present to Jerusalem l As the place which God had designed for his Worship and in the Center and Heart of his Kingdom and therefore fittest for his Royal City unto the Jebusites m Who continued to dwell there in spight of the Benjamites to whose lot it fell See Iosh. 15. 63. Iudg. 1. 21. and 19. 10 11. the inhabitants of the land which spake unto David saying ‖ Or except one remove from thee Except thou take away the blind and the lame thou shalt not come in hither n Or thou shalt not come in hither but the blind and the lame shall remove or hinder thee By the blind and the lame they understand either 1. Their own People and so they imply that the Place was so Impregnable that a few Blind and Lame men were able to Defend it against all David's Assaults And these may be called and were the hated of David's soul v. 8. Not because they were blind and lame but because they were Iebusites a People hated and accursed by God and the Iebusites of this place were more hateful to him than the rest of that Nation partly because they Possessed this Place which David knew was designed for the one and onely Place of God's Solenm Worship and partly because they did so wickedly and insolently defie the Armies of Israel and consequently the God of Israel Or 2. Their gods or images which after the manner of the Heathens they Worshipped as their tutelary gods and placed in their Gates or Walls These they call blind and lame sarcastically and with respect to David's opinion as if they said These gods of ours whom you Israelites Reproach as Blind and Lame Psal. 115. 5 6. and so unable to direct and protect us they will defend us against you and you will find they are neither Blind nor Lame but have Eyes to watch for us and Hands to Fight against you and you must Conquer them before you can take our City And these may well be called the hated of David's soul. But I prefer the former sence as being most easie and natural and proper whereas the latter is Metaphorical and seems doubtful and forced ‖ Or saying thinking David cannot come in hither o Concluding their Fort to be Impregnable 7 Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion o Either 1. A very strong Fort which they had built upon Mount Sion which being taken the City quickly yielded Or 2. The City of Zion which was very strongly Fortified the same is ‡ Now 〈◊〉 the city of David 8 And David said on that day Whosoever getteth up to the gutter p i. e. Whosoever Scaleth the Fort or getteth up to the top of it where the Gutter was and smiteth the Jebusites and the lame and the blind q Or even or especially for the Hebrew Particle Vau signifies both ways the lame and the blind i. e. Those of them who are set to Defend that Place who as they pretend should be onely the Lame and the Blind Others understand it of their Idols or Images But they could not properly be said to be smitten i. e. Killed as that Word is used here and elsewhere that are hated of Davids soul r This belongs to the Iebusite and the lame and the blind and it is explained in v. 6. * 1 Chron. 11. 6. he shall be chief and captain s These words are fitly supplyed out of 1 Chron. 11. 6. where they are expressed and they must needs be understood to make the sence compleat And such Ellipses or defects of a part of the Sentence are usual in Promises and Oaths and Conditional Offers such as this was ‖ Or because they had 〈◊〉 even the blind and the lame he shall not come into the house wherefore they said The blind and the lame shall not come into the house t i. e. Whence it became a Proverb or a common saying used by David and others upon this occasion or otherwise The blind and the lame Iebusites â—…ere set to keep the House i. e. The Fort of Zion and to keep others from coming into it but now they are shut out of it and none of them to wit either 1. Of the Iebusites or 2. Of Blind and Lame persons shall be admitted to come into it again Which David might resolve and ordain to keep up the memory of this great Exploit and of the Insolent Carriage of the Iebusites and their unhappy Success Or the blind and the lame shall not come into my house to wit Into the King's Palace And although this might be a general Rule and Decree of David's yet he might dispense with it in some special cases as in that of Mephibosheth But it is not necessary that this should be a Proverb for the Words may be thus rendred as it is in the Margent of our Bible because they had said even the blind and the lame he i. e. David shall not come into the house or because they i. e. the Jebusites had said the blind and the lame shall hinder him which Words are easily supplied out of v. 6. where having spoken of this more largely it was sufficient here to mention the most Emphatical Words as is usual in such Cases He shall not come into the house or hither as they say v. 6. i. e. Into the Fort for the Word house is used very largely and generally in the Hebrew Language for any place as Iudg. 16. 21. 9 So David dwelt in the fort and called it The city of David and David built round about from Millo u Which seems to have been some large and well fortified Building Iudg. 9. 6. 2 Chron. 3. 5. adjoyning or near to the wall of the City of Zion and inward 10 ¶ And David ‡ Heb. went going and growing went on and grew great x In reputation and power and the LORD God of hosts was with him 11 And * 1 King 5. 2. 1 Chron. 14. 1. Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David and cedar-trees y For Lebanon which was famous for its Cedars was a great part of it in his Dominion and carpenters and ‡ Heb. hewers of the stone of the wall masons z For the Tyrians were excellent Artists and Workmen as both Sacred and Profane Writers agree and they built David an house 12 And David perceived a By reflecting upon the Promises which God had made him and the constant course of Gods Providence favouring him that the LORD had established him king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israels sake 13 ¶ And * 1 Chron. 3. 9. and 14. 3. David took him moe concubines and wives b This may well be reckon'd amongst David's miscarriages the multiplication of 〈◊〉 being expresly forbidden to the King Deut. 17. 17. The use of seems to have been his Policy that hereby he might enlarge his
