wrath as the Greeke translateth it because the Hebrew Aph signifieth both anger and the nostrils and this speech is used in cases of judgment upon Gods enemies as in Iob 4. 9. by the blast of God they perish c. The Chaldee here translateth with the word of thy mouth It respecteth Gods command in Exod. 14. 26. 27. which was performed also by a winde as after verse 10. So the Lord will consume Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth 2 Thes. 2. 8. gathered or heaped up became as heaps And this being done with a mighty winde was with a great noise to which the Prophet hath reference saying the deepe uttered his voice and life up his hands on high Habakkuk 3. 10. congealed as ice frozen hardned It may be meant of the seas bottome which being muddy and soft was hardened that they went as on dry land He led his people through the deepe as an horse in the wildernesse Esay 63. 13. Some understand it of the waters that they were congealed as ice the heart that is the mids or deepe of the sea so Psalme 46. 3. Ezek. 28. 2. And now the channels of waters were seene and the foundations of the world were revealed at the rebuke of the Lord at the breath of the winde of his anger as David singeth for his victories Psal. 18. 16. Vers. 9. divide the spoile which is done after victory Luke 11. 22. and with joy Esay 9. 3. Thus the enemie vainely promised themselves the victory so in Iudg. 5. 30. soule that is lust or will so in Psal. 27. 12. and 41. 3. and 78. 18. destroy them or repossesse them for so the originall is used sometime for destroying or disinheriting as Numb 14. 12. sometime for causing to inherit or taking possession Numb 14. 24. The Chaldee here translateth it destroy the Greeke have dominion or Lord over them The Egyptians came out as a whirlewinde to scatter Israel their rejoycing was even to dovoure the poore in secret Hab. 3. 14. Vers. 10. blow the Chaldee translateth it thou didst say with thy word Of this winde there was no mention in Exod. 14. 27. but it is gathered from verse 21. where the Lord by a strong east winde caused the sea to goe backe covered them God made the waters of the red sea to flow over their faces as they pursued after Israel Deut. 11. 4. the waters covered the distressers of Israel not one of them was left Psal. 106. 11. And here God brake the heads of the Dragons in the waters the heads of Livjathan Psalme 74. 13. 14. Vers. 11. the Gods or the Mighties the Potentates so the Princes of the world are called Psal. 82. and 89. 7. wonders or marvels so the Greeke also and Chaldee translateth it the Hebrew being singular a wonder or miracle but one is often put for many as is noted on Gen. 3. 2. So in Psal. 78. 12. Vers. 12. the earth in the bottome of the sea so Ionas in the sea said the earth with her bars was about me for ever Ion. 2. 6. Vers. 13. leadest to wit softly or quietly as a flocke is led this was done by the pillar of the cloud and fire also by the hand of Moses and Aaron but ascribed to God as the principall even as in verse 12. God is said to stretch out his hand which was ministerially done by Moses Exodus 14. 26. So in Psalme 77. 21. thou didst leade thy people like a flocke by the hand of Moses and Aaron habitation of thine holinesse in Greeke thine holy lodging or mansion It is a continuance of the former similitude of a shepherds lodge or habitation which is in pleasant pastures to feed and give rest to his flocke as in all the cities thereof shall be an ha 〈…〉 of shepherds causing their flockes to lie downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 12. It meaneth the land of Canaan where God 〈…〉 uld give his people rest and feed them with his Word So when God promiseth to return them out of Babylon hee useth this word I will bring Israel againe to his habitation and hee shall feed c. Ier. 50. 19. and in that land Ierusalem was as the fold of the flocke and is called a quiet habitation Esay 33. 20. The fulfilling of this prophesie is celebrated by Asaph shewing how God made his people to goe forth like sheepe and guided them like a flocke in the wildernesse and led them on in safety and they dreaded not but the sea covered their enemies And hee brought them to the border of his Holinesse to that mountaine which his right hand had purchased Psal. 78 52. 53. 54. Vers. 14. stirred with feare or anger both which doe stirre the minde and body and cause it to quake and tremble and these were in the peoples hearing of Gods workes for Israel Deut. 2. 25. Ios. 2. 10. 11. Num. 20. 18. 20. and 22. 3. 6. The Greeke here translateth it angry Vers. 15. amazed or suddenly troubled it implieth both feare and haste and so the Greeke translateth it hasten See this fulfilled in Deut. 2. 4. and of Edoms Dukes see Gen. 36. take hold that is they shall greatly tremble For passions of the minde feare trembling astonishment and the like are said to take hold or fall upon men when they are overcome by them In Luk. 5. 26. it is said amazement tooke all which in Mark. 2. 12. is expounded all were amazed melt that is faint with feare as was accomplished Ios. 2. 9. 10. 11. and 5. 1. A similitude whereby the heart is likened to waxe which melteth with feare as waxe with fire Psal. 22. 15. and 68. 3. Vers. 16. terrour this also is signified in Deut. 2. 25. and 11. 25. Thargum Ierusalemy expounds it the terrour of death which phrase David useth in Psal. 55. 5. terrours of death are fallen upon me The Hebrew aemathah hath here a letter added in the end to denote the excesse of feare great terrour This though it was in respect of the people as it is said your terrour is fallen upon us Ios. 2. 9. yet proceeded it from God as he saith I will send my terrour before thee Exod. 23. 27. purchased or gotten bought and possessest The Hebrew Kanah signifieth to get either by generation as Gen. 4. 1. or by buying and purchasing whereby it becommeth ones owne possession Gen. 25. 10. Ex. 21. 2. All are in God creating redeeming and regenerating his people in Christ. So Moses elsewhere saith Is not he thy father that hath gotten or bought thee Deut. 32. 6. and Asaph saith Remember thy congregation which thou hast purchased Psalme 74. 2. and the Apostle speaketh of such as deny the Lord that hath bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1. The Chaldee here translateth it redeemed as in verse 13. Vers. 17. plant that is give them a setled dwelling a similitude from the vine tree as Psal. 80. 9. and 44. 3. mountaine that is mountany country such as Canaan was Deut. 11. 11. and in
Priests and Levites and Israelites 〈…〉 fully goe in that is 〈◊〉 one to ano 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is 〈◊〉 goeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— as it is written ACCORDING TO THE HOVSE OF THEIR FATHERS the house of his father that is his familie and not the house of his mother Maimony in Issure biah c. 19. sect 15. V. 16. the mouth that is as the Chaldee expoundeth it the word and the Greeke saith the voice of the Lord. V. 17. Gershon in Greeke Gersom but in vers 25. Gerson So Ezron in Gen. 46. 12. is Esrom Mat. 1. 3. Kohath or as in Greeke Kaath See Gen. 46. 11. Exod. 6. 16. V. 18. Libni in Greeke Lobnei and Semeei See Exod. 6. 17. V. 19. Hebron or as the Greeke also writeth it Chebron and Oziel See Exod. 6. 18. Here Kohath hath foure families so many as both his brethren had together V. 20. Mahli in Greeke Moolei and Mâ—usi See Exod. 6. 19. Vers. 21. Gershon in Greeke Gedsom mistaking D. for R. by reason of the likenesse of the letters in Hebrew See the notes on Gen. 4. 18. V. 23. Seaward that is as the Chaldee explaineth it westward See Num. 2. 18. V. 24. house of the father that is principall house so in v. 30. and 35. Eliasaph in Greeke Elisaph by interpretation God hath added Lael that is For God V. 25. the charge or the custodie the Holy things which they were to carrie keepe and looke unto whereof see more in Num. 4. Tabernacle the curtaines of the Tabernacle Num. 4. 25. for the boords were under Meraries charge Num. 3. 36. Tent made of ten curtaines see Exod. 26. 1. c. covering made of goats haire Exod. 26. 7. And here is to bee understood the other coverings also made of rammes skinnes and Tachash skinnes Exod. 26. 14. for they belonged to the Gershonites charge Num. 4. 25. hanging veile whereof see Exod. 26. 36. V. 26. tapestrie hangings whereof see Exod. 27. 9. c. hanging veile mentioned in Exod. 27. 16. V. 28. of the Sanctuarie Hebr. of the sanctifie or holinesse meaning the holy things as the Greeke saith of the Holies what they were is expressed in v. 31. See Num. 4. 4. 15. and 10. 21. Here the families of the Levites may be viewed by their numbers 1. Of the Gersonites 7500. 2. Of the Kohathites 8600. 3. Of the Merarites 6200. By their situation when they camped about the Tabernacle 1. Gersonites behinde westward v. 23. 2. Kohathites Southward v. 29. 3. Merarites Northward v. 35. And to make up the square Moses and Aaron with the Priests encamped formost Eastward v. â—8 By their charges for there was committed unto the care and cariage of the 1. Gersonites the Tent coverings veile hanging of the court c. 〈◊〉 Koha 〈…〉 the Arke Table Altars and Instruments of the Sanctuary 3. Merarites the boords barres pillars sockers c. Among these families of Levi wee may observe the speciall prerogatives of Kohath the second sonne 1. Hee excelleth in multitude of families or chiefe fathers having foure when as each of his brethren had but two 2. He excelleth in multitude of children having 8600. that is 1100 moe than his elder brother Gerson and 2400. moe than Merari 3. Of him came Moses the king Aaron the priest and Marie the prophetesse and so all the Priests were of this familie Exod. 6. 18. 20. Num. 26. 58 59. 4. His families have the chiefest place about the Sanctuary the South quarter next unto Moses Aaron and the priests Num. 3. 29. 5. They have the charge of the most holy things within the Sanctuarie as the Arke Table Candlesticke Altars c. Num. 3. 31. 6. Whereas the tribe of Levi had 48. cities allowed them in Canaan Kohaths posterity had 23. of them for the Priests had 13. cities and the other Kohathites ten and so he had in a manner a double portion as much as both his brethren Ios. 21. 7. Of the Prince of these Kohathites Elizaphan Num. 3. 30. there were 200. Levites to helpe home with the Arke in Davids daies no such mention being made of the other two princes besides 312. Kohathites of other families when of Gershon and Merari there were not so many 1 Chron. 15. 5. 8 9 10. V. 29. Southward the south is in Psal. 89. 13. called the right side and in this place it hath a name in Hebrew derived also of the right hand because so it is when men stand with their faces to the East see the notes on Num. 2. 3. V. 30. Elizapham sonne of Vzziel hee was of the fourth and youngest familie of the Kohathites yet preferred to be the prince over them This as the Hebrewes thinke was offensiue to Korah who was of the second familie of Izhar and occasioned him to rebell See the notes on Num. 16. 1. Elizaphan is by interpretation My God hath stored â—p and Uzziel God is my strength V. 31. all the service thereof in Greeke all the 〈…〉 ks of them V. 32. of the princes the Greeke saith over the princes and the Chaldee addeth appointed over the princes of the Levites Hebr. of Levi whose name is put for all his posteritie as the Greeke and Chaldee translate Levites So Aaron is used for the Aaronites 1 Chron. 12. 27. Eleazar by interpretation The helpe of God having the oversight or the Bishop having the Bis 〈…〉 office which hath the name in Hebrew of Uisitation in Greeke of Overseeing and so this word is translated by the holy Ghost Episcopee that is a Bishops office or charge in Act. 1. 20. from Psal. 109. 7. And in Num. 4. 16. the Greeke translateth it Episcopos Bishop So in Ezek. 44. 11. having charges that is Bishops at the gat of the house where the Greeke translateth it Porters In Thargum Ionathan it is explained thus Hee inquired by Urim and Thummim under his hand were they appointed that keepe the custodie of the Sanctuarie As Aaron the high Priest figured Christ Heb. 5. 1. 4. 5. so Eleazar in this office being Prince of Princes shadowed the office of our Lord Iesus who is the Prince of the Kings of the earth Rev. 1. 5. the Archpastor 1 Pet. 5. 4. the great Pastor of the sheepe Hebr. 13. 20. and Bishop of our soules 1 Pet. 2. 25. And hence arose the distinction of the high Priest and the second priest as in 2 King 25. 18. And when Aaron was dead and Eleazar high priest in his place Num. 20. 26. 28. then Phinehas Eleazars sonne was Governour over the Levites 1 Chron. 9. 20. V. 35. Zuriel in Greeke Souriel which signifieth God is my Rocke Abihail or Abichail as the Greeke pronounceth it by interpretation The fathers strength V. 36. the oversight of the charge that is as the Chaldee expoundeth it that which shall be committed to the charge or custodie of the sonnes of Merari the service thereof in Greeke the workes of them And because these things were heavy to beare the Lord allowed
c. Hereupon the Rabbins call this booke Sepher Thocbechoth that is the booke of Rebukes Iordan Hebr. Iarden a River springing out of mount Lebanon in the north end of Canaan running along the Countrey Of it and the mysterie thereof see Num. 34. 12. Ioshua 3. the plaine to wit of Moabs land as vers 5. see Num. 22. 1. There Moses spake these things and died Deut. 34. 5. The Chaldee saith Moses rebuked them because they had provoked God in the plaine the red sea so both Greeke and Chaldee doe translate it adding the word sea others keepe the Hebrew name Suph which signifieth flags such as grow by the sea and rivers sides Exod. 2. 3. and so expound it not of the Sea Suph called the Red Sea but of a flaggie place by the sides of Iordan inwards the wildernesse of Arabia So in Num. 21. 14. Pharan or Paran a wildernesse south-ward from the place where Moses now was thorow which Israel had passed Num. 13. 1. in it was a mountaine so named Deut. 33. 2. The Chaldee here addeth in Pharan where they mur 〈…〉 against the Manna Tophel this is thought to be atowne called afterwards Pella which was northward from where Moses now spake Laban in Greek Lobon of others Lybias a Citie lying from them northwest Hazeroth by interpretation Court-yards and so the Greeke expounds it a place lying eastward Of Hazeroth we read also in Numb 11. 35. and 13. 1. Vnto it the Chaldee here referreth it saying In Hazereth where they provoked God for flesh Diza 〈…〉 a region wherein was the Citie Mezahab as some suppose Zahab signifies gold and so the Greeke here translateth by the Gold-mines The Chaldee referres it to the golden Calfe which they made All these are limits of the place where Moses gave this Deuteronomie which was without the holy Land and river Iordan wherein 〈…〉 tisme was administred Matth. 3. environed with places which in name and situation signified 〈◊〉 and teach us the use of this Law which is in afflict the soule by shewing it sin and to pre 〈…〉 for Christ who by faith bringeth us to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the heavenly Canaan Hebr. 4. 1 2 3. c. Verse 2. Eleven daies journey so the Chaldee expounds it adding also the word journey Some of the Hebrews thinke that in eleven daies all things in this Booke of Deuteronomie were by Moses rehearsed Neither could it bee any long time seeing Moses began the first day of the eleventh 〈◊〉 ver 3. and having ended all things in this booke died and was mourned for thirty daies Deut. 34. 8. Then Iosua sendeth spies to view the land Ios. 2. leadeth the people thorow Iordan Ios. 3. circumciseth them and after keepeth the Passeover the foureteenth day of the first moneth Ios. 5. Horeb called also Sinai the mount where the law was given see Exod. 3. 1. mount Seir the mountainy countrey of Seir wherein the Edomites dwelt Gen. 36. 8 9. Kadesh barnea the southerne border of the land of Canaan Num. 34. 4. Though the way was so short yet Israel for their sinnes wandred forty yeares in the wildernesse as God had threatned Num. 14. 33 34. in which time all the fathers died Verse 3. Fortieth yeare of Israels comming out of Egypt In the first moneth of this yeare Marie Moses sister died Num. 20. 1. in the first day of the fifth moneth thereof Aaron his brother died Num. 33. 38. and now at the end of the yeare Moses himselfe dieth when he had repeated the Law and renewed the Covenant between God and his people Israel Vers. 4. Sihon the storie hereof see in Num. 21. and after in Deut. 2. 26. c. The slaughter of Sihon and Og was an encouragement to Israel for their after warres and an argument to move them unto thankfull obedience to the Law now repeated in Astaroth in Edrei hee dwelt in Astaroth and was smitten in Edrei where the battell was fought Num. 21. 33. or as the Greeke translateth it he dwelt in Astaroth and in Edrei for they were both Cities in Ogs land Ios. 13. 31. and Og is said to have reigned in Astaroth and Edrei Ios. 13. 12. In Gen. 14. 5. it is called Asteroth Karnaim Verse 5. began or willingly tooke upon him for the word implieth willingnes and contentednes see Gen. 18. 27. So all Ministers should feed their flocks willingly and of a ready minde 1 Pet. 5. 2. And Moses began to declare that is he declared as Iesus began to say unto his Disciples Luk. 12. 1. that is he said unto them Mat. 16. 6. and his disciples began to plucke the eares of corne Mat. 12. 1. that is they plucked Luk. 6. 1. to declare or to make plaine clearely manifest to the understanding of the people as in Habak 2. 2. a thing is said to be made plaine in writing that hee may run that readeth it Verse 6. dwelt or sitten that is continued much They came to that mount in the third moneth after their departure out of Egypt Exod. 19. 1 2. and removed frō the mount the 20 of the second moneth in the second yere Num. 10. 11 12. so they remained there almost a whole yeer where they received the Law or Old Testament and had made a Tabernacle for God to dwell among them from thence God calleth them by word and signe the cloud removing Num. 10. 11. 13. 33. to journey towards Canaan the land promised to Abraham the figure of their heavenly inheritance by faith in Christ. The law is not for men to continue under but for a time till they be fitted and brought unto Christ see Gal. 3. 16 17 18. and 4. 1. 5. Heb. 3. 18 19. and 4. 6. 11. Verse 7. Amorite put for Amorites as the Greeke translateth whose neighbours were the Canaanites Pherezites and other Nations promised to be their possession Exod. 23. 23 28 31. side or sea Port which was their westerne border Num. 34. 6. Lebanon which was a mount on the north part of the Land Euphrates in Hebrew Phrath which was their easterne bound in the utmost extent without Iordan And so far Salomon reigned 1 King 4. 21. Of this Euphrates see the notes on Gen. 2. 14. Vers. 8. I have given or I give which implieth both Israels right unto that land Levit. 25. 23. Iudg. 11. 23 24. and their assured victorie over the inhabitants Exod. 23. 27 31. Both these proceeding from the gracious gift of God as eternall life shadowed by this land is also the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 23. Seed that is children or posterity see the notes on Gen. 13. 15. Vers. 9. I said Moses was occasioned unto this motion not onely by the conscience of his owne inability here mentioned but by the counsell of Iethro and commandement of the Lord Exod. 18. 14 18 19 21 23. Thus the people were furnished with all helpes for their orderly and peaceable travels Vers. 10. As the Starres so the
