comes now to set out their portion which they should have as a reward of their Service And first He tells Aaron that for the sake of his Office to which he was anointed and because He and his Sons were separated from worldly Imployments to attend upon holy things therefore they should have a part in every Meat-Offering Sin-Offering Trespass-Offering and in the Court * See Levit. 6.16.26 Lev. 7.6 Ezek. 42 13 14. of the Tabernacle or Tents round about it called here the most holy place comparatively in respect to the Camp of Israel and the great Court for the people which was without the Priests Court they might eat of them 2ly They should have the Heave-Offerings and Wave-Offerings that is the right Shoulder and wave-breast of the Peace-Offerings with all other Gifts that were heaved and waved no part thereof being burnt upon the Altar And of these the Priests Daughters might eat whilst they remained in their Fathers house but being married to strangers they might not eat of the holy things see Levit. 22.12 13. Neither might any unclean person eat thereof 3ly They should have the first-fruits Some of the first-fruits of the Land were brought to the Lord at their three great Feasts as a sheaf of their Barley at the Feast of the Passover Levit. 23.10 And two loaves of their new-Wheat at the Feast of Pentecost vers 17. And the first of their Wine and Oil at the Feast of Tabernacles But these were brought in the name of all the Inhabitants of the Land in general Besides these particular men were of their own Corn and Fruits to bring the first-fruits unto the Lord as is enjoyned Exod. 22.29 23.19 concerning which there is no other direction given but that they should be of the first and of the best the quantity being left to the liberty and discretion of the Owner to bring according as he had found the blessing of God upon his Grounds 4ly They should have all things devoted that is all votive and freewill-Offerings see Levit. 27.28 except such things as were devoted as a Sacrifice unto God 5ly The first-born of men and beasts The first-born * The first-born of men before they were redeemed were to be presented before the Lord in the Temple Exod. 13.12 Levit. 2.22 And that could not be done before the Mother was purified which required forty days time Levit. 12.4 The first-born of the Tribe of Levi were free from this Redemption of men they were to permit to be redeem'd at a month old (d) V. 16. Secundum aestimationem seu ordinationem tuam Refero ad illud post mensem q. d. Constitues diem quando velles eum redimi Hic dies Communi usu erat 40 a partu ut eadem opera mater purificaretur filius redimeretur Bonfrerius for five Shekels see Levit. 27.6 and the firstlings of unclean Beasts they were to permit to be redeemed after eight days at a lower price but the firstlings of Cows Sheep and Goats were not to be redeemed they must be sacrific'd and their blood sprinkled and their fat burnt on the Altar that they may be a sweet savour to the Lord but their flesh should go to the Priests God tells them He had allotted them these things for their Maintenance (e) The Hebrew Doctors write of 24 Gifts which God bestowed on the Priests with the order and use of them See Ainsworth pag. 113. for ever that is whilst this Dispensation lasted by a perpetual and unchangeable Covenant called a Covenant of Salt because firm and incorruptible Salt having a vertue to preserve any thing from corruption God further tells Aaron That when the Land shall be divided by Lot there shall be no lot for the Levites They should have no Inheritance in it He himself would be their part and portion Indeed they had Cities (f) Concerning the 35 Cities and Suburbs of the Levites and 13 Cities and Suburbs of the Priests See Richardson pag. 32. and Suburbs but they were given them by the other Tribes The Lord further tells Aaron That He had given the Levites all the Tenths or Tythes of the Children of Israel (g) V. 24. Which they offered as an Heave-offering that is an Oblation to the Lord and a sign of their homage and subjection and thankfulness to him for his blessings as a reward of their Service Levit. 27.30 And straitly charges that no Israelite that is not of that Tribe presume to come nigh to the Tabernacle to do any part of the Service belonging to the Levites lest they die for it And He tells him That the Levites should bear the punishment of their own Iniquity if they should transgress yea and of the peoples too if by their not watching over the holy things they suffered the people to transgress about them He further injoyns that the Levites shall offer as an Oblation to the Lord and pay a tenth of all the Tythes they receive unto the Priests and this the Lord would accept at their hands no less than if having Lands as others had they should pay Tythe of the increase of them as the rest of the people did to them and hereby they should testifie their homage and thankfulness to God And they were to offer and separate out of the Tythes paid to them for the hallowed part to be paid to the Priests that which was of all the best And the Priests might eat of these Tythes indifferently in any place And He further declares That if the Levites do heave or separate a tenth part of the best of their Tythes for the Priests use they shall not expose themselves to punishment which they would else do if they neglected it In conclusion here is added a general warning that both Priests and Levites should take heed of polluting or profaning the holy things or suffering them to be profaned by others which might be done many ways that so they might prevent wrath from falling on themselves and others Ch. 18. whole Chapter SECT LXVI THe Lord having appointed the Priests and Levites to do the Service of the Tabernacle and to watch over the people that they might not trangress about any of the holy things He here appoints a water of separation to be made that so if any of the people had contracted any legal uncleanness by the sprinkling of this water upon them they might be cleansed and so might come freely again to the Service of God in the Tabernacle without fear of those Plagues which otherwise their pollutions might bring upon them For the making of this water a red Heifer was to be provided and that by the common charge of all the Children of Israel because it was to be for the common good of them all and for the cleansing of any one among them that was by any accident legally unclean It must be an Heifer without spot and upon which never came yoke For they used in those times to
Tribe some according as their number was greater or lesser and chose such Cities as they in their Wisdom thought most convenient for the Levites and the people And then dividing the Cities they had chosen into four parts one for the Priests a second for the Levites of the Family of Cohath a third for the Gershonites a fourth for the Merarites it was decided by lot in which of these the Priests should be placed and in which the three Families of the Levites The Priests who were of the Family of Cohah by the special Providence of God were seated partly in the Tribe of Judah and partly in the two neighbouring Tribes of Simeon and Benjamin that so they might be near the Temple Thirteen Cities fell to their lot and herein respect was had to future times when the Posterity of Aaron should be encreased for all present there were but a few Priests not enough to inhabit the half part of one City The Levites that were of the Family of Cohath had by lot their Cities in the Tribe of Ephraim and Dan and the half-Tribe of Manasseh viz. ten Cities * Others no doubt besides the Levites did inhabit these Cities and dwell with them The Gershonites had by lot their Cities in the Tribe of Issachar Asher and Naphtali and out of the half-Tribe of Manasseh beyond Jordan viz. thirteen Cities The Merarites had by lot their Cities in the Tribe of Reuben Gad and Zebulun viz. twelve Cities These Cities with their Suburbs the Children of Israel gave unto the Sons of Levi as God had commanded In all 48 Cities The particular Cities that fell to each division are set down Josh Ch. 21. from vers 9. to 43. Of these six were appointed for Cities of Refuge and Sanctuaries for such as had killed a man unwittingly and not of malice prepense The Cities of Refuge on this side Jordan were Kadesh in Galilee in Mount Naphtali Sechem in Mount Ephraim and Hebron in Mount Judah On the other side Jordan Bezer in the Tribe of Reuben Ramoth-Gilead in the Tribe of Gad and Golan in Bashan in the Tribe of Manasseh see Numb 35. Deut. 19.2 c. Joshua Ch. 20. whole Chapter Joshua 21. from 1. to 43. SECT CXVIII THus God gave unto the Children of Israel all the Land which he had promised to their Fathers to give them For though there remained some part of the Land out of which the Canaanites were not yet expelled yet he had given it them all and by lot had divided it among them which was a kind of actual instating them in it 2. He had put them into the possession of the greatest part of it neither had he promised them otherwise that they should possess it than by degrees see Exod. 23.29 He had actually given them the whole Land and they possessed it and dwelt therein that is in as much of it as they had subdued and was needful for their present use and by degrees they came to possess the rest and they might have enjoyed it sooner than they did had it not been for their sins And the Lord now gave them rest round about and there stood not a man of all their Enemies before them that is they were Victorious in all their Wars and none of their Enemies whom they encountred whilst Joshua was their General were able to stand before them Not any good thing that God had promised them and which he knew to be good for them failed of coming to pass Josh 21. from 43. to the end SECT CXIX THe Land being thus conquered and the Children of Israel setled in a peaceful possession of it Joshua now calls the Companies of the Reubenites Gadites and half-Tribe of Manasseh who came over Jordan to help their Brethren in this Atchievement and had left their Wives and Children so long and had stuck to their Brethren till they had seen them peaceably setled in their Inheritances and commended them for their great faithfulness and obeying of the Lord therein He therefore now permits them to return to their own possessions but first gravely and religiously exhorts them to love the Lord their God and to walk in his Ways and Commandments and to cleave to Him and to serve Him with all their Hearts and Souls and that they be very careful and watchful over themselves that they be not drawn away from doing what he had enjoyned them Then He tells them They had got very much Spoil in the War and would return to their Tents laden with Riches with Silver and Gold and Brass with Iron and very much Rayment and with much Cattel Therefore when they came home they should divide the Spoil they had gotten with their Brethren that is that they that had been engaged in the War should have one half and the rest of their Brethren that stayed behind should have the other as Moses had before ordered it in that War when they went out against the Midianites Numb 31.27 and 't is probable Joshua followed the example of Moses in this direction Then earnestly praying to the Lord to bless them he kindly dismist them They having taken their leave of Joshua and their Brethren began their March home-ward and when they came to the Fords of Jordan they thought fit before they passed the River to build a great Altar there after the pattern of that in the Tabernacle not with any intent to offer Sacrifices thereon but only that it might be in future times a Memorial that those Tribes that dwelt without Jordan were of the stock of Israel as well as those that dwelt within and had a right to come to the Tabernacle and to offer their Sacrifices on Gods Altar there as well as they and that in succeeding Generations it might be known that that Altar was built by the Tribes without Jordan when they returned that way home from helping their Brethren against the Canaanites at the first conquering of the Land The Children of Israel within Jordan hearing of this Altar which their Brethren had built on the banks of Jordan and supposing they had done it with a purpose to offer Sacrifices thereon which would have been a manifest Rebellion against Gods Law whereby all the Tribes of Israel were enjoyned to bring all their Sacrifices to that one Altar that was in the Tabernacle Deut. 12.5 6. And considering that God had enjoyned them that in case any of their Brethren of any City in Israel should fall off from the true Worship of God to the Worship of false gods and consequently to any Idolatrous Worship whatsoever they should then gather themselves together and utterly destroy the Inhabitants of that City Deut. 13.13 c. In pursuance of this Command the Israelites within Jordan unanimously gather themselves together at Shiloh with an intent if they found the matter as they supposed to make War immediately against those Tribes that had built this Altar But they thought it requisite first to send Messengers to enquire concerning what
for their present use out of an act of base sloth suffered them to roost among them and did not endeavour to drive them out Moses in the division of that Land without Jordan gave no part to the Tribe of Levi that is no Regions or Parts of the Country as he did to the other Tribes upon which they might live by Tillage and Husbandry but only some Cities to dwell in and the Suburbs belonging to them with some circuit of Ground for the feeding of their Cattel because God himself was to be their Portion and the Sacrifices and other Oblations due unto God were to be for their Maintenance Now the bounds of the Lands given to each Tribe beyond Jordan by Moses are particularly set down to prevent all strife and division among them for the future Joshua 13. whole Chapter SECT CIX JOshua now with Eleazar the High Spirit and the Elders of the Tribes who were expresly chosen and named by the Lord for this purpose Numb 34.17 c. at Gilgal set upon this great Work of dividing the Land on this side Jordan among the nine Tribes and an half And accordingly first they cast the Land into so many several Portions or Provinces as were the number of the Tribes that were to inhabit it yet so as the certain bounds of each Portion or Province were not certainly limited and appointed till they knew which Tribes the Lord would by the designation of the lot settle in each of them and then they were to inlarge or lessen the Portion according as the number of the Tribe that was there to be setled was greater or less so that the lots were only to determine in what part of the Country each Tribe should be planted and afterwards the quantity of the Land which each Tribe was to enjoy was to be set out by Joshua Eleazar and the Heads of the Tribes as was appointed Numb 26.55 56. What manner of Lottery they used in this business is no where expressed The common Opinion of the Hebrew Writers is That there were two Pots or Vrnes set before the Tabernacle the one having the Names of the Tribes in it that were to have their portion of Land assigned to them the other had just so many lots in each of which such and such a part of the Land was described and that some man appointed to that Service probably Eleazar the High Priest drew out first out of one Pot one of the Tribes then out of the other Pot one of the lots there and so that Tribe had their portion assigned them in that part of the Land described and set forth in that lot and accordingly they did by the rest And though this way and method be not any where particularly expressed in this Book yet the phrase that is often used in the following Chapters that such a lot came out and such a lot came up may seem covertly to imply it see Ch. 19.1 10 17. And herein the Hand of God in ordering the lots was the more wonderful and the Prophesies of Jacob and Moses concerning the several Inheritances of the Tribes were more evidenced to be of God Joshua therefore and the Elders now setting upon this Work the first lot came out for the Tribe of Judah and his lot fell out in the richest and best part of the Kingdom whereby the purpose of God in exalting this Tribe above the rest was made very apparent The largeness of Judah's lot and the bounds of it and the Cities thereof are set forth Chap. 15. The next two lots that were drawn were for Ephraim and Manasseh the Sons of Joseph immediately one after the other upon whom God transferred a part of Reuben's Birth-right as is expressed 1 Chron. 5.1 2. The Writer of this Book first shews joyntly where the Inheritance of those two Tribes lay and then afterwards shews severally what each of them had for their portion Chap. 16. at vers 5. He begins the Discription of Ephraim's lot which came out before the other For though he was younger than Manasseh yet he was prefer'd before him by Jacob's appointment Gen. 48 19. and besides the Cities that stood within his own lot he had many Cities allotted him within the portion of Manasseh vers 9. The lot that fell to Manasseh is described Ch. 17. and 't is said to be for Machir the only Son of Manasseh whence the whole Tribe beareth the Name of Machir Judg. 5.14 and because Machir that is the Machirites his Posterity were a Warlike people they had Gilead and Bashan allotted to them that is half of it which they did win by dispossessing the Enemy of it see Numb 32.39 40. Therefore half of the Posterity of Machir being setled on the East-side of Jordan the other half were according to Gods appointment to have their portion and lot on the West-side And there fell ten portions to Manasseh that is their Land was divided into six parts according to the number of the Sons of Gilead mentioned vers 2. And Hepher's part who was one of them was divided into five parts or portions and given to his Son Zelophehad's five Daughters and so they were ten portions in all see Numb 26.33 The Cities and Country of Ephraim and Manasseh were much intermixed one with the other These two Tribes complained to Joshua that the quantity of Land assign'd to them for their portion was not sufficient for them They alledged that it was no more than might have been well assigned to one Tribe Why hast thou say they given us but one lot and one portion to inherit seeing we are a great people But Joshua and the rest of the Commissioners had not given them too little circuit of Land to inhabit but indeed part of it was over-grown with Woods and a great part of it was yet in the possession of the Canaanites who had the advantage of Iron-Chariots to fight with Also in their portion there were the Perizzites a wild and savage people much given to Spoil and Prey and the Rephaims or Giants with whom they were not very willing to encounter These things considered these two Tribes thought they had reason to alledge That they had no more given them than would well serve for one populous Tribe Joshua retorts the strength of their argument upon themselves If says he ye be so great a people as you alledge then you are the more able to drive out the Canaanites out of those places allotted to you for your portion and the greater will be your shame if you let them alone and yet complain of the narrowness of your lot If you are so great a people get you up to the Wood-Country and cut down the Woods and make the ground fit for Tillage and build Houses and Cities upon it and drive out and destroy the Canaanites that lurk there and so you may have Land enough to dwell in and need not complain that your portion is too straight for you The Children of Joseph reply
let on God's part but they might enter into their Inheritances and those persons whom he had appointed to divide their Inheritances to them by lot were ready to do their duty therein He therefore requires them to choose out from among them three men of every Tribe that the matter might be carried on impartially and he would send them to go through the Land and to take a Survey not only of the parts of the Country already subdued but of those that remained yet in the Enemies hands that they might describe the largeness of every Region and Province and set down how many Cities and Villages were in each of them That so having as it were a Map of the Land that remained to be divided before them they might justly divide it into seven parts and so give proportionable Shares and Inheritances to every Tribe according as they were in number fewer or more He tells them That the Tribe of Judah and the Sons of Joseph Ephraim and Manasseh should continue seated the one in the South the other in the North according as their lots fell to them at Gilgal but yet he seems to intimate that if their Shares were found to be too large then some other Tribes might have a share with them as it afterwards happened for the Tribe of Simeon had their portion assigned to them out of that which was at first the lot of Judah Ch. 19.9 When these Surveyors had gone through the Land and divided it into seven parts for the Levites were to have no part among them the Priesthood of the Lord being their Inheritance and the other Tribes had had their lots before then He orders that the Description of it should be brought to him and he would cast lots for them before the Lord at the door of the Tabernacle The men thus appointed went out accordingly being secure and confident of Gods Protection and dividing themselves as 't is probable and going under pretence possibly of Negotiation or Traffick they spent seven months in this Survey as Josephus tells us Antiq. lib. 5. and so made a Description of it in a Volume or Map with all the Cities and Towns belonging to each Province and divided it into seven parts and so presented it to Joshua and the Elders at Shiloh Then Joshua cast lots for them according to the divisions of their Tribes And the first lot came up for the Children of Benjamin whose lot fell between the Children of Judah and Joseph and the bounds of their lot with the Cities belonging thereunto are described Ch. 18. from vers 11. to the end Thus Benjamin had the honour to have the first lot among the seven Tribes and was by providence seated the very next to his Brethren Ephraim and Manasseh and had also part of the Royal City of Jerusalem within his Borders whereby was fulfilled what Moses prophesied of this Tribe Deut. 33.12 And of Benjamin he said the beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him and the Lord shall cover him all the day long and he shall dwell between his Shoulders The next lot came forth for Simeon and their Inheritance was within the lot of the Tribe of Judah It seems they that were sent to search the Land not yet divided that they might part it into seven lots for the seven Tribes remaining found that the portion which Joshua and Eleazar and the other Commissioners for dividing the Land had formerly assigned to Judah was too large considering what was left for the other Tribes and therefore they agreed unanimously that a whole portion for one of the Tribes which had not yet their Inheritance assigned to them should be taken out of that which was formerly given to Judah and some Cities also they took from Judah to be as part of another lot see Josh 19 40 41. And thus by the Providence of God there being one Tribe to be provided for within the portion of the Children of Judah the lot fell upon this Tribe of Simeon that was fewest in number of all the Tribes see Numb 26.14 And by this Tribes being intermingled with Judah and not having a portion by themselves apart that Prophesie of Jacob was fulfilled Gen. 49. I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel The bounds of this Tribes portion are not described only the chief Cities and Towns are named that were in their lot and that because their Inheritance was within that of Judah The third lot came up for the Children of Zebulun Their Borders are described Ch. 19. from vers 10. to 17. The fourth lot came out to Issachar Their Borders are described from vers 17 to 24. The fifth lot for the Tribe of Asher Their Borders are described from vers 24. to 32. The sixth lot came out for the Children of Naphtali Their Borders are described from vers 32. to vers 40. The seventh lot came out for the Children of Dan. Hence it appears that this Book was not written by Joshua except we shall say that some particulars in it were afâ—erwards inserted by some other holy men Their Borders are described from vers 40. to 47. Their lot fell to them in the Southern parts close by Judah's portion and they being not able to drive out the Philistines out of their Land in after-times viz. after Joshua's death they were streightned and so went out and took Laish a City in the North parts * Judg. 20.1 in Naphtali's lot see Judg. 18. though then in the Zidonians possession and transplanted a Colony thither calling it Dan from Dan their Ancestor Son of Jacob. Ch. 18. from 2. to the end Ch. 19. from 1. to 49. SECT CXVI WHen they had made an end of dividing the Land among all the Tribes and the distribution thereof was fully finished then the Children of Israel gave Joshua an Inheritance in Timnah-serah in Mount Ephraim And herein was the modesty of this great General remarkable that he was content to stay till all the other Tribes had their portion ere he made any motion for that which by special Prerogative was to be conferred on him according to the Word of the Lord spoken to Moses not only concerning Caleb but also Joshua Ch. 14.9 2ly He was content to receive what the Lord had promised him as by way of Gift from the people 3ly Whereas he might have chosen the fairest and goodliest City in all their Tribes He chose his Seat in a mountainous Country and it seems a City that was ruinated so that he was fain to build it ere he could dwell in it Josh Ch. 19. from vers 49. to the end SECT CXVII THe Levites now come to Joshua and Eleazar and the rest of the Commissioners for dividing the Land to receive from them the Cities which God appointed to be set apart for their dwellings And they accordingly set apart forty eight Cities for them as God had commanded Numb 35.7 The Commissioners 't is like chose these Cities out of each
affirmeth to have fixed his Seat at Babel Mizraim He was the Father of those that inhabited Egypt From Mizraim Moses deriveth seven people or Nations Ludim Anamim Lehabim Naphtuhim Pathrusim Casluhim out of whom came Philistim and Captorim Josephus says the Sons of Mizraim possessed all the Country lying between Gaza and Egypt though the Philistim only gave name to it from whom the Greeks called it Palaestina By Ludim Bochartus proveth the Ethiopians to be meant whom he will have a Colony of the Egyptians By Andmim the Nomades of Africk who inhabited about Ammonis Lehabim are thought to be the same with the Lybians bordering upon Egypt from whom this denomination might pass to those that inhabited the greater part of Africk Naphtukim he placeth in Marmaria upon the Mediterranean-Sea Parthrusim he placeth in Thebais a Province of Egypt called Pathros and by many distinguished from Egypt though peopled from it Captorim seem to be Neighbours to Casluhim from both which the Philistins seem to have descended as appeareth from Amos 9.7 Are ye not as Children of the Ethiopians unto me O Children of Israel saith the Lord have not I brought up Israel out of the Land of Egypt and the Philistins from Caphtor and the Assyrians from Kir Phut The third Son of Cham who divided Africk with his Brother Mizraim To Mizraim fell Egypt and so much of Africk as reached to the lake Tritonis which divideth Africk into two equal parts To Phut fell all from the Lake as far as the Atlantick Ocean as may be gathered from Herodotus lib. 4. Cannan The fourth son of Cham. His Posterity were Sidon his First-born and Heth. From him descended the Jebusite the Emorite the Girgasite the Hivite the Archite the Sinite the Arvadite the Zemarite and the Hamathite By Canaan was inhabited the Land which afterward bore his Name and was conquered by the Hebrews His Family was propagated as far as the Sea the Phaenicians being descended of him The Scripture calls Phaenicia the Land of Canaan Sidon was the Father of the Sidonians whose City was more ancient then Tyre and the Mother of it For the Sidonians led a Colony thither and founded Tyre two hundred and forty years before the building of Solomons Temple as Josephus reporteth Antiq. lib. 8. c. 2. The Children of Heth dwelt in the Land of Canaan about Hebron and Barsheba towards the South and from them the Anakims descended The Jebusites held Jerusalem and the Castle or Fort of Zion until Davids time The Amorites passed the Mountains of Judea and passing over Jordan made War with the Moabites And they seized upon Basan Hesbon and all the Country lying between the River Jabbek and Arnon In memory whereof one of their Poets wrote a Poem which Moses hath inserted into his Writings Numb 21.27 Wherefore they that speak in Proverbs say come into Heshbron let the City of Sihon be built and prepared The Girgasites seem to have continued about Gadara over against Galilee beyond Jordan till Christs time Matth. 8.28 And when he was come to the other side to the Countrey of the Gergesens The Hivites dwelt in Mount Hermon toward the East of the Land of Canaan from whom descended the Gibeonites living nigh to Jerusalem and the Sichemites dwelling near to Samaria more towards the West The Archites inhabited Area a City in Libanus The Sinites had a City called Sin not far from Area The Arvadites or Aradites possessed the Island Aradus on the Coast of Phaenice at the mouth of the River Eleutherus The Zemarites dwelt as 't is thought about Tinesa a notable City of Coelosyria upon the River Orontes and built Zemarajim in the Tribe of Benjamin The Hemathites were seated about Epiphania a City of Syria This was the Inheritance of the Sons of Canaan whose Border was from Sidon as thou comest to Gerar unto Gaza as thou goest unto Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboim even unto Lasha or Lysa a City of the Arabians in the mid way between the dead and the Red-Sea Thus was the Earth as far as we can understand anciently divided and possessed after the Flood though it hath since in several parts of it changed its Inhabitants Gen. 10. whole Chapter SECT VI. THe years of mans life (i) Mans life was halfed or thereabout at the time of Flood as we may see by comparing Gen. 11.11 with Gen. 5. And again shortned about another half at the building of the Tower of Babel Ch. 10.25 11.29 And well nigh the third time between the Times of Abraham and Moses Ch. 25.7 Psal 90.10 were now cut shorter by one half then they were before as we may see Gen. 11.19 c. We shewed Sect. 4. that Sem begat Arphaxad and Arphaxad Salah and Salah Heber and Heber Peleg and unto Peleg Reu was born when he was 30 years old Gen. 11. 18 19. Serug was born to Reu when he was 32 years old Gen. 11.20 Nahor was born to Serug when he was 30 years old Gen. 11.22 Terah was born to Nahor when he was 29 years old Gen. 11.24 When Terah had lived 70 years there was born unto him Haran his eldest Son For though Abram be set first Gen. 11.26 yet that was not because he was eldest but because he was worthiest * The like we read before of Sem Ch. 5.32 Ch. 10.1 For he came not into the World till 60 years after His Brother Nahor being between him and Haran As for Haran he died at Vr of the Chaldees in his Fathers life time and presence and left three Children to wit one Son named Lot and two Daughters viz. Milchah who was afterwards married to his next Brother and her Uncle Nahor and Sarai after married to his third Brother and her Uncle Abram Gen. 11. from 26. to 30. SECT VII PEleg the sixth from Noah died 209 years after the Birth of Rue Gen. 11.19 Nahor the ninth from Noah died 119 years after the Birth of his Son Terah Gen. 10.25 Noah died when he had lived 950 years in all and 350 of them after the Flood Gen. 9.28 In the two thousand and eighth year of the World was Abram born and in the 130th year of his Father Terah's life For he was 75 years old when Terah his Father died who lived two hundred and five years Gen. 11.32 In the year of the World two thousand and eighteen Sarai who was also called Iscah the Daughter of Haran Abram's eldest Brother was born being ten years younger then Abram see Gen. 17.17 Reu the seventh from Noah died two hundred and seven years after the Birth of Serug Gen. 11.21 Serug the eighth from Noah died two hundred years after the Birth of Nahor Gen. 11.23 SECT VIII NEar about this time Chedorlaomer King of Elam or Elamais a Country in Persia with the assistance of three other petty Kings whereof one is called the King of Nations because as 't is probable his Subjects were of several Nations subdued the
them to give them Victories over them yea signal Victories insomuch that five of them shall chase an hundred and an hundred put ten thousand to flight that is a few Israelites shall chase many of their Enemies 4ly To bless them with fruitfulness He intending by real Performance to make good his Covenant to them and to give them such great plenty that they shall be forced to empty their Barns of old Corn that they may have room to lay up their new 5ly To set his Tabernacle in the midst of them Ezek. 37.26 2 Cor. 6.16 that is cause his Word and Worship to abide among them and by his gracious Presence to dwell and walk in the midst of them and to be their God and they shall be his people having delivered them from the Egyptian Yoke under which they were bowed down so that now they should walk uprightly being freed from their Yoke and Bondage Secondly He threatens dreadful and terrible and manifold Judgments to them in case they were Disobedient and to multiply their Plagues as they multiplied their Sins particularly 1. He threatens to inflict Corporal Diseases on them yea terrible Diseases such as the Consumption and burning-Ague that shall weaken and darken their very sight and cause in them great sorrow of heart 2ly Depredation by Enemies and falling before their Enemies and falling into the hands of their Enemies so that they that hate them shall Reign over them 3ly Terrour and causeless astonishment so that they shall flee when none pursueth 4ly Weakning and breaking the pride of their Power 5ly Making the Heaven as Iron and the Earth as brass and rendring their labours in their Husbandry fruitless 6ly Ravenous Beasts to devour their Children and Cattel 7ly The Sword that shall avenge their breach of Covenant with Him 8ly Sending Pestilence into their besieged Cities so that they shall be as sticks bound up in a Faggot to be burnt together 9ly Captivity 10ly Breaking their staff of Bread that is depriving them of their Bread which is the Staff of Life and bringing such scarcity upon them that one Oven shall bake the bread of ten Families and the Baker shall deliver them their bread by weight see Ezek. 4.16 11ly Such a dreadful Famine that they should eat the flesh of their own Children 12ly To cast down their high places whereon they sacrificed to Idols and to destroy their Idols and to cast their Carkasses upon their broken Idols and his Soul should abhor them 13ly Desolation of their Cities and Country and of all places of publick Worship refusing and rejecting their Offerings and Oblations 14ly Exile and dispersion among the Heathen so that their Land shall be desolate and their Cities wast and their Enemies that shall take possession of some parts of it shall be astonished at the desolation thereof And further the Lord threatens That He would scatter them among the Nations and the Sword should there also pursue them and then the Land shall enjoy her Sabbaths and resting from Tillage from which it should have rested on the Sabbatical years and years of Jubilee but could not be permitted because of their Covetousness 15ly Faintness of heart so that the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them yea they shall flee as from the Sword when none pursueth and thorow weakness or hast fall one upon another 16ly Death in Captivity They shall perish and pine away in their Iniquities and the Iniquities of their Fathers whom they imitated in their Transgressions in the Land of their Enemies Thirdly Notwithstanding all these Comminations He promises if they shall repent and their carnal impure and uncircumcised Hearts be humbled and shall confess their own Iniquities and the Iniquities of their Fathers and accept of the punishment of their Sins as justly deserved on their part and justly inflicted by God then He will remember his Covenant made with their Fathers and be gracious unto them and will remember the Land He gave them for an Inheritance and though it shall be left of them for a time and shall enjoy its rest yet he will cause it to be inhabited and tilled by them again and when they are in the Land of their Enemies He will not utterly cast them away nor wholly abhor them but for their good will remember the Covenant He made with their Ancestors Levit. Ch. 26. whole Chapter In the last place Moses receives Laws and Directions concerning persons * Some hold that the end and intention of these personal Vows was only that they should pay the price of their Redemption to the Priests which was to be imployed either for their maintenance Numb 18.14 or for the reparations of the Sanctuary 2 Kings 4.5 Jackson and things devoted by Vow unto God and how these Vows might be redeemed in case the person that made them had no mind to stand to them 1. A person (n) For these Vows of persons they were usually made in some time of affliction or distress as when married persons had no Child they did sometimes Vow That if the Lord would please to give them a Child they would give that Child unto the Lord which was Hannahs Vow 1 Sam. 1.11 And these persons vowed being not of the Tribe of Levi were vowed to such Service of the Tabernacle as they were capable of as for drawing of water or hewing of wood which the Gibeonites afterwards did Josh 9.27 Or if they were women they were devoted to spinning Cloth to make the Priests Garments and to provide those things that were necessary for the repair of the Tabernacle and other such like services which accordingly they did perform or else paid the price of their Redemption here prescribed vowed was to be the Lords or else to be redeemed according to the estimation of the Priest who was to set the value This estimation was to vary according to the difference of Sex and Age. 1. The Redemption of a Male from 20 years to 60 was to be 50 Shekels of Silver according to the Shekels of the Sanctuary of a female of the same age but 30. 2. Of a Male from five years old to 20 20 Shekels of a Female 10 Shekels 3. Of a Male from a month old to five years old five Shekels of a Female three Shekels 4. Of a Male from 60 years old and upwards fifteen Shekels of a Female ten Shekels But in case any person be grown poor who possibly was of ability when he vowed so that he be not able to pay the â—rate set according to this Law then it was left to the discretion of the Preist to set a reasonable rate upon him according to his ability Chap. 27. from 1. to 9. 2. Concerning Beasts devoted to God 1. Clean Beasts devoted were to be given as they were to God and not changed for others which if any man attempted to do both the Beast that was changed and that which was put in its place shall both be consecrated to God 2.