searched found out 48 And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD p Such as God by the Mouth of Moses had commanded to be made for his House and Service and such as Moses had made onely these were larger and richer and more according to the difference of the Temple and Tabernacle and Solomon's vast riches and the poverty of Moses and the Israelites at that time the altar of gold q To wit of Incense as appears from 1 Chron. 28. 18. where this is mentioned amongst the things for which David left Gold and Solomon is here said to build it and therefore this cannot be that Altar made by Moses Exod. 25. 23 24. and 30. 1 3. which also was of Shittim-Wood whereas this was made of Cedar and covered with Gold 1 King 6. 20. and the table of gold whereupon the * Exod. 25. 30 shew-bread was r Under which by a Synecdoche are comprehended both all the utensils belonging to it and the other ten Tables which he made together with it 2 Chron. 4. 7 8. 49 And the candlesticks s Which were ten according to the number of the Tables whereas Moses made but one whereby might be signified the progress of the Light of Sacred Truth which was now grown clearer than it was in Moses his time and should shine brighter and brighter until the perfect day of Gospel Light of pure gold t Of massy and fine Gold five on the right side and five on the left before the oracle u In the Holy place with the flowers x Wrought upon the Candlesticks as it had formerly been See on Exod. 25. 31. and the lamps and the tongs of gold 50 And the bowls and the snuffers and the basons and the spoons and the ‡ Heb. ashpans censers of pure gold and the hinges of gold both for the doors of the inner house the most holy place and for the doors of the house to wit of the holy temple 51 So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD and Solomon brought in the ‡ Heb. Holy things of David things * 2 Sam. 8. 11. 2 Chron. 5. 1. which David his father had dedicated even the silver and the gold y Either First All of it and so Solomon built it wholly at his own charge Or Secondly So much of it as was left and the vessels z Those which David had dedicated and with them the Altar of Moses and some other of the old utensils which were now laid aside far better being put in the room of them did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD CHAP. VIII THen * â—… Chr â—… 2. Solomon assembled the elders of Israel a The Senators and Judges and Rulers and all the heads of the tribes b For each Tribe had a peculiar Head or Governor the ‡ Heb. princes chief of the fathers c The chief Persons of every great Family in each Tribe of the children of Israel unto king Solomon d Unto himself the antecedent Noun being put for the relative and reciprocal Pronoun as is frequent with the Hebrews in Jerusalem e Where the Temple was built and now finished that they might bring up the ark f To the top of this high Hill of Moriah upon which it was built whither they were now to carry the Ark in a Solemn pomp that by this their attendance they might make a publick profession of that service and respect and obedience which they owed unto that God who was Graciously and Gloriously present in the Ark. of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David g Where David had placed the Ark 2 Sam. 6. 12 17. See on 1 King 2. 10. and 3. 1 which is Zion h Which is also called Zion because it was built upon that Hill 2 And all the men of Israel i Not onely the chief Men who were particularly invited but a vast number of the common people as being forward to see and to joyn in this great and Glorious Solemnity assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast k Understand either first The Feast of Tabernacles Or rather Secondly The Feast of the Dedication to which Solomon had invited them which was before that Feast for that began on the 15 day of the 7th month Lev. 23. 34. but this began at the least 7 days before that Feast for Solomon and the People kept the Feast for 14 days here v. 65. i. e. 7 days for the Dedication of the Temple and 7 other days for that of Tabernacles and after both these were finished he sent all the People to their homes on the 23 day of the month See 2 Chron. 7. 9 10. in the month Ethanim which is the seventh month l Which time he chose with common respect to his Peoples convenience because now they gathered in all their Fruits and now they were come up to Ierusalem to Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles Quest. The Temple was not finished till the eighth month 1 King 6. 38. how then could he invite them in the seventh month Ans. This was the 7th month of the next Year For although the house in all its parts was finished the Year before yet the utensils of it described chap. 7. were not then fully finished but took up a considerable time afterward and many preparations were to be made for this great and extraordinary occasion 3 And all the elders of Israel came and the priests took up the ark m For although the Levites might do this Numb 4. 15. yet the Priests did it at this time partly for the greater honour of the Solemnity and partly because the Levites might not enter into the Holy place much less into the Holy of Holies where it was to be placed into which the Priests themselves might not have entred if the High-Priest alone could have done it Obj The Levites are said to have done this 2 Chron. 5. 4. Ans. That is most true because all the Priests were Levites though all the Levites were not Priests 4 And they brought up the ark of the LORD and the tabernacle of the congregation n That made by Moses which doubtless before this time had been translated from Gibeon to Zion and now together with other things was put into the Treasuries of the Lords-House to prevent all the superstitious use and prophane abuse of it and to oblige the people to come up to Ierusalem as the onely place where God would now be Worshipped and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle even those did the priests and Levites o The Priests carrying some and the Levites others bring up 5 And king Solomon and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him were with him before the ark sacrificing sheep and oxen p Either First
their tents 22 Yet Edom revolted i For though Ioram had given them a defeat yet it may seem to have been no great slaughter but onely a putting them to flight and therefore they might easily rally again And Iehoram could not pursue the Victory because he was recalled by the revolt of his own Subjects which had took the occasion of his absence and probably feared that others would follow their example if they had the like occasion from under the hand of Judah until this day Then Libnah k A considerable City in Iudah belonging to the Priests Ios. 15. 42. and 21. 13. revolted l Why see 2 Chron. 21. 10 11. It is probable they returned to their obedience because those words unto this day which are added to the former clause are omitted here at the same time 23 And the rest of the acts of Joram and all that he did are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah m Of which see on 1 King 14. 19. 24 And Joram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David and * 2 Chr. 22. 1. Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead 25 ¶ In the twelfth year of Joram n Obj. It was in the eleventh year of Ioram chap. 9. 29. Ans. Either First He began to Reign in the confines of Ioram's 11th and 12th Year in the very end of his 11th Year or towards the beginning of the 12th whence it is indifferently ascribed to the one or the other Or Secondly The one Year of Ahaziah did concur with the later half of Ioram's 11th Year and the former half of his 12th Year and if he could not be said to begin to reign in both these Years yet he might unquestionably be said to reign in both of them and the Hebrew word both here and chap. 9. 