If then the whole tenour of that Revelation be to prophesie of matters from former types and predictions it is consonant and proportionable that the like is done in Revel 21. 2. And that 21. Chapter foretelling the restauration of the Church after the fall of Antichrist and withall as the best Expositors have opened it of the calling againe of the Iewes according to the prophesies of old and of our Apostle in Rom. 11. it is not likely but the holy Ghost who throughout those visions and in matters concerning the Gentiles alludeth to the old Testament would much rather doe the like where he prophesieth of the Iewes 3. Many particulars in that Chapter confirme this as when the Church is called by the 〈◊〉 name Ierusalem Revel 21. vers 2 10. and the Tabernacle of God vers 3. when expresse mention is made of the names of the 〈◊〉 tribes of Israel to be at the twelve gates v. 12. when the Citie is measured according to the visions of old Ezek. 40. 3. with a reed ver 1â— when God and the Lambe are called the Temple of it vers 22. and sundry the like 4. It will not be denied I suppose by men of under standing which compare the Scriptures that these last visions of Iohn have reference in many things to the last visions of Ezekiel As the gates of the Citie have their names of the tribes of Israel which there are expressed one of Reuben one of Iudah one of Levi c. 〈◊〉 48. 31 c. so the gates of this C 〈…〉 which Iohn saw have at them the names of the twelve tribes of the sonnes of Israel Rev. 21. 12. There waters issue out of Gods house Ezek. 47. 〈◊〉 so here is a pure river of water of liâ—e Rev. 22 1. There trees grow by the river Ezek. 47. 12. here the tree of life Rev. 22. 2. with other things concordant So that the state of the Church there being described from Israel and the possession of the tribes by name Ezek. 48. yeeldeth strong probability of the like allusions here and consequently of the twelve precious stones to the stones of the tribes which are no where named but by Moses in Exodus 5. And this the rather because as Aarons ornaments were for glory and beauty Exod. 28. 2. so these stones are for garnishment to the foundations of the walls of the Citie Rev. 21. 19. And the Tabernacle of Moses was walled as we may say with the twelve Tribes which compassed it in a square Numb 2. Now seeing the Saints are compared to precious stones Lam. 4. 1 2 7. 1 Pet. 2. 5. unto what company rather than to the twelve tribes described by their precious stones in Aarons Ephod may we thinke hath the Lord reference in Rev. 21. 6. Againe seeing the names of the Lambes twelve Apostles are in the foundations of this wall Rev. 21. 14. which Apostles are answer able to the twelve Patriarchs of the tribes both in number so noted by the Spirit of God v. 12. 14. and in propagation of the Church spiritually by the Gospel 1 Cor. 4. 15. Gal. 4. 19. 3 Ioh. v. 4. as the Patriarchs were fathers of the ancient Church both in the flesh and in the Lord and in government as the other governed the Tribes Psal. 45. 16. Matth. 19. 28. 1 Cor. 4. 19 21. besides other things wherein they may be compared it seemeth most fit and according to the things both in this Chapter whole Booke that the precious stones by which these twelve foundations are described should be answerable to the twelve precious stones whereon the names of the Patriarchs were graved Exod. 28. for there is no place else in the Scripture whereto they can have reference 7. Moreover there is in the Prophets another name of the Adamant or Diamond called in Hebrew Shamir which is noted of the Holy Ghost to be hard even harder than flint Zach. 7. 12. Ezek. 3. 9. and to be of use for graving Ier. 17. 1. so that the speciall things which mine Opposite observeth from Plinie an heathen writer of the nature of the Adamant are by the testimony of God found in this Shamir And it is translated the Adamant by consent of the most Interpreters both old and new and by the Greeke version in Ier. 17. 1. that if the voices of learned men may end this controversie there be as many or moe for Shamir to be the Adamant than can I suppose be brought for Iahalom And the same Prophet which useth Shamir for the Adamant when he hath reference to the stones on the Ephod retaineth the names in Exodus the Iahalom among them Ezek. 3. 9. and 28. 13. Wherefore if Shamir be the Hebrew name of the Adamant the stone Iabalâ—m in Exo. 28. may well be another than it and if another where may we safer seeke it than in Rev. 21. for the reasons before shewed That which is alleaged for the contrary from the notation of the word Iahalom and consent of many Interpreters and the like hath I confesse probability and were it not for the causes above shewed I would thinke it to be the Adamant though the notation likewise of Shamir and agreement of Interpreters may also perswade it to be the Adamant and for Plinies testimony of the Adamants that they are desired of engravers it accordeth to this Shamir as we may learne of the Prophet Ier. 17. 1. And for the price of the Adamant above the Sardonyx or any gem or other humane things as the same Plinie reporteth it will not though so it be end this question seeing it is not necessary to conclude that God would chuse the most precious thing to signifie grace in men which have it but in part especially seeing hee putteth this stone not in the first but in the sixt place as the Iahalom is ordered in Exo. 28. 18. Yea it is plainly without likelihood that God would impart the most precious thing among the Patriarchs and take it away from among the Apostles for it is sure no Adamant is to be found in Rev. 21. This were to preferre the old Tehament before the New the Law before the Gospel Moses before Christ contrary to the Apostles doctrine in 2 Cor. 3. and to make the holy Ierusalem the Bride the Lambs wife which is said to have the glory of God and her wals garnished with all manner of precious stones and many other like excellencies Revel 21. 9 10 19. c. to be inferiour in glory to Moses Sanctuary and the earthly Ierusalem and those that ministred in the same which a man of sound judgement will not easily beleeve And whatsoever Plinie saith of the preciousnesse of the Adamant we are assured from God that the Sardonix is precious Revel 21. 19 20. and Plinie himselfe confirmeth it by the example of the Tyrant Polycrates who so greatly esteemed the Sardonix in his Ring that he valued the losse thereof with all his wealth and felicity which he
30. and Christ playeth in the earth and hath his delights with the sonnes of Adam Prov. 8. 31. And the ancient Iewish Rabbines acknowledged this Angell to be Christ Our Doctors of blessed memory saith R. D. Kimchi on Hos. 12. 4. haue said this Angell was Michael and of him hee saith Genes 48. 16. the Angell that redeemed me from all evill Michael is Christ the Archangel Dan. 10. 21. Iude 9. Revel 12. 7. Later Rabbines doe feigne that this was Esaus Angell who sought to hinder Iakob but Iakob himselfe refuteth this vers 30. the rising vp of the morning or ascending of the day dawning that is till the breake of the day So. vers 26. A phrase much like the looking forth of the morning whereof see Gen. 24. 63. Exod. 14. 27. This time in the night and the continuance of it setteth forth the greatnesse of this tentation So Abrams vision was in the night Gen. 15. 12. 17. And the night is figuratively the time of troubles feares and dangers Iob 36. 20. Song 3. 8. and 5. 2. Psal. 91. 5. Vers. 25. he that is the man the Angel prevailed not For faith prevaileth even over Christ him-selfe as in Matth. 15. 22. 24. 27. 28. touched and so did hurt the hollow place wherin the huckle-bone moveth Which being so hard a place for man to come unto Iakob by this touch perceived he was no ordinary man with whom he wrastled was out of joint or hung loose the Greek translateth was benummed This was to humble Iakob the conquerour that he should not be exalted out of measure as 2 Cor. 12. 7. and to teach him that he could not overcome the troubles in the world without sorrow and paine unto his flesh by the hand and worke of God Vers. 26. let me goe or send me away the Angell craveth to be dismissed of Iakob and so giveth him the victory who held him fast and gave not over though he had hurt him for when Gods people are weake then are they strong 2 Cor. 12. 10. Thus God said to Moses Let me alone Exod. 32. 10. and men by zealous prayer are said to take hold on God Esay 64. 7. riseth up or ascendeth and so would reveale more clearly what manner of one hee was that wrastled with Iakob but hee would not yet have his glory manifested for hee dwelleth in the darke cloud 2 Chron. 6. 1. and in the light that none can attaine unto 1 Tim 6. 16. Besides as the night signifieth the time of afflictions so the day is the time of deliverance joy and comfort when our wrastling shall have an end Esay 60. 20. will not Iakob perceiving him to be a divine person would not let him goe without a blessing for which with the feeling of his owne infirmity he wept and prayed unto him Hos. 12. 4. and in all his temptations got a full conquest through him that loved him as Rom. 8. 37. So in Song 3. 4. the spowse of Christ holdeth him and will not let him goe and such importunacy in prayer offendeth not but pleaseth God Luk. 18. 1. 7. 8. Vers. 28. any more meaning not Iakob onely or not so much as Israel for he and his posterity are often in the Scripture called Iakob but much more often Israel This change of name signifieth a change and more excellency of his estate as in Abrahams before see Gen. 17. 5. 15. Esa. 62. 2. Israel that is one that hath princely power with God as the words following doe manifest He had both his names given him of striving and wrastling but the first Iakob was at his birth where hee strove to be the firstborne but prevailed not till afterward Gen. 25. 26. and 27. 36. this latter is upon victory prevailing with God and men This new name God giveth him the second time Gen. 35. 10. Hereupon the Church when speech is of her infirmity is often called Iakob and when her glory and valour is signified she is called Israel as throughout the Scriptures may bee obserued See Amos 7. 2. 5. 8. Esay 41. 14. Galat. 6. 16. as a Prince hast thou power or thou hast behaved thy selfe princely hast had princely power or got the princedome and dominion The Greeke translateth hast beenestrong or prevailed-with-power The Chaldee thus for thou art a Prince before the Lord and with men with God or with the gods that is the Angels as the word sometime signifieth Psal. 8. 6. so interpreted by the Apostle Heb. 2. 7. But the Greek translateth it with God and the Prophet useth both words He had princely power with God he had princely power over the Angel Hos. 12. 3. 4. with men as with Esau Gen. 25. 31. and 27. 36. and with Laban Gen. 31. Thus was hee confirmed against the feare of his brother which now distressed him vers 7. Vers. 29. Wherefore This was a refusall to tell it as the like was in Iudg. 13. 17. 18. The Greeke here addeth wherefore thus askest thou my name which is marvellous blessed him so granting Iakobs first request vers 26. confirming the former blessings given him Gen. 27. 28. and 28. 3. 4. and comforting him against the hurt in his thigh v. 25. God so shewing himselfe the smiter and the healer Hos. 6. 1. Vers. 30. Peniel and Penuel vers 31. and after the Greeke pronunciation Phanouel that is The face of God the Greeke expounds it the shape of God the reason whereof followeth This memoriall of Gods mercy Iakob thankfully set upon the place So before in Gen. 28. 19. In this place afterward a City and Tower was builded Iudg. 8. 8. 17. It was about forty miles distant from Ierusalem God the Chaldee translateth it the Angel of the Lord. face to face that is after a manifest manner spoken by way of comparison with other visions as elsewhere of Moses whom God knew spake with face to face Deut. 34. 10. Exod. 33. 11. But as touching the proper being of God no man can see his face and liue Exod. 33. 20. 23. soule is delivered namely from death which the godly feared when they saw visions of God being privy to their great weaknesse and unworthinesse Iudg. 13. 22. and 6. 22. Vers. 31. arose unto him as the sonne of righteousnesse Christ riseth to them that feare the name of God Mal. 4. 2. Contrariwise the sun of the wicked goeth downe while it is yet day Ier. 15. 9. Amos 18. 9 See Gen. 19. 23. The Greek translateth The Sun arose when the shape or appearance of God passed away halted which signifieth infirmity which the best doe bewray in their tentations and wrastlings with God 2 Cor. 12. 7. 9. Psal. 35. 15. 38. 18 Vers. 32. eat not or shall not may not eat For it seemeth to be a law set of God that as the halting upon this thigh figured our infirmities so the abstinence from the eating of that sinew should figure our mortification and abstayning from evill The Hebrew Doctors say Iakobs sinew
to wife And the sonnes of Iakob answered Sechem and Hamor his father with deceit spake because hee had defiled Dinah their sister And they said unto them wee cannot doe this thing to give our sister to a man that hath a superfluous-fore-skin for that were a reproach unto us Onely in this will we consent unto you if ye will be as we are that every male of you be circumcised Then will we give our daughters unto you we will dwell with you and wee will become one people And if ye will not hearken unto us to bee circumcised then will wee take our daughter and we will be gone And their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Sechem Hamors sonne And the yongman delayed not to doe the thing because he had-delight in Iakobs daughter and hee was more honourable then all the house of his father And Hamor and Sechem his sonne came unto the gate of their citie and spake unto the men of their citie saying These men they are peaceable with us therfore let them dwell in the land and trade therein for the land behold is large of spaces before them let us take their daughters to us for wives let us give unto them our daughters Onely in this will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us for to become one people if every male among us be circumcised even as they are circumcised Their cattell and their substance and every beast of theirs shall not they be ours onely let us consent unto them and they will dwell with us And unto Hamor and unto Sechem his sonne hearkened all that went-out of the gate of his citie and they were circumcised every male all that went-out of the gate of his citie And it was in the third day when they were sore that two sonnes of Iakob Simeon and Levi Dinahs brethren took each-man his sword and came upon the citie in confidence and they killed every male And they killed Hamor and Sechem his sonne with the edge of the sword and tooke Dinah out of Sechems house and went-out The sonnes of Iakob came upon the slaine and spoiled the citie because they had defiled their sister They tooke their sheepe and their oxen and their asses and that which was in the citie and that which was in the field And all their wealth and all their little-ones and their wives they tooke-captive and spoyled and all that was in the house And Iakob said to Simeon and to Levi ye have troubled me to make mee to stinke among the inhabitants of the land among the Canaanites and among the Pherizzites and I am few in number and they will gather themselves together against me and smite me and I shall bee destroyed I and my house And they said Should hee deale with our sister as with an Harlot Annotations THe daughters that is the women as Gen 30. 13. Vpon what occasion she went to see them Moses telleth not the Hebrew Doctors say the maids of Sechem went abroad with timbrels to play c. Pirkei R. Eliezer ch 38. and that it was on a solemne feast day which they kept in that country Ioseph Antiq. b. 1. God noteth Dinahs going out as an occasion of her evill and after reacheth yong women to be keep rs at home Tit. 2. 5. So among the Iewes virgines were after this wont to be kept in 2 Maccab. 3. 19. Dinah was now about 14. yeers of age Iakobs onely daughter Vers. 2. Hamor called in Greeke Emmor So in Act. 7. 16. Evite Hâ—br Chivvite see Gen. 10. 17. humbled or afflicted that is defiled her vers 5. for this word is applied onely to adulterous and unlawfull copulation as in Deut. 21. 14. 22. 24. 29. Iudg. 19 24. 2 Sam. 13. 12. 14. Eze. 22. 10. 11. Vers. 3. spake to the heart or as the Greeke translateth according to the minde of the damsell that is kindly on his part and such things as liked and comforted her who it seemeth was sorrowfull for this injury done her as Thamar was in like case 2 Sam. 13. 19. 20. So the Chaldee translateth hee spake consolations to the heart A like phrase is used for kinde and comfortable speaking in Gen. 50. 21. Esa. 40. 2. Hos. 2. 14. And that which in Ioh. 11. 19. is said to comfort them the Syriak there translateth to speake with their heart So in 1 Thes. 2. 11. Vers. 5. that he namely Hamors sonne as the Greeke translation addeth held his peace or kept-silence as deafe concealing his griefe and asswaging it with consideration of Gods chastisement as other godly men did in their troubles Levit 10. 3. Psal. 39. 10. Thus Iakob ruling his owne spirit did better then his sonnes that tooke the citie verse 27. Prov. 16. 32. Vers. 7. folly in Israel or against Israel that is as the Greeke and Chaldee doe explaine it a filthy and ignominious fact on his part vile foolish and filthy to the Church of God an ignominie and reproach Moses writeth this according to the speech used in his time when to doe folly in Israel was meant of wicked acts done to the scandall of the Church as Deut. 21. 21. Ios. 7. 15. Iudg. 20. 6. Israel being put for his posterity the Israelites see Gen. 19. 37. should not the Chaldee addeth it was not right or meet to be done So the Law commandeth there shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel Deut. 23. 17. and whordome should not be named among the Saints Eph. 5. 3. Vers. 8. is affected or is fastened cleaveth with desire love and delight as this word implyeth the setting of the love upon any Deut. 21. 11. 7. 7. Vers. 10. before you free for you to choose where you like and to possesse it See Gen. 13. 9. and 10. 15. The Greeke addeth broad before you as verse 21. get firme possessions or hold your selves as possessors in it Vers. 11. finde grace and have my request granted see Gen. 33. 15. Vers. 12. Very largely aske Hebr. Multiply yee upon me vehemently dowry a gift of the man unto the woman or her parents before and in respect of mariage See the law hereof Exod. 12. 16. 17. Vers. 13. and spake to weet deceitfully or when they spake unto them Vers. 14. they said This the Greeke referreth to Simeon and Levi Dinahs brethren superfluous or uncircumcised-foreskin see Gen. 17. 11. Vers. 15. Onely in this or But with this condition The Greeke translateth In this we will bee like unto you so in verse 22. where the Greeke addeth the word Onely circumcised cut in the flesh see Gen. 17. 10. And herein was their deceit pretending to have them like themselves in religion and politie intending when they were sicke of their circumcising to kill them verse 25. Vers. 18. good that is as the Greeke hath pleasing Vers. 20. the gate where the publike assembly of the citizens used to bee for all matters of the common
1. 4. 16. and God raised up Iudges and defenders of Israel out of many severall tribes as the booke of Iudges sheweth Wherefore the Scripture taking occasion also by likenesse of name putteth one of these for another as a Sam. 7. 7. spake I a word with any of the tribes or scepters Shibtei of Israel whom I commanded to feed my people for which in 1 Chron. 17. 6. is written to any of the Iudges Shoptâ—i of Israel See also after in verse 28. Vers. 17. an addar or arrow snake this name in Hebrew Shephiphon is not elsewhere found in scripture It is a prophesie of a sudden and unexspected victorie which this tribe should get over their enemies overthrowing them by subtiltie as serpents naturally are prudent Gen. 3. 1. Fulfilled in Samsons dealings against the Philistims Iudg. 15. and 16. and when the tribe of Dan got Leshem or Laish for their possession Iudg. 18. But Moses compareth Dan to a Lyons whelpe Deut. 33. 22. The Chaldee paraphraseth thus There shall be a man that shall bee chosen and spring up out of the house of Dan the feare of him shall fall upon the peoples and he shall valiantly smite the Philistinis as a serpent as an addar he shall lye in wait by the path he shall slay the mighty men in the campe of the Philistims c. the horse heeles that is the house pillars on whose roofe 3000. persons were see Iudg. 16. 26. 27. 29. c. Vers. 18. thy salvation speaking to the Lord and desiring his salvation in Christ figured by Samson of whom the Angel said hee shall begin to save Israel Iudg. 13. 5. Matt. 1 21. The two Chaldee paraphrast explaine it thus Our father Iakob said I exspect not the salvation or redemption of Gedeon son of Ioash which is a temporall salvation nor the salvation of Samson sonne of Manoah which is a transitorie salvation but the salvation of Christ the sonne of David who shall come to bring unto himselfe the sonnes of Israel whose salvation my soule desireth Thus Simeon also calleth Christ Gods salvation Luk. 2. 30. Or Iakob might speake this to his son I exspect Iehovah to be thy salvation O Dan for this tribe generally and Samson in particular was sore oppressed by the enemies and their owne infirmities Iudg. 1. 34. and 18. 1. 30. and 16. 16 17. 21. c. Vers. 19. a troupe or band armie in Hebrew Gedud which hath allusion to Gads name that signifieth a troup Gen. 30. 11. Hee prophesieth of this tribes troubles by enemies that bordered upon them and of their victorie at last For they dwelling on the out side of Iordan Ios. 13. 8. were molested by the Ammonites there Iudg. 10. 7. 8. and after that againe the King of Ammon and his people possessed Gad and dwelt in his cities Ier. 49. 1. with troupe-overcame hee still runneth upon Gads name which was not for nought given him but signified his valour and victorie though late And Moses enlargeth this blessing comparing his dwelling to a Lyons that teareth the parts of his prey Deut. 33. 20. This was fulfilled when Gad with Reuben and Manasses all noble warriours warred with the Hagarims and other heathens and crying unto God in the battell were holpen and did overcome getting great spoiles and possessions 1 Chron. 5. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. The Chaldee paraphrasts referre this to Gads going armed over Iarden before his brethren and returning to his land with great riches Ios. 4. 12. 13. and 22. 1. 2. 8. Ver. 20. Concerning Aser or Out of Aser who had his name of blisse and felicitie to him here is promised a blessed and fruitfull portion in the holy land described in Ios. 19. 24. c. bread that is food for bread is used for all meats See Gen. 3. 19. and 21. 14. and fat is used for the best and most excellent of any thing Gen. 4. 4. and 27. 28. The Chaldee saith Asers land shall be very good and he shall be nourished with Kings dainties Moses also inclaring this blessing sayd Aser shall dip his foot in oile Deut. 33. 24. Vers. 21. let loose and so light footed both to pursue enemies and escape danger Thus David signifying his deliverance sayd God had made his feet like bindes Psal. 18. 34. This may specially be referred to Barak a man of Naphtali who with his people went up on his feet against Siseraes yron charrets put them to flight pursued and destroyed them all Iudg. 4. 6. 10. 15. 16. Moses giveth Naphtali the fulnesse of Gods blessing and pointeth out his inheritance in the land Deut. 33. 23. To that the Chaldee referreth it here saying Naphtalies lot shall fall in a good land and his possession shall be fruitfull He had the sixt lot described in Ios. 19. 32. 39. goodly sayings Hebrew sayings of goodlinesse or of fairnesse that is faire and pleasing words Which in Baraks time was fulfilled when his prowesse caused that pleasant song which Deborah and he sang unto God for the victorie Iudg. 5. The Chaldee as before referres it to the prayses and blessings that they should utter for the good fruits of their land Vers. 22. son that is a bough or branch which springeth out of the tree as a sonne from the father the Greeke saith agrowing sonne so also the Chaldee paraphraseth Ioseph a growing sonne a sonne which shall be blessed as a vine that is planted by a well of waters Whatsoever commeth of or from another is in Hebrew called the sonne or daughter of the same as the yong of beasts birds c. GeÌ„ 18. 7. arrowes are called sonnes of the bow and of the quiver Iob. 41. 28. Lam. 3. 13. sparks are sonnes of the burning coale Iob. 5. 7. and the like And here the sonne or branch is twise named for Ioseph and of him came two tribes see Gen. 48. 56. Wherefore Moses nameth his two sonnes in Iosephs blessing Deut. 33. 17. vine this word understood in the Hebrew as often the like are Gen. 4. 20. and 25. 8. is expressed in the Chaldee and Thargum â—er◠〈…〉 my sayth I liken Ioseph my sonne to a vine planted by a well of waters that sendeth out her rootes to the deepes The scripture else-where signifieth increase of children by this similitude Psal. 128. 3. by a well by the waters whereof the vine is made fruitfull as Ezek. 19. 10. daughters that is the yong small and tender branches as the greater are before called sons The Chaldee expounds this also of Iosephs sons saying two tribes shall come forth of his sonnes and they shall receive their part and inheritance See Gen. 48. 5. c. over the wall under which the vine groweth This signifieth the abundant encrease of Iosephs sons Ios. 17. 17. Vers. 23. archers Hebrew arrow masters whereby also seemeth to be meant skilfull archers as the Chaldee calleth them strong men See Gen. 37. 19. These were Iosephs brethren that hated and sold him into Egypt Gen.