man see Exod. 33.20 And when he spake to him he did not make known his mind to him in obscure figurativ expressions as he did to some of the Prophets see Ezek. 17.3 but plainly and clearly and seeing he had manifested so great favour to Moses How comes it to pass says the Lord that ye were not afraid to speak against my Servant Moses And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them and the Cloud the sign of his presence removed from the door of the Tabernacle and possibly for some time disappeared God intending thereby to testifie his Indignation against them And immediately Miriam became Leprous and white as Snow * See Deut. 24.9 God was pleased to spare Aaron though Partner with his Sister in this Sin lest in his Dishonour the Priesthood should suffer Aaron intreats Moses to Intercede with the Lord for them that the punishment of this sin wherein they had done foolishly may not be laid upon them He begs that Miriam may not by the continuance of this white Leprosie upon her be as a Child dead in the Womb whose flesh when it comes into the World looks white and putrified as if it were sodden and half consumed And though says He she is for the present alive yet as one dead she is to be excluded from the Communion of the Church see Numb 5.2 and this fretting Plague if it continue upon her will in the end utterly consume and kill her Moses was prevailed with to pray for Her and upon his prayer the Lord was pleased to heal her of her Plague yet gives order that she should be carried out of the Camp for the present For says God if her earthly Father had in great displeasure spit in her face surely she would have been ashamed to shew her self for a time and therefore much more fit is it that in such a Case as this she should be secluded from the Congregation to instruct all the people to take heed of being corrupted with Her example The people upon this Sentence mourned for Her and journied not till she was brought into the Camp again which argued the great honour and respect they had for Her being a Prophetess and the Sister of Moses and Aaron After this the people removed from Hazeroth and pitched in another place in the Wilderness of Paran called Rithmath see Ch. 33.18 Numb 12. whole Chapter SECT LVII THe people being now come near to the Mountain of the Amorites upon the Borders of Canaan Moses encourages them to go up and take possession of the Land which God had promised them Deut. 1.20 21. but they fearing the Event desire that they may first send some Spies to search the Land Moses not knowing their distrustful hearts likes well their motion Deut. 1.23 and seeking Counsel of the Lord about it the Lord was pleased to permit it though in displeasure and accordingly Commands that at the time when Grapes first grew ripe they should send twelve Principal men such as were of authority and esteem among them of every Tribe one of which Caleb was for the Tribe of Judah being then forty years old see Joshua 14.7 and Hoshea (q) Hoshea signifies a Saviour but by adding Jah the Contract of Jehovah which is the proper Name of God Psal 68.4 thereby was signified that He should by the help and assistance of God be a Saviour of the people the Son of Nun whom Moses called Jehoshua or Joshua for the Tribe of Ephraim to discover and spy out the Land These men accordingly went entring into Canaan by the Desart of Zin lying on the South and so went quite thorow it to the very North part thereof even to Rehob 'T is probable they divided themselves else 't is like they would have been suspected neither could they otherwise have viewed the whole Country in so short a time Numb 13. from 1. to 23. SECT LVIII THese Spyes after forty days return from searching the Land and come to the Camp at Kadesh bringing with them one branch of a Vine with one Cluster or Bunch of Grapes upon it which was so big that they carried it between two of them upon a staff with some Pomegranates and Figgs of the Land Ten of these twelve Spies that were sent praised indeed the goodness of the Land but magnified also the strength of the Cities thereof and the Giant-like stature of the Inhabitants thereby disheartning the people from marching any further towards it At Hebron a City in the south-South-parts of it which was one of the ancientest Cities in the World being more ancient then Zoan the chief City of Egypt which vaunted it self to be of very great Antiquity see Isa 19.11 they tell them they met with Giants the Sons of Anak men of mighty stature in comparison of whom they seemed but like Grashoppers They tell them The Cities of the Canaanites were great and walled up to Heaven Deut. 1.28 They further tell them That the Amalekites dwelt in the South Country the Hittites Jebusites and Amorites in the Mountains nigh unto the Wilderness where the Israelites now lay so that there would be no entring the Land on the South because of those mighty Nations that would be there ready to oppose them And in case they should think to fetch a compass about and to enter in on the East-side there they would be kept out by the River Jordan which ran along on that side and the dead-Sea and by the Canaanites who dwelt by the Sea and by the Coast of Jordan and they being a valiant and a strong people would improve those advantages for the best defence of their Country Thus these ten Spies discouraged the people bringing an evil Report upon the Land telling them It was a Land that eateth up the Inhabitants thereof by reason of the Civil Wars and frequent intestine Commotions that arose among them and by reason of the Tyranny of the Gyants who oppressed those that were less powerful than themselves And if several of the Natives of the Land were expos'd to so much danger how much more had they need to fear that were Strangers and were held their Common Enemies and what could they expect but to be eaten up with continual Wars The people at this Relation being greatly terrified Caleb and Joshua rose up and contradicted this false Report and encouraged the people telling them they might easily by Gods assistance Conquer the Land see Ch. 14.6 7. They said all that they could to still and quiet them and to hearten them to go on but all in vain For they now fall into an high rage and discontent and murmur against Moses and Aaron and wish they had died in Egypt or the Wilderness Nay their discontent and impatience grew so high that they said Deut. 1.27 Because the Lord hated us he hath brought us out of the Land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorite to destroy us and that our selves our Wives and Children should
plow and draw their Carts with Heifers and Cows as well as with Oxen see Judg. 14.18 This Heifer was to be given to Eleazar because by doing this Service that was now to be done he was to be unclean and 't was fit that he rather than Aaron should be defiled She must also be carried out of the Camp as an accursed thing figuring Christs being made a Curse and suffering without the City Heb. 13.12 And Eleazar was to sprinkle of her blood seven times turning his face towards the Tabernacle of the Congregation And her skin and her flesh her blood and her dung were all to be burnt in his sight And Eleazar was to take Cedar-wood and Hyssop and Scarlet and to cast them into the midst of the burning of the Heifer to signifie that these things should be used for a sprinkle in sprinkling the unclean with the water of separation see Levit. 14.4 And Eleazar was to wash his Clothes and bath his flesh and to be unclean unto the evening * The like is injoyned to him that burnt this Heifer v. 8. and to him that gathered up the ashes v. 10. and to him that sprinkled an unclean person with the water made of those ashes v. 21. This might intimate to them that it was not so much the water made with the ashes of this Heifer as the thing signified thereby that had vertue in it to purifie those that were spiritually unclean and consequently to shew the imperfection of the legal Priesthood because they that were imployed in preparing this water which was for the cleansing of others were themselves defiled 'T was further injoyned That the ashes of this Heifer should be gathered up by a man that was clean and laid up without the Camp in a clean place (h) As for the place where those ashes were kept when they came into the Land of Canaan it is not expressed Some hold that those ashes were dispers'd into all the Cities that those who were unclean might have wherewith to purifie and cleanse themselves because they were now conseerated to an holy use However the man that gathered them up was thereby made unclean because they were the remainders of an Heifer slain for the sins of the people And the Statute of making and reserving of these ashes for a water of separation was to bind both the Israelite and the Proselyte or Stranger that sojourned with them as long as this Dispensation lasted By this Law it was further injoyned That he that touched the dead body of a man was to be unclean seven days and he was to purifie himself with this water on the third day and on the seventh day vers 19. and then he was to be clean else not And whoever having contracted this kind of uncleanness and doth not make use of this way to purifie himself but cometh in that state into the Court of the Tabernacle he shall be cut off by the Sentence of the Judge if it be proved that he did it presumptuously because he despiseth not only the Ceremonial purifying but the thing signified thereby viz. the spiritual cleansing thorow the blood of the Messias Otherwise if he did it ignorantly he was to bring such a Sacrifice as is injoyn'd Levit. 5.3 6. Further if any man came into the Tent of a dead man it rendred him unclean yea and all that was in the Tent Every open Vessel that takes in the air of the Tent was ceremoniously unclean Or if a man touched a dead body or the bone of a dead man it rendred him unclean And thus hereby was figured the spreading and infectious nature of sin And one of the Priests that was clean was to put running water to the ashes of the burnt-Heifer and with a bunch of Hyssop tied to a Cedar-stick with a Scarlet-thread to sprinkle the person or Tent or Vessels that were unclean and then to be himself unclean until the evening because he had touched the water of separation And whatsoever any unclean person touched was to be held unclean to signifie the contagion of sin spreading from one to another Numb 19. whole Chapter SECT LXVII THe Camp now advanced to Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin which was near to the Land of Edom in the first month of the fortieth year after their coming out of Egypt and there Miriam died and was buried four months before her Brother Aaron and eleven months before her Brother Moses She was the eldest of the three she attained to the age of 130 see Exod. 2.4 7. she was a Prophetess and by her also God guided the Israelites in their Travels see Mich. 6.4 she in all likelihood was the Girl that was set to watch what would become of Moses when he was expos'd in an Ark of Bulrushes on the River Nile see Exod. 2.4 c. Numb 20. vers 1. SECT LXVIII AT this Kadesh (i) So that in their Travels from Kadesh-barnea where the Spies came back to Moses to this Kadesh in the Desart of Zin there were about 38 years spent and most of their Fathers that were numbred at their coming out of Egypt were in this time dead the people for want of water murmur again against Moses and Aaron With the same want God had tried their Fathers in the first year after their coming out of Egypt Exod. 17.4 and they murmured then as their Children do now and they had water given them out of a Rock But these their Children were worse than their Fathers because the supply their Fathers had from God in that extremity should have been an argument and encouragement to them to rely on his Providence now and not to have distrustfully murmured or wished so desperately as they did Would God say they we had died with our Brethren whom God suddenly destroyed in the Insurrection of Corah and at other times thereby as it were slighting that fearful Judgment of being cut off in Gods firery Indignation in comparison of being pinch'd with a present want of water They highly expostulate with Moses and Aaron for bringing them into that barren Wilderness which was no place to sow seed in or plant Figg-Trees Vines or Pomegranates but a Land of Desarts a Land of Drought and where there was no water a Land thorow which no man passed and where no man dwelt see Jer. 2.6 Moses and Aaron hereupon betake themselves unto the door of the Tabernacle to intercede with God as formerly for this rebellious people And the Lord immediately signified his approach and the actual manifestation of his glorious Presence by the descending of the Cloud to the door of the Tabernacle see Ch. 14.10 and Ch. 16.19 And here He Commands Moses to take the Rod viz. Aaron's Rod which budded out of the Tabernacle * See Numb 20. v. 9. Ch. 17.10 and with that Rod in his hand to speak to the Rock before the Children of Israel and it should give forth water Moses indeed with his miraculous Rod at
Tribes and half the Tribe of Manasseh the Tribe of Reuben Gad and the other half Tribe of Manasseh having their lot on the other side Jordan The persons that were to make the division were Eleazar the High Priest Joshua and one Prince of every Tribe who are particularly named The Tribes are here named in their particular Order in which they should inherit the Land their Inheritance abutting one upon another as their Names are here joyned together to make it the more evident to them that they were alloted their Portions by the Wisdom and Providence of God Numb Ch. 34. whole Chapter SECT XC THe Lord further Commands the Israelites to give 48 Cities to the Levites for their Possession He appoints the Suburbs of them to reach a thousand Cubits from the wall of the City on each side so that measuring the length from one end of the lines to the other end opposite against it as from East to West or from North to South there were two thousand Cubits that made the perfect square God also appoints six of these Cities for Cities of Refuge Three in the Land of Canaan and three (b) There was no inequality in this because the portion of the two Tribes and an half without Jordan reached as far in length as theirs in the Land of Canaan though it were nothing so broad Besides if the Lord inlarged their Coasts and gave them all the Land they were to add three Cities more Deut. 19.8 9. on the other side Jordan And those Cities were as we may see afterwards Deut. 4. and Joshua 20. 1. Bezer a City of the Reubenites 2. Ramoth of Gilead of the Gadites 3. Golan in Bashan of the Manassites These three Moses separated Deut. 4.41 43. 4. Kadesh in Galilee in Mount Napthali 5. Shechem in Mount Ephraim 6. Kirjath-arba which is Hebron in the Mount of Judah and these Joshua separated Joshua 20.7 Before these Cities of Refuge were appointed it seems the Altar only was a kind of Sanctuary to those that fled to it see Exod. 21.14 But afterwards these Cities were the chief Sanctuaries to the Children of Israel and the Sojourners and Strangers among them and yet they were such only to those who had killed a man unwittingly And therefore they were not to receive any man till he had professed his Innocency as to this particular see Josh 20.4 And such Cities were purposely appointed as lay at an equal distance in the several parts of the Land that no man driven to make use of them might have too far to go and so might be overtaken by the Avenger of blood who was the next Kinsman to the man slain and might lawfully slay him who had slain his Kinsman if he took him out of the City of Refuge and before he could recover the Sanctuary And the way to these Cities was always to be prepared and made even and plain that the Man-slayer might flee thither without hinderance see Deut. 19.3 When the Man-slayer came thither he was at the entrance of the Gate to shew his Cause to the Elders of the City who were to take him in till he was sent for and fetched to the City where he had done the Fact and there he was to stand before the Congregation Joshua 24.4 6. who if they found him worthy of death were to deliver him to the Avenger to kill him if not they were to return him to the City of Refuge again where he was to live in a kind of exile and imprisonment until the death of the High Priest and might not come out before * If He went out before He forfeited his Priviledge and Protection and the Avenger might lawfully slay him and then He was to have liberty to return to his own house and former dwelling place the High Priest being a Type of the Messias our High Priest and Saviour Jesus Christ who by his death hath blotted out the hand-writing of our Sins and reconcileth us to God But these Cities of Refuge were not intended to be any Protection or Asyle to willful Murderers and such as of malice-prepence slew a man and struck him with an Instrument of Iron or with a Stone or Hand-weapon wherewith in probability a man that is smitten must needs be kill'd Moreover no man was to be put to death on the single testimony of one man alone And no Redemption-money no Bribe or Present was to be taken to spare a murderers life For blood defileth the Land and the Land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein but by the blood of him that shed it And lastly no Redemption-money was to be taken for granting him that was fled to a City of Refuge a Dispensation or Liberty to return to the place of his former abode or habitation before the death of the High Priest Numb 35. whole Chapter and Deut. 4. vers 41 42 43. SECT XCI THe Lord having formerly ordered that Zelophehad's Daughter should have that portion of Land in the Tribe of Manasseh which their Father should have had for his share had he lived the Children of Gilead who were of that Tribe considering that if these Daughters married into any other Tribe this portion of their Land would be quite alienated from their Tribe therefore they made it their suit that some order might be taken to prevent this mischief For by like accidents the portion of every Tribe might in time be changed and so at length all may come to confusion and the very end of Gods appointing every Tribe to have their portion apart by themselves might be quite made void And further whereas by the Law of God it was appointed that at the year of Jubilee which was every fiftieth year what ever Land was alienated from any Tribe should return to that Tribe again by such marriages as these Inheritances would pass over from one Tribe to another without possibility of restitution at the year of Jubilee and so this Law would become void which seem'd purposely intended to prevent the confusion of the Inheritances of the Tribes Moses having ask'd Counsel of the Lord answered them as God had commanded viz. That the Daughters of Zelophehad should marry only in the Tribe of their Father which they accordingly afterwards did and further orders That every Daughter that possesseth an Inheritance in any Tribe should marry only unto one of that Tribe But if she was not an Inheritrix she might marry into any other Tribe And thus Inheritances would not be removed from one Tribe to another Numb Ch. 36. whole Chapter SECT XCII WE are now come to the Book of Deuteronomy which contains Moses's dying Speech and pathetical Exhortation to the Children of Israel He had brought them to the Plains of Moab and to the very borders of Canaan He knew by divine Revelation he must not go over thither but must die on this side Jordan Having therefore now but a little time to live viz. about five weeks like a man in
but you shall come to the place (z) Now these places were first Shilo Josh 18.8 where the Ark continued to the days of Samuel viz. 243 years Then Nob 1 Sam. 21.6 lastly Jerusalem which the Lord your God shall chuse out of all your Tribes namely the place where the Ark of the Covenant by his appointment shall rest where he will manifest the signs of his powerful Presence and will make known his Name that is his Glory to you which place shall be called by his Name viz. the House of God and shall be consecrated to his Worship and Service And ye shall come to this His Habitation or Dwelling-place (a) The reasons why the Lord appointed his people to offer Sacrifices in one place only were 1. Because he would teach them that there was but one only way to obtain pardon for their Sins and acceptance of any Service they performed unto God and that was by Christ their promised Messias of whom the Tabernacle and Temple was a Type 2. Because hereby they might be kept to an uniform way of Worshipping God that corruptions in his Worship might be prevented whereinto they might easily fall had they been allowed to offer their Sacrifices some in one place and some in another For this cause it was that the Kings of Judah were so often blamed because they did not remove the high-places but suffered the people to Sacrifice there to serve Him and ask Counsel of Him And hither ye shall bring your Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices as Sin-Offerings Trespass-Offerings c. and your Tythes viz. your second Tythes the Tythe (b) For â—hat or the money for which they sold it they were to carry up yearly to Jerusalem and therewith to keep a holy Feast before the Lord see Ch. 14. vers 22 27. of that which remained after the first Tythe was paid to the Levites see Deut. 14.23 see also vers 17. of this Chapter and the Heave-Offerings of your hands that is the several first-fruits which you are to bring in your hands and heave them before the Lord and then leave them to the Priests for their portion and your Vows or Free-will-Offerings that is all such Sacrifices and Offerings as you shall extraordinarily bring either upon some Vow you have made or freely and on your own accord and the firstlings of your Herds and Flocks see Numb 18.17 18. And when you have carried your Sacrifices and Offerings to the place the Lord shall chuse there shall you and your Housholds (c) Though the Males only were bound thrice a year to appear before the Lord Exod. 23.17 yet at these times the Masters of Families were wont of their own accord to carry their Wives Daughters and Maid-Servants with them as Elkanah did 1 Sam. 1.4 Feast with your holy things and rejoyce before the Lord praising of him and ye shall rejoyce in all the good things which you have gotten through the Lords blessing upon your labours Furthermore you must know That God will be served after a more exact manner when you come into Canaan than you serve him now For now many Sacrifices Rites and Feasts cannot be observed by reason of your unsetled state so that every man does in a manner what seems right in his own eyes but when you come to be setled in the Land of Canaan you must not think to do thus For ye are not yet come to the place of Rest and the Inheritance which the Lord your God intendeth to give you But when the Lord hath brought you thither and hath given you rest from all your Enemies round about then there shall be a Place which the Lord will chuse and shall be call'd his House or Dwelling-Place the place where he will manifest his Name * Nomen quod implorant illic orantes Tum si qui sint alibi praecati mentem tamen huc atque oculos oportebat inflectere 1 Reg. 8.29 44. and Glory and thither shall ye bring all your Sacrifices and Oblations and your choice things that you freely vowed to offer unto the Lord. And ye shall rejoyce before the Lord your God ye and your Sons and Daughters your Men-Servants and Maid-Servants and ye shall make the Levite that dwells within your Cities or Habitations to rejoyce also in the participation of the Offerings forasmuch as he hath no part nor Inheritance with you in the Land but must live upon what is offered to the Lord as he hath appointed see Ch. 10.9 Take heed therefore of offering your Burnt-Offerings Sacrifices and Oblations in any other place than that which God shall chuse But in your own private dwellings you may kill and eat of those kinds of Beasts which are appointed for Sacrifice as freely as of the Roe-buck and Hart which are not to be sacrificed yet allowed to your Table Neither shall there be any difference of persons observed in those private meals in respect of legal cleanness or pollution but all may partake of any of them according as through the Lords blessing they can provide for themselves Only ye shall not eat the blood †This restraint possibly was laid upon them to make them the more fearful of shedding mans blood ye shall pour it upon the Earth as water and cover it with dust Levit. 17.13 Further he shews them That they may not eat within their Gates the Tythe (d) Non sunt hic intelligendae decimae Levitis Sacerdotibus debitae sed aliae quas post solutas decimas ordinarias solvâ—bant Deut. 14.22 23. Ex illis instituebant â—pulas Fridlib of their Corn or Wine or Oil that is the second Tythe of those things the first being paid to the Levites nor the firstlings (e) Quae deo osterre debueris vel volueris ad locum constitutum deferas vel ea vel pecuniam qua ea commutaveris of their Herds and Flocks by which he means not those firstlings spoken of Numb 18.17 18. which as holy things consecrated to God were allotted for the Priests portion but either the Female firstlings the Male-firstlings being only challenged by the Lord as his own Exod. 13.12 or the First-born after those first which were given to the Lord which indeed were the first that were the owners own or the chief and best of their Lambs Kids and Calves call'd here the Firstlings by way of excellency Nor any of their vowed or free-will-Offerings or Heave-Offerings but must eat them before the Lord in the place which he shall chuse they and their Housholds and the Levite together and there they should rejoyce in all that the Lord allows them to put their hand to and to eat and partake of Further he cautions them to take heed of forsaking the Levite by withholding their Offerings and Oblations (f) Decimarum varia erant gen ra 1. Decima Levitica quae tota Levitis cedebat 2. Decima secundaria quae post primam separabatur absumenda in his
epulis Deut. 12.12 17. praecipue 14. 22. 3. Decima de decimâ quae â—at sacerdotum 4. Decima trieterica tertio quovis anno from him which were to be the means of his livelihood all the time they should live upon the Land He shews they might kill and eat for their own refreshing whatsoever they desired at home and when they had a purpose to offer Peace-Offerings and by way of thankfulness to God for some eminent mercy to rejoyce together if the holy place were too far from them they might feast together upon their Cattel which they might kill for food only then they must be sure not to eat them as holy things but even as they would eat the Roe-Buck or Hart. Only says he as I said before be sure you eat not the blood for the blood is the vehicle of the animal life and therefore you may not eat it with the flesh And you must observe this Precept that it may go well with you and your Children (g) A man cannot better bless his Children than by his own Obedience to his heavenly Father after you continually As for their Burnt-Offerings He shews them they must offer the flesh and blood together upon the Altar and the blood of their other pacifick Sacrifices and Peace-Offerings must be poured out upon the Altar and then they might eat of the flesh of * For only the fl sh of these Sacrifices was to be eaten by the Owners Levit. 15. them Further he shews them That when the Lord their God shall have destroyed the Nations before them whose Land they go to possess then they must especially take heed that they be not insnared by following their Idolatry Therefore says He I advise you not to inquire after their gods or how they worshipped them thinking to serve the true God as they served their Idols For they use to perform such Rites and Services to their Idols which are most abominable to the Lord particularly they burn their Sons and Daughters * Of this abomination practis'd by the Heathâ—n and imitated by the backsliding Jews see Jer. 7.31 19.5 in the fire to their gods Take heed therefore of following them in these or any other of their abominations do what I command you from the Lord neither add it to it nor diminish from it 18. He comes now to expound and dilate upon the Third Commandment The Third Commandment by prohibiting Chap. XIII the abuse of the Lords Name which was profaned by false Prophets Revolters and Inticers to Idolatry Having given the people warning to take heed of being seduced to Idolatry by Strangers of other Nations here he gives them the like warning to take heed of being seduced by any that should arise among their own Brethren If there shall arise saith he among you any that shall pretend himself to be a Prophet and shall say that God hath appeared to him a Vision or a Dream and he giveth you a sign or wonder (h) Such as the cleaving Jeroboam's Altar which the Prophet told them of before hand 1 Kings 13.3 as a sure sign that God had sent him that is laboureth to confirm what he saith he had by Vision or Dream by foretelling some wonderful and supernatural thing that shall come to pass though this sign and wonder come to pass yet if withall he shall perswade you to worship false gods or to worship the true God in a false manner you shall not because of his signs and wonders regard what he saith if his Doctrine be not according to the truth which God hath taught you For the Lord may by the Spirit of Prophesie reveal things to come to wicked men and false Prophets as he did to Balaam and Caiaphas He knowing how thereby to bring Glory to Himself though they intend only to corrupt and seduce thereby For the Lord may suffer the Devil and false Prophets thus to abuse men to try and make known whether they love the Lord their God with all their Hearts and Souls and will cleave to him For those whose hearts are upright towards God will not be drawn away from the true Doctrine he hath taught them by such delusions see Gal. 1.8 Therefore he injoyns them to put to death every Dreamer or false Prophet that shall endeavour to seduce them from the true Worship and Service of God unto Idolatry and in so doing they shall not only justly punish evil doers but prevent the hurt which they would do among the people And He tells them That not only the false Prophet but all others whatsoever were to be put to death that should seduce them though secretly to Idolatry and they were not to spare those that were dearest to them in this case If thy Brother says he or thy Son or Daughter or the Wife of thy bosome or thy Friend which is as thine own Soul entice thee secretly saying Let us go and serve other gods of what Nation soever thou shalt not consent and hearken unto him neither shall thine eye pity him neither shalt thou spare or conceal him thou shalt certainly procure his death by declaring the thing to the Magistrate and informing and bearing Testimony against him and procuring justice to be executed upon him according to this Law and as his just Accuser thou shalt throw the first stone at him see Deut. 17.7 and then the rest of the people shall stone him And all Israel shall hear and fear and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you Further that he may manifest Gods extream hatred and detestation of Idolatry he tells them That if in any of their Cities they shall hear of the revolt of any other of their Cities through the instigation of some wicked men Sons of Belial that went out from among them separating themselves from Gods people in point of Religion they must first inquire diligently concerning the truth of the thing and if they find it certain that such abomination is wrought among them then they shall smite the Inhabitants of that City with the edge of the Sword destroying it utterly and all that is therein and the Cattel thereof and they shall gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof and shall burn with fire the City and all the spoil thereof every whit for the honour of God and in Obedience unto his Command thereby offering it up as a Sacrifice to Him and that City shall be a ruinous heap for ever and shall not be built again They must not take to themselves or their own use any part of the accursed goods of the City see Josh 6.17 that so the Lord may turn from the firceness of his anger which oftentimes is kindled not only against the Sinners themselves but all Israel for their sakes see Joshua 7.1 11 12. Chap. XIV 19. He comes now to give them some Precepts concerning their Conversation among themselves which he shews should be holy
Necromancer who by raising the dead did consult with them about secret things see 1 Sam. 28.7 These Nations whose Land thou art going to possess hearkned to these but thou shalt be upright and sincere before the Lord and devote thy self intirely to him who will not suffer thee to imitate them in these abominations And he shews them they should have no need to seek to such Enchanters and Diviners because God would still raise up Prophets from among themselves of their own Brethren to reveal his Will to them and at last about 1400 years after this would send them the great Prophet (c) Per hunc Prophetam aliqui intelligunt Joshuam alij omnes Prophetas Mosen secutos Hic locus aliquo modo ad omnes Prophetas referri potest maximè tamen imprimis ad Christum referri debet the Messias see Acts 3.22 7.37 Joh. 1.45 Joh. 5.46 And though the Prophets sent to Israel were not equal to Moses Deut. 34.10 yet they were like him being men sent from God as he was and raised up from among their Brethren as he was And so Christ was an High Priest taken from among men Heb. 5.1 and like unto Moses yet above him As Moses brought them the Law from God so Christ the Gospel out of the bosome of the Father Joh. 6.40 And he shews how faithful these Prophets would be that he should send to them to deliver what ever he gave them in Charge and nothing else but what he should put into their mouths And this was most eminently verified in Christ Joh. 15.15 All things that I have heard of my Father have I made known unto you He further shews That God will severely punish those that will not hear his Prophets speaking to them in his Name And this was principally to be fulfilled upon the Jews who would not hearken to the words of Christ for which God destroyed their City and Sanctuary as was prophesied Dan. 9.26 And further lest false Prophets should arise and come to them in the Lords Name he gives them a Rule how they should discover them If any of them should predict or foretel any strange and miraculous thing (d) Referendum ad ea quae per naturam fieri non possunt ut virgam in colubrum converteâ—e Talia enim si praedicantur in Dei nomine non permittet ea fieri Deus ne tentationem inferat insuperabilem that should come to pass as a proof that they were truly sent of God if these things did not accordingly come to pass they might be sure they were false Prophets And they might know them also by this if they strove to turn them from the true God and his Law But in other Predictions as in foretelling some Judgment that should befal men that which they foretold might not come to pass and yet they that foretold these things might be the true Prophets of God for all that For thus it was with Jonah who prophesied Forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed Jon. 3.4 And so Isaiah Who told Hezekiah that he should die of his sickness 2 Kings 20.1 For in all such Predictions the people might know that those things were conditionally foretold though the condition were not always expressed and therefore that in case they repented God would not inflict the evil denounced against them But as for false Prophets that prophesied presumptuously fathering their own Phantasies and wild Conceits on the true God they should not need to fear them nor their Predictions nor fear to put them to death when they found them upon clear proof so to be Having before assigned them three Cities of Refuge in the Land without Jordan Chap. XIX which they had already vanquished Deut. 4.41 now he gives direction that when they had possessed themselves of the Land of Canaan within Jordan they should there also set apart three Cities of Refuge more and they should take care that from all parts of the Country round about these Cities there should be a direct plain broad fair High-way or Cawsey leading to these Cities setting up marks whereby the way might be known leading thither to the end that the Man-slayer might not be hindred in his flying thither And because the Land within Jordan was much more long than broad it was to be divided into three equal parts and the Cities of Refuge which were afterwards Kadesh Shechem and Hebron were to be in three places equally distant and so commodious for men to fly unto The persons that were to injoy the Priviledge of those Cities were only such as killed a man unwittingly * By the rule of proportion we may probably conceive that the like Priviledge was afforded to him that killed a man in his own defence when he had no quarrel with him but only sought to secure his own life by Chancemedly as we call it and not out of malice or on purpose And they were to appoint these Cities of Refuge in the three several divisions of the Land lest if the person that had killed a man unwittingly had too far to fly ere he could come to one of them the Avenger that is one of the Kinsmen of the dead while his heart was hot might pursue him and overtake him before he could get thither and so slay him though he had not deserved death inasmuch as he hated him not in times past And though they were at first commanded to set apart only three Cities of Refuge within Jordan yet he commands them that if afterwards the Lord should inlarge their Coast viz. by giving them the Land from the River of Egypt to the great River Euphrates (e) Conditionally promised to them Gen. 15.18 if they continued in obedience to God The Jews by their disobedience and breach of Covenant with God never got possession of the utmost bounds of those Lands conditionally promised them then they should separate three Cities of Refuge more in those Quarters that innocent blood might not be shed in the Land which the Lord would give them for an Inheritance and so blood be upon them But on the other side if any man did hate his Neighbour and lie in wait for him and rise up against him and smite him mortally so that he died and then fled unto any of these Cities in such a case the Elders of the City or place where the slayer dwelleth and unto which he belongeth should send and fetch him thence viz. from the City of Refuge yea or from the Altar of the Lord Exod. 21.14 and deliver him into the hands of the Avenger of blood that he might slay him In such case they must not pity him upon any pretence whatsoever and so they should put away the guilt of innocent blood from among them that it might go well with them from 1. to 14. And to prevent occasions of quarrelling and blood-shed in the next place he charges them that no man should remove his Neighbours Land-mark
