things known in that Age than the Apostles had in all the discoveries of their Age. 13 And I have also * Mat. 6. 〈◊〉 given h Either First I have granted and decreed to give for words signifying action are oft put onely for the purpose of the action Or rather Secondly I will give as it is expressed in the Parallel place
yours were such I should readily yield to them but what doth your arguing reprove p Or your arguing argue There is no truth in your Assertions nor weight in your Arguments and therefore are they of no account or power with me 26. Do ye imagin to reprove words q i. e. Do you think that all your Arguments are solid and unanswerable and all my Answers are but idle and empty words Or do you think it is sufficient to cavil and quarrel with some of my words and expressions without considering the merits of the cause and the truth of my condition or giving an allowance for humane infirmity or for my extreme misery which may easily force from me some indecent expressions and to reprove the speeches of one that is desperate r Of a poor miserable hopeless and helpless man for the words of such persons are commonly neglected and despised although there be truth and great weight in them See Eccles. 9. 16. And such are generally thought to speak from deep passions and prejudices more than from reason and judgment which are as wind s i. e. Which you esteem to be like the Wind vain and light without solid substance making a great noise with little sense and to little purpose But this last branch of the verse may be and by many is rendred otherwise And do ye imagine which is to be repeated out of the former clause as is very usual in Scripture the words of one that is desperate to be but wind i. e. empty and vain Do you take me for a desperate and distracted man that knows not or cares not what he saith but only speaks what comes first into his mind and mouth The Wind is oft used to express vain words as Ch. 15. 2. Ier. 5. 13. and vain things Iob 7. 7. Prov. 11. 29. Some render the whole verse thus Do you in your arguings think or ought you to think the discourses of a dejected or desponding or sorely afflicted man such as I am to be but words and wind i. e. vain and empty as indeed the discourses of such persons use to be esteemed by such as are in an higher and more prosperous condition But you should judge more impartially and more mercifully Possibly the verse may be rendred thus Do you think to reprove the speeches of a desperate or dejected or miserable man such as I am and you use me accordingly with the praposition being very frequently omitted and understood in the Hebrew tongue words and with for the Hebrew prefix Lamed oft signifies with as hath been formerly proved wind You think any words or Arguments will be strong enough against one in my circumstances So it agrees with the foregoing verse 27. Yea †Heb ye câ—…st to fall upon ye overwhelm t Your words are not onely vain and useless and uncomfortable to me but also grievous and pernicious the fatherless u Heb. You rush or throw your selves upon him For words in Hiphil are oft put reciprocally as Hebricians know You fall upon him with all your might and say all that you can devise to charge and grieve him A metaphor from wild beasts that fall upon their prey to hold it fast and devour it You load him with censures and calumnies u Or the desolate i. e. me who am deprived of all my dear children and of all my estate forsaken by my friends and by my heavenly father Which should have procured me your pity rather than your censure and ye dig a pit for your friend x Or you feed or feast for so this Hebrew word is oft used as 2 Sam. 3 35. 2 Kings 6 23. Iob 40. 15. upon your friend i. e. You insult and triumph over me whom sometimes you owned for your friend 28. Now therefore be content look upon me y Be pleased either 1. To look upon my countenance if it betrayes any fear or guilt as if I spoke contrary to my own conscience Or rather 2. to consider me and my cause further and better than you have done that you may give a more true and righteous judgment concerning it for it is †Heb. before your face evident unto you z You will plainly discover it A little further consideration and discourse will make it manifest and I shall readily acknowledge it if I lie 29. * Ch. 17. 10. Return a Turn from your former course of perverse judgment lay aside passion and prejudice against me let me beg your second thoughts and a serious review of my case I pray you let it not be iniquity b To wit in your thoughts or debates I beg not your favour but your justice judge according to right and do not conclude me to be wicked because you see me to be miserable as you have falsly and unjustly done Or there shall be no iniquity to wit in my words which I have spoken and which I am further about to speak Which you will find upon the review yea return again my righteousness is ‖ That is in this matter in it c i. e. In this cause or matter between you and me the Relative without the Antecedent which is frequent in the Hebrew Language You will find the right to be on my side 30. Is there iniquity in my tongue d Consider again and more throughly examine if there be any untruth or iniquity in what I have already said or shall further speak to you cannot †Heb. my palate my tast e i. e. My judgment which discerns and judgeth of words and actions as the tast or palate doth of meats discern perverse things f i. e. False opinions or sinful expressions I am not so bereft of common understanding as not to be able to distinguish between good and evil And therefore if I have uttered or should utter any perverse words I should apprehend them to be so as well as you do CHAP. VII 1. IS there not ‖ Or a warfare * Chap. 14. 13 14. Psal. 39. 4. an appointed time to man upon Earth a Is there not a certain and short time limited by God wherein man shall live in this sinful vain and miserable world after which he shall live in an holier and happier place and state And is it a crime in me to desire that God would give me some ease and respite for the present and bring me to that blessed and joyful period are not his daies also like the daies of an hireling b Whose time is limited and short being but for a few years Isa. 16. 14. 21. 16. and sometimes but for daies Iob 14. 6. Matth. 20. 1 2. and whose condition is full of toil and hardship 2. As a Servant †Heb. gapeth after earnestly desireth the shadow c i. e. The Sun-set or the Night the time allotted for his rest and repose Psal. 104. 23. And why may
22. He shall not die a violent but a natural Death and shall lie in the Bed of Honour and shall †Heb. watch in the heaps remain in the Tomb x Heb. Shall watch i. e. have a constant and fixed abode as Watchmen have in the watching-place in the heap i. e. in his Grave which is called an heap either because the Earth is there heaped up or because it was adorned with some Pyramid or other Monument raised up to his Honour His Body shall quietly rest in his Grave or Monument where he shall be embalmed and preserved so entire and uncorrupted that he might rather seem to be a living Watch-man set there to guard the Body than to be a dead Corps 33. The clods of the Valley y i. e. Of the Grave which is low and deep like a Valley shall be sweet unto him z He shall sweetly rest in his Grave free from all cares and fears and troubles Ch. 3. 17 18. and every man shall draw after him ‖ Heb. He shall draw every man after him to wit into the Grave i. e. All that live after him whether good or bad shall follow him into the Grave i. e. shall dye as he did So he fares no worse herein than all Mankind He is figuratively said to draw them because they come after him as if they were drawn by his Example as there are innumerable dead before him 34. How then comfort ye me in vain seeing in your answers there remaineth †Heb. transgression Falshood * Why then do you seek to comfort me with vain hopes of recovering my prosperity if I repent seeing your grounds are manifestly false and common Experience sheweth that good men are very oft in great tribulation while the vilest of men thrive and prosper in the World CHAP. XXII 1. THen Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said 2. * Chap. 35. 7. Psal. 16. 2. Luk. 17. 10. Can a man be profitable unto God a i. e. Add any thing to his Perfection or Felicity to wit by his Righteousness as the next Verse shews Why then dost thou insist so much upon thy own Righteousness as if thou didst oblige God by it or as if he could not without injury afflict thee who supposest thy self to be a righteous person though indeed thou art not so as he saith v. 5 6 c. but if thou wert really so God is not thy debter for it Or because or but or yea rather so this latter Clause is to be read without an Interrogation and the former with it A wise or good man for these in Scripture-use are one and the same doth much good to himself he promotes his own Peace and Honour and Happiness by his Goodness and having so great a reward for his Virtue God is not indebted to him but he is indebted to God for it ‖ Or if he may be profitable doth his good success depend thereon as b he that is wise may be profitable to himself c 3. Is it any pleasure d i. e. Such a pleasure as he needs for his own ease and contentment without which he could not be happy as appears by the foregoing and following words For otherwise God is oft said to delight in the good actions of his People to wit so far as to approve and accept them to the Almighty that thou art righteous Or is it gain to him that thou makest thy ways perfect e That thy Life is free from blemish as thou pretendest but falsly as I shall shew 4. Will he reprove thee f Will or doth or would he reprove thee i. e. punish thee For this word is frequently used of real Rebukes or Chastisements as hath been oft noted for fear of thee g Because he is afraid lest if he should let thee alone thou wouldst grow too great and powerful for him as Princes oft times crush those Subjects of whom they are afraid Surely no. As thy Righteousness cannot profit him so thy wickedness can do him no hurt Or for thy Piety or Religion which is commonly called by the name of Fear Doth he punish thee because thou fearest and servest him as thou dost insinuate No surely but for thy sins as it follows Will he enter with thee into Judgment h And condemn thee to wit for the reason last mentioned as appears from the Hebrew Text where the words lie thus Will he for fear of thee reprove thee or enter with thee into Iudgment 5. Is not thy wickedness great and †Heb. no end to thine Iniquities thine iniquities infinite i Thy great sins are the true and only causes of thy misery The words may very well be rendred thus Is not thy evil i. e. thy punishment or affliction which is frequently expressed by this very word great because the particle and being oft used causally as it is Gen. 18. 13. 22. 12. 24. 56. Isa. 39. 1. 64. 5. thine Iniquities are infinite Are not thy calamities procured by and proportionable to thy sins Thy own Conscience tells thee they are so And therefore thou hast no reason to accuse God nor any person but thy self 6. For thou hast taken k Or Surely thou hast taken He speaks thus by way of conjecture or strong presumption when I consider thy grievous and unusual calamities I justly conclude thou art guilty of all or some of these following crimes and do thou search thine own Conscience whether it be not so with thee a pledge from thy Brother l i. e. Either of thy Neighbour or of thy Kinsman which are both called by the name of Brother This is added to aggravate the offence for nought m i. e. Without sufficient and justifiable cause Which he might do many ways either by taking what he ought not to take Deut. 24. 6. or from whom he ought not to wit the poor to whom he should give Prov. 3. 27. or when and in such manner as he ought not of which see on Deut. 24. 10 11. or by keeping it longer than he should as when the poor mans necessity requires it or when the debt is satisfied Ezek. 18. 16. and †Heb. stripped the cloaths of the naked stripped the naked of their Cloathing n Either by taking their Garment for a pledge against the Law Exod. 22. 26. or otherwise by robbing them of their Rights all other injuries being Synecdochically comprehended under this Qu. How could he strip the naked Answ. He calls them naked either 1. Because they had but very few and mean Cloaths such being oft called naked as Deut. 28. 48. 1 Cor. 4. 11. Iam. 2. 15. Or 2. From the effect because though he did not find them naked yet he made them so The like Phrases we have Isa. 47. 2. grind Meal i. e. by grinding Corn make it Meal Amos 8. 5. falsifying the deceitful Ballances i. e. by falsifying making true ballances deceitful
punishments to them that he should †Heb. 〈◊〉 enter into judgment with God u Thereby to give him any pretence or occasion of entring into judgment with him or condemning his proceedings for which there might seem to be some colour if God did lay upon Man more than right And therefore thou O Iob hadst no cause for thy complaints against God 24. He shall break into pieces mighty men †Heb. withâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without number x Neither their greatness nor their numbers can secure them from the stroke of God's justice and set others in their stead y i. e. Give away their power and dignity to others who shall come in their place 25. Therefore he knoweth their works z i. e. Hence it appears that he knows all their evil works because he judgeth them for them God or men are oft times said in Scripture to know or do a thing when they onely manifest their knowing and doing of it Or Because c. as this Particle is used Isa. 26. 14. 6â—… 7. So this is subjoined as the ground or reason why he punisheth them as is related both in the foregoing and in the following words because he sees all their wicked designs and actions and he overturneth them in the night a i. e. When they are at rest and secure at midnight as it is v. 20. Or he turneth or bringeth upon them the night to wit of calamity and tribulation as the next words explain it and as the words night and darkness are oft used Or he turneth the night to wit into day i. e. He knoweth all their deeds of darkness and bringeth them to light See above v. 22. so that they are †〈…〉 destroyed b Heb. and or then or therefore for both these ways this Particle is sometimes used they shall be destroyed or broken to pieces 26. He striketh them as wicked men c i. e. As he useth to smite wicked men with a grievous and terrible stroke Comp. Isa. 27. 7. Or for wicked men or because they are wicked men therefore he destroys them without any regard to their quality †〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 of beâ—… in the open sight of others d In publick view for their greater shame and for the greater glory of God's justice and for the greater terrour of other oppressours and comfort of the oppressed 27. Because they turned back †〈…〉 from him e From the God whom they or their Progenitors had owned and his Laws which God hath written in the minds of all men Rom. 2. 14 1â—… and it may be from the practice of the true Religion which sometimes they professed and * 〈◊〉 28. 5. 〈◊〉 â—… 12. would not consider f Or understand They did not desire noâ—… endeavour to know them at least practically or to any good purpose any of his ways g Either 1. God's providential ways They did not lay to heart any of God's judgments inflicted upon such Oppressours as themselves which should have given them warning but boldly persisted in the same wicked courses Or 2. His precepts oft called his ways because he hath appointed them for us to walk in For these ways they were in a special manner obliged to consider and practise and the next Verse giveth us an instance of their backsliding from these ways 28. So that they cause the cry of the poor to come l Heb. To bring c. which is ambiguous and may be read either 1. that he i. e. God might bring c. So this is a reason why God smoâ—… them c. as is said v. 26. Or 2. that they i. e. those wicked men might bring c. and so these words contain either 1. a reason of what was last mentioned to wit why they would not consider nor walk in Gods ways because they were resolved to oppress the poor and give them cause to cry unto God which they neither would nor could have done if they had throughly understood and considered Gods ways or 2. an evidence or instance of it wherein it did appear that they had turned back from God c. unto him i i. e. Unto God as the following words imply it being God's work to â—…ear the cry and plead the cause of the afflicted or oppressed Others Upon him or upon them or upon each of them to wit of the Oppressours upon whom the cry of the oppressed is said to come because the vengeance of God is by that cry brought down upon them and he heareth the cry of the afflicted k He delivereth the oppressed by taking the Oppressour away 29. * Chap. 12. 〈◊〉 When he giveth quietnesâ—… l Either to the poor and oppressed Persons last mentioned or to any other Person or People as it follows who then can make trouble m No Man or Creature can hinder God's design and work and when he hideth his Face n i. e. Withdraws his favour and help from them and â—…ereby exposeth them to all Oppressions or calamities who then can behold him o i. e. Who can look up to God with chearfulness or confidence to desire or expect his help Or rather who 〈◊〉 will look upon him or regard him to wit so as to pitty or suecour him Iâ—… God be against him what man will or dare be for him all men will â—…orsake and oppose him and so he will be utterly lost For this who answers to the who in the former branch of the Verse and both of them speak oâ—… Man and his act as opposed unto God and to his act whether it be done against a Nation or against a man only p The case is the same in both God can carry on his work either of Mercy or Justice as easily and as irreâ—…istibly upon an whole Nation or People as upon one particular Person 30. That the hypocrite reign not lest the People be ensnared q Having said that God could and would carry on his own work and design effectually whether against one Man or against an whole People he now proceeds to give a further instance of God's mighty power above and against the greatest Monarchs in whom their own and Peoples strength seem to be united yet all together cannot oppose God in his work God when he pleaseth can and doth so order affairs that the Hypocrite i. e. the profane wicked Prince as one of the Kings of Iudah is called Ezek. 21. 25. Bad Princes being called Hypocrites because they do commonly cover all their Oppressions and injuries and impâ—…eties too with the specious preâ—…ence of Justice and the publick good and the discharge of their trust and duty may not reign i. e. may not continue his reign and tyranny that he may and shall by his Soveraign power and omnipotent Providence be deprived of his Kingdom â—…est the people be â—…red i. e. lest the people should be longer and more and more
to come out of the bottomless Pit Revel 9. 2 3. Or 2. Because they had set themselves as it were in Battel-Array against God and were beaten back and driven from his Presence into their Graves and into Hell it self and all the nations s Whom their great Numbers and Power cannot protect from God's Wrath. that forget God t That do not consider nor regard God nor his Precepts nor his Threâ—…tnings and Judgments but go on securely and presumputously in their oppressive and wicked Courses 18. For the needy shall not alway be forgotten u Though God for a time may seem to neglect or forget them and suffer their Enemies to triumph over them * Psal. 12 â—… the expectation of the poor shall not x Which negative Particle is fitly understood out of the former Clause as it is Psal. 1. 5. and 44. 18. Isa. 23 4. and 28. 27 28. perish for ever 19. Arise O LORD let not man prevail let the heathen be judged in thy â—…ight 20. Put them in fear y Subdue their proud and insolent Spirits and strike them with Terror or with some terrible Judgment O LORD that the nations may know themselves to be but men z Heb. Weak and miserable and mortal Men and therefore altogether unable to oppose the omnipotent and eternal God This he saith because wicked Men when they are advanced to great Power and Majesty are very prone to forget their own Frailty and to carry themselves as if they were Gods See Isa. 31. 3. Ezek. 30. 7 8. Dan. 5. 21. Selah PSAL. X. The ARGUMENT This Psalm contains David's Complaint unto God against his malicious Enemies especially those of his own People whose wicked and deceitful Practises he here describes and then commits his Cause to God and beggs his help against them 1. WHY standest thou aâ—…ar off a Like one that neither sees nor hears nor regards me nor intendest any help for me O LORD why hidest thou thy self b Or thy face out of v. 11. which did sometimes shine upon me Or thine eyes by comparing this with Prov. 28. 27. Isa. 1. 15. †Heb. at 〈◊〉 sons in trouble So Gr. in times of trouble c When I most need thy Pity and Succour Do not add Affliction to the Afflicted 2. †Heb. in the pride of the wicked he doth persecute The wicked in his pride d Through pride of Heart which makes him forget God v. 4. and despise the Poor and oppress others either because they oppose or dislike his wicked Courses or that he may have more Fewel for his Pride or Ambition Or in his Exaltation This is the use that he makes of that power and Authority to which thou hast advanced him to persecute those whom he should protect and cherish He seems to point at Saul or his Courtiers doth persecute e With great fervency and burning Fury as the word signifies the poor f To wit me who am through their Tyranny poor and destitute and miserable and therefore the more proper Object for thy Compassion and others who favour my righteous Cause * Psal. 7. 16. 9. 15 16. Prov. 5. 22. let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined 3. For the wicked boasteth g Or gloriâ—…th or praiseth or pleasetâ—… himself of his †Heb. Sâ—…ls hearts desire h Or in or concerning or because of the desire or concupiscence or lâ—…st of his heart or soul which word is added to note the vehemency and â—…ervency of it He glorieth in his very Lusts which are his Shame Phil. 3. 19. and especially in the satisfaction of his desires how wickedly soever he gets iâ—… Desire is oft put for the thing desired as Psal. 21. 2. and 78. 29 30. and * Prov. 28. 4. Rom. 1. 32. ‖ Or the covetous blesseth himself he abhorreth the LORD blesseth the covetous i And as he applaudeth himself so he commends others that are greedy after and get abundance of Gain though it be done by Fraud and Violence accounting such the onely happy Men. Or the covetous the same with the wicked enlarging his desire as was now said blesseth or applaudeth or flattereth himself in what he hath already gotten and in the confident expectation of the continuance and increase of his worldly Wealth and Glory whom the LORD abhorreth k So his judgment as well as practice is contrary to God's Or rather without any Supplement as it is in the Margent He abhorreth or despiseth or provoketh the Lord. He sets himself not only against Men but against God himself as he declareth more fully in the next Versâ—… 4. The wicked through the pride l By which he scorns to stoop to God or to own any Superior and makes himself and his own Lusts his only Rule and his last end and is full of self-confidence and a conceit of his own self-sufficiency and unchangeable Felicity as is noted v. 6. of his countenance m So called because though Pride be properly seated in the Heart whence it is called Pride or loftiness of Heart or Spirit as Psal. 131 1. Prov. 16. 18. Eccles. 7. 8. c. Yet it is manifested in the Countenance and therefore is oft described by lofty Looks as Psal. 101. 5. and 131. 1. Prov. 6. 17. and 21. 4. and 30. 13. c. Which possibly was done purposely to meet with the Excuses of proud Persons who when they are charged with pride for their looks or gestures or apparel or the like use to make this Apology for themselves that pride lies in the Heart and not in these outward things will not seek after God n i. e. Not seek or enquire into the Mind and Will of God to order his Life by it so as to please God nor seek to him by Prayer for his Favour and Blessing But the words after God are not in the Hebrew and it is thought by some too great Boldness to add them here And therefore others omit it and render the Hebrew words will not search or consider to wit his Actions which seems to be a more natural and easiy Supplement he will not trouble himself to enquire whether his Actions be just or unjust pleasing or offensive to God but without any care or consideration rusheth into Sin and doth whatsoever seemeth right in his own Eyes But these and the former words are and may be and that very agreeably to the Hebrew thus rendered without any Supplement The wicked through his pride for so this Hebrew word by it self signifies 〈◊〉 5. 16. and 10. 33. will not seek his i. e. Gods which is plain both from the foregoing and following words face which is an usual phrase in Scripture as 2. Chron. 7. 14. Psal. 24 6. and 27. 8. and 105. 4. c. ‖ Or all his thoughts are There is no God God is not in all his * Psal. 14.
42. 8. which is the fountain of the promises and his blessing Psal. 133. 3. which is the fruit of his promises and deliverances 44. 4. which are the things promised And therefore it is not strange if the promises be sometimes called Commandments are truth 152 †Heb. I knew of old from thy precepts So Gr. ver 89. Psal. 111. 7. 8. Concerning thy testimonies I have known of old q By my own long experience ever since I arrived at any knowledge in those matters that thou hast founded them for ever r That thou hast established them upon sure and everlasting foundations RESH 153 Consider mine affliction and deliver me for I do not forget thy law 154 * Psal. 35. 1. Mich. 7. 9. Plead my cause and deliver me quicken me according to thy word 155 Salvation is far from the wicked for they seek not thy statutes s And therefore on the contrary I trust that thou wilt save me because I do seek them My wicked enemies shall certainly be destroyed by which means I shall be delivered 156 ‖ Or many Great are thy tender mercies O LORD quicken me according to thy judgments t According to the manner of thy administrations towards thy people as v. 149. 157 Many are my persecutors and mine enemies yet do I not decline from thy testimonies u Though they tempt me to do so and persecute me because I will not do it 158 I beheld the transgressors x I observed and considered their ungodly courses and was grieved because they kept not thy word 159 Consider how * Ver. 132. I love thy precepts y Which was the cause of my grief for their violation of them quicken me O LORD according to thy loving kindness 160 †Heb. The beginning of thy word is true Thy word is true from the beginning z Either from the beginning of the world or ever since thou hast revealed thy mind by thy word to the sons of men all thy words have been found to be true and certain and so they will be to the end of the world as is implied in the next clause Or as it is in the margent the beginning or as others render it the summ as this very word is used Exod. 30. 12. Numb 26. 2. 31. 26. to wit the whole of it there is not the least part of it which is not so of thy word is true and * Ver. 89. every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever SCHIN 161 Princes a Who had power to do it and who ought to have used their authority to protect me whom they knew to be innocent and injured have persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy word b But I feared thine offence and displeasure more than their wrath 162 I rejoice at thy word as one that findeth great spoil 163 I hate and abhor lying c Or falshood either 1. in my speech and actions all hypo crisie and deceit which is the common practice of mine enemies and of all godless Politicians or 2. in doctrine and worship as this word seems to be used v. 29. because both there and here it is opposed to Gods Law but thy law do I love 164 * Ver. 62. Seven times d Many times that definite number being oft taken indefinitely as Levit. 26. 28. and elsewhere a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments 165 Great peace e Either outward prosperity and happiness which God in his Law and expresly promised to good men or at least inward peace satisfaction and tranquillity of mind arising from the sence of Gods love to them and watchful care over them in all the concerns of this life and of the next have they f Heb. is to them or shall be to them for the Verb being not expressed it may be understood either way Although they may meet with some disturbance yet their end shall be peace as is said Psal. 37. 37. which love thy law and †Heb. they shall have no stumbling block Prov. 22. 5. nothing shall offend them g Heb. they shall have no stumbling block to wit such at which they shall stumble and fall into mischief and utter ruine as ungodly men have before whom God doth oft lay stumbling blocks or occasions of sin and destruction as it is affirmed by God himself Ier. 6. 21. Ezek. 3. 20. Rom. 9. 33. out of Isa. 8. 14. 166 * Gen. 49. 18. LORD I have hoped for thy salvation and done thy commandments h Thus performing the condition which thou hast required I justly and confidently hope for thy mercy promised 167 My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly i I have not onely obeyed thy commands which an hypocrite may sometimes and in part do for worldly ends but I have done it with my very soul and from an hearty love to them 168 I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies for k Or because This is added either 1. as the reason or motive of his obedience which was the consideration of Gods Omniscience and his desire to approve himself and his ways to God or 2. as a proof and evidence of it Whereas this and all his former professions of his piety were charged by his enemies with deep hypocrisie and might seem to savour of pride and vain-glory here in the close of them he makes a solemn appeal to that God who knew his heart and all his ways and whether these things were not true and real which if they were not he tacitly imprecates Gods judgment upon himself all my ways * Or were are before thee TAU 169 Let my cry come near before thee l Which at present thou seemest to shut out as the Church complained Lam. 3. 8. O LORD give me understanding m Whereby I may both know and perform my duty in all particulars according to thy word 170 Let my supplication come before thee deliver me according to thy word 171 * Ver. 7. My lips shall utter praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes 172 My tongue shall speak n Heb. shall pour forth freely and abundantly like a fountain of thy word o In praise of it for its righteousness as it here follows its truth and purity and other excellencies for all thy commandments p Even those which to men of corrupted minds seem harsh and unjust are righteousness 173 Let thine hand help me for * Josh. 24. 22. Prop. 1. 29. I have chosen thy precepts q For my guide and companion and chief joy and treasure 174 I have longed for thy salvation r Either 1. for deliverance from my present straits and calamities that I may serve thee with more freedom and may glorifie thy Name in a more solemn and publick manner or 2. that thou wouldest
then of the churl in this Verse he deviseth wicked devices y He useth all his Wit and Art to do Injury to others without any inconvenience to himself to destroy the poor with lying words z With false and unrighteous Decrees even ‖ Or when he speaketh against the poor in judgment when the needy speaketh right a When their Cause is just and good 8. But the liberal deviseth liberal things and by liberal things shall he ‖ Or be established stand b He who is truely Liberal and Vertuous will shew it by designing and practising liberal or vertuous Actions And he who doth so will not destroy himself thereby as wicked Men falsly suppose but establish and advance himself But this Verse also as well as the former is and may be otherwise rendred And repeat he shall be called as before liberal who deviseth liberal things and persisteth or continueth in liberal things If it be thought strange That so many Verses should be spent in Affirming that which in effect was said ver 5. it must be considered that these Verses do not onely contain an Affirmation that they should be called vile persons or churles or liberal that were so but also a Description of their Qualities and Practices which was useful for their Conviction and for the Instruction of others 9. Rise up c Bestir and prepare your selves to hear as it follows and shake off Sloth and Carelessness ye women that are at ease d That indulge your selves in Idleness and Luxury hear my voice ye careless daughters e Heb. confident or secure who are insensible of yoâ—… sin and danger give ear unto my speech f The same before called women Whom he here reproveth and threatneth for their Sins as he did the Men before for seeking to Egypt for Help and divers other Sins whereof the Men were most Guilty 10. †Heb. days above a year Many days and years f Heb. Days above a year i. e. a year and some days Which notes Either 1. the time from this Prophecy to the beginning of this Judgment Or rather 2. the time of the continuance of it that it should last for above one Year as indeed this did and no longer For Hezekiah Reigned in all but twenty nine Years 2 Kings 18. 2. and Sennacherib came in his fourteenth Year and after his defeat and departure God promised and added to him fifteen Years more 2 Kings 20. 6. shall ye be troubled ye careless women for the vintage shall fail g During the time of the Assyrian Invasion And this Commination is here added to qualify the foregoing Promise and to warn them that although God would give them so good a King and there should be some Reformation of their former abuses under the Government of Ahaz yet as there were many Sins among them yet not repented of so they should be severely chastised for them the gathering h To wit of the other Fruits of the Earth as that Feast which was observed after the gathering of all the Fruits was called the feast of in-gathering Exod. 23. 16. shall not come 11. Tremble ye women that are at ease be troubled ye careless ones strip ye and make ye bare i Put off your Ornaments as God commanded upon a like occasion Exod. 33. 5. that you may put on Sackcloth instead of them as Mourners and Penitents used to do and gird sackcloth upon your loyns 12. They shall lament for the teats k Either 1. properly because through Famine your Teats are destitute of Milk for the nourishment of your poor Children Or rather 2. Metaphorically as the following Words explain it for the pleasant and fruitful Fields which like Teats yielded you plentiful and excellent Nourishment for which the Land was said to flow with milk Ezek. 20. 6. And the Earth being compared to the Womb that bare us Iob. 1. 21. it is not strange if its fruitful Fields be compared to the Breasts which nourish us for †Heb. the fields of desire the pleasant fields for the fruitful vine 13. * Chap. 34. 13. Hos. 9. 6. Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers l If any of you think thâ—…e is no great cause for such Trembling and Lamentation which shall last but for a year and some days know that this Calamity by the Assyrians is but an earnest of further and sorer judgments For the time is coming when this Land shall be laid desolate and instead of Vines and other Fruits it shall yield nothing but Briers and Thorns of which see on Isa. 7. 23 24. ‖ Or burning upon c. yea upon all the houses of joy m Upon that Ground where now your Houses stand in which you delight and take your fill of mirth and pleasure in the joyous city 14. Because the palaces n Heb. the palace the King's House and other magnificent buildings in the City shall be forsaken the multitude of the city shall be left o Or rather shall be forsaken to wit of God and given up into their Enemies hands And the Verb in the foregoing Clause may be rendred shall be left the ‖ Or clifts and watch-towers forts and towers shall be for dens for ever a joy of wild asses p Desolate places in which wild Asses delight to be Iob. 39. 5. Ier. 2. 24. a pasture of flocks 15. Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high q And this Calamity and Desolation shall in a manner continue until the time come in which God will pour or as the Hebrew Word properly signifies reveal i. e. evidently and plentifully pour out his spirit from Heaven upon His people Which was done in some sort upon the return of the People from Babylon when God by his Spirit stirred up the Spirit both of Cyrus to give them liberty of returning to Ierusalem and of the people to return and build the City and People But was far more clearly and fully accomplished in the days of the Messiah And indeed the promises contained in these and the following Words and Verses were not fulfilled upon their coming out of Babylon after which time they had but a little reviving in their bondage as is said Ezra 9. 8. and continued in servitude and distress under the Peâ—…sian Emperours Nehem. 9. 36 37. and afterward suffered many and grievous Calamities from the Kings of Syria and Egypt and from the Romans which suits very ill with that glorious Promise here following ver 18. And therefore these promises concern the times of the Gospel when God's Spirit was in a most evident and glorious Manner poured forth upon the Apostles and other believing Iews to the Astonishment of their very Adversaries and when the following Promises were in a good Measure fulfilled and are more fully to be accomplished in God's due time and * Chap. 29. 17. 35. 2. 37.