shut it up he shall be uncleane untill the evening And hee that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes and he that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes And if the Priest comming shall come in and see and behold the plague hath not spred in the house after the house was plaistered then the Priest shall pronounce the house cleane because the plague is healed And he shall take to purifie the house two birds and Cedar wood and scarlet and hysope And he shall kill the one bird in an earthen vessell over living water And hee shall take the Cedar wood and the hysope and the scarlet and the living bird and dip them in the blood of the killed bird and in the living water and he shall sprinkle the house seven times And hee shall parifie the house with the blood of the bird and with the living water and with the living bird and with the Cedar wood and with the hysope and with the scarlet And he shall let-goe the living bird out of the citie upon the face of the field and shall make-atonement for the house and it shall be cleane This is the law for every plague of leprosie and skall And for the leprosie of a garment and of an house And for a swelling and for a scab and for a bright-spot To teach in the day of the uncleane and in the day of the clean this is the law of Leprosie Annotations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here beginneth the 28. section or lecture of the Law called in Hebrew Metsorangh that is the Leper See Gen. 6. 9. THat he shall be brought The leper dwelt without the host and in the day of his cleansing hee was brought to the utmost part of the host and in ages following to the gates of Ierusalem and the Priest went out thither to meet him and performed certaine rites for him and after that he came into the host or citie and so by degrees into the Sanctuarie as after is explained And this comming to the Priest was requisite for every leper though he were never so well healed wherefore Christ said to him whom hee had cured Goe shew thy selfe to the Priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded Matth. 8. 4. Vers. 3. be healed The Priest healed it not but looked upon it when it was healed and directed and assisted the patient in duties of thankefulnesse to God who is both the striker and the healer Deut. 32. 39. Exod. 15. 26. Neither doth the Law send the Leper to the Physician or prescribe salves or medicines to cure him but leaveth him unto the worke of Gods grace which should after bee fully manifested in Christ who himselfe tooke our infirmities and bare our sicknesses Matth. 8. 16. 17. And the rites and sacrifices following which were a profession of thankes unto God in Christ closely taught them this but the Gospell declareth the way of curing to be by faith as unto the Samaritane that was healed of his leprosie Christ said Thy faith hath made thee whole Luke 17. 19. which faith causeth Lepers though they stand a farre off to lift up their voices and cry unto Iesus for mercy Luk. 17. 12. 13. who sendeth his word and healeth them and delivereth them from their corruptions Psal. 107. 20. Matth. 10. 7. 8. For being moved with compassion hee putteth forth his hand toucheth and speaketh and immediately the leprosie departeth Mark 1. 41. 42. and so healeth he the soules of sinners that come unto him The Heb. say Leprosie is the finger of God therefore it is unlawfull to endevour to heale it c. the only healing of it is by the hand of the Priest that maketh atonement for by mercy atonement is made for iniquity Prov. 16. 6. even as uncleannesse which is not done away but by water R. Menachem on Levit. 13. This being the judgment of the Iewes themselves the Lepers whom Christ healed were a good testimonie against them that he was the son of God Matth. 8. 4. and by that and other like workes hee declared himselfe to be he that should come Matth. 11. 3 4. 5. And he is the Priest who cleanseth us all leprous sinners and bringeth us into the true Sanctuary being washed sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6. 11. Vers. 4. and he shall take the Greeke saith and they shall take speaking indefinitely of the leper or any of his friends that might procure these things for his cleansing birds whether doves or turtles commonly used in sacrifices which are called birds in Gen. 15. 9. 10. or any other cleane fowles for the scripture determineth them not otherwise then that they must be cleane such as all are save those excepted in Lev. 11. 13. c. and all that are cleane for meat are called birds in Deut. 14. 11. The Hebrew canons say of these they must bee free birds that is such as are not tame or any mans owne but at libertie to flie from place to place and as God saith he shall take them for him so they expound it they must be taken in the name of cleansing of leprosie that is designed for that purpose onely Maimony in treat of Lepr chap. 11. sect 1. These two birds of which one was killed the other let goe alive were to figure out Christ who should be killed for our offences and rise againe for our justification Rom. 4. 25. The like was figured by the two goats on expiation day Levit. 16. Cedar wood or a Cedar sticke which the Hebrewes say was to be a cubit that is a foot and an halfe long and so thicke as the square foot of a bed Maimony ibidem and Thalmud Bab. in Negagnim chap. 14. sect 6. Cedar wood rotteth not the pitch that runneth out of it is said to keepe dead bodies from corrupting but corrupteth living bodies and it us good against the Leprosie and other foule ulcers Plinie hist. lib. 24. cap. 5. and Dioscorides l. 1. 〈◊〉 89. scarlet this the Iewes say was wooll died in scarlet or crimsin colour and so the Apostle in an other like case calleth it scarlet wooll Heb. 9. 19 and there was to be of it a shekel weight which weighed 320. graines of barley Maimony ibidem This scarlet colour resembled Christs blood and the essicacie therof in the soule restoring the naturall lively colour and vigour which the pale white leprosie of sinne had done away hysope or hyssope whereof see the notes on Exod. 12. 22. This was for length not to be lesse then an hand-bredth and they say it might not be Greeke hysope nor Roman hysope nor wilde hysope nor any other sort that was surnamed by the place but the common hysope that grew in gardens Talmud in Negagnim chap. 14. sect 6. These two plants were the greatest and the smallest that grew and so the Cedar is opposed to the bysope 1 King 4. 33. The Cedar that will not rot
sect 4. 5. from the sonnes understand receiving it or it being taken from the sonnes of Israel for many such imperfect speeches are to be found which sometime the Holy Ghost supplieth as in a void place 1 King 22. 10. where is to be understood sitting in a void place as 2 Chron. 18. 9. So burden 2 Chron. 2. 18. implieth men that bare burden 1 King 5. 15. and many the like See the notes on Exod 4. 5. and 13. 8. Now this was received from the sonnes of Israel in that it was bought with the money which the people gave Nehem. 10. 32. 33. And it is the Hebrewes opinion that with the halfe shekels which all the people gave yeerely for the service of the sanctuarie Exod. 30. 13. 16. they provided the daily sacrifices and offrings for the congregation salt for the sacrifices wood incense the shew bread the waved sheafe or Omer Levit 23. 10. 11. the two wave loaves Levit. 23. 17. the red heiffer Numb 19. the scape goat Levit. 16. and the like Maim treat of Shekels c. 4. s. 1. Vers. 9. for Aaron and for his sonnes that is for the high Priest and for the other Priests such as did the service that is both the Priests that went out and those that came in on the Sabbath as before is noted on verse 8. And the Hebrew canons declare it thus In the Sabbath when there are the daily sacrifices and the additions Num. 28. 9. 10. and the two cups of frankincense Levit. 24. 7. to bee burned in the morning the men of that fathers house 1 Chron. 23. 6. 11. 24. of the charge or course that went-out they offred the daily sacrifice of the morning and the two lambs of Burnt-offring which were the additions c. and the other course that came in on the Sabbath offred the daily sacrifice of the evening and both these and the other had their part in the Shew bread And they did not eat the bread untill the two cups of frankincense were burned on the fire and the frankincense was to have salt as the other oblations And after that they had offred the additions of the Sabbath they burned the two cups of frankincense And every Sabbath throughout the yeere they parted the Shew bread thus the course of Priests that came in had sixe cakes and they which went out had sixe They which came in parted the bread among them on the northside of the court because they were prepared to serve and they that went out parted on the south side But when there was a feast day of any of the three solâ—mn feasts on the Sabbath likewise on the Sabbath that was in the midst of the feast all the courses of the Priests had their parts equally in the Shew bread c. The high Priest he alwayes tooke from every course halfe the cakes which were his due as it is written AND IT SHALL BE FOR AARON AND FOR HIS SONNES Levit. 24. 9. halfe for Aaron and halfe for his sonnes Maimony in Tamidin chap. 4. sect 9. 10. 11. 12. 14. in the holy place within the court of the Sanctuarie but without they might not eate it The Hebrewes observe that there were Foure and twenty gifts given unto the Priests all of them expressed in the Law and concerning them all was the covenant made with Aaron And whosoever did eat of a gift wherein holinesse was they blessed God who sanctified them with the sanctitie of Aaron and commanded them to eat so and so Eight of those gifts the Priests might not eat of but in the Sanctuarie within the wals of the Courtyard and five gifts they might not eat but in Ierusalem within the wals of the citie The eight which might not be eaten but in the sanctuarie were the flesh of the Sin-offring were it fowle or beast Levit. 6. 26. and the flesh of the Trespasse-offring Levit. 7. 6. and the Peace-offrings of the congregation Levit. 23. 19. 20. and the remainder of the Sheafe or Omer Levit. 23. 10. 11. and the remnant of the Israelites Meat-offrings Levit 2. 3. 10. and the two loaves Levit. 23. 20. and the Shew bread Levit. 24. 9. and the Lepers leg of oile Levit. 14. 10. 12. 13. These might not be eaten but in the Sanctuarie Maimony treat of First fruits chap. 1. sect 1. 2. 3. 4. Of all those gifts see the annotations on Numb 18. Vers. 10. Israelitish Heb. an Israelitesse which the Chaldee expoundeth a daughter of Israel her name was Shelomith vers 11. Vers. 11. blasphemed the Greeke here translateth it named the Chaldee expressed The Hebrew Nakab properly signifieth to pierce or strike through Esa. 36. 6. Habbak 3. 14. Whereupon it is figuratively used for cursing or blaspheming Numb 23. 13. 25. which is as a striking through with evill words It is also used for expresse-naming of a thing sometime in the good part as Esa. 62. 2. and sometime in the evill as the Greeke and Chaldee interpret it in this place the Name understand of Iehovah as verse 16. which is here omitted for the more reverence and because such wickednesse as this it is even a shame to speake as Eph. 5. 12. 3. So elsewhere the scripture sometime omitteth the name of God for reverence as the right hand of the power Mark 14. 62. for the right hand of the power of God Luk. 22. 69. and in common speech among the Iewes they used to say the Blessed for the blessed God Mark 14. 61. Math. 26. 63. And when the High Priest heard words which he thought to be blasphemie hee rent his clothes Matth. 26. 65. according to a canon which they have recorded by Maimony in his treat of Idolatrie chap. 2. sect 10. thus Whosoever heareth blasphemy of the Name he is bound to rend his clothes whether hee himselfe heareth it or heareth from the mouth of him that heard it he is bound to rend his clothes But he that heareth it from the mouth of an heathen is not bound to rend his clothes and Elinkim Shebna had not rent their clothes but for that Rabshakeh was an Apostate from the faith Esa. 36. 22. they brought either the witnesses which heard him or the inferiour Iudges who not knowing how to punish this man brought him to Moses according to the order set in Exod. 18. 22. 26. 〈◊〉 Shelmoith in Greeke Salomith daughter of Dabrei she being an Hebrewesse had maried an Egyptian whiles she dwelt in Egypt whose sonne now blasphemed God Vers. 12. in ward or in prison 〈◊〉 that he might declare meaning that Moses might declare or that it might be declared unto them The Hebrew phrase to declare or expound may be expressed both these wayes as is noted on Gen. 6. 19. 20. The Chaldee explaineth it thus untill it was declared or expressed unto them by the decree of the word of the Lord to weet what punishment the blasphemer should have therefore the Greeke translateth to judge him by the commandement of
charges with their portions for their livelihod Chap. 〈◊〉 The making and use of the water of purification 19 Mary dieth The people murmur for water and have it from the Rocke where Moses and Aaron offend Aaron dieth 2â— Israel conquer some Canaanites murmur and are bitten of fierie serpents but healead by a brasen Serpent Their conquest over S 〈…〉 and Og kings of the Amorites 2â— Balaam is hired of the Moabites to curse Israel but God turneth his curse into a 〈◊〉 fing 22 23 24 Israel joyneth to Baal-peor and iâ— plagu 〈…〉 25 The last numbring of the Israelites 〈◊〉 should possesse the land 26 A law for women to inherit Iosua is appointed successor to Moses 2â— The Oblations on Sabbaths and at sol 〈…〉 feasts 28. and 29 The law concerning vowes 30 Israel overcommeth the Midianites 31 Reuben Gad and halfe Manasses have their inheritance assigned in the land of S 〈…〉 and Og. 32 The 42. journies of Israel in the wildeâ—nesse 33 The bounds of the land of Canaan and 〈…〉 dividing it by lot 34 The 48. cities of the Levites and 〈◊〉 refuge for unwilling manslayers 〈◊〉 A law for mariage in their owne tribes 〈◊〉 inheritances should be removed Chap. 〈◊〉 THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF MOSES CALLED NVMBERS CHAPTER I. 1. In the second yeere after Israel was come out of Egypt God commandeth Moses to number all the males of the people from twenty yeeres old and upward 5. The Princes of the tribes that were joyned with Moses and Aaron for this businesse 17. The number of every tribe particularly 45. The summe of them all together 47. The Levites are not numbred among the tribes 50. but are exempted for the seruice of the Lord about the Tabernacle ANd Iehovah spake unto Moses in the wildernesse of Sinaâ— in the Tent of the congregation in the first day of the second moneth in the second yeere after their comming forth out of the land of Egypt saying Take ye the summe of all the congregation of the sonnes of Israel according to their families according to the house of their fathers by the number of the names every male according to their polles From twentie yeeres old and upward every one that goeth forth with the armie in Israel ye shall muster them by their armies thou and Aaron And with you there shal be a man of every Tribe every man shal be head of the house of his fathers And these are the names of the men which shall stand with you Of Reuben Elizur the son of Shedeur Of Simeon Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai Of Iudah Naasson the son of Amminadab Of Issachar Nethaneel the son of Zuar Of Zabulon Eliab the son of Helon Of the sons of Ioseph of Ephraim Elishama the son of Ammihud of Manasses Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur Of Benjamin Abidan the son of Gideoni Of Dan Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai Of Aser Pagiel the son of Ocran Of Gad Eliasaph the son of Deguel Of Naphtali Ahira the son of Enan These be the called of the congregation Princes of the tribes of their fathers heads of the thousands of Israel And Moses and Aaron tooke these men which are expressed by names And they assembled all the congregation in the first day of the second moneth and they declared their genealogies according to their familes according to the house of their fathers by the number of the names from twentie yeeres old and upward according to their polles As Iehovah commanded Moses so he mustered them in the wildernesse of Sinai And the sons of Reuben the first-borne of Israel were by their generations according to their families according to the house of their fathers by the number of the names according to their polles every male from twentie yeeres old and upward every one that went forth with the armie Those that were mustered of them of the tribe of Reuben were six and forty thousand and five hundred Of the sonnes of Simeon by their generations according to their families according to the house of their fathers those that were mustered of him by the number of the names according to their polles every male from twentie yeeres old and upward every one that went forth with the armie Those that were mustered of them of the tribe of Simeon were nine and fifty thousand and three hundred Of the sonnes of Gad by their generations according to their families according to the house of their fathers by the number of the names from twentie yeeres old and upward every one that went forth with the armie Those that were mustered of them of the tribe of Gad were five and forty thousand and six hundred and fifty Of the sonnes of Iudah by their generations according to their families according to the house of their fathers by the number of the names from twentie yeeres old and upward every one that went forth with the armie Those that were mustered of them of the tribe of Iudah were foure and seventy thousand and six hundred Of the sonnes of Issachar by their generations according to their families according to the house of their fathers by the number of the names from twentie yeeres old and upward every one that went forth with the armie Those that were mustered of them of the tribe of Issachar were foure and fifty thousand and foure hundred Of the sonnes of Zabulon by their generations according to their families according to the house of their fathers by the number of the names from twentie yeeres old and upward every one that went forth with the armie Those that were mustered of them of the tribe of Zabulon were seven and fiftie thousand and foure hundred Of the sonnes of Ioseph of the sonnes of Ephraim by their generations according to their families according to the house of their fathers by the number of the names from twentie yeeres old and upward every one that went forth with the armie Those that were mustered of them of the tribe of Ephraim were fortie thousand and five hundred Of the sonnes of Manasses by their generations according to their families according to the house of their fathers by the number of their names from twentie yeeres old and upward every one that went forth with the armie Those that were mustered of them of the tribe of Manasses were two and thirtie thousand and two hundred Of the sonnes of Benjamin by their generations according to their families according to the house of their fathers by the number of the names from twentie yeeres old and upward every one that went forth with the armie Those that were mustered of them of the tribe of Benjamin were five and thirtie thousand and foure hundred Of the sonnes of Dan by their generations according to their families according to the house of their fathers by the number of the names from twentie yeeres old and upward every one that went forth with the armie Those that were mustered of them of the tribe of Dan were two and sixtie thousand and seuen
breaking the necke of it The Lambe wherewith it was redeemed was given to the Priest Numb 18 15. The first-borne Asse was unlawfull to be used or made profit of till it were redeemed And if he sold it before it were redeemed the price of it was unlawfull c. Priests and Levites are freed from redeeming the first-borne Asse for it is said in Num. 18. 15. The first-borne of man and she first-borne of the uncleane beast thou shalt redeeme Whosoever was charged to redeem the first-borne of man was likewise for the unclean beast and he that was free froÌ„ the one was free from the other Maim in Biccurim ch 12. See other things noted hereabout on Exod. 34. 20. Vers. 16. Redeemed of him or of them meaning the men fore-spoken of the Greeke translateth the redemption of him and Targum Ionathan addeth for explanation of the son of man from a moneth old Hebr. from the son of a moneth See the Annotations on Lev. 27. 6. the silver of five shekels that is five shekâ—ls of silver This sum was before given for every first-borne Num. 3. 46. 45. twenty gerahs The gerah weighed 16. barley-cornes the shekel of the Sanctuary or holy shekel weighed 320. barley-cornes as is before noted on Levit. 17 25. The Hebrewes hold that this redemption of the son might be either with money or moneyes worth so as it were of moveable goods but not with lands nor with servants nor with bills or writings and if he redeemed his sonne with them he was not redeemed Maim in Biccurim c. 11. sect 6 Now because the tribe of Levi was taken in stead of all the first-borne of Israel Numb 3. therefore they and their seed were freefrom this redemption and so the Hebrew Canons say Priests and Levites are freed from the redemption of their sonnes And further an Israelite that commeth of a woman of Levi is free for the case dependeth not on the father but on the mother as it is said That which openeth the wombe c. Maim ibidem cap. 11. sect 9. Vers. 17. the firstling or the first-borne in Greek the firstlings of cowes c. understand being a male firstling as Exod. 34 19. otherwise it was not sanctified or given to the Priest A firstling which is both male and female hath no holinesse in it at all but it as a female whereto the Priest hath no right Maim in Becoroth ch 2. s. 5. shalt not redeeme thou mayest not give the worth of it or any other for it but the beast it selfe is to be given neither may the owner use or make profit of it or of the â—â—oll or any thing thereon Deut. 15. 19. they are holy and therefore must be hallowed or sanctified to the Lord Exod. 13. 2. The Hebrewes say A man is commanded to sanctifie the first-borne of his cleane beast and to say Behold this is holy All are bound to sanctifie the firstling of a cleane beast both Priests Levites and Israelites although the firstling is the Priests If he have a firstling borne he is to offer the bloud fat on the altar and to eat the rest of the flesh according to the Law of the Firstlings Maim in Bechoroth c. 1. s. 4. 7. a savour of rest that is as the Greeke translateth of sweet smell which the Chaldee explaineth that it may be accepted with favour before the LORD But if it were blemished it might not be offred by the Law Lev. 22. 20 â—1 c. What did they then with their blemished firstlings The Law sheweth in Deut. 15. and the Hebrewes explaine it The firstling oâ— the cleane beast is slaine in the court-yard of the Sanctuary as other light holy things they sprinkle the bloud and burne the fat and the residue of the flesh is eaten by the Priests If the firstling have a blemish whether it be borne with his blemish or a blemish 〈◊〉 on it after it is perfect yet it is the Priests If he 〈◊〉 he may eat it in any place or he may sell it or feed others with it whom he will though it be an keathen for it is a common thing as it is written 〈◊〉 Deut. 15 21 22. And if there be any blemish therein c. thou shalt eat it within thy gates the uncleane and the cleane shall eat it alike as the Roe-bucke and as the Hart and loe that is the Priests goods Maimon in Bechoroth ch 1. sâ—ct 2 3. Vers. 18. as the wave-broast the parts of the Peace-offrings given to the Priests Levit. 7. 34. Set also before on vers 11. Vers. 19. All the heave-offrings the Greeke and Chaldee expound it Every separated thing This conclusion implieth all other holy gifts expressed in other places of the Law though not particulared here And this sheweth Gods bounty to his Priests in allowing them so large meanes of livelihood for their service of him that they might be incouraged in the Law of the Lord as is said in 2 Chro. 31. 4. There was none of them that did shut the doores of Gods Sanctuary or kindle fire on his altar for nought Malac. 1 10. And when the people neglected their dutie in not giving such things as were appointed then was the house of God for saken and the godly governours looked to the redresse hereof Nehem. 13. 10 11 12 c. The Hebrew Doctors write of 24. severall gifts which God bestowed on the Priests with the order and use of them all Foure and twenty gifts were given to the Priests and they are all expressed in the Law and concerning them all was the covenant made with Aaron And whosoever eateth of any gift wherein holinesse is blesseth God who sanctified him with the holinesse of Aaron and commanded him to eat so and so Eight of these gifts the Priests did eat no where but in the Sanctuary within the wall of the Court-yard And fine gifts they did not eat but in Ierusalem within the walâ— of the citie And five gifts were not due unto them by the Law but in the land of Israel only And five gifts were due unto them both within the land aâ— a without the land And one gift was due unto them from the Sanctuary The eight gifts which they did not eat but within the Sanctuary were these 1 The flesh of the Sin-offring whether fowle or beast Levit. 6. 25 26. 2 The flesh of the Trespasse-offring Lev. 7. 1 6. 3 The Peace-offrings of the congregation Levit. 23. 19 20. 4 The remainder of the Omor or Sheafe Levit. 23. 10 c. 5 The remnants of the Meat-offrings of the Israelites Levit 6. 16. 6 The two Loaves Levit. 23. 17. 7 The Shew-bread Levit. 24. 9. 8 The Lepers log of oyle Levit. 14. 10. c. These were not eaten but in the Sanctuary The five which they might not eat but in Ierusalem and before that within the campe of Israel to which Ierusalem afterward was answerable as is noted on Numb 2. 27. were these 1 The