before them the Lords great goodness to them and the several gracious manifestations of his favour towards them as he conducted them along from Egypt to Canaan First He came and appeared to them from Sinai where he gave them his Law 2ly He further manifested Himself to them from Mount Seir when He commanded the brasen Serpent to be set up by which those among them were cured that were mortally bitten with fiery Serpents and thereby He gave them a notable Type of the promised Messiah 3ly He shined forth from Mount Paran that is repeated and explained the Law to them by the Ministry of Moses in the Wilderness of Paran who exhorted them to yield Obedience to it And when the Lord gave them his Law at Sinai He tells them He came attended with Royal Majesty with an infinite number of glorious Angels who are here called Saints because of their purity and holiness see Acts 7.53 From his right hand went a fiery Law for them that is He spake it to them out of the midst of the fire Deut. 5.22 And yet that giving them his Law was a singular effect of his special love to them He thereby testified his great kindness to them and so he did also in His protecting of them from their Enemies and therefore we may truly say All Israels Saints are under thy Care and Protection O Lord. They sat at thy feet they attended upon thee at the foot of Mount Sinai as Scholars at the feet of their Master and all that are true Israelites will receive instruction from thy words And such Israelites will readily declare That God gave them his Law by the ministry of Moses even the Inheritance of the Congregation of Jacob that is which is as dear to them as an Inheritance is to any man They will declare That He gave it them as a rare and precious Treasure and not for their use only but for the use and instruction also of their Posterity after them And they do acknowledge that Moses was King in Jeshurun that is chief King and Magistrate in Israel by Gods own appointment when the Heads of the people and the Tribes were gathered together to receive the Law at Mount Sinai And they acknowledging Him to be a person so extraordinarily favoured guided and assisted by God could not but receive what he delivered unto them as spoken by God himself from vers 1. to 6. He comes now to bless the Tribes particularly He begins with Reuben Let Reuben live and not die and let not his men be few Jacob had prophesied of this Tribe that they should lose the Dignity of the Birth-right and should never come to any eminency among the Tribes either for number of people or any other excellency and that because of Reuben's Incest with his Fathers Concubine see Gen. 49.4 Now therefore for the comfort of this Tribe Moses pronounces this blessing upon them Let Reuben live that is though Reuben by his Incest brough that Curse upon him pronounced by his Father yea though by the sin of the Reubenites in adhering to Corah they deserved that God should utterly destroy them yet says he the Name and Tribe of Reuben shall still continue among the people of God and though for his sin he lost the glory of excelling the other Tribes in number of men which as the first-born he might otherwise have expected however he shall continue a numerous Tribe 2ly He comes next to Judah because the honour of the Birth-right was partly given from Reuben to Judah and in his Tribe the Regal Power was afterwards setled Hear Lord says he the voice of Judah * Audi Domine preces Jehudae scil cum egressus fuerit ad bellum reduc eum scil a bello incolumem ad fratres suos Oleaster that is the Prayers that this Tribe shall make to thee particularly that the promised Messiah may according to thy Promise come of their stock and that they may have Victory over their Enemies and grant them O Lord sufficient strength to stand in the day of battel thou being their Helper and when thou shalt suffer this Tribe with that of Benjamin to be carried by the Babylonians into Captivity bring them back again in thy due time to their people that is to the poor that were left in Judea to husband the Land Jer. 39.10 40.7 52.16 3ly He blesses Levi Let thy Vrim and thy Thummim be with thy holy one that is let the High Priesthood to which appertained the Breast-plate in which was the Vrim and Thummim Exod. 28.30 be continued in Aaron's Posterity and let them be furnished with those Gifts and Graces with that Knowledge and Piety which is requisite for their high Calling and signified by Vrim and Thummim Whom thou didst prove at Massah and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah that is whose Faith thou didst try at Meribah-Kadesh see Numb 20. and sharply reprove both Moses and Him for their Infidelity Who said to his Father and his Mother I have not seen him This may have reference either to the Law forbidding the High Priest to defile himself by mourning for the dead see Levit. 21.11 Neither shall he go into any dead body nor defile himself for his Father or Mother Or else to that notable fact of the Levites Exod. 32. who were so impartial in Gods Cause as not to spare any though nearly related to them who they found had worshipped the golden Calf For they observed thy Word and kept the Covenant which they made with thee Exod. 24.8 Let them therefore teach Jacob that is the Posterity of Jacob thy Judgments or Statutes and Israel thy Laws Let them put Incense before and whole Burnt-Offerings upon thy Altar Bless Lord their substance and accept the work of their hands that is bless them in their outward Estate and accept in good part the Work and Service they do for thee and thy people Smite thorow the loins of those that rise up against them and hate them that is break the Power of those that oppose them in the faithful discharge of their Duty and Office see Jer. 15.10 4ly He comes to Benjamin of whom he saith The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him that is as Benjamin was his Fathers darling when Joseph was supposed to be dead so he is much beloved of the Lord and therefore shall dwell safely by him that is near his Temple which was built in his portion and the Lord shall cover him all the day long that is protect and defend him and he shall dwell between his shoulders that is God will chuse for Himself an Habitation in the chief City of this Tribe For though the South part of Jerusalem where was Mount Sion * God is said to dwell in Mount Sion and thence some conceive his Temple was situate upon it but where it is so said the word Sion must not be taken strictly for the hill Sion but
by a Synecdoche for the whole City of Jerusalem and therewith for the Temple founded on Mount Moriah called the City of God in a more especial manner was in the Tribe of Judah yet the Northern part with Mount Moriah where the Temple stood was in the Tribe of Benjamin and being set upon that Hill it was conspicuously eminent as the Head placed above and between the shoulders and in that sense God may be said to dwell between his shoulders 5ly He comes now to Joseph whose two Sons Ephraim and Manasseh were Heads of two Tribes of whom he saith Blessed of the Lord be his Land and let it be blessed with the most excellent things of Heaven that is with Rains and Dews that fall from Heaven and let it be blessed with the deep that coucheth beneath that is with springs arising from the deep let it be blessed with precious Fruits brought forth by the heat and influence of the Sun and the kindly moistures of the Night and the influence of the Moon Let it be blessed with the chief things of the ancient Mountains and with the precious things of the lasting Hills that is with the choicest Trees and Fruits and Herbs that grow on Hills such as are Vines Olives Cedars Pines Cypress and other useful Trees and with Mines of Gold and Silver and other metals which are usually found in Hills †See Gen. 49.26 and Mountains And let the Posterity of Joseph be blessed not only with the good things of the Earth and with plenty of them but with the good-will of Him that dwelt in the Bush In the Bush God appeared to Moses as the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the good-will of God thus manifested viz. as a God in Covenant with them was that which alone could make them truly happy see Psal 106.4 Let this blessing says he come on the head of Joseph that is on his Posterity whose Father was separated from his Brethren and advanced by the Lord to an high and singular degree of Honour above them His glory shall be like the firstling of his Bullock that is of a fair young Bullock in his best strength and his horns like the horns of Vnicorns that is his Power shall be great and irresistible wherewith he shall Conquer far remote Nations Now these horns of his he shews are the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh 6ly He comes to Zebulun of whom he says Rejoyce Zebulun in thy going out and Issachar in thy Tents Here he blesses two Tribes together Of Zebulun he Prophesies That they shall be happy in their going forth to Trade and in their merchandising by Ships agreeable to what Jacob prophesied of them Gen. 49.13 Zebulun shall dwell at the harbour of the Sea he shall be for an Haven of Ships And of Issachar he Prophesies That they should be happy in their Tents that is in their quiet life at home and in their Husbandry and Tillage and breeding and feeding of Cattel Both their ways of living should yield them matter of rejoycing in the goodness and bounty of God to them Issachar shoul be happy in their Husbandry Zebulun in following their Merchandise They should suck of the abundance of the Seas that is of the Riches and Wealth brought over the Seas and of the Treasures hid in the sand that is brought from such Cities as were seated upon the Sea-shore in sandy-ground They shall call the people unto the Mountain there they shall offer Sacrifices of Righteousness herein he Prophesies of their religious thankfulness to God for his great blessings to them They should duly go to Mount Sion to worship the Lord and should invite their Brethren and possibly strangers of other Nations to go along with them though they were seated by the Sea-side in the outmost parts of the Land and so far off from the Temple of Jerusalem yet at times appointed they should readily go up to the House of God and there offer the Sacrifices and Thank-Offerings which were justly due to God and agreeable to what his Law prescribed 7ly He comes to Gad of whom he says Blessed be He that inlargeth Gad namely the Lord who hath bestowed upon Gad a large and spacious Country and though it lay upon the Frontiers and therefore was liable to frequent Incursions of Enemies yet they should have heart and courage to defend themselves Therefore he Prophesies of Gad That he shall dwell as a Lion that is bold and undaunted and as a Lion teareth sometimes the Arm sometimes the Crown of the Head that is sometimes in one place sometimes in another so this Tribe should divers ways spoil their Enemies He provided the first part for himself that is the first part of the conquered Land which was the Country of Sihon and this Tribe may be said to have provided for themselves because they desired it of Moses for their Inheritance and this part of the Country of Canaan being without Jordan was that alone which God permitted Moses the Law-giver to come into and allowed him to give unto them for their Inheritance and being thus provided they went with the Heads of the people armed * Moses here speaks of a thing to come as if it had been already done foreseeing by the Spirit of Prophesie that it would be so before their Brethren and executed the justice of the Lord and his judgments upon the accursed Canaanites 8ly He comes to Dan of whom he says Dan is a Lions whelp he shall leap from Bashan Bashan was a place where were many Lions though not in Dan's possession but Manasseh's see Deut. 3.13 The Danites are therefore here compared to Lions rushing suddenly out of the Forrests and Dens of Bashan who seize upon those that pass by ere they were aware Thus the Danites should leap unexpectedly out of their Forts and fastnesses and secret places where they lay in ambush and should seize upon their Enemies when they least expected them see Gen. 49.17 Josh 19.47 Judg. 18.27 29. 9ly He comes to Naphtali of whom he says O Naphtali satisfied with favour and full with the blessing of the Lord wherein he Prophesies of the fruitfulness of the Soil wherein this Tribe should have their portion Therefore Jacob compares them to a Hind let loose that hath a large walk and so in choice Pastures finds plenty of feeding Gen. 49.21 He therefore here breaks out into an admiration of the great plenty and abundance of blessings which their Inheritance should yield them but intimates that their blessings should not consist so much in their having such plenty and fulness of outward blessings as in their being fully satisfied and contented therewith and that the thing which should yield such satisfaction to their Souls was not so much the blessings themselves as the singular love and favour of God whereof to them these Blessings were Pledges He further adds Possess thou the West and the South intimating to them thereby that their lot
should fall to them South-West in reference to Dan's Inheritance which was in the North. And their Inheritance reaching to the Sea of Tiberias this might also imply that besides the other rich Commodities of the Land they should enjoy the advantage of Merchandizing also Lastly He comes to Asher saying Let Asher be blessed with Children that is with many and good Children who for their amiable disposition should be exceedingly beloved of all about them and let him dip his foot in Oil that is let his Country exceedingly abound with Oil * Ita abundabit oleo ut eo pedem lavare possit Vide Gen. 49.20 Job 29.6 Jansen and other good things And under his shoes shall be Iron and Brass that is his portion should be full of Mines of Iron and Brass and other metals and as his days so should his strength be that is all his days his strength should continue Moses having thus blessed the several Tribes particularly He now in the close of his Speech sets forth the happiness of all the people and all the Tribes in general and that for the special Interest they have in God who hath all the Creatures at his Command for their help There is none says he like unto the God of Jeshurun who rideth upon the Heavens for thy help and in his Excellency on the Sky intimating that as a man turns and winds his Horse which way he pleaseth so doth the Lord rule the Heavens and all the Host of them making them serviceable to the good of his people For from thence he sendeth help unto them against their Enemies smiting and destroying them with terrible Tempests with Hail Lightning and Thunder see Psal 18. from vers 7. to 20. The eternal God is thy Refuge and underneath thee are the everlasting Arms of his Omnipotency to support thee and he shall thrust out the Enemy from before thee and shall give thee Commission and Power to destroy them Israel shall dwell alone in safety that is shall cast out the Cannanites and have the Land to themselves not living now as formerly in Egypt only as Sojourners and mixt with other Nations but they shall live as a Nation and people of themselves and in a Land of their own under their own Laws and Government and shall dwell in safety not fearing other people The fountain * Fountain is here used for a River or Stream issuing out of a Fountain Psal 104.10 Waters often signifie people Rev. 17.15 see Psal 68.26 of Jacob that is the people which flowed out of Jacob as out of a Well or Fountain viz. the Posterity of Jacob shall dwell upon a Land of Corn and Wine and the Heavens that are spread over their Land shall drop down dew and make it exceeding fruitful He concludes all with this Acclamation Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord who is the Shield of thy help and not only a Shield or Buckler to defend thee but the Sword of thy Excellency to fight for thee against thy Enemies 'T is He that maketh thee famous and renowned above others for Marshal Exploits and thine Enemies who prophesied of their Victories over thee and how they should overcome thee by the help of their Idol-gods shall be found Liars unto thee for thou shalt tread upon their High Places that is triumphantly prevail over their fenced Cities whose Walls and Towers are raised very high SECT XCIII MOses now having spoken all that he intended to speak to the Children of Israel Ch. XXXIV and having pronounced his last blessing upon them This last Chapter of of Deuteronomy was written after Moses's death but whither by Joshua or Eleazar or what other holy man is uncertain So the conclusion of the Book of Jeremy was written after his death see Jer. 51.64 and as 't is like taken his solemn leave of them went up from the Plains of Moab to Mount Nebo the highest top whereof called Pisgah lay over against Jericho Joshua and Eleazar as some * Mos◠morituro adfuisse Joshuam Eleazaram traedit Josephus Antiq. lib. 4. Cumque post mutuos Complexus Eleazaro Joshuae ultimum vale diceret interloquendum repentina nube circundatus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex oculis illorum in quandam vallem est ablatus think accompanying him And as a weary Labourer at night goes to his Chamber to take his rest so this holy man after all his great and wearisome Labours in the Governing this people at the Commandment of God went up to Mount Nebo there to die and so to rest from his Labours But before he died the Lord was pleased to give him a sight of the promised Land And first He shewed him all the Land of Gilead unto Dan. Gilead was on the outside of Jordan Dan †Formerly call'd Leshem Josh 19.47 or Laish Judg. 18.27 was a City in the furthest part of the Land within Jordan Northward Then He shewed him the portion of Naphtali which was near unto it Then the Land of Ephraim and Manasseh which was in the midst of Canaan Then the Land of Judah which was the Southern part of the Country and then the Plain and Valley of Jericho which was on the East-Coast and the Midland-Sea called the Outmost-Sea which was the Western-Coast This view therefore that Moses had of the whole Land was by the miraculous power of God strengthening his sight so wonderfully for by the ordinary power of Nature it was not possible that from one place he should have beheld so large a Country therefore vers 4. 't is said God caused him to see it with his eyes and told him This was the Land which he sware to Abraham Isaac and Jacob to give it unto their Seed Moses having had a full prospect of this earthly Canaan there died and his Soul went to the heavenly being an 120 years old his eyes not being dim nor his radical moisture abated Of this time he had spent near a full third part in his Government of this people departing this life in the last month of the Year called Adar and the seventh day * For Aaron dying in the 40th year 5th month first day of it Numb 33.38 and that compar'd with the months mourning for Moses Deut. 34.8 and three days preparation to pass over Jordan Ch. 3.2 and their coming out of Jordan on the first month tenth day Josh 4.19 do shew that Moses died in the twelfth month and seventh day of it and so seven months and seven days after Aaron of it Moses's Soul being gone to Heaven Jehovah or Michael the Son of God Jude v. 9. translated his body out of the place where he died into a Valley of the Land of Moab †That Land was so called because it did formerly belong to the Moabites and was lately taken from them by Sihon King of the Amorites as we shewed on Numb 21.26 and was now possessed by the
Therefore says he keep your selves all of you from the accursed thing Take none of the accursed banned things to your own use lest you bring a Curse upon your selves and upon the Camp of Israel thereby Joshua having given the people these Instructions he gave order to the Army to march round about the City seven days in the manner that was prescribed the Sabbath-day being one of them and that by Command of him who is Lord of the Sabbath The armed-men marched before the Ark and the remainder of the people that were in the Rear not armed followed after and thus they did six days on the seventh day they rose early and compassed the City after the same manner seven times and at the seventh time when the Priests that blew with the Trumpets made a long blast Joshua bad them shout for the Lord had given them the City The people hereupon gave a great shout and the wall of the City fell down flat viz. all that part of it over against which the Israelites in a long train marched and so all the armed men went up every man right from the place where they were and entred in at the breach into the City And they utterly destroyed all that was in the City Men Women young and old and the Oxen and Asses and Sheep and what ever they met with excepting Rahab and her Family whom Joshua sent the two Spies unto whom she had preserved to bring them forth and to leave them without the Camp till they were cleansed from their former pollutions according to the Law Numb 31.19 and were instructed in the Israelites Religion and admitted into the Congregation and so they and their Posterity continued among the Israelites and Rahab was afterwards married to Salmon a Prince of the Tribe of Judah one of Christs Progenitors Matth. 1.5 Luke 3.32 Then they burnt the City with fire and all that was therein excepting only the Silver and Gold and Iron and Brass which were reserved to be put into the Treasury of the House of the Lord none of them offering to meddle with one jot of the Spoil save only Achan of whom more presently In the judgment of reason one would have thought it must needs be grievous to the Israelites to destroy so brave a City and so goodly Houses wherein they might so conveniently have setled themselves and the Prey and Spoil of so fair and rich a City whereby they might have so greatly inriched themselves The more remarkable therefore and commendable was their ready Obedience herein to Gods Commands And Joshua by a special Inspiration of the Holy Ghost adjured them not to go about to build that City again and pronounced a Curse upon that man that by rebuilding it should as it were endeavour to blot out the memorial of this miraculous Work of God in giving this Idolatrous City after so strange a manner into their hands Whosoever shall go about to do it says He he shall lay the Foundation thereof in his First-born and in his youngest Son shall he set up the Gates thereof that is it shall cost him the loss of his Children of the first when he begins it of the other as he goeth forward with the work and of the youngest when he finisheth it and hangeth up the Gates thereof This Curse afterwards fell upon Hiel the Bethelite who in Ahab's Reign built this City again 1 Kings 16.34 This man was very ignorant if he knew not of this Curse but if he did know of it he was very audacious and impudently profane in not regarding it But though he was in his own particular severely punish'd for thus transgressing Gods Command and neglecting this Curse yet the City being rebuilt it was afterward allowed for a fit Habitation even for good men to lodge in as Elijah and Elisha 2 Kings 2.4 18. yea our Saviour himself did honour this City with his presence and Miracles Luke 19.1 5. Josh Ch. 5. from 13. to the end Josh Ch. 6. whole Chapter SECT XCIX JOshua now sent Spies to Ai not to go into it as those sent to Jericho did but to bring him Intelligence in what posture the City and Country thereabout was The Spies return and make a Report as if the place were of no great strength and might easily be taken by a few of the Israelites and therefore there was no need to carry up the whole Host of Israel against it Let only about two or three thousand say they go up and finite it Joshua accordingly sent up about three thousand against it But the men of Ai couragiously sallying out upon them the Israelites fled presently before them which plainly shewed that God being offended with them for something amiss among them did in an extraordinary manner strike them with fear and astonishment The men of Ai chased them from their City Gates to Shebarim and killed 36 of them in the going down of the Hill so that it seems the Israelies fled at the first On-set and were slain only in flying The whole people of Israel were extreamly terrified and dismaid at this For God seemed to have withdrawn his supporting Hand from them and in such a case the most stout and valiant will soon shrink and be afraid Joshua and the Elders of Israel hereupon rent their Clothes * A Ceremony used in great Mournings see 2 Sam. 1.11 Job 2.12 Ezek. 27.30 put dust upon their Heads and fell to the earth on their faces before the Ark. Neither was it their loss so much as the apprehension of Gods displeasure that so much afflicted them God had promised that no man should stand before them Ch. 1.5 and that they should drive out the Inhabitants out of the Land Their flying therefore now before the Enemy especially in such an inglorious manner was a plain Demonstration that God was offended with them and had withdrawn his gracious presence from them And the smallest Affliction if it be looked upon as an effect of Gods anger is very dreadful Joshua lying thus prostrate before the Lord said Alas O Lord God wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us I wish we had been content to have staid and dwelt on the other side Jordan * Joshua seems here a little too much transported thorow humane frailty O Lord what shall I say when Israel turneth their backs before their Enemies For the Canaanites the Inhabitants of this Land will hear of it and will inviron us round and cut off our Name and Memorial from off the Earth and what wilt thou then do to thy great Name How wilt thou preserve thy Glory when the Canaanites shall say Thou hadst not power to subdue them nor defend us against them and thou wast not able to give us this Land which thou hadst promised us See Deut. 33.27 Then the Lord spake to Joshua saying Get thee up why liest thou prostrate on thy face
Horam King of Gezer a City near to Lachish understanding this comes forth with his Forces to relieve it but Joshua utterly routed and defeated him and then the day after the Lord delivered Lachish into his hands whose Inhabitants he utterly destroyed as he had done those of Libnah Then he marched to Eglon (f) A City in the Tribe of Judah Ch. 15.39 five Leagues Southward from Jerusalem and took it the very day he encamped against it and put all to the Sword he found there From thence he marched to Hebron (g) A famous ancient City see Numb 13.23 in the Tribe of Judah call'd formerly Kirjath-jearim The King hereof was one of those hanged at Makkedah but He being dead either his Heir succeeded him or they chose another How this City is afterwards said to be taken by Caleb see Notes on Ch. 15.13 14. and took it with the new King thereof for the old one was lately hanged at Makkedah and all the Cities it had under its Jurisdiction and utterly destroyed all the Inhabitants thereof Joshua then bending his Course towards Gilgal he took Debir (h) A City in the Confines of Judah butting upon Simeon before call'd Kirjah-sepher Josh 15.15 five or six miles Southward of Hebron and the King thereof and all the Towns belonging to it utterly destroying all the people therein and as he had done to the King of Libnah so he did to the King of Debir All these Kings and their Land did Joshua take in one Expedition because the Lord fought for Israel He subdued also all that part of the Country which lay to the South both those Cities that were built on Hills and those that were seated in the Plains He subdued and vanquish'd all from Kadesh-Barnea the utmost Southern bound unto Gaza upon the Sea-Coast and all the Country of Goshen in the mountainous parts of Judah even to Gibeon and destroyed their Inhabitants to a vast number doing therein according to what the Lord God of Israel had commanded him Deut. 20.16 17. Then Joshua returned with his Army to the Camp at Gilgal Joshua Ch. 10. from 28. to the end SECT CV FRom the Autumn of this year wherein after the failing of Manna they began to till the Ground and sow it is to be reckoned the first year of their Tillage and the rise of the Sabhatical year is hence to be taken Exod. 23.10 11. Levit. 25. from 2. to 7. SECT CVI. THe five Southern Kings being thus destroyed all the rest of the Northern Kings combined together against the Israelites and with them Joshua had a long War see vers 18. which lasted till about the end of the sixth year of his Government by which time He subdued them Very observable was the Providence of God that he did not suffer all the Kings of the Canaanites at once to joyn their Forces together against the Israelites but ordered it so that only some of them fought against Israel at one time and some at another by which means the Israelites were heartned with frequent Victories and had leisure to refresh themselves between them And though Joshua's wonderful Successes and Victories are succinctly related in this Chapter one after another yet these Wars lasted a great while after the Battel of the waters of Merom and there were about six years spent in the subduing these Nations as may appear by considering Caleb's age of which more afterwards see Ch. 14. from vers 6. to 15. 'T is true God could have subdued these Nations in a shorter time but he was pleased to have it done by degrees that the greater Opposition and Difficulty the Israelites met with in the Work the more they might own his Power and Providence in carrying them thorow All. The Lord also hereby exercised their Faith and Patience and stirred up the Spirit of prayer in them and drew forth their Dependance and Reliance on Himself And hereby also He discovered the obstinacy of the Canaanites which rendred them the more inexcusable The Lord also had determined that they should drive out these Nations by little and littlâ— and not consume them all at once lest the wild Beasts might increase upon them for want of people to inhabit the Land see Deut. 7.22 And we may add this as a reason to all the former why the War continued so long namely God leaving these Canaanites to the hardness of their own hearts none of them besides the Gibeonites desired to make Peace with the Israelites but desperately and obstinately resolved to fight with them and to oppose them to the uttermost and God did judicially thus suffer them to harden their hearts more and more that so they might have no favour but be utterly destroyed vers 20. But to return The Northern Kings that had combined against Israel were Jabin King of Hazor a City lying in the upper Galilee not far from Kadesh who sent to Jobab King of Madon (i) A City near Dan. and to the King of Shimron (k) A City in Zebulun near Mount Carmel call'd Shimron-meron Ch. 12.20 and to the King of Ackshaph (l) In Asher near Accho or Ptolemais and to the Kings that were towards the North on the Mountains and those that were in the Plains that lay on the South-side of the Country of Cinneroth called afterwards Tiberias and Genne-sereth and in the Valley or low Grounds and in the Borders of Dor (m) A City and County in the Tribe of Manasseh on the Coast of the Mediterranean-Sea on the West and to the Canaanites that dwelt both on the East and West and to the Amorite Hittite Perizzite and Jebusite in the Mountains and to the Hivite under Hermon a Hill in the North of Canaan which were another sort of Hivites much differing from those of Gibeon who had submitted to Joshua All these upon Jabin's Sollicitation combined together and went out against Israel with a mighty Army even like the sand that is upon the Sea-shore for multitude that is with such a vast number as was not easily to be numbered and they had Horses and Chariots very many They pitched together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel Joshua might possibly be now in some apprehension how the Israelites that were all Foot should be able to encounter so vast an Army as this which consisted so much of Horse and had so many Iron-Chariots But the Lord bad him not be afraid of them for on the morrow by that time he would deliver them up into his hands and He should hough their Horses that is cut their hamstrings and so make them unserviceable either in War or for any other use and burn their Chariots Accordingly Joshua very early next morning fell upon them with his whole Army probably before they were in any Order and made a vast Slaughter among them and chased them to Zidon * The Metropolis of Phaenicia Tyre is call'd the Daughter of it Isa 53.12 the Great and to
was given to Phineas his Son with whom 't is probable his Father lived For though the Priests had their Cities by lot in other Tribes namely Judah Simeon and Benjamin see Ch. 21.4 yet that the High Priest might be near to Joshua the Governour who dwelt in Mount Ephraim and that he might enquire of the Lord for him upon any special occasion and that he might be near to the Tabernacle which at this time was in Shiloh 't is like Eleazar (y) Donarunt forsan hunc locum honorarium Eleazaro ut Joshuae contiguus habitaret qui tamen est a Filio cognominatus in posterum Anonym in loc here lived and was now here buried Josh Ch. 24. whole Chapter SECT CXXII WE are now come to the Book of Judges The Book of Iudges which comprehends an History of the Common-wealth of Israel from the death of Joshua to the days of Eli containing the space of 299 years during which time they lived under the Government of certain Judges whom God successively and extraordinarily raised up and endowed with a Spirit of Wisdom and Courage to Rule over them as His Deputies and Vicegerents There are twelve of these mentioned in this Book viz. 1. Othniel whose Government from the death of Joshua is reckoned to be 40 years 2. Ehud 80 3. Deborath 40 4. Gideon 40 5. Abimelech 3 6. Thola 23 7. Jair 22 8. Jephtha 6 9. Ibzan 7 10. Elon 10 11. Abdon 8 12. Sampson 20 299 Within which space of time we are to comprehend the Six Oppressions of the Israelites mentioned in this Book and not to reckon them apart but as included within the years of the Judges and the Rest of the Land viz. Under Cushan 8 years Eglon 18 Jabin 20 Midian 7 Ammonites 18 Philistines 20 To the twelve Judges before-mentioned Eli and Samuel succeeded whose Acts are not here set down but in the First Book of Samuel Now there being 480 to be reckoned from the coming of the Israelites out of Egypt to the building of Solomon's Temple 1 Kings 6.1 we may compute them thus 40 years spent in the Wilderness 17 in Joshua's Government 299 in the times of the twelve Judges 40 in Eli's time 40 in Samuel and Saul's 40 in David's 4 in Solomon's in the Fourth Year of whose Reign the Foundation of the Temple was laid 480 As to the Pen-man of this Book of Judges 't is very uncertain who it was But it seems to be gathered by some Prophet of God out of the Publick Records and Registers that were kept of their Affairs Some think Samuel was the Compiler of it SECT CXXIII JOshua being now dead and having a little before his death encouraged the people to expel the Canaanites that remained out of the Land though they had no man at present chosen of God and set over them to Command them in chief as Moses and Joshua did and finding that it was fit for them to go on with the War they assembled together as it seems at Shiloh to consult about this matter And because the success of their first Attempts would be of great consequence either to encourage or dishearten their Enemies they thought fit that Phineas the High Priest should enquire of the Lord for them by Vrim and Thummim which of their Tribes should first begin and set upon the Canaanites that still remained among them and the Lord appointed that the Tribe of Judah the Royal Tribe and the strongest and most populous of them all should begin the War and first clear his portion of the Enemy Caleb the Son of Jephunneh is chosen General for the Tribe and the Simeonites who had their lot within theirs being invited to joyn with them they readily agreed to it the Tribe of Judah promising to assist them afterwards in clearing their lot In this Expedition they took the City of Bezek * Bezek a City in the Tribe of Judah not far from Jerusalem and after they had taken it in the pursuit when the King thereof with many of his people fled to save his life they killed ten thousand men They also took their King Adonibezek and cut off his Thumbs and his great Toes having as it seems when they took the City found some of those poor Captive Kings that had been thus inhumanely used by him or else had heard of the Tyranny he had exercised upon them in that kind and therefore thought fit according to the Law of Retaliation Exod. 21.24 to serve him after the same manner Adonibezek could not but acknowledge the justice of God upon him herein For says He threescore and ten Kings (z) Reguli diversarum urbium Ante Ninum teste Justino quisque Rex terminis civitatis suae contentus erat Petty Kings of particular Cities not that he had so many at once under this base slavery but in the whole course of his life some after others 't is like he did it in a base sporting cruelty or else thereby to unfit them for War unde homines viles defides Italis Gallis Poltroni vocantur id est pollice trunci having their Thumbs and great Toes cut off gathered their meat under my Table as I have done to them so God hath requited me Then the men of Judah carried this great Tyrant and shewed him before Jerusalem to strike the greater terrour into the Jebusites and there they killed him and then sacked and burnt that City viz. that part of it which was in their Tribe For though the former King of it had been slain in the Field Josh 10. yet was not the City taken nor it nor any other City fired in Joshua's time but only Jericho Ai and Hazor and therefore the eighth verse should be read And the Children of Judah warred against Jerusalem and took it and smote it c. not as if it had been taken before Judges 1. from 1. to 9. * For these Verses from v. 9. to 16. see Sect. 108. because the Author of this History was here to relate the memorable Exploits that were done by the men of Judah therefore together with those noble Acts which they did after the death of Joshua He repeats also those which were done by them whilst Joshua lived under the command of Caleb both against Hebron and Debir that He might set forth the glory of this Tribe more fully SECT CXXIV JEthro's Family call'd Kenites that had come up with Joshua and Israel into the Land of Canaan and dwelt in their Tents which was ever their way of living about Jericho the City of Palm-Trees among the people of the Tribe of Judah and Judah having now cleared his portion in so good a measure that they began to spread into new Plantations These Kenites went along with them and setled themselves with them in the South upon the Coasts of the Amalekites and so in Saul's time were mingled among them see 1 Sam. 15.6 These Kenites were the root of the Rechabites of whom more is