29. properly signifies he reigned and not he began to reign as it is Translated Or Thirdly Ahaziah began to 〈◊〉 with hâ—…s Father and during his Life according to the late examples both in Iudah and Israel there being also special occasion for it by reason of Ioram's cruel and long sickness 2 Chron. 21. 18 c. and this was in Ioram's 11th Year and then his Father died and he began his single Reign in Ioram's 12th Year the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah o Called also Iehoahaz 2 Câ—…ro 21. 17. and Azariah 2 Chron. 22. 6. the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign 26 Two and twenty years old p How this agrees with 2 Chron. 22. 2. see on that place was Ahaziah when he began to reign and he reigned one year in Jerusalem and his mothers name was Athaliah the daughter q i. e. His Grand-Daughter See above on ver 18. of Omri king of Israel 27 And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD as did the house of Ahab for he was the son in law of the house of Ahab r He was the proper Son of Athaliah Daughter of Ahab and the Grand-Son-in-law of Ahab because his Father was Ahab's Son-in-law ver 18. 28 ¶ And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramoth-gilead and the Syrians wounded Joram 29 And * Chap. 9. 1â—… king Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 with the â—…ans had wounded which the Syrians had given him at Ramah s The same place with Ramoth or Ramoth-Gilead when he fought against Hazael king of Syria and Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was ‡ Heb. wounded sick CHAP. IX AND Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets and said unto him Gird â—…p â—…hy loins a For haste to take this opportunity when the Kings of Israel and Iudah were both absent chap. 8. 29. and Iehu as it seems was left in Chief Command and take this box of oyl in thine hand and go to Ramoth-gilead 2 And when thou comest thither look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimishi and go in and make him arise up from among his brethren and carry him to an ‡ Heb. â—…ber in a â—…ber inner chamber b Partly that the Work may not be hindred and partly for the security of thy own person See v. 3. 3 Then * 1 King 19. 1â—… take the box of oyl and pour it on his head and say Thus saith the LORD I have anointed thee king over Israel c This was not his whole Message but the rest of it is particularly declared v. 7 8 9 10. and is to be understood here then open the door and flee and tarry not 4 ¶ So the young man even the young man the prophet went to Ramoth-gilead d Which is here noted as an eminent act of obedience whereby he run into a manifest hazard of his life 5 And when he came behold the captains of the host were sitting and he said I have an errand to thee O captain And Jehu said Unto which of all us And he said To thee O captain 6 And he arose and went into the house e i. e. Into an inner Chamber in the House v. 2. and he poured the oyl on his head f Thereby in Gods Name letting him in to the actual possession of the Kingdom For if Elijah did before this time Anoint him as some think from 1 King 19. 16. that unction did onely confer a remote right to the Kingdom as Samuel's unction did to David 1 Sam. 16. 13. Though others think Elijah did perform that command by Elisha to whom he lefâ—… it in charge and Elisha waited Gods time and command for the actual execution of it which he received at this time and said unto him Thus saith the LORD God of Israel * 2 Chr. 22. 7. I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD even over Israel 7 And thou shalt smite g i. e. Kill and destroy as that word is used Gen. 8. 21. and elsewhere the house of Ahab thy master h Thy former Lord and King that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD * 1 Kin. 21. 15. at the hand of Jezebel 8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish and * 1 Kin. 14. 10. and 21. 21. I will cut off from Ahab * 1 Sam. 25. 22. him that pisseth against the wall and him that is shut up and left in Israel 9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of * 1 Kin. 14. 10. and 15. 20. and 21. 22. Jeroboam the son of Nebat and like the house of * 1 Kin. 16. 3 11. Baasha the son of Ahijah
being seventy persons were with the great men of the city which brought them up 7 And it came to pass when the letter came to them that they took the kings sons and slew seventy persons Iehu justly required this because the Sovereign and most Righteous Lord of all mens lives commanded it but the Samaritans wickedly obeyed it because they destroyeâ—… persons in a great measure innocent meerly out of slavish fear and without any knowledge of or regard to Gods command and put their heads in baskets and sent him them to Jezreel 8 ¶ And there came a messenger and told him saying They have brought the heads of the kings sons And he said Lay ye them in two heaps at the entring in of the gate n The place of Judicature to signify that this was an act of Justice and of Gods Righteous Judgment and the place of greatest concourse where people went out of the City and came into it and whither they resorted for Judgment and other occasions that all men might behold this dreadful spectacle of Divine vengeance upon Ahab's Family and thereby might justify Iehu's cause and proceedings until the morning 9 And it came to pass in the morning that he went out and stood and said to all the people o Either First To the promiscuous multitude met there to gaze upon this sad and strange spectacle So the sense is Be not you troubled nor affrighted with these unusual and dismal occurrences if any thing be amiss in these actions I do here publickly and solemnly acquit you as Righteous and Innocent do not you therefore fear any vengeance from God or men for it if there be any guilt it is in me and in those who cut off these heads Or Secondly To those who cut off and brought the heads for the same persons did both and were here present as Iehu commanded them v. 6. to them he speaks in the audience of all the people or by all the people may be meant all those who brought the Heads and were there waiting for Iehu according to his order So the Speech is in part Ironical to this purpose You are Righteous in your own eyes and you look upon me as a Traitor and Rebel and Murderer because I have risen against and slain my Master which I acknowledge I have done But if I am guilty you are not innocent and therefore cannot accuse me for I have killed one but you a great number This explication seems probable onely the Hebrew word ham being generally used of the common people may seem not so fitly to agree to these Rulers and great Men who had brought the Heads and that expression to all the people implies that Iehu did not direct his Speech to some particular persons but to the whole Body of the people then present whom he clears from all blame and to whom he appeals as Witnesses between him and these persons Ye be righteous behold I conspired against my master and slew him but ‡ Heb. anâ—… who slew all these 10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD which the LORD spake p But the truth is neither I nor they are to be blamed nor you that assisted and encouraged me herein for this is not mans work but Gods and done by his command concerning the house of Ahab for the LORD hath done that which he spake * 1 Kin. 21. 