Papinius Thebaid 7. top of the mountaine Things that were very memorable and significative are often noted in Scripture to be done in mountaines as being conspicuous remarkable and implying high and heavenly mysteries So the Arke of Noe rested on mount Ararat Gen. 8. 4. Abraham sacrificed his sonne on mount Morijah Gen. 22. 2. c. as the Sonne of God was sacrificed on Calvary Luke 23. 33. The Law of Moses was given upon mount Sinai Exod. 19. the Law of Christ came from mount Sion Mic. 4. 1 2. and on a mountaine he preached the Gospell and expounded the Law Matth. 5. 1 c. Ezekiel in a vision was shewed the city called The Lord is there upon a very high mountaine Ezek. 42. c. and 48. 35. Iohn was also shewed the same citie upon a great and high mountaine Rev. 21. 10. c. Moses himselfe on the mountaine of Nebo viewed all the promised land and died there Deut. 34. 1. 5. and was with Christ when he was transfigured and spake of his death upon an high mountaine Mat. 17. 1 2 3. Luke 9. 30 31. and now he was with Aaron at his death and translation of the Priesthood from him unto Eleazar where he also beheld the end of the Leviticall Priesthood a farre off and so the translation of it and of the law thereof unto Christ whose day he desired Hebr. 7. 11 12. Vers. 29. saw that Aaron had given up the ghost seeing is here for perceiving by knowledge and understanding as by the relation of Moses and Eleazar as also that Aaron came not downe with them So Iakob saw that there was corne in Aegypt when he heard thereof Gen. 42. 1. Act. 7. 12. The people saw the voices Exod. 20. 18. and sundry the like Here also they might see the hand of God chastifing their sin upon Aaron who died now not only for his own transgression but for their sakes as Moses after speaketh of himselfe The Lord was wroth with me for your sakes Deut. 3. 26. yet in beholding his Priesthood continued in his son they might also behold Gods mercy towards them in Christ who should perfectly reconcile them unto God when the Priesthood of the Law which now began to die away should utterly be abolished they wept that is they mourned For publike persons the whole congregation mourned as here for Aaron so for the death of his sonnes Levit. 10. 6. and for the death of Moses Deut. 34. 8. thirty daies See the Annotations on Gen. 50. 10. Mourning for the dead is honourable and here the people mourne for Aaron thirty daies whom they had dishonoured by rebelling against him forty yeares So long also they wept for Moses Deut. 34. 8. and it is the lot of many of the servants of God to have more honour after their death than in their life As Mary the sister the prophetesse of Israel died in the first moneth vers 1. so Aaron the high Priest died in the first day of the fifth moneth in the fortieth yeare after their comming out of Aegypt when he was 123. yeares old Numb 33. 38 39. His buriall also though here omitted is spoken of in Deut. 10. 6. CHAP. XXI 1 The Canaanites fight with Israel and captive some of them but Israel by a vow obtaine helpe of God and destroy them and their cities 4 The people murmuring because of their wants in the way are plagued with fiery serpents 7 They repenting are healed by a brasen serpent 10 Sundry journeyes of the Israelites 16 Their song at Beer for water which God gave them 21 They requesting passage thorow the Amorites country are denied it 24 Israel vanquisheth them and Sihon their King and possesseth their cities 27 Proverbs or Prophesies of Sihons overthrow 33 Og King of Basan fighteth against Israel and is also vanquished and Israel possesseth his land ANd the Canaanite the King of Arad which dwelt in the South heard that Israel came the way of the spies and he fought against Israel and tooke captive of them a captivitie And Israel vowed a vow unto Iehovah and said If giving thou wilt give this people into my hand then I will utterly destroy their cities And Iehovah hearkened to the voice of Israel and gave up the Canaanite and they utterly destroyed them and their cities and he called the name of the place Hormah And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the red sea to compasse the land of Edom and the soule of the people was shortned because of the way And the people spake against God and against Moses Wherfore have ye brought us up out of Aegypt to die in the wildernesse for there is no bread neither is there water and our soule loatheth this light bread And Iehovah sent among the people fiery serpēts they bit the people much people of Israel died And the people came unto Moses and said We have sinned for we have spoken against Iehovah against thee Pray unto Iehovah that he take away the serpents from us Moses prayed for the people And Iehovah said unto Moses Make thee a fiery serpent and put it upon a pole and it shall be that every one that is bitten when hee looketh upon it shall live And Moses made a serpent of brasse and put it upon a pole and it was that if a serpent had bitten a man when he beheld the serpent of brasse he lived And the sonnes of Israel journeyed and encamped in Oboth And they journeyed from Oboth and encamped in Ije Abarim in the wildernesse which is before Moab toward the Sunne-rising From thence they journeyed and camped in the valley of Zared From thence they journeyed and camped on the other side of Arnō which is in the wildernesse which commeth out of the border of the Amorite for Arnon is the border of Moab betweene Moab and the Amorite Wherefore it is said in the booke of the warres of Iehovah Vaheb in a whirlewind and the brooks of Arnon And the streame of the brookes which declineth to the situation of Ar and leaneth upon the border of Moab And from thence to Beer that is the Well whereof Iehovah said unto Moses Gather together the people and I wil give them water Then sang Israel this song Spring up O Well answer ye unto it The Well the Princes digged it the Nobles of the people delved it with the Law-giver with their staves And from the wildernesse they journeyed to Mattanah And from Mattanah to Nahaliel and from Nahaliel to Bamoth And from Bamoth to the valley which is in the field of Moab the head of Pisgah and it looketh toward Ieshimon And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon King of the Amorites saying Let me passe thorow thy land we will not turne aside into field or into vineyard we will not drinke of the waters of the well we will go in the kings way untill we be past thy border And Sihon would not grant Israel to passe thorow his border
but Sihon gathered together all his people and went out against Israel into the wildernesse and he came to Iahaz and fought against Israel And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword and possessed his land from Arnon unto Iabbok even unto the sons of Ammon for the border of the sons of Ammon was strong And Israel tooke all these cities and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorite in Heshbon and in all the daughters thereof For Heshbon was the citie of Sihon the King of the Amorites and he had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand even unto Arnon Wherefore they that speake in proverbs say Come into H 〈…〉 bon let the city of Sihon be built and prepared For a fire is gone out from Heshbon a flame from the citie of Sihon it hath consumed Ar of Moab the Lords of the high places of Arnon Woe to thee Moab thou art perished ô people of Chemosh he hath given his sons tâ—at escaped and his daughters into captivity unto Sihon the king of the Amorites And their lamp is perished from Heshbon even unto Dibon and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah which reacheth unto Medeba And Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorite And Moses sent to spie out Iazer and they tooke the daughters thereof and drove out the Amorite that was there And they turned and went up the way of Bashan and Og the king of Bashan went out against them he and all his people to the battell at Edrei And Iehovah said unto Moses Feare him not for into thy hand have I given him and all his people and his land and thou shalt doe unto him as thou diddest unto Sihon king of the Amorites which dwelt in Heshbon And they smote him and his sonnes and all his people untill there was none left him remaining and they possessed his land Annotations KIng of Arad Arad seemeth to be the name of the citie where the King reigned as in Ios. 12. 14. and so the Chaldee here explaineth it in the South the South part in the land of Canaan Numb 33. 40. the way of the spies or the way of Atharim as the Greeke version retaineth the Hebrew name as proper and it might be a way so called and well knowne in that time But the Chaldee translateth it the way of the spies meaning that they came towards Canaan after they had beene turned backe towards the red sea Num. 14. 25. and had beene at Ezion-gaber Num. 33. 35. they returned towards Canaan again along by Edoms coast to come unto the land which the spies had searched Num. 13. a captivity that is some captives or prisoners So captivity is used for captives or people taken in warre in Num. 31. 12. Iudg. 5. 12. 2 Chron. 28. 5. and often as poverty for a company of poore people 2 King 24. 14. and spoile for spoiled people Amos 5. 9. thankesgivings for a company of thanksgivers Neh. 12. 31. and many the like The Canaanites having heard of the overthrow which was given Israel â—8 yeares before Numb 14. 45. and of the hand of God against them so long in the wildernesse were hardned and emboldened to encounter them now when they heard againe of their comming and Satan endevoured hereby to discourage Israel that as their fathers through unbeleefe being afraid entered not into the promised land Deut. 1. 27 32 35. so the children also might be deprived And God for a chastisement of their sins and for the triall of their faith suffereth the enemie at first to prevaile that his people might know that they should not conquer the land by their owne strength or for their owne worthinesse Psal. 44. 3 4. Deut. 9. 4. Vers. 2. vowed a vow calling upon God for helpe and religiously promising to devote unto him their enemies and all their substance See the Annotations on Gen. 28. 20. If giving thou wilt give that is if thou wilt indeed give and it implieth a prayer which often is uttered after this manner as Iabez called on the God of Israel saying If blessing thou wilt blesse me c. 1 Chron. 4. 10. utterly destroy or devote in Greeke anathematize things devoted after this manner the persons were to die their goods confiscate to the Lord Levit 27. 28 29. So when Iericho was devoted the people and beasts were killed the citie burnt the goods carried into the Lords treasury Ios. 6. 17 19 21 24. Vers. 3. hearkned to the voice that is as the Chaldee explaineth it received the prayer of Israel gave up the Canaanite to wit into their hand as the Greeke here repeateth from vers 2. they utterly destroyed Hebr. he utterly destroyed or devoted speaking of Israel as of one body But how could they being so farre off in the wildernesse destroy their cities lying within Canaan Numb 33. 40. into which they came not till after Moses death It seemeth the accomplishment of this vow was performed long after when they were come into the land For the King of Arad is reckoned for one of those that Iosua conquered Ios. 12. 14. See also Judg. 1. 16 17. They now conquered the Canaanites armie that came out against them and devoted the spoiles which they tooke and when their cities came into their possession they utterly destroyed and devoted them and so payed their vow which now they promised he called or they called meaning Israel unlesse it be applied in speciall to Moses The Greeke translateth they called Hormah or Chormah in Greeke Anathema that is Devotement or utter destruction By this name they both set up a memoriall of Gods mercy who gave their enemies into their hand and of their dutie to keepe the vow which they had promised Vers. 4. to compasse the land because Edom had denied them passage thorow it Numb 20. 18 21. by reason whereof their travell was increased soule of the people was shortned or was straitned that is was grieved or discouraged This word when it is applied to the hand signifieth inability as in Numb 11. 23. Esay 37. 27. 2 King 19. 26. unto the soule as in this place it meaneth griefe vexation or discomfort so in Iudg. 16. 16. Samsons soule was shortned that is vexed unto death and in Judg. 10. 16. the Lords soule was shortened that is grieved for the misery of Israel and sometime it is with a kinde of loathing as in Zach. 11. 8. my soule was shortned for them that is loathed them A like phrase is of the shortnesse of the spirit which also signifieth anguish trouble and vexation as in Exod. 6. 6. Iob 21. 4. and want of power as in Asic 2. 7. The Greeke here translateth the people was feeble minded or of small soule or courage because of the way or in the way but In often noteth the cause of a thing as the Lords soule was grieved in that is for or because of the misery of Israel Iudg. 10. 16. or
water was given them for a gift and so the Chaldee interpreteth it from the wildernesse it was given unto them and Targum Ionathan from the wildernesse it was given them for a gift Vers. 19. to Nahaliel by interpretation the valley or bourne of God the Greeke calleth it Naadiel Chazkuni saith this is that which in Numb 33. 48. is called the plaines of Moab to Bamoth by interpretation High-places that is called Beth Iesimoth saith Chazkuni in Numb 33. 49. Vers. 20. in the field that is in the countrey of Moab This valley as Chazkuni saith is called in Numb 33. 49. Abel Shittim in the plaines of Moab the head of Pisgah by head may be understood the top of the mount Pisgah or the beginning of the same the Greeke translateth it from the top Chazkuni expoundeth it thus That Samab or High place which is in the field of Moab is the head of Pisgah or of the Hill that looketh toward Iesbimon which is a great wildernesse and it looketh that is the Hill Pisgah looketh and so the Greeke version referreth it thereto And Sol. Iarchi saith That Pisagh looketh toward the place named Ieshimon which signifieth a wildernesse because it is desolate Ieshimon in Greeke the Wildernesse and so the word is used for a wildernesse in Deut. 32. 10. Psal. 68. 8. and 78. 40. and otherwhere All these places are by the Chaldee paraphrast referred to the Well aforesaid thus And from the place where it was given unto them it descended with them to the valleyes and from the valleyes it ascended with them to the High places and from the High places to the valley that is in the field of Moab c. So Targum Ionathan to the like effect and others Vers. 21. Israel sent Messengers in Greeke Moses sent Messengers which seemeth to be taken from D 〈…〉 2. 26. where Moses saith I sent messengers F 〈…〉 ie is very frequent when things are done by a multitude where one is chiefe that the action is ascribed either to the multitude or to him that is 〈◊〉 indifferently as They made peace with 〈◊〉 and served him 1 Chron. 19. 19. or They 〈◊〉 peace with Israel and served them as another Prophet recordeth it 2 Sam. 10. 19. So Ie 〈…〉 he brought forth the Kings sonne and he put the 〈◊〉 upon him 2 King 11. 12. or They brought forth the Kings sonne and they put upon him the crowne 2 Chron. 23. 11. and they offered burnt-offerings 1 Chron. 16. 1. or David offered burnt-offerings 2 Sam. 6. 17. and many the like The occasion of this message now sent by Israel was the commandement of God who willed them to goe 〈◊〉 against Sihon and to possesse his land Deut. 2. 24 25. Sâ—hon or Sichon in Greeke Seon King of the Amorites his chiefe citie was Hesbon Deut. 2. 26. saying the Greeke version addeth from Deut. 2. 26. with peaceable words saying Vers. 22. Let me passe in Greeke Let us passe which phrases are often used indifferently when they are spoken of a multitude and so the Scripture serreth this downe both wayes Let me passe as here and in Deut. 2. 27. and Let us passe Iudg. 11. 19. thorow thy land that so I may come into the land of Canaan unto my place Iudg. 11. 19. Deut. 2. 29. we will not turne in Deut. 2. 27. I will not turne speaking of the multitude as of one man into field or into vineyard to the right hand or to the left Deut. 2. 27. See Num. 20. 17. of the well in Greeke of thy well meaning of any of his wells for nought but they would buy their water of him for money Deut. 2. 28. the Kings way the high way common for all which in Deut. 2. 27. is set downe thus by the way by the way See also Num. 20. 17. Vers. 23. would not grant Hebr. granted or gave not that is would not give or suffer as where it is said David removed not the Arke 1 Chro. 13. 13. another Prophet openeth it thus David would not 〈◊〉 the Arke 2 Sum. 6. 10. And so Moses explaines this in Deut. 2. 30. But Sihon king of Hesbon 〈◊〉 let us passe thorow him The cause why he would â—ot was feare distrust as it is written But Si 〈…〉 〈◊〉 not Israel to passe thorow his coast Iudg. 11. 〈◊〉 â—ut chiefly it was of the Lord who purposed to destroy the Amorites as Moses saith For fehovah thy God hardned his spirit and made his heart strong that he might give him into thine hand Deut. 〈◊〉 Iahaz or Iahats in Greeke Fassa in La 〈…〉 Iasa the name of a city mentioned also in Deut. 2. 12. Iudg. 11. 20. Esay 15. 4. Ier. 48. 21 34. Vers. 24. Israel smote him for Iehovah the God of Isâ—ael delivered Sihon and all his people into Israels had Iudg. 11. 21. Deut. 2. 33. Therefore the glory of this victory is ascribed unto God in Ps. 135. 10 11. and 136. 17 18 19. And in Amos 2. 9. God saith I destroyed the Amorite before theÌ„ whose height was like the height of the Cedars and he was strong as the O 〈…〉 yet I destroyed his fruit from above his roots from beneath was strong by reason that it was â—enced with Iabbok which was a river by mountines and cities on them Deut. 2. 37. therefore the Ammonites held their territories beyond Iabbok so that Sihon tooke them not from them and as for Israel they might not warre â—gainst the Ammonites Deut. 2. 19. Vers. 25. tooke all these cities utterly destroying men women and children of every citie but the cattell and spoile of the cities they tooke also Deut. 2. 34 35. the daughters that is as the Chaldee explaineth it the townes or villages thereof for the chiefe-cities are counted as mothers the villages about them as daughters thorowout the Scriptures Ezek. 16. 44 45 46 48 53. Therefore as here it is said Hesbon and her daughters so elsewhere wee reade Hesbon and all her cities Ios. 13. 17. And that which is called a citie and a mother in Israel 2 Sam. 20. 19. is in the Greeke interpreted a citie and a mother citie Metropolis in Israel These daughters Moses calleth unwalled cities Deut. 3. 5. Vers. 27. that speake in proverbs or that speake parables in Greeke Aenigmatists they that speake riddles such in Israel were the prophets that used to speake by parables as Ezek. 17. 2. and 20. 49. But it is also used for prouerbs and by-words to the reproach of persons that are brought downe from high estate to misery as Deut. 28. 37. 2 Chron. 7. 20. Ierem. 24. 9. Habak 2. 6. and so it is meant in this place The Hebrewes Tanchuma and Sol. Iarchi expound these that spake in proverbs to be Balaam and Beor his father as wee reade that Balaam tooke up his parable against Amalek and others when he prophesied their destruction Numb 24. 20. 23. Iarchi saith that Sihon was not able to subdue them and