Levites Concubine was of the former sort viz. a secundary Wife for the Levite is called her Husband vers 3. and Ch. 20.4 This Concubine as it seems was false to the Levite her Husband and play'd the Whore whereupon a Quarrel arising between them she left him and went home again to her Fathers house who was too ready to entertain her Though it was usual for all sorts even the Levites themselves at that time to take Concubines yet the sad effects that followed hereupon shewed that God was not pleased with it From the beginning it was not so says our Saviour Matth. 19.8 The Levite follows after her to see if he could by fair means bring her to repent and amend and to return to him again He being willing to be reconciled to her rather than forsake her if it were possible When he came to her Fathers house He received him and entertained him very kindly and he stayed with him three days On the fourth day in the morning the breach being as it seems made up and he ready to depart with his Wife His Father-in-law desired him to comfort his heart with a morsel of bread and so they sate down and did eat and drink together and upon his further importunity he stayed with him that night also On the next day he entertained him again and engaged him to stay till the Afternoon and would have had him lodged there that night also seeing the Sun was then declining But he would not but took his leave of him and departed with his Wife and Servant When they came over against Jebus or Jerusalem which was now in the possession of the Jebusites (b) For though the Children of Judah had taken from the Jebusites that part of the City which was in their Tribe see Jud. 1.8 yet out of that part which belonged to Benjamin on which side the Levite was now travelling the Jebusites were not expelled see Judg. 1.21 his Man advised that they should turn into that City and lodge there that night but the Levite said We will not turn into a City inhabited by the accursed Canaanites estranged from God and his Laws we will go to Gibeah * The best Counsel sometimes may have the worst success to teach us that there is a secret hand of God that over-rules all Events not far from hencc and in our way to Mount Ephraim It was Sun-set by the time they came thither When they came into the Street of the City they met with no man that had so much Humanity or Hospitality in him as to invite them to his house At last an old man of Mount Ephraim a Sojourner in that City coming from his work out of the Fields and seeing the Levite asked him Whence he came and whither he was going He told him he dwelt in Mount Ephraim but he meant to go first to Shiloh where the Tabernacle then was to perform his Service there and then to go on in his Journey home-ward But says he here is no man for ought I perceive has so much kindness as to receive us into his house though we should put him to little or no charge for we have brought from whence we came a bundle of Straw and Provender for our Asses and we have Bread and Wine sufficient for our selves The old man said Peace be unto thee let all thy wants lie upon me that is take no further care either for Lodging or Provision I will take the care of all upon my self to provide all Necessaries for thee and all that belong unto thee Therefore turn in unto my house which accordingly they presently did and there he took care of their Asses and then washing their Feet according to the Rites of Hospitality practised in that hot Country he entertained them and they sat down to eat and drink with Him Now as they were making their hearts merry certain Sons of Belial following the example of their good Brethren and Predecessors of Sodom Gen. 19.4 beset the house round requiring the old man to bring forth the Levite to them that they might abuse him by unnatural lust The old man came out to them and entreated them not to do so abominable a thing He tells them He had in his house a Daughter a Maiden and there was also the Levite's Concubine He would bring them both out to them and they might humble them and do what they would to them but he desired them to spare his Guest the Levite and not make him the Subject of their base Villany But though the old man was to be commended for his desire to observe the Laws of Hospitality yet the means he used are to be condemned as very sinful seeing we may not do evil that good may come thereof Rom. 3.8 Of the evils of punishment indeed we may chuse the less that we may avoid the greater but of the evils of Sin we must chuse neither seeing the least sin is worse than the greatest punishment But these Sons of Belial were nothing moved with what He said therefore the Levite to prevent evil to his courteous Host brought forth his own Concubine (c) See Sect. 9. of Ch. 3. Suam Levita producit ut Hospiti Consulat Ita divinitus ordinatum ut scortando scortum intereat to them and they took her and abused her all night until the morning in a most inhumane and detestable manner Thus the Providence of God rescued the old mans Daughter who was innocent from the rage and lust of these wicked Villains and the storm fell on the Levites Concubine who though her Husband had pardoned yet God now punished Vncleanness was her sin and uncleanness was now the cause of her death Culpa libido fuit poena libido fuit In the morning she came and fell down at the old mans door The Levite seeing her lie all along with her hands on the Threshold he bad her arise that they might be gone But she not answering He perceived she was dead Then carrying her upon his Asse he went home and when he was come thither he took a Knife and cut her body into twelve pieces and sent to each Tribe a piece of her that so horrible a Spectacle might incense their wrath and stir up their spirits to take sharper Revenge on the Actors of so detestable a Villany and that they might not suffer those Pests to live and poison the Air with their breath and so pull down Gods fearful Judgments on the whole Land The Messengers acquainting the Tribes with the cause why the Levite had done this all that heard of it cried out That there was never such a horrid Villany done or seen among them since they came out of Egypt * Hosea 9.9 They have deeply coâ—rupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah And therefore stirring up one another not to let it pass unrevenged they said Let us consider of it take advice and speak our minds that we may take the best
Thummim whither they should go up any more against the Benjamites The Lord bids them go up for to morrow he would deliver the Benjamites into their hands The Israelites having this Promise from God undoubtedly were much encouraged thereby however they resolved not to neglect any good means to obtain the Victory but by Policy and Military Stratagems to get all advantage they could of their Enemies Accordingly they divided their Army into three parts the one was laid in Ambush in the Medows of Gibeah vers 33. the second was sent against Gibeah with Orders that they should presently fly before the Benjamites that so they might draw them far off from the City vers 30 31. and the third which was the main body was to stay at Baal-tamar and to renew the battel when the Benjamites came thither in pursuit of the Israelites that fled before them Things being thus ordered that part of the Army that was to make the first On-set upon the Benjamites and then presently to fly and give back * See a like Stratagem in the taking of Ai Josh 8. marched up against the City and accordingly flying when the Benjamites came out against them the Benjamites eagerly pursued them and killed about thirty men and thought they should have cut them down as they did before But being drawn a good way off from the City the Ambush arose being ten thousand men and suddenly took the City and set it on fire which when they had done they put themselves between the City and the Army of the Benjamites to hinder their retreat The Benjamites that pursued the Israelites little thought of this or that evil was so near them For on a suddain the flying Israelites turned head and with the main body of the Army that stayed at Baal-tamar renewed the battel with great Courage and Violence The Benjamites looking back saw the smoke of the City ascending at which being much terrified they fled before the Israelites who destroyed eighteen thousand †V. 15. The Children of Benjamin were twenty six thousand and seven hundred Of these the Israelites slew when they prevailed against them twenty five thousand and one hundred v. 35. six hundred of them only saved themselves in Rimmon It seems therefore that the other thousand was slain in the two first battels wherein the Benjamitâ—s overcame the Israelites for 't is not like they could conquer them in two battels without some loss of them in the chase those that came out of the Cities to assist the Israelites hemming them in on every side vers 42. and vers 44. and five thousand more of them they killed in the High-ways as they found them in the pursuit scattered here and there vers 45. and two thousand more they slew at Gidom vers 45. and the odd hundred * Vers 46. Here the greater or round number is only expressed and not the odd 100. which is not expressed in particulars was slain as it seems some in one place and some in another so that of the Benjamites there fell that day twenty five thousand and one hundred six hundred of them only escaping who fled to Rimmon a City built on a Rock betwixt Gibeah and Bethel and abode there four months The Israelites not satisfied with the slaughter of the men of Gibeah and the Benjamites that came to fight in their Defence they fell upon all other Cities in that Tribe because they had sent Aids and had assisted their Brethren in this War and in their Rage slew Man Woman and Child and even the very Beasts and setting fire on their Cities spared no living thing that came in their way being transported with Fury that the Benjamites had undertaken the Defence of so horrible a Villany and that they had slain no less then forty thousand of the Israelites in this War Thus when the Lord had made use of Benjamin to execute his Justice upon Israel for not punishing Idolatry and for their other sins He then uses Israel to punish Benjamin for not delivering the men of Gibeah up to justice Judg. 20. whole Chapter SECT CXXXII THe Israelites having thus destroyed all the Men Women and Children of Benjamin excepting only those six hundred that fled to Rimmon they now began to consider into what a strait they had brought themselves For having slain all the Women of Benjamin and having made a Vow that none of them should give their Daughters in marriage to the Men of that Tribe either those six hundred men must take themselves Wives from the Heathens which was unlawful and the holy Seed would be thereby polluted or else a Tribe must perish from Israel and so their Body Politick which God had formed would be dismembred or themselves must break an Oath which they had solemnly taken in the presence of God Being exceedingly perplexed about this matter they thereupon went with their whole Army to the House of God in Shiloh there to bewail their Case and to inquire of the Lord what they should do in these Difficulties They rose therefore early the next morning and built there an Altar and offered thereon Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings because the Altar in the Tabernacle was not sufficient for the Offering up such a vast multitude of Sacrifices as were now brought in by the people after they had prevailed against the Benjamites see a like thing done 1 Kings 8.64 and the rearing Altars upon such extraordinary Occasions was not unlawful see Exod. 20.24 Then they began to consider what City or Town in all their Tribes had sent none to help them against the Benjamites For there had been a solemn Oath sworn by them all at Mizpeh before they engag'd in this War and it was taken with a severe Execration against any that should break it that whatsoever City or Town did not come in to help and assist them in this Quarrel should be destroyed Upon inquiry they found that Jabesh-Gilead on the other side Jordan had sent none to their assistance Hereupon they sent twelve thousand valiant men to destroy that City giving them order that they should destroy all the Men and all the Women thereof that had known man but the Virgins that were marriageable they should spare not doubting but of those there would be enough found to make Wives for the six hundred Benjamites But it seems there were were only four hundred such found in that City So that there being not Wives enough for them the Israelites much blamed themselves that they had in their rage destroyed all the Benjamitish-Women see vers 22. These four hundred Virgins being brought to Shiloh the Israelites sent a kind Message to the Benjamites at Rimmon to come to them who accordingly coming they gave to four hundred of them these four hundred Virgins to make them Wives wherein they conceived that they broke not their Oath because they were not their own Daughters But these being not enough for the remaining Benjamites the Israelites much repented their
raise up the Name of the dead upon his Inheritance that it may not be cut off from among his Brethren and from the Gate of his Place that is from among the Inhabitants of Bethlehem who daily go in and out at the Gates of the City and upon all civil Occasions resort thither as to their place of Judicature Hereupon the Elders and all the people there present declared that they were all Witnesses to these Transactions And so they wished Boaz all happiness with Ruth whom he intended to take for his Wife praying unto the Lord that she might be to him what Rachel * Here Rachel is named before Leah because she was Jacob's true and lawful wife Leah was fraudulently put upon him and Leah which two did build the House of Israel were to Jacob viz. that she might be very loving and comfortable to him and might bear him many Children as they did that thereby the Israel or Church of God might be increased Then speaking to Him they said As for thy self we heartily wish thou mayest do worthily in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem We heartily wish thy House may be like the House of Pharez †See Sect. 35. of Chap. 3. that is as Pharez of whose Stock thou art was blessed in his Posterity though his Mother was a Stranger and not of the Stock of Israel so that his Children and Childrens Children have been most honourable in the Tribe of Judah so we wish that thou maist be blessed in thy Children begotten of this poor Stranger and that they may still uphold the Honour of that House So Boaz took Ruth to wife and God gave her to conceive and she bare him a Son Upon this the Women congratulated Naomi saying Blessed be the Lord who hath not left thee this day without a Kinsman a pious Kinsman indeed who hath raised up Seed to his Kinsman thy Son deceased and let his Name be famous in Israel for it He will comfort and revive thee and restore thee as it were to a new life He will be a Nourisher of thy old age and make thee as it were young again For Ruth thy beloved Daughter-in-law who is better to thee than seven Sons hath now born him * Vers 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poterit verti peperit ei scil vindici Pronomen enim affixum saepe ponitur Et exponendum est per dativum separatum Capel a Son which must needs be matter of great joy to him Then Naomi took the Child and laid him in her Bosom and became a dry-Nurse to him And the Women her Neighbours said There is a Son born to Naomi because this Son of Ruth was to raise up the Name of her deceased Husband Mahlon the Son of Naomi and to be accounted his Son rather than the Son of Boaz. However they gave their advice that his Name should be called Obed importing that they hoped he would be very serviceable to his Mother and Grand-Mother Indeed every where in the Genealogies Obed is reckoned the Son of Boaz but that is because there it is fit the line should be drawn according to the natural Descents that we may truly know the Ancestors of whom Christ came without any respect to this legal Ordination This Obed was the Father of Jesse who was the Father of David The principal end of setting down this Genealogy †By the Genealogy of David set down in the end of this Book 't is manifest it was written after David's time unless that were added to the Book in succeeding times by some other Author here seems to be to shew the truth of Jacob's Prophesie concerning Christ's coming of the Tribe of Judah and therefore it begins with Pharez Juda's Son and so descendeth to David of whose Stock it was also known that the Messiah was to come Ruth Ch. 4. whole Chapter SECT CXXXVI WE return now to the History of the Judges When Ebud was dead the Children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord. Vnder none of the Judges did they enjoy so long a peace as in the days of Ehud as we may see Ch. 3.30 viz. 80 years And now we shall shew how ill they requited the Lord for so great a Mercy As standing waters are wont to putrifie so they were corrupted by their long Peace and by degrees fell off from God unto Idolatry as they formerly had done Upon this God gave them up into the hands of Jabin King of Canaan that is of those Canaanites that dwelt in the Northern parts Successor to that Jabin slain by Joshua whose chief City Hazor he burnt Josh 11.1 10 11 12. yet this Son or Successor of his it seems re-inforcing himself recovered from the Israelites that part of Land and Territory that lay about Hazor and repairing the City reigned there as his Predecessors had done And now at last not contented with his own Kingdom he made War against the Israelites in general and brought them into Subjection to him and cruelly oppressed them in Revenge no doubt of what Joshua had formerly done against that Kingdom and City The Text says He mightily oppressed them vers 3. which Expression is no where used concerning any other Bondage the Children of Israel were under and he oppressed them a long while viz. twenty years Third Oppression under Jabin twenty years and this Oppression must needs be the more grievous to them because they were brought under the Canaanites that accursed Nation whom God promised to cast out before them and would have done it had not they by their grievous Sins prevented their own Mercies And observable it is that whereas their first Bondage under Cushan-rishathaim King of Mesopotamia continued but seven years the next under Eglon continued eighteen years and this under Jabin continued twenty years Thus we see when lighter Corrections did no good the next were sorer and of longer continuance and because they abused God's Mercy and readiness to withdraw his Hand when they cried unto him therefore he continued the next Judgments longer upon them But to go on The Captain of Jabin's Host was Sisera who dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles in the lot of Naphtali whither many of the Canaanites in the timâ— of Israels prevailing fled as unto a place of Strength and there fortified themselves Jabin had a great Army and 900 Chariots of Iron and continuing to Oppress Israel very sorely they cried unto the Lord and humbled themselves Deborah the Third Judge and He was at length pleased to hear their Cry and send them a Deliverer It seems at this time * Namely whilst Jabin oppressed them so that those 20 years or within 〈◊〉 those 40 yâ—ars of Dâ—brorah vers 31. Populum judicabat sine Principatu tamen Jus populo dixit litesque composuit sed absque jurisdictione sive potestate judiciariâ Quia Prophetissa mulier prudens erat sponte populus ad eam controversias suas detulit Judices
Family in Shechem that we must serve him is He not the Son of a Concubine And what is this Zebul but his Officer his Creature his Tool to tyranize by And must such an ancient and brave City as Shechem be inslav'd to every domineering Officer that this Son of an Hand-Maid shall set over you If you have a mind to give away your Liberty and be in Bondage you had better call in the old Lords of this place the Descendents of Hamor the Father of Shechem and serve them than serve this new base upstart Abimelech Well! if you men of Shechem would all put your selves under my Government I would quickly ease you of this Abimelech He should not long King it over you Then in a Bravado he cries out O Abimelech make thy self as strong as thou canst with all thine Allies and Friends and then come out and fight with me if thou darest Zebul the Ruler of the City hearing of these vaunting words of Gaal was greatly inrag'd and sent secret Intelligence to Abimelech How Gaal and his Adherents were fortifying the City against him He advises him therefore to come by night against Shechem with all his Army and having laid the greatest part of them in Ambush He should the next morning shew himself with the rest before the City against whom when Gaal came forth as undoubtedly he would He would fall unexpectedly into the snare Abimelech accordingly marched with his Army in the night towards Shechem and divided his Men into four Companies and laying three of them in Ambush He marched only with the fourth in the morning towards the City Gaal going early to the Gate of the City and Zebul the Major of the Town being by He said to him Behold there come people down from the top of the Mountains Zebul jeeringly replied Surely thou takest the shadows of the Mountains for Men. Gaal presently in some consternation cries out There was another Company coming by the middle of the Land and another by the Plain Then Zebul tauntingly ask'd him Where is now thy mouth wherewith thou saidst who is Abimelech that we should serve him where are thy great Brags and Boastings now Is not this the people whom thou didst so contemptuously despise Go out now and fight with them and shew thy valour if thou hast any Shew that thou canst fight as well as talk Gaal upon this got as many of the men of Shechem together as he could and marched out before them to fight with Abimelech But Abimelech quickly routed him and slew and wounded many of his men and chased the rest even to the Gates of the City Then Abimelech for the present withdrew his Forces to Aramah a place not far from Shechem to refresh them after the Fight and to wait for some better opportunity of surprizing the City The people of Shechem being now greatly vex'd and inraged at their Defeat 't is like Zebul suggested to them that the Cowardize and ill Conduct of Gaal and his Brethren had been the cause thereof and so he easily procur'd them to be cashier'd and sent away out of the City The Shechemites then choosing for themselves a new Commander in whom they might more confide and having recruited their Army resolved to march out the next morning to be revenged on Abimelech for their former loss and to drive him out of the Country Abimelech hearing they were come out against him He marched towards them and then dividing his Army into three parts He designed with one of them which he kept with himself to lie in Ambush and to surprize the City on a suddain whilst the Shechemites were ingaged with the other two Brigades of his Army or at least to keep them from sallying forth to assist those that were ingaged in the Fight and to prevent those in the Field from making any Retreat if they were worsted Accordingly whilst Abimelech and those that were with him ran and got to the Gate of the City his other two Parties ran upon the Shechemites in the Field and made a great slaughter of them Having thus vanquished the Field-Army he fought against the City all that day and at last took it and put to the Sword all that came in his way Many of the Shechemites had it seems got into the Tower of Shechem or House of Millo to secure themselves but hearing the dreadful Cries and Shreekes of their dying Fellow-Citizens they forsook that and betook themselves to the House of Baal-berith either trusting more to the strength of the Place or else flying to it as to a Sanctuary in this their great Extremity Abimelech hereupon went to Mount Zalmon a Hill near Shechem and cut down a Tree and laid it on his Shoulder and encouraged his Souldiers to do the like and with those he fired the House of Baal-berith and there destroyed about a thousand men and women of the Shechemites He then ras'd the City of Shechem to the ground and in detestation and for an exemplary Punishment he sowed it with Salt as a sign of an utter Vastation and perpetual Desolation But herein he failed of his end for it was afterwards rebuilt by Jeroboam 1 Kings 12.25 and inhabited 2 Chron. 10.1 Jer. 21.5 and afterwards it was called Sychar Joh. 4.5 Some of the Inhabitants of Shechem had it seems during these Disasters betaken themselves to Thebez a Town near Shechem which had a strong Fort or Castle in it Thither now Abimelech marches with his Army The people of Thebez betook themselves to the Castle as the only place of Security Abimelech resolving to set fire on the Gate of it went so near to it himself to give Orders about it that a woman from the top of the Tower cast a piece of a Mill-stone upon him and brake his Skull * Thus Phyrrhus was slain by a woman casting a Tile on his head at the taking of Argos He finding he had received his deaths wound bad his Armour-Bearer run him through with his Sword that it might not be said that a woman kill'd him (b) De Abimelech verum erat illud ingressus est ut vulpes regnavit ut Leo mortuus est ut Canis Thus we see how Jotham's Prophesie was fulfilled That a fire should come out from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and a fire should come out from the men of Shechem and should devour Abimelech Thus He who had slain his Brethren all upon one stone receives his own death by a stone He that had before managed this War politickly and successfully now by one rash unadvised Action going too near to the Gate of the Castle is ignominiously destroyed When the people that followed Abimelech saw he was dead they departed every one to his own home Judg. Ch. 9. whole Chapter SECT CXLII AFter Abimelech Tola the Son of Puah a man of the Tribe of Issachar Tola the Sixth Judge was raised up by God to Judge Israel and fitted with Heroick Gifts of Wisdom
for Prophets immediately inspired to offer Sacrifices especially Peace-offerings upon Altars erected in other places besides the Tabernacle especially at this time when the Ark was separated from it to be that day in the high place (f) Fuit haec domus quaedam in qua haec Sacrificia fieri solebant boni viri illuc confluxerunt pransuri cum Samuele that is a Peace-offering or Sacrifice of Thanksgiving after which was to follow a Feast to be made of the remainders of the Sacrifice at which the Seer would be present It seems Samuel had purposely appointed this Feast and invited guests unto it God having revealed to him by the secret inspiration of his Spirit see v. 15. that he would send that day to him the man who he intended should be their King and that he should anoint him to be Captain over his people and to save them out of the hands of the Philistines (g) The Israelites had not in all Sauls time a full deliverance from the Philistines but he gave them many defeats and so blunted their strength that they could not keep the Israelites under as they formerly did therefore he may be said in some degree to have saved them though their deliverance was not compleat but reserved till Davids reign and therefore Samuel was willing to express his respects to him by providing for him some honourable entertainment though the rest of the guests knew not so much The maidens further tell them that if they made hast they might possibly meet with him before he went up to the high place for besure the people would not eat before he came for he used to bless (a) Solebant Hebraei epulas a precibus inchoare precibus claudere juxta Deut. 8.10 vide Mat. 14.19 26.30 Luc. 9.16 24.30 Act. 27.35 He that blessed the Table did also divide and distribute the meat by prayer and thanksgiving the flesh that was offered whereof the Feast was to be made and afterwards they did eat that were bidden Saul and his servant going accordingly to the City Samuel met them just as he was going up to the high-place As soon as he set his eyes on Saul the Lord by secret inspiration told him that was the man of whom he had before given him intimation that he should reign over his people Then Saul drew near to Samuel being within the Gate and in the midst of the City v. 14. and as it seems not knowing him asked him where the Seers house was Samuel answered that he himself was the Seer and was now going up to a Feast that was to be kept at the high-place therefore he desired him to favour him so far as to go up thither with him and to eat with them and if he pleased to stay with him that night and on the morrow he would be ready to tell him any thing that was in his mind to ask of him And says he lest thou shouldest be unwilling to stay by reason of the occasion thou camest out upon I tell thee that as for thy Fathers Asses that were lost three days ago they are found again therefore trouble not thy self any more about them thou hast greater matters and of greater concernment to mind as I shall shew thee before we part thou art not ignorant that it is the general desire of Israel to have a King to reign over them and this royal dignity is like to be placed by Gods special Providence on thee and thy fathers house Saul was exceedingly surprized at these words and as one astonished at the strangeness of them replied Alas what am I Am not I a Benjamite (b) When this Tribe kept faithful to the house of David in the days of Jeroboam as well as the house of Judah the Scripture speaks but of one Tribe that did cleave to the house of David 1 King 11.32 Benjamin not being mentioned because of their paucity but comprehended under the men of Judah and of that small Tribe which not many years ago was almost utterly destroyed Judg. 20. and are not my family the fewest in number of all the ten families in my Tribe wherefore then dost thou mention such a thing to me However when they were come to the high-place where the Feast was to be kept Samuel took Saul and his servant and bringing them into the Parlour made them sit down in the chiefest place among those that were bidden who probably were the Elders and chief of the City and in number about thirty and Samuel having given order to the Cook to provide one special extraordinary Mess that should be set by and reserv'd as for some extraordinary guest and not sent up till he sent for it he now accordingly calls for it that it might be set before Saul and the Cook took up the Shoulder which was accounted a chief Joint with some other meat that was laid upon it or some sawce to make it more acceptable and grateful and set it before Saul and Samuel said Take this dish that is provided for thee set it before thee and eat of it for I gave charge that this portion of meat should be reserved for thee when I said unto the Cook I have invited some to eat with me make ready for them So that Saul might see hereby that God had revealed his coming to Samuel before hand Saul accordingly did eat with Samuel that day And when they were come down from the high-place into the City the next morning Samuel communed with Saul about this great matter upon the roof of his house which being flat as the manner of their houses was it was a fit place for them to be private in After which Saul and his servant departing Samuel accompanied them some part of the way and as they were going out of the City Samuel desired Saul to send his servant before that he might not hear what they said nor see what they did but that he himself would stay with him and he would then declare to him what he had in commission from God further to say and do unto him Samuel thought good to use such secresie in this matter that it might not be thought when Saul was chosen King that there had been any plotting or contrivance between Samuel and him about it and that it might not be suspected to be Samuel's choice but plainly the Lords Samuel and Saul being now alone Samuel as God had commanded him * See Ch. 15.1 took a viol of oyl and poured it upon his head (c) It had bin a constant custom among other Nations to anoint their Kings whence it is that Cyrus King of Persia was call'd the Lords Anointed Isa 45.1 It is thought that Saul was anointed with ordinary oyl as was also Jehu 2 King 9 1 6. which Samuel brought with him in a Viol from his own house though David and Solomon and other Kings that succeeded them were anointed with the holy oyl of the Sanctuary
Stobaeus that is shewed them the duty of a King towards his Subjects and of his Subjects towards him and these fundamental Laws of the Kingdom he wrote in a Book (d) Hic liber periit cum multis aliis and laid it up before the Lord that is before the Ark or in the Tabernacle for the sure preservation of it and to intimate that God would take care of thâ—se Laws to uphold and maintain them and to punish those that should violate or break them These things being done Samuel dismissed this great Assembly and Saul went to Gibeah his own City and there went with him a band of men (e) Quos scil divinus spiritus ad obsequium illud novo Regi exhibendum impulit such whose hearts God had touched and moved to think it fit that they should attend him and as a Royal guard wait upon him and conduct him in his return home But all the people were not so well pleased with this Election though it plainly appeared to be of God there were some rude and wretched fellows Sons of Belial that despised him and look d upon him as a person unfit to be King and unlikely to govern them well and defend them against their enemies as a King should do whereupon they refused to bring him any presents (f) That was the custom of those times as is noted concerning Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 17.5 see Mat. 2.11 sine muneribus Reges orientis adiâ—i non solebant as it seems the rest of the people did to testifie their subjection and that they did acknowledg him to be their King But Saul held his peace not seeming to take notice (g) Novum imperium inchoantibus utilis clementiae fama ait Tacitus of their unworthy carriage towards him but seeking to win them by lenity and love 1 Sam. Ch. 10. from v. 17. to the end SECT CLXII NAhash King of the Ammonites now came up and besieged Jabesh-Gilead a City without Jordan this attempt had been brewing against the Israelites before they desired a King and was in great part the occasion of it as appears Ch. 12.12 And now possibly it was the more hastened by Nahash because of the report that was brought to him that the Israelites had shaken off the Government of Samuel and had chosen a King to reign over them at which some of them were discontent and would not accept him 'T is like the Ammonites made the ground of their present quarrel the old pretence and claim which they laid to the land of Gilead in which Jabesh stood see Judg. 11.13 which now they hop'd to recover and revenge the shameful overthrow which Jephtah then gave them The men of Jabesh-Gilead being now in extream fear and not trusting in the Providence of God as they ought to have done and contrary to Gods command who had forbidden them to make any Covenant with the accursed Nations they desire Nabash to make a Covenant with them and to take them under his protection as his Confederates and they would pay him Tribute and serve him Nahash proudly and tyrannically answers them that on this condition only he would make a Covenant with them namely if he might have liberty to put out their right eyes Hereby he intended it seems to disable them from War for with their Shields they covered their left eyes and therefore if their right eyes were put out what service of war could they be fit for as also to fix a reproach upon all Israel For the accepting such base conditions would be a perpetual disgrace to all the people of whom it would be said that they were so base a people that they would buy their peace and lives upon any terms yea it would be a reproach to the God of Israel as if he could not help his people in their distresses or would not do it The Elders of Jabesh-Gilead desire seven days respite to send unto their brethren for help in which time if they were not relieved they promise to come out unto him and to yield themselves to be disposed of at his pleasure Nahash being puft up with a vain opinion of his own strength and thinking it impossible that their brethren in that time either could or durst come to relieve them yields to their desire and by this means through his own arrogancy and folly he brought ruin and destruction upon himself and his people And God by his alwise Providence made this a means that Jabesh-Gilead should be delivered by the hands of Saul whose valour and magnanimity being in this atchievement so much displayed the hearts of the people were hereby more inclined to receive him for their King The men of Jabesh-Gilead having therefore liberty granted them to send to their Brethren their Messengers came first to Gibeah where Saul and Samuel now were to acquaint them with the extream streights they were in that so they might speedily send into all the Coasts of Israel for help When the people of Gibeah heard these doleful tidings they lift up their voices and wept Saul though elected King yet being returned to his own house betook himself as it seems to his former private Country-life expecting till God should please to give him an opportunity by some eminent action to shew himself worthy to be their King Coming home therefore out of the fields after his Herd he perceived the people all in an uproar crying out and wringing their hands and tearing their hair and expressing the bitterest lamentation Being extreamly surpriz'd at it he asks what was the matter they tell him the sad tidings that were brought to them concerning Jabesh-Gilead At the hearing of this the Spirit of God came upon him that is the spirit of fortitude and courage and magnanimity and zeal for his Countrys defence and though he was before very patient in his own cause when certain Sons of Belial scorned and despised him and easily passed it over as we have seen Ch. 10.27 yet now his anger was highly kindled and he was impatient of the wrong that was done to the Lord and his people by the Ammonites Taking therefore a yoke of Oxen and hewing them in pieces he sent the pieces to the several Tribes of Israel in imitation of the Levite Judg. 19.29 who did thus cut his Concubine in pieces and sent them to the several Tribes to stir up their indignation And because he was not as yet generally received as King he uses not only his own name but Samuel's also and by his messengers gives the people to understand that whosoever did not come forth and join with them in this expedition against the Ammonites their Oxen should be so served And the fear of the Lord fell upon the people and so moved and inclined their hearts that they readily came forth and joined with Saul and Samuel in this undertaking And when they were come together in the Territories of Bezek Saul numbred them and the Children of Israel were three hundred