29 ‡ Heb. by the hand of by his servant Elijah q Whom he mentions rather than Elisha partly because Elijah was now dead and therefore his â—…me and memory was more Sacred than Elisha's who was yet alive this being the common humour and folly of Mankind to value and honour those that are dead whom they contemned whilst they lived and partly because Elijah's Prophecy was known and publick and famous when Elisha's was delivered in a corner and that not from his own mouth but by one of the Sons of the Prophets 11 So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel and all his great men r Whom he had advanced and made Great in Wealth or Honour and Quality who had been partners with him in his sins and who were likely to be avenged of his death and his ‖ Or acquaintance kinsfolks and his priests s His Domestick Priests which had waited upon Ahab and Iezabel in their Idolatrous services and were fed at the Kings Table Compare 1 King 18. 19. Or his chief officers of State as that word is sometimes used Of which see 2 Sam. 8. 18. compare with 1 Chron. 18. 17. Obj. These were included in his great men mentioned before Answ. Yet may they well be mentioned apart as a distinct and the most eminent sort of them until he left him none remaining t To wit in that place and Kingdom for he did leave some of the Royal Seed of Iudah Chap. 11. 1 2. 12 And he arose and departed and came to Samaria And as he was at the ‡ Heb. House of Shepherds binding sheep shearing house u Where they used to shear Sheep and then to Feast after their manner 1 Sam. 25. 36. 2 Sam. 13. 23. Or this may be the name of a Place Beth-heked of the shepherds or Beth-heked-rohim in the way 13 Jehu ‡ Heb. found met with the brethren x Not strictly so for they were killed before this 2 Chron. 21. 17. but his brethrens sons as they are called 2 Chron. 22. 8. or others of his near kinsmen such being oft called brethren in Scripture as Gen. 13. 8. of Ahaziah king of Judah and said Who are ye And they answered We are the brethren of Ahaziah and we go down ‡ Heb. to the peace of c. to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen 14 And he said Take them alive And they took them alive and slew them y Partly in compliance with God's Command Chap. 9. 8. for these were of the House of Ahab by the Mothers-side Chap. 8. 18. and partly that they might neither claim the Kingdom of Israel in Right of their Grandmother as they might well have done if God had not given it to Iehu nor Revenge the Deaths of their near Relations at the pit of the shearing-house z Where he intended to Bury them even two and forty men neither left he any of them 15 And when he was departed thence he ‡ lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab a A Kenite 1 Chron. 2. 55. and a man of singular Prudence and Piety as appears from this History and from Ier. 35. 6. coming Heb. found to meet him b To Congratulate with him for the Destruction of that wicked Family and to encourage and advise him to proceed in fulfilling the Will of God Revealed to him and he ‡ Heb. blessed saluted him c Iehu saluted Iehonadab and
very young when his Father was slain and the people were not agreed to restore him to his right till his 16th Year chap. 14. 21. 2 Chr. 26. 1. And yet these 11 or 12 Years of inter-Reign in which he was excluded from the exercise of his Regal office some think to be included in those 52 Years which are here ascribed to Azariah's Reign ver 2. which may well be doubted ‡ Heb. reigned began Azariah b Called also Uzziah here and v. 13 30. son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign c Solely and fully to exercise his Regal power 2 Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign and he reigned two and fifty years d Besides the sixteen Years of his minority last mentioned in Jerusalem and his mothers name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem 3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD according to all that his father Amaziah had done e i. e. In the same manner unsincerely and but for a time 4 Save that f Understand this as howbeit chap. 14. 4. the high places were not removed the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places 5 ¶ And the LORD * 2 Chr. 26. 19. smote the king so that he was a leper g The cause whereof see 2 Chron. 26. 16. unto the day of his death and dwelt in a several house h Separated from conversation with others by vertue of that Law Lev. 13. 46. which being the Law of the King of kings bound kings no less than subjects and Jotham the kings son was over the house judging the people of the land i i. e. He governed the Kings Court and whole Kingdom in his name and as his Vicegerent 6 And the rest of the acts of Azariah and all that he did are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah 7 So Azariah slept with his fathers and * 2 Chr. â—…6 〈◊〉 they buried him with his fathers in the city of David and Jotham his son reigned in his stead 8 ¶ In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah k Of which see the Note on ver 2. did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months 9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD as his fathers had done he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin 10 And Shallum the son of Jabesh l One of his chief Captains conspired against him and * Job 34. â—…6 Amos 7. 9. smote him before the people m Openly and impudently which he presumed to do either because he remembred that the promise of the Kingdom made to Iehu was confined to the fourth Generation chap. 10. 30. which he observed to be now expired or because he perceived that the people were generally disaffected to their King and favourable to his attempt and slew him and reigned in his stead 11 And the rest of the acts of Zachariah behold they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 12 This was * Chap 〈◊〉 the word of the LORD which he spake unto Jehu saying Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation And so it came to pass 13 ¶ Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calâ—…ed 〈◊〉 Uzziah king of Judah and he reigned ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 of days a full month in Samaria 14 For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah and came to Samaria and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and slew him and reigned in his stead 15 And the rest of the acts of Shallum and his conspiracy which he made behold they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 16 ¶ Then Menahem smote Tiphsah n Either that Tiphsah mentioned 1 King 4. 24. or another City of that name and all that were therein and the coasts thereof from Tirzah o i. e. All the people dwelling between Tirzah and Tiphsah because they opened not to him p Because they refused to open the Gates of their City to him and to submit to him as Conqueror therefore he smote it and all * Chap. 