his slave to be abused despised or trampled under his feet but to be kindly treated and used like a companion with moderation respect and affection Qu. How could a Rib be taken from Adam but it must be either superfluous in Adam while it was in him or defective afterwards both which reflect upon the Creator Answ. 1. It was no superfluity but a conveniency if Adam had at first one Rib extraordinary put into him for this purpose 2. If Adam lost a Rib upon so glorious an occasion it was but a scar or badge of honour and no disparagement either to him or to his Creator 3. Either God created him a new Rib or hardned the Flesh to the Nature and use of a Rib and so there was no defect in him and closed up the Flesh i Together with another Bone or Rib. in stead thereof k i. e. Of that Rib and Flesh which he took away from him which was easie for God to do 22. And the Rib which the LORD God had taken from Man †Heb builded made he a Woman and brought her l From some place at a little distance whether he first carryed her that for the decency of the action he might bring her thence unto the Man m A Bride to a Bridegroom to be married to him the great God being pleased to act the part of a Father to give his Daughter and workmanship to him thereby both teaching Parents their duty of providing Marriages for their Children and Children their duty of expecting their Parents consent in Marriage 23. And Adam said n Qu. How knew he this Answ. Either 1. By his own observation For though it be said that he was asleep till the Rib was taken out and restored yet he might awake as soon as ever that was done the reason of his sleep ceasing and so might see the making of the Woman Or. 2. By the Revelation of God who put these words into Adams mouth to whom therefore these words of Adam are ascribed Matth. 19. 5. this is now o Or For this time the Woman is made of my Bones c. but for the time to come the Woman as well as the man shall be produced another way to wit by Generation Bone of my Bones and Flesh of my Flesh p Made of my Rib and Flesh i. e. God hath provided me a meet help and Wife not out of the brute Creatures but nearer hand a part of my own Body and of the same nature with my self She shall be called Woman because she was * 2 Cor. 11. 8. taken out of man 24. * Matth. 19. 5. Mar. 10. 7. 1 Cor. 6. 16. Eph. 5. 31. Therefore q These are the words of Moses by divine instinct or his inference from Adam's words shall a man leave his Father and his Mother r In regard of Habitation and society but not as to natural duty and affection and shall cleave unto his Wife s In Coniâ—…gal relation and highest affection even above what they owe to their Parents And they t Or they two as it is in the Samaritan Syriack and Arabick translations and Matthew 19. 5. shall u i. e. Shall be esteemed by themselves and others to be as intirely and inseparably united and shall have as intimate and universal communion as if they were be one Flesh x i. e. One Person one Soul one Body And this first institution shews the sinfulness of Divorces and Polygamy however God might upon a particular reason for a time dispence with his own institution or to remit the punishment due to the violaters of it 25. And they were both naked the Man and his Wife and were not ashamed y To wit of their nakedness as having no guilt nor cause of shame no filthy or evil inclinations in their Bodies no sinful Concupiscence or impure motions in their Souls but spotless innocency and perfection which must needs exclude shame CHAP. III. 1. NOw the Serpent a Or Rather this or that Serpent For here is an emphatical article of which more by and by was more subtile than any Beast of the Field b The Serpents eminent subtilty is noted both in sacred Scripture Gen. 49. 17. Psal. 58. 5. Mark 10. 16. 2 Cor. 11. 3. and by Heathen Authors whereof these instances are given that when it is assaulted it secures its head that it stops its ear at the charmers voice and the like If it be yet said that some beasts are more subtle and therefore this is not true it may be replied 1. It is no wonder if the Serpent for its instrumentality in mans sin hath lost the greatest part of its original subtlety even as mans sin was punished with a great decay both of the natural endowments of his Mind Wisdom and Knowledge and of the beauty and glory of his Body the instrument of his sin But this Text may and seems to be understood not of the whole kind of Serpents but of this individual or particular Serpent for it is in the Hebrew Haunachaâ—…h that Serpent or this Serpent to signifie that this was not only an ordinary Serpent but was acted and assisted by the Devil who is therefore called that old Serpent Rev. 12. 9. And this seems most probable partly from the following discourse which is added as a proof of that which is here said concerning the Serpents subtlety and that sâ—…rely was not the discourse of a Beast but of a Devil and partly from 2 Cor. 11. 3. which hath a manifest reference to this place where the Apostle affirmeth that the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety not surely through that subtlety which is common to all Serpents but through that subtilty which was peculiar to this as it was possessed and acted by the Devil There seems indeed to be an all â—…sion here to the natural subtilty of all Serpents and the sense of the sacred Penman may seem to be this as if he said the Serpent indeed in it self is a subtil Creature and thought to be more subtil than any Beast of the Field but howsoever this be in other Serpents â—…t is certain that this Serpent was more subtil than any Beast of the Field as will appear by the following words If it be said the particle this or that is relative to something going before whereas there is not a word about it in the foregoing words it may be replyed that relative particles are often put without any antecedents and the antecedents are left to be gathered not onely out of the foregoing but sometimes also out of the following passages as is apparent from Exod. 14. 29. Numb 7. 89. and 24. 17. Psal. 87. 1. and 105. 19. and 114. 2. Prov. 7. 8. and 14. 26. So here that Serpent that of which I am now to speak whose discourse with the Woman here followeth which the LORD God had made and he said c Quest. How the
* Psal. 94. 9. Who hath made mans mouth or who maketh the dumb or deaf or the seeing or the blind have not I the LORD 12 Now therefore go and I will be * Mar. 13. 11. Luk. 12. 11. with thy mouth l By my spirit to direct and assist thee what and how to speak Whence Moses though he still seems to have remained slow in speech yet was in truth mighty in words as well as deeds Acts 7. 22. Compare Matth. 10. 19 20. and teach thee what thou shalt say 13 And he said O my Lord send I pray thee by the hand of him whom thou ‖ Or shouldâ—… wilt send m By one who is fitter for the work than I am Heb. send by the hand of him whom thou wilst send i. e. shouldest send For the future tense oft signifies what one should do See Gen. 20. 9. and 34. 7. Mal. 1. 6. and 2. 7. Thou usest according to thy wisdom to chuse fit instruments and to use none but whom thou dost either find or make fit for their employment which I am not Others Send by the hand of Messias whom thou wilst certainly send and canst not send at a fitter time nor for better work Moses and the Prophets knew that Christ would come but the particular time of his coming was unknown to them See 1 Pet. 1. 11. 14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother I know that he can speak well And also behold he cometh forth to meet thee n By my instigation and direction which because I see thou art still diffident I give thee for a new sign to strengthen thy belief that I will carry thee through this hard work and when he seeth thee he will be glad in his heart 15 And thou shalt speak unto him and put words in his mouth o i. e. Instruct him what to speak and command him freely and faithfully to express it See Isa. 51. 16. and 59. 21. and I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth and I will teach you what ye shall do 16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people and he shall be even he shall be to thee in stead of a mouth and thou shalt be to him in stead of God p To teach and to command him See Exod. 7. 1. 17 And thou shalt take this rod in thy hand wherewith thou shalt do signs q Both those which I have already made thee to do and others as I shall direct and enable thee 18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said unto him Let me go I pray thee and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt and see whether they be yet alive r He pretends only a visit and so indeed it was and that no very long one neither He knew that he should certainly return to this place and there meet with his Father-in-law So that he did not deceive him nor intended to do so though he thought fit to conceal from him the errand upon which God sent him lest his Father or Wife should attempt to hinder or discourage him from so difficult and dangerous an enterprize Moses shews here a rare example as well of modesty and humility that such glorious and familiar converse with God and the high calling to which God had advanced him did neither make him forget the civility and duty which he owed to his Father nor make him break forth into publick and vain-glorious boasting of such a priviledge as also of his piety and prudence that he avoided all occasions and temptations to disobedience to Gods command And Jethro said to Moses Go in peace 19 And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian s This seems to have been a second vision whereby God calls him forth to the present and speedy execution of that command which before was more generally delivered Go return into Egypt for * chap. 2. 15 23. all the men are dead which sought thy life t To wit to take it away See the like expression 1 Sam. 22. 23. 1 King 19. 14. Matth. 2. 20. God knew very well that one great cause of Moses his unwillingness to this undertaking was his carnal fear though he was ashamed to profess it and therefore gives him this cordial 20 And Moses took his wife and his sons u Gershom Exod. 2. 22. and Eliezer Exod. 18. 4. Whom he intended to carry with him but afterwards observing that they were like to be impediments to him in his great business and being well assured that it would not be long ere he returned to them he sent them back to Iethro as may seem from Exod. 18. 5. and set them upon an Asse x One Asse might be sufficient for her and her two Children because one of them was but little ver 25. Or Asse may be put for Asses which changes of the numbers is very frequent in Scripture and he returned to the land of Egypt And Moses took the rod of God y His Shepherds rod so called partly because it was appropriated to Gods special service to be the instrument in all his glorious works and partly to shew that whatsoever was done by that rod was not done by any vertue in the rod or in Moses his hand but meerly by the power of God who was pleased for the greater confusion of his Enemies to use so mean an instrument in his hand 21 And the LORD said unto Moses when thou goest to return into Egypt see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine hand z i. e. In thy power of commission to be done by thy hand and the rod in it but * chap. â—… 3. and 9. 12. and 10. 1. and 14. 8. Deut. 2. 30. Isa. 63. 17. John 12. 40. Rom. 9. 17. I will harden his heart a That he shall be unmerciful to all the groans and pressures of the Israelites inexorable to the requests of Moses unmoveable and incorrigible by all my words and works But God doth not properly and positively make mens hearts hard but onely privatively either by denying to them or withdrawing from them that grace which alone can make men soft and flexible and pliable to the Divine will as the Sun hardens the Clay by drawing out of it that moisture which made it soft or by exposing them to those Temptations of the World or the Devil which meeting with a corrupt heart are apt to harden it that he shall not let the people go 22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh Thus saith the LORD Israel is my son * Jer. 31. 9. Jam. 1. 18. even my first-born b By my choice and adoption They are most dear to me and reserved by me out of all Nations to be my peculiar people and therefore I will no longer suffer thee to invade my right nor
13. thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid servant l This clause is added not as if children or servants were not immediately obliged by this command or were excused by God for the breach of this â—…aw at their masters commands which were to obey God rather than men contrary to St. Peters command and practice Act. 5. 29. and which were to limit the foregoing word thou and the law of the Sabbath onely to those that have children and servants which is an idle senceless and absurd as well as profane opinion but to restrain hard-hearted and covetous or ungodly persons that they should neither command nor suffer their children or servants to profane the fabbath so far as they can hinder it Which how far it concerns thousands of governours of families at this day they shall do well seriously and in time to consider nor thy cattle m Partly to teach us to exercise merâ—… towards the brâ—…te creatures compare Deut. 5. 14. partly because the use of cattel must have drawn along with it the attendance or employment of men and partly that by observing the rest of the cattel they might be more minded and quickened to the observation of this sacred rest nor thy stranger n i. e. The Gentile that sojourneth with thee lest their example should provoke the Israelites to imitate them and lest the Gentiles should have opportunity of gaining at that time when and by that thing whereby the Israelites were losers even by the religious observation of the Sabbath that is within thy gates o i. e. that dwells within thy cities which have walls and gates or within thy villages or territories So the word gates is oft taken as Gen. 22. 17. and 24. 60. and 2 Sam. 10. 8. compared with 1 Chron. 19. 9. 11 For * Gen. 2. 2â—… in six dayes p And neither in more nor less time as he could have done the LORD made heaven and earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested q i. e. Ceased from his creating works otherwise he worketh still Ioh. 5. 17. by his providence and grace and neither is idle nor weary Isa. 40. 28. but this rest is ascribed to him for our admonition and imitation the seventh day wherefore the LORD blessed r i. e. Made it a day of blessing as well of receiving blessings and praises from men as of conferring his blessings and favours upon those that religiously observe it The day is said to be blessed when men are blessed by it and in it by a common Metonymy as a mans field Gen. 27. 27. and basket and store Deut. 28. 5. and the work of his hands Iob 1. 10. are said to be blessed when a man is blessed in them the Sabbath day s It is remarkable the blessing and sanctification are not appropriated to the seventh day but to the sabbath day whether it should be the seventh day as to the Iews it then was or the first day as to us Christians now it is which change seems hereby to be insinuated and hallowed it t i. e. Separated it from the rest of the days and from all common employments and consecrated it to his own holy service and mans holy use 12 * Levit. 19. 3. Deut. 5. 16. Eph. 6. 2. Honour u Which word doth not onely note the reverence love and obedience we owe them but also support and maintenance as appears from Mat. 15. 4 5 6. and from the like signification of that word 1 Tim. 5. 3 17. which is so natural and necessary a duty that the Iews say a man is bound even to beg or to work with his hands that he may relieve his parents thy father and thy mother x The father is put first here and the mother Lev. 19. 3. to shew that we owe this duty promiscuously and indifferently to both of them Compare Exod. 21. 15 17. Deut. 21. 18. and 27. 16. Prov. 20. 20. and 30. 17. And because these laws are brief and yet comprehensive under these are contained all our Superiours and Governours that thy dayes may be long y Heb. that they i. e. thy Parents may prolong thy days or the days of thy life to wit instrumentally by their prayers made to God for thee and by their blessing in my name conferred upon thee though the active verb is commonly taken impersonally as Iob 7. 3. Prov. 9. 11. Luk. 12. 10. and so it may be here they prolong for be prolonged upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee 13 * Rom. 13. 9 Thou shalt not kill z To wit any man or woman without authority and without just cause which exception must necessarily be understood because many other Scriptures command the Magistrate to kill great offenders And this prohibition being delivered by God who made and searcheth and commands mens hearts must be extended not onely to the external act of killing but to all motions of the heart or tongue which tend that way as anger hatred envy malice strife blows and the challenges of Duellists which is clearly manifest by comparing this with other Scriptures as Mat. 5. 21. 1 Ioh. 3. 15. c. And here as in the rest is commanded the contrary duty of preserving the lives of our neighbours as much as lies in our power 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery a Here is mentioned one kind of uncleanness as being eminently sinful and unjust and pernicious to humane society But under this are comprehended and forbidden all other kinds of filthiness as beastiality Sodomy whoredom fornication c. and all means occasions and appearances of them as it â—…ears 1. from other Scriptures that forbid those things which â—…her belong to this command or to none of the ten which is very improbable 2. from the large extent of the other commands noted before 3. from our saviours explication Mat. 5. 27. And contrariwise all chastity and sobriety in thoughts affections words habits and gestures is here prescribed See 1 Thes. 4. 3 4. Heb. 13. 4. 15 Thou shalt not steal b i. e. Either by deceit or violence or without his knowledg and consent take away another mans goods Eph. 4. 28. but on the contrary shalt preserve and increase them as need requires and occasion is offered 16 * Deut. 19. 16. Thou shalt not bear false witness c Heb. not answer viz. when thou art asked in judgment Lev. 5. 1. 19. 16. or not speak a false testimony or as a false witness Which doth not onely forbid perjury in judgment but also all unjust censure slander backbiting scorning false accusation and the like and also requires a just and candid judgment of him and of his words and actions speaking well of him as far as truth and justice will permit and defending his good name against the calumnies and detractions of others against thy neighbour d No nor
1. that God should be served with the best of every kind 2. that man represented by these sacrifices should aim at all purity and perfection of heart and life and that Christians should one day attain to it Eph. 5. 27. 3. the spotless and compleat holiness of Christ Heb. 9. 13 14. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. and 2. 22. he shall offer it ‖ Or to be â—…ted for him Isa. 56. 7. 58. 5. 6â—… Jer. 6. 20. of his own voluntary will h According to this translation the place speaks onely of free-will offerings or such as were not prescribed by God to be offered in course but were offered at the pleasure and by the voluntary devotion of any person either by way of supplication for any mercy which he needed or desired or by way of thanksgiving for any favour or blessing received But it may seem improper to restrain the rules here given to freewill offerings which were to be observed in other offerings also And the Hebrew word is by the 〈◊〉 Chaldee Syr. and Arab. and others rendred to this purpose for his acceptation or that he may be accepted with God or that God may be atoned as it is ver 4. And so this phrase is used Levit. 23. 11. at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation i In the Court near to the door where the Altar stood ver 5. For here it was to be sacrificed and here also the people might behold the oblation of it And this further signified that men could have no entrance neither into the earthly tabernacle the Church nor into the heavenly tabernacle of glory but by Christ who is the door Ioâ—… 10. 7 9. by whom alone we have access to God before the LORD 4 * 〈◊〉 29. 1â—… 15. And he shall put his hand k i. e. Both his hands Levit. 8. 14 18. and 16. 21. A common Enallage upon the head of the burnt-offering l Whereby he signified 1. that he willingly gave it to the Lord. 2. that he did legally unite himself with it and judged himself worthy of that death which it suffered in his stead and that he laid his sins upon it in a ceremonial way and had an eye to him upon whom God would lay the iniquity of us all Isa. 53. 6. and that together with it he did freely offer up himself to God and it shall be accepted from him to make atonement for him m To wit ceremonially and sacramentally as directing his faith and thoughts to that true propitiatory sacrifice which in time was to be offered up for him See Rom. 3. 25. Heb. 9. 15 25 26. And although burnt-offerings were commonly offered by way of thanksgiving Gen. 8. 20 Psal. 51. 16 17. yet they were sometimes offered by way of atonement for sin to wit for sins in general as appears from Ioâ—… 1. 5. but for particular sins there were special sacrifices as we shall see 5 And he n Either 1. the offerer who is said to do it to wit by the Priest for men are commonly said to do what they cause others to do as Ioh. 4. 1 2. Or 2. the Priest as it follows or the Levite whose office this was See Exod. 29. 11. Levit. 8. 15. Numb 8. 19. 1 Chron. 23. 28 31. 2 Chron. 30. 16. and 35 11. shall kill the bullock before the LORD and the Priests Aarons sons shall bring the bloud and sprinkle the blood round about upon the Altar o Which was done in a considerable quantity as may be gathered from Zech. 9. 15. and whereby was signified 1. that the offerer deserved to have his blood spilt in that manner 2. that the blood of Christ should be poured forth for sinners and that that was the onely mean of their reconciliation to God and acceptance with him that is by the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation 6 And he shall slay the burnt-offering p Partly for decency because the sacrifices being as it were Gods food and feast it was incongruous to offer to God that which men refused to eat and partly to signify that the great thing which God required and regarded in men was not their outward appearance but their inside and that as he doth see all mens insides Heb. 4. 13. so he will one day make them visible to others and cut it into his pieces q To wit the head and â—…at and inwards and legs ver 8 9. 7 And the sons of Aaron the Priest shall put fire r Or dispose the fire i. e. blow it up and put it together so as it might be fit for the present work For the fire there used and allowed came down from heaven Levit. 9. 24. and was to be carefully preserved there and all other fire was forbidden Levit. 10. 1 c. upon the altar and lay the wood in order upon the fire 8 And the Priests Aarons sons shall lay the parts the head and the fat s All the fat which was to be separated from the Flesh and to be put together to increase the flame and to consume the other parts of the sacrifice more quickly Others translate it the trunck of the body as distinguished from the head and joints and inward parts in order upon the wood that is in the fire which is upon the Altar 9 But the inwards and his legs shall he wash t To signify the universal and perfect purity both of the inwards or the heart and of the legs or ways or actions which was in Christ and which should be in all Christians in water and the Priest shall burn all u Not onely the parts now mentioned but all the rest the trunck of the body and the shoulders as is apparent from the practise or execution of these precepts on the Altar to be a burnt-sacrifice an offering made by fire of a sweet savour x Not in it self for so it rather caused a stink but as it represented Christs offering up himself to God as a sweet smelling savour Eph. 5. 2. and to admonish us of the excellent vertue of Divine institution without which God values no worship though never so glorious and by which even the meanest things are pretious and acceptable to God unto the LORD 10 And if his offering be of the flocks namely of the sheep or of the goats for a burnt-sacrifice he shall bring it a male without blemish 11 And he shall kill it on the side of the Altar Northward y Here this and other kinds of sacrifices were killed 〈◊〉 6. 25 and 7. 2. because here seemâ—… to have been the largeâ—… and most convenient place for that work the Altar being probably near the middle of the east end of the building and the entrance being on the south-side so the Northside was the onely vacant place Beâ—…des this might design the place of Christs death both more generally to wit in 〈◊〉 which was in the sides
because thy soul longeth to eat flesh thou mayest eat flesh whatsoever thy soul lusteth after 21 If the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to put his name there be too far from thee ‖ In which case being obliged to carry their sacrifices to the place of worship that the blood might be there poured forth c. they might think themselves obliged for the same reason to carry their other cattel thither to be killed They are therefore released from all such obligations and left at liberty to kill them at home whether they lived nearer to that place or further from it onely the latter is here mentioned as being the matter of the scruple and as containing the former in it then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock which the LORD hath given thee as I have commanded thee l In such manner as the blood may be poured forth as above ver 16. and below ver 24. and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after 22 * Verse 15. Even as the ro-buck and the hart m As common or unhallowed food though they be of the same kind with the sacrifices which are offered to God is eaten so thou shalt eat them the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike n Because there was no holiness in such meat for which the unclean might be excluded from it 23 * Verse 16. Onely †〈◊〉 bestrong be sure that thou eat not the blood for the blood is the †〈◊〉 soul. life o Of which see on Gen. 9. 4. Lev. 17. 11. The animal life depends upon the blood and thou mayest not eat the †〈◊〉 soul. life with the flesh 24 Thou shalt not eat it thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water 25 Thou shalt not eat it that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD 26 Onely thy holy things p Mentioned before ver 6. 12 17. which thou hast consecrated to God which thou hast and thy vows thou shalt take and go unto the place which the LORD shall chuse 27 And * Lev. 1. 5 9 13. thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings the flesh and the blood upon the altar of the LORD thy God and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the LORD thy God and thou shalt eat the flesh q Excepting what shall be burned to Gods honour and given to the Priest according to his appointment 28 Observe and hear all these words which I command thee that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee for ever when thou dost that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God 29 When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee whither thou goest to possess them r Of which phrase see Deut. 9. 1. and 11. 23. and thou †Heb. inheritest or possessest them succeedest them and dwellest in their land 30 Take heed to thy self that thou be not snared s Drawn into their sin and ruine †Heb. after them by following them after that they be destroyed t i. e. By following the example they left when their persons are destroyed from before thee and that thou inquire not after their gods u Through curiosity to know their Gods and the manner of the worship lest thy vain and foolish mind be seduced by its speciousness or newness saying How did these nations serve their gods even so will I do likewise 31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD x Either 1. Not offer him that indignity and injury to worship other Gods together with him Or rather 2. Not worship him in such manner as they worshipped their Gods to wit by offering thy children to him as they did to their gods as it here follows or by thy own devises or superstitions as is implied ver 32. thy God for every †Heb. 〈◊〉 of the abomination to the LORD which he hateth have they done unto their gods for * Lev. 18. 21. and 20. 2. chap. 18. 10. Jer. 32. 35. even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods 32 What thing soever I command you observe to do it * chap. 4. 2. Josh. 1. 7. Prov. 30. 6. Rev. 22. 18. thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it CHAP. XIII 1 IF there arise among you a i. e. One of your nation for such might be both seduced and afterward seducers a prophet or a dreamer of dreams b One that pretends himself to be one to whom God hath revealed himself either by visions or dreams See Numb 12. 6. and giveth thee a sign or a wonder c i. e. Shall foretell some strange and wonderful thing to come as appears from ver 2. as the true prophets used to do as 1 Sam. 10. 2 And * See chap. 18. 22. Jer. 28. 9. Mat. 7. 22. the sign or the wonder come to pass d Which God may suffer for the reason after mentioned whereof he spake unto thee saying e This word is to be joyned with the beginning of verse 1. If there arise among you a prophet or dreamer of dreams saving what here follows and giveth thee a sign c. to confirm his doctrine such transpositions are frequent Let us go after other gods which thou hast not known and let us serve them 3 Thou shalt not hearken to the words of that prophet e Not receive his doctrine though the sign come to pass For although when such a sign or wonder foretold did not follow or come to pass it was a sign of a false prophet as is said Deut. 18. 22. yet when it did come to pass it was no sufficient or infallible sign of a true one especially in such a case when he brings in new Gods The reason of the difference is because many causes must concurre to make a thing good and true but any one failure is sufficient to make a thing bad or false And particularly there are many signs yea such as men may think to be wonders which may be wrought by evil spirits God so permiting it for divers wise and just reasons not onely for the trial of the good as it here follows but also for the punishment of ungodly men who would not receive Divine Truths though attested by many evident and unquestionable miracles and therefore are most justly exposed to these temptations to believe lies or that dreamer of dreams for the LORD your God * 1 Cor. 11. 19. proveth you f i. e. Tryeth your faith and love and obedience examineth your sincerity by your constancy See Mat. 24. 24. 2 Thes. 2. 11. Rev. 13. 14. See on Gen. 22. 1. Deut. 8. 2 7. to know g That he
ye are all children of Israel q The Sons of that Holy man who for one filthy action left an Eternal brand upon one of his own Sons a People in Covenant with the holy God whose Honour you are obliged to vindicate and who hath expresly commanded you to punish all such notorious Enormities give here your advice and counsel 8 ¶ And all the people arose as one man saying We will not any of us go to his tent r i. e. His habitation to wit until we have revenged this Injury neither will we any of us turn into his house 9 But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah we will go up by lot against it 10 And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel and an hundred of a thousand and a thousand out of ten thousand to â—…etch victual for the people that they may do when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin accord ing to all the folly that they have wrought s That we may punish them as such a wickedness deserves in Israel t This is added as an aggravation that they should do that in Israel or among Gods peculiar People which was esteemed abominable even among the Heathen 11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city ‡ Heb. fellows knit together as one man 12 ¶ And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe u Heb. tribes Either the Plural Number for the Singular or rather tribe is put for family as was noted before as families are elsewhere put for tribes They take a wise and a just course in sending to all the parts and families of the tribe to separate the Innocent from the Guilty and to give them a fair opportunity of preventing their ruin by doing nothing but what their Duty Honour and Interest obliged them to even by delivering up those vile Malefactors whom they could not keep without horrid guilt and shame and bringing the Curse of God upon themselves of Benjamin saying What wickedness is this that is done among you 13 Now therefore deliver us the men the children of Belial which are in Gibeah that we may put them to death and put away evil x Both the Guilt and the Punishment wherein all Israel will be Involved if they do not Punish it from Israel but the children of Benjamin would not hearken y Partly from the Pride of their Hearts which made them scorn to submit to their Brethren or to suffer them to meddle in their Territory partly from a conceit of their own Valour and Military skill and partly from Gods just judgment to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel 14 But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah to go out to battel against the children of Israel 15 And the children of Benjamin were numbred at that time out of the city twenty and six thousand men that drew sword beside the inhabitants of Gibeah which were numbred seven hundred chosen men z Object This agrees not with the following numbers for all that were slain of Benjamin were 25100 men v. 35. and there were only 600 that survived v. 47. which make only 25700. Ans. The other thousand men were either left in some of their cities where they were slain v. 48. or were cut off in the two first Battels wherein it is unreasonable to think they had an unbloody Victory and as for these 25100 men they were all slain in that day i. e. the day of the third Battel as is affirmed v. 35. 16 Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men * Chap. 3. 15. left handed a Heb. shut up on their right hand i. e. using their left hand instead of their right every one could sling stones at an hairs breadth and not miss b An Hyperbolical expression signifying that they could do this with great exactness There are many Parallel Instances in Historians of Persons that could throw Stones or shoot Arrows with great certainty so as seldom or never to miss Of which see my Latin Synopsis And this was very considerable and one ground of the Benjamites confidence because in those times they had no Guns 17 And the men of Israel c To wit such as were here present v. 2. for otherwise it is most probable they had a far greater number of men being 600000 before their entrance into Canaan Num. 1. 2. beside Benjamin were numbred four hundred thousand men that drew sword all these were men of war 18 ¶ And the children of Israel d i. e. Some sent in the name of all arose and went up to the house of God e To wit to Shiloh which was not far from Mizpeh where they were and * Chap. 1. 1. asked counsel of God and said Which of us shall go up first to the battel f This they ask to prevent Emulations and Contentions but they do not ask whether they should go against them oâ—… no for that they knew they ought to do by the will of God already revealed nor yet do they seek to God for his help by Prayer and Fasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all reason they ought to have done but were confident of Success because of their great Numbers and Righteous Cause against the children of Benjamin And the LORD said Judah shall go up first 19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning and encamped against Gibeah 20 And the men of Israel went out to battel against Benjamin and the men of Israel put themselves in aray to fight against them at Gibeah 21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men g Quest. Why would God suffer them to have so great a loss in so Good a Cause Ans. Because they had many and great Sins reigning amongst themselves and they should not have come to so great a Work of God as this with polluted hands but should have pulled the Beam out of their own Eye before they attempted to take that out of their Brother Benjamin's Eye which because they did not God doth it for them making them by this loss more clearly to see their own Sins and their need of Gods help without which their great Numbers were insignificant and bringing them through the Fire that they might be purged from their Dross it being probable that the great God who governs every stroke in Battels did so order things that their worst and rotten Members should be cut off which was a great Blessing to the whole Common-wealth 22 And the people the men of Israel incouraged themselves h Heb. strengthned themselves partly by supporting themselves with the Conscience of the Justice of their Cause and the hopes of success and partly by putting themselves in better order for