particular provocation they gave now unto David to make war upon them is uncertain Some Jewish Writers think that David having left his Father and Mother under the protection of the Moabites they treacherously murdered them after he was departed from them but the Scripture affording us no ground for such a conceit we dare not entertain it However undoubtedly David had just cause now to make war upon them they still continuing in their former enmity against the Israelites though his end was not wholly to dispossess them of their Country but to make them Tributary He therefore absolutely vanquishing them and levelling their Cities to the ground he measured their Country with a (a) Regionem in tres partes mensus est adhibito funiculo ex quibus unam conservavit occisis qui erant in aliis duabus Glass line dividing it into three parts and two thirds of the people he doom'd to destruction and preserved one third part of them alive to inhabit there and till the land and pay him Tribute And so that Prophesie was in part fulfilled Numb 24.17 There shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the corners of Moab c. And so Moab became his Wash-pot as he himself sang Psal 60.8 His third War was with Hadadezer King of Zobah a Country in Syria lying between Damascus and Euphrates Saul it seems had had a war with this King 1 Sam. 14.47 and had prevailed against him but he was now grown very potent and formidable and David knowing how dangerous it was that the Syrians who were professed enemies to the Israelites and dwelt so near them should grow powerful he made war upon them intending to enlarge his bounds * Upon this occasion David composed the 60 Psalm as may appear by the Title and recover the utmost border appointed by God to the Israelites which reached to the river Euphrates Gen. 15.18 And David took from him a thousand Chariots and seven hundred Horsemen that is seven hundred Companies or ranks (b) Thus is this place reconciled with 1 Chron. 18.4 where 't is said that David took from him 7000 Horsemen of Horsemen having ten in each rank And David houghed or ham-string'd all the Chariot-horses excepting only so many as would serve for air hundred Chariots which he reserved for himself having regard therein to what God had commanded the Kings of Israel Deut. 17.16 viz. not to multiply horses to themselves lest putting confidence in their horses of war they should leave off trusting in the Lord. And therefore this houghing was put in execution by Joshua Ch. 11.6 And besides these Chariots and Horses David took also from Hadadezer twenty thousand footmen His fourth war was with the Syrians of Damascus who came to succour Hadadezer of whom he slew two and twenty thousand and he put Garrisons into that part of Syria (c) When Hadadezer King of Zoba was worsted by David Rezon the Son of Eliadah fled from him and gathered together such scattered forces of Hadadezers as were put to flight in the battel and made himself Captain over them and in time got such an army together who maintained themselves as 't is like by plunder and spoil roving up and down that at last in Solomons time either he or his Son seized upon Damascus and was made King there and 't is said of him that he abhorred Israel ond reigned over Syria see 1 King 11. from 23 to 26. the Kings that succeeded him became afterwards bitter enemies to the Kings of Israel and they became Tributary to him Thus the Lord preserved and prospered David in all his enterprizes And David took the shields of gold (d) Hac arma vel tum gestata sunt in armamentario Regio servabantur Sic Alexander Magnus Milites Argyraspidas habuit sic dictos a parmis Argenteis which he found with the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem and there laid them up for the building of the Temple and from Betah (e) These Cities are called Tibhath and Chun 1 Chron. 18.8 possibly their names were afterwards changed when that History was written and Berothai Cities of Hadadezer he took very much Brass wherewith Solomon afterwards made the Brazen Sea and the pillars and vessels of Brass Then Toi (f) Toi is called Tou 1 Chron. 18.9 King of Hamath †Duplex erat Hamath vel major quae est Antiochia vel minor quae Epiphania sent his Son Joram called Adoram 1 Chron. 18.10 to David to congratulate his victory over Hadadezer who was his enemy and with whom he had had wars And Joram brought with him rich presents viz. vessels of silver and vessels of gold and of brass which David consecrated to God for the building of the Temple as he did the other silver and gold which he had taken from other Nations And David by his many victories became renowned for a great Captain and victorious Conquerour having all his enterprizes crowned by God with success His fifth War was against the Edomites When he returned from conquering the Syrians he led the Army which under himself was commanded by Joab and Abishai into the Country of the Edomites with whom many of the Syrians as it seems now joined and in the valley of Salt situate on the East of Mount Seir and on the South of the Dead Sea 2 King 14.7 he engaged with them and slew of them twelve thousand and afterwards in the pursuit by Abishai six thousand more in all eighteen thousand Which victory being obtained by Joab and Abishai as Generals under David it is ascribed to them all three see 2 Sam. 8.13 Psal 60. in the Title and 1 Chron. 18.12 Joab after this victory employed himself first in burying the slain and then staying there six months in that time he made a full conquest of them and slew every male that he could lay his hands on from whom he apprehended any danger In this time Hadad who was of the seed royal of Edom a youth of about twelve years of age with several of his fathers servants fled into Egypt and there was kindly received and entertained by Pharaoh and married the Queens sister and afterwards returning into Edom in Solomon's reign was a bitter enemy to him see 1 King 11. from v. 14 to 22. The Edomites being thus conquered David put Garrisons into all their strong holds and they became Tributary unto him and he placed a Viceroy over them to govern them as his Deputy which continued unto Jehorams time 2 Chron. 21.8 compared with 1 King 22.47 And thus that Prophesie Gen. 25.23 that the elder should serve the younger was fulfilled though that other Prophesie Gen. 47.40 that Esau's posterity should break the yoke from off his neck was also afterwards accomplished in the days of Jehoram David returning from making these Conquests behaved himself as a wise and just King executing judgment and
folly and bringeth upon men those very evils which they so unreasonably feared Hanun like a young foolish King hearkens presently to the rash counsel of these unadvised Courtiers and instead of kindly entertaining David's Ambassadours as he ought to have done he resolves to put all indignities upon them and to expose them to the derision and scorn of every one that should see them and according first causes one half of their beards to be shaved off partly to deform and disgrace them and partly to put a scorn on their Religion the Jews being by the Law forbidden even in their greatest mournings to cut or shave their beards Levit. 19.27 In regard to which Law the Israelites it seems forbare to shave their beards at all 2ly Whereas in those Countries they used to wear long loose garments not only for ornament and comeliness but also to hide their nakedness and keep their uncomely parts from open view Hanun caused their garments to be cut off at the middle even to the buttocks that those parts which nature it self teacheth men to hide might lye open to their shame herein also crossing the Law of God which so carefully provided that such nakedness might not be discovered see Exod. 20.26 Exod. 28.41 42. So that the Ammonites in thus maliciously and despitefully abusing these Ambassadours offended against the Law of God of Nature and of Nations and thereby deserved most severe punishment David being informed of these insufferable injuries done to his Ambassadours he sent some of his servants to meet them and to comfort them and to cloth them anew and appointed them to stay by the way at Jericho (a) That is in some cottage or private house set up in or near the place where Jericho once stood For it was not rebuilt till the days of Ahab 1 King 16.24 and the more obscure the place was the fitter it was for them to stay in till their beards were grown again till their beards were grown and then to return to him The children of Ammon who were descended of Lots Incest with his younger daughter as the Moabites were of his Incest with the Elder began now to be sensible that by this abominable abuse of these Ambassadours they had made themselves so odious to David that he would certainly seek to be revenged on them and therefore they thought it needful to make all possible preparations against him and accordingly they hired with a thousand talents of silver the Syrians of Beth-rehob a City at the foot of Libanus and the Syrians of Zoba a City lying between Damascus and Euphrates and the people of the King of Maacha another part of Syria near Gilead Trachonitis and the people of Ishtob where Jephtah dwelt Judg. 11.3 and some also of the Syrians of Mesopotamia (b) Call'd in the Hebrew Aram Naharaim This was the place from whence Isaac had his wife Gen. 24.10 and the Country out of which God call'd Abraham Act. 7.2 and therefore the Israelites were to acknowledg that a Syrian was their Father Deut. 26. in all thirty three thousand whereof some rode and fought in Chariots and the rest were Footmen who were all ready enough to engage in this war against David that thereby they might deliver themselves from the yoke which he had lately put upon their necks and revenge themselves on him David hearing of these vast preparations against him thought it best policy to be beforehand with them and accordingly sent Joab with a great host to invade them and to make their Country the seat of the war The Israelites drawing nigh unto them the Ammonites put themselves in battel array before their City Medba that if they were beaten they might retreat into it and they caused the Syrians and their Auxiliaries to put themselves in battel array in the fields that so they might hem in the Israelites and engage them both in front and rear Joab seeing this he thought with himself that the Syrians being Mercenaries were not like to stand to it if couragiously assaulted and if they were once beaten the Ammonites would quickly be put to flight wherefore he chose the flower of his Army whom he himself led to set upon the Syrians and the rest he put under the command of his Brother Abishai with them to engage the Ammonites telling his Brother that if the Syrians were too hard for him he should come and help him and if the Ammonites were too hard for him he would accordingly come and help him And then he spake to his Souldiers after this manner Let us be of good courage fellow-souldiers and play the men for our people and for the Cities of our God and then let the Lord do that which seemeth him good Joab accordingly drew up his forces against the Syrians and they soon fled before him which when the children of Ammon saw they fled also before Abishai and retreated into the City Joab having now obtained a great victory yet did not think it fit at present to pursue it any further possibly the season of the year was not then fit for the keeping of the field any longer and so he returned triumphantly to Jerusalem The Syrians being thus shamefully beaten by the Israelites and having no hope that David would ever make peace with them they having rebelled and join'd with the Ammonites against him they gathered themselves together and recruited their Army resolving there was no way for them but to stand it out and to do their utmost to shake off his yoke Hadadezer accordingly sent out his Agents and hired the Syrians that inhabited beyond Euphrates and they marched to Helam (a) A place no where else mentioned in holy Scripture but here a Town as it seems not far from Jordan and Shobach was the General of this Army David hearing of it mustered a great Army out of Israel and passing over Jordan fought them at Helam and totally vanquished them He slew seven thousand (b) Ten men fought in every Chariot which makes up the number of seven thousand mentioned 1 Chron. 19.18 men which fought in Chariots and besides these the greatest part of the Army both Horse and Foot to the number of about forty thousand (c) 2 Sam. 10.18 't is said he slew forty thousand Horsemen and 1 Chron. 19.18 't is said he slew forty thousand Footmen that is so many men horse and foot being mingled together And when all the Kings and Princes that were subject to Hadadezer and which were engaged with him in this war saw how they were beaten by David they sought and made peace with him and came under his protection and paid him tribute and they were afraid to assist the Ammonites any more 2 Sam. Ch. 10. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 19. whole Chapter SECT CXCII THE Winter having hindred David and his Captains from prosecuting their victory in the land of the Ammonites in the Spring of the next year which was the usual time that Kings went
and so would not go home to his own house but lay in the Court among the Kings houshold-servants And thus the Lord counterplotted David and would not suffer him to smother his sin as he earnestly endeavoured to have done David seeing that none of these devices would do resolves now upon a worse project than any of the former he writes a Letter to Joab and sends it by Vriah himself commanding him to set Vriah in the forefront of the hottest battel and to retire from him that he might be smitten and die Behold here the fearful progress of sin from one degree to another David whose conscience was once so tender that it smote him for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment being now left to himself groweth to such an hardness in sin that he scrupleth not to murder a faithful innocent and valiant subject and together with him divers others of his good subjects and draweth Joab also to partake with him in the same wickedness so great cause have we daily and earnestly to pray unto God not to lead us into temptation or not to leave us unto the power of it Joab having received these orders not regarding as it seems whither they were just or unjust right or wrong but resolving to please his Prince upon whose favour he depended whither he pleased God or no he sets himself to put them in execution and perhaps he hoped thereby to recover the Kings favour to the full height which had been much lessened and abated towards him since he had killed Abner and possibly he thought that David would be the more propitious to him when himself was become guilty in the like kind Observing therefore in what part of the City the stoutest Soldiers of the enemy manned the walls he assigned Vriah with a commanded party to that quarter and the City sallying out upon them several of them were slain and Vriah among the rest Then Joab sent a messenger to David to inform him how things went and put words into his mouth and instructed him what he should say if he found the King displeased at the loss of his men he tells him that possibly the King would be angry that they approached so near the walls of the City seeing they could not but think the enemy would shoot upon them from thence and would say what did they not remember how Abimelech the Son of Jerubbesheth (a) Call'd Jerubbaal Judg. 7.1 but here Jerubbesheth because the Hebrews detestation of Idols did expunge the word Baal out of their names and put Bosheth or Besheth in the room of it signifying an infamous thing as the Idol was Hos 9.10 compare 1 Chron. 8.33 with 2 Sam. 2.8 and 1 Chron. 8.34 with 2 Sam. 4.4 where Eshbaal and Meribaal in the one place are called Ishbosheth and Mephibosheth in the other or Gideon was slain Judg. 9.53 by venturing too near to the wall of Thebez He bids him that if the King expressed himself to him after this manner then he should forthwith say thy servant Vriah the Hittite is slain among the rest The messenger coming to David told him it seems only that the men of Rabbah had sallied out upon them and at first prevailed against them but they soon forced them to retreat and pursuing them too hotly even to the Gate of the City and the shooters shooting from the wall upon them they slew some of the Kings servants and among the rest his servant Vriah The King hearing this expressed no such displeasure at the loss of his men as Joab imagined he would do seeing Vriah whose death he mainly designed was taken off but bad the messenger tell Joab that he must not be over much troubled at this loss for the sword devoureth one as well as another therefore he must be content and bear with patience such accidents and take care to strengthen his siege for the future against the City that he might take it The King further bad the Messenger in his name to comfort and encourage Joab that he might go on chearfully with the war When Bathsheba heard that her husband Vriah was dead she put her self into mourning * The time of ordinary as Josephus writes lasted but seven days see Gen. 50.10 but their more solemn mournings lasted thirty days Deut. 34.8 for him the better to conceal her sin but whether she were inwardly grieved or no (a) Lacrymas non sponte cadentes effudit gemitusque expressit pectore laeto Lucan be sure she had cause enough of heart-bleeding and heart-breaking mourning if she considered that by her sin she had occasioned her husbands untimely death But when the time of her mourning (b) Tempus luctus quod Romanis mulieribus erat annus vel decem menses intra quod tempus nubere eis non licebat Haebreis in lege non erat constitutum was over which undoubtedly was as short as conveniently might be David sent for her and made her his wife that she might be thought to be with child by him after they were married but their adultery could not be so concealed for she soon was brought to bed of a Son and the thing that David had done highly displeased the Lord and he soon found the bitter effects of it 2 Sam. Ch. 11. whole Chapter SECT CXCIII IOab resolutely pursuing the siege of Rabbah at last he took that part of the City which was called the Royal City wherein the Kings Palace stood and the City of waters because it was invironed with waters both for safety and delight and knowing that the other part could not long stand out he sent to David to intreat him to come thither with some new forces that so he might have the honour of taking it and the glory and renown of this great enterprize For he knew that Kings were apt to be jealous and did not love that their subjects should eclipse their glory David accordingly went thither and took the City and with it their King Hanun and putting his Crown of State the weight whereof was a talent of Gold (c) A Crown of State and too weighty to be worn adorned with precious jewels upon his head and then taking it off they set it upon Davids to shew that the Royal dignity of that Nation was removed from him and conferred on David and then Hanun as 't is probable was either instantly deposed or put to death and his Brother made Governour of Rabbah under David whence it was that he shewed such respect to David when he fled from Absalom David was never so severe and cruel as at this time when he lay under the guilt of Adultery and murder Ch. 17.27 28. David having thus taken the City he brought forth the spoil of it in great abundance and took so many of the people as he thought fit to make exemplary and such of their Elders and Rulers as had been the chief ringleaders in all their vile and wicked actings and inflicted most severe
Joab himself of his own accord would needs accompany his brother Abishai in this Expedition intending when he met with an opportunity to kill Amasa Abishai and Joab being come to the great stone which was near Gibeon they discovered Amasa with the forces he had raised not far before them Joab now resolving to kill him he girt his garment close about him that it might not encumber him and on it girded his sword and put it into a wide scabbard that it might upon the bending of his body fall out Joab now coming up to Amasa bowed his body to salute him and said to him Art thou in health my brother upon his bowing his sword fell out of the scabbard as if it had been by accident and he stoop'd to take it up Amasa not suspecting any thing and then having his sword in his left hand he took Amasa with his right by the beard as if he would have kissed him and then with his sword gave him such a deadly stab under the fifth rib that he immediately fell down and his bowels gushed out This was a vile and treacherous act in Joab and not to be mentioned without detestation yet there was a just hand of God in it in punishing Amasa for joining with Absalom against his Vncle David who was his Lord and Sovereign and though David had pardoned him for it yet God it seems would not let him go unpunished Joab having thus taken Amasa out of the way he now resumed his office of General over the Army without any commission from David and so with his brother Abishai went to pursue after Sheba but before he went it seems he appointed one to stand by the body of Amasa and to make this Proclamation to the Souldiers as they passed by He that favoureth Joab and desires to have him restored to his place of General Amasa being dead and he that is for David and desires he should have good success in this expedition against the common enemy let him follow after Joab and let not this accident hinder him But notwithstanding this Proclamation many of the Souldiers when they came where Amasa lay and saw him wallowing in his own blood they stood still as astonished at the dreadfulness of the sight and possibly murmured that Amasa should be so basely murdered whereupon the man removed the body out of the way and cast a cloth over it to hide it from the sight of the Souldiers and then they followed after Joab without staying So that we see in what high favour Joab was with the Army and the Military men notwithstanding Davids great displeasure against him Joab and Abishai pursued Sheba through all the Tribes where he had been gathering people to follow him even unto Abel and Beth-maacha in the North of Canaan in the Tribe of Naphtali where was the Country of the Berites (a) Aliqui per Berim Provinciam intelligunt in qua erat Abela Bethmaaca Menoch many of whom joined with Sheba who betaking himself with his followers to the strong City of Abel there Joab besieged him and casting up a great Bulwark or bank against the outmost wall he from thence with his Engines battered the wall to beat it down A wise woman that was in the City came upon the wall and desired to speak with Joab who coming within hearing of her she tells him that their City formerly had been had in high esteem for wisdom and ability to give counsel insomuch that it went for a Proverb They shall ask counsel at Abel so that they used to come from all the neighbouring parts when any controversie arose among them to take advice here and so they ended the matter or difference between them as the men of this City advised and directed This being so give me leave though a woman yet one that is of a peaceable spirit and faithful to the King to speak a few words unto thee Why goest thou about to destroy such an ancient and eminent City as this is that is a mother-Mother-city and chief of the Province having many other Towns and Villages under it Why wilt thou destroy a City that is part of the inheritance in which God hath placed his people Joab answer'd that he had no design to destroy their City or to do any damage to the Commonwealth but his aim was to preserve both by cutting off a pestilent enemy to both namely Sheba who had lifted up his hand against the King if they would but deliver him up to him he would presently depart from their City She tells him Sheba's head should be thrown over the wall to him very speedily It seems she was assured that the men of her City being wise men would do it And though they could not hinder Sheba's sudden getting into their City with his forces yet they would never hazard their City by sheltring such a Traytor Accordingly by her wisdom and the reasons she gave them the men of the City were perswaded and seized upon Sheba and cut off his head and threw it over the wall to Joab who thereupon drew off his forces from the City Joab having thus quell'd this rebellion went to Jerusalem to the King who though he could not chuse but be highly offended with him for killing Amasa in such a base and treacherous manner yet he having done him so great a service in subduing Sheba and his accomplices and being in so great esteem with the Souldiers and the people the King thought it best to let him alone and continue him in his place of General David being now reestablished in his Kingdom all things were setled in their former order Joab was General Benaiah Captain of the Kings Guard Adoram over the Tribute This Office was not mentioned Ch. 8. but David having now enlarged his Dominions and made many Nations Tributary to him he erected this office Jehoshaphat Recorder and Shevah called Seraiah * 'T was usual among the Hebrews for the same man to have two names Ch. 8.17 Scribe Abiathar the High-Priest and Zadock next to him and Ira of the Country of Jair in Gilead a chief ruler about the King David's Sons mentioned Ch. 8. are not here spoken of because divers of them were dead viz. Amnon Absalom and as 't is like Chileab also 2 Sam. Ch. 20. from v. 1 to the end SECT CXCVIII. AFter these things God punished the land of Israel with famine for three years together occasioned by drought and want of rain David at first lookt upon it as a punishment laid upon them for the common sins of the land but when he saw it continued three years together he thought there was some more special thing for which God was so highly offended (a) Populus punitur quia de eo facto gaudebant sperabant se frui posse bonis illorum Videbatur etiam David rem negligere potitus regno non succurrebat oppressis therefore he enquired of the Lord concerning it by the High-Priest
manner and in the sight only of a few who did it hastily to prevent Adonijah from making himself King and therefore this second anointing was done more publickly and more solemnly in the sight of the Princes and Rulers and in a great Assembly of the people And they anointed him unto the Lord that is devoted him solemnly unto the Lord and to be the Ruler of his people under him Then they anointed Zadok to be High-Priest instead of Abiathar who had joined with Adonijah and this was the rather done as we may suppose because the High-Priesthood was now translated into another Family For Abiathar was of the race of Eli and descended from Ithamar second Son of Aaron and Zadok was descended from Phineas who was descended from Eleazar his eldest Son and so the High-Priesthood reverted from the family of Ithamar to that of Eleazar as was foretold by God it should come to pass 1 Sam. 2.33 35. After this Solomon sat on the Throne of the Lord viz. on that Throne to which God had by his especial Providence advanced him and the disposal of which the Lord in a more peculiar manner challenged to himself See Deut. 17.15 And Solomon after this was very prosperous and all Israel obeyed him and all the Princes and mighty men and all the rest of David's Sons submitted themselves unto him And the Lord magnified him exceedingly in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him such royal majesty and greatness as no King of Israel either before him or after him ever had 1 Chron. Ch. 28. whole Chapter 1 Chron. Ch. 29. from v. 1 to 26. SECT CCXII. NOW the days of David's departure out of this life drew nigh therefore calling for his Son Solomon he said to him I am going the way that all men living upon the earth must go Be thou therefore couragious and though thou be young in years yet shew thy self a man in understanding and keep the charge of the Lord thy God to wit the commandments which he hath given in charge to be kept and walk in his ways and keep his statutes his judgments and testimonies whereby he testifies what he would have done and observed according as they are written and prescribed in the Laws given by Moses that so thou maist prosper in all that thou dost and in all businesses thou settest thy self unto And so the Lord may be pleased to confirm his word which he spake unto me saying If thy children take heed to their way to walk before me in truth and sincerity with all their heart and all their soul there shall not fail thee a man on the Throne of Israel that is there shall not fail a man of thy posterity to sit upon thy Throne (a) Notandum duo fuisse Davidi promissa Primum absolutè nempe Messiam ex ipso oriturum licet filii ejus mali fuerint Secundum conditionale scil regnum in ejus familia conservandum si posteri se sancte gerant P. Martyr I have now only three things more to give thee in charge before I die The first is concerning Joab thou knowest how insolently he carried himself towards me and how treacherously he slew those two great Capteins Abner and Amasa after I had engaged my faith to them both that they should be safe which wicked practice of his was enough to make the people think that I had secretly an hand in it though I can truly say my soul abhorred it Nay he shed the blood of war in peace that is when there was peace made with these two great men he slew them as if they had been in open hostility against me And he put the blood of war upon his girdle that is He put up his sword all bloody into its scabbard that hung at his girdle and the very shoos on his feet were stained with their blood so impudently he carried out those base murders therefore I charge thee wisely to observe him He is of a turbulent spirit and in all likelihood thou wilt have at one time or other just occasion against him And though he hath been General of my Army almost all my reign yet let not his hoary head go down to the grave in peace but when thou findest just occasion against him cut him off by the sword of justice and so let the blood of Abner and Amasa be revenged upon him 2ly I would have thee to shew kindness to the Sons of Barzillai the Gileadite for they came and brought provisions for me and my followers when I was forced to fly from thy brother Absalom and therefore let them be of the number of those that eat at thy Table 2 Sam. 17.28 29. 3ly Thou hast with thee Shimei the Benjamite who reviled me and cursed me with a bitter curse when I was in great distress flying towards Mahanaim and called me a bloody man and did in effect say I had been the cause of the death of Saul and all his Sons and charged me with crimes I never was guilty of yet afterwards he met me at Jordan and humbled himself and acknowledged his fault and I sware to him by the Lord that I would not put him to death But though I for my time pardoned him yet if he shall attempt any thing against thee after my decease hold him not guiltless Thou art a wise man and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him and if he trespass again and thou findest any other just occasion against him bring down his hoary head to the grave with blood and cut him off by the sword of justice * See 2 Sam. 19.23 David having thus instructed his Son in a short time after departed this life and slept with his fathers that is died as his fathers and predecessors had done before him having reigned in Hebron seven years and six months and thirty three years in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years in all and having made his Son Solomon King in his stead about half a year before his death He died in a good old age full of days riches and honour he died in the seventieth year of his age no King in Israel or Judah after him attaining to his age †Only Uzziah and Manasseh came very nigh it He was buried in his own City of Zion viz. in that part of Jerusalem where he had built a Palace for himself 2 Sam. 1.2 and kept his Court and which he had taken out of the hands of the Jebusites and had built and enlarged and from thence was called after his name the city of David His Sepulcher it seems was made of such durable materials and so well kept and repair'd time after time by his posterity that it was strangely preserved notwithstanding Jerusalem was so often sackt and burnt for it continued unto the Apostles times as the Apostle Peter tells us Act. 2.24 Men and Brethren let me freely speak to you of the Patriarch David that he is both dead and buried and his
is like they had brought the Tabernacle with all the things appertaining to it from Gibeon The Priests * 2 Chron. 5.4 'T is said the Levites took up the Ark because the Priests were also Levites that is of the Tribe of Levi. took up the Ark on their shoulders the Levites according to their several appointed ranks carried the Tabernacle with the boards and curtains and the holy vessels belonging thereunto The King and the Elders walked after in a solemn procession to Mount Moriah (a) The Temple to speak properly was not built on Mount Sion but on Mount Moriah but because the whole City of Jerusalem is usually called Sion and Mount Sion from that Mount that was a chief part of it thence it is that the Temple Gods dwelling place is usually said to have been in Sion where the Temple was built whither being come the Priests carried the Ark into the Oracle or most holy place and set it under the wings of the Golden Cherubims But they drew out the staves of the Ark something from under the wings of the Cherubims that they might be seen in the holy place which was before the Oracle but they were not seen as taken out of the Ark 2 Chron. 5.9 And possibly these staves were the rather thus disposed to remember the people that if they brake Gods Covenant the staves yet remained within the rings of the Ark ready to bear away the Symbol of Gods gracious presence from them The Levites also disposed those things which they carried belonging to the (b) The Tabernacle was carried about in the Wilderness forty years it remained in Gilgal about fourteen years it remain'd in Shiloh till Samuels time 1 Sam. 4.4 it then remain'd in Nob till Saul destroyed that place 1 Sam. 22.19 it was in Gibeon all Davids time from thence it was brought into Zion and from thence into the Treasuries of the Temple Tabernacle into the Treasuries of the Temple there to remain as Sacred things not again to be removed When the Priests had set the Ark in its place and were come out immediately an hundred and twenty of them with silver Trumpers and the Levite-singers viz. Asaph Heman and Jeduthun with their Sons and Brethren being arrayed in white linnen and having Cymbals Psalteries and Harps in their hands stood at the East-end of the Altar and the Trumpets sounding and they playing on their Instruments and lifting up their voices with one consent and making one melodious harmony sang as it seems the 136 Psalm the burden of which is For he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Whilst they were thus employed suddenly the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud which was an extraordinary manifestation of the presence of God 2 Chron. 5.14 't is said the glory of God filled the house which intimated that the brightness of his glory was such that if it were not clouded over no mortal eyes could behold it It seems the cloud was such and so amazing that the Priests could not continue to minister in the Sanctuary where the cloud was and by this visible sign of his presence the Lord did sanctifie to himself this place see Exod. 40.34 and shewed his approbation of all that was done Solomon standing upon a Brazen Scaffold made for him in the outward Court right before the door of the Priests Court through which he might look and apprehending this cloud to be a manifestation of Gods gracious presence and acceptance of the house he had built for his service in a rapture of joy he brake out into these words The Lord said he is pleased to dwell in thick darkness Levit. 16.2 and by a cloud he hath usually testified his presence among his people as when he led the Israelites by a cloud Exod. 13.21 In a cloud he appeared at the giving of the Law Exod. 19.16 In a cloud he appeared that covered and filled the Tabernacle as soon as it was reared up by Moses Exod. 40.34 and therefore doubtless in this cloud the Lord doth now appear unto us and testifies his favourable acceptance of our service in building this house for his name Then directing his speech to God he said O Lord I have built a Temple for thee to manifest thy gracious presence in an house not to be removed as the Tabernacle was but a setled place for thee to abide in (c) Officium Templi non est prastare Deo habitationem sed hominibus directionem ad soliâ—m divinum sempiteruâ—â— quod in câ—lo est Cajet to be there ready on all occasions to resolve us in such cases as we shall humbly propound unto thee and to hear such prayers as we shall make unto thee and to grant such blessings as we shall humbly crave of thee and to accept such sacrifices and services as we shall there offer up and present unto thee And O Lord I pray thee accept this house for thine and ever manifest thy gracious presence therein as long as this dispensation we are now under shall last and till the truth of this type shall be exhibited Then the King turned his face to the people standing about him and blessed them and said Blessed and praised be the Lord God of Israel who spake to David my Father that I should build a Temple for his great name and hath by his good hand upon me enabled me to do it The Lord also said since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt I chose no City out of all their Tribes in which I appointed an house to be built that my name might be there in a peculiar manner worshipped But having chosen David to be King over my people it was in his heart to build an house for my name And thereupon I said to him whereas it was in thine heart to build an house to my name I like it well that it was in thine heart to do it Nevertheless thou shalt not build this house for me but thy Son that shall come out of thy loins he shall build it And the Lord hath now graciously performed the word that he spake and I am risen up in my fathers room to sit on the Throne of Israel and have built an house for the Lord as he promised I should do and an abiding place for the Ark wherein are the two Tables of the Law which the Lord gave as a Covenant to his people requiring obedience on their part and promising many blessings on his part to the obedient Then Solomon turned his face towards the Altar of Burnt-offering and towards the most holy place and having stood a while he then kneeled down and spreading forth his hands towards heaven poured forth this Divine Prayer saying O Lord God of Israel there is no God like thee in heaven above or in earth beneath who keepest Covenant and shewest mercy to thy servants that walk before thee in the integrity of their hearts Thou hast kept thy