〈◊〉 the women therein that were with child he ript up q That by this example of severity he might affright all the rest of the people into obedience 17 In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel and reigned ten years in Samaria 18 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin 19 And * 1 Chr. 〈◊〉 Isa. 9. 1. Pul the king of Assyria r Called by Heathen Anâ—…hors Pul-Belochus who by the help of Arbaces the Mede vanquished Sardanapalus the last Monarch of Assyria and translated the Kingdom to Chaldaea and was the first King of Babylon and Assyria Arbaces being made King of the Medes and Persians came against the land s To wit of Israel as the context shews and Menahem gave t i. e. Agreed or promised to give as the next Verse explains it Pul a thousand talents of silver that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand u That he might assist him against all that did or should oppose him By which it appears that his cruelty to Tiphsah was so far from establishing him as he expected that it weakned and endangered him so far that he was forced to call in a Foreign Prince to his aid 20 And Menahem ‡ Heb. caused to come forth exacted the money of Israel even of all the mighty men of wealth of each man x i. e. Of each of those wealthy Israelites But as each of these were not equally Wealthy so it is not probable that he taxed them equally Others therefore render it to or for each man i. e. for every Assyrian Soldier which Interpretation is favoured by the placing of the words in the Hebrew Text which differs from that in our Translation fifty shekels of silver to give to the king of Assyria so the king of Assyria turned back and stayed not there in the land 21 ¶ And the rest of the acts of Menahem and all that he did are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 22 And Menahem slept with his fathers and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead 23 ¶ In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria and reigned two years 24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam
relieved them which was done upon the Sabbath day see 2 Kings 11. 5 7. or that in which the Guard or Watchmen of the Temple kept their station or that under which the King used to sit to hear God's Word and see the Sacrifices which is called the covert of the Sabbath because the chief times in which the King used it for those ends was the Weekly Sabbath and other solemn days of Feasting or Fasting which all come under the name of Sabbaths in the Old Testament upon which the King used more certainly and solemnly to present himself before the Lord than at other times that they had built in the house and the kings entry without e By which the King used to go from his Palace to the Temple see on 1 Kings 10. 5 12. turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria f i. e. That he might ingratiate himself with the King of Assyria by his publick contempt and rejection of that Religion which had been the onely Partition-Wall between the Kings of Iudah and other Kings and which possibly the present King of Assyria did vehemently dislike and hate and therefore required these things from Ahaz 19 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah 20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XVII IN the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah ‡ Heb. reigned began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign a Quest. How can this be true seeing it is said that he reigned or began to reign in Israel in the twentieth year of Iotham chap. 15. 30. which was the Fourth Year of Ahaz as was there noted Ans. He usurped the Kingdom in Ahaz his Fourth Year but either was not owned as King by the generality of the People or was not accepted and established in his Kingdom by the Assyrian till Ahaz his Twelfth Year Or in his Eight First Years he was onely a Tributary Prince and the King of Assyria's Viceroy and after that time he set up for himself which drew the Assyrian upon him in Samaria over Israel nine years b To wit after his confirmation and peaceable possession of his Kingdom For in all he reigned Seventeen or Eighteen Years to wit Twelve with Ahaz who reigned Sixteen Years and Six with Hezekiah 2 Kings 18. 10. 2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD but not as the kings of Israel that were before him c For he neither worshipped Baal as many of his predecessors did nor compelled the People to worship the Calves one of them that of Dan being destroyed or carried away before as the Hebrew Writers affirm nor as some add hindred those by force who were minded to go to Ierusalem to worship And yet the measure of the Israelites sins being now full vengeance comes upon them without remedy Compare 2 Kings 23. 26. 3 ¶ Against him came up Shalmaneser d The Son or Successor of Tiglath-pileser The ancient Hebrew Writers make him the same with Sennacherib who Eight Years after this time invaded the kingdom of Iudah See chap. 18. 10 13. it being very frequent in the Eastern parts for one man to be called by several Names especially by the People of several Countries Iosephus affirms that he met with his Name in the Annals of the Tyrians which were extant in his days He came against him either because he denied the Tribute which he had promised to pay or that he might make him Tributary king of Assyria and Hoshea became his servant and ‡ Heb. rendred gave him ‖ Or tribute presents e Swore Fealty to him and engaged to pay him a Tribute 4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt f By Heathen Writers called Sua or Sabacus that by his assistance he might shake off the Yoke of the King of Assyria who now was and for many Years had been the King of Egypt's Rival See 2 Kings 18. 21. Ier. 37. 5. and brought no present to the king of Assyria as he had done year by year therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison g To wit after he had come up against him and taken him with Samaria the particular Relation whereof here follows 5 ¶ Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land and went up to Samaria and besieged it three years 6 ¶ * Chap. 18. 10. In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away into Assyria and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan and in the cities of the Medes h This is added to distinguish this place from the former which was either in Assyria or in the Mountainous and less inhabited parts of Media Hither he carried them partly to replenish his own Country and partly because these places were at so great a distance from Canaan that this would cut off all hopes and thoughts of returning to their own Country 7 For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt and had feared other gods 8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen i i. e. According to the Laws and Customs of the Heathen is the Worship of their Baals and other of their sins whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel and of the kings of Israel which they had made k i. e. Which the Kings of Israel had ordained concerning the Worship of the Calves and against their going up to Ierusalem to worship 9 And the children of Israel did secretly thâ—…e things that were not right against the LORD l This belongs either 1. to their gross Idolatries and other abominable practises which they were ashamed to own before others Compare Ezek. 8. 12. Or 2. to the worship of Calves And so the words are otherwise â—…ndered and that agreeably to the Hebrew Text thâ—…â—…ed or disguised or covered things that were not 〈◊〉 against or before or towards the Lord i. e. They 〈◊〉 their idolatrous worship of the Calves with fair preâ—…ences of necessity the Two Kingdoms being now divided and at enmity and of their honest intention of serving the true God and retaining the substance of the Iewish Religion from which they alledged that they differed onely in circumstances of Worship their God and they built them high places in all their cities from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city m In all parts and places both in Cities and in the Country yea in the most uninhabited and neglected parts