made up The sence is If onely Man be wronged Man can right it and reconcile the Persons but if a man sin against the LORD e To wit in such manner as you have done directly and immediately in the matters of his Worship and Service wilfully and presumptuously ‡ Heb. who shall make himself a Judg for him who shall intreat for him f The offence is of so high a nature that few or none will dare to intercede for him but will leave him to the just Judgment of God He speaks after the manner of Men who do oft intercede with the Prince for such as have injured any private Person but will not presume to do so when the Injury is Committed against his own Person The Words are and may be thus rendred Who shall judge for him Who shall interpose himself as Umpire or Arbitrator between God and him Who shall compound that Difference None can or dare do it and therefore he must be left to the Dreadful but Righteous Judgment of God which is your Case and Misery notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father because the LORD would slay them f i. e. Because God had determined to Destroy them for their many and great Sins and therefore would not and did not give them Grace to hearken to Eli's counsel and to Repent of their Wickedness but hardned their Hearts to their Destruction 26 And the child Samuel grew on g He grew better in bad times which is remembred to his commendation and was in * Prov. 3. 4. Luk. 2. 52. Act. 2. 47. Rom. 14. 18. favour both with the LORD and also with men 27 ¶ And there came a man of God h i. e. A Prophet or Preacher sent from God See 1 Tim. 6. 11. 2 Tim. 3. 17. â—… Pet. 1. 21. Who this was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revealed by God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…t iâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and impossible to determine unto Eli and said unto him Thus saith the LORD ‖ Or in appearing did I appear Did I plainly appear i Did I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a favoâ—… and appear so evidently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 and is this thy requiâ—…l unto the house of thy father k i. e. Unto 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy Fathers House when they were in Egypt l See Exod. 4. 27. in Pharaohs house m i. e. Either 1. In Pharaohs Land the whole Kingdom being as it were oâ—… great Family whereof 〈◊〉 was the Master Or 2. In Pharaohs Court where 〈◊〉 might probably be at the time of this Revelation either to answer to some Accusation against him or his Brethren or to beg some Relaxation of the Rigor or for some other occasion 28 And did I chuse him n To wit Aaron thy father whereby the shews what he meant by his Fathers house out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest to oâ—…er upon mine altar to burn incense to wear an ephod o That golden Ephod which was peculiar to the High-Priest before me and * 〈◊〉 10. 14. 〈◊〉 18. 8. did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire p i. e. All the Priests part of the offerings He onely had the Office and he had the whole benefit of the children of Israel 29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice q Using them irreverently contemptuously and prophanely both by abusing them to your own Luxury and by causing the People to abhor and neglect them He chargeth Eli with his Sons faults and at mine offering which I have commanded in my habitation and honourest thy sons above me r Permitting them to dishonour and injure me by taking my part to themselves 〈◊〉 rather to offend me by thy connivence at their sin than to displease them by severe rebukes and effectual restraints and just punishments and so prefer their will and pleasure and honour before mine to make your selves fat s To Pamper your selves This you did not out of any necessity but out of meer Luxury with the chiefest of all the offerings t Not contented with those parts which I had allotted you you invaded those choice Parts which I reserved for my self of Israel my people 30 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith I said indeed u Qu. Where or when did God say this Answ. Either 1. When he made that promise for the Perpetuation of the Priesthood in Aarons Family Exod. 28. 43. and 29. 9. Object If Eli and all his Family had been cut off yet that Promise had been made good in Eleazars Family how then was that Promise recalled by this Sentence against Eli Answ. It was recalled and made void though not absolutely and universally to all Aarons Family yet respectively to Eli and his Family which were wholly excluded from the benefit of it wherein otherwise they should have shared Even as Gods keeping of the Israelites out of Canaan and in the Wilderness for Forty years and destroying them there is called his breach of promise Numb 14. 34. although the Promise of Canaan was not simply made void to all the Israelites but onely to that evil Generation of them Or as Gods Covenant with David and with his Seed of which God saith that it should stand fast Psal. 89. 28. and that he would not break nor alter it v. 34. yet is said to be made void v. 39. to wit in regard of some particular branches or members of that Family Or 2. To Eli himself or to his Father when the Priesthood was translated from Eleazars to Ithamars Family for some cause not mentioned in Scripture but most probably for some great miscarriage of some of them If it be said That there is no such Promise Recorded in Scripture it may be so replyed That there are many sayings and doings noted in Holy Scripture which were not spoken of in their proper times and places as Gen. 24. 51. and 42. 21. Hos. 12. 4. Luk. 11. 49. Act. 20. 25. So the sence of the place may be this That promise and priviledge of the perpetuation of the Priesthod in Phinchas and his Family made to them Numb 25. 12. namely upon condition of his and their faithfulness in their Office which is plainly understood I now take away from that Family for their wickedness and I transfer it to thee and thine and will fix it there upon the same condition that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me x i. e. Minister unto me as High-Priest Walking is oft put for Discharging ones Office before me may signifie that he was the High-Priest whose sole Prerogative it was to Minister before God or before the Ark in the Most Holy Place for ever y As long as the Mosaical Law and Worship lasted as that Phrase is oft used but now the LORD saith Be it far from me z To wit to fulfil my promise which
have done And this Protestation Samuel makes of his Integrity not out of Ostentation or Vain glory but partly for his own just Vindication that the People might not hereafter for the Defence of their own Irregularities reproach his Government partly that being publickly acquitted from all faults in his Government he might more freely and boldly reprove the sins of the People and particularly that sin of theirs in desiring a King when they had so little reason for it and they had so just a Governor from whom they might bave promised themselves an effectual Redress of his Sons mal-administrations if they had acquainted him therewith and partly that by his Example he might tacitly Admonish Saul of his Duty and prevent his misunderstanding of what he had formerly said chap. 8. v. 11 c. and mistake that for the Rule of his just Power which was onely a Prediction of his Evil Practices before the LORD and before his anointed * Numb 16. 15. Act. 20. 33. Whose ox have I taken or whose asse have I taken or whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed g Whom have I wronged either by Fraud and false Accusation or by Might and Violence or of whose hand have I received any ‡ Heb. ransom bribe h Heb. Prince of Redemption given to Redeem an unjust and lost Cause or Person from that Righteous Sentence which they deserved ‖ Or that I should hide mine eyes at him to blind mine eyes therewith i That I should not discern what was right and just or dissemble it as if I did not see it Or that I should hide or cover mine eyes i. e. wilfully wink at the plain truth for it i. e. for the Bribe or for him i. e. for his sake and I will restore it you k Or and I will cover mine eyes for him i. e. I will take shame to my self and cover my face as one ashamed to look upon him 4 And they said Thou hast not defrauded us nor oppressed us neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand 5 And he said unto them The LORD is witness against you l To wit if you shall at any time hereafter reproach my Government or Memory Or rather against you that I gave you no cause to be weary of Gods Government of you by Judges or to desire a change of the Government and therefore the blame of it wholly rest upon your selves But this was onely insinuated and therefore the People did not fully understand his drift in it and his anointed is witness this day that ye have not found ought m i. e. Any thing which I have gotten by Bribery or Oppression in my hand And they answered n Heb. he answered i. e. the whole People who are here spoken of as one Person because they Answered thus with one consent He is witness 6 ¶ And Samuel said unto the people It is the LORD that ‖ Or 〈◊〉 advanced Moses and Aaron o That for your sakes raised constituted and exalted Moses and Aaron to that great Power and Reputation which they had and used to deliver you and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt 7 Now therefore stand still that I may reason with you p Since God hath laid so great Obligations upon you let us a little consider whether you have Answered them before the LORD of all the ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 benefits righteous acts q Heb. the Righteousnesses i. e. Mercies or Benefits for so that word is oft used as Psal. 24. 5. and 36. 10. Prov. 10. 2. and 11. 4. and that is the chief Subject of the following Discourse some of their Calamities being but briefly named and that for the illustration of Gods Mercy in their Deliverances of the LORD which he did ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 to you and your fathers 8 * Gen. 〈◊〉 When Jacob was come into Egypt and your fathers * Exod. 〈◊〉 cried unto the LORD then the LORD * Exod. 〈◊〉 and 4. 〈◊〉 sent Moses and Aaron which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place r In this Land in which Moses and Aaron are said to settle them partly because they brought them into and seated them in part of it to wit that without Iordan partly because they were under God the Principal Authors of their entring into the Land of Canaan inasmuch as they brought them out of Egypt conducted them thorough the Wilderness and there by their Prayers to God and Counsel to them preserved them from utter ruin and gave Command and Direction from God for the distribution of the Land among them and incouraged them to enter into it by promises and assurances of Success And lastly Moses substituted Ioshua in his stead and commanded him to carry them thither and seat them there which also he did 9 And when they forgat the LORD their God s i. e. They revolted from him as it is explained v. 10. and carried themselves as ungratefully and unworthily towards God as if they had wholly forgotten his great and innumerable Favours and their infinite Obligations to him Forgetting of God is oft put for all manner of wickedness whereof indeed that is the true cause See Isa. 17. 10. Ier. 3. 21. Ezek. 22. 12. This he saith partly to Answer an Objection That the reason why they desired a King was because in the time of the Judges they were at great uncertainties and oft times exercised with sharp afflictions to which he Answereth by Concession that they were so but adds by way of Retortion that they themselves were the cause of it by their forgetting of God so that it was not the fault of that kind of Government but their transgressing the Rules of it and partly to mind them that this their ungrateful carriage towards God was no new or strange thing but an hereditary and inveterate Disease that so they might more easily believe their own Guilt herein and be more deeply humbled both for their own and for their Parents Sins * Judg. 4. 〈◊〉 he sold them into the hand of Sisera captain of the host of Hazor and into the hand * Judg. 〈◊〉 of the Philistines and into the hand of the king * Judg. 3. 12. of Moab and they fought against them t To wit with success and subdued them 10 And they cryed unto the LORD and said We have sinned because we have forsaken the LORD and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies and we will serve thee 11 And the LORD sent * Judg. 〈◊〉 32. Jerubbaal and Bedan u This certainly is one of the Judges and because there is no Judge so called in the Book of Iudges it is reasonably concluded that this was one of the Judges there mentioned having two Names as was very frequent And this was either First Sampson
it appears that Sacrifices were accompanied with Solemn Prayers I forced my self therefore and offered a burnt-offering y I did it against my own mind and inclination My Conscience told me I should forbear it and punctually obey God's Command delivered to me by Samuel but my necessity urged me to make haste 13 And Samuel said to Saul Thou hast done foolishly z In that very thing wherein thou thinkest thou hast done wisely and politickly in disobeying my express Command upon a pretended necessity or reason of State thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God a Not onely upon common grounds as thou art his Creature and one of his People but in a special manner who hath conferred peculiar Favours and Honours upon thee which is an aggravation of thy sin which he commanded thee for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever b Que. How could this be true when the Kingdom was promised to Iudah Gen. 49. 10. and consequently must necessarily be taken away from Saul and from his Tribe Ans. First The Phrase for ever in Scripture use oft-times signifies onely a long time as Gen. 43. 9. Exod. 21. 6. 1 Sam. 28. 2. So this had been abundantly verified if the Kingdom had been enjoyed by Saul and by his Son and by his Son's Son after whom the Kingdom might have come to Iudah Secondly Though the Kingdom had been promised to Saul and to his Posterity for ever in a larger sence yet that was upon condition of his Obedience And therefore God might well promise the Kingdom to Iudah because at that time and before he foresaw that Saul would by his disobedience forfeit that promise and that he would take the forfeiture and transfer the Kingdom to Iudah 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue * Psal. 89. 20. â—…ct 13. 22. the LORD hath sought c i. e. Hath found or discovered as men do by seeking An Anthropopathy him a man after his own heart d i. e. Such a man as I desire one who will fulfil all the desires of my heart and not oppose them as thou dost and the LORD hath commanded e i. e. Hath appointed or decreed as the word command is sometimes used for it was not yet actually done him to be captain over his people because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee f Quest. First What was Saul's sin Ans. Either First That Saul Invaded the Priests Office and Offered the Sacrifice himself which is not probable both because he had Priests with him and among others an eminent one Ahiah chap. 14. 3. and therefore had no occasion nor pretence for that presumption Or rather Secondly That Saul did not wait the full time for Samuel's coming for that is the thing which God commanded chap. 10. 8. and the breach of this command is the onely thing for which Saul makes an Apology v. 11 12. Quest. Secondly Why did God so severely punish Saul for so small an offence and that occasioned by great necessity and done with an honest intention Ans. First Men are very incompetent Iudges of Gods Judgments because they see but very little either of the Majesty of the offended God or of the hainous nature and aggravations of the Offence For instance men see nothing but Saul's outward act which seems small but God saw with how wicked a mind and heart he did this with what Rebellion against the Light of his own Conscience as his own words imply with what gross infidelity and distrust of Gods Providence with what contempt of Gods Authority and Justice and many other wicked principles and motions of his heart unknown to men Besides God clearly saw all that wickedness that yet lay hid in his heart and foresaw all his other Crimes and therefore had far more grounds for his Sentence against him than we can imagine Secondly God doth sometimes punish small sins severely and that for divers weighty reasons as that all men may see what the least sin deserves and how much they owe to Gods free and rich Mercy for passing by their great Offences and what need they have not to indulge themselves in any small sin as men are very prone to do upon vain presumptions of Gods Mercy whereby they are easily and commonly drawn on to hainous Crimes and for many other reasons so that some such instances of Gods severity are necessary Discipline and Caution to all mankind in the present and future Ages and therefore there is far more of mercy and kindness in such actions than of rigour and harshness since this is but particular to one Person and the other is an universal good Thirdly It must be remembred that the Kingdom of Saul and of Israel was now in its Infancy and that this was the first command which he received from God And it hath been ever held a piece of Wisdom in all Law-givers severely to punish the first Violations of their Laws to secure their Honour and Obedience and to affright and caution Offenders for the future And accordingly God dealt with Cain the first Murderer with Israel for their first Idolatty with the Calf with the first miscarriage of the Priests Levit. 10. 1. with the first profaner of the Sabbath Numb 15. 32. with the first gross Hypocrites in the Christian Church Act. 5. 5 10. And therefore it is neither strange nor unjust if he deal with Saul after the same manner and upon the same grounds Fourthly Though God threaten Saul with the loss of his Kingdom for this sin yet it is not improbable that there was a tacit condition implied as is usual in such cases as Ionah 3. 4. to wit if he did not heartily repent of this and of all his sins for the full and final and peremptory Sentence of Saul's rejection is plainly ascribed to another cause chap. 15. 11 23 26 28 29. and till that second Offence neither the Spirit of the Lord departed from him nor was David anointed in his stead chap. 16. 13 14. 15 And Samuel arose and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin g Whither Saul also followed him as appears from the next Verse either because it was better fortified than Gilgal or because he expected a greater increase of his Army there it being in his own Tribe and nearer the heart of his Kingdom or because he hoped for Samuel's Assistance there And Saul numbred the people that were ‡ Heb. found present with him * Chap. 14. 2. about six hundred men 16 And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people that were present with them abode in Gibeah of Benjamin but the Philistines encamped in Michmash 17 And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies h That they might March several ways and so waste several parts of the Countrey one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah i A
old habitation because of the Wars and Troubles wherewith Iudah was annoyed Go depart get ye down from among the Amalekites leâ—…t I destroy you with them for ye shewed kindness p Some of your Progenitors did so Exod. 18. 12. Numb 10. 31. and for their sakes all of you shall fare the better You were not Guilty of that sin for which Amalek is now to be Destroyed 〈◊〉 all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites 7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to * Gen. 16. 7. Shur that is over against Egypt q i. e. From one end of their Country to the other he sâ—…ote all that he met with but a great number of them â—…led away upon the noise of his coming as is usual in such cases and secured themselves in other places until the Storm was over when they returned again of whom we read before chap. 13. 6. and 14. 22. 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive r Whom Saul spared either out of foolish pity for the goodliness of his Person which Iosephus Notes or for his respect to his Royal Majesty in the preservation of which he thought himself concerned or for the Glory of his Triumph Compare v. 12. and * Seâ—… Chap. 3â—… 1. utterly destroyed all the people s To wit the Body of the People but not every individual Person as hath been shewed Universal Particles are commonly thus understood as is confessed with the edge of the sword 9 But Saul and the people t The one proposed to do so and the other consented to it and so both were Guilty spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and ‖ Or of the second sort of the fatlings and the lambs and all that was good u Which it is more than probable they reserved for their own use rather than for Sacrifice because they knew God would not accept a Sacrifice contrary to his own command and would not utterly destroy them but every thing that was vile and refuse that they destroyed utterly x Thus they obey God onely so far as they could without inconvenience to themselves they Destroyed onely what was not worth keeping nor fit for their use 10 ¶ Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel saying 11 It * â—… Sam. 24. 16. repenteth me y Repentance properly Notes grief of heart and change of Counsels and therefore cannot be in God who is unchangeable most Wise and most Blessed but it is ascribed to God in such cases when men give God cause to Repent and when God alters his Course and Method of dealing and Treats a Person as if he did indeed Repent of all the kindness he had shewed to him that I have set up Saul to be king for he is turned back from following me and hath not ‡ Heb. conâ—… performed my commandments And it grieved Samuel and he cried unto the LORD all night z To implore his Pardoning Mercy for Saul and for the People so far was he from rejoycing in their Calamities as an envious and self-seeking Person would have done 12 And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning it was told Samuel saying Saul came to Carmel a Not Mount Carmel of which Iosh. 12. 22. but another Mountain or Town in the Tribe of Iudah of which see Iâ—…sh 15. 55. and behold he set him up a ‡ Heb. hand place b i. e. A Monument or Trophy of his Victory as the same Hebrew word is used 2 Sam. 18. 18. And this may be here Noted by way of censure That he set it up not to God's honour but to himself i. e. to his own praise which he minded in the first place and afterwards went to Gilgal as it here follows to offer Sacrifice to God and is gone about and passed on and gone down to Gilgal 13 And Samuel came unto Saul and Saul said unto him Blessed be thou of the LORD c I thank thee and I beg that God would Bless thee for sending me upon this Employment and giving me this opportunity of manifesting my Obedience to God I have ‡ Heb. conâ—… performed the commandment of the LORD d To wit for the main and substance of it to wit the Extirpation of that wicked People for he thought the sparing of Agag and the Cattel very inconsiderable in the case though indeed it was expresly contrary to Gods command but self-Interest made him exceeding partial in his own Cause or else like a bold Hypocrite he pretends that for his part he had obeyed God resolving it seems to cast the blame upon the People as he did 14 And Samuel said What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears and the lowing of the oxen which I hear e How can this Evidence of Guilt consist with the profession of thy Innocency 15 And Saul said They f i. e. The People Thus after the manner of all Hypocrites he excuseth himself and lays the blame upon the People whereas they could not do it without his privity and consent and he should have used his Power and Authority to over-rule them for God's sake as he had done formerly for his own sake But the truth is he was zealous for his own Honour and Interest but luke-warm where God onely was concerned have brought them from the Amalekites for the people spared the best of the shâ—…ep and of the oxen to sacrifice unto the LORD g It is not likely that this was his and the Peoples Design but this he now pretends and ascribes that to his Piety which was indeed the effect of his Impiety and Avarice thy God h Whom thou Lovest and Servest and therefore must needs be pleased with our Pious respect to him and his Service and the rest we have utterly destroyed 16 Then Samuel said unto Saul Stay and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night And he said unto him Say on 17 And Samuel said When thou wast little in thine own sight i i. e. Modest Humble and Submissive as 1 Sam. 9. 21. and 10. 22. Whereby he implies that now he was grown Proud and Stubborn and Impudent both to commit sin and justify it wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel 18 And the LORD sent thee on a journey and said Go and utterly destroy the sinners k So called by way of Eminency as that word is used Gen. 13. 13. Matth. 9. 19. Iohn 9. 24 31. the Amalekites and fight against them until ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 consuâ—… them they be consumed 19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD but didst flye upon the spoil and didst evil in the sight of the LORD l Who cannot be
that the avenger of Blood should not implacably persist in seeking revenge and that the manslayer should be spared Or rather thus but thinketh thoughts or but hath designed or therefore he intendeth that he who is banished to wit Absalom be not always expelled or banished from him i. e. from God and from his People and from the place of his Worship but that he should return home to him So the sense is That God by sparing Absaloms life in the midst of dangers did sufficiently intimate that he would in due time bring him back to his Land and People Even as in our Days and Land Gods miraculous preservation of the Life of our present Sovereign in so many and great dangers was a pledge and presage that God intended sooner or later to restore him to his Kingdoms 15 Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king it is because the people have made me afraid d The truth is I was even forced to this bold Address to thee by the disposition and condition of thy people who are discontented at Absalom's perpetual banishment and full of fears either lest upon thy death which none knoweth how soon it may happen they should be involved in a Civil War about thy Successor or lest in the mean time if Absalom by his Father-in-laws assistance invade the Land and indeavour by force to regain and secure his right to the Succession the people who have a great opinion of him and kindness for him and think he is very hardly used should take up Arms for him or lest he who is thy Heir and Successor should by continual and familiar conversation with Heathens be insnared in their Errors or alienated from the true Religion and from Gods Worship from which he is now utterly excluded and thy handmaid said e Or therefore thy handmaid said either within my self i. e. I intended or to the people to quiet them I will now speak unto the king it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid 16 For the king will hear f For I know the King is so wise and just that I assure my self of Audience and Acceptation Which expectation of hers is cunningly insinuated here that the King might conceive himself obliged to answer it and not to disappoint her hope nor to forfeit that good opinion which his Subjects now had of him to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man g To grant my request concerning my Son and consequently the peoples Petition concerning Absalom that would destroy me and my son h Implying that her life was bound up in the life of her Son and that she could not out-live his death and supposing it is like that it might be David's case also and would therefore touch him in a tender part though it were not proper to say it expresly and thereby suggesting that the tranquillity safety and comfort of the people of Israel depended upon Absalom's Restitution and the settlement of the Succession in him together out of the inheritance of God i i. e. Out of that Inheritance which God hath given to me and mine or out of that Land which God gave to his people to be their Inheritance and Possession and in which alone God hath settled the place of his Presence and Worship Whereby she intimates the danger of Absalom's living in a state of separation from God and his House and amongst Idolaters 17 Then thine handmaid said The word of my lord the king shall now be ‡ Heb. for rest comfortable k I doubt not the King will give a gracious and satisfactory Answer to my Peâ—…tion for as an angel of God l To wit 〈◊〉 Wisdom and Justice and Goodness so is my lord the king ‡ Heb. to hear to discern good and bad m To hear and judge of Causes and Requests whether they be just and good and fit to be granted as mine is or unrighteous and unreasonable 〈◊〉 fit to be rejected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confidence in the Justice of her Cause and thereby confirms the King in his purpose and promise to grant her Request and withal arms the King against the suggestions of them who should advise him to a rigorous execution of Gods Law against Absalom and be ready to censure him for restoring Absalom and this for want of that Angelical Wisdom which the King had who wisely considered many things far above their reach therefore n Because thou art so wise and just and pitiful and gracious to those who in strict Justice deserve punishment the LORD thy God will be with thee o God will own and stand by thee in this thy act of Grace or God will prosper thee in thy enterprizes or at least not be offended with thee 18 Then the king answered and said unto the woman Hide not from me I pray thee the thing that I shall ask thee And the woman said Let my lord the king now speak 19 And the king said Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this p Hast thou not said and done this by Ioab's direction and contrivance And the woman answered and said As thy soul liveth my lord the king none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken q As the King is so wise that no man can deceive him by any turnings or windings to the right or left hand but he quickly searcheth out the truth in every thing so it is a folly to dissemble or go about to conceal it it is even so thou hast now discovered the truth of this business for thy servant Joab he bade me and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid r To wit for the scope and substance of them but not as to all the expressions which she used for these were to be varied as the Kings answer gave occasion which also she did with singular prudence 20 To fetch about this form of speech s i. e. To propose mine and his and the peoples desire of Absalom's restitution in this parabolical manner in mine and my Sons person hath thy servant Joab done this thing and my lord is wise according to the wisdom of an angel of God to know all things that are in the earth t Or in this Land in all thy Kingdom all the counsels and devices of thy Subjects which have any relation to thee or thy affairs 21 ¶ And the king said unto Joab Behold now I have done this thing u In compliance with thy desire although in truth it was according to his own desire He overlooks the Woman in this grant because she was but Ioab's Instrument in it go therefore bring the young man x By which expression he mitigates his Crime as being an act of youthful heat and folly and rashness Absalom again 22 And
houshold and to do ‡ Heb. the good in his eyes what he thought good and Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was come over Jordan l Or rather as he was passing or about to pass over Iordan but this was beyond Iordan for as he went over Iordan to the King v. 17. so doubtless he fell down before him at his first coming into his presence theâ—…e 19 And said unto the king Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me neither do thou remember * Chap. 16. 5. that which thy servant did perversly the day that my lord the king went out of jerusalem that the king should take it to his heart m i. e. Be affected with it or excited to Revenge it 20 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned n I do not excuse my Sin but with grief and shame Confess it in which case the Lord thy God is ready to Pardon Offenders and so I trust wilt'st thou be therefore behold I am come the first o The sense of my former Sin now hath and whilest I live will make me the first and most forward in all Acts of Duty and Service to thy Majesty this day of all the house of Joseph p Object He was a Benjamite Chap. 16. 5. How then doth he make himself one of the house of Ioseph Answ. The house of Ioseph is here put either 1. For the Ten Tribes which are oft distinguished from Iudah and then they are called the house of Ioseph as Zech. 10. 6. But this distinction was not made before the division of the People into two Kingdoms and even after that Division Benjamin was constantly reckoned with Iudah and not with Ioseph or Ephraim Or 2. For all the Tribes of Israel who are all called the children of Ioseph Psal. 77. 15. Comp. Psal. 80. 1. and 81. 5. as well they might not onely because of Ioseph's Eminency the most Eminent Persons and Things being oft put for the rest of the kind and because the rights of Primogeniture were in a great part devolved upon him 1 Chron. 5. 1. but also because Ioseph had been as a Father to them and had nourished them all like Children as is expressed in the Hebrew Text Gen. 47. 12. But in this sence this was not true for the House of Iudah came before him ver 15. Or rather 3. For all the Tribes except Iudah which are conveniently called the house of Ioseph for the reasons now mentioned and are fitly distinguished from Iudah because the Rights of the First-born were divided between Iudah and Ioseph 1 Chron. 5. 2. And though Benjamin after the Division of the Kingdoms was fitly joyned with Iudah because then they adhered to that Tribe yet before that time it was more conveniently joyned with Ioseph because they Marched under the Standard of the House of Ioseph or of Ephraim Numb 10. 22 23 24. Whence it is that Ephraim Benjamin and Manasseh are put together Psal. 80. 2. to go down to meet my lord the king 21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said Shall not Shimei be put to death for this because he cursed the LORD's anointed q i. e. The King By this Expression he minds David of his former Zeal against those who offered any injury to Saul because he was the Lord's Anointed 1 Sam. 24. 6. and 26. 9. and therefore demands the same Justice against Shimei for his Cursing of the King which was so expresly forbidden Exod. 22. 28. and by the Analogy of that Law Exod. 21. 17. might seem punishable with Death 22 And David said What have I to do with you r I do not ask neither will I take your Advice in this Matter ye sons of Zeruiah s Implying that Ioab's hand was in this Contrivance or that he suspected it that ye should this day be adversaries unto me t i. e. That you put me upon things unfit for me to do and contrary to my present Interest for it was David's Interest at this time to Appease the People and reconcile them to him and not now to give them any new distast by acts of Severity for this would make others jealous that David will not forgive them neither but would watch an opportunity to be Revenged on them You pretend Friendship herein and would have me take it for an effect of your Zeal for my Service but in truth you give me such counsel as my Enemies would wish me to follow that thereby I might awaken the fears and jealousies of my People which are now asleep and cast them into a second Rebellion which either Ioab and Abishai really designed by this Advice that so Ioab might recover his Place again and be made necessary for the King's Service or David suspected that they did so * 1 Sam. 11. 13. Shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel for do not know that â—… am this day king over Israel u Is not my Kingdom which for my Sins was in a manner wholly lost just now restored and assured to me And when God hath been so Merciful to me in forgiving my Sin shall I now shew my self Revengeful to Shimei Shall I fully the Publick Joy and Glory of this Day with an act of such severity Or shall I alienate the Hearts of my People from me now when they are returning to me 23 Therefore * 1 King 2. 37 36. the King said unto Shimei Thou shalt not die x To wit this day as Abishai desireth nor whilest I live nor by my Hands as it is repeated and explained 1 King 2. 8. nor for this Cause alone For though David gave order to Solomon for his Punishment after his Death nor was it fit for the Publick Good that such a Horrid Crime should go Unpunished yet he would not have him Punished for this Fault alone but for some other Capital Crime which 〈◊〉 presumed Shimei's Temper would easily betray him to and Solomon's deep Wisdom would easily find out 1 King 2. 9. and the king sware unto him y That he would not put him to death with the Sword as it is expressed 1 King 2. 8. 24 ¶ And Mephibosheth the son z i. e. The Grandson 2 Sam. 6. 3 6. of Saul came down to meet the king and had neither dressed his feet a By cutting his Nails and by washing his Feet which was usual in hot Climates and very refreshing and therefore now neglected as becoming a Mourner nor trimmed his beard b But suffered it to grow very long and disorderly as was usual with many persons in a forlorn or mournful State nor washed his cloathes c His Linnen Clothes This and the former were signs that he was a true and obstinate Mourner that lay'd aside his usual Refreshments and they are here mentioned as Evidences of the Falshood of Ziba's former Relation concerning him Chap. 16. 3. from