word and performed thy promise to thy servant David in raising me his Son up to build a Temple for thee perform also I pray thee unto my father what thou didst further promise him * 2 Sam. 7.13 to wit that there shall not fail a man lineally descended from him to sit upon the Throne of Israel and to reign in thy sight provided his children take heed to their way to walk before thee with that integrity that he did Now let thy word I pray thee be verified and fulfilled which thou spakest to my father concerning this matter But why do I speak of my building an house for thee Will God indeed dwell on earth Behold thou art an infinite and immense being Thou canst not be contained within any compass or space The Heaven and Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee much less this house that I have builded But though thou canst not be contained within this house yet I pray thee have regard to the prayer and humble supplication of me thy poor servant which I make to thee in behalf of this house namely that the eyes of thy favour and providence may be open towards it day and night seeing thou hast said of it that thy name †Deut. 12.11 shall be there call'd upon and worshipped I humbly beseech thee therefore when ever either my self or any of thy people shall pray unto thee in this place or towards it (a) V. 30. Versus hunc locum quasi respiciens ad promissionem praesentiae tuae in hoc loco exemplum in Daniele cap. 6. v. 10. that then thou wouldst please to hear in Heaven thy dwelling place where thy glory is most eminently manifested and when thou hearest be pleased to forgive and pardon our transgressions against thee For there is no comfort in obtaining any other mercy if our sins be not forgiven Particularly I humbly request of thee that if any man be charged that he hath trespassed against his neighbour and he be brought before thine Altar (b) Tacto Altare jurare mos omnium prope Gentium Intrepidi quicunque altaria tangunt Juv. in the Court of this house to clear himself by Oath sufficient proof by witnesses being wanting that thou wouldst please to deal with him according to innocence or guiltiness punishing him if he be faulty and bringing his wicked way upon his own head but justifying and acquitting him if he be innocent Or if thy people be smitten before their enemies in the field because they have sinned against thee and shall turn again to thee and confess thy name to wit thy justice in suffering their enemies to prevail against them and shall acknowledg thy mercy and power and so seek to thee for pardon and help and shall make supplication to thee turning their faces towards this house then hear thou in heaven and forgive their sin and bring them again into the land which thou gavest to their fathers Or when the heaven is shut up and there is no rain because thy people have sinned against thee if they shall pray towards this place and confess thy justice in punishing of them and turn from their sin then hear thou in heaven and forgive their sin and teach them the good way (c) V. 36. Et ostende eis viam bonam wherein they should walk and then give rain upon the land which thou hast given thy people for an inheritance Or if any of these great judgments fall upon the land to wit famine pestilence and blasting or if there be any plague or sickness upon thy people what prayer and supplication shall be made by any man singly or by all thy people jointly who shall know every man the plague (d) 2 Chron. 6.29 When every one shall know his own sore and his own grief Grief is put for that which should cause grief viz. Sin of his own heart to wit the sins for which he is punished and shall spread forth his hands towards this house then hear thou in heaven and forgive and do what in thy infinite wisdom seemeth good and give to every man according to his ways not his former sins but his present repentance whose heart thou seest to be sincere and upright For thou and thou only O Lord knowest the hearts of all the children of men And I humbly beseech thee to deal thus mercifully with thy people that they may fear thee and walk in thy ways all the days of their lives Moreover if a stranger that is not of thy people Israel who hears of thy wondrous works and righteous Laws and this holy house shall come from his own Countrey to testifie his high esteem of thy great name and to worship and praise thee and shall pray towards this house (a) Or in this house viz. in the Court of the Gentiles then hear thou in heaven and grant all that he shall pray unto thee for which is agreeable to thy holy will that all the people of the earth may know thy name and learn to fear thee as do thy people Israel and that they may know that thy name is called upon in this house that I have built to wit that it is call'd the Temple of the Lord and the house of God and is so in reality by thy hearing the prayers that are here made unto thee Furthermore if thy people shall go out to battel against their enemies and shall pray unto thee and seek thy favour and help in that enterprize looking towards this City and this house which I have built for thy great name then hear thou in heaven their prayer and supplication and maintain their just and righteous cause by giving them good success But if they by their sins provoke thee for there is no man that sinneth not so that thou givest them up into the hands of their enemies and they carry them away captive either further off or nearer hand however if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive and shall repent and make supplication to thee saying we have sinned and done perversly we have committed wickedness and so shall return unto thee with all their heart and all their soul and shall pray unto thee looking towards this land this City and this house then hear thou in heaven their prayer and supplication and maintain their cause taking part with thy people that repent and pray unto thee against the unjust oppression of their enemies and then turn thou O Lord the hearts of their enemies towards them that they may have pity and compassion on them For remember O Lord they are thy people and thine inheritance (b) This people were to God as a mans inheritance is to him which he hath bought and made his own for ever See Dâ—ut 32.9 which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt even out of an iron furnace (c) Deut. 4.20 And furthermore let the eyes (d) 2 Chron. 6.40 of thy favour be upon me thy poor servant
Thus Solomon finished the Lords house and his own house and all that came into his heart to do he prosperously effected 2 Chron. 7.11 having spent full twenty years in this kind of work 1 King 9.10 whereof seven and an half upon the Temple and about twelve and an half upon his own houses and buildings 1 King Ch. 7. from v. 1 to 13. 1 King Ch. 10. from v. 16 22. 1 Chron. Ch. 9. from v. 15 to 21. SECT V. WHilst Solomon was busied about his Magnificent buildings it seems Gezer a City allotted to the Levites in the Tribe of Ephraim Josh 21.20 21. but never recovered out of the possession of the Canaanites gave to the King some great distaste so that not being at leisure himself he intreated Pharaoh his Father-in-law to take it in for him by his Armes and to rid him of those troublesome neighbours Pharaoh accordingly did it and burnt the City or some part of it with fire and put the inhabitants thereof to the sword and so gave it for a present to his daughter Solomon's wife 1 King 9.16 SECT VI. HIram King of Tyre having furnished Solomon towards these magnificent buildings with Cedar-trees and Firr-trees and sixscore Talents of Gold Solomon in a grateful retribution and to make him amends gave him twenty Cities or Towns in the land of Galilee which were not as it seems a part of the land which God had given for an inheritance to his people but lay in a tract of ground on the outside of the borders of Asher Josh 19.24 betwixt them and mount Libanus and being now reduced under Solomon's Dominion he presented them to Hiram that he might by them receive satisfaction for what he had had of him But it seems Hiram when he saw them liked them not possibly because they stood in a moorish ground or because he thought it would be long e're he should from them receive that satisfaction which he expected Therefore he return'd them to Solomon again and chose rather to expect satisfaction from him some other way and thereupon Solomon repair'd and enlarged them and planted certain colonies of the Israelites in them See 2 Chron. 8.1 2. whereas before they were inhabited only by the Heathen and now that tract of ground was counted a part of Galilee which 't is thought was the reason why Galilee was called Galilee of the Gentiles 1 King Ch. 9. from v. 10 to 15. SECT VII SOlomon having now finished his own houses and built an house for his Queen Pharaohs daughter he remov'd her and brought her up thither out of the City of David for he said My wife shall not dwell in the house of David King of Israel because the places whereunto the Ark of the Lord hath come are more holy than other places 'T is true Davids house ceased to be holy in that respect after the Ark was removed thence yet Solomon out of his superabundant respect to that sign of Gods presence thought it not fit to make that a dwelling place for his Queen and her followers who were aliens and strangers to the house of Israel and possibly retain'd some of their Egyptian profaneness which had been the holy dwelling place of the most High 2 Chron. 8.11 Solomon as it seems reflecting on his Marriage with Pharaohs daughter and his bringing her up to the stately house he had built and prepared for her took occasion from thence to pen that excellent Song called the Song of Songs or the Canticles being the chiefest of those one thousand * See 1 King 4.32 and five Songs composed by him and the most excellent of them all And this Song he composed after he had built his Summer-house in Lebanon as may be gathered by some passages in it see Ch. 4.8 Come with me from Lebanon my Spouse with me from Lebanon And Ch. 7. 4. Thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon This Song is clearly a Marriage-song and much of the same nature with the 45 Psalm which is called a Song of Loves And it is a kind of Pastoral composed in the way of Dialogue where the speakers are the Bridegroom and the Bride represented sometimes under the quality of a Shepherd and Shepherdess or Country-damsel and the Bride-men and Bride-maids the friends of the Bridegroom and companions of the Bride And though the most proper aim of it seemeth to be at higher and diviner matters than an earthly marriage and a greater than Solomon is here yet Solomon thought fit to make his marriage with Pharaohs daughter a type of that sublime and spiritual marriage between Christ and his Church The Song is a continued Allegory and full of obscurities yea here we have all the Rhetorick of love and such affectionate compellations and Elogies as are not elsewhere to be found The flowers and ornaments of language used in the praises both of Bridegroom and Bride are not appliable to natural beauties but are mystical representations and emblems of higher things Indeed this Book is all mystical and therefore the Jews forbad the reading of it by any under thirty years of age Here between Christ and his Church are interchangings of mutual praises gloriations and congratulations His divine and glorious excellencies in himself and rich bounties and blessings to her and her precious graces and endowments are in an high character in lofty and stately sayings and similitudes set forth both by him and her And yet withal her failings and his withdrawings from her thereupon and returnings to her again upon her repentance are not omitted In all the interlocutions betwixt them she speaks nine times and he seven In the first Chap. from v. 1 to the 8. the Spouse speaks expressing her ardent desires after Christ and vindicates her own deformities and defects against the uncharitable censures of others and petitions him for further counsel and direction From the v. 8 to the 12. the Bridegroom speaks granting her request and giving her great commendations and making rich promises to her From v. 12 to the 15. the Spouse speaks again then the Bridegroom at v. 15. In the two first verses of Ch. 2. Christ speaks characterizing himself and his Church and then the Church speaks from the v. 3. to the end and throughout all the third Chapter speaking sometimes of Christ and sometimes unto him At Ch. 4. Christ speaks from v. 1 to 15. and at v. 15 16. the Church At Ch. 5. v. 1. Christ granteth the request of the Church and cometh into his Garden and accepteth her entertainment and bringeth his friends with him and feasteth them but this kindness it seems was not so well improved by her as it deserved for she is surprized with a fit of drowsie negligence and so is brought into danger of losing him who after much patient waiting knocking and calling upon her and her unkind answer becomes angry and being not received when he tendred himself departs displeased and is hardly reconciled though she afterwards expresses much care and
diligence in seeking him and in so doing suffereth injuries and losses for his sake Notwithstanding she chargeth the daughters of Jerusalem to tell him that she is sick of love From v. 2 to the 9. They ask her What was her beloved more than another beloved And 't is like they askt this question not as being totally ignorant of him and his excellencies but to give her occasion to set him forth the more unto them which she does very emphatically from v. the 10 to the end Ch. 6. The Spouse's speech so full of affection and admiration of the Bridegroom wrought so much on the daughters of Jerusalem that they ask solicitously whither he was gone that they may join with her in seeking him She tells them where he is and declares her peculiar interest in him v. 2 3. The Church having confessed her fault and sought to make up the breach between Christ and her he thereupon readily receives her and again highly praises and commends her Ch. 7. Christ here continues his praising of her running over every grace and ornament in her under new similitudes and exemplifications from 1 to 10. The Spouse thereupon renews the profession of her love to him and rejoices in his love to her inviting him to her Assemblies to see how they prospered and she promiseth to devote her best fruits wholly to him by whom alone she had brought them forth and by whose blessing she flourished with all sorts of them both new and old From v. 10 to the end Ch. 8. The Church expresseth her ardent desires after Christ v. 1 2 3. and charges others they should not disturb nor displease him v. 4. At v. 5. the Bridegroom seems to admire at the rising of a new Church in a place where there had been no Assembly or Congregation of believers before and coming up from the wilderness and leaning on her beloved that is depending on him by faith whereupon he said I raised thee up under the apple-tree that is when thou wast fallen under the tree of forbidden fruit I by my free grace and the operation of my Spirit rais'd thee up and brought thee to a glorious condition though thy mother had brought thee forth in a sinful state The 6th 7th vers seem to be the words of the Spouse In the 8th 9th verses she expresses her care and solicitude for the uncalled Gentiles At the 10th vers the Gentiles are brought in speaking for themselves Ver. 11 12 13. seem to be the last speech of Christ to and of his Spouse in this Song wherein he magnifies the price the precious fruitfulness and worth of his Church by comparing her to a Vineyard the best of Vineyards even Solomon's in Baalhamon a very fruitful place and he shews that that Vineyard is far short of his Ver. 14. is the Churches last speech and prayer wherein she expresses her longing and earnest expectation of Christ's second coming And so much of the Song of Solomon SECT VIII SOlomon now built a Navy of Ships in Ezion-Geber which is beside Eloth which were havens on that part of the Red-Sea which coasteth on the land of Edom. And because the Tyrians that were Hiram's subjects were always held the most expert Sea-men Hiram * 2 Chro. 8.15 Hiram sent him by the hands of his servants ships read guided for him i. e. by the hands of his servants ships to Ophir sent Solomon many of them to man his new built Ships and go along with and assist his servants in their intended voyage And it seems he built some Ships there himself that joined with the Navy of Solomon and thence they sailed to Ophir which is thought to be in the East-Indies for thither they might most easily sail from Ezion-Geber and fetched from thence four hundred and Twenty Talents of Gold In 2 Chron. 8.18 't is said that 450 Talents of Gold were brought from thence It seems the overplus viz. thirty Talents were expended for the charges of the Fleet and wages of the men or else it was the Adventure of Private persons and only 400 and 20 Talents came clear to the King So that Solomon had at Sea a Navy that went to Tarshish which possibly was then taken in as large an extent an India is now to which the Navy of Hiram joined and once in three years they came home bringing Gold and Silver Ivory or Elephants-tooth and Apes and Peacocks or Monkies and Parrats which they brought 't is like for rarities sake And this Navy also brought from Ophir a great quantity of precious stones and Almug-trees which it seems were better than those Solomon had from Lebanon And the King made of the Almug-trees pillars for the house of the Lord viz. pillars in the rails on each side of the stairs whereby they ascended up to the house of the Lord and 2 Chron. 9.10 't is said He made Terrasses to the house of the Lord and to the Kings house of the Algum-trees †Some think that the Almug-trees here mentioned much differed from the Algum-trees mentioned 2 Chron. 9.10 for these grew in Lebanon the Almug in India that is supporters on each side of the Gallery that led from the Kings Palace to the Temple He made also of this wood Harps and Psalteries for the Singers of the Temple 1 King 9. from 26 to the end 1 King 10. v. 11 12. 2 Chron. 9.10 11 21. SECT IX SOlomon now repaired * 2 Chron. 32.5 In a time of danger Hezekiah repair'd it see Judg. 9.6 Millo †Aedificium hoc erat civitatis Sion quod David quidem incepit sed Solomon absolvit Munster which seems to be the Town-house in the City of David wherein the people had their solemn Assemblies or else some tower or fortress belonging to the City He built also Hazor in the Tribe of Naphtali which was the chief City in former times of the Canaanites Josh 11.1 10. and Megiddo a City belonging to Manasseh Josh 17.11 and Gezer which Pharaoh had taken and given to his daughter See Sect. 5. And Beth-horn the upper and nether that were fenced with walls gates and bars 2 Chron. 8.5 And Baalath in Dan Josh 19.44 And Tadmor in a dry and sandy place in the Coast of Syria though belonging to the land of Israel And he built Cities of store for Ammunition and provisions of all sorts and Cities for his Chariots and Horsemen and whatsoever he design'd to build in Jerusalem or in the Forrest of Lebanon and in any part of his Dominions he prosperously finished 1 King from v. 15 to 20. SECT X. SOlomon understanding that Hamath a City in the Dominions of the King of Zobah Syria which his Father David had formerly taken had now revolted from him he sent his forces against it and took it 2 Chron. 8.3 SECT XI SOlomon still continues constant in his Religion offering the daily sacrifice and sacrificing on the Sabbaths and New Moons and constantly observing
who will seek thee out to slay thee as a false Prophet and a deceiver of thy King and to revenge the blood of the King and the overthrow of the Army upon thee Ahab hearing these things look'd upon them as meer dreams and enthusiastical fancies and so regarded them not Thus God judicially blinds those whom he intends to destroy And being in a rage he orders them to carry back Michaiah to Amon the Governour and to Joash the Son of Omri who it seems had some place of authority in the City and to command them in his name to put him again into prison and to feed him with the bread of affliction and the water of affliction see Deut. 16.3 until he came again in peace Micaiah replys If thou return at all in peace the Lord hath not spoken by me and all you that are here present take notice and observe what I say and whither I am a true Prophet or no. 'T is strange that Jehoshaphat should see this holy Prophet Micaiah thus injuriously used by a proud Priest of Baal and afterwards sent away to prison and yet speak never a word in his behalf we may see from hence how dangerous a snare even to good men ill company is But 't is much more strange that after the Prophet had told them so plainly what would be the event of this expedition that he should yet join with Ahab therein It seems having joined himself lately in affinity with him and engaged his word to him he was loth to shrink from it notwithstanding the threatnings of the Prophet and so he and Ahab went up to fight against Ramoth-Gilead Ahab being as 't is like something inwardly troubled at the threatnings of Micaiah though he seemed outwardly to slight them and having heard of the King of Syria's charge to his Captains concerning himself v. 31. viz. That they should fight neither with small nor great save only with the King of Israel that is that they should observe especially where he was and to bend their main force against him as the chief cause of the war he told Jehoshaphat that he himself would go into the battel disguised as an ordinary Commander but advis'd him to put on his Royal Robes or such kind of Armour as was fit for the General of the field that he might appear like himself This being accordingly done when the battel was joined the Syrians seeing Jehoshaphat they thought he had been the King of Israel and accordingly leaving all others assaulted the party where he was and compassed them about Hereupon Jehoshaphat cried unto the Lord for succour who helped him in that great strait and moved the Syrians to depart from him for it seems they gathered from some circumstance or other that he was not the King of Israel and so not the man they aimed at Thus the Lord was pleased by bringing Jehoshaphat into so great danger to let him see his folly in joining with Ahab notwithstanding the Prophets fair warning to the contrary But the battel going on against that party in which Ahab was a Syrian drew a bow at a venture and the arrow being directed by God hit Ahab and entred between the joints of his harness and wounded him sorely He being thus wounded spake to the driver of his chariot to carry him out of the host The battel growing fiercer and fiercer it seems they had not time to dress his wound but only stayed him up in his chariot in which he went out to fight against the Syrians and towards the evening he died and his blood ran out of his wound into the midst of the chariot And thus at last the vengeance of God fell upon him for his Idolatry and persecuting the Prophets of the Lord and for the murder of Naboth When the Commanders of the Army had notice of the Kings death they had no heart to continue the fight any longer and so made Proclamation about Sun-setting that every man should depart to his own Country and to his own City And so the word of the Prophet was fulfilled which he spake v. 17. I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills as sheep that have not a shepherd and the Lord said These have no master let them return every man to his house in peace Thus died Ahab and was brought to Samaria and was there buried And they washed his Chariot in the Pool of Samaria and possibly his bloody Armour might be washed in Jezreel where his chief Armory was and where Naboth was killed and the dogs licked up his blood according to the word of the Lord which he spake by Elijah Ch. 21.19 And the rest of the Acts of Ahab and the Ivory house which he made * See Amos 3.15 and the Cities of defence which he built are written in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel that is in those large records and Chronicles which were written for the use of those times but were no part of Canonical Scripture and differed from the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah and Israel which we now have So Ahab slept with his fathers having reigned 22 years in Israel and Ahaziah his Son reigned in his stead 1 King 22. from 1 to 41. As soon as Ahab was dead all the land of Moab fell away from the Israelites David had subdued them and made them tributary to him see 2 Sam. 8.2 but when the Ten Tribes revolted from the house of David the Moabites as it seems revolted also from the Kingdom of Judah and rather chose to be vassals to the Kings of Israel upon part of whose Kingdom their land bordered and so they continued to the days of Ahab But now taking advantage from the late discomfiture of the Israelites by the Syrians at Ramoth-Gilead and the death of Ahab Mesha the present King of Moab refused any longer to pay the tribute of an hundred thousand lambs and an hundred thousand rams with their wool which before he paid to the Kings of Israel 2 King 1.1 and Ch. 3.4.5 2 Chron. 18. from 3 to the end WE are now come to the second Book of the Kings The Second Book of the KINGS which is a continuation of the History of the Kings of Israel from Ahab and of the Kings of Judah from Jehoshaphat till Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians and Judah captivated by the Babylonians The time and order of their reigns we may see in this ensuing Table Kings of Judah Jehoram 8. years Ahaziah 1. Athaliah 6. Joash 40. Amaziah 29. Vzziah 52. Jotham 16. Ahaz 16. Hezekiah 29. Manasseh 55. Amon 2. Josiah 31. Jehoahaz or Shallum 3 Months Eliakim or Jehoiakim 11. Jehoiakin 3 Month. and then carried captive to Babylon Mattaniah alias Zedekiah * The History of Ahaziah is partly in the last Ch. of the first Book of Kings and partly in 2 King 1. And some think the 2d Book of Kings should begin with the beginning of his reign 11. Kings of Israel Ahaziah †So
out of his sight that is out of that land where he manifested the evidences of his gracious presence 'T is further added that when the Lord had rent Israel from the house of David they made Jeroboam the Son of Nebat King and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord and made them sin a great sin And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did they departed not from them until the Lord removed them out of his sight as he had threatned by all his servants the Prophets And for these reasons was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria where they remained as exiles when this History was written 2 King 17. from 7 to the 24. 2 King 18.10 11 12. This was the end of the Kingdom of Israel when it had stood severed from the Kingdom of Judah by the space of two hundred fifty four years Their many great and crying sins highly provoked the Lord against them especially their notorious idolatry their contempt of the Lords Prophets and their contumacy and bold persisting in their wicked ways For after the great blow they received by Tiglath-Pilesâ—r 2 King 15.29 they were so far from any amendment that they used in the pride of their hearts that Proverb Isa 9. v. 10. The bricks are fallen down but we will build with hewn stones the sycamores are cut down but we will change them into cedars intimating thereby that they would build their towns that were spoiled better than they were before For these sins therefore the Lord was provoked to reject and cast them off and to suffer them to be led away captive Tobit or Tobias the elder saith of himself that he at this time with Anna his wife and his Countrymen the Naphtalites was carried away into the land of Assyria and there made purveyor or provider of corn and other victuals for Salmanasser's houshold and also that he was carried into Media and there placed in a principal City called Ruges c. Tobit Ch. 1. Salmanasser having thus carried away the Israelites captives he planted Colonies there of five Nations of his own people taking them out of Babylon Cutha Ava Emath and Sepharvaim and placed them in the Cities of Samaria in the room of the Israelites And these were they that after this time were called Cuthaeans by a Synecdoche because the major part of them came out of Cutha a Country in Persia many of these at their first coming thither not fearing the Lord nor worshipping the true God of Israel were devoured by Lions therefore a Jewish Priest was at the request of the rest of them sent out of Assyria to teach them the manner how the God of Israel would be worshipped But this being as it seems one of Jeroboam's Priests and making his residence at Bethel he taught them not the pure worship of God nor to serve him as they ought in his Temple at Jerusalem but in their own Country after the way of Jeroboam Neither were these people brought to worship the true God alone but every City had also a several Idol of their own which they worshipped according to the custom of the Nations from which they were descended and from whence they had been transported So though they feared the Lord that is acknowledged the God of Israel to be the true God yet they served their own gods also after the manner of the Nations from whence they came * Ex ritu Gentium illarum unde ipsos deportaverant vel è quibus deportati fuerant Pisc And as for the Israelites that were carried away captive into Assyria they were nothing amended by their captivity but 't is said of them 2 King 17.34 That unto this day they do after their former manners they fear not the Lord neither do they after their statutes or after their ordinances appointed and enjoin'd them by God or after the Law and Commandments which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob whom he named Israel to observe with whom he made a Covenant and charged them saying Ye shall not fear other gods nor bow your selves to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them But the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm him shall ye fear and him shall ye worship and to him shall ye do sacrifice And the statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandments which he wrote for you ye shall observe to do for evermore * Viz. as long as that dispensation shall last and ye shall not fear other gods And the Covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget neither shall ye fear other gods but the Lord your God shall ye fear and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies Howbeit they did not hearken but they did after their former manner But as for those Nations whom the King of Assyria brought out of other Countries and placed in Samaria they went on in their mungrel way of Religion they and their children from generation to generation After these first Colonies there were other Colonies brought thither by Esarhaddon King of Assyria who was also called Asnapper the Great Ezra 4.2.10 Son of Sennacherib and Grandchild to Salmanasser This seems to be the last of the Assyrian Kings and the person that carried Manasseh prisoner to Babylon which was then under the Assyrian Empire 2 Chron. 33.11 So that the Prophesie of Isaiah seems now to be fulfilled Chap. 7.8 The head of Syria is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken that it be not a people For though the greatest part of the Israelites were carried away by Salmanasser some years before and their Kingdom utterly abolished yet among them that were left there remained some shew of a Government But now by reason of the great multitude of forreigners which came to dwell there the small remainder of the Ephramites were accounted as nothing yet they were not utterly extinct in their own Country as appears from 2 Chron. 34.6 7. v. 33. Chap. 35.18 2 King 23.19 20. 2 King 17. from 24 to the end These Samaritans before mentioned were succeeded by a second sort of Heretical Samaritans in the time of the Government of Nehemiah in whose time one of the Sons of Ioiada the Son of Eliashib the High Priest married the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite and therefore he chased him from him Neh. 13.28 This Priest thus driven away from Ierusalem went with other Iews that had made the like mungrel marriages to the Samaritans their wives kindred who there as the Iewish Writers relate assisted them in building an Anti-Temple on mount Gerizim where a medly Nation devised a Miscellaneous worship of God rejecting all the Scriptures save the five Books of Moses and maintaining many abominable superstitions So that between these Samaritans and the Iews there grew