in Iudah but in Israel also and in the Establishment of the True Religion in all his Dominions and in the conforming of his own Life and his Peoples too as far as he could to the holy Law of God though Hezekiah might excel him in some other particulars of whom therefore the like is said above Chap. 18. 55. that turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to all the law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him 26 ¶ Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah r Because though the King was most hearty in his Repentance and acceptable to God as was said before and therefore the Judgment was delayed for his time yet the people were generally corrupt and secretly averse from Iosiah's pious and excellent Reformation and inclined to their old Lusts and Idols as appears from the complaints of the Prophets especially Ieremiah and Zephaniah against them and by the following History wherein we see that as soon as ever Iosiah was gone his Children and the Princes and the People suddenly and greedily returned to their former Abominations * Jer. 15. 4. because of all the ‡ Heb. angers provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal s The Sine of Manasseh and of the men of his Generation who complied and concurred with him in his Idolatrous and cruel practises Chap. 24. 3 4. are justly punished in this Generation partly because of God's Soveraign Right of Punishing Sinners such as these unquestionably were when and upon what occasion he sees sit partly because of that publick Warning and Declaration of God That he would visit the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children and principally because these men had never sincerely Repented of their own nor of their Fathers Sins but their hearts still hankered after them which though not yet seen by men was manifest to God who therefore pronounced this Terrible Sentence against them 27 And the LORD said I will remove Judah also out of my sight as I have removed Israel and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen and the house of which I said t To wit upon the conditions in sundry places expressed which they broke and therefore God justly made them to know his breach of promise as he threatens Numb 14. 34. * 1 King 8. 29 My Name shall be there 28 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and all that he did are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah 29 ¶ * 2 Chron. 35 〈◊〉 In his days Pharaoh nechoh u Called Necos by Herodotus who makes mention of this Fight wherein as he saith Neâ—…os conquered the Syrians in Magdalo king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria x i. e. The King of Babylon who having formerly Rebelled against the Assyrian his Lord had now conquered him as appears by the course of the Sacred and the concurrence of the Prophane History and therefore is here and elsewhere called the Assyrian and the king of Assyria because now he was the Head of that Empire to the river Euphrates y i. e. Against Carchemish by Euphrates as it is expressed 2 Chron. 3â—… 20. which the Assyrian had taken from the Syrians Isa. 10. 9. Pharach's Confederates who therefore sendeth Forces against the Assyrian that he might both help them and secure himself and king Josiah went against him z Either to defend his own Country from Pharaoh's Incursions or to Assist the King of Babylon with whom he seems to have been in League as was noted before and he slew him a i. e. Gave him his Deaths Wound there though he died not till he came to Ierusalem 2 Chron. 35 23 24. at * Zech. 12. 11 Megiddo when he had seen him b i. e. When he Fought with him or in the first Onset Thus Fighting is called a looking in the face 2 King 14. 8. 30 And his servants carried him in a chariot dead c i. e. Mortally Wounded as in the former Verse and as we commonly say of a sick man past hopes of Recovery that he is a dead man Compare Gen. 20. 3. from Megiddo and brought him to Jerusalem and buried him in his own sepulchre and * 2 Chron. 36. 1. the people of the land took * 1 Chron. 3 1â—… â—…er 22. 11. Shallâ—… Jehoahaz the son of Josiah d Who was younger than Iehoiakim by comparing ver 31. with 36. yet preferred by the People before the elder Brother either because Iehojakim refused the Kingdom for fear of Pharaoh whom he knew he should hereby provoke or because Iehoahaz was the more Stout and Warlike Prince whence he is called a Lion Ezek. 19. 3. though indeed he shewed his Courage more against his People than his Enemies but they judged that he was most able and willing to defend them against the Conquering Army and anointed him e As they used to do in such Extraordinary Cases because this was a troublesome time and he was not the right Heir to the Crown and therefore needed this Solemn Rite of Confirmation which Solomon had in the same Circumstances and made him king in his fathers stead 31 ¶ Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign and he reigned three months in Jerusalem and his mothers name was * Chap. 24. 18. Hamutel the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah 32 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD according to all that his fathers f i. e. His grand Parents Manasseh and Amon. He restored that Idolatry which his Father had destroyed partly to gratifie the generality of the people who had made him King and who were inclined to their old Superstitions even in Iosiah's time as was observed before though restrained from the outward acts by fear and partly to sweeten the King of Egypt who possibly was a Zealous Idolater by his compliance with him in the Worship of Idols had done 33 And Pharaoh-nechoh put him in bands g Either because he presumed to take the Kingdom without his leave and consent or because he renewed the War against Pharaoh as some affirm and by him was Conquerred and taken Prisoner at Kiblah h An eminent City in Syria of which see Numb 34. 11. 2 King 25. 6. where Pharaoh now was to finish or make good his Conquests whither Iehoahaz was carried to receive his Sentence in the land of Hamath ‖ Or because he Reigned that he might not reign i Or because he had reigned i. e. Taken the Kingdom without right and without his leave Or according to the other reading in the beginning of his Reign the word reigning being commonly used for beginning to reign when he was scarce warm in his Throne in Jerusalem