the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace 25 And it came to pass when he was come to Jerusalem d So it is supposed That Mephibosheth though he went to meet the King wanted either Courage or fit Opportunity to speak to the King till he came to Ierusalem because of the great Multitudes that Addressed themselves to the King by the way Though it might more reasonably be thought that he could not go from Ierusalem to meet the King as others did because he wanted conveniencies for his Journey for Ziba had gotten all his Lands and Goods Chap. 16. 4. and it is not likely that he who would not provide him an Ass to Ride on or to accompany the King at his departure would now be hasty to furnish him with one to meet the King to whom he knew he would complain of him But the Words may seem to be better rendred thus when he went for so the Hebrew Verb signifies Ruth 3. 7. Ionah 1. 3. from which Praeposition is oft understood Ierusalem For there he was Chap. 16. 3. and having continued there as probably he did because he wanted an Ass to convey him elsewhere and knew not where to be with more safety he could not properly nor truly be said to have come thither to meet the King to meet the king that the king said unto him Wherefore wentest not thou with me e As Justice and Gratitude obliged thee to do Mephibosheth 26 And he answered My lord O king my servant deceived me f By carrying away the Ass which I bid him Saddle for me for thy servant said I will saddle me an ass that I may ride thereon and go to the king because thy servant is lame 27 And * Chap. 16. 3. he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king but my lord the king is as an angel of God g To distinguish between true Reports and Calumnies See on Chap. 14. 20. do therefore what is good in thine eyes 28 For all of my fathers house were but ‡ Heb. men of death dead men before my lord the king h i. e. Before thy Tribunal we were all at thy Mercy not my Estate onely which thou hast now granted to Ziba but my Life also was in thy Power if thou hadst dealt with Rigor and as Earthly Kings use to do with their Predecessors and Enemies Children For otherwise by the Law of God Saul himself had not deserved to die by David's hands as David himself confessed much less his Children who were not to dye for their Fathers Sins Deut. 24. 16. But Mephibosheth speaks like a Courtier and like an Orator aggravating Matters against himself that he might seem to justifie the King's Sentence and to submit to it and so insinuate himself into the Kings favour yet * Chap. 9. 7. didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table what right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king i To wit for the Vindication of mine Honour and the Restitution of my Estate 29 And the kâ—…ng said unto him Why speakest thou any more of thy matters k For as Ziba was present so doubtless he was not silent but said and did what he could to make good his former Charge which must needs occasion many Words before the King And the King was not now at leisure for long Debates and therefore makes an end of the Matter I have said l To wit within my self I have considered the Matter as far as now I can and upon the whole am come to this Resolution wherein I expect that thou and he do both acquiesce Or I do now say I pronounce this Sentence in the Cause Thou and Ziba divide the Land m The meaning is either 1. The Land shall be divided between thee and him as it was by my first Order Chap. 9. 10. He and his Sons managing it and supporting themselves out of it as they dâ—…d before and giving the rest of the profits thereof to thee And to this the following words may well enough be accommodated Yea let him take all to wit to his own sole use Or 2. The right and profits of the Land shall be equally divided between you It seems a very rash and harsh Sentence and very unbecoming David's Wisdom and Justice and Gratitude to Ionathan and Ziba seems to have deserved Death for falsly Accusing his Master of Treason rather than a Recompence But the whole Transaction of the Matter is not here set down Possibly Ziba might bring plausible Pretences to justifie his Accusation and it might be pretended That Mephibosheth neglected the trimming and dressing himself onely in Policy and that for a season till David and his Family had Destroyed one another by their Câ—…vil Wars and giving him a fit opportunity to take the Crown So that David might really be at a loss what to determine And Ziba had given proof of his Affections to David by an Act of kindness which could not be without hazard to himself Chap. 16. 1 2. which Mephibosheth had not done And possibly thâ—…s was onely a present Sentence and David resolved to Examme things more throughly when he had more leisure and then to make a more full and final Determination of the Business which also he might do though it be not here Recorded For we must not think that nothing was done and said about such things but what is mentioned in Scripture Besides Ziba being a powerful man and the Crown not yet firmly fixed upon the King's Head David might think fit to suspend his Final Sentence till a more convenient season and not now to provoke him too much by taking away all his Estate from him at once but to proceed against him by degrees Howsoever this is certain we cannot pass a right Judgment upon this Action of David's unless we understood all the Circumstances of it which we cannot pretend to do 30 And Mephibosheth said unto the king Yea let him take all forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house n I am contented to lose all being fully satisfied with the happiness of seeing my dear and dread Soveraign restored to his 〈◊〉 own and Truth and Peace returned to his Kingdom 31 ¶ And * 1 King 2. 7. Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and went over Jordan with the king to conduct him over Jordan o And then to cross Iordan again and so return to his Native Land 32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man even fourscore years old and * Chap. 17. 27. he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim for he was a very great man 33 And the king said unto Barzillai Come thou over with me and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem 34 And Barzillai said unto the king †Heb. how many days are â—…he years of my
1. Act. 16. 6 7. who might do this either immediately by his own power or by an Angel or by a strong wind shall carry thee whither I know not s Such transportations of the Prophets having doubtless been usual before this time as they were after it See 2 King 2. 16. Ezek. 3. 12 14. Mat. 4. 1. Act. 8. 39. and so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find thee he will slay me t Either as a cursed impostor that hath deluded him with vain hopes or rather because I did not forthwith seize upon thee and bring thee to him to receive punishment but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth u He speaks not these nor the following words in way of vain boasting but onely for his own necessary vindication and preservation that he might move the Prophet to pity and spare him and not put him upon that hazardous action which yet he was resolved to do if the Prophet peremptorily required it 13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD how I hid an hundred men of the LORDS prophets by ‡ Heb. fifty fifty fifty in a cave and fed them with bread and water 14 And now thou sayest Go tell thy lord Behold Elijah is here and he shall slay me 15 And Elijah said As the LORD of hosts x The Lord of all the Creatures which are called Gods hosts Gen. 2. 1. Deut. 4. 19. Psal. 103. 21. and 148. 2. and are all subject to his Command He mentions this Title as his Shield under the Protection whereof he did and durst venture to come into Ahab's presence liveth before whom I stand I will surely shew my self unto him to day 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him and Ahab went to meet Elijah 17 ¶ And it came to pass when Ahab saw Elijah that Ahab said unto him Art thou he * Act. 16. 20 that troubleth Israel y Have I at last met with thee O thou great disturber of my Kingdom the Author of this Famine and of all our Disquiets and Calamities 18 And he answered I have not troubled Israel but thou and thy fathers house z These Calamities are not to be imputed to my passions but thine and thy Fathers wickedness which God punisheth by this means He answered him thus boldly because he spoke and acted in Gods Name and for his Honour and Service whose Vassal Ahab was in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and thou hast followed Baalim 19 Now therefore send a To wit Messengers that this controversy between thee and me may be decided the true cause of these heavy Judgments discovered and removed that so this Plague may be removed and gather to me all Israel b By their Deputies or Heads and Representatives that they may be Witnesses of all our Transactions unto mount Carmel c Not that Carmel in Iudah 1 Sam. 15. 12. but another in Issachar by the Midland-Sea Ios. 19. 26. Ier. 46. 18. which he chose as a very convenient place being not far from the Center of his Kingdom to which all the Tribes might conveniently resort and at some good distance from Samaria that Iezebel might not hinder his design and a very high Mountain Amos 9. 3. and that upon the Sea whence he might have the opportunity to discover the Rain at its first approach which he did chap. 42 c. and the prophets of Baal d Which were dispersed in all the parts of the Kingdom four hundred and fifty and the prophets of the groves e Which attended upon those Baals or Idols which were worshipped in the Groves which were near the Royal City and much valued and frequented by the King and the Queen 1 King 15. 13. and 16. 33. 2 King 13. 6. and therefore were maintained at the Queens Charges four hundred which eat at Jezebels table 20 So Ahab f He complied with Elijah's motion partly because it was so fair and reasonable that he could not refuse it with honour nor without the discontent of all his people this being proposed in order to their deliverance from this terrible Famine partly because the urgency of the present distress made him willingto try all means to remove it partly from a curiosity of seeing some extraordinary Events and principally because God inclined his heart to close with it sent unto all the children of Israel and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel 21 And Elijah came unto all the people and said How long halt ye between two ‖ Or thoughts opinions g Why do you not make straight paths with your Feet as the Phrase is Heb. 12. 13 Why do you walk so lamely and unevenly being so unsteddy in your opinions and practises and doubting whether it is better to Worship God or Baal If the LORD be God h Whom you pretended to worship in the Calves 2 King 10. 16. 31. compare Exod. 32. 4. follow him i Worship him and him onely and that in such place and manner as he hath commanded you and not by the Calves but if Baal k If Baal can prove himself to be the True God * See Josh. 24. 15. then follow him And the people answered him not a word l Being convinced of the reasonableness of his proposition taught by experience that Iehovah had sent this Judgment and that Baal could not remove it which had staggereed them in their Opinion about Baal yet not daring to disown Baal for fear of the displeasure of the King then present 22 Then said Elijah unto the people I even I onely remain m To wit here present publickly to own and plead the cause of God for he opposeth himself onely to Baal's 450 Prophets because they onely were present the Prophets of the Groves being it seems not permitted by Iezabel through her pride or obstinacy or care and kindness to them to go thither See chap. 22. 6. As for the other Prophets of the Lord many of them were slain by Ahab or Iezabel others banished or hid in Caves a prophet of the LORD but Baals prophets are four hundred and fifty men 23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks n He attempts the decition of this controversy not by Gods word which was either rejected or despised or grosly neglected by the generality of that People but by a Miracle to which all that had common sense must needs submit and let them chuse one bullock for themselves o Which they judge best and fittest for their purpose and cut it in pieces and lay it on wood and put no fire under and I will dress the other bullock and lay it on wood and put no fire under 24 And call ye on the name of your ‖ Or God gods and I will call on the Name of the LORD and the God that answereth by
5. 17. which probably is said with respect to his fear and discontent manifested here and ver 4. And lest he should be exalted above measure which was also Paul's case 2 Cor. 12. 7. for his eminent Gifts and Graces and miraculous Works God saw fit to withdraw his Grace and to leave him to himself that he might be sensible of his own impotency and sinfulness and might not dare to take any part of Gods honour to himself and came to Beersheba which belonged to Judah f Either First To the Tribe of Iudah according to the first division for Simeon's part in which Beersheba was was afterwards taken out of it Or Secondly to the Kingdom of Iudah and left his servant there g Partly that he might abide there in safety and partly that he should wait there till his return partly because he would not expose him to those perils and hardships which he expected and partly because he desired solitude that he might more freely converse with God 4 ¶ But he himself went a days journey into the wilderness h The vast Wilderness of Arabia He durst not stay in Iudah though good Iehoshaphat Reigned there because he was Allied to Ahab and was a Man of an easie temper whom Ahab might circumvent and either by force or art seize upon Elijah and came and sat down under a juniper-tree and he * Jona 43 â—… requested ‡ Heb. for his life for himself i Heb. for his life or his soul that it might be taken away from his Body Or with his soul as it is Isa. 26. 9. i. e. He desired it heartily or fervently Which he did not onely for his own sake that he might be freed from his great fears and troubles but especially from his zeal for Gods Glory which he saw was and would be dreadfully eclipsed by the relapse of the Israelites into Idolatry and by Elijah's Death if it should be procured by the hands of Iezabel or of the worshippers of Baal and therefore he wished to die in peace and by the hand of God that he might die and said It is enough k I have lived long enough for thy Service and am not like to do thee any more Service neither my words nor works are like to do any good upon these unstable and incorrigible people now O LORD take away my life for I am not better than my fathers l That I should continue in Life when other Prophets who have gone before me have lost their Lives by Iezabel or other persecutors 5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper-tree behold then an angel touched him and said unto him Arise and eat 6 And he looked and behold there was a cake baken on the coals and a cruse of water at his ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 head and he did eat and drink and laid him down again 7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time and touched him and said Arise and eat because the journey is too great for thee m i. e. Above thy strength now especially when thou art faint and weary and fasting 8 And he arose and did eat and drink and went in the strength of that meat n God giving that Food a far greater and more durable vertue than ordinary * See Deut. 9. 9 18. Matth. 4. 2. forty days and forty nights unto * Exod. 3. 1. Horeb o He wandred hither and thither for 40 days till at last he came to Horeb which in the direct Road was not above 3 or 4 days Journey the mount of God 9 ¶ And he came thither unto a cave and lodged there and behold the word of the LORD came to him and he said unto him What dost thou here p A tacit reproof This is not thy proper place nor the station in which I set thee which was in Israel to turn that backsliding people to which end I gave thee my help and would have proceeded to assist thee further if thou hadst continued there Nor did I give thee those excellent Gifts to lie idle in this Wilderness but to employ them for thy peoâ—…s good whom now thou hast deserted and art come hither not by my Command but through thy own fear and cowardise Elijah 10 And he said I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts q I have not been wholly wanting to my vocation but have executed my office with zeal for Gods Honour and Service and with the hazard of my own Life and am fled hither not being able to endure to see the dishonour done to thy Name by their obstinate Idolatry and Wickedness for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant thrown down thine altars r Those which were erected for thy Worship in high-places which they did not destroy because they were to be abolished by thy Command Deut. 12. but out of meeâ—… contempt and opposition against thee and therefore they suffered the Altars of Baal to stand and slain thy prophets with the sword and * Rom. 11. 3. Chap 18. 22. I even I onely am left s To wit of all thy Prophets I mean which do boldly and publickly Plead thy Cause for the rest of thy Prophets who are not slain hide themselves and dare not appear to do thee any Service and they seek my life to take it away t I despair of doing them any good for instead of receiving my Testimony they hunt for my Life 11 And he said Go forth and stand upon the mount before the LORD And behold the LORD passed by u Either First By his Harbengers for as it follows the Lord was not yet there Or Secondly Himself And so this is a brief and general description of the thing after which the manner of it is particularly explained and a * â—…uk 1. 4. and 37. 9. great and strong wind rent the mountains and brake in pieces the rocks x Whereby he both prepares Elijah to receive this discovery of God with greatest humility reverence and Godly fear and signifies his Almighty and Irresistible Power to break the hardest hearts of the Israelites and to bear down all opposition that was or should be made against him in the discharge of his office before the LORD but the LORD was not in the wind y The Lord did not vouchsafe his Special and Gracious Presence to Elijah in that Wind where he confidently expected him which possibly was Either First To qualify the excessive fervour and passion of Elijah which mixed it self with his zeal for God and to make him more mild in his Censures and more meek and patient in waiting for the Conversion of Israel wherein he might sooner expect Gods Presence and Blessed Success than in the Storm of Anger or Impatience Or Secondly To teach him not to wonder if God did not accompany his terrible Administration at Mount Carmel with the Presence of his Grace
man who is quite destitute of true i. e. of spiritual and heavenly wisdom taking root m Not only prosperous for the present but as it seemed firm and secure for the future being strongly fortified with power and riches and children too so as there was no appearance nor danger of a change but suddenly n In a moment besides and before mine and his own and all other mens expectation I cursed o Either 1. I judged that he was a cursed creature notwithstanding all his prosperity and I foresaw and foretold it by the Rules of Scripture or the Direction of God's Spirit that he would certainly sooner or later be stript of all his blessings have God's curse fall heavily upon him Or rather 2 I saw perceived by the event which followed his prosperity that he was a man accursed of God For he speaks not in these words of what his estate constantly was even in the midst of his happiness though even then he was really accursed but of what it was by a sudden change his habitation p Or as the Hebrew word signifies his pleasant or commodious habitation persons or things in it or belonging to it being comprehended in that word by an usual Metonymy 4. * Psal 19. 155. His Children q Whose greatness and happiness he designed in all his enterprises supposing that his family was and would be established for ever are far from safety r i. e. Are exposed to great dangers and calamities in this life and can neither preserve themselves nor the great inheritance which their Fathers got and left for them Thus to be far from peace Lam. 3. 17. Is to be involved in desperate troubles and they are crushed in the gate s i. e. In the place of judicature To which they are brought for their offences and where they will find severe judges and few or no friends partly because being wickedly educated and trusting to their own greatness they were insolent and injurious to all their neighbours and partly because those many persons whom their powerful fathers defrauded or oppressed to seek for justice and the recovery of their rights which they easily obtain against such persons as plainly declared by their Actions that they neither feared God nor reverenced man therefore were hated by all sorts of men neither is there any to deliver them t They can find no advocates nor assistants who are either able or willing to help them But like Ishmael as their hand was formerly against every man so now every mans hand is against them 5. Whose harvest u Which they now justly and confidently expect to reap after all their cost and labour for that end but are sadly and suddenly disappointed Which is a great aggravation of their mistry the hungry x i. e. The poor whose necessities make theâ—… greedy and revâ—… nous to eat it all up And from whom he can never recover iâ—… nor any thing in recompence of it cateth up and taketh it even out of the thorns y i. e. Out of the fields notwithstanding the strong thorn-hedges wherewith it is inclosed and sortified and all other dangers or difficulties which may be in their way They will take it though they be scratched and wounded by the thorns about it and the * Chap. 18. 9. robbers z So called from their long hair which such persons nourished either because of their wild savage kind of life which made them neglect the trimming of their hair and body Or that they might look more terribly and so assright all those who should indeavour to oppose them Or the thirsty as the word may signify from another root And so it answers well to the hungry in the former branch swalloweth up a Greedily and so as there is no Hope of Recovering it their substance 6. Although b Or For or rather Because So the following words may contain a reason why he should seek unto God as he exhorts him v. 8. Or Surely as that particle is oft used And so it is a note of his proceeding to another argument ‖ Or iniquity affliction c Or iniquity As this word oft signifies and of this the following sentence is true And so this first branch speaks of sin and the next branch of trouble which is the fruit or sin And both sin and trouble are said to come from the same spring But this word signifies also affliction or misery or trouble as Psal. 90 10 Prov. 12. 21. Which seems most proper here both because it is so explained by the following words trouble and again trouble v. 7. the same thing being repeated in several words as is usual in holy Scripture and because the great thing which troubled Iob and the chief matter of these discourses was Iobs afflictions not his sins cometh not forth of the dust d It springs not up by choice as herbs which grow of their own accord out of the earth Or it comes not from men or creatures here below but it comes from a certain and an higher cause even from God and that for mans sins and therefore thou shouldest seek to him for redress as it follows v. 8. neither doth trouble spring out of the ground 7. Yet man is born unto ‖ Or labour trouble e i. e. He is so commonly exposed to many and various troubles as if he were born to no other end Affliction is become in some sort natural and proper to man and it is together with sin transmitted from parents to Children as their most certain and constant inheritance God having allotted this portion to mankind for their sins And therefore thou takest a wrong course in complaining so bitterly of that which thou shouldest patiently bear as the common lot of mankind and thy right method is to seek unto God who inflicts it and who onely can remove it as †Heb. the sons of the burning coals lift up to fly the sparks fly upward f i. e. As naturally and as generally as the sparks of fire fly upward which do so universally and conssantly Heb. and the sparks c. But the particle and is oft used comparatively for as as Ch. 12. 11. 14. 12. 34. 3. Prov. 25. 24. Mark 9. 49. 8. I would g If I were in thy condition And therefore I would advise thee to the same course seek unto God h To wit by prayer and humiliation and submission imploring his pardon and favour and help and not repine at him and accuse his providence as thou doest and unto God would I commit my cause i i. e. Commend my afflicted condition to him by fervent prayer and resign my self all my concerns to him and humbly hope for relief from him Or propound my matters i. e. Make known my afflictions and requests to him Or put or dispose my words i. e. Pray to him and pour out
For what I am saying though most true will not be believed without serious consideration happy is the man whom God correcteth h Heb. Blessednesses i. e. various and great happiness as the plural number implies belong to that man whom God rebukes to wit with strokes Ch. 33. 16 19. Those afflictions are so far from making thee miserable as thou complainest that they are and will be if thou dost thy duty the means of thy happiness Which though a paradox to the world is frequently affirmed in holy Scripture and the reason of it is plain because they are pledges of God's love which no man can buy too dear and though bitter yet necessary physick to purge out that sin which is deeply fixed in all mens natures and thereby to prevent far greater even infinite and eternal miseries Without respect to which this Proposition could not be true or tolerable And therefore it plainly shews that good men in those antient times of the Old Testament had the prospect and belief and hope of everlasting blessedness in Heaven after this life therefore despise not thou i i. e. Do not abhor it as a thing pernicious and intolerable nor refuse it as a thing useless and unprofitable nor slight it as a mean and unnecessary thing but on the contrary prize it highly as a favour and vouchsasement of God for such negative expressions oft imply the contrary as 1 Thes. 5. 20. 1 Tim. 4. 12. See Prov. 10. 2. 17. 21. the chastening of the Almighty k Or of the alsufficient God who is able to support and comfort thee in thy troubles and to deliver thee out of them and to add more calamities to them if thou art obstinate and incorrigible 18. * Deut. 32. 3â—… 1 Sam. 26. Isa. 30. 26. Hos. 6 1. For he maketh sore and bindeth up l To wit the wounds as good Surgeons use to do when they have dressed them in order to their healing Comp. Psal. 147. 3. Ezek. 34. 4. The sense is Though he hath seen it fit to wound thee yet he will not alwaies grieve thee but will in due time release thee from all thy miseries Therefore despair not he woundeth and his hands make whole 19. * Psal. 〈◊〉 â—… Prov. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall deliver thee m To wit if thou seekest to him by prayer and repentance in six n i. e. Manifold or repeated as six is used for many Prov. 6. 16. troubles Yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee o To wit so as to undo or destroy thee as touching is used Ios. 9. 19. Heb. 11. 28. 1 Iohn 5. 18. See also Gen. 26. 11. 29. 2 Sam. 14. 10. Psal. 105. 15. Zech. 2. 8. Thou shalt have a good issue out of all thy troubles though they are both great and many 20. In famin p Which Iob might be thought to fear as being so poor that he needed his friends contributions for his relief he shall redeem thee from death q From that terrible kind of death and in †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 war from the power of the Sword r These things he utters with more confidence partly because the rewards or punishments of this life were more constantly distributed to men in the old Testament according to their good or bad behaviour than now they are And partly because it was his particular opinion that great afflictions were the constant fruits and certain evidences of a mans wickedness And consequently that great mercies and deliverances should infallibly follow upon true repentance and godliness 21. Thou shall be hid s i. e. Protected as in some secret and safe place ‖ 〈…〉 from the scourge of the tongue t i. e. From false accusations and virulent slanders and reproaches either by diverting their tongues to other persons or things Or by clearing thy integrity neither shalt thou be afraid u To wit upon others near thee or round about thee of destruction when it cometh x Thou shalt have no cause to fear it because God will secure thee in it and from it 22. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh y Thou shalt not onely be redeemed from famine v. 20. and not fear destruction v. 21. But thou shalt laugh at them not with a laughter of scorn and contempt as this word is used Ch. 39. 18. Psal. 2. 4. 37. 13. for Gods judgments are to be entertained with reverence and godly fear but with a laughter of joy and triumph arising from his just security and confidence in God's watchful and gracious providence which will either keep him from it or in it or do him much good by it * 〈◊〉 11. 9. 〈◊〉 65. 25. 〈◊〉 34. 25. 〈◊〉 2. 18. neither shalt thou be afraid of the Beasts y i. e. The wild beasts which were numerous and mischievous in those parts See Deut. 28. 26. 1. Sam. 17. 34. Ier. 7. 33. of the Earth 23. * 〈◊〉 91. 13. For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field z Thou shalt be free from any annoyance by stones either in thy walking or other postures or in thy plowing as if they had made an inviolable leaguewith thee Stones may be and in these stony Countries were hurtful to men many ways either by bruising or hurting their feet when the walked barefoot as the manner then was Or by giving them occasion of stumbling or slipping and falling Or by falling upon a man from a rock or higher ground as sometimes it hath happened Or filling his grounds so as to hinder his plowing and make his lands unfruitful Nay the stones shall not only cease to be hurtful but they shall be useful and beneficial to thee they shall as it were present themselves to thee when thou hast occasion either to sling them at thine enemies as then was usual Iudg. 20. 16. 2 Chron. 26. 14. or to make fences to thy ground Or to build an house This is a bold Metaphor but such are frequent as in other Authours so also in Scripture as Isa. 28. 15. Hos. 2. 18. And the beasts of the field a Either 1. the wild beasts and then this is an addition to the former priviledge they shall not hurt thee v. 22. nay they shall befriend thee as being at peace with thee here v. 23. Or 2. the tame Beasts who otherwise may be refractory and hurtful to a man many having been killed by them shall be at peace with thee 24. And thou shalt know b By certain and constant experience ‖ 〈…〉 that thy tabernacle c i. e. Thy habitation as it follows including also the Inhabitants Children or Friends and Servants shall be in peace d Shall enjoy great safety from all their Enemies and concord among themselves and prosperity in all their concerns all which are comprehended under the sweet name of Peace and thou shalt visit thy
am wholly thy Creature and Workmanship made by thee and for thee yet thou dost destroy me s Or swallow me up to wit without cause or any eminent provocation of mine as if thou didst delight in doing and undoing in making and then destroying thy Creatures which doth not become thy Wisdom or Goodness 9. Remember I beseech thee that * Gen. 2â—… 3. 19. thou hast ‖ Or 〈◊〉 made me as the clay t i. e. Of the Clay the Note of similitude here expressing the truth of things as it doth Iohn 1. 14. and elsewhere as hath been before observed Or as a Potter maketh a Vessel of the Clay and so this may note both the frailty of man's Nature which of it self decaies and perisheth and doth not need such violent shocks and storms to overthrow it and the Excellency of the Divine Artifice commended from the meanness of the Materials out of which it was made which is an Argument why God should not destroy it and wilt thou bring me into dust again u Wiltst thou now causleslâ—… and violently destroy thy own Work But the words are and may be read without an Interrogation And thou wilt bring me into duâ—…l again out of which I was made I must die by the course of Nature and by the sentence of thy Law and therefore whilest I do live give me some ease and comfort 10. * Ps. 139. 14. 15 16. Hast thou not poured me out as milk and crudled me like cheese x Thus he modestly and accurately describes God's admirable Work in making Man out of a small and liquid and as it were Milky substance by degrees congealed and condensed into that exquisite Frame of Man's Body 11. Thou hast clothed me y i. e. Covered my inward and more noble parts which as Philosophers and Physicians observe are first formed So he proceeds in describing Man's Formation gradually with skin and flesh and hast †Heb. 〈◊〉 fenced me with bones and sinews z Which are the stay and strength of the Body and some of them as the Skull and Ribs enclose and defend its vital and most noble parts 12. Thou hast granted me life a Thou didst not onely give me a curious Body but also a living and a reasonable Soul Thou didst at first give me life and then maintain it in me both when I was in the Womb which is a marvellous Work of God and afterward when I was unable to do any thing to preserve my own life and favour b Or benignity or borâ—…ty or mercy or kindness which is here as ost elsewhere put for its fruits or effects Thou didst not give a meer Life but many other Favours necessary or convenient or belonging to it such as Nourishment by the Breast Education Knowledge and Instruction c. and thy visitation c i. e. The Care of thy Providence watching over me for my good and visiting me in mercy as God's visiting is understood Exod. 4. 31. Luke 1. 78. though elsewhere it is an Act of Punishment hath preserved my spirit d i. e. My Soul or Life which is liable to manifold Casualties and Dangers if God did not watch over us and guard us every day and moment Thou hast hitherto done great things for me given me Life and the Blessings of Life and daily Preservations and Deliverances And wiltst thou now undo all that thou hast done And shall I who have been such an eminent Monument of thy Mercy now be made a Spectacle of thy Vengeance and that without cause 13. And these things hast thou hid in thine heart e This place may be understood either 1. of Iob's present Afflictions So the sense is this Yet in the midst of all those Manifestations of thy Grace and kindness to me thou didst retain a secret purpose of changing thy course and carriage towards me and of bringing these dreadful Calamities upon me Or rather 2. of his former Mercies these things to wit last mentioned thou hast hid them in thy heart i. e. thou dost exactly remember them as this phrase is used Psalm 119. 11. Luke 2. 51. So the Argument is this Let the remembrance of thy former great Favours vouchsased to me move thee to give me further Blessings and a speedy Deliverance For this is usual both with God and Men to choose aâ—…d delight to do more good to those to whom they have done much good already which is the ground of that known passage Mat. 13. 12. To him that hath shall be given I know that this is * 〈◊〉 59. 〈◊〉 with thee f i. e. In thy mind and heart thou hast not forgot it So the same thing is here repeated in other words 14. If I sin g If I commit the least sin as who is there that liveth and sinneth not then thou markest me h Thou doest not wink at or pass by my sins as thou usually doest other mens but doest severely and diligently observe them all that thou mayest punish them Compare Chap. 14. 16. 31. 4. and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity i I perceive thou art resolved to punish me with rigour and that thou wiltst not pardon and pity and help me Words of great impatience and distrust 15. If I be wicked k i. e. An ungodly Hypocrite as my Friends esteem me wo unto me l Then I am truly and extremely and must be eternally miserable and if I be righteous m i. e. An upright and good man So whether good or bad all comes to one I have no relief yet will I not lift up my head n Or yet caâ—… I not c. The Future Tense being used potentially Yet I have no comfort nor confidence or hopes of any good Lifting up â—…he head or face is oft mentioned as a sign of comfort and confidence as Psalm 3. 3. Luke 21. 28. As on the contrary Grief and Shame are described by its dejection or casting down I am full of †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confusion o Or 〈◊〉 from my Friends and from others Chap. 30. 1 c. and from God too who â—…asts me off and makes me contemptible I have abundance of shame in the disappointment of all my hopes and the continuance and aggravation of my misery notwithstanding all my prayers to God to remove or mitigate it And I am confounded within my self not knowing what to say or do Let my extremity move thee to pity and help me therefore see thou mine affliction 16. For it encreaseth thou * 〈◊〉 3â—… 13. 〈◊〉 huntest me as a fierce lion p Which hunteth after his prey with great eagerness and when he overtakes it falls upon it with great fury and again thou shewest thy self marvellous upon me q Heb. And thou returnest and shewest thy self marvellous upon or in or against me The â—…ion tears its prey speedily and so ends its torments but