And the Angell of Iehovah went further and stood in a narrow place where was no way to turne aside to the right hand or to the left And the Asse saw the Angell of Iehovah and she fell downe under Balaam and Balaams anger was kindled and he smote the Asse with a staffe And Iehovah opened the mouth of the Asse and she said unto Balaam What have I done unto thee that thou hast smitten me these three times And Balaam said unto the Asse Because thou hast mocked me I would there were a sword in mine hand for now I would kill thee And the Asse said unto Balaam Am not I thine Asse which thou hast ridden upon ever since I was thine unto this day was I ever wont to doe so unto thee And he said Nay And Iehovah uncovered the eyes of Balaam and he saw the Angell of Iehovah standing in the way and his sword drawne in his hand and he bended downe the head and bowed him-selfe downe on his face And the Angell of Iehovah said unto him Wherefore hast thou smitten thine Asse these three times Behold I came out to be an adversarie because thy was is perverse before me And the Asse saw me and turned aside before me these three times unlesse she had turned aside from me surely now also I had slaine thee and saved her alive And Balaam said unto the Angell of Iehovah I have sinned for I knew not that thou stoodst against me in the way and now if it be evill in thine eies I will get me backe againe And the Angell of Iehovah said unto Balaam Goe with the men but onely the word that I shall speake unto thee that shalt thou speake and Balaam went with the Princes of Balak And Balak heard that Balaam was come and he went out to meet him unto a citie of Moab which is by the border of Arnon which is in the utmost of the border And Balak said unto Balaam Did not I sending send unto thee to call thee Wherefore camest thou not unto me Am I not able indeed to honour thee And Balaam said unto Balak Loe I am come unto thee now am I able at all to speake any thing the word that God shall put in my mouth that shall I speak And Balaam went with Balak and they came unto Kirjath-huzoth And Balak slew oxen and sheepe and sent to Balaam and the Princes that were with him And it was in the morning that Balak tooke Balaam and brought him up into the high places of Baal that he might see from thence the utmost part of the people Annotations SEt forward removed their campe from the mountaines of Abarim Num. 33. 48. the plaines of Moab or champion countrey which sometime had been Moabs afterward the Amorites and now Israels by conquest These plaines reached unto the river Iordan in that part which was neere to or over against Iericho the first city which they conquered in Canaan Ios. 6. and therefore it is called Iordan of Iericho and here they remained till Moses died encamping in these plaines from Bethjesimoth unto Abel shittim Num. 33. 49. Here many notable things fell out even all that are recorded from this place to the end of Deuteronomie and in the beginning of Iosua their deliverance from Balaams curse their mustering for the inheritance of Canaan their victorie over the Midianites the addition of sundry divine ordinances especially the repeating and explaining of the whole Law and renewing of the covenant betweene God and them by Moses in Deuteronomie and the like whereupon God saith unto their posteritie O my people remember now what Balak King of Moab consulted and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto â—ilgal that is the many good things which fell out betweene Shittim where now they were and Gilgal where Iosua circumcised them Ios. 5. that ye may know the righteousnesse of the Lord Mic. 6. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here beginneth the fortieth Lecture of the Law as it was divided to bee lead in the Iewes Synagogues see Gen. 6. 9. Vers. 2. Balak the sonne of Zippor in Greeke the sonne of Sepphor This Balak was now King of Moab vers 4. a man of note both for policie and power Mic. 6. 5. Iudg. 11. 25. he saw all that Israel had done but with an evill eye and looked not upon it to receive instruction as doe the wise Prov. 24. 32. Vers. 3. afraid of the people or because of the people Thus the prophesie was fulfilled The mighty men of Moab trembling shall take hold upon them Exod. 15. 15. Moab was irked that is grieved distressed in themselves pricked in their hearts with a loaching of this people The same is spoken of the Egyptians they wereâ—â—ked because of the sonnes of Israel Exod. 1. 12. There was no cause for the Moabites thus to fret for Israel passed by them in peace and touched not their border being forbidden of God Deu. 2. 9. They had also by the slaughter of the Amorites freed them from evill neighbours which had before taken away a part of their land and were likely in time to have taken more Num. 21. 26. And they were allied unto Israel for Moab was the posteritie of Lot unto whom Abraham the Father of Israel was uncle and whom Abraham had rescued out of captivitie Gen. 19. 36 37. and 14. 12 16. But being now degenerate from the faith of their father Lot and fallen to idolatry Num. 21. 29. they feared as doe the wicked where no feare was Psal. 53. 5. and doe loath the people of the God of Abraham and Lot their father Vers. 4. Elders of Midian in Greeke the Senate of Madiam These Elders were Senatours such as governed the State called afterward Princes vers 7 8. and the Midianites were by nature the children of Abraham Gen. 25. 1 2. and so brethren unto Israel but now conspired against them being also fallen from Abrahams faith to idolatrie with Baal-Pehor Num. 25. 17 18. They were neighbours to the Moabites and as it seemeth had beene consederates with them in former warres as when Hadad King of Edom smote Midian in the field of Moab 1 Chron. 1. 46. These were not the people against whom Israel should warre neither had they occasion to be offended at the Amorites overthrow who held them in subjection for the five Kings of Midian that combined with Moab and perished for the same Num. 31. 8. are called the Dukes of Sihon Ios. 13. 21. They had cause therefore to have beene thankfull unto Israel who freed them from Sihons tyrannous yoke and to have rejoiced with the joy and for the prosperity of their brethren this company or the Church in Greeke this Synagogue or Congregation 〈…〉 licke up that is devoure or consume as the Chaldee explaineth it So fire that consumeth is said to lick up in 1 Kings 18. 38. but here the simi 〈…〉 de is taken from oxen that lick up the grasse as they seed And
this time when the sonne is a sonne of thirteene yeares and one day and the daughter is a daughter of twelve yeares and one day although they say we know not to whose name we have vowed their words are established and their vowes are vowes c. And this is the time of vowes spoken of in every place for as much as they are come to the yeares of great or aged persons their vowes are stablished Maimon tom 3. Treat of Vowes chap. 11. sect 1 3 4. Vers. 4. hold his peace at her or keepe silence at it though hee doe not by words appâ—â—v yet by silence hee seemeth to consent therefore her vow standeth firme shall stand that is shall be stable firme and sure as the field which Abraham bought was said to stand when by sale it was made sure Gen. 23. 17. 20. So ones counsell or word is said to stand when it abideth firme Prov. 19. 21. Esay 14. 24. and 40. 8. Ier. 44. 29. Vers. 5. disallow her or disallow nulliâ—â—e it to wit her vow so after the day that he heareth whether it be in the day that she vowed or many daies after that her father heareth of it If she vow and wait many daies and afterward her father or her husband heare of it then hee may breake it in the day that he heâ—reth c. as it is said In the day that he heareth and not in the day that shee voweth onely Maimony in Vowes chap. 12. sect 16. will mercifully forgive her in Greeke will purge or cleanse her her sin in vowing when she was not in her owne power but in her fathers shall be forgiven but she may not performe her vow which by her fathers authoritie is disanulled So for her husband in like fort vers 12. Vers. 6. if having she have a hâ—sband Hebr. if being she be to a man that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at all maried or the utterance of her lips or pronunciation that which she hath pronounced or distinctly uttered to wit by oath as appeaseth by the word Or which distinguisheth it from her vowes and by that which followeth which she hath bound upon her soule that is by oath as in vers 2. and 10. So the pronouncing with the lips is joyned with swearing in Lev. 5. 4 and Chazkuni here saith the pronunciation is not meant but of an oath Vers. 8. he disallow her or disallow it that is signifie his disallowance of her vow or oath The Hebrewes say A man maketh void or establisheth the words of his wife or of his daughter in any language although she know it not for it is not of necessity that the woman should heare the making void or the establishmeÌ„t c. He that maketh void the words of his daughter or of his wife it is necessary that he utter it with his lips and if he make it void in his heart only hee doth not make it void Maim in Vowes chap. 13. sect 1. 7. Vers. 9. put away to wit from her husband as is expressed in Levit. 21. 7. that is divorced shall stand she is to performe her vow and this as the Hebrewes thinke though she be afterward maried As A woman which hath no husband and which is not under her fathers power if she say Loe such flesh be unlawfull to me after thirty daies and she be married within thirty dayes although at the time when the vow beginneth shee be under the power of a husband he cannot make it void because at the time of the vow making she was not under his power And of this it is said in Num. 30. 9. But the vow of a widow and of her that is put away c. Maim in Vowes chap. 13. sect 16. Vers. 10. in her husbands house after that shee is married and in her husbands power But what if shee were betrothed onely and remained yet in her fathers house Of this case the Hebrewes say A maid that is betrothed none can make ther vow void but her father and her husband joyntly together And if the one of them alone doe make it void it is not made void If her espoused husband die she returneth into the power of her father and whatsoever she voweth her father may make void as before her espousals If her father die after that she is betrothed and she make a vow after his death her husband cannot make it void for an husband maketh not the vowes of his wife void untill shee be come into the wedding chamber or married Maim in Vowes chap. 11. sect 9 10. Vers. 11. shall stand shee is to keepe her vow though after her husbands death A young woman whom her father hath given in mariage if she become a widow or be divorced after mariage loe she is as an Orphan whiles her father liveth and her father cannot make her vowes of none effect although she be yet but a young woman Maim ibidem sect 25. Vers. 12. hath utterly made them void or hath any waies made them void Hebr. making void hath made them void so in vers 15. Vers. 13. oath of bond that is binding oath or bond confirmed with an oath to afflict the soule by abstenance fasting c. See the notes on Levit. 16. 29. This seemeth to be added for amplification rather than limitation or restraint howbeit the Hebrewes from hence gather that although the father may disanull all his daughters vowes of what sort soever yet the husband hath not power to disanull the vowes of his wife vnlesse they be of this sort to wit vowes or bonds to afflict the soule c. Sol. Iarchi on Numb 30. and Maimony in Vowes chap. 12. sect 1. may establish it or may make it stand shall confirme it Some understand these words to be a commandement and translate thus Let her husband establish it or let her husband make it void to wit out of hand and let him not deferre it till afterward Vers. 14. altogether hold his peace Hebr. holding his peace shall hold his peace or keepe silence from day to day and doe not disanull it the same day that he heareth it Vers. 15. shall utterly make them void or shall any waies make them of none effect see this phrase in vers 12. shall beare her iniquitie that is shall beare the punishment of her iniquitie God will require her sinne at his hand From hence wee learne saith Sol. Iarchi that he which is a cause of scandall or offence unto his neighbour shall cone in his stead unto all punishments CHAP. XXXI 1 The Israelites are commanded to take vengeance on the Midianites 5 Twelve thousand of the tribes of Israel with Phinehas the Priest are sent to warre 7 They slay all the males and the five kings of Midian and Balaam the sonne of Beor 9 They take the women and children captives and the spoile of their goods and cartell and burne their cities 13 Moses is wroth with the Officers for saving the women alive 19 How the souldiers with
their captives and spoile are to be purified 25 The proportion whereby the prey is to be divided 28 The tribute levied unto the Lord of the divided prey and given to the Priests and Levites 48 The captaines of Israel numbring their souldiers misse not a man and therefore giue a voluntary oblation unto the Treasury of the Lord. ANd Iehovah spake unto Moses saying Avenge the vengeance of the sons of Israel upon the Midianites afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy peoples And Moses spake unto the people saying Arme yee some men of your selves unto the warre and let them be against Midian to render the vengeance of Iehovah upon Midian A thousand of a tribe a thousand of a tribe of all the tribes of Israel shall ye send to the warre So there were delivered of the thousands of Israel a thousand of a tribe twelve thousand armed for war And Moses sent them a thousand of a tribe to the warre them and Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the Priest to the warre and the holy instruments and the trumpets of alarme in his hand And they warred against Midian as Iehovah commanded Moses and they killed every male And they killed the Kings of Midian beside those that were slaine of them Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba five Kings of Midian Balaam also the sonne of Beor they killed with the sword And the sonnes of Israel tooke the women of Midian captives and their little ones and tooke the prey of all their cattell and all their flockes and all their goods And they burnt all their cities in their habitations and all their castles with fire And they tooke all the spoile and all the booty of men and of beasts And they brought the captivity and the booty and the spoile unto Moses and unto Eleazar the Priest and unto the congregation of the sonnes of Israel unto the campe unto the plaines of Moab which are by Iordan neere Iericho And Moses and Eleazar the Priest and all the Princes of the Congregation went forth to meet them without the camp And Moses was wroth with the Officers of the host the captaines of thousands and the captaines of hundreds which came from the battell of the warre And Moses said unto them Have yee saved alive all the females Behold these were to the sonnes of Israel through the word of Balaam a cause to commit trespasse against Iehovah in the matter of Peor and there was a plague among the Congregation of Iehovah Now therefore kill every male among the little ones and kill every woman that hath knowne man by lying with a male But all the little ones among the women that have not knowne the lying with a male keepe alive for your selves And you encamp ye without the campe seven dayes whosoever hath killed any soule and whosoever hath touched any slaine purifie your selves and your captivitie in the third day and in the seventh day And purifie every garment and every instrument of skinne and every worke of goats haire and every instrument of wood And Eleazar the Priest said unto the men of the Armie which went to the warre This is the ordinance of the Law which Iehovah commanded Moses Onely the gold and the silver the brasse the iron the tinne and the lead Every thing that goeth thorow the fire ye shall make it passe thorow the fire and it shall be cleane neverthelesse it shall be purified with the water of separation and every thing that goeth not thorow the fire yee shall make passe thorow the water And yee shall wash your clothes in the seventh day and ye shall be cleane and afterward ye shall come into the campe And Iehovah spake unto Moses saying Take thou the summe of the bootie of the captivitie of man and of beast thou and Eleazar the Priest and the heads of the Fathers of the Congregation And divide the bootie into two parts between them that tooke upon them the warre who went out to battell and betweene all the Congregation And levie a tribute unto Iehovah of the men of warre which went out to battell one soule of five hundred of the men and of the beeves and of the asses and of the sheep Of their halfe shall yee take it and thou shalt give it unto Eleazar the Priest for an heave-offering of Iehovah And of the sons of Israels halfe thou shalt take one portion of fifty of the men of the beeves of the asses and of the sheepe of all beasts and thou shalt give them unto the Levites which keep the charge of the Tabernacle of Iehovah And Moses and Eleazar the Priest did as Iehovah commanded Moses And the booty the residue of the prey which the people of the armie had made prey of was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheepe And seventie and two thousand beeves And sixtie and one thousand asses And soules of mankinde of the women which had not knowne the lying with male all the soules were two and thirtie thousand And the halfe which was the portion of them that went out to warre was the number of sheepe three hundred thousand thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred And Iehovahs tribute of the sheepe was six hundred seventie and five And the beeves were six and thirtie thousand and Iehovahs tribute of them was seventy and two And the asses were thirtie thousand and five hundred and Iehovahs tribute of them was sixtie and one And the soules of mankinde were sixteene thousand and Iehovahs tribute of them was two and thirty soules And Moses gave the tribute the heave-offering of Iehovah unto Eleazar the Priest as Iehovah commanded Moses And of the sonnes of Israels halfe which Moses divided from the men that warred Now the Congregations halfe was of the sheepe three hundred thousand and thirtie thousand seven thousand five hundred And beeves six and thirty thousand And Asses thirtie thousand and five hundred And soules of mankinde sixteene thousand And Moses tooke of the sonnes of Israel halfe one portion of fifty of man and of beast and gave them unto the Levites which kept the charge of the Tabernacle of Iehovah as Iehovah commanded Moses And the officers which were over the thousands of the host the captaines of thousands and captaines of hundreds came neere unto Moses And they said unto Moses Thy servants have taken the summe of the men of warre which were in our hand and there lacketh not a man of us Therefore we have brought an oblation for Iehovah what every man hath found of jewels of gold chaines and bracelets rings eare-rings tablets to make atonement for our soules before Iehovah And Moses and Eleazar the Priest tooke the gold of them every wrought jewel And all the gold of the heave-offering that they offered up to Iehovah was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fiftie shekels of the captaines of thousands and of the captaines of hundreds The men of the armie had taken spoile
they were numbred to make atonement for their soules Exod. 30. 15 16. CHAP. XXXII 1 The Reubenites and Gadites sue for their inheritance on that side Iordan 6 Moses reproveth them 16 They offer him conditions to his content 28 Moses commandeth Eleazar and Iosua to give them that inheritance when they had performed the conditions 31 The Gadites and Reubenites promise againe to performe them 33 Moses assigneth them the land 34 They build fenced cities for their wives and children and folds for their cattell 39 The sons of Manasses conquer the Amorites in Gilead and have it and the villages thereof given them by Moses for a possession NOw the sonnes of Reuben and the sonnes of Gad had a very great multitude of cattell and they saw the land of Iazer and the land of Gilead and behold the place was a place for cattell And the sonnes of Gad and the sonnes of Reuben came and said unto Moses and unto Eleazar the Priest and unto the Princes of the Congregation saying Ataroth and Dibon and Iazer and Nimrah and Heshbon and Elealeh and Shebam and Nebo and Beon The land which Iehovah smote before the Congregation of Israel is a land for cattell and thy servants have cattell And they said If we have found grace in thine eyes let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession bring us not over Iordan And Moses said unto the sonnes of Gad and to the sonnes of Reben Shall your brethren goe to warre and shall you sit here And wherfore break ye the heart of the sons of Israel from going over into the land w ch Iehovah hath given them Thus did your fathers when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land For they went up into the land of Eshcol and saw the land and brake the heart of the sonnes of Israel that they should not goe into the land which Iehouah had given them And Iehovahs anger was kindled in that day and he sware saying If the men that came up out of Egypt from twenty yeares old and upward shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham unto Isaak and unto Iakob because they have not followed mee fully Save Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh the Kenizite and Iosua the sonne of Nun for because they have followed Iehovah fully And Iehovahs anger was kindled against Israel and hee made them wander in the wildernesse fortie yeares untill all the generation was consumed that had done evill in the eyes of Iehovah And behold ye are risen up in your fathers sted an increase of sinfull men to augment yet the burning anger of Iehovah against Israel For if yee turne away from after him then will he yet againe leave them in the wildernesse and yee shall destroy all this people And they came neere unto him and said We will build sheep-folds here for our cattell and cities for our little ones But wee our selves will goe ready armed before the sonnes of Israel untill that we have brought them unto their place and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the Inhabitants of the land Wee will not returne unto our houses untill the sonnes of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Iordan and forward because our inheritance is come unto us on this side Iordan Eastward And Moses said unto them If ye will doe this thing if ye will goe armed before Iehovah to warre And will goe all of you armed over Iordan before Iehovah untill he have driven out his enemies from before him When the land is subdued before Iehovah then afterward yee shall returne and ye shall be guiltlesse before Iehovah and before Israel and this land shall be yours for a possession before Iehovah But if ye will not doe so behold you have sinned against Iehovah and know ye your sinne which will find you out Build ye cities for your little ones and folds for your sheepe and doe that which hath proceeded out of your mouth And the sonnes of Gad and tâ—e sonnes of Reuben said unto Moses saying Thy servants will doe as my lord commandeth Our little ones our wives our flocks and all our cattell shall bee there in the cities of Gilead But thy servants will passe over every one armed for warre before Iehovah to battell as my lord speaketh So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the Priest and Iosua the sonne of Nun and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sonnes of Israel And Moses said unto them If the sonnes of Gad and the sonnes of Reuben will passe with you over Iordan every man armed to battell before Iehovah and the land shall be subdued before you then yee shall give unto them the land of Gilead for a possession But if they will not passe over with you armed then they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan And the sonnes of Gad and the sonnes of Reuben answered saying As Iehovah hath spoken unto thy servants so will I doe We will passe over armed before Iehovah into the land of Canaan and the possession of our inheritance on this side Iordan shall bee ours And Moses gave unto them unto the sonnes of Gad and unto the sonnes of Reuben and unto halfe the tribe of Manasses the sonne of Ioseph the kingdome of Sihon king of the Amotites and the kingdome of Og king of Bashan the land with the cities thereof in the coasts the cities of the land round about And the sonnes of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer And Atroth Shophan and Iazer and Iogbehah And Beth-Nimrah and Beth-Haran fenced cities and folds for sheepe And the sonnes of Reuben built Heshbon and Elealeh and Kirjathaim And Nebo and Baal-Meon the names being changed and Sibmah and they called by names the names of the cities which they builded And the sonnes of Machir the sonne of Manasses went to Gilead and tooke it and dispossessed the Amorite w ch was in it And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the sonne of Manasses and he dwelt therein And Iair the sonne of Manasses went and tooke the villages and called them the villages of Iair And Nobah went and tooke Kenath and the daughters thereof and hee called it Nobah after his owne name Annotations REuben he was Israels first-borne of his wife Leah Gen. 29. 32. and Gad was the first sonne of Zilpah Leahs handmaid Gen. 30. 10. 11. To these are added some of the sonnes of Manasses vers 39. c. who was the sonne of Ioseph the eldest sonne of Israel by his wife Rachel Gen. 30. 22. 24. Iazer a citie taken a while before from the Amorites Num. 21. 32. Gilead in Greeke Galaad a mountaine also of the Amorites which had many cities halfe that mount was given to the sonnes of God the other halfe to the sonne of Manasses vers 40. Deut. 3. 12 13. Ios. 13. 24. 25. 31. a place for cattell that is meet to seed and