on 1 King 7. 40 c. and the ‖ Or bowls basons and Huram †Heb. finished to make finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon for the house of God 12 To wit the two pillars and * 1 Kin. 7. 41. the pommels and the chapiters which were on the top of the two pillars and the two wreathes to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were on the top of the pillars 13 And four hundred pomegranates on the two wreathes two rows of pomegranates on each wreath to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were †Heb. upon the face upon the pillars 14 He made also bases and ‖ Or caldrone lavers made he upon the bases 15 One sea and twelve oxen under it 16 The pots also and the shovels and the flesh-hooks and all their instruments did Huram his father g i. e. Solomons Father the Relative being put before the Antecedent which is not unusual in the Hebrew Tongue And he is so called here because Solomon usually called him by that name out of that great Respect which he bare to him for his Excellent Art and Service which he did for him it being usual to call great Artists and Inventers of things by this Name of which see Gen. 4. 20 21. Or Huram Abiu or Abif a Man so called or Huram Abi as ch 2. 13. make to king Solomon for the house of the LORD of †Heb. made bright or scoured bright brass 17 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them in the †Heb. thicknesses of the ground clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah 18 Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance for the weight of the brass could not be found out 19 And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God the golden altar also and the tables whereon the †Heb. bread of faces shew-bread was set h Which were of Gold and so are distinguished from those ten Tables mentioned v. 8. which seem to have been made of Silver Compare 1 Chron. 28. 16. 20 Moreover the candlesticks with their lamps that they should burn after the manner i According to the Prescription of God to and by Moses before the oracle of pure gold 21 And the flowers and the lamps and the tongs made he of gold and that †Heb. perfections of gold perfect gold 22 And the snuffers and the ‖ Or bowls basons and the spoons and the censers of pure gold and the entry of the house the inner doors thereof for the most holy place and the doors of the house of the temple were of gold k To wit in part they were made of Wood 1 King 6. 30. 2 King 18. 16. but covered with Golden Plates CHAP. V. 1 THus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished * 1 Kin. 7. 51. And Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated and the silver and the gold a Or even as that particle is oft understood the Silver and the Gold the Remainder of those vast Sums mentioned 1 Chron. 22. 14. and all the Instruments put he among the treasures of the house of God 2 * 1 King 8. 2 c. Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel b Of this and the following Verses see the Notes on 1 King 8 1 c. and all the heads of the tribes the ‖ Or rulers of the families So Gr. chief of the fathers of the children of Israel unto Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David which is Zion 3 Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month 4 And all the elders of Israel came and the Levites took up the ark 5 And they brought up the ark and the tabernacle of the congregation and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle these did the priests and the Levites bring up 6 Also king Solomon and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark sacrificed sheep and oxen which could not be told nor numbred for multitude 7 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place to the oracle of the house into the holy place even under the wings of the cherubims 8 For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above 9 And they drew out the staves of the ark that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle but they were not seen without And ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Kin. â—… â—… there it is unto this day c When this History was first written not when it was reviewed by Ezra who made some Additions to it For after the Return from Babylon neither Staves nor Ark were any more seen or heard of 10 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses * Deut. 10. 2 5. put therein at Horeb ‖ Or 〈◊〉 when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt 11 And it came to pass when the priests were come out of the holy place for all the priests that were †Heb. 〈◊〉 present were sanctified and did not then wait by course d According to Davids Appointment 1 Chron. 24. 25. which was onely for the Ordinary Service but in Extraordinary Solemnities such as this eminently was they all came together 12 * 1 Chr. 25. â—… And also the Levites which were the singers all of them of Asaph of Heman of Jeduthun with their sons and their brethren being arrayed in white linen having cymbals and psalteries and harps stood at the east-end of the altar and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets 13 It came even to pass as the trumpeters and singers were as one to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD and when they lift up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick and praised the LORD saying * Psal. 136. For he is good for his mercy endureth for ever that then the house was filled with a cloud even the house of the LORD 14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God CHAP. VI. 1 THen * 1 Kin. 8. 1â—… c. said Solomon a This whole Chapter for the Substance and almost all the Words of it are explained in the Notes on 1 King 8. The LORD hath said that he would dwell in the * Lev. 16. 2. Exod. 20. 21. thick darkness 2 But I have built an house of habitation for thee and a
Israel to put his Name there and his mothers name was Naamah an Ammonitess 14 And he did evil because he ‖ Or fixed 1 Sam. 7. 3. prepared not k Or directed nâ—…t or settled not c. i. e. Although he humbled himself and seemed penitent for a season and professed the True Religion and Worship of God yet he quickly relapsed into his former Sins because he was not sincere nor serious in his Actions and his Heart was not right with God his heart to seek the LORD 15 Now the acts of Rehoboam first and last are they not written in the †Heb. words book of Shemajah the prophet and of Iddo the seer concerning genea logies l In an Historical Account written by him of the Genealogies and Actions of the Kings of Judah And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam conâ—…inually 16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David and Abijah his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XIII 1 NOw * 1 Kiâ—… 〈◊〉 c. in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem his mothers name also was Micajah the daughter of Uriel a Called Maachah the Daughter of Absalom 1 King 15. 