e. To the arguments which I shall produce 7. * â—…p 17. 5. â—… 32. 21. â—… 35. 4. Will ye speak wickedly for God h Will you utter falshoods upon pretence of pleasing God or of maintaining Gods Honour or Justice Doth he need such defences And talk deceitfully for him 8. Will ye accept his Person i Not judging according to the right of the Cause but the quality of the Person as corrupt Judges do Will ye contend k i. e. Wrangle and quarrel with me and cavil at my Speeches and pervert my meaning for God l i. e. That you may gratifie him or defend his Rights 9. Is it good m Will it be to your Credit and Comfort that he should search you out n i. e. Narrowly examine your Hearts and discourses whether you have uttered Truth or Falshood and whether your Speeches proceed from true Zeal for God or from your own Prejudices and Passions and from a desire to curry Favour with him or as one mocketh another do ye so mock him o To wit by covering your uncharitableness and corrupt affections with pretences of Pietâ—… as if God could not discern your Artifices or by pleading his Cause with weak and foolish Arguments which is a kind of Mockery to him and an Injury to his Cause or by seeking to flatter him with false Praises as if he did distribute the things of this world with exact Justice prospering only the good and severely afflicting none but wicked Men. 10. He will surely reprove you p i. e. Punish you as this word is oâ—…t used as hath been once and again observed if ye do secretly q Though it be concealed in your own Breasts and no Eye see it yea though it be so close that your own Minds and Consciences through ignorance or inadvertency or slothfulness do not perceive it yet he who is greater than your Consciences sees and knows it accept Persons 11. Shall not his Excellency r His infinite Wisdom which sees your secret Falshoods and his Justice and Power which can and will punish you for it make you afraid s Of speaking rashly or falsly of his ways and Counsels And his dread fall upon you 12. Your remembrances t Either 1. Actively i. e. your Memorials or your Discourses and Arguments by which you design to bring things to my remembrance So he might possibly allude to that passage Ch. 4. 7 Remember I pray thee c. That and all your other Memento's are like unto ashes i. e. contemptible and unprofitable Heb. are Parables or Speeches of dust or ashes Or 2. Passively all that which is most excellent and memorable in you your Wealth and Dignity and Wit and Reputation or whatsoever it is for which you expect or desire to be remembered it is all but poor despicable dust and ashes And therefore you have just reason to abhor your selves and to dread the Divine Majesty as I now advised you are like unto ashes your Bodies u Though they be not full of sores and boils as mine is yet they are but dust and to dust they shall return as well as mine Heb. Your backs which being the strongest part of the Body is put for the whole Body Or Your Eminences or Excellencies as this word most properly signifies as Hebricians observe so it answers to their memoâ—…bles All those things wherein you do or think that you do excel others are but like Eminencies or Lumps or Heaps of Clay vain and useless things if compared with the Excellencies of God Or Your heights i. e. your losty Discourses are like Clay i. e. without solidity and strength are like to Bodies of Clay 13. †Heb. be silens from me Hold your peace x Do not now interrupt me in my Discourse which peradventure he observed by their gestures some of them were now attempting let me alone that I may speak y That I may freely utter my whole mind and let come on me what will z For the event of my Discourse with God wherewith you threaten me I am willing to submit my self to him to do with me as he pleaseth For I know he will not judge so severely and partially of me or my words as you do but will accept what is good and pass by any circumstantial defects in my Person or Speech as knowing that I speak from an upright Heart 14. Wherefore do I take my Flesh in my Teeth and put my Life in mine hand z According to this Translation the sense seems to be this If you speak truth and God punisheth none but wicked men why doth he bring me whom he Knows to be no Hypocrite as you slaunder me to that extremity of Pain and misery that I am almost constrained to tear and eat my own flesh which is mentioned as the Character of men in great anguish Isa. 9. 20. 49. 26. and am ready to lay violent hands upon my self Is it so great a crime to complain in this case or at least to enquire into the cause of this unwonted severity But this sense seems not well to suit either with the foregoing or following Verses but to come in abruptly Others therefore render the words thus Why should I take my flesh in my Teeth c. And so this may be either 1. A Reason of his ardent desire of Liberty of Speech because he could hold his Tongue no longer but must needs tear himself to pieces if he had not some vent for his grief So this agrees well both with v. 13. where he desired this freedom and with v. 19. where the same sense is expressed in plainer words Or 2. An Antidote against despair I perceive O my Friends by your Discourses that you intend to drive me to utter Despair if I do not turn to God in another manner than yet I have done Which if it were true I should certainly tear my flesh and violently take away my own Life But I see no reason why I should give way to any such despair or desperate Actions And this also hath a good dependance upon the foregoing words Let come on me what will But I have no reason to fear such Consequences as you suggest nor to despair of a merciful Audience and Relief from God and a good connexion with those which follow v. 15. where he declares his Hope and Confidence in God The Phrase of having ones Life in his hand notes a condition extremely dangerous and almost desperate as Iudg. 12. 3. 1 Sam. 19. 5. 28. 21. Psal. 119. 109. 15. * Psa. 23. 4. Prov. 14. 32. Though he slay me a Though God should yet more and more encrease my torments so that I could bear them no longer but should perceive my self to be at the point of Death and without all hopes of Recovery in this World yet I will trust in him b Or shall I not trust in him Should
I despair No I will not I know he is a just and a faithful and merciful God and he knows that mine Heart is upright before him and that I am no Hypocrite but c Though I will trust in him yet I will humbly expostulate the matter with him I will †Heb. prove or argue maintain mine own ways d I will argue or prove or demonstrate my ways i. e. I will make a full free Confession of the whole course of my Life and I will boldly though submissively assert mine own Integrity which he also will I doubt not acknowledge And what I have done amiss I will as freely confess and make Supplication to my judge for the pardon of it before him e Before his Tribunal for I desire no other Judge but him 16. He also shall be or is my Salvation f I rest assured that he will save me out of these miseries sooner or later one way or other if not with a temporal yet with an eternal Salvation after Death of which he speaks Ch. 19. 25 c. for g Or but as this particle commonly signifies for this Clause is put by way of opposition to the former and the sense is But if I were an Hypocrite as you alledge I durst not present my self before him to plead my Cause with him as now I desire to do nor could I hope for any Salvation from or with him in Heaven an Hypocrite shall not come before him 17. Hear diligently my Speech h This he desired before v. 6. and now repeateth either because they manifested some neglect or dislike of his Speech and some desire to interrupt him Or because he now comes more closely to his business the foregoing Verses being mostly in way of Preface to it and my declaration i i. e. The words whereby I declare my Mind with your Ears 18. Behold now I have ordered my †Heb. judgment Cause k To wit within my self I have seriously and sincerely considered the state of my case and what can be said either for me or against me and am ready to plead my Cause I know that I shall be justified l i. e. Acquitted by God from that Hypocrisie and Wickedness wherewith you charge me and declared a righteous and innocent person humane Infirmities excepted 19. Who is he that will plead with me m Where is the man that will do it Nay Oh that God would do it which here he implies and presently expresseth For now if I hold my Tongue I shall give up the Ghost n My grief for Gods heavy Hand and for your bitter Reproaches would break my Heart if I should not give it vent 20. Only do not Two things unto me o Which Two he expresseth v. 21. then will I not hide my self from thee p Then shall I boldly present my self and Cause before thee 21. * Ch. 9. 34 35. 33. 7. Withdraw thine hand far from me q i. e. Suspend my Torments during the time of my pleading with thee that my Mind may be at liberty and let not thy dread make me afraid r Do not present thy self to me in terrible Majest neither deal with me in rigorous Justice but hear me meekly as one man heareth another and plead with me upon those gracious Terms wherewith thou usest to deal with Mankind 22. Then call thou and I will answer or let me speak and answer thou me s Then chuse thy own Method Either do thou charge me with Hypocrisie or more than common Guilt and I will deâ—…end my self Or I will argue with thee concerning thy extraordinary severity towards me and do thou â—…hew me the reasons of it This proposal savoured of too great self-confidence and of Irreverence towards God for which and such like Speeches he is reproved by God Ch. 38. 2 3. 40. 2. 23. How many are mine Iniquities and sins t That I am a sinner I confess but that I am guilty of so many or such heinous Crimes as my Friends suppose I utterly deny and if I be so do thou O Lord discover it to my shame Make me to know my transgression and my Sin u If peradventure my heart deceive me therein for I am not conscious to my self of any enormous crime 24. Wherefore hidest thou thy Face x i. e. Withdrawest thy favour and help which thou didst use to afford me as this Phrase is commonly used as Deut. 31. 17. Psal. 13. 1. 102. 2. c. and * Deut. 32. 20. Ruth 1 21. Ch. 16. 9. 19. 11. 33. 10. holdâ—…st me for thine Enemy y i. e. Dealest as harshly with me as if I were thy professed Enemy 25. * Isa. 42. 3. Wilt thou break a Leaf driven to and fro And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble z Doth it become thy infinite and excellent Majesty to use all thy might to crush such a poor impotent frail Creature as I am that can no more resist thy Power than a Leaf or a little loose and dry straw can resist the fury of the Wind or Fire 26. For thou writest a i. e. Thou appointest or inflictest A Metaphor from Princes or Judges who antiently used to write their Sentences or Decrees concerning Persons or Causes brought before them See Psal. 149. 9. Ier. 22. 30. Ioh. 19. 22. bitter things b i. e. A terrible Sentence or most grievous punishments against me and * Psa. 25. 7. makest me to possess the Iniquities of my Youth c Thou dost now at once bring upon me the punishment of all my sins not excepting those of my Youth which because of the Folly and weakness of that Age are usually excused or winked at or at least but gently punished 27. * Chap 〈◊〉 11. Thou puttest my Feet also in the stocks d Thou encompassest me with thy Judgments that I may have no way or possibility to escape and †Heb. observest lookest narrowly unto all my Paths e When thou hast me fast in Prison thou makest a strict and diligent search into all the actions of my life that thou mâ—…ist find matter to condemn me thou settest a Print upon the †Heb. roots Heels of my Feet f i. e. Thou followest me close at the Heels either to observe my Actions or to pursue me with thy Judgments so that thou dost oft tread upon my Heels and leave the prints of thy Footsteps upon them 28. And he g Either 1. Man or Iob supposed to be Gods Adversary in this contest So he speaks of himself in the third Person as is usual in this and other sacred Books So the Sense is He i. e. this poor frail Creature this Carkass or Body of mine which possibly he pointed aâ—… with his Finger consumeth or pineth away c. So he mentions here the effect of Gods severe proceedings against him to
being fitly supplied out of the former branch of the Verse as is very usual in Scripture He would not use his power against me but for me by enabling me to plead my Cause and giving Sentence according to that Clemency and Benignity which according to his gracious Covenant he useth towards his Children Or He would put or sit his heart this very Verb of putting or setting being elsewhere used in this defective manner for putting or setting the Heart as Iob. 7. 17. Isa. 41. 10. as it is fully expressed Isa. 57. 1. Ezek. 40. 4. 44. 5. upon the Preposition Beth in being sometimes used for al upon as Neh. 2. 12. Isa. 21. 13. me to wit to hear me and all my reasons meekly and to judge favourably and to help and deliver me as that and the like Phrases commonly signifie in Scripture use 7. There n At that Throne of Grace as it is called Heb. 4. 16. where God lays aside his Majesty and Power and judgeth according to his wonted Grace and Clemency the Righteous o Such as I do and dare avow my self to be to wit in sincerity though not in perfection might dispute with him p Humbly and modestly propounding the grounds of their confidence and the Evidences of their Righteousness so q Upon such a fair and equal hearing should I be delivered for ever from my judge r Either 1. From the severe Censures of all corrupt and partial Judges such as you my Friends are Or rather 2. From the damnatory sentence of God for he is not only pleading before him but also with him He would give sentence for me and against himself This and some such Expressions of Iob cannot be excused from Irreverence towards God and too great a confidence in himself for which therefore God sharply reproves him hereafter and Iob abhorreth himself 8. * Chap. 9. 12. Behold I go forward s i. e. Towards the East which in Scripture is accounted the forepart of the world as the Hebrew name of it signifies because of the light of the Sun which ariseth there and draweth the Eyes of men towards it but he is not there t To wit so as I would have him as a Judge to hear and determine my cause of which he is here speaking For otherwise he knew and believed that God was essentially present in all places and backward u i. e. Towards the West So also the North is called the Left-hand and the South the Right-hand v. 9. because so they all are to a man who looks towards the East He names all the several parts of the World to shew his eager desire and restless endeavours to find out God and to present himself before him but I cannot perceive him 9. On the Left hand where he doth work x To wit in a special and peculiar manner more than in other parts of the World for so indeed God did work in those parts which were Northward from Iob because there Mankind among whom God delights to be and to work were most numerous and most ingenious to discern Gods works There also was the Seat of the Assyrian Empire which was eminent in Iob's time and afterwards of the other successive Empires In and by all which God did many great and glorious works But this Hebrew word is by others and that very properly and fitly rendred when or whilest he worketh to wit in an eminent manner So this is added to aggravate Iob's unhappiness We may certainly find any man when and where he is working But I saith he search for God even when and where he is working and yet cannot find him out but I cannot behold him he hideth himself y To wit from me He withdraweth his favour and will not afford me his presence and audience on the Right hand that I cannot see him z Either 1. I cannot discern his Counsels and Ways and the Reasons of his severe dealings with me Or rather 2. He doth not appear to me as a Judge to examine my Cause and Arguments but condemns me without hearing me 10. But a Though I cannot see him yet my comfort is that he seeth me and my heart and all my Actions Or For as this particle commonly signifies So this Verse contains a reason why he so vehemently desired that he might plead his cause with or before God he knoweth †Heb. the way that is with 〈◊〉 the way that I take b He cannot be deceived nor blinded either by the artifices of bold Accusers or Advocates or by his own misapprehensions or passions but he exactly knows the way that is with me i. e. the disposition of my heart and the whole course or manner of my Life when he hath tried me c If he would examine me throughly which above all things I desire I shall come forth as Gold d Which cometh out of the Furnace pure from all dross I would appear upon a fair hearing that I am free though not from all sin as he had confessed before yet from that hypocrisie and those gross enormities wherewith my friends charge me 11. My Foot hath held e his steps f i. e. Made a free and fixed choice and taken fast hold of them been firmly and strongly settled and resolved to continue in them as the word signifies his way have I kept and not declined g Either 1. Actively the steps or ways in which God himself walks the paths of Holiness Justice Mercy c. wherein he walked with or after God as the Phrase is Gen. 5. 24. 2 Kings 23. 3. following his Example Or 2. Passively the steps or paths which God hath appointed men to walk in as Ch. 21. 14. 12. Neither have I gone back h i. e. Not turned aside to any crooked or sinful path or course of Life human Infirmity excepted Heb. I have hid or laid it up as men do their best Treasures or what they most love and value The Phrase notes an high estimation of it an hearty affection to it and a diligent care to preserve it from the Commandment of his Lips †Heb. I have hid or laid up I have esteemed i the word of his Mouth more than ‖ Or my appointed portion my necessary food k Or my appointed food or my dayly portion i. e. that food or provision which is necessary for the support of my Life as this word is used Gen. 47. 22. Prov. 30. 8. 31. 15. which is more prized and desired than all the riches in the world 13. But he is in one mind l i. e. Notwithstanding all these Evidences of my sincere Piety and all my Prayers to him he still continues in the same mind and course of afflicting me Or But he is i. e. if he be against one or against any man as that word is oft used as he now setteth himself against me Or But he is one the
my heart loose to covet and seek after forbidden things which mine eyes have seen which may design either 1. the lust of uncleanness But of that he had spoken v. 1. and reneweth the discourse v. 9. Or rather 2. the lust of Covetousness which is called the lust of the eyes 1 John 2. 16. partly because it is oft caused by sight as Ios. 7. 21. and partly because oft-times all the satisfaction it gives is to please the sight Eccles. 5. 11. And this sin is most legible in the following punishment v. 8. where his loss answers to this evil gain The Phrase notes the common method and progress of sin which is to enter by the eye to the heart Gen. 3. 6. Num. 15. 39. Eccles. 2. 10. 11. 9. and if any blot r Or blemish to wit any unjust gain If I have in my hands or possession any Goods gotten from others by fraud or violence which would be a great scandal and a blot to my reputation hath cleaved to mine hands 8. Then let me sow and let another eat s Let strangers enjoy the fruit of my labours according to God's Curse Levit 26. 16. Deut. 28. 30. yea let my off-spring t As this word is used Iob 5. 25. 27. 14. Or rather my encrease or growths or sprowts i. e. all my Plants and Fruits and improvements For 1. so the word properly signifies 2 So this latter Branch of the Verse explains the former as is most frequent in this and some other Books of Scripture 3. He had not now any Children to be rooted out be rooted out 9. If mine heart have been deceived by a woman u To wit by a strange Woman or rather by my Neighbours Wife as the next words limit it for of a Maid he spoke before v. 1. and this cannot be meant of his own Wife He saith by a woman i. e. either by gazing upon her Beauty so as to be enamoured with it and to lust after her or by her perswasions or allurements Or concerning a woman i. e. concerning impure conversation with a forbidden woman The Phrase is very emphatical taking from himself and others the vain excuses wherewith men use to palliate their sins by pretending that they did not design the wickedness but were meerly drawn in and seduced by the strong inticements and provocations of others All which Iob supposeth and yet nevertheless owns the great guilt of such practises even in that case as well knowing that temptation to sin is no justification of it or if I have laid weight at my neighbours door x Watching for a fit opportunity to defile his Wife Compare Prov. 7 8 9. 10. Then let my wife grind unto another y Either 1. let her be taken captive and made a slave to grind in other mens Mills which was a sore and vile servitude Exod. 11. 5. Iudg. 16. 21. Isa. 47. 2. Mat. 24. 41. Or rather 2. let her be defiled by another man as the next words expound it and as the Hebrews understand it and as this very Phrase is used by very ancient both Greek and Latine Authors Of which see my Latine Synopsis on this place And this is to be cautiously understood not as if Iob desired or would permit a requital in the same kind but onely that if in that case God should give up his Wife to such a wickedness he should acknowledge his justice in it and though with abhorrency of the sin accept of that punishment of it and let others bow down upon her z Another modest expression of a filthy action whereby the Holy Ghost gives us a Pattern and a Precept to avoid not only unclean actions but also all immodest expressions 11. For this a To wit Adultery whether committed by choice and design or by the sollicitation of the Woman v. 9. is an heinous crime yea it is an iniquity to be punished by the Judges b Heb an iniquity of the judges i. e. which belongs to them to take cognizance of and to punish and that with death and that not only by the â—…aw of Moses Deut. 22. 22. but even by the Law of Nature as appears from the known Laws and Customs of Heathen Nations in that case See also Gen. 38. 24. This is opposed to those secret and lesser sins which are only known to and punished by God 12. For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction c For this sin would be as a secret but consuming fire wasting my estate and Reputation and Body and Soul too provoking God and enraging the Husband and bringing down some extraordinary Vengeance upon me And therefore the fear of God kept me from this and such like wickedness and would root out all mine encrease d i. e. All my Estate Compare Prov. 6. 27. 13. If I did despise the cause of my man-servant e If I used my power over him to overthrow him or his just rights And seeing it is known that I was so just and kind to them over whom I had such unlimited power it is not probable that I should be guilty of such cruelty to others as you impute to me or of my maid-servant when they contended with me f Either for imposing heavier burdens than they could bear or for not providing for them those supports which their nature and necessity required or for any other plausible cause I heard them patiently and indifferently and did them right even against my self if by any mis-information or passion I had done them any Injury 14. What then shall I do when * Psal. 44 21. God riseth up g To wit to plead the Cause of the Oppressed against the Oppressor and to execute judgment as this Phrase is used Psalm 68 1. Zach. 2. 13. and elsewhere I used my Servant like one who was also my self a Servant and had a Master in Heaven Col. 4. 1. to whom I was to give an account of my carriage to my Servant and to all men and when he visiteth h i. e. When he shall call me to his Tribunal and severely examine all my actions and particularly the Cause between me and my servant what shall I answer him i What Apology shall I make for my self 15. * Chap. 34. 19. Prov. 14. 31. 22. 2. Mal. 2. 10. Did not he that made me in the womb make him k I considered that he was though my Servant yet my Fellow-creature made by the same God and therefore one of God's Subjects whom I could not abuse without the injury of his supream Lord. and ‖ Or did he not fashion us in one womb did not one fashion us in the womb l Heb. Did he not form us in one womb Not in one individual Womb but in a Womb of the same kind in an humane Womb with a Body and Soul of the same nature and quality a reasonable and immortal Creature and made after
Verb is used 2 Chron. 18. 31. Or allured or intiâ—…ed or persuaded thee as the word properly signifies which possibly may here be emphatical and may imply as that Iob had by his sins brought himself into these straits so that God would have brought him out of them by the usual and regular way to wit by persuading him to turn from his sins and humbly and earnestly to cry to God for Mercy which if he had complied with God would have delivered him out of the p Heb. out of the mouth or jaws of Tribulation which like a wild Beast was ready to swallow him up strait into a broad place q i. e. Into a state of ease and freedom where there is no straitness and †Heb. 〈◊〉 of thy 〈◊〉 * Psal. 23. â—… that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness r Thy Dishes or the food in them 17. But thou hast fulfilled the judgment s Or the cause or sentence as the word most properly signified Thou hast fully pleaded their cause and justified the hard and reproachful speeches which wicked men in their rage utter against God condemning God and justifying themselves of the wicked ‖ Or 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 should 〈◊〉 thee judgment and justice take hold on thee t Or therefore which is oft understood the sentence and judgment or the judicial sentence to wit of the wicked now mentioned shall take hold on thee Thou hast maintained their cause against God and God shall pass against thee their sentence or the Sentence of Condemnation due to such wicked men 18. Because there is wrath u To wit conceived by God against thee Because by thy pleading the cause of the wicked thou hast deserved that God should give sentence against thee as was now said and hast provoked God's wrath against thee therefore look to thy self and reconcile thy self to God by true repentance whilst thou mayest and before sentence be executed upon thee beware x This is not in the Hebrew but is necessarily to be understood to make up the sence and is oft understood in the like cases and that before this Hebrew Particle Pen as Gen. 3. 22. 11. 4. 42. 4. Isa. 36. 18. See the like also Mat. 25. 9. Act. 5. 39. leâ—…t he take thee away with his stroke y Properly with the stroke of his hand or foot It is an allusion to men who oft express their anger by clapping their hands or stamping with their feet then * Psal. 49. â—… a great ransom cannot †Heb. 〈◊〉 tâ—…ee 〈◊〉 deliver thee z For if once God's wrath take hold of thee and sentence be executed upon thee before thou dost repent and humble thy self to thy judge neither Riches nor Friends no nor any Person or thing in Heaven and Earth can redeem thee no Ransom or Price will be accepted for thee 19. Will he esteem thy riches no not Gold nor all the â—…orces of strength a If thou couldst recover thy lost wealth or strength or thy Friends would employ theirs on thy behalf neither could the one ransom thee nor the other rescue thee 20. * 〈◊〉 â—… 4. Desire not the night b Either 1. properly that in it thou mayest find some ease or rest as men usually do But this Iob did not much desire for he complains that his nights were as restless as his days Or rather 2. metaphorically the night of Death which is called the Night both in Scripture as Iohn 9. 4. and in other Writers and which Ioâ—… had oft and earnestly desired and even thirsted after as this Verb notes See Ch. 7. 15. And this seems best to agree with the foregoing counsel v. 18. beware lâ—…st 〈◊〉 take thee away with his stroke for then saith he thou art irrecoverably lost and gone and therefore take heed of thy foolish and oft râ—…peated desire of death leâ—… God inflict it upon thee in great anger when c Or by which which words are oft understood in divers Textâ—… of Scripture people d Even whole Nations and Bodies of People which aâ—…e all God's Creatures as well as thou and yet are not spared by him but cut off in wrath and many of them sent from one death to another take heed therefore thou beeâ—… not added to the number 〈◊〉 34. 20. are cut off e Heb. are made to 〈◊〉 i. e. to vanish or perish or die as this Verb is ofâ—… 〈◊〉 as Jâ—…b 18. 16. Psal. 102. 25. in their place f In their several places where they are or suddenly before they â—…an remove out of the Place where the hand and stroke of God finds them or in the place where they are settled and surrounded with all manner of Comforts and Supports and Friends all which could not prevent their being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ossibly this phrase may allude to that expression of Job's Chap. 29. 18. I shall die in my â—…est 21. Take heed regard not g Or look not to it to wit with an approving or coveâ—…ing eye as this word is used Prov. 23. 31. iniquity for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction h Thou hast chosen rather to quarrel with God and censure his judgments than humbly and quietly to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them and to wait upon God by Faith and Prayer for deliverance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 time and way 22. Behold God exalteth i Or is â—…igh or exâ—…lted the active Verb being taken intransitively which is not unusual in the Hebrew Tongue This is a proper argument to force the foregoing counsels God is omnipotent and therefore can with great facility either punish thee far worse if thou beâ—…st obstinate and refrâ—…ctory or deliver thee if thou doest repent and return to him by his power * 〈…〉 who teacheth like him k He is also infinitely wiâ—…e as well as powerful and as none can work like him so none can teach liâ—…e him Therefore do not presume to teach him how to govern the World or to order thy affairs but know that whatsoever he doth with thee or with any other men is best to be done And therefore â—…e willing to learn from him learn obedience by the things which thou suâ—…erest from him and do not follow thy own fancies or affections but use the methods which God hath taught thee to get out of thy troubles by submission and prayer and repentance The words may be rendred What Lord is like him For the word Morâ—… in the Chaldee dialect signifies a Lord This Translation suits with the former Clause of this Verse but ours agrees well enough with that and is confirmed by the following Verse 23. * 〈◊〉 â—… 13. Who hath enjoyned him his way l Wherein he should walk i. e. what courses and methods he shall use in the administration of humane affairs If he had a Su periour Lord who gave him Laws for his actions he might be