of him Aaron and of him Eleazar 1 Chron. 6. 1 2 3. Vers. 18. one Prince one Prince of a tribe that is of every tribe one Prince See the like phrase in Numb 13. 2. and 17. 6. Ios. 3. 12. and 4. 2. 4. to divide the land by inheritance or to inherit the land as the Hebrew properly and usually signifieth and this latter some of the Hebrewes as larchi and Kimchi do retaine expounding it of the Princes who in stead of the people and as their tutors and governours first tooke the possession in the name of their tribes and after distributed it unto them by their families But the Chaldee here and againe in Ios. 19. 49. where the like phrase is also used both the Chaldee and Greeke doe there translate it cause to inherit or divide by inheritance and so Moses explaineth it in vers 29. Vers. 19. Caleb he was one of the Spies sent to view the land of whom see Num. 13. 7 31. and 14. 24. Ios. 14. 6. c. Vers. 20. Samuel or Shemuel the notation of which name see in 1 Sam. 1. 20. The Greeke calleth him Salamiel by a mistaking from Num. 1. 6. Ammihud in Greeke Semioud so in Numb 1. 10. Vers. 21. Elidad in Greeke Eldas the sonne of Chaslon Vers. 22. Bukki in Greeke Bokkâ—r sonne of Iekli Vers. 23. Hanniel in Greeke Aniel sonne of Sâ—â—phid Vers. 24. Kemuel in Greeke Kamouel sonne of Saphtan Vers. 25. Parnach or Pharnach in Greeke Charnach Vers. 26. Paltiel or Phaltiel in Greeke Phantiel sonne of Oza Vers. 27. Ahihud or Achihud in Greeke Achiod sonne of Selemi Vers. 28. Pedahel in Greeke Phadiel Observe here the order of the tribes as they were named with their Princes 1. Iudah 2. Si 〈…〉 3. Benjamin 4. Dan 5. Manasses 6. Ephraim 7. Zabulon 8. Issachar 9. Aser 10. Naphtali This order agreeth not with that in Numb 1. nor with that in Numb 7. nor in Numb 26. nor any before set downe but is thus disposed by Gods wisdome and providence before hand as they did after inherit the land Iudah is first having the first lot and he dwelt in the South part of the land Ios. 15. 1 c. Simeon is next him because his inheritance was within the inheritance of the sons of Iudah Ios. 19. 1. The next was Benjamin who had his lot by Iudah betweene the sons of Iudah and the sons of Ioseph Ios. 18. 11. The fourth was Dan for his lot â—ell by Benjamins westward in the Philistines country as is to be seene by his cities in Ios. 19. 40 41 c. Then Manasses and by him Ephraim his brother whose inheritances were behind Bejamins as before is noted Ios. 16. and 17. Next them dwelt Zabulon and Issachar of whose lots see Ios. 19. 10. 17. Last of all dwelt Aser and Naphtali in the North parts of Canaan of whose lots see Ios. 19. 24. 32 c. And as when they encamped about Gods Tabernacle they were ordered according to their brotherhoods as is noted on Numb 2. so in the dividing and inheriting of the land we may see the like For Iudah and Simeon both sonnes of Leah dwelt abrest one by another Benjamin of Rachel and Dan of Rachels maid dwelt next abrest Manasses and Ephraim both sons of Ioseph by his mother Rachel had the next place one by another Zabulon and Issachar who dwelt next together were both sonnes of Leah So the last paire were Aser of Leahs maid and Naphtali of Rachels maid Thus God in nominating the Princes that should divide the land foresignified the manner of their possession and that they should be seated to dwell as bre 〈…〉 together in unity for the mutuall helpe and comfort one of another as is noted of the first two Iudah and Simeon who joyned together in warre against the Canaanites Iudg. 1. 1 2 3. Vers. 29. to divide the inheritance unto or to give the sonnes of Israel inheritance According to this commandement so was it fulfilled by Eleazar the Priest and Iosua the sonne of Nun and the beads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel who divided the inheritance unto the people by lot in Shiloh before the LORD at the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation Ios. 19. 51. CHAP. XXXV 1 The Lord commandeth Israel to give eight and fortie cities for the Levites with their suburbs and measure thereof 6 Six of them are to be cities of refâ—gâ— 9 The lawes of murder when the man-slayer might have the benefit of the cities of refuge and when he must be put to death 31 No ransome might be taken for the murderer that was worthy of death ANd Iehovah spake unto Moses in the plaines of Moab by Iordan neere Iericho saying Command the sons of Israel that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in and suburbs to the cities round about them shall yee give unto the Levites And the cities shall be for them to dwell in and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattell and for their goods and for all their beasts And the suburbs of the cities which yee shall give unto the Levites shall be from the wall of the citie and outward a thousand cubits round about And ye shall measure from without the citie on the East-side two thousand cubits and on the South-side two thousand cubits and on the Sea-side two thousand cubits and on the North-side two thousand cubits and the citie shall be in the midst this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities And the cities which yee shall give unto the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge which ye shall give for the man-slayer to flee thither and above them yee shall give fortie and two cities All the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites shall be forty and eight cities them and their suburbs And the cities which ye shall give for the possession of the sons of Israel from them that have many ye shall give many and from them that have few ye shall give few every man according to his inheritance which they inherit hee shall give of his cities unto the Levites And Iehovah spake unto Moses saying Speake unto the sonnes of Israel and say unto them When ye be come over Iordan into the land of Canaan Then ye shall appoint for you cities cities of refuge shal they be for you that the man-slayer may flee thither which smiteth a soule by errour And the cities shall be unto you for refuge from the avenger that the man-slayer die not untill he stand before the Congregation for judgement And the cities which ye shall give the six cities of refuge shall be for you Three cities ye shall give on this side Iordan and three cities shall yee give in the land of Canaan cities of refuge shall they be For the sonnes of Israel and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them shall these six cities be for a refuge
that every one that smiteth a soule by errour may flee thither And if he smite him with an instrument of iron and he die he is a man-slayer the man-slayer shall be surely put to death And if he smite him with a stone of the hand wherewith he may die and he die he is a man-slayer the man-slayer shal be surely put to death Or if hee smite him with an instrument of wood of the hand wherwith he may die and he die he is a man-slayer the man-slayer shall be surely put to death The aveÌ„ger of the bloud he shal put to death the man-slayer when he meeteth him he shal put him to death And if he thrust him of hatred or have cast upon him by laying of wait and he die Or in enmity smite him with his hand and he die the smiter shall be surely put to death he is a man-slayer the avenger of the bloud shall put to death the man-slayer when he meeteth him But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity or have cast upon him any instrument without laying of wait Or with any stone wherewith he may die without seeing him and hee hath caused it to fall upon him and he die and he was not his enemie nor a seeker of his evill Then the Congregation shall judge betweene the smiter and the avenger of the bloud according to these judgements And the Congregation shall deliver the man-slayer out of the hand of the avenger of the bloud and the Congregation shall restore him unto the citie of his refuge whither hee was fled and hee shall abide in it untill the death of the great Priest which was anointed with the oyle of holinesse And if the man-slayer going shall goe forth out of the border of the citie of his refuge whither hee was fled And the avenger of the bloud finde him without the border of the citie of his refuge and the avenger of the bloud shall slay the man-slayer no bloud shal be unto him Because he should have abidden in the citie of his refuge untill the death of the great Priest and after the death of the great Priest the man-slayer shall returne into the land of his possession And these things shall be unto you for a statute of judgement through-out your generations in all your dwellings Every one that smiteth a soule by the mouth of witnesses the man-slayer shall be slaine but one witnesse shall not answer against a soule to die And ye shall take no ransome for the soule of the man-slayer which is guilty of death but he shall be surely put to death Neither shall yee take ransome for him that is fled unto the citie of his refuge to returne to dwel in the land until the death of the Priest And ye shall not pollute the land wherein yee are for bloud it polluteth the land and for the land there shal be no expiation for the bloud that is shed therein but by the bloud of him that shed it And thou shalt not defile the land which ye inhabit in within which I doe dwell for I Iehovah dwel among the sonnes of Israel Annotations THat they give or and let them give unto the Levites The Lord having given order in Chap. 34. for dividing the land unto Israel commandeth here a portion to bee given out of all their possessions unto him which he bestoweth on his Ministers the Levites for a part of their livelihood The equitie of which law both for honouring the Lord with our substance Prov. 3. 9. and for maintaining his Ministers Gal. 6. 6. is perpetuall Therefore speaking of the Church under the Gospell according to these legall figures hee saith When yee shall divide by lot the land for inheritance yee shall offer an oblation unto the LORD an holy portion of the land c. The holy portion of the land shal be for the Priests the Ministers of the Sanctuary which shall come neere to minister unto the LORD c. Ezek. 45. 1 4 5. and 48. 9 10 13. suburbs to the cities or as the Greeke translateth the suburbs of the cities which suburbs are called in Hebrew Migrash that is a place cast out as lying without the walls of the citie in Chaldee Râ—vâ—ch that is a Space in Greeke Proásteia as lying before the citie and in vers 3. Aphorismata as being separated from the citie and in vers 5. homora confines or limits Vers. 3. their goods or their substance their gathered goods see the notes on Gen. 12. 5. it is a generall word and sometime implieth cattell also as 2 Chron. 31. 3. and 32. 29. and 35. 7. beasts in Hebrew Chajah which is a generall name for living things but here translated in Greeke foure-footed beasts And from hence the Hebrews gather that they gave the Levites a place of buriall to every citie without these bounds or suburbs for they buried not their dead in the suburbs of their cities because it is said AND FOR ALL THEIR LIVING THINGS they gave it for the living and not for buriall Maimony Treat of Release and Iubilee chap. 13. sect 3. That they used in Israel to bury their dead without the cities appeareth by Luke 7. 11 12. Vers. 4. a thousand cubits The Greeke saith two thousand cubits as it is in the verse following where the Lord speaketh of two thousand cubits so the thousand cubits here mentioned some thinke to be meant of holy measure double so much as the common measure and that the latter doe expound the former The Hebrewes explaine it thus The suburbs of the cities are expressed in the Law to be three thousand cubits on every side from the wall of the citie and outward Num. 35. 4 5. The first thousand are the suburbs and the two thousand which they measured without the suburbs were for fields and vineyards Maim Treat of the Release and Iubilee chap. 13. sect 2. Vers. 5. without the citie by the citie the Hebrewes understand here the citie with the suburbs that is the thousand cubits forementioned which were for their cattell and these two thousand moe for fields and vineyards as is before noted East side or East quarter in Chaldee East winde See the notes on Numb 34. 3. Sea side that is the West side as the Chaldee saith the West winde Moses useth to call the West the Sea as is noted on Gen. 12. 8. So in Numb 34. 6. Vers. 6. of refuge that citie is called in Hebrew Miklat of gathering because the man-slayer was there gathered and detained in Greeke Phugadâ—nterion a place of flight and exile in Chaldee Shezabuth of deliverance and preservation The six cities appointed for refuge were these Bezer of the Reubenites country Ramoth in Gilead of the Gadites and Golan in Basan of the Manassites these three Moses separated Deut. 4. 41 43. the other three appointed by Ioshua were Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali Shechem in mount Ephraim and Kirjath-arba which is Hebron in the mount of Iudah Ios. 20. 7. the
use of these is after shewed 42. cities These with the six cities of refuge are declared in Ios. 21. how they were given out of every tribe Of the Kohathites the Priests the sons of Aaron had thirteene cities Ios. 21. 19. the residue of the Kohathites had ten cities Ios. 21. 26. The Gershonites had thirteene cities Ios. 21. 33. The Merarites had twelve cities Ios. 21. 40. So all the cities of the Levites within the possession of the somes of Israel were fortie and eight cities with their suburbs Ios. 21. 41. Thus Iakobs prophesie of Levi was fulfilled that he should be scattered in Israel Gen. 49. 5 7. But because of the Levites zeale for the Lord the curse was turned into a blessing as is noted on Exod. 32. 29. and they were teachers of the law 〈…〉 o the tribes of Israel Deut. 33. 8 10. Wherfore God gave them cities out of every tribe How 〈◊〉 whatsoever remained of these cities besides the habitations of the Levites and the suburbs â—orementioned as the fields of the cities and their villages continued under the dominion and in the possession of the tribes to whom they had been distributed before as the example of Hebron given unto Caleb sheweth Ios. 14. 13 14. and 21. 11 12. Vers. 8. yee shall give many or yee shall multiply to give so the tribes that had many cities and 〈…〉 ge inheritances gave the more cities For 〈◊〉 of the tribes of the sonnes of Iudah and of Si 〈◊〉 were given nine cities out of Benjamin foure out of Ephraim foure out of Dan foure out of the halfe tribe of Manasses two out of the other halfe 〈◊〉 of Manasses two out of Issachar foure out of Aser foure out of Naphtali three out of Zabulon foure out of Reuben foure out of Gad foure Ios. 21. 9 16 c. Vers. 11. shall appoint or prepare as the Chaldee explaineth it in Greeke yee shall distinguish or distinctly separate elsewhere it is called separ 〈…〉 ng Deut. 4. 41. and sanctifying Ios. 20. 7. by errour or ignorantly unadvisedly unawares the Greeke translateth unwillingly this is opened in vers 22 23. and Deut. 19. 5. In â—os 20. 3. it is declared by two words by errour oâ— unawares and without knowledge or unwittingly Vers. 12. the avenger to wit of the bloud as is expressed in vers 19. and the Chaldee and Greeke here adde the same Goel here Englished an Avonger elsewhere signifieth a Redeemer but properly one of the same bloud and kindred as Ruth 2. 20. and 3. 9 12. who if things were sold was to redeeme them as Levit. 25. 25. if bloud were shed was to avenge it as in this case And so the Greeke here usually calleth him Agchisteâ—on that is one neere of kin Of this kinsman the avenger it is said in v. 19. that he should put the murderer to death see the notes there before the congregation When a man had done a murder he fled to some citie of refuge the way being alwaies prepared that he might flee thither without hinderance as is noted on Deut. 19. 3. Comming thither at the entring of the gate he shewed his cause to the Elders of the citie of refuge who tooke him in till he was sent after and fetched home to the citie where hee had done the murder and there he stood before the congregation Ios. 20. 4 6. who if they found him worthy of death they delivered him to the avenger to kill him if not they returned him to his citie of refuge where hee lived in a kinde of exile and imprisonment untill the death of the high Priest as after followeth See Deut. 19. 12. Before the cities of refuge were appointed the Altar was a place of refuge as is probable by Exod. 21. 13 14. And from that place the Hebrewes gather that the Altar was a place of refuge Maim Treat of Murder chap. 5. sect 12. Vers. 14. Three cities which were Bezer Ramoth and Golan Deut. 4. 41 43. and three cities Kedesh Shechem and Hebron Ios. 20. 7. And if the Lord enlarged their coast and gave them all the land they were to adde three cities moe Deut. 19. 8 9. Vers. 15. the stranger in Greeke the proselyte meaning him that was not an Israelite by nature but by religion the sojourner that dwelt a stranger in the land of Israel and yet not of their Church and religion Deut. 14. 21. These all had benefit by the cities of refuge but if an heathen by errour killed an heathen the cities of refuge received him not saith Maim Treat of Murder chap. 5. sect 4. smiteth a soule that is killeth any person so vers 11. Vers. 16. if he smite him to wit purposely and presumptuously as the punishment after sheweth surely put to death or put to die the death Hebr. dying hee shall be put to death so in vers 17 18 21. Vers. 17. a stone of the hand that is throwen with the hand the Greeke translateth it a stone out of the hand the Chaldee a stone that is taken in the hand he may die the Chaldee more fully explaineth it which is enough for him to die therewith so in vers 18. Vers. 18. wood of the hand Greeke out of the hand Chaldee wood taken in the hand which is sufficient for him to die thereby as in vers 17. These cautions are here added to discerne of murders the Hebrewes explaine them thus He that smiteth his fellow presumptuously with a stone or with wood that he die they measure the thing wherewith he smote him and the place whereon he smote him to see â—f that thing were enough to kill him upon such a member of his body or not as it is written WITH A STONE OF THE HAND c. so that it be enough to kil him They measure also the might of him that smote c. For iron instruments the Law gives no measure Num. 35. 16. He is to die that killed him though it were with a needle and whatsoever is sharp like a needle as bodkin knife or the like Hee that smiteth his fellow without any instrument and killeth him as with his hand or his foot c. they measure the strength of him that smote and of him that was killed and the place of the blow c. Maim Treat of Murder chap. 3. sect 1. c. Vers. 19. he shall put to death or he may put him to death to wit after he is adjudged to death by the Magistrate vers 12. If the avenger of bloud will not or if he be not able to kill him or if he have no avenger of bloud then the Iudges shall kill the murderer with the sword Maim Treat of Murder chap. 1. sect 1. When he meeteth him though it be within the cities of refuge saith Iarchi But this is to be understood after lawfull judgement by the Magistrate for the Elders of his citie were to send and fetch him from the citie of refuge and deliver him into the hand