in the enterprize But Amaziah was nothing mov'd with what he said for whom God intendeth to destroy he usually first hardens and God intended to punish him for his abominable Idolatry into which he had lately fallen Joash understanding this would not stay till Amaziah came to him but he enters Judah with a strong Army wisely resolving to make his Enemies Country the stage of the war So they met in a pitcht field at Bethshemesh which belongs to Judah and Judah was worsted before Israel and Amaziah himself taken prisoner and brought in Triumph * Thus in this Amaziah the Son of Joash King of Judah God did yet further revenge the death of Zachariah the Son of Jehniada who was most inhumanely and ungratefully murdered in his fathers days according to what he said at his death the Lord will look upon it and require it and withall Amaziah himself was severely punished for his Apostacy to Idolatry to Jerusalem by Joash which City as it seems standing out against him he battered down that part of the wall by the North-gate which was towards Ephraim even four hundred cubits in length and so took the City by force then he seized upon all the gold and silver and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord with the posterity of Obed-Edom who were porters and keepers of the treasures in the Temple 1 Chron. 26.15 as also the treasures of the Kings house And having made what spoil he thought fit in Jerusalem he set Amaziah free upon certain conditions imposed upon him and his subjects and for the surer performance of the Covenants on Judah's part he took hostages of him viz. some noble mens children whom he carried along with him to Samaria And he chose rather to go away with his present spoil than to hazard all by endeavouring to conquer the Kingdom of Judah which he was not like to hold if he did obtain the subjects thereof being so greatly addicted to the house of David Amaziah lived after this fifteen years but a very miserable life for his subjects were so disaffected to him for the Idolatry he had brought in that from that time they began to conspire against him though it broke not forth openly till by his rash unadvised and unprosperous war with Joash he had brought so many miseries upon his Kingdom The conspiracy now breaking forth he fled to Lachish and possibly there hid himself and lived in obscurity so those that had conspired against him as it seems governed the affairs of the Kingdom in his absence About twelve years after these conspirators being men of power in the Kingdom upon some new occasion were so enraged against him that they sent some to Lachish to slay him Amaziah being dead they brought him from Lachish in a Chariot drawn with horses and buried him in Jerusalem with his fathers 2 King 14. from v. 1. to 21. 2 Chron. 25. wh Ch. Tenth King of Judah UZZIAH VZZIAH or Azariah as he is called 2 King 15.1 Son of Amaziah was the next that reigned in Judah In Mat. 1.8 't is said that Vzziah succeeded Joram And Joram begat Ozias whereas there were four that reigned in Judah between Joram and Vzziah viz. Ahaziah Athaliah Joash and Amaziah Some think that these were omitted because of their evil Government and unnatural deaths each of them being slain one after another or because by the mother-side they descended from the stock of wicked Ahab whose house the Lord doomed to be rooted up Vzziah when his Father was slain was about four or five years old and there seems to have been a kind of Interregnum or vacancy in the Throne of Judah for about twelve years viz from the 15th to the 27th year of Jeroboam the second King of Israel at which time Vzziah being sixteen years of age was setled in the Throne by the general consent of the people and not till then And this possibly may be intimated to us by that unusual phrase And all the people of Judah took Vzziah being sixteen years old and made him King instead of his Father 2 King 14.21 And this might happen partly by reason of his minority and partly through the prevalency of some powerful men who perchance had had a hand in putting his Father to death or possibly the Government of the Kingdom might be carried on in his name all that time though he came not to the full exercise of his Regal power till the 27th year of Jeroboam So that the twelve years from his Fathers death which happened in the 15th year of Jeroboam see 2 King 14.23 unto the 27th of Jeroboam when he was put into full possession of the Crown are to be accounted into the number of the fifty two years he is said to have reigned and according to this account in the 26th year of his reign Jeroboam died After which it seems there was an Interregnum or vacancy in the Kingdom of Israel also for about eleven or twelve years viz. to the 38th year of Vzziah's reign After which Zachariah reigned in Israel six months Shallum one month Menahem ten years Pekahiah two years and Pekah had reigned a year or something more before he died which was in the fifty second year of his reign 2 King 15.27 so that he lived in the times of six Kings that sat on the Throne of Israel In the beginning of his reign he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and maintained the worship of God uncorrupt as his Father had done save that the high places were not removed but the people still offered sacrifice and burnt incense on them And during the life of Zachariah Son of that Zachariah that was stoned in the Temple who was an eminent Prophet and had understanding in the visions of God that is was accustomed to see visions and had a singular understanding in ancient Prophesies and so was able to counsel and instruct Vzziah in matters that concerned the knowledg of God and his Laws and possibly was skilful to interpret the dreams and night-visions of others as Joseph and Daniel were I say during the life of this Prophet Vzziah sought the Lord and so long the Lord made him to prosper He recovered Elath a City near the Red-Sea which had been taken from the Crown of Judah by the enemies bordering upon it and repair'd and fortified it In Ahaz's time it was lost again being taken by the Syrians see 2 King 14.22 He was a great warrior he had under his command three hundred seven thousand five hundred fighting men under two thousand and six hundred Captains all which were dispos'd into Regiments and companies and registred that they might be in readiness against any urgent occasion And he furnished all these with Shields and Spears Helmets and Habergeons * Armour for Back and Brest and Bows and Slings to cast stones He was very victorious against the Philistines of whose Towns he brake down the
walls of some and dismantled them as particularly Gath Jabneh and Ashdod and built Cities in the Country of Ashdod and Garrison'd them to keep them in subjection Also he mastered some parts of Arabia and brought the Ammonites to pay him tribute For God helped him So that his fame spread abroad and he grew very much renowned in all Countries between Judah and Egypt and he went on strengthening himself daily And if we consider the great success of Jeroboam the second at the same time King in Israel these two Kingdoms since the division never were in an higher flourish than now He repaired the wall of Jerusalem which in his Fathers days Joash King of Israel had demolished and fortified it with Towers wherein he placed new invented Engines to shoot arrows of an extraordinary bigness and possibly many of them together for the annoying of an enemy at a distance and for the shooting of great stones greater t is like than the greatest of our Cannon-bullets He was a great sheep-master and had many cattel which he kept in the low grounds and plains and he built Towers for the defence of his berdsmen and cattel and digged many wells of water for them He was a lover of husbandry and a great planter of Vines which he planted in the fruitful Carmel and the hills about it employing many Vine-dressers in that work About the 22th year of his reign as 't is probable that dreadful Earthquake * The Prophet Zachary also speaks of it Chap. 14.5 Ye shall flee like as ye fled from before the Earthquake in the days of Uzziah King of Judah happened which Amos speaks of Ch. 1.1 The words of Amos which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Vzziah King of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam King of Israel two years before the Earthquake And seeing Earthquakes are usually forerunners and presages of great changes in Kingdoms though they have not always immediately followed but some years after therefore possibly that speech of the Prophet Isaiah Ch. 7.8 may have some reference to that Earthquake for the head of Syria is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken that it be not a people Those sixty five years cannot be understood to begin from the time when this Prophesie was spoken which was in the first year of Ahaz Isa 7.1 for from thence there were not above twenty years to the Captivity of Israel but must be understood to commence from the 22th or 23th year of Vzziah and from thence to the year wherein the Kingdom of Israel was broken were indeed about sixty five years as learned men compute them Under these two renowned Kings Jeroboam the second of Israel and Vzziah of Judah there flourished sundry eminent Prophets * These holy Prophets Speeches and Sermons were set down in writing by themselves and as some think kept in the Temple and added to other holy Books to stand for Authentick Scripture Their Ministry was directed to these general Ends 1. To maintain the purity of Religion 2. To beat down the disorders and growing evils and vices of the times they lived in 3. To keep always alive the promises of the Messias and to hold the faith and expectation of the Jews always bent towards him in each Kingdom particularly in Judah The Prophet ISAIAH ISAIAH he is thought by learned men to have been of an illustrious family his Father Amoz being as they conjectured brother to Amaziah Jerom with others is of opinion that he was of a noble descent Indeed his Prophesie is so sublime and eloquent and so curiously garnished with Rhetorick and all sorts of Elegancies that he seems to have been a person of more than ordinary education He prophesies of the destruction of the Kingdoms of Syria and Samaria shortly to be accomplished by the Assyrian and of the Kingdom of Judah afterwards by the Babylonian and of the destruction of the Babylonians by the Medes and Persians and of the Jews deliverance from the Babylonian Captivity by Cyrus whom by name he mentions above one hundred years before he was born And withal he declares the restitution and enlargement of the Church whereof the deliverance from the Babylonish Captivity was a figure together with the calling of the Gentiles by Christ whose Incarnation Birth Offices Royal Priestly and Prophetical life teaching sufferings death rising again glory ensuing and his Kingdoms extent he so largely and lively describes that he seems rather to write a story of things already done than a Prophesie of things to come In regard whereof he is call'd an Evangelical Prophet He often mixes his severe denunciations of judgments with promises of grace in Christ to all save only the Babylonians who by reason of their pride and merciless persecution of the Church did bear the image of Antichrist and his faction condemned together with the Devil the head thereof to everlasting perdition the terrors whereof are very lively described in many places of this Book How long he Prophesied is obscurely intimated Isa 1.1 viz. in the days of Vzziah Jotham Ahaz and Hezekiah Kings of Judah but in what year of Vzziah he began and in what year of Hezekiah he ceased is not declared 'T is evident that he Prophesied in the year Vzziah died Isa 6.1 and by the Prophesies foregoing that Chapter it seems probable that he Prophesied a good while before But let us suppose with some that he Prophesied only two years under Vzziah sixteen years under Jotham sixteen under Ahaz fourteen under Hezekiah For Hezekiah reigning twenty nine years in all in his fourteenth year Isaiah was sent to him in his sickness to tell him that God would add to his days fifteen years more After that Isaiah threatens the Babylonish Captivity upon Hezekiah's shewing all his Treasures to the Babylonish Ambassadors v. 17. Here is in all 48 years Now if we may suppose with the Jewish Doctors that Isaiah was sawn asunder by Manasseh there 's fifteen years more under Hezekiah and one year at least under Manasseh and so we have 64 years in all for the time of his Prophesying A very long time this was for a Prophet to preach to a * How patient then should Gods Ministers be in their function though their peoples profiting for a long time answers not their labours rebellious and gainsaying people See Isa 65.2 and Rom. 10.21 Some divide this Book of Isaiah into three parts and so according to them the first contains the Sermons he Preached under Vzziah from Ch. 1. to 6. The second contains the Sermons he preached under Jotham and Ahaz from Ch. 6. to 15. The third the Sermons he preached and the Prophesies he uttered and the things that fell out under Hezekiah from Ch. 15. to the end Others divide this Prophesie thus 1. In the twelve first Chapters are contained Prophesies immediately directed to the Jews whom he does sharply reprehend for
must now for the better understanding this History of Hezekiah look a little into the neighbour Kingdom of Israel We shall find that in the days of Menahem the sixteenth King that there reigned who began to reign in the 39th year of Vzziah that God stirred up the spirit of Pul King of Assyria to invade the Kingdom of Israel 1 Chron. 5.26 and he made great spoil among them Then in the latter end of the reign of Pekah the eighteenth King of Israel who began to reign in the 52 year of Vzziah Tiglath-pileser Son of Pul carried away captive the people of Gilead and Peraea to wit the Reubenites Gadites and half the tribe of Manasseh unto Chabor and Haran and then passing over Jordan possessed himself of Galilee and carried away the inhabitants of Napthali into Assyria So that at this time he subdued in a manner five Tribes of Israel 2 King 15.29 Tiglath-pilesar dying Salmanassar his Son succeeded him who in the ninth year of Hoshea and sixth of Hezekiah after three years siege took Samaria and their King Hoshea and carried away the Israelites captives into his own Country as we shall see more in the life of Hoshea So that the Kingdom of Israel now came to an end Sometime after Salmanassar dies and his Son Sennacherib reigned in his stead whom Herodotus Lib. 2. calleth King both of Assyria and Arabia too Perchance for that the Assyrians at that time together with Peraea or the land of Gilead and Hamath or Ituraea had also under their power a part of Arabia either Petrea or Deserta For Ava or Ivah which Sennacherib so much boasteth of to have been conquered by him or his ancestors 2 King 18.34 and Ch. 19.13 was a Country lying in the desert of Arabia as Fran. Junius affirms upon 2 King 17.24 And the Prophet Isaiah foretelling the calamity which was to befall the Moabites under Salmanassar Isa 15.7 and Ch. 16.14 threatens them that whatever they had laid up in store the Assyrians should carry it away into the valley of the Arabians Sennacherib now about the eleventh or twelfth year of Hezekiah as 't is probable resolving to make war against the Egyptians perhaps because they had been so lately assistant to the Israelites against the Assyrians in the reign of Salmanassar and an occasion of their revolt see 2 King 17.4 and the Philistines as it seems joining with him therein he sends part of his Army under Tartan one of his Generals to besiege Ashdod or Azotus which City Hezekiah had sometime before recovered out of the hands of the Philistines Now that this war lasted three whole years may be gathered out of Isa 20. where the Prophet putting off his coat of hairy cloth belonging to his Prophetical function see Zach. 13.4 from his loins and his shoos from his feet was commanded to walk up and down naked and bare foot as some conceive three days a day being put for a year to signifie to the Egyptians and Ethiopians that when that time was once run out they should in like manner being stript of their clothes and barefoot be led away into captivity and bondage by the King of Assyria which command the Prophet is said to have received in the year when Tartan being sent by Sargon King of Assyria besieged Ashdod and took it Isa 20.1 where by Sargon we must understand Sennacherib himself among whose Commanders this Tartan is particularly named 2 King 18.17 And the King of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish c. Hezekiah whether provoked by Sennacherib's taking of Ashdod so injuriously from him or for other reasons resolves now to shake off the King of Assyria's yoke which his Father Ahaz had taken on him and would no longer pay him Tribute Hereupon Sennacherib in the fourteenth year * Eight years after Shalmanasser had taken Samaria of Hezekiah even after he had made so good an establishment of Religion see 2 Chron. 32.1 bringing his Army out of Egypt where he had made great havock of which calamity the Prophet Nahum seems to speak Ch. 3.10 Yet was she carried away she went into captivity her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets and they cast lots for her honourable men and all her great men were bound in chains invades the Kingdom of Judah and besieges many of their fenced Cities and took many of them Hezekiah bestirs himself with all diligence to defend himself and his Kingdom against him And to that end by the advice of his Captains and Council he fill'd up the fountains and springs that were without the City of Jerusalem and covered them with earth and carried the waters by pipes under ground into the City that so the Assyrians if they came to besiege the City might be distressed for want of water also the brook Gihon or Siloe which ran through the midst of the Country where Jerusalem stood and divided it self into two streams one of them he turned from the usual channel and brought it strait down into the west-side of the City of David 2 Chron. 32.30 and made a great pond to receive the water of it for the benefit of the besieged And the Princes and the people did much assist him therein Also he fortified Jerusalem and built up that part of the wall that was broken down by Joash King of Israel in Amaziah's time which breach it seems was not fully repaired till now and he made the wall strong and high and made also another wall without as an Antimural or outwork see 2 King 25.4 and repaired Millo in the City of David which some think was their Town-house where the people had their general assembly or else some fort in the City he also provided all sorts of arms offensive and defensive and set Officers and Commanders over his Souldiers and calling them together into the broad street that was by the City-gate he spake comfortably to them after this manner My good subjects and faithful souldiers be ye strong and courageous be not afraid of the King of Assyria nor of the great multitude that is with him For there be more with us than with him with him is only the arm of flesh but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battels And the people rested themselves on the words of Hezekiah 2 King 18.13 2 Chron. 32. from v. 1 to 9. Hezekiah seeing how soon the Assyrian had taken many of the fenced Cities of Judah and that proceeding on in his victories he had also laid siege to Lachish he began to entertain thoughts of buying his peace with him Hereupon he sent his Ambassadours to him to acknowledg his offence in denying the tribute and to intreat his favour yielding withal to pay whatever tribute he should impose upon him Sennacherib being puft up with his success requires of him three hundred Talents of Silver and thirty Talents of Gold * Which amounts to
seemeth to have been missing ever since the beginning of Manasseh's reign who possibly at first endeavoured to burn all the Books of the Law and so this Book was hid in some secret place of the Temple by some faithful Priest that it might be preserved for future times Hilkiah having found it he sent it by Shaphan the Scribe unto the King who having heard it read all over to him was exceedingly affected therewith and rent his clothes and more especially as 't is likely at those dreadful threatnings against Idolatry which are written in Levit. 26. Deut. 28. Hereupon he immediately sent to (b) Miriam and Deborah and Anna were all Prophetesses Thus the Lord is pleas'd to endue some women with the spirit of Prophesie to shew that he is not tyed to any sex Huldah a famous Prophetess who dwelt in Ierusalem in the suburbs or second part and desired her to ask counsel of the Lord for him Ieremy possibly being not then at Ierusalem but at Anathoth For Iosiah hearing those curses in the Law denounced against Idolatry and knowing how much some of his Predecessors had been guilty thereof he much seared lest the judgments threatned in that Book might fall upon him and his people and desired to know whither there might be any means to pacifie Gods wrath and prevent those judgments Huldah returned this answer Thus saith the Lord Behold I will bring evil upon this place and upon the inhabitants thereof even all the curses written in the Book which the King of Judah hath read because they have forsaken me and burnt incense to other gods and have provoked me to anger with the works of their hands viz. their idols and altars therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place and shall not be quenched intimating the utter extirpation of the Jews out of that good land but to the King of Judah who sent you say to him Thus saith the Lord as touching the words and threatnings which thou hast heard read out of the Book because thy heart was tender and soon moved at the hearing of my threatnings and thou hast humbled thy self before me when thou heardest what I spake against this place and the inhabitants thereof that they should become a desolation and a curse that is have the curses written in this Book executed upon it and hast rent thy clothes and wept before me Behold I will gather thee unto thy pious ancestors in heaven before these dreadful calamities shall fall upon this place and people and thou shalt be gathered unto thy grave in peace This answer of Huldahs being brought to the King his heart was so affected with it that to prevent if it were possible this judgment threatned he called together the Elders of Judah and Jerusalem together with the Priests and Prophets viz. Jeremy Baruck Zephany and Vriah and the people both small and great and caused one of the Levites to read in their ears all the words of the Book of the Covenant * The Law is called a Cove an t because obedâ—ence was therein requir'd on the peoples part and a blessing thereupon promised on Gods part so called because it contained the Covenant that God made with the people of Israel See 1 King 8.9 And the King stood by the Pillar on the Brasen Scaffold or on some Throne erected by a pillar in the Temple for him to stand upon at that time and there solemnly made a Covenant before the Lord in his own name and the name of the people to walk after the Lord that is to observe what he prescrib'd unto them and to keep his commandments testimonies and statutes with all their heart and with all their soul and to perform the words of the Covenant written in that Book and he caused all that were present to give their consent to it and the inhabitants of Jerusalem were the most forward to engage themselves to walk according to the Covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers and did accordingly so walk Then the King commanded Hilkiah the High Priest and the Priests that were next unto him and the Levites to bring forth out of the Temple * Josiah did begin to purge Judah and Jerusalem of Idols in the twelfth year of his reign six years before the Book of the Law was found but upon hearing those dreadful threatnings in the Law against Idolatry he now proceeded further and perfected that reformation which was then begun Therefore the Penman of the Sacred History of the Chronicles relating the Reformation that Josiah wrought in the twelfth year of his reign adds also what was done afterwards when the Book of the Law was found and speaking how he suppressed Idolatry upon the hearing of the Law read to him he joins many things of the same nature that were done in the twelfth year of his reign that all his zealous acts in rooting out Idolatry might he related together all the vessels that were made for Baal and used in his worship or in the Idolatrous worship of the Groves or of the Host of Heaven and he burnt them in the field by which the river Kidron did run and carried the ashes of them to Bethel therewith to defile the prime seat of Jeroboams Idolatry These things had been us'd by Manasseh and Amon but were set aside as it seems in some by-place of the Temple in Josiah's time and seeing still they remained there this good King's zeal would not permit them to be there any longer And he put down the Idolatrous Priests or Chemarim whom the Kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in high places in the Cities of Judah and in places round about Jerusalem He put down those also who burnt incense to Baal or to the Sun Moon and the Planets and host of heaven and he brought out the Image whereon a grove was engraven which it seems was hung up in the Temple and stampt it to powder and cast the dust thereof upon the graves of those that had worshipped Idols and sacrificed unto them 2 Chron. 34.4 And he brake down the Tents of the Sodomites that were in the grove by the house of the Lord and where the women wove hangings for those filthy tents so that in that grove they not only worshipped Idols but as it seems defiled themselves also with all manner of abominable uncleanness And he brought all the Priests that were the Sons of Aaron and had served the true God in high places out of the Cities where they had exercised that false worship and would not suffer them to live there and he defiled the high places even from Geba the North border of the Kingdom of Judah to Beersheba the South-border and beat down their Altars and burned dead mens bones on them v. 14. to make them unclean and brake down the high places that were erected at the entring of the Gates by Joshua the Governour of the City whither it seems many of the people used to
might remain to support the faith and keep up the spirits of the Jews in a long captivity First He promises the reduction of the Jews into their own Country but before that they were to endure many calamities from the Babylonians during that day of Jacobs trouble but they should at last be saved out of it God promises to break the King of Babylons yoke from off Jacobs neck and that these Chaldeans shall no longer serve themselves of him But that his posterity shall serve the Lord their God and such of Davids lineage as he shall from time to time set over them but more especially the Messias who should come of Davids stock He promises to correct them in measure and yet not to leave them altogether unpunished He promises many great blessings that he would bestow on his Church notwithstanding their great miseries troubles breaches wounds but that Gods wrath shall remain on the wicked In the next Chapter is contain'd the restauration of Israel and the publication thereof After Rachels lamentation for her Sons as lost followeth Gods consolation of her puting her in hope of their return Ephraim repenting is to be brought home again Christ is promised The Lord will create a new thing in the earth a woman shall compass a man And this shall be the Covenant he will make with his people after those days he will write his law in their hearts and will be their God and this Covenant shall be stable and his Church shall be enlarged Jer. 29. from 24 to the end Jer. 30. whole Chapter Jer. 31. whole Chapter God also by his Prophet Jeremy foretels that Babylon and the land of Caldea shall be over-run and wasted by the Medes and Persians and comforts his own people with the sweet promises of their deliverance Jer. 50. whole Chapter Jer. 51. from 1 to 59. Zedekiah in the fourth year of his reign either went himself or which is more probable sent * Jer. 51.59 When he went with Zedekiah or on behalf of Zedekiah Seraiah a person of great quality about him to Babylon to whom Jeremy delivered the foresaid Prophesies of the destruction of Babylon written in a Book to be first read and then to be thrown into the river Euphrates to signifie that Babylon should so sink and not rise again Jer. 51. from 59 to the end In the beginning of the thirtieth year from that solemn renewing of the Covenant and restauration of the worship of God in the eighteenth year of Josiah which falls in with the fifth of Jehoiakins captivity on the fifth day of the fourth Month God vouchsafed the first vision to Ezekiel one of the captives in Babylon by the river Chebar and from thence he was sent to execute the office and function of a Prophet among the Jews of the Captivity He began thirty four years after Jeremy and continued his Prophetick office about two and twenty years namely to the twenty seventh year of Jehoiakins captivity Ezek. 29.17 It seems many at this time both among the Jews at Jerusalem and among the captives in Babylon murmured and complained against Jeremy as a false Prophet that had misled the people and betrayed them and caused them to yield themselves to the King of Babylon seeing now five years were past and yet Jerusalem stood still Jeremy being thus cried down both at home and abroad especially by false Prophets it pleased the Lord to raise up Ezekiel and pouring out his spirit upon him to set him on work to prophesie and foretell the same things in Babylon that Jeremy had done in Judea though in a more vehement manner so that Jeremy's Prophesies were confirm'd and justified by Ezekiel's The Prophet Ezekiel therefore going to execute his function among the Jews dwelling at Telabib near the river Chebar when he was come thither he sat him down as a man disheartned for the space of seven days After which time God again put him in mind of his charge both with gracious promises if he undertook it and severe threatnings if he refused and then confirmed him with a new sign shewed unto him and gave him courage and boldness by his word and ratified his vocation by a new command Ezek. 1. whole Chapter Ezek. 2. whole Chapter Ezek. 3. whole Chapter Ezekiel is now commanded to make a draught of the siege of Jerusalem in a table of Tile or Slate and to lye along upon one side three hundred and ninety days typifying thereby Gods patience in bearing with the sins and provocations of the Kingdom of Israel 390 years before he destroyed that Kingdom which was the full time from the revolt of the Ten Tribes to their Captivity When he had lain 390 days on his left side he was to turn himself on his right side and to lye so forty days more to typisie Gods patience in bearing with the sins and provocations of the Kingdom of Judah from the time that Iosiah and his people renewed solemnly their Covenant with the Lord unto the Captivity of Zedekiah which was just forty years Then he sets out the grievous famine that should be in the City during the siege Chap. 4. In the three following Chapters he pursues the same matter viz. Ierusalems misery In the fifth he is commanded to cut off his hair and to divide it into three parts by which he was to signifie three dreadful judgments that were to be inflicted on Jerusalem by pestilence sword and dispersion In the sixth Chapter first he threatens desolation to the land of Judea viz. to the Idols Altars and people thereof 2ly Promises mercy to a few that should repent of their evil ways and come to a right knowledg of the Lord from v. 8 to 11. 3ly He sets forth the grief and vexation the rest should feel from the sore judgments that should come upon them from 11 to the end In the seventh Chapter he Prophesies again of the destruction of the Jews and their land from v. 1 to 16. And of the pitiful lamentation that they shall make that escape from v. 16 to 20. And of the pollution of the Sanctuary by their enemies from v. 20 to 23. And of their bondage under the worst of heathens which is represented by a chain from v. 23 to the end Ezek. 4. whole Chapter Ezek. 5. whole Chapter Ezek. 6. whole Chapter Ezek. 7. whole Chapter In the sixth year of Jeconiahs Captivity the sixth month the fifth day of the month Ezekiel was carried in a Vision to Jerusalem and shewed the horrible Idolatry there practised and the plagues that were to befall the City for the same The Vision hath four parts 1. The Prophet is shewn the abominable Idolatry of the Jews in these notorious instances 1. Their having the Image of Jealousie or the Image of Baal among them which highly provoked God to jealousie 2. Their Chambers of Imagery having Idols privately in their Chambers 3. Their women weeping for Tammuz * Some understand it Osiris the Egyptian
some of the Rulers of the people some pious and prudent men be appointed to sit daily here in Jerusalem for the hearing of this business and to take cognizance who they are that have married strange wives viz. such as have not imbraced the faith of Israel or that since their marriage have relapsed to Idolatry and let those that are found guilty herein in every City be brought hither in their turns to appear before these Elders and let the chief men in every City testifie against them if they have found them guilty and so let the business be dispatched first with one City and then with another until at length all the strange wives be put away that so the fierce wrath of our God may be turned from us Hereupon four men being chosen viz. two Priests and two Levites to set forward this business the children of the captivity agreed that the forementioned course should be taken And Ezra with certain chief of the Fathers were chosen and set apart to that great work and began it on the first day of the tenth month and made an end of it on the first day of the first month and so were three whole months about it And upon examination even among the Sons of the Priests who should have known and practised better things there were found some who had taken strange wives yea some of the Sons of Joshua the good high Priest who assisted Zerubbabel were guilty in this matter and divers of their brethren in that function also They being found guilty offered a ram of the flock for their transgression and gave their hands that they would put away their Idolatrous wives And 't is like many others whose names are there recorded did the same though it be not here expressed And some of the Levites who ministred to the Priests and some of the Singers and Porters were also guilty herein and put away their Idolatrous wives yea though they had children by them Ezra Ch. 10. from 6 to the end We are now come to the Book of Nehemiah As in the Book of Ezra we had a relation of the building of the Temple by Zerubbabel and of reforming Religion by Ezra so in this we have a relation of the building of the City and the walls thereof and setling the Commonwealth and redressing many disorders by Nehemiah who came to Jerusalem thirteen years after Ezra's first coming thither In the 20th year of Artaxerxes in the ninth month answering to part of our November and part of our December Hanani and some other Jews came to Nehemiah who was one of the Kings Cup-bearers being then at Shushan the Winter-mansion of the Persian Monarchs and acquainted him that those that were left of the Captivity in the Province of Judah were under great affliction and reproach and that their neighbours round about them did exceedingly despise and wrong them and that which encouraged them the more in those insolences was because the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and the gates thereof burnt with fire by Nebuchadnezzar and so they continued still So that the Jews were disabled to defend themselves against their enemies Nehemiah was so affected herewith that he sat down and wept and mourned certain days and fasted and prayed prostrating himself before the God of heaven with his face towards the Temple the place of Gods presence see 1 King 8.44 and he said O Lord God of Heaven the great and terrible God that keepeth Covenant and mercy for them that love thee and keep thy Commandments let thine ears be attentive to the prayer of thy servant which I make before thee day and night for the children of Israel and wherein I confess and humbly bewail our sins which we have committed against thee Both I and my Fathers have sin'd against thee and dealt very corruptly and have not kept either the moral ceremonial or judicial laws which thou gavest us Yet remember I pray thee the word thou spakest by thy servant Moses Deut. 4.25 saying if you transgress I will scatter you abroad among the Nations but if ye turn unto me and keep my Commandments and do them though you were scattered to the remotest parts of the earth yet thence will I gather you and bring you to the place that I have chosen to put my name there Now O Lord we are thy people whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power and by thy strong hand Therefore I beseech thee let thine ear be attentive to the prayer of me thy servant and to the prayer of thy servants that desire to fear thy name and prosper me and grant me favour and mercy in the sight of the King to whom I intend to address my self that he may grant the request that I shall make to him Nehem. Chap. 1. About four months after when the time came that Nehemiah in his course was to attend upon the King and to minister to him as his Cup-bearer both King and Queen took notice of his sorrowful and dejected looks The King asked him the reason of it Nehemiah replied Let the King live for ever * That is very long an usual salutation given to Kings See 1 King 1.1.31 Dan. 6.21 There is reason my countenance should be sad when the City the place of my fathers sepulchres where my ancestors lived and died lyeth waste and the gates thereof being formerly consumed with fire are not repaired The King asked him what he desired of him Nehemiah lifting up his heart to God in a fervent Ejaculation (b) The Ejaculation of the heart may be as fervent and as prevalent as a solemn prayer uttered with the mouth witness that of Moses Exod. 14.15 to which God made this answer Why criest thou unto me yet no words of prayer were then uttered by Moses This frequently and heartily used argueth an heavenly mind and 't is one way whereby we may pray always or con inually that is at all times and in all places and on all occasions that he would please to direct him rightly to order his petition to the King and incline the Kings heart to grant it said If it please the King and thy servant hath found favour in thy sight I pray thee that thou wouldst send me to Jerusalem the City of my Fathers sepulchers that I may build it The King said how long wilt thou be absent and when wilt thou return Nehemiah set him a time which it's like was not long and at that time did accordingly return but from this time forward it seems he continued Governour of Judea under the King for the space of twelve years or more during which time 't is probable he often went into Persia to wait upon the King The King graciously granting his request he then humbly besought him that he might have letters to the Governours beyond the river to conduct him (c) This Ezra would not desire when he went to Jerusalem because he had occasionally spoken to the King of