Power Wisdom Justice and his counsels proceeding from them are past our finding out and therefore it is most absurd and intolerable that thou O Iob presumest to censure what thâ—…u dost not understand he * Ch. 36. 5. is excellent in power r And therefore as he doth not need any unrighteous action to advance himself so he cannot do it because all such things are acts and evidences of impotency or weakness and in judgment s i. e. In the just and righteous administration of judgment as this word is oft used and â—…s the thing it self and the following words plainly evince And this he adds to intimate that although God had indeed a Power to crush Iob or any other Man yet he never did nor can exercise that power unjustly or tyrannically as Job seemed to insinuate and in plenty of justice t In great and perfect Justice such as no Man can justly reproach †Lam. 3. 33. he will not afflict u To wit without just cause and above measure as it may and must be limited both from the foregoing words and from Iob's complaint which was of that very thing and from the nature of the thing because otherwise this Proposition that God will not afflict is not simply and universally true Or these last words may be joyned with the former and so some render the place He is excellent in Power and or but or yet â—…e will not 〈◊〉 any Man with judgment and much i. e. too much justice i. e. with extremity or rigoâ—…r of Justice 24. Men do therefore fear him x For this cause to wit because of God's infinite and excellent Perfections and especially those mentioned in the foregoing Verse men do or should for the future Tense is oft used potentially as Hebricians know fear or reverenâ—… him and humbly submit to him and not presume to quarrel or dispute with him as thou O Iob hast done he respecteth not y Heb. He doth not or will not behold to wit with respect or approbation he beholdeth them afar off with scorn and contempt any that are wise of heart z i. e. Such as are wise in their own eyes that lean to their own understandings and despise all other men in comparison of themselves and scorn all their counsels that are so puffed up with the opinion of their own wisdom that they dare contend with their Maker and presume to censure his counsels and actions Which he hereby intimates to be Iob's fault and to be the true reason why God did not respect nor regard him nor his Prayers and Tears as Iob complained And so this is also a Tacit advice and exhortation to Iob to be humble and little in his own eyes if ever he expected or desired any favour from God CHAP. XXXVIII 1. THen the LORD answered Iob a i. e. Began to debate the matter with him as Iob had desired * Nah. 1. 3. out of the whirlwind b i. e. Out of a dark and thick Cloud from which he sent a terrible and tempestuous Wind as the harbinger of his presence In this manner God appears and speaks to him partly because this was his usual method in those times as we see Exod. 19. 18. Numb 9. 15 16. See also 1 Kings 19. 11. Ezek. 1. 4. partly to awaken Iob and his Friends to the more serious and reverend attention to his words partly to â—…estifie his displeasure both against Iob and against his three Friends and partly that all of them might be more deeply and throughly humbled and abased within themselves and prepared the better to receive and longer to retain the instructions which God was about to give them and said 2. Who is this c It is a question of admiration and reprehension What and where is he that presumeth to talk at this rate This Language becomes not a Creature much less a Professour of Religion The Person here designed is not Elihu who spoke last but Iob who had spoken most as is apparent from v. 1. and from Chap. 42. 3. where Job takes the following reproof to himself and from the following Discourse wherein God convinceth Job by divers of the same kind of arguments which Elihu had used against him that darkeneth counsel d Either 1 his own counsel i. e. that expresseth his own mind darkly and doubtfully But that was not Job's fault He spake his mind too plainly and freely Or rather 2. God's counsel which is called simply counsel by way of eminency as the word and the commandment are oft put for the word and command of God For the great matter of the dispute between Job and his Friends was concerning God's counsel and purpose and providence in afflicting Job which being a wise and just and glorious action of God Job had endeavoured to obscure and misrepresent and censure And God's decrees and judgments are frequently called his counsels as Psal. 33. 11. Prov. 19. 21. Isa. 28. 29. Act. 2. 23. by words e God doth not charge Job as his three Friends had done with hypocrisie and wickedness in the course of life â—…or with atheistical opinions of God or his providence as some of the Hebrew Writers do but confines his reproof to his hard speeches without knowledge f Proceeding from ignorance and mistake and inconsiderateness not from malice or rage against God as his Friends accused him 3. * Chap. 40. 7. Gird up now thy loins g As Warriours then did for the Battle Prepare thy self for the Combate with me which thou hast oft desired I accept of thy Challenge Ch. 13. 22. and elsewhere like a man for I will demand of thee h Or I will ask thee Questions which he doth in the following Verses and †Heb. make me know answer thou me 4. * Psal. 104. 5. Prov. 8. 29 30. 4. Where wast thou i Then thou wast no where thou hadst no being thou art but of yesterday and dost thou presume to judge of my eternal Counsels I made the World without thy help and therefore can govern it without thy counsel and I do not need thee to be the Controller or Censuâ—…er of my works when I laid the foundations of the earth k When I made the Earth which is as the Foundation or lower part of the whole World and settled it as firm and fast upon its own Center as if it had been built upon the surest Foundations declare †Heb. if thou knowest understanding if thou hast understanding l But if thou art ignorant of these manifest and visible works do not pretend to the exact knowledge of my secret Counsels and mysterious Providences 5. Who hath laid the measures thereof m Who hath prescribed how long and broad and deep it should be if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line n To wit the measuring line to regulate all its dimensions so as might
it from that carnal and worldly rejoycing which is usually attended with security and presumption and licentiousness and to warn them to take heed that they do not turn this grace of God into wanâ—…onness nor slacken their dread of Gods tremendous Majesty and of his terrible judgments if they should hâ—…reafter revolt from him or rebel against him but on the contrary wâ—…rk oâ—…t 〈◊〉 â—…vation with fear and trembling as it is prescribed Phil. â—… 12. Compare Mat. 28. 8. 12. Kiss q In token of your subjection and adoration whereof this was a sign among the Eastern Nations as is manifest both from Scripture as 1. Sam. 10. 1. 1. Kings 19. 18. 〈◊〉 13. 2. and from heathen Authors Submit to his person and government the son r To wit the son of God as appears from v. â—… called here the son by way of eminency and in a singular manner Which agrees much better to Christ than to David who is never particularly called by this name lest he be angry and ye perish ‖ Oâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1â—…2 22. from the way s i. e. Be taken out of the way by death or destruction Or perish out of 〈◊〉 way i. e. by losing the right way by taking wrong and evil courses the end of which will be your certain and utter ruine Or for the way i. e. for your evil way or manner of living for your perverse and foolish course of opposing my son instead of submitting to him Or in which particle is oft understood the way i. e. in your wicked way or course in the midst of your plots and rebellions against him and so you will die in your sins as it is expressed Iohn 8. 24. which is a sad aggravation of their death and therefore here fitly proposed as a powerful argument to disâ—…wade them from such dangerous and destructive courses when his wrath is kindled but a little t i. e. The least degree of his anger is very terrible much more the heat and height of it caused by such a desperate provocation as this iâ—… Or for his wrath will be kindled shortly or suddenly or within a very little time as this word is used Psal. 81. 14. 〈◊〉 3. 4. Isa. 26. 20. His patience will not last always but will shortly be turned into fury and therefore take heed that you neither deny nor delay subjection to him but speâ—…dily comply with his offers and commands before it be too late * 〈◊〉 â—…6 2â—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1â—… Jâ—…r 17. 7. Râ—…m â—… 33. 1â—… 11. 1. Pet. 2. 6. blessed are all they that put their trust in him u Who put themselves under his power and protection believing in him and expecting safety and happiness from him Which cannot with any colour be applied to David who always diâ—…wades all men from putting their trust in Princes or in any men or thing besides or below God Psal. 20. 7. and 44. 6. and 62. 6 7 8. and 118. 8. and 146. 3. and every where and therefore it would very ill have become him to invite others to 〈◊〉 their trust in him And he is pronounced cursed that â—…eth in man Ier. 17. 5. But Christ is every where propounded as an Object of trust not only in the new Testament but alâ—…o in the old as Iâ—…a 28. 16. And therefore they are most truly and fitly said to be blessed that put their trust in him Under which sentence the contrary is implied that they are most cursed and miserable creatures that provoke and oppose him and so cursed and miserable that David dreaded the very thoughts and mention of it and therefore expresseth it by the contrary and blessed condition of his Friends and Subjects And such like significations of the miseries of sinners by the blessedness of others opposed to them we have Mat. 23. 39. Revel 14. 13. PSAL. III. A Psalm of David a Composed by David as this phrase implies Psal. 110. 1. compared with Mat. 22. 43. and generally elsewhere * 2 Saâ—… 15. 14. when he fled b Or after be had fled Either this Psalm was composed in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the matter of it was then in his thoughts which afterwards he digested into this form and order from Absolom his son 1. LORD how are they increased that trouble me many are they that rise up against me c He 〈◊〉 well say so for almost all his people joyned in that Conâ—…racy 2. Mâ—…y there be which say of my soul d i. e. Of me the soul being commonly put for the person as 〈◊〉 46. 2. 〈◊〉 6. 8. compare with Gen. 22. â—…6 There 〈◊〉 no help for him in God e â—…od â—…th utterly forsaken him for his many crimes and â—…ill never â—…lp him more Sâ—…lah f This word is no where used but in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ook of the 〈◊〉 and in the Song of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 3. 3 â—… 13. Which makes that opinion probable that it was a musical 〈◊〉 directing the singer either to lift up his Voice or to make a short stop or pause or to lengthen out the tune But 〈◊〉 it is generally placed at some remarkable passage which gives occasion to think that it served also to quicken the attention or observation of the singer and hearer 3. But thou O LORD art a shield ‖ Or 〈◊〉 for me g Or about me on every side where also mine enemies are my glory h Either 1. The author of my princely Glory and Majesty Thou didst first give it and I doubt not thou wiltst defend and restore it Or 2. The matter of my glorying thou hast formerly and frequently given and wilâ—…st further give me occasion of glorying or hoâ—…sting of thy power and favour to me and the lifter up of my head i Thou dost and wiltst enable me to look up to thee with comfort and chearfulness and upon mine Enemies with confidence and thou wiltst lift me out of the mire in which I now lye and restore me to my former power and dignity from which I am fallen For the Phrase see Gen. 4. 7. Iob. 11. 15. Luke 18. 13. 4. I cried unto the LORD with my voice k The witness of my faith and fervency of affections and he heard me out of his holy hill l Either out of Heaven so called Psal. 15. 1. compare Isa. 66. 1. Or rather 2. Out of the hill of Sion where God was especially present the Ark being there at this time towards which the Saints then used to direct their Prayers and from thence God heard and answered and blessed them Psal. 128. 5. and 134. 3. Selah 5. * Psal. 4. 8. Prov. 3. 24. I laid me down and slept m To wit securely casting all my cares and fears upon God and relying upon his help I awaked n In due time and manner after a sweet and undisturbed sleep for the LORD sustained me o Or supported me as it were
and render the place thus He catcheth the poor by drawing him into his net and breaks him to pieces as that Verb properly signifies So there is only a defect of the pronoun which is most frequent And this makes the Sence compleat which otherwise would be imperfect in that verse and sheweth us what he doth with his prey when he hath taken it And this 10th verse begins very well with the next Verb He humbleth himself Or He stoops or bends himself that the poor may fall k Or that he may fall for this Verb is sometimes taken actively as Ios. 11. 7. Iob 1. 15. upon the poor That having first couched and lay'n down and then of a sudden rising he may leap and fall upon his prey like a Lion ‖ Or into his strong parts by his strong ones l i. e. By his strong members his teeth or paws So it is an Ellipsis of the noun Substantive whereof we have examples as 2. Sam. 21. 16. new for a new sword and Psal. 73. 10. full for a full Cap and Mat. 10. 42. cold for cold Water 11. He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten m To wit the poor v. 10. or the humble which we are taught to supply out of v. 12. where he saith forget not the humble He forgets and neglects all their Oppressions and Prayers and doth not avenge their cause as he hath said he would do nor execute Judgments upon their Oppressors as he hath sometimes done or been thought to do * Joh. 2â—… 13. Psal. 94. 7. 64. â—… he hideth his face n Left he should see He takes no notice of their Sufferings lest he should be engaged to help them He will not encumber himself with the care of things done upon Earth but leaves it wholy to men to manage their Affairs as they think fit he will never see it o To wit the oppression of the poor or the design of oppressors against them which is the chief subject of the whole Psalm and is particularly expressed v. 10. 12. Arise O LORD O God lift up thine hand p To rescue the poor and to smite their Oppressors with an hand stretched out and lifted up that the blow may be the greater Comp. Exod. 7. 5. Isa. 5. 25. and 9. 12. c. forget not q Shew by thy appearance for their Vindication that thou dost remember and regard them the ‖ Or afflicted humble 13. Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God r The sence is either 1. What is the cause of his contempt of God To which question the next words give an answer Thy connivence makes him secure Therefore shew thyself Or 2. Why dost thou by giving them impunity suffer and occasion them to despise thee Do so no longer Which tacit desire he inforceth by representing their atheistical denial of Gods providence he hath said in his heart thou wilt not require it 14. Thou hast seen it s Or but thou hast seen it and therefore they are horribly mistaken as they will find to their cost for t Or surely as this particle is oft used as Iob 8. 6. Psal. 73. 18. thou beholdest u Not as an idle Spectator but with an eye of observation and vindication as it follows mischief and spite x i. e. All the injurious and spiteful or malicious carriages of wicked men towards those who are more righteous than they to requite it with thy hand y Heb. to give i. e. to restore or repay the simple verb for the compound which is usual in the Hebrew tongue it to wit the mischief which they have done to others with thy hand i. e. by thy own immediate and extraordinary providence because the oppressed were destitute of all other succours Or to put giving being oft used for putting as hath been observed before it in or into thy hand that thou mayest have it always in thine Eye and under thy care and consideration as the like phrase is evidently used Isa. 49. 16. Therefore thou dost not and canst not forget it but wilst certainly require it the poor †Heb. leaveth committeth himself z Or his matters or cause i. e. The care of his person and righteous cause Heb. he leaveth Which word is used for committing to the trust of another Gen. 39. 6. Iob 39. 14. Isa. 10. 3 unto thee thou art the helper of the fatherless a i. e. Of such poor oppressed ones as have no friend nor helper one kind of them being put for all the rest 15. Break thou b Or Thou wilst break For it may be either a prayer or a prophecy the arm c i. e. His strength the instrument of violence and mischief of the wicked and the evil man * â—…al â—… 9. 3â—… 17. seek out his wickedness d Search for it so strictly and punish these wicked Atheists so severely i. e. No such wickedness to wit undiscovered and unpunished or indeed left in the world or at least in the Church Which might happen because those wicked men here spoken of should be generally either convinced or rooted out and the rest should be warned and reformed by their Example and so this lewdness should cease out of the land as the phrase is Ezek. 23. 48. That is said to be sought for and not found which is utterly lost as Iob 20. 7 8. Psal. 37. 36. Revel 16. 20. and 18. 21. And this phrase is used both of good men whose sins are taken away by God's grace and mercy pardoning and purging them away and of wicked men in the sence above mentioned till thou find none e. 16. * Psal. 29. 10. 145. 13. 146. 10. Jer. 10. 10. â—…am 5. 19. 〈◊〉 4. 34. 6. 26. 1. Tim. 1. 17. The LORD is king f To whom it belongs to protect his Subjects Therefore thou wilst save the humble and punish the oppressors for ever and ever g Therefore his peoples case is never desperate seeing he ever lives and reigns to help them and therefore he will help them in his time sooner or later the heathen h Either 1. Those implous Israelites who oppressed David and other good men whom although they were reputed Israelites by themselves and others yet he might call them heathens for their heathenish opinions of God and his providence and for their ungodly and unrighteous lives Comp. Isa. 1. 9. Amos 9. 7. Or 2. The Canaanites whom God as King of the world did expel or destroy and gave their land to his people By which great example he confirms his faith and hope for the future are perished out of his land i i. e. Out of Canaan which God calls his land Levit. 25. 23. because he spied it out for them Ezek. 20. 6. and gave it to them and fixed his presence and dwelling in it 17. LORD thou hast heard the desire of the humble
they speak from a kind and upright Heart when they really have another even a cruel and deceitful Heart do they speak 3. The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaketh †Heb. great things proud things g Or great things or great words either bragging or threatning what they will do and what great things they will effect to wit by their Tongues as they themselves explain it in the next verse which they will use so cunningly and powerfully that they shall not need to use their Hands or strike a Stroke 4. Who have said with our tongue will we prevail h By raising and spreading Slaunders and evil Reports concerning him whereby both Saul will be highly and implacably inraged against David and the Hearts of the People alienated from him which was indeed a very likely way to prevail against him and that by their Tongues only our lips †Heb. are with us are our own i i. e. At our own dispose to speak what we please who is Lord over us k Who can control or restrain us This was not the Language of their Mouths for they were Israelites that owned a God above them and they were Subjects of Saul but the Language of their Actions Scripture oft tells us not only what men do actually say but what they would say if they durst or what their Actions mean as Psal. 94. 7 Mal. 1. 12 13. and 2. 17. They take as great a liberty in their Speech as if they believed there was no God or Man superiour to them because neither the fear of God nor the reverence of Men can keep them from speaking whatsoever they please or what they suppose makes for their Interest 5. For the oppression of the poor l Oppressed by Saul through the instigation and artifices of his sawning Courtiers for the sighing of the needy now m Speedily sooner than they imagine or expect will I arise saith the LORD I will set him in safety from him that ‖ Or would enâ—… puffeth at him n i. e. From him that despiseth him and hopeth to destroy him with a puff of Breath or a parcel of Words See this Phrase Psal. 10. 5. Only there it is construed with beth and here with lamed which may make some difference And the Supplement in our Translation may seem to be large and not necessary And the place is and may be otherwise rendered according to the Hebrew without any such large Supplement I will set him to wit the needy last mentioned So it is an Ellipsis of the Pronoun which is most frequent in safety he to wit the Lord mentioned before shall speak as this Verb signifies Prov. 6. 19. and 14. 5. and 19. 5 9. i. e. shall speak comfortably by a Synecdoche Or shall speak plainly as this Verb is used Prov. 12. 17. Hab. 2. 3. to him i. e. to the needy here mentioned Or he i. e. God shall speak to wit in his wrath as it is expressed Psal. 2. 5. to him who is the cause of his Oppression of whom he speaks v. 3 4. Or shall puff at him as he used to do at his Enemies Psal. 10 5. 6. The words of the LORD are pure o Or sincere without the least mixture of Vanity or Falshood and therefore shall infallibly be fulfilled This he seems to add to answer an Objection which might arise in some mens Minds concerning what was last said You tell us The Lord saith I will set him in safety c. But saying and doing are two things They are so indeed in men who oft speak rashly what they cannot perform and deceitfully what they never intend But all God's words are pure from all manner of Dross from all Folly or Fraud or uncertain he is holy and true in all his Doctrines Threatnings Predictions and Promises words * 2. Sam 22 31. Psal. 18. 30. â—… 119. 140. Prov. 30. 5 as silver tried in a furnace of earth p i. e. Made of such Earth or Clay as was proper for and then usual in that work See 1. Kings 7. 46. purified seven times 7. Thou shalt keep them q Either 1. The poor and needy v. 5. from the Crafts and Malice of this crooked and perverse Generation of men and for ever Or 2. thy words or promises last mentioned v. 6. These thou wilst observe and keep as these two Verbs commonly signify both now and from this Generation for ever i. e. Thou wilst not only keep thy Promise to me in preserving me and advancing me to the Throne but also to my Posterity from Generation to Generation O LORD thou shalt preserve †Heb. him That is every 〈◊〉 of them them from this generation for ever 8. The wicked walk on every side r Which Phrase may note 1. their great numbers they fill all places 2. Their Freedom and Safety they are not restrained nor punished but go about boldly and securely whither they please 3. Their Proficiency and Success which is sometimes signified by this Verb as Gen. 26. 13. 1. Sam. 2. 21. Isa. 40. 31. They grow worse and worse and prosper in and by their Wickedness 4 Their uncessant and unwearied Industry in doing Mischief to good men Comp. 1. Pet. 5. 8. And this is very fitly here added as another Argument to prevail with God to arise to help his poor people who are oppressed by wicked men when †Heb. the vilâ—… of the sons of 〈◊〉 are exalted the vilest men s Heb. Vilenesses i. e. all manner of wickedness lying and slandering profaneness oppression cruelty and the like Or vile persons the abstract being put for the concrete which is frequent as pride Psal. 36. 11. for a proud man and many such like Both comes to one vile Persons and vile practises were both advanced and incouraged through Saul's Misgovernment whereby all the foundations were destroyed as he complained Psal. 11. 3. The Hebrew word zolel whence this zuloth comes signifies first a glutton or drunkard as Deut. 21. 20. Prov. 23. 21. and thence any vile person as Ier. 15. 19. Lament 1. 11. are exalted PSAL. XIII To the ‖ Or overâ—…er chief musician a Psalm of David The occasion of this Psalm was David's deep and long continued Distresses from which he prays for Deliverance 1. HOW long wilt thou forget me O LORD for ever a How long wilt thou forget i. e. neglect or disregard me For ever how long wilt thou * Psal. 69. 17 hide thy face b i. e. Withdraw thy Favour and assistance from me 2. How long shall I take counsel in my Soul c How long shall I be in such perplexities and anxieties of Mind not knowing what course to take nor how to get out of my Troubles having sorrow in my heart daily how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me 3. Consider and hear me O LORD my God *
Sea for Tarshish though Properly the Name of a Maritine place in Ciâ—…icia Ezek. 27. 25. 〈◊〉 1. 3. is usually put for the Sea as 1 Kings 10. 22. 2 Chron. 9. 21. Psal. 72. 10. Isa. 2. 16. Ier. 10. 9. are broken with an East-wind Albeit the Enemies of Ierusalem which are Compared to the raging Waters of the Sea in Psal. 46 2 3. may as fitly be Compared to Ships upon the Sea 8. As we have heard so have we seen q The predictions of the Prophets Either 2 Chron. 20. 14. or 2 Kings 19. 20. c. have been verified by the Events Or We have had late and fresh Experiences of such wonderful works of God as before we onely heard of by the Report of our Fathers in the city of the LORD of hosts in the city of our God God will establish it for ever r From this miraculous Deliverance we plainly see that God hath a singular Love to it and Care of it and therefore will defend her in all succeeding Ages against all her Enemies And so God would have done if Ierusalem had not forsaken God and forfeited his Favour and Protection Selah 9. We have thought of s It hath been the matter of our Serious and deep Meditation when we have been Worshipping there in thy Temple For when the Priests were offering Incense or Sacrifice the Religious People exercised themselves in holy Meditation or secret Prayer to God as may be gathered from Luk. 1. 10. and many other places of Scripture and from the Nature of the thing Or We have silently or Patiently waited for as some Anâ—…ient and other Interpreters â—…ender it thy loving kindness O God in the midst of thy temple 10. According to thy name O God so is thy praise t For this and such like glorious Actions thou art praised and acknowledged and Evidently proved to be such an one as thou hast affirmed thy self to be in thy Word God Almighty or Al-sufficient the Lord of Hâ—…sts the King of thy Church 〈◊〉 People and a strong Tower to all that trust in thee and all other things which thou art called in Scripture Thy Name is not an empty Title but is filled up with honourable and Praise-worthy Works answerable to it unto the ends of the earth thy right hand is full of righteousness u i. â—… Of righteous Actions by which thou discoverest thy Justice and Holiness in destroying the Wicked and incorrigible Enemies of thy People and in fulfilling thy Promises made to thy Church 11. Let mount x Synecdochically put for Ierusalem Zion rejoyce let the daughters of Judah y i. e. The other and lesser Cities and Towns or Villages i. e. all the People of Iudaâ—… for such are commonly called Daughters in Respect of the Mother City to which they are Subjects See Ios. 15. 45 and 17. 16. Psal. 45. 12. and 137 8. He mentions Iudah onely and not all Israel Partly because they were more immediately and Eminently concerned in Ierusalems Deliverance and principally because ten of the Tribes of Israel were now cut off from Ierusalem and from the Kingdom of David's House and possibly carried away Captive 2 Kings 18. 9 10. 11. be glad because of thy judgments z Upon thine and their Enemies At which they were glad not simply but because it was highly Conducible to God's Honour and to the Preservation and Enlargement of Gods Church in the World 12. Walk about Zion and go round about her a He speaketh Either 1. To the Enemies as Triumphing over them Or rather 2. To the People of that City and Kingdom who had been Eye Witnesses of this glorious work of God as appears from the following Verses tell the towers thereof b He bids them â—…ark well her â—…owers Bâ—…warks and Palaces here and v. 13. not with vain Ostentation or Carnal Confidence for he had said that God onely was their Refuge v. 3. but with thankfulness to God when they should find upon Enquiry that not one of them was demolished or â—…ny way defaced by so potent an Enemy 13. * 〈◊〉 sâ—…t your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark ye well her bulwarks ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consider c Or Exalt or Admire her palaces that ye may tell it to the generation following d That they may be excited to continue their Praises to God for this Mercy by which they hold and enjoy all their Blessings and to trust in God in the like Difficulties for the Future 14. For this God e is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death f Who hath done this great Work i. e. Whilest we have a being Birth and Life â—…nd the several Ages of Life and Death are oft ascribed to Churches and Commonwealths both in Scripture and in other Authors This Promise was made to the Old and earthly Ierusalem upon Condition of their Obedience wherein they failing so grossly lost the benefit of it but it is absolutely made good to the New and Heavenly Ierusalem the Church of Christ. PSAL. XLIX The ARGUMENT This Psalm is Penned upon the same Occasion with Psal. 39. and 73. to wit upon the Contemplation of the afflictions of Gods People and of the Prosperity and Glory of ungodly Men. The design is to justifie Gods Providence in this dark Dispensation and to shew that all things being Considered good Men have no cause for immoderate Dejection of Spirit nor wicked Men for glorying in their present Felicities To the chief musician a Psalm ‖ Or of for the sons of Korah 1. HEar this all ye people a Heb. All People Iews or Gentiles For all are concerued in this Matter as being apt to stumble and murmur at it give â—…ar all ye inhabitants of the World 2. Both * Psal. 6â—… 9. low and high rich and poor tother 3. My mouth shall speak of wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding b It concerns you diligently to attend to me for I am about to speak not of Vulgar and Trivial tâ—…ngs or 〈◊〉 as come suddenly into my Mind and rush as 〈◊〉 out of my Mouth but of such things as are the râ—…sult oâ—… my most 〈◊〉 and considerate thoughts and such aâ—… iâ—… 〈◊〉 obâ—…rve them and lâ—…y them to Heart will make you truly 〈◊〉 and keep you from those Errors and Follies and 〈◊〉 which the generality of Mankind for want of a right understâ—…g do run into 4. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 13. 3â—… I will incline mine ear c This is another Argâ—…ment to perswade them to hâ—…rken to him I will hearken what God by his Spirit speaks to me and that and nothing else will I now speak to you and therefore it is well worth your hearing I also shall joyn with you in attending to it that whilst I â—…each you I my self may learn the same Lesson For as Ministers now teach themselves whilst they teach
others so the Holy Prophets did oft times search into and study to find out the meaning of their own Prophecies as appears plainly from 1 〈◊〉 1 10. 11. The Phrase is thought to be taken from the Musicians who lay their Ear close to the Instrument when they Tune it and by their Ear try how the Voyce and Instrument agree to a parable d Which properly is a figurative and allegorical Speech but is oft more largely taken for any excellent and important and withal dark or Difficult Doctrine or Sentence See Numb 23. 7. and 24. 3. 15. Psal. 78. 2. Comp. with Mat. 13. 35. I will open e i. e. I will not smother it in my own Breast but publish it to the World my dark saying f So he justly calls the following Discourse because the thing in question is and ever hath been thought Difficult and hard to be understood upon the harp 5. Whereforâ—… should I fear g He speaks in his own Person because he had now said that he would incline his Ear v. 4. i. e. Learn and Practise what he was teaching others but his meaning is more general That there is no sufficient Cause why he or any good man should Fear Which is to be understood of Excessive or immoderate and prevailing Fear causing Dejection or Despondency or distrust of God's Providence and Goodness or Discontent with his Condition In which Sence men 〈◊〉 bid not to Fear Gen. 50. 19. Mat. 28. 5. Comp. with Mark 16. 6. Thus Gen. 45 5. Be not grieved to wit inordinately for otherwise they ought and he would have had them to grieve for their sin Thus to lead a man into Temptation Mat. 6. 13. is to suffer him to be overcome by it by Comparing 1 Cor. 10. 13. And the Object or cause of this forbâ—…dden Fear is double the one the Afflictions of good Men here following the other the Prosperity of the ungodly as it is declared v. 16. and of which he begins to Treat in the very next Verse and continues the Discourse of it to the end of the Psalm in the days of evil h Either 1. Of sin when iniquity of all sorts abounds which is many ways grievous and vexaâ—…ious to every good Man Or 2. Of Misery in times of great Distress and Calamity either publick or private when wicked Men flourish of which he speaks in all the rest of the Psalm and good men are oppressed and persecuted whâ—…n the iniquity of my heels i By which he understands either 1. His afflictions which he might justly call the Punishment of his sinful Actions for iniquity is commonly put for the Punishment of it and the Heels are put for a Mans Foot-steps and Metaphorically for ones ways or Actions as Psal. 56. 6. and 89. 51. Or 2. The iniquity i. e. The violent and injurious Designs and Practises of his ungodly and malitious Enemies who as he here saith did 〈◊〉 him about Whereby he notes their prosperous Success against him and his being indangered and vexed by them as this Phrase implies Iob. 16. 13. Psal. 17. 9. 11. and 22. 12 and 140. 9. Habak 1. 4. and withal their intention and endeavour to vex and persecure and destroy him as this Phrase is used Psal. 17. 9. and 22. 12. 16. and in many other places This Sâ—…nce is favoured both by the Syriack and Arabick Interpreters whereof the former renders the Words thus the iniquity of mine Enemies hath Compassed me and the latter thus when mine Enemies shall Compass me about and by the main Scope of the Psalm which is to Comfort himself and other good Men against that great Scandal of the Prosperity of the Wicked and the Oppressions and Miseries of the Righteous But all the Difficulty is why or how he calls this the iniquity of his Heels For the clearing whereof it is humbly proposed to Consideration that this Genitive Case of my Hâ—…els seems to note not the Efficient or Meritorious cause of this iniquity or Punishment of it but the Object about which this iniquity is Exercised as Nouns in the Genitive Case are frequently â—…aken Thus the spoil of the Poor Isa. 3. 14. is not that spoil which was made by them but upon them and the Viâ—…lence of the Children of Iudah as it is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 Ioâ—…l 3. 19. is that which was done agâ—…inst them as we truly Translate it See also Dan. 4 27. Mat. 10. 1. Act. 4. 9. In like manner here the iniquity of my Heels is the iniquity wherewith they Compass and seek to trip up my Heels for we shall find David oft speaking of the malitious Practices of his Enemies with respect to his Heels or Feet or Steps So he tells us they pierced his Hands and Feet Psal. 22. 16. they Compassed and marked and prepared a Net for his Steps Psal. 17. 11. and 56. 6. and 57. 6. as 〈◊〉 also complains of his Enemies that they hid Snares for his Feet Ch. 18. 22. And therefore it is not strange that the iniquity of his Enemies is here noted to be exercised about his Heels or Footstepts as this word signifies either because they did malignantly observe all his steps or ways that they might find occasion to load him with Reproaches in order to his Ruin or because they purposed to trip up his Heels or to overthrow his goings as he Complains Psal. 140. 4. Besides the Words may be rendred the iniquity of my Supplanters for the Hebrew word rendred Heels may be and is by some learned Interpreters taken for a Participle of that Verb which signifies to Supplant or trip up the Heels or Circumvent from whence Iacob had his Name And this Character fitly agrees to David's Enemies who were not onely most malitious but also very deceitful and Treacherous as he every where Complains shall * Hos. â—… 2. compass me about 6. They that * Joh. 31. 24. Psal. 62. 10. Mark 10. 24. 1 Tim. 6. 17. trust in their wealth k As that which can and will secure them from Gods judgments and from the Calamities of humane Life the Psalmist having said that he and other good Men had no sufficient cause of Fear from their present sufferings from ungodly Men now he proceeds on the contrary to shew that his ungodly Enemies had no reason to be secure and Confident because of their present Riches and prosperous Success and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches 7. None of them can by any means redeem l To wit from Death as appears from v. 9 10. c. neither from the first Death nor from the second which he points at v. 14. 19. his brother m Whom he would do his utmost to preserve in Life and Consequently not himself But he seems to mention his Brother rather than himself because when his Brother is sick he being in Health hath the full Command and free use of all his Wealth and Strength and Wiâ—…