commanded me for to doe so within the land whither ye are going to possesse it And ye shall keepe and doe them for this is your wisdome and your understanding in the eies of the peoples which shall heare all these statutes and say Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people For what nation is there so great which hath God nigh unto the same as Iehovah our God is in all that wee call upon him for And what nation is there so great which hath just statutes and judgments as all this law which I set before you this day Onely take heed to thy selfe and keepe thy soule diligently lest thou forget the things which thine eies have seen and lest they depart from thine heart all the daies of thy life but thou shalt make them knowne to thy sonnes and to thy sons sons The day that thou stoodst before Iehovah thy God in Horeb when Iehovah said unto me Gather together the people unto mee and I will make them heare my words that they may learne to feare mee all the daies that they live upon the earth and that they may teach their sonnes And ye came neare and stood under the mountaine and the mountaine bâ—â—ed with fire unto the heart of the heavens with darknesse cloud and thicke darknesse And Iehovah spake unto you out of the middest of the fire you heard a voice of words but saw no similitude save a voyce And hee declared unto you his covenant which hee commanded you to doe the ten Words and hee wrote them upon two tables of stone And Iehovah commanded mee at that time to teach you statutes and judgments that yee may doe them in the land whither ye are going over to possesse it And take yee heed diligently unto your soules for yee saw not any similitude in the day that Iehovah spake unto you in Horeb out of the middest of the fire Lest ye corrupt your selves and make unto you a graven thing the similitude of any figure the likenesse of male or female The likenesse of any beast that is on the earth the likenesse of any winged fowle that flieth in the heavens The likenesse of any thing that creepeth on the ground the likenesse of any fish that 〈◊〉 in the waters beneath the earth And lest thou lift up thine eies to the heavens and seest the Sunne and the Moone and the Startes all the Host of the heavens and beest driven away and bowest downe thy selfe unto them servest them them which I 〈…〉 thy God hath imparted to all peoples under all the heavens But Iehovah hath taken you and brought you forth out of the furnace of it on out of Egypt to bee unto him a people of inheritance as this day And Iehovah was angry with me for your sakes and sware that I should not goe over Iordan and that I should not goe in into the good land which Iehovah thy God giveth thâ—â— for an inheritance For I must die in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I must not goe over Iordan but ye shall goe over and possesse that good land Take heed unto your selves lest yee forget the covenant of Iehovah your God which hee stroke with you and make to you a 〈◊〉 thing the likenesse of any thing which Iehovah thy God hath charged thee For Iehovah thy God hee is a consuming 〈◊〉 〈…〉 alous God When thou shalt beget children and childrens children and ye shall have waxen old in thâ— land and shall corrupt your selves and make a graven thing the likenesse of any thing and shall doe evill in the eyes of Iehovah thy God to provoke him to anger I call the heavens the earth to witnesse against you this day that perishing ye shall perish soone from off the land whereunto you passe over Iordan to possesse it yee shall not prolong your â—â—ies upon it but shall utterly be destroyed And Iehovah will scatter you among the peoples and yee shall be left few men in number among the heathens whither Iehovah shall lead you And there ye shall serve Gods the worke of mens hands wood and stone which neither see nor heare nor eat nor smell But if from thence ye shall seeke Iehovah thy God then thou shalt find him if thou shalt seeke him with all thy heart and with all thy soule When tribulation shall be on thee and all these things shall finde thee in the latter daies and thou shalt turne to Iehovah thy God and heaâ—ken unto his voice For Iehovah thy God is a mercifull God he will not leave thee neither destroy thee neither will he forget the covenant of thy fathers which hee sware unto them For aske now of the daies â—orepast which were before thee since the day that God created man upon the earth and aske from the utmost part of the heavens and unto the other utmost part of the heavens whether there hath beene any such thing as this great thing is or hath beene heard like it Hath a people heard the voyce of God speaking out of the midst of the fire as thou hast heard and lived Or hath God assayed to come to take him a nation from the middest of a nation by tentations by signes and by wonders and by war and by a strong hand and by a stretched-out arme and by great terrours according to all that Iehovah your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes Thou hast beene made see to know that Iehovah he is God there is none else besides him Out of the heavens hee made thee to heare his voyce to instruct thee and upon the earth he made thee to see his great fire and thou heardest his words out of the middest of the fire And because hee loved thy fathers therefore hee chose his seed after him and he brought thee out in his sight with his great power out of Egypt To drive out nations greater and mightier than thou from before thee to bring thee in to give thee their land for an inheritance as it is this day And thou shalt know this day and cause it to returne into thy heart that Iehovah hee is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath there is none else And thou shalt keepe his statutes his commandements which I command thee this day that it may be well with thee and with thy sonnes after thee and that thou maiest prolong thy daies upon the land which Iehovah thy God giveth thee all daies Then Moses separated three Cities on this side Iordan towards the Sunne rising For the man-flayer to flee thither which should kill his neighbour unwittingly and he hated him not in times past and that hee might flie unto one of these cities and live Bezer in the wildernesse in the plaine countrey of the Reubenites and Ramoth in Gilead of the Gadites and Golan in Basan of the Manassites And this is the law which Moses set before the sonnes of Israel These are the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments which Moses
any use when it was taken out the house was lawfull Maim treat of Idolaâ—y ch 8. sect 4. shall possesse that is shall subdue and have dominion over them as the word often signifieth see Levit. 25. 45 46. Ier. 49. 2. Psal. 82. 8. gods that is as the Chaldee explaineth it Idolls there are gods so called many but into 〈◊〉 there is but one God 1 Cor. 8. 5 6. mountaines in such high places all nations for the most part used to serve their gods into which corruption Israel sometime fell 2 King 17. 10 11. Ier. 3. 6. Ezek. 20. 28 29. Hos. 4. 13. Vers. 3. pillars or statues standing Images of these see Exod. 23. 24. Levit. 26. 1. greves which were wont to bee as temples unto the heathen as is noted on Exod. 34. 13. See also the annotations on Deut. 7. 5. gods in Chaldee Images of ther Idols names whether in speech for the name of other gods might not bee heard out of their mouths Exod. 23. 13. or imprinted in bookes graven on pillars imposed on places or any other the like So the Reubenites changed the names of cities that carried Idoll names Num. 32. 38. As the beginning of true religion is repentance from dead workes Heb. 6. 1. so in the constituting of Gods true service Moses beginneth with the abolishing of all idolatrous monuments for What agreement hath the temple of God with Idols 2 Cor. 6. 16. Vers. 4. not doe so in any of the former particulars or such like as not to destroy or doe evill to Gods sanctuary or synagogues Psal. 74. 3 6 7 8. not to breake downe his Altars 1 King 19. 10. nor to deface any holy writings or monuments of his name Ier. 36. 23. The Hebrews say Whosoever destroyeth any name of the holy pure names wherby the blessed God is called is by the law to be beaten for 〈◊〉 of Idols hee saith And thou shalt destroy the names of them c. Thou shalt not doe so to the Lord thy God Hee that takes away but one stone by way of destroying from the Altar or from the Temple or from any other part of the Court is to be beaten Likewise he that burneth any of the wood of the sanctuary c. All the holy Scriptures and expositions of them it is unlawfull to burne any of them or destroy them with hand except they be such as are written by heretickes c. But holy Scriptures when they are old are to be laid up Maimony in Iesudei hatorah ch 6. sect 1. 7. 8. Vers. 5. to put his name there that is to have it consecrated unto him and his divine service Such was the Tabernacle of Moses the Temple of Solomon the Citie Ierusalem after God had chosen it for of them God said My name shall be there 1 King 8. 29. and his Name was called upon them Dan. 9. 18. and put there 2 King 21. 4 9. 1 King 14. 11. The Chaldee here expoundeth it to cause 〈◊〉 Majestie or divine presence to dwell there Now Christ hath abolished the earthly Ierusalem and requireth worship in spirit and truth every where Ioh. 4. 11 23. shall yee seeke for answers and oracles which from the mercie-seat and by Vrim and Thummim were given to the people Numb 7. 89. Exod. 25. 22. Numb 27. 21. All other places were forbidden as Seeke not Bethel nor enter into Gilgal c. Amos 5. 5. shalt thou come at all times when thou wilt offer sacrifice Levit. 17. 8 9. but three times in the yeare by expresse commandement Exod. 23. 14. 17. And there the Lord promised to come unto them and blesse them Exod. 20. 24. Vers. 6. sacrifices of all sorts as sinne-offerings peace-offerings and whatsoever pertained to the Alter Sacrifices have their name of slaughter which were staine offered and eaten before the Lord the Chaldee here expoundeth it the slaughter or sacrifice of your holy things tithes the tenth of the hâ—â—d and of the flocke which boâ—h Priests and people were to bring and slay before the Lord and eat them in Ierusalem whereof see Levit. 27. 32. and the tiches of cor 〈…〉 c. whereof see vers 17. and Deut. 14. 22 23. heave-offering of your hand the Greeke translateth the first-fruits and in v. 〈◊〉 the first-fruits of your hands These are the first-fruits spoken of in Deut. 26. 2. c. which with their hands they brought into the Sanctuary See the annotations there vowes and your voluntaire offerings such as for Gods blessings they willingly gave unto him The difference of these voluntarie oblations from vowes is shewed on Levit 7. 16. firstlings which were given to the Priests for them to eat after the blood was sprinkled and the fat burned on the Altar see Numb 18. 15 17. Vers. 7. Yee shall eat to wit such things as were lawfull for the people to eat for of all the things forementioned they might not eat Some were for the Priests to eat before the Lord some for the people rejoyce God is to be served with gladnesse Psal. 100. 1 2. and the holy things of God might not be eaten with mourning Deut. 26. 14. Hos. 9. 4. yee put your hand Hebr. the putting to or sending forth of your hand This though it may be applied to that which they might take and eat of the holy things as in Gen. 3. 22. yet it seemeth to be more generall for all things that they should doe and all blessings that they should receive as by comparing this phrase in Deut. 15. 10. and 23. 20. and 28. 8. 20. may appeare So after in vers 18. houses that is housholds children and such like as the Chaldee expoundeth it men of your houses and so Moses explaineth it in vers 12. Vers. 8. which wee doe the Greeke expoundeth it which yee doe Israel committed idolatry in the wildernesse Act. 7. 42 43. Howbeit this speech of Moses seemeth rather to meane the true service of God which was not as yet perfected neither could be in their travels as it was after in Canaan right in his owne eies that is which liketh or pleaseth him so the phrase meaneth in 2 Sam. 19. 6. 1. Chron. 13. 4. and is often spoken of the corruption of men as Iudg. 17. 6. and 21. 25. unto which Moses opposeth that which is right in the Lords eies vers 25 28. and chap. 13. 18. There is a way which is right before a man and the end thereof are the waies of death Prov. 14. 12. Vers. 9. the rest in Chaldee the house or place of rest meaning the land of Canaan and in speciall Ierusalem there 1 Chron. 23. 25. where after their travels and warres the Lord gave rest unto his people as vers 10. and 1 King 8. 56. But David being there speaketh of another rest which remaineth for people of God Psal. 95. 11. into which rest wee that beleeve doe enter and â—â—ase from our owne workes Heb. 4 3 8 9 10. Vers. 10. in confident safety or in
presence or Majestie Vers. 12. and thou shalt and may here imply the reason therefore thou shalt observe For they came out of Egypt to keepe a feast to the Lord in the wildernesse Exod. 5. 1 3. which they kept at mount Sinai where the Law was given at this time of Pentecost or of Weekes Exod. 19. 1. 11. and 24. 5. 11. In memoriall whereof this day was kept holy every yeere And when they were come into Canaan they brought two loaves of the first-fruits of their wheat harvest with many sacrifices unto them adjoyned Lev. 23. 17. 20. which increased the solemnity Last of all the Law of Christ was given by the Spirit in fiery tongues to his Apostles on this festivall day Act. 2. Vers. 13. Boothes or Tabernacles made with the boughes of trees Lev. 23. 34 40. See the Annotations there of thy floore and of thy winepresse that is thy fruits the corne which is threshed in the floore and the wine pressed out of the fat therfore it is called the feast of ingathering in the going out of the yeere when thou gatherest in thy labours out of the field Exod. 23. 16. Ver. 14. rejoyce in thy feast this is meant both of inward joy for the mercies of God past present to come by Christ and of outward manifestation of their joy by sacrifices of thanksgiving unto God and holy banquetting with the poore and ministers of the Lord as after he commandeth Verse 15. keepe a feast by offering of sacrifices in thankfulnesse to God for his blessings upon them and their land surely joyfull or onely joyfull with spirituall mirth serving the Lord. So the Apostle saith Rejoyce in the Lord alwaies againe I say rejoyce Phil. 4. 4. Vers. 16. Three times the times before and after mentioned the Passeover or vnleavened cakes the Feast of Weekes or Pentecost and the Feast of Boothes or Tabernacles see Exod. 23. 14. 17. and 34. 22 23. Of the speciall sacrifices of these Feasts see Levit. 23. and Numb 28. and 29. chapt he shall not appeare that is no man of Israel the Greeke saith as before thou shalt not appeare in Exod. 23. 15. it was said they shall not appeare before me emptie Thus here are three things required appearing keeping a feast vers 15. and rejoycing vers 14. every of which implied a sacrifice as is noted on Exod. 23. 15. Vers. 17. according to the gift of his hand that is Let every man appeare with a gift or oblation as he is willing and his hand can give which the Greeke explaineth Every one according to the ability of your hands Here beginneth the 48. section 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Law See Genes 6. 9. and 28. 10. Vers. 18. Iudges and Officers in Chaldee Iudges and Avengers These were to judge causes and to execute the judgements the Officers are called in Hebrew Shotrim in Greeke Grammateis and Grammatoeisagogeis that is Scribes and as Hierom calleth them in Latine Masters Their worke was to speake and proclaime unto the people what they ought to doe Deut. 20. 5. 9. Ios. 1. 10 11. and 3. 2 3. and as the Hebrewes generally hold to see good orders kept lawes executed malefactors punished and the like Therefore they carried rods and weapons to execute justice as Praetors and Lictors in the ancient Romane Common-wealth and as Sheriffes and Constables in England There were both Iudges and Officers of all tribes and of the Levites 1 Chron. 23. 4. The Officers Shotrim had staves and whips and they stood before the Iudges and went about in the streets and into shops for to looke to right weights and measures and to smite all that did wrong and all that they did was by the mouth or commandement of the Iudges And in whomsoever they saw any foule matter they brought him to the Iudgement Hall where he was judged according to his wickednesse Maimony in Sanhedrin cha 1. sect 1. shalt thou give that is shalt make or constitute as the Greeke translateth The manner of making them is shewed in Deut. 1. 13 15. and what manner of persons were to be chosen is declared on Exod. 18. 21. thy gates the Greeke and Chaldee expound it thy cities But according to the bignesse of every citie so they appointed in Israel Courts of judgement the Hebrewes reckon three 1 The great Court in the Sanctuary called the great Synedrion where they set seventy Iudges and one as in Numb 11. 16. c. where seventy were added unto Moses 2 The Court of three and twenty of which they say there were two about the Temple the one at the Court-doore of the Sanctuary and the other at the doore of the mountaine of the Temple And in every citie of Israel wherein were 120. men or moe the lesser Synedrion of 23. sate in the gate of the citie 3 A citie wherein there were not 120. men they set therein three Iudges for there is no Court of lesse than three as Maimony sheweth in Sanhedrin ch 1. sect 3 4. giveth unto thee so within their owne Land Israel had this charge but not without the same as when they were dispersed into other nations Wee are not bound say they to constitute Iudgement Hâ—lls or Courts in every countrey and in everie citie but in the land of Israel onely c. as it is said in all thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth unto thee Maimony in Sanhedrin chap. 1. sect 2. judgement of justice that is as the Greeke translateth it just judgement which is when there is an equall and indifferent course of proceeding when the truth of the cause is discerned and when judgment passeth according to the Law Psal. 82. and 58. 2 3. So Christ saith Iudge not according to the appearance but judge just judgement Ioh. 7. 24. The Hebrewes say that the justice of judgement is an equality towards both parties in every matter that they let not the one speake so much as he seeth needfull and say to the other Be briefe in your speech and that they shew not a friendly countenance to the one and speake gently to him and frowne upon the other and speake roughly unto him That the one doe not sit and the other stand but both of them stand or if the Iudges please that they both sit and that the one sit not on high and the other below but one besides another It is unlawfull for the Iudge to heare the words of one of the parties before his fellow be come or out of the presence of his fellow and so the one partie is to be admonished that he relate not his cause to the Iudge before his fellow the other party be come c. Maim in Sanhedrin ch 21. Vers. 19. not wrest judgement not decline or pervert turne aside judgement not give wrong judgement for any cause as did Samuels sonnes who turned aside after lucre and tooke bribes and wrested or perverted judgement 1 Sam. 8. 3. See Deut. 24. 17. respect persons or
truth concerning Christ Ioh. 1. 15. and 5. 33. Hee was also approved of God among them by miracles wonders and signes Act. 2. 22. so that the workes which the Father gave him to finish which also he did they bare witnesse of him and the Father himselfe bare witnesse of him Ioh. 5. 36 37. yet they like an evill and adulterous generation condemned by these their owne canons beleeved not in him but tempted God and sought after a signe Mat. 12. 38 39. and though the men which saw his miracles said This is of a truth that Prophet which should come into the world Ioh. 6. 14. yet that faithlesse generation beleeved not but said What signe shewest thou that wee may see and beleeve thee Ioh. 6. 30. But though he had done so many miracles before them yet they beleeved not neither could they beleeve because that Esaias said Hee hath blinded their eyes and hardned their heart c. Ioh. 12. 37. 39 40. in presumption that is presumptuously the Greeke translateth in ungodlinesse the Chaldee in wickednesse not be afraid either for his threatning words or for his signes nor afraid to put him to death And thus the Hebrewes explaine it saying Whosoever with draweth himselfe from killing a false Prophet because of his dignitie for that he walketh in the wayes of prophesie behold he transgresseth against this prohibition THOV SHALT NOT BE AFRAID OF HIM And so he that withdraweth himselfe frō teaching cōcerning him what he is guilty of or that dreadeth and feareth for his words c. And they judge not a false prophet but in the judgment hall of 71. Magistrates Maim treat of Idolatrie ch 5. s. 9. CHAP. XIX 1 The cities of refuge 4 The privilege of them for the manslayer 11 The wilfull murtherer must die 14 The land-mark may not be removed 15 Two witnesses at the least must stablish every matter 16 A false witnesse must be diligently inquired into and done unto as he had thought to doe unto his brother WHen Iehovah thy God hath cut off the nations whose land Iehovah thy God giveth unto thee and thou possessest them and dwellest in their cities and in their houses Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land which Iehovah thy God giveth unto thee to possesse it Thou shalt prepare for thee the way and shalt divide into three parts the coast of thy land which Iehovah thy God shall give thee to inherit and it shall be that every man-slayer may flee thither And this is the case of the man-slayer which shall flee thither and live who so smiteth his neighbour unwittingly and he hated him not in time past As when he commeth with his neighbour into a wood to hew trees and his hand fetcheth a stroke with an axe to cut downe a tree and the iron slippeth from the wood and findeth his neighbour and hee die he shall flee unto one of these cities and live Lest the avenger of the bloud pursue after the man-slayer while his heart is hot and overtake him because the way is long and smite him in soule and he had not the judgement of death because he hated him not in time past Therefore I command thee saying Thou shalt separate for thee three cities And if Iehovah thy God enlarge thy coast as he hath sworne unto thy fathers and give unto thee all the land which he hath spoken to give unto thy fathers If thou shalt keepe all this commandement to do it which I command thee this day to love Iehovah thy God and to walke in his wayes all dayes then thou shalt adde three cities moe for thee beside these three That innocent bloud be not shed within thy land which Iehovah thy God giveth unto thee for an inheritance and so blouds be upon thee But if a man be a hater of his neighbour and lie in wait for him and rise up against him and smite him in soule that he die and fleeth unto one of these cities Then the Elders of his citie shall send and take him thence and shall give him into the hand of the avenger of the bloud and he shall die Thine eye shall not spare him and thou shalt put away innocent bloud from Israel and it shall goe well with thee Thou shalt not remove thy neighbours limit which the first fathers have limited in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit in the land which Iehovah thy God giveth unto thee to possesse it One witnesse shall not rise up against a man for any iniquitie or for any sinne in any sinne that he sinneth at the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses shall a word be stablished When an unrighteous witnesse shall rise up against a man to testifie revolt against him Then both the men betweene whom the controversie is shall stand before Iehovah before the Priests and the Iudges which shall be in those dayes And the Iudges shall make diligent inquisition and behold if the witnesse be a false witnesse and hath testified a falshood against his brother Then shall yee doe unto him as hee had thought to have done unto his brother and thou shalt put away the evill from the midst of thee And the residue shall heare and feare and shall not adde to doe any more such an evill thing as this in the midst of thee And thine eye shall not spare soule for soule eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foot for foot Annotations THou shalt separate in Ios. 20. 7. he useth the word sanctified in Num. 35. 11. shall appoint Here Moses explaineth the sixt commandement for some speciall lawes concerning it three cities besides those three which Moses had separated without the river Deut. 4. 41 43. These three cities were Kedesh Shechem and Hebron Ios. 20. 7. They were all cities of the Levites see Num. 35. 6. in the midst that is within thy land as in the midst of the citie Ier. 52. 25. is the same that within the citie 2 King 25. 19. See also the notes on Gen. 2. 9. This is spoken because there were no cities of refuge but in the land which Israel possessed See Num. 35. 2. Vers. 3. shalt prepare Of this it is said The senate or Magistrates in Israel were bound to prepare the wayes to the cities of refuge to make them fit and broad and to remove out of them all stumbling blocks and offences and they suffered not any hill or dale to bee in the way nor waters streame but they made a bridge over it that nothing might binder him that fled thither And the bredth of the way to the cities of refuge was no lesse than 32. cubits And at the partitions of wayes they set up in writing REFVGE REFVGE that the man-stayer might know and turne thitherward On the 15. of the moneth Adar or Februarie every yeare the Magistrates sent out messengers to prepare the wayes c. Maimony treat of Murder chap. 8. sect 5 6.