the Providence of their God over them that served him Therefore if he had desired a guard 't is supposed they would have derided his former confidence in Gods protection But Nehemiah's case was different having no cause to suspect any such things besides he was a person of great quality about the King and it was for the honour of the King to have his immediate attendants safe guarded and respected safe till he came to Judea As also letters to Asaph the keeper of the Kings Forest viz. Lebanon requiring him to furnish him with timber to make beams for the Gates of the Temple which looked towards the Palace and for the Gates of the walls of the City and for the house that he should enter into and there make his abode And by the good Providence of God the King granted him all his desires and over and above sent a guard with him to conduct him safe to the river Euphrates which was more than he desired of him from whence he was by the Governours beyond the river to whom he delivered the Kings letters conveyed safe to Jerusalem Sanballat the Horonite (d) Of Horonaim a City of Moab See Isa 15.5 who it seems was the Kings Lieutenant or Deputy-Governour over the Moabites and had insinuated himself so into the Jews that there was an alliance between him and the high Priest see Neh. 13.28 and Tobiah (e) This Tobiah his wife being a Jew had often intelligence of their affairs and so wrought them great mischief who was the Kings servant or Deputy-Governour over the Ammonites to whom the high Priest was also allied see Neh. 13.4 being both of them secret and inveterate enemies to the Jews when they knew that Nehemiah was come to Jerusalem they were greatly vext at it especially that there was a man come from the King to seek and endeavour the welfare of the children of Israel Nehemiah being come to Jerusalem rested himself there three days after his long journey Then he arose in the night with some few only with him and taking the advantage of a Moon-shine night and to avoid noise no horse but that himself rode on he went to view the ruins of the walls round about and the circuit of the City that so he might consider whither they were able in likelihood to go through with such a work as the repairing of them and what provision was requisite in order thereunto and what places were most necessary to be first and with most speed repaired All which he desired to be privately informed of before any body knew of his purpose and that he might be the better able to answer any objection that should be made against it and that there might be no talk of it till they were ready to set about it lest their enemies should thereupon seek to hinder them and on these accounts 't is like it was that he carried the business so privately and did not acquaint the Rulers nor the Priests nor so much as the workmen that were afterwards imployed in the work with his intentions and purposes Having thus seen the ruins and acquainted himself with all things he thought requisite he calls the Nobles and Rulers and Priests together and spake to them after this manner You see my Brethren the distress that we are in how Jerusalem lyeth wast the walls ruin'd and the Gates thereof are burnt with fire Come let us build up the walls again that we be no more a reproach and scorn to our adversaries Then he told them all the providences of God about his coming thither how he heard of their affliction and how he petitioned the King and how graciously the King answered him and what encouragement he had given him When the Jews heard these things they were mightily animated and said one to another come let us rise up and build the walls of our City So they took courage and resolution and prepared themselves for the work But when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Kings Deputy among the Arabians heard of their intention they scoffed at them for undertaking such a business which they were never like to effect and despising them said What do these people intend to do Do they intend to rebell against the King If they do we shall quickly take a course with them Nehemiah understanding this couragiously sent them this answer The God of heaven we trust will prosper us therefore we his servants will arise and build But as for you you have no portion nor right nor memorial in Jerusalem that is you are appointed Governours in other Countries look to your own charges you have no interest or concern in Jerusalem neither is their any memorial of you or your Progenitors to be found among us why therefore do you meddle with that which belongs not unto you Nehem. Ch. 2. whole Chapter Nehemiah and the Jews notwithstanding the opposition of their enemies resolve now to set upon the building the walls of Jerusalem Eliashib the Grandchild of Joshua the high Priest with his brethren the Priests undertook the building of the sheep-gate which was near the sheep-market and having at their own charges built it and set up the doors of it they by prayer dedicated it to the Lord. The inhabitants of Tekoa a City in Benjamin were well affected to the work and some of them built the wall in one place and some of them repaired another part of the wall v. 27. but to the disgrace of the Nobles among them 't is said that they put not their necks to the work of the Lord that is they refused to help therein and out of their greatness pretended they would not be taxed to the work nor have any such burden imposed upon them v. 8. The men of Gibeon and Mispeh repaired to the Throne of the Governour on this side the river that is to the place where the Governour appointed by the Persian King on that side of the river did use to sit v 7. Shallum was another eminent repairer who was Ruler of half Jerusalem * Jerusalem being part in Judah part in Benjamin might have two Rulers and his pious daughters out of their zeal were willing to let some part of their portions go to the work v. 12. 'T is recorded also to Baruck's great commendation that he earnestly repaired his part that is with more than ordinary zeal and heartiness Some of the Priests built the wall over against their own houses and Meshullam who it seems was but a lodger over against his own Chamber And thus by several persons the walls and gates of Jerusalem were built Nehem. Ch. 3. whole Chapter Sanballat hearing what progress the Jews had made in building their walls was very angry and scornfully scoffed at it and before his own Countrymen and the army that quartered in the City of Smaria and when ever he had occasion he would say What do these feeble Jews intend to do Do they intend to fortifie themselves Do
to his posterity †David in the 68. Psal 32. v. useth the word Hasmonim to express Princes and great men Mattathias was earnestly prest by the Kings Officers to sacrifice on the Heathen Altars but he utterly refused to do it yea he proceeded so far as to kill a certain Jew whom he beheld so sacrificing and after that he slew the Kings Commissioner who forced the people to sacrifice and threw down the Altar Being so far engaged he exhorted all that had any zeal for the Law of God to follow him and so with his five Sons he fled into the Mountains leaving all their goods behind them in the City Many went after him and lived with their wives and children in dens and caves which when it was discovered to Philip Governour for the King at Jerusalem the Garrison-Souldiers were presently drawn out to pursue them who falling on many of them on the Sabbath-day and they not at all resisting in honour to the day they destroyed the number of about a thousand persons of them When Mattathias and his friends were informed of this they much lamented the case of their Brethren and decreed that from thence forward if they should be assaulted by their enemies on the Sabbath-day they would resist them with arms Then the Asidaeans a sort of religious men joyning with him and several others who daily fled out of the Country he made up a little army and therewith prosecuted the wicked ones and marching up and down threw down Altars circumcised all children whom they found uncircumcised in the coasts of Israel and pursued the sons of pride and the work succeeded very prosperously in their hands After Mattathias had been Captain of this wandring company for the space of a year he died having first exhorted his Sons to piety and a valiant defence of the Law of God and having appointed his Son Simon for a Counsellor and his Son Judas Sirnamed Maccabeus for a Captain to them His Sons buried him in the Sepulchers of their Fathers at Modin and the Israelites bewailed him with great lamentation 1 Mac. 2. Judas being assisted by his Brethren and such as followed his Father fell upon the enemy burnt divers of their Towns and seized upon several commodious places coming usually upon them in the night insomuch that he forced many of them to quit the land Apollonius the Governour of Samaria coming against him Judas overthrew and slew him and getting his Sword ever after used it in the wars After this he overthrew Seron the Governour of Caelosyria who marched against him with the forces under his command his whole army was routed by Judas and eight hundred slain on the place the rest fled into the land of the Philistines near the Sea-coast Antiochus hearing of this success of Judas was exceedingly enraged at it and levying all the strength of his Kingdom and giving them a years pay he commanded them to be in readiness he purposed to have marched immediately against Maccabeus but he found his Treasury much exhausted by the pay of his Army and he saw he had lost 300 Talents of yearly tribute by the Jews revolting from him and much also which he was wont to receive from other places who were in combustion because he would force them to quit their ancient rites For his persecution raged even in the Grecian Cities insomuch that he spared not the very Gentiles but endeavoured to make them abjure their ancient superstitions and to come up to a conformity of worship with himself and by these things his revenues were much impaired Fearing therefore he should not have enough to defray his charges and gratuities wherein he took a pride to exceed all his Ancestors he resolved to make a progress first into Persia and the upper Countries to gather the Tributes thereof and fill his coffers But before his departure he made Lysias his kinsman Governour of the Regions betwixt Euphrates and Egypt committing to his care his young Son Eupator and gave him half his forces and this also in charge to blot out the Nation of the Jews utterly and to give their Country to be inhabited by strangers Philip the Governour of Jerusalem observing how that Judas grew stronger and stronger every day wrote unto Ptolemy Son of Dorymenes Governour of Coelosyria and Cilicia to lend his helping hand to the Kings affairs who presently dispatching Nicanor one of his chiefest friends with 20000 men purposed to root out the whole stock of the Jews and to him also he joyned Gorgias a man of great experience in Military affairs Lyfias also dispatched away Ptolomy himself as a reserve to them so that under these three Commanders Ptolomy Nicanor and Gorgias were mustered 40000 foot and 7000 horse who marching with this their great army pitched by Emmaus in the plain Country Antiochus was at this time behind hand with his tribute to the Romans the sum of 2000 Talents and Nicanor making sure of the victory before hand resolved to wipe off that score by the sale of the captive Jews and to that end invited out of the Cities near the Sea-coast a thousand Merchants promising that he would allow ninety slaves for a Talent which was no sooner divulged but the Merchants of the Country with their Attendants repair to the Camp to purchase the Jews for slaves great Companies also flocked out of Syria and other parts to barter for the same commodities The Heathen now holding Jerusalem and the Temple Judas Maccabeus in this great extremity removed with his Army to Mizpeh for there before the building of the Temple was the Israelites place of Worship 1 Sam. 7.5 6. and there he proclaimed a fast and with most servent prayers importuned the Lords help against this formidable host for he had with him but six or seven thousand against the vast power of the enemy After this such as had betrothed wives planted vineyards or were fearful he dismissed according to the Law Deut. 20 6 7 8. and then divided his army into four Squadrons and appointing his Brothers to command them committed to each 1500 Souldiers so the Army removed and pitched on the South-side of Emmaus opposite to the enemy That night Gorgias had a design to surprize them unawares and to that end took along with him 5000 foot and a 1000 choice horse and came towards the Jews Camp having the Garrison-Souldiers of Sion-fort for his convoy Judas having notice hereof wisely turned it to his advantage resolving to march straightways to Emmaus and so to fall upon Nicanor in the absence of the other who was the more experienced Captain Gorgias arriving at the Jews Camp and finding no body there thought they had fled for fear of him into the mountains and so he sought for them there but they being got to Nicanor engaged him in the morning Judas having first encouraged his men and given the word in the help of God through the assistance of the Almighty they routed Nicanor's whole army laying above
Tent slew 4000 men and giving an alarm to the whole Army at break of the day safely retreated whereupon the King marched towards him next day and they coming to an engagement Antiochus lost several hundreds more but the Jews seeing themselves overpowered retreated The King then returned to the siege and they not being well stored with provision this being the Sabbatical year at last yielded up the Town upon composition Antiochus having herein placed a Garrison marched up to Jerusalem and there made all provision possible for the gaining of it all manner of Engines being raised for the casting of fire and stones but the besieged defended themselves bravely though provisions were very short with them and the famine prevailed so much among them that they were in danger of falling into the Kings hands but before he could finish his work news came that Philip whom his father had appointed to be Guardian being returned out of Egypt was coming with the forces that Epiphanes had left in Persia and Media to recover his right usurped by Lysias Hereupon both he and his Captains were presently perswaded by Lysias because the place was strong and provisions began to fail in the Leaguer and the affairs of the Kingdom required it to make peace with the besieged and with the whole Nation of the Jews upon such terms as they required Then returning to Ptolemais the inhabitants thereof being great enemies to the Jews stickled hard to perswade him to break the League but Lysias so well argued the matter among them that he quieted their minds and confirmed the peace so that the Investiture of the commanding power in the Hasmoneans took its rise from the time of this peace agreed on betwixt Antiochus Eupator and Maccabeus The King hasting thence towards Antioch brought along with him as a prisoner Menelaus the High Priest whom Lysias accused as an Incendiary and the cause of the war whereupon by order from the King he was let down into a Tower filled with ashes and there miserably ended his life ten years after he had first usurped the Priesthood Menelaus being thus taken out of the way the King substituted in his room one Alcimus a man every whit as bad as he Indeed he was of Aaron's progeny but not of the High Priests blood and Lysias perswaded the King to transfer that dignity into another family Onias the Son of Onias the third seeing the High Priesthood conferred on Alcimus went into Egypt and after he had well insinuated himself into the affections of Ptol. Philometor and Cleopatra his wife obtained of them leave to build a Temple to God in the jurisdiction of Heliopolis answering to that at Jerusalem and that they would constitute him High Priest there See more of this in Vsher p. 467. Antiochus coming to Antioch found Philip Master thereof but setting upon it he took it by force and taking Philip therein put him to death and so quickly quieted those stirs being reserved with Lysias his Guardian though but a little time for others more dangerous Demetrius Soter Son of Seleucus Philopator the right heir to the Kingdom now escaping from Rome quickly got the Kingdom and put to death Eupator and Lysias his Guardian Alcimus who had procured from Eupator to be made High Priest being not now receivâ—d nor owned by the people for that in the days of Epiphanes he had wilfully defiled himself came to Demetrius with other Apostates to get the Priesthood confirmed to him He accused his Countrymen especially the Hasmoneans viz. Judas and his Brethren as guilty of cutting off the Kings friends and banishing them out of the Country Hereupon Demetrius sent Bacchides the Governour of Mesopotamia his trusty friend with great forces into Judea and confirmed the High Priesthood to Alcimus whom he sent back with him All their design was being arrived there by fair speeches to get Judas and his Brethren into their hands but they gave no credit to them Many of the Scribes went out to them to seek peace expecting they should have obtained it of Alcimus who was of the seed of Aaron and had now great power in the army but having gotten them into his hands he most wickedly contrary to agreement and his oath put sixty of them to death all in one day by which perfidiousness many being terrified fled from the City Then Bacchides going from Jerusalem caused many that had fled from him and several others of the Jews to be slain and cast into a great pit and so committing the care of the Country to Alcimus for the defence of which he left him some forces he returned unto the King After his departure Alcimus striving all he could to confirm himself in the Priesthood made great havock of the people Hereupon Judas went out through the whole Country taking vengeance on such as had revolted from him and so terrified those that adhered to Alcimus that they were forced to keep themselves within their Garrisons and durst not make any more incursions into the Country Alcimus apprehending danger to himself from these proceedings goes once more to Demetrius carrying along with him a Crown of Gold to present unto him For Judas and his party increasing in power would not suffer him to come near to the holy Altar at which being enraged he eagerly accused them to the King as authors of all the commotions and disturbances in Judea further complaining that he was deprived of the Priesthood the honour as he said of his Ancestors and further affirmed that as long as Maccabeus lived the Kings affairs could not be secure This being seconded by some ill-willers to the Jews and his friends Demetrius was so inflamed that sending for Nicanor one of his chiefest Princes and a bitter enemy to the Jews made him General against Judea giving him order to destroy Judas and disperse his associates the Assideans and to settle Alcimus in the High Priesthood The Jews upon the report of Nicanors approach and the Association of several Gentiles with him cast dust upon their heads and made their Supplication to God And it so happened that after a short skirmish betwixt Simon Judas's Brother and a party of Nicanors near the Village Dessaro Nicanor understanding the Courage and Resolution of Judas and his Party in defending their Country he was unwilling to run the hazard of a Battel but sent to parle with the Jews and to make peace with them upon mutual engagements of fidelity each to other And Articles being agreed upon between them the two Captains met and the Conference proved very successful and closed in a League without the Kings Privity Nicanor after this abode a while in Jerusalem and dismissed the Companies he had collected and was so taken with Judas that he continued with him some time and loved him in his heart and lived so friendly and familiarly with him that he perswaded him to marry a Wife But when that wretched fellow Alcimus observed this Correspondence between them he addressed
Affairs of Government Antipater made his Son Phasaelus Captain of Jerusalem and the Country adjacent and committed Galilee to the Custody of his second Son Herod being then about 25 years of Age. Herod at the very first gave evidence of what Spirit and heigth of courage he was For there being at that time one Hezekias a notable Thief who with a great company of followers used to infest the Country of Syria he took him and put him to death with many others of that Rout which thing much endeared him to the Syrians and thereby he became known to Sextus Cesar the President and Kinsman to the Dictator Phasaelus his Brother was hereby much stirred up to Emulation and carryed himself very obligingly and honourably towards those of his Jurisdiction so that their Father was honoured by the people as a King and yet preserved his fidelity intire to Hircanus But divers of the Nobles and chief men of the Jewish Nation understanding how he flourished both upon his own account and that of his Sons inwardly fretted at it and the rather because he made use of Hircanus for his own ends as they conceived having contracted friendship with the Roman Generals and perswaded him to send money to them yet got to himself the credit of the President But especially the forward and bold disposition of Herod affrighted them whom they looked upon as a young and growing Tyrant They make their Addresses to Hircanus complaining to him bitterly against Antipater as one who carried away all the profit of the Kingdom They further complained of that bold act of Herods in putting to death Hezekias with many others without any Commission received from Hircanus in contempt of the Laws by which no man is to suffer tho' he were never so wicked till he had a legal Tryal and were condemned by the Sentence of the Judge Hircanus being at last wrought upon by these complaints summoned Herod to Jerusalem to give an account of these his actions before the Council Herod having settled the affairs of Galilee appeared at Jerusalem but with a Guard as his Father had advised him by Letter yet a moderate one lest he should affright Hircanus When he appeared before the Sanhedrin in his Royal Robes and with his Guard no body had the courage to say any thing to him or accuse him till one of the Council called Sameas a just man and yet no hot-spirited man as the Jewish Proverb shews Be thou humble as Hillel and not angry as Sameas rising up inveighed against him for the manner of his Appearance not suitable to the condition of a person summoned to answer for his faults and blamed both Hircanus and the Council for their too great Indulgence which he feared they would afterwards pay dearly for And the event proved his words true that very Council and Hircanus himself being afterwards put to death by Herod when he was King The Council being inflamed with Sameas's words had certainly now condemned him had not Hircanus foreseeing it put off the business till the next day and in the mean time privately advised Herod to shift for himself Herod thereupon retired to Damascus and visited Sextus Cesar who loved him as his own Son and then gave out That he would no more appear though he were cited at which they at Jerusalem fretted and perswaded Hircanus That all these things tended to his ruine Herod having purchased of Sextus Cesar the Government of Coelosyria disdaining now that he had been commanded to come and plead his cause at Jerusalem marches towards the City with an Army and if his Father and Brother had not met him and otherwise perswaded him he had made mischief enough Having therefore made a shew of his power he retreated About this time Caelicius Bassus in favour of Pompey made away Sextus Cesar and got his Army to submit to him but divers of Cesars party came to revenge his Kinsmans death and a War ensued about Epamea whither Antipater mindful of the Benefits he had received from Cesar sent his Sons with aid to assist Cesars Captains The War being drawn out in length Statius Marcus was sent to succeed Sextus and in the mean time Julius Cesar was stab'd in the Senate-house which as it bred trouble and disturbance to the whole Roman Empire so neither did Judea escape without its share thereof A Civil War insuing the chief Captains on both sides ran up and down to provide themselves for it Cassius one of them that slew Cesar came into Syria where raising the Seige before Apamea he drew both Marcus and Bassus to his Party and then taking upon him the Power of a General and Title of Proconsul he reduced to his obedience all the Cities of Syria and levied men and exacted grievous Contributions But especially he afflicted Judea levying a Tax of above 700 Talents upon it Antipater seeing the Commonwealth in trouble and fearing Cassius's Threats appointed his two Sons to gather part of the money and Malichus a Jew that was an enemy of his to gather another part and some others another part But Herod bringing first of all an 100 Talents which were imposed upon Galilee which belonged to his Government became thereby much in Cassius's favour But under the other Governours divers Cities were set to Sale to make up the Sum. And the Tax as it should seem came in so slowly that Cassius was exceedingly enraged and was about to put Malichus one of the Collectors to death had not Hircanus by sending to him a 100 Talents of his own money by Antipater appeased his fury But Antipater was ill requited by Malichus for this For as soon as Cassius left Judea Malichus practiced to take away Antipaters life thinking that he being removed out of the way they should better provide for the security of Hircanus's Government Antipater having an inckling of it passed over Jordan and gathered an Army intending to revenge the Treachery but Malichus being a crafty Dissembler so denyed the matter with Oaths to his two Sons that they reconciled him to their Father who by his Intercession saved him out of the Hands of Marcus President of Syria who understanding that Malichus attempted some Innovations in Judea had resolved to put him to death But Antipater preserved him to his own Destruction Cassius and Marcus having gathered an Army made Herod for his good services Governour of Coelosyria and gave him forces both of Horse and Foot and also Ships at Sea and promised to make him King of Judea if they got the better against Anthony and young Cesar Antipater not long after being feasted by Hircanus at Jerusalem Malichus corrupting the Kings Butler poisoned Antipater and gathering a Band of Soldiers seized on the Government of the City Antipaters Sons having notice of their Fathers death Herod would have revenged it out of hand and that by open force but Phasaelus thought it better to circumvent the Murderer in some more private way lest they should seem the beginners
was feasted by Anthony Thus Herod obtained the Soveraignty of Judea A. M. 3965. about 35 years before the Birth of Christ to the just Wonderment both of himself and others having always feared that the Romans would never confer that honour and dignity upon him which was not wont to be bestowed upon any but those of a Royal Stock But this added to the wonder that within seven days Anthony dismissed him out of Italy During Herods absence Antigonus laid close siege to the Castle of Massada where Herod had left his Relations abounding with all sorts of provisions only Water was wanting so that Joseph had thoughts of getting away with 200 men into Arabia the King whereof he now heard repented of his unkindness to his Brother But this was prevented by a shower that fell by night as if sent on purpose from Heaven for their relief whereupon they were so heartned as to sally out upon the Besiegers whereof they cut off many In the mean time Ventidius the Roman General being sent into Syria to expel the Parthians thence after their retreat came into Judea under pretence to help Joseph but indeed with intentions to extort a good Sum of money from Antigonus which accordingly he did and then drew off the greater part of his forces but left Silo with a party behind who was also to be pleased by Antigonus lest he should raise him some new Troubles But in the mean time Herod landed at Ptolemais and having got together a good Company of Soldiers hasted through Galilee against Antigonus being aided by Ventidius and Silo to whom Anthony had sent express order that they should place him in the Kingdom Ventidius was then busie in composing differences among the Cities which the Incursion of the Parthians had made Herods forces encreasing he marched towards Massada for the relief of his Friends which he accomplished having first taken Joppa in his way after which he marched up to Jerusalem in spight of Antigonus many of Silo's Soldiers joyning themselves to him and many of the Jews that were terrified by his power Having encamped on the west side of the City he commanded an Herauld to proclaim round about the Walls that he came for the publick good and for the Conservation of the City and that he would pardon all former injuries On the other side Antigonus remonstrated to Silo and the Romans that it was unjustly done to give the Kingdom unto Herod a private man and an Idumaean whereas it ought only to be given to one of the Priests Line Silo being bribed by Antigonus dealt privately with some of his Soldiers to begin a mutiny requiring to be led into a place more plenteous of Provisions Hereupon the Army being in disorder and ready to dislodge Herod intreated the Captains and Soldiers that they would not leave him now he being sent both by Cesar and Anthony and all the rest of the Senate and he would take care they should not want Provisions and accordingly brought Plenty out of the Country and so cut off all occasion of Silo's departure Then taking out a party consisting of Ten Companies half Jews half Romans he went to Jericho which City he found forsaken of its Inhabitants The Romans entring the Town plundred it finding it full of good booty Then returning he sent the rest of the Roman Army to winter quarters which he appointed in Idumaea Galilee and Samaria But Antigonus obtained of Silo that part of his Army might quarter in Lydda thereby endeavouring to curry favour with Antony Thus the Romans lay idle all this season in places abounding with all plenty However Herod was not idle but sending his Brother Joseph into Idumaea with 400 Horse and 1000 Foot went down into Galilee to reduce some places held by Antigonus and within a short while brought all the Country into obedience except those men that lurked in Caves and then giving to his Soldiers 150 Drachms a man and more to the Captains placed them also in Winter quarters Silo a little after came to him with his Captains who had Wintred with Antigonus but he refused to maintain them any longer and commanded the Inhabitants thereabout to spoil the Country of all necessaries and taking with them such Provisions as they could carry away to flee to the mountains that so the Romans might perish through want Ventidius being now engaged in Syria against the Parthians sent to Silo to come to him and bring Herod along with him with his Forces But Herod having sent Silo to him marched himself with his Soldiers against the Thieves that lurked in Caves many of whom he destroyed In the mean while Ventidius having in a Battel slain Pacorus and put the Parthians to flight by Antony's command sent Machaeras with two Legions and 1000 Horse to assist Herod against Antigonus but being come he would needs contrary to Herods mind go to Antigonus pretending thereby he should be able to discover and spie out his Designs But Antigonus suspecting him would not admit him then repenting he had not taken Herods advice he went and secured himself in Emmaus and out of madness at what had hapned to him slew all Jews that came in his way without any difference of Friend or Foe Herod being hereat enraged resolved to go and complain to Antony who was then in person besieging Samosata upon the River Euphrates but Machaeras intreated him to stay or if he would needs go however to leave his brother Joseph with him to carry on the War against Antigonus which latter he granted yet charging his Brother not to venture all upon a Battel nor contend with Machaeras Then hasted he to Antony taking with him Auxiliaries both of Horse and Foot At Antioch he met with many that desired to go to Antony's Camp but durst not venture by reason the Barbarians had beset the ways but Herod taking the Conduct of them and beating the Barbarians once or twice in the way with great honour and reputation for his valour arrived safe at Samosata Antony to do him honour sent out a little Army to meet him and with great Praises and Embraces received him and gave him great respect being a King of his own making Shortly after the Town being yielded up Antony delivering to Socius the Government of Syria with an Army and commending to him the affairs of Herod went himself back into Egypt In the mean while Joseph neglecting his Brothers Counsel was slain in Judea and Antigonus being Master of the Field and having the dead bodies at his dispose was so enraged that he whipped the dead body of Joseph although Pheroras his Brother offered 50 Talents to redeem it Great Innovations upon Josephs death ensued in that place and in Galilee Herod understanding these things being furnished by Socius with two Legions he marched into Galilee where meeting the enemy he fought with them and worsted them and took the Castle that some of them fled into Thence hasting to Jericho he there feasted many
honourable persons and after the feast was ended and the Guests gone and himself had retired to his Lodging the Room in which they had supped being now empty of Company fell down and did no body any harm whereupon he was accounted as one especially owned by God who had so wonderfully preserved him Not long after he got five Towns into his hands wherein he put to the Sword 2000. Garrison Soldiers and then went against Pappus whom Antigonus had sent into Samaria Pappus gave him Battel very boldly but his Army was overthrown by him and himself taken Prisoner and Herod in revenge of his Brothers death did great Execution upon them by which defeat Antigonus's Interest was quite broken Next day he cut off Pappus's Head and sent it to his Brother Pheroras in revenge of his Brother Josephs death whom it seems Pappus slew The extremity of the Weather being over Herod marches up to Jerusalem and lays siege to it in the third year after he had been declared King by the Romans intending to use the same manner of assault that Pompey had made formerly against the Temple Socius also came up to him to Jerusalem so that both carried on the siege with an army of eleven Legions and 6000 horse The Defendants with great courage made resistance doing all that could reasonably be expected from them though much straitned for provisions it being the Sabbatical year They held out five months though there was so great an army besieging them At length twenty of Herods stoutest Souldiers got upon the walls and then the Centurions of Socius The outward part of the Temple being taken and the lower City the Jews fled into the inward part at length by a general assault that was taken also and then all places were filled with slaughters the Romans being enraged that they had held out so long and the Jews out of malice and particular grudges seeking to destroy all of the contrary faction the reverence of the Temple not abating their rage Antigonus came and fell at Socius's feet who insulting over him called him Madam Antigona and put him in prison and set keepers over him Herod did what he could to restrain the Souldiers from exercising such extream violence and to keep the profane multitude from violating the Temple and from plundring the City asking Socius If the Romans intended to make him King of a wilderness and added that he should think the victory worse than an overthrow if they proceeded to such extremities At length he was fain to redeem the City from further plunderings by his own moneys wherewith he rewarded the Romans and sent them away sufficiently inriched Socius having offered a Crown of Gold to God departed from Jerusalem leading Antigonus with him prisoner to Antony This disaster befell Jerusalem in the third month on the 28th day of which the Jews were wont to celebrate a solemn fast in memory of the Roll that was burnt by Jehoiakim and it was taken on the same day it had been taken by Pompey several years before Herod fearing that if Anthony should carry Antigonus to Rome he would there obtain favour of the Senate as being of the Royal race and procure the Kingdom at their hands if not for himself yet for his children who never had ill deserved of the Romans he procured Antony to dispatch him out of the way who pretending the unquietness of the Jews for his sake caused him to be beheaded at Antioch And so the Principality of the Asmonaeans came to an end after it had stood 126 years and had been freed from the yoke of Syria 98 years and Herod a forreigner was confirmed in the Soveraignty over Judea by the Romans Of these miserable times among others were spectators Zachary the Priest with his wife Elizabeth of the relicts of Davids stock Heli and Joseph Anna also the Prophetess of the Tribe of Asser and Simeon who was assur'd from God he should not see death till he had seen the Lords Christ Herod being thus setled in the Kingdom in the third year after he was made King by the Romans advanced those of his own faction and put to death many of the contrary party among others he put to death all those Judges of the great Sanhedrin who had accused him of capital crimes before he was King except Pollio the Pharisee and his disciple Sameas whom he highly honoured During these things the King of the Parthians had courteously treated the captive High-Priest Hircanus who hearing that Herod was made King began to conceive hopes of favour from him because he had saved his life when he was called into question and therefore thought of returning into his own Country To which he was at last perswaded having received courteous invitations from Herod who strove to get the poor old man into his clutches and when he came Herod received him with all honour and respect and gave him the upper hand in all Assemblies and calling him Father lull'd him on lest he should suspect any treachery Then he preferred to the High-Priesthood an old friend of his one Ananelus sending for him from Babylon a man of obscure parentage derived from those Jews that were carry'd away beyond Euphrates but of the race of the Priests passing by Aristobulus the Grandson of Aristobulus the King and Brother to his own wife Mariamne Alexandra the Mother of Mariamne being exceedingly enraged at this and Mariamne continually following him with intreaties that he would restore the High Priesthood to her Brother to whom of right it belonged whither moved by these things or that Antony desiring to see the youth Aristobulus for the same of his beauty he feared the Romans might advance him or however it was to stay him at home he gave him the Priesthood putting out Ananelus and excused his not sending him to Antony by the inclination of the Jews to rebellion Perceiving him therefore to be in extraordinary favour with the Jews and that Alexandra plotted the escape of her self and her Son into Egypt where she expected aid and assistance from Cleopatra Herod caused him to be duckt to death as he was bathing himself in the eighteenth year of his age and then feigning to be very sorrowful for his death he buried him with a most magnificent funeral and then made Ananelus High-Priest again Alexandra certifies Cleopatra by Letters of this horrid treachery of Herod who exceedingly pittying her misfortune urged Antony exceedingly to revenge the young mans death Antony when he came into Laodicea sent for Herod to come to him to answer the crime objected against him He therefore leaving the care of the Kingdom to his Vncle Joseph gave him private instructions that if any thing otherwise than well should befall him he should put his wife Mariamne to death for he so loved her that he would not have any one to enjoy her though after his death And then going to Antony he quickly appeased him by gifts and presents and made his peace