Magistrates who are called gods below Verse 6. and Exod. 12. 12. and 22. 28. compared with Act. 23. 5. Psal. 138. 1. and of whom this is expounded Ioh. 10. 34 35. 2 How long will ye judge unjustly e The Psalmist speaketh to them in God's name and reproves them for their continued and resolved unrighteousness in their publick Administrations and * Deut. 1. 17 2 Chron. 19. 7. accept the persons f By over-looking the merits of the cause and giving sentence according to your respect or affection to the person of the wicked Selah 3 †Heb. Iudg. Defend the poor and fatherless g So far as justly you may as this Clause must be limited by comparing this with Levit. 19. 15. do justice to h Heb. Iustifie to wit when his cause is just and he is oppressed by a potent Adversary the afflicted and needy 4 * 〈◊〉 24. 11. Deliver the poor and needy i These he recommends to the special care and protection of Magistrates because such are commonly neglected and crushed by men in higher place and power and they are unable to right themselves rid them out of the hand of the wicked 5 They k The Magistrates of whom this Psalm treats know not l To wit the truth and right of the cause nor the duty of their place Men are oft said in Scripture not to know what they do not love and practise neither will they understand m This their ignorance is willful and affected they will not search out the truth and they shut their eyes lest they should see what they would not they walk on n They persist and proceed it is not one rash and transient action but their constant course in darkness o Either 1. In ignorance or 2. In their sinful and unrighteous courses as darkness is taken Eph. 4. 17 18 and 5. 8. 1 Ioh. 1. 6. Being blinded by their corrupt affections and interests Exod. 23. â—… all the foundations of the earth are †Heb. moved out of course p This corruption of the supreme Rulers doth flow from them to their inferior Officers and Members and manifestly tends to the dissolution of all civil Societies partly by subverting that order and honesty by which they are supported and partly by provoking God the Governor of the world to destroy them for their wickedness 6 * John 10. 34. I have said Ye are gods q I have given you my name and power to rule your people in my stead and all of you r Not onely the Rulers of Israel but of all other Nations for all powers are ordained by God Rom. 13. 1. are children of the most High s Representing my person and bearing both my name and lively characters of my Majesty and Authority as children bear the name and image of their Parents 7. But ye shall die t But let not this make you insolent and secure for though you are gods by name and office yet still you are mortal men you must die and give up your account to me your superior Lord and Governor and you shall die and fall by the hands of my Justice if you persist in your unjust and ungodly courses like men u Or like ordinary men as the Hebrew word Adam sometimes signifies as it doth Psal. 49. 2. If it be objected that there Adam is opposed to Iâ—…h which notes persons of an higher rank in like manner it is here opposed to the same sort of men who are here called gods and fall like one of the princes x So the sence is You who are esteemed by your selves and others gods upon earth shall fall or die as he said in the former branch falling being oft put for dying with this addition that it notes not an ordinary but a violent and judicial death as Exod. 19. 21. Ier. 39. 18. Hos. 5. 5. like one or like other or others as this very word is rendred Iudg. 16. 7 11. which also is expounded there Verse 17. like every or any of the princes i. e. as other unrighteous or tyrannical Rulers have done in all foregoing Ages and still do your eyes seeing it even in like manner shall you to whom now I speak fall and perish if you do not learn by their Examples But these words are by some late Learned Interpreters translated otherwise and that very agreeably to the Hebrew words and accents And you O ye princes or you that are princes before called gods shall fall like one or like every or any of them i. e. of the ordinary men last mentioned So there is onely an Ellipsis of the Pronoun which is frequent in the Hebrew Language Or shall fall together as this word is translated Ezra 2. 64. and 3. 9. or alike as it is rendred Eccles. 11. 6. in like manner to wit as ordinary men do Your god-head shall be taken away from you and your death shall shew you to be but mortal men as others are 8 Arise O God judge the earth y Seeing the state of the world is so universally corrupt and desperate and thy Vicegerents betray their trust and oppress and ruine the Nations of the earth whom they were appointed to preserve do thou therefore O God take the sword of Justice into thine own hand and maintain the cause and rights of the oppressed against their potent Oppressors and let truth and justice be established in all the parts of the earth For as thou wast the Creator so thou still art the supreme and unquestionable Lord and Possessor and Ruler of all Nations and therefore do thou protect and rescue them from all those who invade thine and their rights And although at present thou seemest in some sort to confine thy care to Israel and to neglect other Nations yet there is a time coming when thou wilt bring all Nations to the knowledge of thy self and the obedience of thy Laws and govern them by thy Son and Spirit which thou wilt send into the world for that purpose Do thou therefore preserve them in the mean time till that blessed day cometh and hasten the coming of it for thou shalt inherit all nations z. PSAL. LXXXIII The ARGUMENT The occasion of the Psalm is manifest from the body of it and it seems to have been a dangerous attempt and conspiracy of divers neighouring Nations against Israel or Judah Probably it was that which is mentioned 2 Chron. 20. Wherein all the people here mentioned might be ingaged though all of them be not there expressed this being usual in the sacred Historians for the latter to record some passages which the former omitted Or it may belong to some other History Or it may have a more general respect unto the several Enterprizes and Combinations of all all these people against them some at one time and some at another A Song or Psalm ‖ Or for Asaph of Asaph 1 KEep not thou
necessarily hear The truth of the inference depends upon that evident and undeniable principle in reason that nothing can give to another that which it hath not either formally or more eminently in it self and that no effect can exceed the vertue of its cause he that formed n By which word he seems to intimate the accurate and most curious workmanship of the Eye which is observed by all that write upon that subject the eye shall he not see 10 He that chastiseth the heathen shall not he correct m He who when he pleaseth can and doth punish the Gentiles or Nations of the World is he not able to punish you for your wicked speeches and actions Or He that instructeth or teacheth as this word signifies Prov. 9. 7. Isa. 8. 11. c. the nations not onely the Jews but all other people all mankind as this clause is explained by the next he that teacheth man knowledge shall not he correct or reprove and therefore must not he discern and know all your hard speeches and wicked actions Thus the consequent seems to be put for the antecedent as is frequent in Scripture and that not without emphasis to Imply that God does not know their sins with a simple or speculative knowledge but so as to proceed upon that knowledge to judge and punish them he that teacheth man knowledge n By giving him understanding and the knowledge of many excellent things by the light of nature shall not he know o To wit mens thoughts of which see v. 11. and their words and actions of which he spoke v. 6 7. These words are not in the Hebrew Text but are easily understood out of the foregoing clause And the like defects we find elsewhere as 2 Sam. 5. 8. comp with 1 Chron. 11. 6. especially in vehement commotions of the mind when a mans passion stops his speech as it is here and Psal. 6. 3. and in other Authors 11 * 1 Cor. 3. 20. The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man p This is an answer to the foregoing Question shall not he know Yes he knoweth all things yea even the most secret things as the thoughts of men and in particular your atheistical thoughts and much more doth he know your wicked practices which you said he did not see v. 6 7. And he knows that they are generally vain and foolish and that whilest you mock God and applaud your selves in such thoughts you do not relieve but onely delude your selves with them that they are vanity 12 * Heb. 12. 11. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O LORD and teachest him out of thy Law q And whereas these ungodly persons esteem themselves the onely happy men and conclude thy people to be of all men the most miserable because of the manifold persecutions and afflictions which they commonly suffer and upon this account dispute against thy providence so far is their opinion from the truth that the contrary is most certain that as their prosperity is a real mischief to them so those afflictions of good men which are accompanied with divine instructions are great and true blessings to them themselves being judges 13 That thou may'st give him rest from the days of adversity until the pit be digged for the wicked r For their present and short troubles prepare them for and lead them to true rest and blessedness whilest the seeming felicities of the wicked make way for those tremendous judgments which God hath prepared for them 14 * 1 Sam. 12. 22. Rom. 11. 1 2. For the LORD will not cast off his people s Though God may for a time correct his people yet he will not utterly destroy them as he will their Enemies but will in his time put an end to all their Calamities neither will he forsake his inheritance 15 But judgment shall return unto righteousness t But although the World is now full of unrighteous judgments and even God himself seems not to judge and administer things justly because he suffers his people to be oppressed and the wicked to triumph over them yet the state of things shall be otherwise ordered God will declare himself to be a righteous Judge and will advance and establish justice in the earth and especially among his people and all the upright in heart †Heb. shall be after it shall follow it u To wit just judgment restored they will all approve of it and imitate this justice of God in all their actions whereas the wicked will still do wickedly as is said Dan. 12. 10. and in a land and state of uprightness will deal unjustly and will not behold the majesty of the lord as it is Isa. 26. 10. Oth. shall follow him to wit the Lord expressed v. 14. whose act it is to bring judgment to justice Whilest the wicked forsake God these will cleave to him as being confident that howsoever he may suffer them to be oppressed for a season yet he will in due time plead their cause and bring forth their righte ousness 16 Who will rise up for me x To defend and help me I looked hither and thither ' and called to my Friends for their help saying who will c But none of them appeared but God alone helped me as he saith in the next Verse against the evil doers or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity 17 Unless the LORD had been my help my soul had ‖ Or quickly almost dwelt * Psal. 115. 17. in silence y In the place of silence to wit the grave Compare Iob 3. 17 18. Psal. 88. 13. and 115. 17. 18 When I said My foot slippeth z I am now upon the point of falling into mischief and utter destruction thy mercy O LORD held me up 19 In the multitude of my thoughts a Whilest my heart was filled with various and perplexing thoughts as this Hebrew word signifies and tormented with cares and fears about my future state within me thy comforts b Thy promises contained in thy word and set home by thy spirit upon my soul and the remembrance of my former experiences of thy care and kindness to me Comp. Psal. 119. 50 76. delight my soul. 20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee c Wilt thou take part with the unrighteous powers of the World who oppress thy people It is true they partake of thy name being called gods Psal. 82. 1. but I know thou wilt not afford them thy Protection and Patronage but wilt manifest thy justice and displeasure against them This seems to have been one of those comfortable thoughts wherewith the Psalmist delighted his soul as he now said which * Isai. 10. 1. frameth mischief d Who devise wicked devices and lay heavy burdens upon men that are more righteous than themselves by a law e Either by vertue of those
false and perverse constructions upon all my words and actions or by endeavouring to overthrow and destroy me or to turn me out of the way of thy precepts without a cause but I will meditate in thy precepts i All their wicked attempts against me shall never drive me from the study and love and practice of thy precepts 79 Let those that fear thee turn unto me k Either 1. turn their eyes to me as a spectacle of Gods wonderful mercy or rather 2. turn their hearts and affections to me which have been alienated from me either by the artifices and calumnies of my adversaries or by my sore and long distresses which made them prone to think that either I had deceived them with false pretences or that God for my sins had utterly forsaken me Which doubtless was a very grievous burden to David who had a far greater esteem and affection for such persons than for all other men and desired above all things to stand right in their opinions and those that have known l i. e. Loved and practised them as words of knowledge are oft used thy testimonies 80 Let my heart be †Heb. persect sound m Heb. persect or entire that I may love and obey them sincerely constantly and universally in thy statutes that I be not ashamed n To wit for my sins which are the onely just causes of shame and for the disappointment of my hopes following upon them CAPH 81 * Psal. 84. 2. My soul fainteth o With longing desire and earnest expectation and hope deferred and hitherto disappointed for thy salvation but I hope in thy word 82 * Ver. 123. Mine eyes fail p With looking hither and thither and to thee for help for thy word saying When wilt thou comfort me 83 For I am become like a bottle in the smoke q Hung up in a smoaking chimney My natural moisture is dried and burnt up I am withered and deformed and despised and my case grows worse and worse every day yet do I not forget thy statutes 84 How many are the days r Either 1. the days of my life as the word days is commonly used Gen. 6. 3. Iob 7. 1 6. Psal. 39. 5 6. I have but a little while to live in the world give me some respite before I die and help me speedily otherwise it will be too late or rather 2. the days of my misery as the next clause implies and as days are taken Psal. 37. 13. 116. 2. and elsewhere How long Lord shall my miseries last for ever of thy servant when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me 85 * Psal. 35. 7. The proud have digged pits for me s Have sought to destroy me by deceit and treachery as well as by violence which t Either 1. which men have no respect to thy Law which forbids such things Or rather 2. which thing to wit to dig pits for me an innocent and just man is not agreeable to thy Law but directly contrary to it are not after thy law 86 All thy commandments are †Heb. faithfulness faithful u They are in themselves most just and true and they require justice and faithfulness from men promising many blessings to those that perform it and severely forbid all fraud and falseness threatning grievous punishments to those that use it and such promises and threatnings are true and shall certainly be executed they persecute me wrongfully help thou me 87 * Ver. 109. and 143. They had almost consumed me upon earth x As to my present life and all my happiness upon earth whereby he implies that his immortal Soul and eternal happiness in Heaven of which he speaks Psal. 16. 11. 17. 15. and elsewhere was safe and out of their reach but I forsook not thy precepts 88 Quicken me after thy loving kindness so shall I keep y Heb. and I will keep I will testifie my gratitude to thee by my obedience the testimony of thy mouth LAMED 89 * Psal. 89. 2. For ever O LORD * Ver. 152. 160. thy word is setled in heaven z Although many things happen upon earth which seem contrary to thy word and at which men take occasion to question the truth of thy word yet in Heaven it is sure and certainly true In heaven either 1. with thee in thy heavenly habitation or in thy breast as thy nature is unchangeable so thy word is infallible Or rather 2. in the heavenly bodies which are not subject to those changes and decays which are in this lower world but constantly continue the same in their substance and order and courses and this by virtue of that Word of God by which they were made and established in this manner and therefore Gods word delivered to his people upon earth which is of the same nature must needs be of equal certainty and stability This sence best suits with the following verses and with other Scriptures wherein the certainty of Gods word is set forth by comparing it with the stability of the Heaven and the Earth as Mat. 5. 18. and elsewhere 90 Thy faithfulness is †Heb. to generation and generation unto all generations a Every age gives fresh proofs of the truth of thy Word thou hast established the earth and it ‖ Heb. standeth abideth b In that place and state in which thou didst establish it See Eccles. 1. 4. 91 They c The Heaven and the Earth last mentioned †Heb. stand continue this day according to thine ordinances d As thou hast appointed and by virtue of thine appointment for all are thy servants e All things are subject to thy power and pleasure and none can resist thy will or word 92 Unless thy law had been my delights I should then f At the very instant I could not have outlived one stroke of thine afflicting hand have perished in mine affliction 93 I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickned me g Revived and cheared me when my heart was ready to sink and die within me 94 I am thine h By Creation and Redemption and manifold obligations as also by my own choice and designation I have devoted my self to thy service and committed my self to thy care save me for I have sought thy precepts 95 The wicked have waited for me to destroy me but I will consider thy testimonies i As my best comforters and counsellers and defenders against all the assaults and designs of mine enemies 96 I have seen an end of all perfection k I have observed by my experience that the greatest and most perfect accomplishments and enjoyments in this world the greatest glory and riches and power and wisdom are too narrow and short-lived to make men happy but thy commandment l Thy word one part of it being
of persons and so it may be understood of men that think evil that devise wicked devices or that have false and evil opinions opposite to Gods Law or tending to seduce men from it but thy law do I love 114 * Psal. 91. 1. Thou art my hiding place and my shield I hope in thy word 115 * Mat. 7. 23. Depart from me ye evil doers for I will keep the commandments of my God m And therefore will avoid your society and conversation lest I should be hindred from that which is good and drawn to sin by your evil counsel or example 116 Uphold me according unto thy word that I may live and let me not be ashamed of my hope n Or because of my hope or confidence in thy promises of the certainty whereof I have oft made my boast before others 117 Hold thou me up and I shall be safe and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually o And being freed from those distractions and diversions which my pressing dangers occasion I will wholly devote my self to the study and practice of thy blessed word 118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes for their deceit is falshood p All their crafty and deceitful devices by which they design to ensnare and ruine me and other good men shall deceive them and their own expectations and bring that destruction upon themselves which they design for others 119 Thou †Heb. causest to cease puttest away q Thou removest them from thy presence and from the society of thy people and from the land of the living all the wicked of the earth like dross r Which though for a season it be mixed with gold or silver is not onely separated from it as an useless and contemptible thing but also is utterly consumed by fire therefore I love thy testimonies s Because they are the best preservatives against wickedness and against those dreadful punishments attending upon it of which he prosesseth his fear in the next verse 120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgments t The observation of thy terrible judgments against ungodly men and the conscience of my own infirmity and manifold sins makes me fear lest thou shouldst punish me also as thou mightest justly do if thou shouldst be strict to mark what is amiss in me or lest I should partake with them in their sins and consequently in their plagues AIN 121 I have done judgment and justice u i. e. Just judgment as Eccles. 5. 7. to wit towards mine oppressors whom I have no way injured leave me not to mine oppressors 122 Be surety for thy servant x Do thou undertake and plead my cause against all mine enemies as a surety rescues the poor persecuted debtor from the hands of a severe creditor for good y For my safety and comfort let not the proud oppress me 123 * Ver. 81. Psal. 123. 1 2. Mine eyes fail for thy salvation and for the word of thy righteousness z For the performance of thy righteous or faithful or merciful word or promise 124 Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy a Not according to strict justice nor according to my sins and teach me thy statutes 125 I am thy servant give me understanding that I may know thy testimonies 126 It is time b It is high time or a fit season for thee LORD to work b To put forth thy power for the vindication of thy own name and cause and for the restraint and punishment of evil-doers for they c To wit mine oppressors or the wicked whom it was needless to express both because they had been lately and frequently mentioned before and partly because it was evident from the following words have made void thy law d Or abrogated thy law have professedly and openly cast off its authority resolvedly preferring their own wills and lusts before it trampled upon thy plain commands and despised both thy promises and thy threatnings They have not onely sinned through ignorance and infirmity but presumptuously and maliciously 127 * Psal. 19. 10. ver 72. Prov. 8. 11. Therefore I love thy commandments e Partly because it is one evidence of their excellency that they are disliked by the vilest of men partly out of a just indignation and opposition against thy sworn enemies and partly because the great and general Apostasie of others makes this duty more necessary to prevent their own and other mens relapses above gold yea above fine gold 128 Therefore f For the reasons now mentioned I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right g I do not make void all thy precepts as they did v. 126. nor yet am I partial in my approbation of them as others are who reject all such as are opposite to their lusts and interests but I approve all of them without any exception and that not onely in my judgment but in my heart and life as appears by that hatred of sin which is opposed to it in the next clause and I hate every false way PE. 129 Thy testimonies are * Ver. 18. wonderful h In regard of the deep and wonderful mysteries and most excellent counsels and directions far exceeding all the rules of the greatest Philosophers and the exceeding great and precious promises of God contained in them This is the reason of his high estimation of them expressed in the last verse therefore doth my soul keep them 130 The entrance of thy words i The very beginnings and rudiments of it the first discoveries of those sacred Mysteries and much more the depths of them in which their chief excellency consists Or as other both ancient and later Interpreters render the place the opening of thy words by which may be understood either 1. the opening of mens minds by the Word of God but that seems to be the same thing with giving light which here follows or 2. the opening or declaration of Gods mind made in and by his Word giveth light * Psal. 19. 7. it giveth understanding unto the simple k To the most ignorant and unlearned persons who are but willing to learn 131 I opened my mouth and panted l I thirst after thy precepts and pursue them eagerly as it were with open mouth ready and greedy to receive them It is a Metaphor from one that makes great haste after another whereby he is forced to pant and to open his mouth for air to refresh himself for I longed for thy commandments 132 Look thou upon me m To wit favourably as the next clause explains it and as this phrase is commonly used whereby also he implies that God at present did hide his face and favour from him and be merciful unto me †Heb. according to the judgment towards those c. as thou
deceit in my words and carriage towards God or men give me z This is his second request which may seem to have some reference to the former Poverty being commonly the occasion and temptation to the sin of Lying and Riches being the great occasions and inticements to vanity Thus as his first Petition was against the sins themselves so this latter is against the occasions of them neither poverty nor riches * Matt. 6. 11. feed me with food †Heb. of my allowance convenient for me a moderate and suitable both to my Natural necessities and to that estate and condition of Life in which thou hast put me and to that work and service which thou hast for me to do And this mediocrity of Estate is so amiable that it hath been oft desired by wise Heathens as more eligible than a state of the greatest plenty and glory 9 * Deut. 8. 12. 32. 15. Hos. 13. 6. Lest I be full and †Heb. bely thee deny thee b By trusting to Riches which is a denial of God Iob 31. 24 28. by unthankfulness for and abuse of his mercies and by rebellion against him and divers other courses and common practices of rich men whereby God is denied in truth and in works even when he is owned in words and in shew and say who is the LORD c That I should obey or serve him I do not need him I can live of my own without him Lest by degrees I should arrive at down right Atheism or infidelity which is most incident to rich and great men as is manifest from Experience or lest I be poor and steal and take the name of my God in vain d Use false Oaths either to vindicate my self when I am suspected or accused of Theft and my Oath is required according to the Law Exod. 22. 8 11. or to gratifie others for filthy lucre as poor men frequently do 10 †Heb. hurt 〈◊〉 with thy 〈◊〉 Accuse not e To wit maliciously rashly or without just and sufficient cause for otherwise in some cases this may be not only lawful but a duty as when a servant lives wickedly or robs his Master or the like a servant f Whose condition is in itself mean and miserable and therefore thou shouldst not make it worse without great and apparent necessity unto his Master lest he curse thee g Desire God to curse and punish thee which though it may be sinful in him yet being deserved by thee thou hast reason to fear and expect and thou be found guilty h By God who is ready to plead the Cause of the afflicted and upon strict search shall find thee guilty and punish thee accordingly 11 There is a generation i A sort of men abominable both to God and men which is implied concerning these and the following kinds of sinners v. 12 13 14. that curseth their father k And Mother too as it follows ungrateful and unnatural monsters and doth not bless their mother 12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes and yet is not washed from their filthiness l Who not only pretend to others but conceit within themselves that they are truly religious persons when they live in a course of wickedness 13. There is a generation O how * 〈◊〉 6. 17. lofty are their eyes and their eye-lids are lifted up k Who are proud and insolent advancing themselves and despising all others in comparison of themselves and shewing the Pride of their Hearts in their countenances and carriages 14 * Joh 29. 17. 〈◊〉 â—…2 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. 〈◊〉 12. 18. There is a generation whose teeth are as swords and their jaw-teeth as knives to devour the poor l Extortioners and cruel oppressors who grind the Faces of the poor from off the earth and the needy from among men 15 The horse-leach m An insatiable Creature sucking blood till it be ready to burst hath two daughters n Which are either 1. The two forks into which her Tongue is divided and wherewith she sucks But those who have more accurately observed and described the frame of that Creature tell us that they have no Tongue and that they suck either by three little teeth or several parts of the mouth gathered and compressed together Or rather 2. The following things which resemble the Horse-leach in its insatiableness nothing being more ordinary than to call those persons or things the Sons or Daughters of those whose examples they imitate And whereas it is objected that they are not only two but three yea four as is said in the next clause the Answer is easie that though he begin with two yet he proceeds from thence to three and four all which are said to be the Daughters of the Horse-leach if the words be rendred commodiously and as they are in the Hebrew as we shall presently see crying Give give o Never filled and always craving and ready to receive more and more There are three things p Or yea which may be understood in this as it is in our Translation of the next clause they to wit the Daughters of the Horse-leach are three that are never satisfied q Which is added partly to explain the former clause give give and to shew the cause of that excessive desire of more because they were not contented with what they had and partly to give the reason why he calls them the Daughters of the Horse-leech yea four things say not r Or yea they the daughters forementioned are four which say not †〈◊〉 wealth It is enough 16 †Heb. hell 〈◊〉 27. 20. 〈◊〉 2. 5. The grave and the barren womb s For as the Israelitish Women did generally and vehemently desire many Children for diverse reasons elsewhere mentioned so those who were barren amongst them were most eager in those desires as we see in Rachel Gen. 30. 1. and as in all other cases persons most prize and thirst after those good things which they want the earth t Which when it is dry thirsts for rain and in a litte time sucks up great quantities of water and gapes for more that is not filled with water and the fire u Which continually burns as long as there is any combustible matter left for it that saith not It is enough 17 The eye that mocketh at his father u He that scorneth or derideth his Parents though it be but with a look or gesture and much more when he breaks out into opprobrious words and Actions and despiseth to obey his mother the ravens of ‖ Or the 〈◊〉 the valley shall pick it out x He shall die an unnatural and untimely and ignominious death and after death shall lie unburied and so be exposed to the Birds and Beasts of Prey and amongst others to the Crows or Ravens who use to feed
†〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the than the wandring of the desire f Restless and insatiable Desires of what a man hath not wherewith covetous rich men are perpetually haunted and tormented This g This wandring of the desire wherein most men indulge themselves is also vanity and vexation of Spirit h Is not the way to satisfaction as they imagine but to vexation 10 That which hath been is named already h This verse is added either as a proof of what he last said concerning the vanity and wandring of unsatiable desires or as a further instance of the vanity of all things in this Life That which hath been or is for the Hebrew verb may be rendred either way to wit Man considered with all his endowments and enjoyments whether he be wise or foolish rich or poor Man who is the chief of all visible and sublunary beings for whom they were all made is named already to wit by God who presently after his Creation gave him the following name to signifie what his nature and condition was or would be Heb. What is that which hath been or is it is or hath been named already Others understand it thus All the several conditions which men have had or shall have in the World Riches or Poverty c. are already named i. e. appointed or determined by Gods unchangeable Counsel and invincible Providence But though this be true it seems not to suit so well with the following clause as the other Interpretation doth and it is known that it is man i This is certain and manifest that that being which makes all this noise and stir in the world howsoever magnified by themselves and somtimes adored by Flatterers and howsoever differenced from or advanced above others by Wisdom or Riches or the like is but a Man i. e. a mean earthly mortal and miserable Creature as his very name signifies which God gave him for this very end that he might be always sensible of his vain and base and miserable estate in this world and therefore never expect satisfaction or happiness in it neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he k i. e. With Almighty God with whom Men are very apt to contend upon every sleight occasion and against whom they are ready to murmur for this Vanity and Mortality and Misery of Mankind although they brought it upon themselves by their own sins So this is seasonably added to prevent the abuse of the foregoing passage 11 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity l This seems to be added as a Conclusion of the Disputation managed in all the foregoing Chapters seeing not only Man is a vain Creature in himself as hath been now said but there are also many other things in the world which instead of removing or diminishing as might be expected do but increase this vanity as Wisdom Pleasure Power Wealth and the like the vanity of all which hath been fully and particularly declared Seeing even the good things of this Life bring so much Toil and Cares and Fears c. with them what is man the better m To wit by all that he can either desire or enjoy here Hence it is evident that all these things cannot make him happy but that he must seek for happiness elsewhere 12 For who knoweth what is good for man n No man certainly knows what is best for him here whether to be high or low rich or poor because those great things which men generally desire and pursue are very frequently the occasions of Mens utter Ruine as hath been noted again and again in this Book in this life †〈◊〉 the numâ—… of the days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life of his 〈◊〉 all the days of his vain life o Life itself which is the foundation of all mens Comforts and Enjoyments here is a vain and uncertain and transitory thing and therefore all things which depend upon it must needs be so too which he spendeth as * Ps. 102. 11. â—… 109. 23. â—… 144. 4. Ch. 8. 13. Jaâ—… 4. 14. a shadow p Which whilest it abides hath nothing real and solid or substantial in it and doth speedily pass away and leaves no sign behind it for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun q And as no man can be happy with these things whilest he liveth and enjoyeth them so he can have no content in leaving them to others because he knoweth not either who shall possess them or how the future owners will use or abuse them or what mischief they may do by them either to others or even to themselves CHAP. VII Having largely discoursed of the vanity of all worldly things and having now said in the foregoing verse that no man knew what was best for him he now proceeds to prescribe some Remedies against these Vanities and to direct men to the right method of obtaining that felicity which is not to be expected or found in this World 1 A * Prov. 15. 30. 22. 1. Good name a A good and well-grounded report from wise and worthy persons is better than precious Ointment b Heb. A name which is put for a good name by a Synecdoche that only being worthy to be called a name because evil and worthless men quickly lose their Name and Memory Thus a Wife is put for a good Wife Prov. 18. 22. and a day for a good day Luk. 19. 41 44. and the day of death c To wit of a good man or one who hath left a good Name behind him which is easily understood both from the former clause and from the nature of the thing for to a wicked man this day is far worse and most terrible Yet if this passage be delivered with respect only to this Life and abstracting from the future Life as many other passages in this Book are to be understood then this may be true in general of all men and is the consequent of all the former discourse Seeing this Life is so full of Vanity and Vexation and Misery it is a more desirable thing for a man to go out of it than to come into it Which is the more considerable note because it is contrary to the Opinion and Practice of almost all Mankind to celebrate their own or Childrens Birth-days with solemn Feasts and rejoicings and their deaths with all expressions of sorrow than the day of ones birth b Which was very fragrant and acceptable and useful and of great price especially in those Countries See Deut. 33. 24. Psal. 92. 10. 133. 2. Isa. 39. 2. 2 It is better to go to the house of mourning d Where Mourners meet together to celebrate the Funerals of a deceased Friend than to go to the house of feasting for that e To wit death the cause of that mourning is the end of all men f It brings men to the