many moe than of Ephraim Num. 26. 34. 37. See the notes on Gen. 48. 19. The ten thousands of Ephraim are referred to Iosua and his men that conquered Canaan the thousands of Manasses to Gedeon and his men Iudg. 7. by Sol. Iarchi on Deut. 33. Vers. 18. of Zabulon or to Zabulon and with him he joyneth Issachar his brother both sonnes of Lea as partner of his blessing So these two joyned in one and the foure next the sonnes of the handmaids are set and blessed together next after Ioseph And it is a tradition of the Hebrewes that these five Zabulon Gad Dan Naphtali and Aser were those five mentioned in Gen. 47. 2. when Ioseph tooke of his brethren five men and presented them before Pharaoh Sol. Iarchi on Deut. 33. and Thargum Ionathan on Gen. 47. 2. Rejoyce Zabulon that is God so blesse thee as thou maist have cause to rejoyce in thy prosperitie thy going out to trade in merchandise by shipping for Zabulon by Iakobs blessing was to dwell at the haven of the Seas c. Gen. 49. 13. so here Moses blesseth him with good successe in his traffique or going out to warres as Gen. 14. 8. 2 Sam. 11. 1. and so the Chaldee here expoundeth it in thy going out to warre against thine enemies And in Iudg. 5. 18. Zabulon is commended for jeoparding their lives unto the death in the high places of the field and Issachar to wit rejoyce thou also Issachar was elder brother to Zabulon Gen. 30. 18. 20. yet Iakob blessed Zabulon first Gen. 49. 13 14. and so doth Moses here and God in parting their inheritance preferreth Zabulon giving him the third lot and Issachar the fourth Ios. 19. 10. 17. in thy tents that is in thy dwelling at rest or tarrying at home for so the remaining in tents is opposed unto going forth to warres or traffique or hunting abroad Ios. 22. 4. Iudg. 7. 8. and 5. 24. Gen. 25. 27. And tent is often used for ones home house or citie as the tents of Iakob Mal. 2. 12. where the Chaldee translateth the cities of Iakob so these tents of Issachar meane his quiet life at home differing from Zabulons going abroad to trade Chazkuni on this place noteth that Issachars land was good to sow and hee sate in tents to keepe his fields and Moses prayeth that hee might prosper and rejoyce in his fields And so Iakob said unto him in Gen. 49. 14. couching betweene two bounds betweene the limits to keepe his fields The Chaldee translateth and Issachar in thy going to appoint the times of the solemne feasts in Israel having reference to that which is written in 1 Chron. 12. 32. of the sonnes of Issachar that had understanding for the times to know what Israel ought to doe c. which some of the Hebrewes understand of the times and seasons of the yeare new moones and feasts So Sol. Iarchi here expoundeth it and Issachar prosper in thy sitting in tents for the Law sitting and making intercalation of the years appointing the new moones as it is said in 1 Chron. 12. 32. And of the sonnes of Issachar that knew understanding for the times c. the heads of them were 200. they were heads of the Counsell imployed hereabouts c. Vers. 19. They shall call or let them call and so shew their thankfulnesse to God by inviting others to Gods house and shewing them a good example by their owne frequenting the Lords mountaine the mountaine mount Sion where Moses by the Spirit foresaw Gods Temple should be builded The Chaldee paraphraseth They shall gather the tribes of Israel to the mountaine of the house of the Sanctuarie Though by peoples the Gentiles also may be implied whom they having occasion to trade with should provoke to true religion as in Esai 2. 2 3. All nations shal flow unto it and many people shall goe and say Come yee and let us goe up to the mountaine of the house of the Lord c. of justice that is just righteous and acceptable sacrifices offered in faith according to Gods Law as the way of justice is a just and righteous way Matt. 21. 32. So David exhorteth Sacrifice yee the sacrifices of justice and trust unto Iehovah Psal. 4. 6. the abundance in Greeke the riches of the Sea which the Chaldee expoundeth they shall â—at the riches of the peoples taking seas figuratively for peoples as is often in the Prophets So in Esay 60. 5. 16. The abundance of the sea shall bee converted unto thee c. thou shalt also sucke the milke of the Gentiles treasures hid in the sand or hidden treasures of the sand The Greeke translateth the merchandise of the nations that dwell by the sea coast Vers. 20. inlargeth Gad this may be understood of Gads inheritance which the blessed God would inlarge as he promised Israel I will inlarge thy border Exod 34. 24. Or understood of his person and then his inlarging is his deliverance out of distresse as in Psal. 4. 2. thou hast inlarged mee when I was in distresse So it hath reference to Gads troubles prophesied in Gen. 49. 19. see the Annotations there and the historie of Gads inlargement by Iephthah in Iudg. 11. a couragious Lion see this word in Gen. 49. 9. There were of the Gadites in Davids time mighty warriers whose faces were like the faces of Lions and were as swift as the Roes upon the mountaines 1 Chron. 12. 8. the arme this noteth strength as the crowne of the head principalitie meaning that none should be so strong or excellent but Gad should overcome them The Greeke translateth hee shall breake the arme and the Ruler the Chaldee he shall kill rulers with kings This may have reference both to his warres in subduing the Canaanites going armed before his brethren Ios. 1. 12 13 14. and to that famous victorie which he got over the Hagarims 1 Chron. 5. 18 19 21 22. as also to the couragious acts of Iehu 1 King 9. and 10. chapters Vers. 21. he provided the first part for him or as the Greeke translateth he saw his first-fruits or he provided in the beginning at the first for himselfe Gad with Reuben saw the Land of Iazer and Gilead that it was a place for cattell and the sonnes of Gad and of Reuben asked of Moses and of the Princes that the land might be given them for a possession Num. 32. 1 5. It may also bee understood of the Lord that he provided this first portion for Gad or that Gad himselfe saw that is enjoyed as the Chaldee expoundeth it received his first part Sol. Iarchi openeth it thus Hee saw or provided to receive his portion in the land of Sihon and Ogh which was the first-fruits or beginning of subduing the land in a portion of the Law-giver the portion which God by Moses the Law-giver gave unto Gad Num. 32. 33. pretected or hidden covered sieled there in the fenced Cities they left their wives and children under Gods
and the Kings of Canaan which were the strength and power of the world c. but their strength was weakned before him But the armes of eternity are rather meant here of the armes of the eternall God who is most ancient without beginning and eternall without ending who saith I am the first and I am the last and besides me there is no God Esay 44. 6. destroy speaking to Israel whom he would enable to destroy their enemies the Greeke translateth Perish speaking to the enemy So God by Christ not onely preserveth his people from harme but destroyeth him that hath the power of death that is the devill Heb. 2. 14. and with him all other enemies perish Vers. 28. alone secure from enemies as Ier. 49. 31. or alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations as Num. 23. 9. This dwelling in safety had accomplishment under Christ of whom it is said In his dayes Iudah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely Ier. 23. 6. the fountaine that is the people which flow out of Iakob as out of a well or fountaine so that fountaine is here used for a river or streame issuing from a fountaine as in Psal. 104. 10. and waters often signifie peoples Rev. 17. 15. Thus David calleth them of the fountaine of Israel Psal. 68. 27. and Esaias saith which are come forth out of the waters of Iudah Esay 48. 1. The Hebrew word sometime signifieth a fountaine sometime an eye in which latter sense some interpret it here the eye of Iakob shall looke unto a land of corne c. his heavens the heaven or aire over the land of Israel shall drop down deaw whereby it shall be fruitfull Thus Moses confirmeth to Iakobs seed the blessing which Isaak gave unto Iakob Gen. 27. 28. Spiritually heavens signifie the ecclesiasticall estate Revel 4. 1. deaw and raine signifie heavenly doctrine as Deuter 32. 2. Vers. 29. who is like thee not any people So David said What one nation in the earth is like thy people like Israel 2 Sam. 7. 23. See also Deut. 4. 7. by Iehovah or in Iehovah that is Christ called Iehovah our righteousnesse Ier. 23. 6. shield of thy helpe that is thine helpfull shield which aideth thee against thine enemies the Chaldee saith strong for thine helpe the Greeke thy helper will shield or protect thee sword is thy excellency in Greeke thy glorie or boasting that thou maist truly glory in his sword not in thine own as the Church doth in Psa. 44. 4 7. they inherited not the land by their own sword and my sword shall not save me Christ appeared with a two-edged sword in his mouth Rev. 1. 16. and with a sword in his hand as Prince of the Lords host Ios. 5. 13 14. and the sword of the spirit is the word of God Ephes. 6. 17. shall falsly deny shall dissemble that they were thine enemies and faine to be friends for feare This David acknowledged the sonnes of the stranger falsly deny unto me Psal. 18. 45. The Greeke translateth shall lie unto thee Chazkuni explaineth it thus They that are enemies to thee in their heart shall falsly deny unto thee through feare shall shew themselves thy friends shall be obedient to doe thy pleasure And Sol. Iarchi giveth an example as the Gibeonites which said From a very farre countrey thy servants are come c. tread on their high places or on their heights in Greeke thou shalt ride upon their necke see a like phrase in Psal. 66. 12. The Chaldee expoundeth it thou shalt tread on the joynts of the neckes of their Kings which thing was fulfilled in Iosuahs time Ios. 10. 24 25. By heights or high places are meant all the high and fortified places wherein the enemies kept for their safety as mountaines high walled Cities c. as David when he was safe from his enemies rejoyceth that God had set him upon his high places 2 Sam. 22. 34. And as it is the glory of God that hee treadeth upon the high places of the earth Amos 4. 13. Mich. 1. 3. and upon the high places or heights of the sea Iob 9. 8. so he communicateth this glory to his people that should vanquish all their enemies as was also said in Deut. 32. 13. he made him ride on the high places of the earth And by the weapons of their war-fare which are mighty through God they pull downe strong holds and cast downe every high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. Death shall be swallowed up in victorie 1 Cor. 15. and Satan himselfe shall be trodden underneath their feet Rom. 16. CHAP. XXXIV 1 Moses from mount Nebo vieweth the land 5 He dieth there and is buried of God 7 His age and vigour when he died 8 The Israelites mourne for him thirty dayes 9 Ioshua succeedeth him 10 The praise of Moses ANd Moses went up from the plaines of Moab unto mount Nebo to the top of Pisgah which is over against Iericho and Iehovah caused him to see all the land from Gilead unto Dan. And all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh and all the land of Iudah unto the hindmost sea And the South and the plaine of the valley of Iericho the Citie of Palme-trees unto Zoar. And Iehovah said unto him This is the land which I sware unto Abraham unto Isaak and unto Iakob saying unto thy seed will I give it I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes but thou shalt not go over thither And Moses the servant of Iehovah died there in the land of Moab according to the mouth of Iehovah And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab over against Beth-peor and no man knoweth of his Sepulchre unto this day And Moses was an hundred and twenty yeeres old when hee died his eye was not dimme nor his naturall moisture fled And the sonnes of Israel wept for Moses in the plaines of Moab thirty daies and the daies of weeping of mourning for Moses were ended And Ioshua the sonne of Nun was full of the Spirit of wisedome for Moses had laid his hands upon him the sonnes of Israel hearkened unto him and did as Iehovah commanded Moses And there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like Moses whom Iehovah knew face to face In all the signes and the wonders which Iehovah sent him to doe in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land And in all the mighty hand and in all the great terrour which Moses did in the eyes of all Israel Annotations MOses went up as God commanded him Deu. 32. 49. plaines of Moab in the wildernesse where Israel pitched and where Moses had explained all this Law unto them See Num. 22. 1. Deut. 1. 1. 5. The Greeke retaineth the Hebrew name Araboth Moab mount Nebo or of Nebo that from thence hee might view the holy land as Iohn from an high mountaine was shewed
the holy Ierusalem Rev. 21. 10. and Ezekiel likewise before him Ezek. 40. 2. Nebo was the name of a mountaine and of a Citie by it which was given for a possession to the Reubenites Numb 32. 37 38. 1 Chron. 5. 3 8. Pisgah in Greeke Phasga in Chaldee Ramatha so named of the highnesse of it See Deut. 3. 27. Ierecho in Greeke Iericho a Citie within the land of Canaan which the Israelites first conquered by faith causing the wall to fall downe Ios 6. Heb. 11. 30. See after on vers 3. caused him to see as in vers 4. or shewed him as the Greeke translateth from Gilead in Greeke the land of Galaad But Galead was on the outside of Iordan and given to Reuben Gad and halfe Manasseh Deut. 3. 12. 13. being conquered by Moses himselfe so that there was no need to view that but from that Countrey forward hee viewed all the rest Therefore the Hebrewes expound the word Eth by Min From saying From Gilead which was on the outside of Iordan towards the Sunne rising where in Moses was standing unto Dan which is the border of the land of Israel as it is written from Dan even to Beersheba 1 Sam. 3. 20. Chazkuni on Deut. 34. Others referre it to a spirituall vision of things to be done after in this Countrey as Ionathan in his Thargum paraphraseth The Word of the Lord shewed him all the Mighties of the land the valiant acts which should be done by Iephthe of Gilead and the victories of Samson son of Manoah of the tribe of Dan. Likewise Sol. Iarchi expoundeth it He shewed him the sonnes of Dan committing idolatry as it is written in Iudg. 18. 30. and the sons of Dan set up the graven image and he shewod him Samson that should come out of him for a Saviour By Dan here we are to understand Leshem or Laish a Citie in the furthest part of the land Northward called also Dan Ios. 19. 47. Iudg. 18. 27 29. Vers. 2. all Naphthali in Greeke all the land of Nephthali which lay also Northward in Galilee Matth. 4. 15. of Ephraim and Manasseh meaning the halfe tribe of Manasseh that dwelt within lordan this was in the middest of the land in Samaria see Ios. 16. and 17. 7 11. of Iudah which was the Southerne part of the Countrey Ios. 15. 1. c. for the land was farre more long than broad and by naming these few chiefe countries he implieth all the rest with them These also in Thargum Ionathan and Sol. Iarchi are applied to the captaines of the house of Naphtali that were joyned with Barak and the Kings which Iosua the sonne of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim should kill and the valiant acts of Gedeon sonne of Ioash of the tribe of Manasseh and all the Kings of Israel and kingdome of the house of Iudah that should rule in the land untill the Sanctuary should be destroyed at the last the hindmost or utmost sea that is the maine sea which was the Westerne coast see the notes on Deut. 11. 24. Vers. 3. the south in Greeke the wildernesse the utmost Cities of the tribe of the sonnes of Iudah towards the coast of Edom described in Ios. 15. 21. c. So in Num. 34. 3. your south quarter shall be from the wildernesse of Zin along by the coast of Edom c. Thus Moses viewed the land after the order that Abraham did at the first see Genes 12. 6 7 8 9. with the Annotations there God here sheweth Moses all the kingdomes and glory of Canaan from an high mountaine for his comfort and strengthening of his faith who saw the promises a farre off saluted them and died as did his godly forefathers Heb. 11. 9. 13. On the contrary the Deviil taketh Christ up into an excceding high mountaine sheweth him all the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them to draw him if he had beene able from the faith and service of God unto the worship of Satan Matth. 4. 8 9. the plaine of the valley of Iericho in Greeke the regions about Iericho this last part which Moses viewed was the first which the Israeliees possessed Ios. 2. 1. and 3. 16. and 4. 13 19. Sol. Iarchi here saith God shewed to Moses Solomon casting the vessels of the sanctuary as it is said In the plaine of Iordan did the King cast them 2 Chron. 4. 17. Citie of palme-trees so Iericho is called here and in 2 Chron. 28. 15. Iudg. 1. 16. and 3. 13. and of them and other fragrant fruits there growing as Balsam and the like the Citie had the name Ierecho by interpretation Odoriferous or Fragrant unto Zoar in Greeke Segor Thus the last part which Moses viewed was both neerest unto him and the pleasantest of all the land of Canaan for all the plaine of Iordan was well watered it was as the garden of the Lord Gen. 13. 10. Vers. 4. I sware that is I promised by oath see Gen. 12. 7. and 22. 16 17. Psal. 105. 9 10 11. thy seed in Greeke your seed in Chaldee thy sonnes caused thee to see in Greeke I have shewed it to thine eyes This view was by the marvellous worke and grace of God towards his servant that in one place and time hee should behold so large a Countrey and in it by the eye of his spirit so many mysteries as in that holy-land so called in Zuch 2. 12. were comprehended and it being the land of Immanuel or of Christ Esa. 8. 8. the beholding thereof was the beholding of the blessings to be enjoyed by Christ Iesus unto whō Moses and his Law is a Schoolemaster Gal. 3. 24. not goe over to wit over the river Iordan because Moses had not beleeved to sanctifie the Lord in the eyes of the sonnes of Israel Numb 20. 12. And as hee and others could not enter into the good land because of their unbeleefe Heb. 3. 19. so all that are of the workes of the Law and not of the saith of Christ though they may behold the blessing a farre off yet shall they not enter in to enjoy the same Gal. 3. 9 12. Rom. 9. 31. 32. Vers. 5. servant so he is often called even of God himselfe Ios. 1. 2. and in the new Testament as Rev. 15. 3. the song of Moses the servant of God This title he had in respect of his office being governour of Israel as David also had in Psal. 18. 1. and 36. 1. See Numb 12. died there in the mountaine Deut. 32. 50. as Aaron died on the top of mount Hor Num. 20. 28. In that the death of Moses immediatly followed after his viewing of the promised land it foreshewed the end and abrogation of Moses Law when men are come to the Gospell of Christ for after that Faith is come we are no longer under the Schoolemaster Gal. 3. 25. The Law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth for the woman which hath an husband is bound by the Law to
workes and whored by their practises And the anger of Iehovah was kindled against his people and hee abhorred his inheritance And hee gave them into the hand of the heathens and their haters ruled over them And their enemies oppressed them and they were humbled under their hand Many times did hee deliver them and they bitterly provoked by their counsell and were brought downe by their iniquitie Yet he saw when distresse was on them when he heard their cry And he remembred toward them his covenant and repented according to the multitude of his mercies And gave them to tender mercies before all that led them captives Save thou us Iehovah our God and gather us from the heathens for to confesse unto the Name of thine holinesse to glory in thy praise Blessed bee Iehovah God of Israel from eternitie and unto eternitie and let all the people say Amen Halelu-jah Annotations THe powers that is the powerfull workes such as after follow verse 8 c. Thus also were Christs miracles named Mat. 11. 20 21. So after praise for praise-worthy acts cause to heareâ—â— that is sound forth or display so as it may bee heard so Psal. 26. 7. Vers. 4. visit mee that is come and bestow thy salvation helpe or deliverance upon mee See Psalme 8. 5. and compare herewith Luke 1. 68 69. Vers. 5. To see That I may see or enjoy See the Notes on Psal. 27. 4. to glory or boast joyfully see Psal. 34. 3. thy inheritance that is the people whom thou inheritest see Psal. 28. 9. Vers. 6. sinned with our fathers This confession agreeth with the law Leviticus 26. 40. and with the practises of other godly Ieremy 3. 25. Dan. 9. 5. Vers. 7. turned rebellious the Greeke salth provoked to bitteruesses see Psal. 5. 11. By the red sea the Israelites distrusted God and murmured against Moses Exod. 14. 11 12. yet there he saved them vers 15. 16 c. thered Sea so the new Testament calleth it in Greeke Heb. 11. 29. but the Hebrew is the sea Suph that is the sea of sedge or sea weeds which grew therein Vers. 9. 〈◊〉 rebâ—â—ked that is powerfully repressed the waves c. See the like Nahum 1. 4. Isa. 50. 2. Mat. 8. 26. Psal. 18. 16. in the deeps Israel went in the bottome of the red sea on dry ground the deepe waters being as walls on each hand of them Exod. 14. 21 22 29 See also Isa. 63. 11 12 13. Vers. 10. the hater Pharaoh and his host that pursued them Exod. 14. 23 24 30. Vers. 12. they sang as is expressed Exod. 15. Vers. 14. with lust that is greedily even weeping for desire of flesh to eat and loathing Manna Numb 11. 4. 6. Vers. 15. leannesse a sudden plague whereby the soules or lives of the fatrest of them were taken away see Psal. 78. 30 31. also Isa. 10. 16. Vers. 16. the holy one sanctified of the Lord to the worke of the Priesthood Exodus 29. 44. Levit. 8. 12 c. which Korah with other Levites envied opposing their own holinesse Num. 16. 1 3 5. Vers. 17. Dathan and Abiram princes with their families and all their goods went downe alive into hell Numb 16. 32 33. Vers. 18. the wicked 2â—0 men that would burne incense to the Lord were burnt with fire from the Lord Numbers 16. 35. Korach was the chiefe of them Vers. 19. in Hereb a mount in the wildernesse called the mountaine of God Exod. 3. 1. 1 King 19. 8. for there God gave his Law and made a covenant with them Deut. 4. 10. and 5. 2. but while Moses was with God on the Mount they made themselves a god of gold Deuteronomy 9. 8 9 12. Exodus 32. 1 4 31. It was called also Sinai Psalme 68. 9. of bushes that there grew and Horeb of the drinesse for it was a waterlesse desart Deut. 8. 15. Vers. 20. their glorie that is their God so Ier. 2. 11. Thus did they like the heathens Rom. 1. 23. for me â—patterne structure or type as the Apostle calleth it in Greeke Heb. 8. 5. from Exodus 25. 40. Vers. 23. to abolish or that hee would destroy them and put out their name from under Heaven as is expressed Deut. 9. 13 14. in the breach in the gap which their sinne had opened for God as an enemy to enter and destroy them A similitude taken from warre when by a breach in the wall the enemy entreth the citie so Ezek. 13. 5. and 22. 30. But Moses earnest prayer stopped this breach Exodus 32. 11 14. destroying Heb. corrupting that is consuming them See Psal. 57. 1. Vers. 24. land of desire the pleasant land of Canaan which was to be desired for the pleasures and profits of it above all other Countries Ezek. 20. 6. Deut. 11. 11 22. This land they through unbeleefe refused to take possession of Num. 14. 1 2 3 c. Heb. 3. 19. So meat of desire is daintie meat Iob 33. 20. Vers. 26. his hand that is sware as the Chaldee explaineth for so lifting up the hand often signifieth as Gen. 14. 22. Rev. 10. 5 6. Deut. 32. 40. Nehem. 9. 15. How God sware against this people see Numbers 14. 21 23. Psalme 95. 11. Vers. 27. to fanne that is scatter see Psal. 44. 12. Ezek. 20. 23. Vers. 28. were joined or coupled yoked unequally with infidels which the Apostle forbiddeth 2 Cor. 6. 14. Baal-pehor the God of Moab and Madian to whom by Balaams counsell Israel joyned Numb 25. 3. and 31. 16. Revel 2. 14. Baal signifieth a Lord master husband or patron Pehor was the name of a mountaine where this god was worshipped and had a temple called Beth-pehor Numb 23. 28. Deut. 3. 29. Baal was a common name whereby the heathens called their gods 2 King 1. 2. Iudg. 8. 33. and so Israel also called the true God Hos. 2. 16. but for the shamefull abuse of Gods worship the Scriptures turne Baal a Lord into bosheth a shame as Ierub-besheth 2 Sam. 11. 21. for Ierub-baal or Gedeon Iudg. 8. 35. and 9. 1. Ish-bosheth 2 Sam. 2. 10. or Esh-baal 1 Chron. 8. 33. Mephi-bosheth 2 Sam. 9. 10. or Merib-baal 1 Chron. 8. 34. So the Greeke in 1 King 18. 25. for Baal hath Aischunes that is Shame Hereupon the Prophet saith they went to Baal-pehor and separated themselves unto that Shame Bosheth Hos. 9. 10. and so Ieremy calleth the Idols Shame or Confusion Ier. 3. 24. and 11. 13. the dead idols that have no life or breath and so are opposed to the living God Ier. 10. 5 10. 1 Thes. 1. 9. Vers. 29. brake in with violence killing 24. thousand men Numb 25. 9. Vers. 30. Phineas nephew of Aaron the Priest he being zealous for the Lord thrust thorow with a speare Zimri and Cozbi that wrought abomination Numb 25. 7 8 c. Vers. 31. for justice for a just action though done without ordinary authority and God rewarded him for it Numb 25. 11 12 13. Vers. 32. Meribah