serious consideration of their last end which is their greatest Wisdom and Interest and the living will lay it to his heart g Will be seriously affected with it and awakened to prepare for it whereas feasting is commonly attended with Mirth and Levity and manifold Temptations and indisposeth mens minds to Spiritual and Heavenly Thoughts Hence it is evident that those passages of this Book which may seem to favour a sensual and voluptuous Life are not spoken by Solomon in his own Name or as his Opinion but in the person of an Epicure 3 ‖ Or 〈◊〉 Sorrow h Either for sin or any outward troubles is better than laughter for by the sadness of the countenance i Which is â—…eared in the heart but manifested in the Countenance the heart is made better k More weaned from the Lusts and Vanities of this World by which most men are ensnared and destroyed and more quickned to seek after and embrace that true and everlasting Happiness which God offers to them in his Word 4 The heart of the wiâ—…e is in the house of mourning l Even when their bodies are absent They are constantly or very frequently meditating upon sad and serious things such as Death and Judgment the Vanity of this Life and the reality and eternity of the next because they know that these thoughts though they be not grateful to the sensual part yet they are absolutely necessary and highly profitable and most comfortable in the end which every wise man most regards but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth m Their minds and affections are wholly set upon feasting and jolly because like Fools and brutish Creatures they regard only their present delight and mind not how dearly they must pay for them 5 * Prov. 13. 18. â—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 32. See 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—… 5. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wiâ—…e n Which though it causeth some grief yet frequently brings great benefit even Reformation and Salvation both from temporal and from eternal Destruction both which are the portion of impenitent sinners than for a man to hear the song o The flatteries or other merry discourses which are as pleasant to corrupt Nature as Songs or Musick of fools 6 For as the †Heb. a sound crackling of thorns p Which for a time make a great noise and blaze but presently wast themselves and go out without any considerable effect upon the meat in the pot under a pot so q So vanishing and fruitless is the laughter of the fool this also is vanity 7 Surely oppression r Either 1 Active When a wise Man falls into the practice of this sin of oppressing others he is besotted by it and by the vast Riches which he by his great wit gets by it Or rather 2. Passive when a wise man is oppressed by foolish and wicked men it makes him fret and rage and speak or act like a mad man for the wisest men are most sensible of indignities and injuries whereas fools are stupid do not much lay them to heart maketh a wise man mad * Deut. 16. 19. and a gift s A bribe given to a wise man destroyeth the heart t Deprives him of the use of his understanding which is oft called the heart as Exod. 23. 8. Deut. 16. 19. Hos. 4. 18. or makes him mad as was said in the former clause So this verse discovers two ways whereby a wise man may be made mad by suffering oppression from others or by receiving bribes to oppress others And this also is an argument of the vanity of worldly Wisdom that it is so easily corrupted and lost and so it serves the main design of this Book 8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof u If this verse relates to that next foregoing it is an Argument to keep mens minds from being disordered either by oppression or bribery because the end of those practices will shew that he who oppresseth another doth himself most hurt by it and that he who taketh Bribes is no gainer by them But if this be independent upon the former as divers other verses here are it is a general and useful observation that the good or evil of things is better known by their end than by their beginning which is true both in evil Counsels and Courses which are pleasant at first but at last bring destruction and in all noble Enterprizes in the studies of Learning and in the practice of Virtue and Godliness where the beginnings are difficult and troublesom but in the progress and conclusion they are most easie and comfortable and it is not sufficient to begin well unless we persevere to the end which crowns all and * Pro. 24. 29. the patient in spirit x Who quietly waits for the end and issue of things and is willing to bear hardships and inconveniences in the mean time is better than the proud y Which he puts instead of hasty or impatient which the opposition might seem to require partly because Pride is the chief cause of impatience Prov. 13. 10. and makes men unable to bear any thing either from God or from Men whereas Humility makes Men sensible of their own unworthiness and that they deserve at least from God all the indignities and injuries which they suffer from Men by Gods permission and therefore patient under them and partly to correct the vulgar errour of proud men who think highly of themselves and trample all others especially such as are meek and patient under their feet in spirit 9 * Pro. 14. 17. 16. 32. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry z Be not angry with any man without due consideration and just and necessary cause for otherwise anger is somtimes lawful and somtimes a duty for anger resteth a Hath its settled and quiet abode is their constant companion ever at hand upon all occasions whereas wise Men resist and mortifie and banish it in the bosom b In the Heart the proper seat of the passions of fools 10 Say not thou c To wit by way of impatient Expostulation and Complaint against God either for permitting such disorders in the World or for bringing thee into the World in such an evil time and state of things Otherwise a man may say this by way of prudent and pious enquiry that by searching out the cause he may as far as it is in his power apply Remedies to make them better What is the cause that the former days were better d Either 1. Less sinful Or rather 2. More quiet and comfortable For this and not the former is the cause of most Mens murmurings against Gods Providence And this is an Argument of a mind discontented and unthankful for the many Mercies which Men commonly enjoy even in evil times and impatient under Gods hand than these
thinks to affright us with Bugbears but he either cannot or will not do us any harm we do not fear him let him do his worst let him begin as soon as he pleaseth Not that any of the Israelites were so impudent as to use these Expressions but this was the plain Language of their Actions they lived as if they were of this Opinion their Presumption and Security shewed their desperate Contempt of God and of all his Judgments and let the counsel of the holy One of Israel g Who by his 〈◊〉 is engaged to punish us They scornfully repeated the Title usually given by the Prophets unto God draw nigh and come that we may know it 20 Wo unto them †Heb. that say concerning evil It is good c. that call evil good and good evil h That take away the difference between Good and Evil that justifie and approve wicked Men and Things and condemn Piety or Vertue or righteous Persons Compare 〈◊〉 17. 15. Thus many call Serious Godliness Humourous Singularity and Justice Morofity and Meekness Stupidity c. as on the contrary 〈◊〉 call Pride Magnanimity and Covetousness Good â—…andry And men are very apt to follow the Course of the World in their false Judgments of things which therefore the Prophet so severely forbids that put darkness for light and light for darkness that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter 21 Wo unto them that are * Prov. 3â—… 7. Rom. 12. 16. wise in their own eyes and prudent †Heb. before their face in their own sight i That being puffed up with an Opinion of their own Wisdom despise the Counsels and Instructions of God by his Prophets and prefer their own vain Fancies before the Judgment of the All-wise God as appears by the Errour beforementioned v. 20. that they affirmed that to be Evil which God had declared to be Good 22 Wo unto them that are mighty to drink wine k That can drink much without Intoxication in which they gloried as too many do at this day and men of strength to mingle l i. e. To drink the Antecedent being put for the Consequent which is usual for they mingled it in order to drinking strong drink 23 Which * Prov. 17. 15 24. 24. justifie the wicked for reward m Not by mistake or incogitancy but wilfully for Bribes and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him n To wit juridically they pronounce Sentence against him as if he and his Cause were unjust 24 Therefore as †Heb. the tongue of fire the fire devoureth the stubble and the flame consumeth the chaff so their root shall be as rottenness o They shall be like a Tree which not onely withers in its Branches but dies and rots at the Roots and therefore is past all hopes of recovery The sence is They shall be destroyed both Root and Branch and their blossom shall go up as dust p Shall vanish for so the Word ascend or go up is oft used as Exod. 16. 14. Iob 5. 26. Ier. 48. 15. Ezek. 11. 23 24. as the Dust which is blown away with every Wind or shall be resolved into Dust and yield no Fruit. because they have cast away q Which implies Disobedience joyned with Contempt the law of the LORD of hosts and despised the word of the hole One of Israel 25 Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people and he hath stretched forth his hand against them and hath smitten them and the hills did tremble r A Metaphorical and Hyperbolical Description of a grievous Calamity familiar in the Prophets as Isa. 64. 1 2. Ier. 4. 24. and in other Authors and their carcases were ‖ Or as dung torn in the midst of the streets * Ch. 9. 12. 17. 21. 10. 4. For all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still s Ready to give you another and a â—…orer Blow This is not the end as you vainly imagine but if you repent not the beginning of your Sorrows and an Earnest of further Calamities 26 And he will lift up an ensign t To call them together for this Service as Generals use to do for the raising of Armies to the nations from far u Either 1. to the Assyrians of whom he speaks more particularly ch 10. and that under this same Character of a People that come from far v. 3. and who did not long after this Prophecy invade Iudaea and did much mischief in it Although that part of the Prediction v. 29. they 〈◊〉 lay hold of the prey and shall carry it away safe and none shall deliver it do not seem to agree to them nor that Invasion for the Assyrians were forced to retreat with great shame and loss and the Iews were delivered from them Or 2. to the Chaldaeans for even Babylon is called a far countrey Isa. 39. 3. And he saith nations because the Chaldaean Army was made up of several Nations and will * Chap. 7. 18. hiss unto them x Or will whistle unto or for them will gather them together by his Word as Shepherds gather their Sheep He intimates how easily and speedily God can do this Work from the ends of the earth y Which is not to be understood strictly but popularly and with a latitude from very remote Places although part of the Chaldaean Army did come from Places not very 〈◊〉 distant from the end of that part of the World so far as 〈◊〉 was then known and behold they shall come with speed swiftly 27 None shall be weary z Though their March be long and tedious As I have called them to this Work so I will strengthen and assist them in it nor stumble amongst them none shall slumber nor sleep a They shall all be watchful and diligent to take all Opportunities and Advantages of executing my Judgments upon my People neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed nor the latchet of their shoes be broken b Which otherwise would hinder or at least slacken them in their March I will take all Impediments out of their way 28 Whose arrows are sharp and all their bows bent c Who are every way furnished and ready for my Work waiting onely for my Command their horses hoofs shall be counted like flint d Because they shall not be broken or battered by the length or stoniness and ruggedness of the Way and their wheels like a whirlwind e Partly for the swiftness of their March and partly for the force and violence of their Chariots in Battel 29 Their roaring shall be like a lion they shall roar like young lions f Which signifies both their Cruelty and their greediness and eagerness to catch and devour the Prey yea they shall roar and lay hold of the prey and shall carry it
River yet they shall be freed from the disadvantage of it which is That the Enemies may come against them in Ships for no Galleys nor Ships of the Enemies shall be able to come into this River to annoy them 22. For the LORD is our judge t To judge for us to plead our Cause against our Enemies as the ancient Judges of Israel did Iudg. 2. 16. the Lord is our * Jam. 4. 12. †Heb. statute-maker lawgiver u Our chief Governour to whom it belongs to give Laws and to defend his People the LORD is king he will save us 23 ‖ Or they have forsaken thy tacklings Thy tacklings are loosed x He directeth his Speech to the Assyrians and having tacitely designed their Army under the notion of a gallant Ship ver 21. he here represents their broken and undone condition by the Metaphor of a Ship tossed in a tempestuous Sea having her Cables broken and all her Tacklings loose and out of order so as she could have no benefit of her Masts or Sails and therefore is quickly broken or swallowed up by the Sea they y The Assyrians of whom he still speaks as in the first Clause he spake to them could not well strengthen their mast they could not spread the sail then is the Prey of a great spoil divided the Iame take the prey z They who came to spoil and prey upon my People shall become a prey to them and shall be forced to flee away so suddenly that they shall leave so many Spoils behind them that when strong and active Men have carried away all that they desired there shall be enough left for the Lame who come last to the Spoil The general Sence of the place is That God's People shall be Victorious over all their Enemies 24. And the inhabitants a To wit of Ierusalem God's people shall not say I am sick b Shall have no cause to complain of any sicknes or calamity shall be fully delivered from all their Enemies and evil Occurrents shall enjoy perfect tranquility and prosperity the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity c This may be added Either 1. as the Reason of the foregoing priviledge Their Sins the main causes of all their Distresses shall be pardoned and therefore their Sufferings the effects of Sin shall cease Or 2. as an additional Favour They shall not onely receive from me a glorious Temporal Deliverance but which is infinitely better the pardon of all their Sins and all those spiritual and everlasting Blessings which attend upon that Mercy CHAP. XXXIV 1. COme near ye nations to hear and hearken ye people a Let the People of all Nations take notice of what I am about to say and do as that wherein they are generally concerned and by the consideration whereof they may if they will be instructed and so delivered from the Calamity here denounced let the earth hear and †Heb the fulness thereof all that is therein the world and all things that come forth of it b Heb. All the off-springs of it Either 1. all the Trees and Fruits and other productions of it For it is usual with the Prophets by a Figure to turn his Speech to these senseless Creatures Or 2. all the Inhabitants of the World as the Chaldee and other Ancients restrain and understand this general Expression which also is Emphatical and admonisheth the proud and insolent Sons of Men of their mean and obscure Original that how great and glorious soever they may seem to themselves or others yet in truth they are but a better sort of Mushromes springing out of the Earth for Dust they are and unto dust they must return as was said Gen. 3. 19. 2. For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations c Not onely upon the Assyrians and those Nations which were Confederate with them in this Expedition but upon all other Enemies of my People whatsoever and his fury upon all their armies he hath utterly destroyed them d He will infallibly Destroy all of them he hath delivered them to the slaughter 3. Their slain also shall be cast out e Into the Fields where they shall lie unburied and be left for a prey to all ravenous Birds and Beasts Whereby he implies either the vast Numbers which shall be Slain so as they could not have time or place to Bury them Or the curse of God upon them and the Peoples contempt and abhorrency of them and * Joel 2. 20. their stink shall come up out of their carcases and the mountains f About Ierusalem where they are supposed to be gathered to Fight against Ierusalem as the Assyrians now were and as other Enemies afterward would be Zech. 12. 2. 14. 2. shall be melted with their blood g Shall be filled with their Blood which shall run down abundantly from the Mountains with great force and dissolve and carry down part of the earth of the Mountains with it as great showers of Rain frequently do 4. And all the host of heaven h The Sun and Moon and Stars which frequently come under this name in Scripture as Deut. 4. 19. and 17. 3. and elsewhere shall be dissolved i Shall seem to be dissolved So great shall be the confusion and consternation of Man-kind as if all the frame of the Creation were broken into pieces Some understand this of the general Judgment which some passages here following will not permit But it is a very usual thing for Prophetical Writers both in the Old and New-Testament to represent great and general Calamities in such words and phrases as properly agree to the Day of Judgment as on the contrary The glorious Deliverances of God's People are set forth in such Expressions as properly agree to the Resurrection from the Dead See Ezek. 37. 7. Ioel. 2. 31. 3. 15. Revel 6. 12 13. and the heavens shall be * Rev. 6. 14. rolled together as a scroll k Heb. as a book for Books were then written in Scroles which they usually rolled up together and when they were so no Man could â—…ead any word in it and no more shall any Man be able to see those goodly Lights of Heaven for they shall all be obscured and confounded This Phrase is used also Isa. 8. 1. Revel 6. 14. and all their host shall fall down as the leaf that falleth off from the vine l When it is withered and as a * Rev. 6. 13. falling fig m Which falleth either through great Maturity or being thrust out by green Figs coming forth or by any other accident from the fig-tree 5. For * Jer. 46. 10. my sword shall be bathed n In the Blood of these People Heb. Is or shall be made drunk in heaven o Either 1. in my Church which is called Heaven Dan. 8. 10. Revel 4. 1.
worship of which they take so much Pleasure shall not profit and they are their own witnesses d They that make them are Witnesses against themselves and against their Idols because they very well know That they are not God's but the work of their own Hands in which there is nothing but mean matter and man's Art * Psal. 115. 4. c. they see not nor know e Or that they to wit their Idols do not see nor know have neither Sense nor Understanding that they may be ashamed f Therefore they have just Cause to be ashamed of their Folly and Stupidity in Worshipping such senseless Things 10. Who hath formed a god or molten a. graven image that is * Hab. 2 18. profitable for nothing g What Man in his Wits can esteem That a god which his own Hands have formed or melt a Graven Image understand out of the former Clause to be his God which is profitable for nothing He speaks of melting a graven image because the Image was first molten and cast in a Mould and then polished and graven with a Tool as was observed before Or thus Who art thou O Man that formest a god or meltest a graven image to Worship it which is profitable for nothing Come hither and let me reason the Case with thee Which he doth in the following Verses So this Verse is a kind of Summons to Idolaters to come and plead their own Cause 11. Behold all his fellows h Either 1. the Work-men as it follows who in this Work are Companions or Partners with him by whose cost and command the Work is done Or 2. those who any way assist or encourage him in this Work and joyn with him in worshipping the Image which he maketh shall be * Psal. 97. 7. Chap. 1. 29. 42. 17 45. 16. ashamed and the work-men they are of men i They are of Mankind and therefore cannot possibly make a god Or They are of the meanest sort of Men for so the Hebrew Word Adam sometimes signifies let them all be gathered together let them stand up yet they shall fear and they shall be ashamed together k Though all combine together and stand up with all their Might to maintain the Cause of their false gods they shall be filled with Fear and Confusion when God shall plead his Cause against them 12. * Chap. 40. 19. 41. 6. Jer. 10. 3. The smith ‖ Or with an axe with the tongs both worketh in the coals and fashioneth it with hammers l First he makes the Mettal soft and pliable by putting it among burning Coals and then he taketh it out and beateth it into what form he pleaseth It must be here noted That some of these Images were made of Brass and Iron as others were of Gold and Silver Dan. 5. 4. and worketh it with the strength of his arms yea he is hungry and his strength faileth he drinketh no water and is faint m This is mentioned Either 1. as an Argument of the vanity of Idols which cannot relieve their poor Workmen when they are ready to faint away through Hunger and Thirst and Weariness Or 2. as an Evidence of their great Zeal and industry in carrying on this Work so that they forget or neglect to eat and drink when their necessities require it This I prefer 1. Because it suits best with the next foregoing Clause He worketh with the strength of his arms i. e. fervently and putting forth all his might in the Work 2. Because the Prophet in this and the next following Verses is onely describing the mechanical part or the matter of Images and the art and labour of the Work-men in making them and afterwards proceeds to the Theological consideration of the Thing and the confutation of these Practices as we shall see 13. The carpenter n He here speaks Either 1. of the same Image which is supposed to be made of Wood and then covered with some Mettal Or 2. of another sort of Images made of Wood as the former might be made of Iron It is not material which way you understand it stretcheth out his rule he marketh it with a line o He measureth and marketh that portion of Wood by his Rule and Line of which the Idol is to be made he fitteth it with planes and he marketh it out with the compass and maketh it after the figure of a man according to the beauty of a man p In the same comely Shape and Proportions which are in a Living Man whom he designs to represent as exactly as is possible that it may remain q Or sit or dwell Which implies Either 1. that it cannot stir out of its place Or 2. that when the Image is made it is set up and fixed in its appointed place in the house r Either in the Temple appointed for it Or in the dwelling House of him that made it that he and his Family might more frequently give Worship to it and might receive Protection from it as Idolaters vainly imagined 14. He heweth him down cedars and taketh the cypress and the oak s Which afford the best and most durable Timber which he ‖ Or taketh courage strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest t The Sence of the Words thus rendred is That he planteth and with care and diligence improveth those Trees among and above all the Trees of the Forest that he or his Posterity may thence have Materials for their Images and those things which belong to them And this Sence seems to be favoured by the following Clause wherein it is said He planteth an Ash for this very reason Or the Sence may be this Which he suffers to grow to greater strength and largeness than other Trees of the Forest that they may be better and fitter for his use Heb. And he strengthneth himself c. And he useth all his strength among the Trees of the Forest in planting such as are proper for this end in walking hither and thither to survey which is the best of them in hewing them down and in other things relating to them he planteth an ash and the rain doth nourish it 15. Then shall it be for a man to burn for he will take thereof and warm himself yea he kindleth it and baketh bread yea he maketh a god and worshippeth it he maketh it a graven image and falleth down thereto u Having related the practices of Idolaters he now discovers the vanity and folly of them that he maketh his fire and his god of the same Materials distinguished onely by the Art of Man 16. He burneth part thereof in the fire with part thereof he eateth flesh x He dresseth Flesh for his eating he rosteth rost and is satisfied yea he warmeth himself and saith Aha I am warm I have seen the fire y I have felt the warmth of it Seeing is
* Gen. 1. 6. Which alone r i. e. By his own single power without any other help spreadeth out the Heavens s He spread them out like a curtain Ps. 104. 1 2 and he in a manner spreads them again every day i. e. keeps them spread for the comfort and benefit of this lower World and doth not roll and fold them up as he will do in due time See Isa. 34. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 10. Revel 6. 14. Or boweth down the heavens as the same Hebrew Verb is rendred Psalm 18. 9. So it is a further description of a black and tempestuous season wherein the heavens seem to be brought down and nearer to the earth and treadeth upon the †Heb. heights waves of the sea t i. e. Represseth and ruleth them when they rage and are tempestuous for treading upon any thing signifies in Scripture uâ—…e Power and Dominion over it as Deut. 33. 29. Iob 40. 12. Psalm 60. 12. 91. 13. Luke 10. 19. 9. * Chap. 38. 31. c. Amos 5. 8. Which maketh u Either 1. created them or rather 2. ordereth and disposeth them as the word making is sometimes used in Scripture governeth their rising and setting and all their Influences †Heb. 〈◊〉 Cesil Criâ—…ah Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the chambers of the south x These he names as Stars or Constellations of greatest note and eminency for so they are both in Scripture and other Authors and such as have or are thought to have a special influence in railing Storms and Tempests but under them he seems to comprehend all the Stars which as they were created by God so are under his Government Arcturus is a Northern Constellation near that called the Bear which riseth to us about the beginning of September and by its rising produceth as Pliny affirmâ—… 〈◊〉 Storms and Tempests Orion is a â—…re Southernly Constellation that ariseth to us in December and is noted by Astronomers for raising fearful Winds and Tempests both by Sea and Land The Pleiades is a Constellation not far from Orion and near that called the Bull which we call the Seven Stars To us it riseth at the beginning of the Spring and by its rising causeth Rains and Tempests and therefore is unwelcom to Mariners at Sea By the chambers or inmost and secret chambers as the word signifies of the South he seems to understand those Stars and Constellations which are towards the Southern Pole which are fitly called inward chambers because they are for the most part hid and shut up as Chambers commonly are from these parts of the World and do not rise or appear to us till the beginning of Summer when they also raise Southerly Winds and Tempests as Astronomers observe 10. Which doth great things past finding out yea and wonders without number y Which words were produced by Eliphaz Chap. 5. 9. where they are explained and are here repeated by Iob to shew his agreement with him therein 11. Lo he goeth z i. e. He worketh by his Providence in waies of Mercy or Judgment by me a Or besides or before me in my presence and I see him not b I see the Effects but I cannot understand the Causes or Grounds of his Actions for they are incomprehensible by me or by any other men for though he speaks onely in his own person yet he means it of all men that such is the weakness of mens Understandings that they cannot search out God's Counsels and ways See Acts 17. 27. Rom. 11. 33. he passeth on also c He goeth from place to place from one action to another He speaks of God after the manner of men but I perceive him not 12. * Isa. 45. 9. Jer. 18. 6. Rom. 9. 20. Behold he taketh away d If he determine to take away from any man his Children or Servants or Estate as he hath done from me †Heb. who can turn him away Ch. 11. 10. who can hinder him who will say unto him what doest thou e who is able to restrain him from doing it Or who dare presume to reprove him for it And therefore far be it from me to quarrel with God whereof you untruly accuse me 13. If God will not withdraw his anger f i. e. If God resolve not to withdraw his Rod and stroak the Effect of his Anger Or without if which is not in the Hebrew God will not withdraw his anger i. e. not forbear to punish neither because any man can over-power and restrain him nor for fear lest he should rebuke him for proceeding to punish as is implied by comparing this Verse with the former the †Heb. helpers of pride or strength proud helpers g i. e. Those men who shall undertake to uphold and defend him whom God intends to punish and destroy who are fitly called proud helpers because this is a most proud and insolent and presumptuous act to oppose themselves to the Lord God Almighty and to his Counâ—…el and Courses or as it is in the Hebrew Helpers of pride because they give assistance to that man who carries himself proudly and stoutly towards God under his correcting-hand Or as some translate it the helpers of Egypt or the Egyptian helpers i. e. the most potenâ—… helpers for Egypt was in Iob's time a powerful and flourishing Kingdom and not far from Iob's Country And the word Rahab here rendred pride is elsewhere put for Egypt as Psalm 87. 4. Isa. 51. 9. And as some take it Iob 26. 12. do stoop under him h i. e. Shall fall and be crushed by him and consequently they who are helped by him must fall with them 14. How much less shall i Since no Creature whatsoever can resist his Power and no man living can search out or comprehend his Counsels and Ways how can I who am a poor contemptible dispirited Creature contend with him I answer him k i. e. Answer his Allegations and Arguments produced against me and choose out my words to reason with him l Heb. Choose my words with or before or against as this Particle is used Deut. 9. 7. Psalm 94. 1â—… Prov. 30. 3â—… him i. e. Shall I try whether God or I can choose fitter Words or stronger Arguments Or shall I contend with him and expect to get the better of him by using choice and forcible and elegant words as one man doth with another 15. Whom though I were righteous m Though I had a most just cause and were not conscious to my self of any sâ—…n yet would I not answer n i. e. I durst not undertake to plead my Cause against him or maintain my Integrity before him because he knows me better than I know my self and because I am wholly in his hands and at his mercy but I would make supplication to my judge o To wit that he would hear me meekly and judge favourably of me
and my Cause and not according to the rigours of his justice 16. If I had called p i. e. Prayed as this word is commonly used to wit unto my Judge for a favourable sentence as he now said and therefore it was neeedless here to mention the Object of his Calling or Prayer and he had answered me yet would I not believe that he had hearkned unto my voice q I could not believe that God had indeed granted my Desire though he had done it because I am so infinitely below him and obnoxious to him and still full of the tokens of his displeasure and therefore should conclude that it was but a pleasant Dream or Fancy and not a real thing Compare Psalm 126. 1. 17. For he breaketh me r This is the Reason of his foregoing Diffidence that even when God seemed to answer him in words yet the course of his actions towards him was of a quite contrary nature and tendency with a tempest s As with a Tempest i. â—… unexpectedly violently and irrecoverably and multiplieth my wounds without cause t Not simply without any desert of his or as if he had no sin in him for he oft declares the contrary but without any evident or special cause of such singular Afflictions i. e. any peculiar and extraordinary guilt such as my Friends charge me with 18. He will not suffer me to take my breath u My pains and miseries are continual and I have not so much as a breathing-time free from them but 〈◊〉 me with bitterness x My Afflictions are not only long and uninterrupted but also exceeding sharp and violent contrary to the common course of God's Providence 19. If I speak of strength y If my Cause were to be decided by power lo he is strong z i. e. stronger than I. and if of judgment a If I would contend with him in a way of right who shall set me a time to plead b There is no superiour Judge that can summon him and me together and appoint us a time of pleading before him and oblige us both to stand to his Sentence and therefore I must be contented to sit down with the loss 20. If I justifie my self c If I plead against God mine own Righteousness and Innocency mine own mouth shall condemn me d God is so infinitely wise and just that he will find sufficient matter of condemnation from my own words though spoken with all possible care and circumspection or he will discover so much wickedness in me of which I was not aware that I shall be forced to joyn with him in condemning my self if I say I am perfect e If I were perfect in my own opinion If I thought my self compleatly righteous and faultless it f i. e. My own mouth as he now said Or he i. e. God who is easily understood by comparing this with the former Verses where the same he is oft mentioned shall also prove me perverse 21. Though I were perfect yet would I not know my soul I would despise my life g i. e. Though God should acquit me in Judgment and pronounce me perfect or righteous yet would I not know i. e. regard or value as that word is oft used my soul i. e. my life as the soul frequently signifies as Gen. 19. 17. Iob 2. 6. Iohn 10. 15 17. and as it is explained in the following branch where life is put for soul and despising for not knowing and so the same thing is repeated in differing words and the latter clause explains the former which was more dark and doubtful according to the usage of sacred Scripture So the sense is Though God should give sentence for me yet I should be so overwhelmed with the dread and terrour of the Divine Majesty that I should be weary of my life And therefore I abhor the thoughts of contending with my Maker whereof you accuse me and yet I have reason to be weary of my life and to desire death Or thus If I say I am perfect as the very same Hebrew words are rendred v. 20. i. e. If I should think my self perfect yet I would not know i. e. not acknowledge my soul I could not own nor plead before God the perfection and integrity of my soul but would onely make supplication to my Judge as he said v. 16. and flee to his grace and mercy I would abhor or reject or condemn my life i. e. my conversation So the sense is I would not insist upon nor trust to the integrity either of my soul and heart or of my life so as to justifie my self before the pure and piercing Eyes of the all-seeing God 22. This is one thing h In the other things which you have spoken of God's greatness justice c. I do not contend with you but thi one thing I do and must affirm against you therefore I said it i I did not utter it rashly but upon deep consideration he de stroyeth the perfect and the wicked k God sends afflictions promiscuously upon good and bad men Compare Psal. 73. 2 c. Eccles. 9. 2. Ier. 12. 1 c. 23. If the scourge slay suddenly l Either 1. If some common and deadly Judgment come upon a people which destroys both good and bad Or 2. If God inflicts some grievous and unexpected stroke upon an innocent person as it follows he will laugh at the trial of the innocent m As he doth at the destruction of the wicked Psal. 2. 4. His outward carriage is the same to both he neglects the innocent and seems not to answer their prayers and suflers them to perish with others as if he took pleasure in their râ—…ne also But withal he intimates the matter and cause of this laughter or complacency which God takes in their afflictions because to them they are but trials of their saith and patience and perseverance which tends to God's honour and their own eternal advantage 24. The earth n i. e. The possession and dominion of men and things on earth is given o To wit by God the great Lord and disposer of it by his providence into the hand of the wicked p Into their power As good men are scourged v. 23. so the wicked are advanced and prospered in this world he covereth the faces of the Judges thereof q i. e. He blinds their eyes that they cannot discern between truth and falshood justice and unrighteousness He. Who Either 1. the wicked last mentioned who either by power or by gifts corrupts the Officers of justice Or rather 2. God whom the pronoun he designed all along this Chapter Who is oft said to blind the minds of men which he doth not positively by making them blind but privatively by withdrawing his own light and leaving them to their own mistakes and lusts Or by Iudges he may here mean