2. She might be Daughter to one and Grand-daughter to the other or the proper and natural Daughter of the one and the others by Adoption of which there are Instances in Scripture or the same Person might be called Uriel and Absalom See 1 King 15. 2. of Gibeah and there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam 3 And Abijah †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set the battel in aray c Against Jeroboam We need not scrupulously enquire into the Lawfulness of this War for this Abijah though here he makes a fair Flourish and maintained the better Cause yet was indeed an Ungodly Man 1 King 15. 3. and therefore minded not the satisfaction of his Conscience but onely the Recovery of his Parents Ancient Dominions with an army of valiant men of war even four hundred thousand chosen men Jeroboam also set the battel in aray against him with eight hundred thousand men being mighty men of valour 4 And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim d Some commodious Place whence his Voice might be heard by Jeroboam and some of his Host who possibly were pitched in the Valley Or the two Armies being pitched near to one another Abijah might desire a Parly before they fought whereupon Jeroboam and some of his Commanders and Souldiers might draw near to him and stand below him at the bottom of the Hill where they might hear his Speech which Jeroboam was the more willing to do that in the mean time he might cause an Ambushment to come behind Abijah and his Army as he did v. 13. whilest he was quietly standing before them and seemed to hearken to any Terms of Accommodation which might be offered which is in mount Ephraim and said Hear me thou Jeroboam and all Israel 5 Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt e i. e. By a perpetual Covenant which thy â—…surpation cannot disanul For the Phrase see on Numb 18. 19. 6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat the servant of Solomon the son of David is risen up and hath * 1 〈◊〉 rebelled against his lord 7 And there are gathered unto him vain men the children of Belial f Such as have cast off the Yoke and Obedience which they owed both to God and to their King and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young g Not in Age for he was then 41 years old but in his Kingdom which he had but newly obtained and in Experience in Politick and especially in Military Affairs to which he was wholly a Stranger as having been born and bred up in a time of great Peace and Security and tender-hearted h i. e. Cowardly and fearful who durst not adventure to chastise the Rebels as he should have done But herein Abijah forgets his Duty both to his Father whom he falsely traduceth and to God by whose Express Command Rehoboam was restrained from the War against Israel which otherwise he had both Courage and Resolution to prosecute as appears from the History 1 King 12. 21. and could not withstand them 8 And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David i That Kingdom which was not set up by Vain Men in pursuance of their own Ambition and Discontent as yours was but ordained and established by God himself in the House of David and ye be a great multitude k Or because that Hebrew Particle being oft so used ye be c. This he mentions partly as the ground of their Confidence that they had more Triâ—…es and a greater Host and partly as a Presâ—…ge of their Downfal which trusting â—…o the Arm of Flesh is and there are with you golden calâ—…es l Or but there are c. There is that among you which may damp your Courage and Confidence You worship those Images which God aâ—…hors and severely forbids which Jeroboam * 1 Kiâ—… 〈◊〉 made you for gods m Or for God as that plural word is most commonly used i. e. instead of God to give them the Name of God as Exod. 32. 4. and that worship which is peculiar to him 9 * 〈◊〉 Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD the sons of Aaron and the Levites and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands so that whosoeveâ—… cometh †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to consecrate himself n i. e. To make himself a Priest See on Levit. 7. 37. with a young bullock and seven rams the same may be a priest of them that are no gods o That have nothing of the Nature or Power though you give them the Name of gods 10 But as for us the LORD p Heb. Iehovah the onely true and great God is our God and we have not forsaken him q We maintain his Honour and Worship which you have ungratefully rejected and the priests which minister unto the LORD are the sons of Aaron and the Levites wait upon their business 11 * 〈◊〉 And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew-bread also set they in order upon the pure table r So called because it was made of pure Gold Exod. 25. 23 24. and the candlestick of gold s He saith Table and Candlestick though there were ten of each 〈◊〉 4. 7 8. either 1. because Shishak had carried away all but onâ—… Or 2. the singular number is put for the plural as 1 King 7. 48. and oft
was heard to heaven from whence it would pull down Vengeance upon them 10 And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bond-men and bond-women unto you but are there not with you even with you sins against the LORD your God d Which if not repented of may bring down the like Vengeance upon your own Heads 11 Now hear me therefore and deliver the captives again which ye have taken captive of your brethren for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you 12 Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim Azariah the son of Johanan Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum and Amasa the son of Hadlai stood up against them that came from the war 13 And said unto them Ye shall not bring in the captives hither for whereas we have offended against the LORD already ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass for our trespass is great and there is fierce wrath against Israel 14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation 15 And the men which were expressed by name e Which were appointed to take care about the Management of this Business rose up and took the captives and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them and arraied them and shod them and gave them to eat and to drink and anointed them and carried all the feeble of them upon asses and brought them to Jericho * Deut. 34. 3. Judg. 1. 16. the city of palm-trees to their brethren then they returned to Samaria 16 At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings f i. e. The King The Plural Number for the Singular Either 1. Because he was a Great King and a King of Kings as the Elephant or as others think the Crocodile is called Behemoth which signifies Beasts Iob 40. because of his vast Bulk and Eminency above other Beasts Or 2. Because he wrote to divers of the Kings or great Princes who may be called Kings in a more general signification of the Word and indeed are so called Isa. 10. 8. Are not my Princes altogether Kings of Assyria to help him 17 For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah and carried away †Heb. a captivity captives 18 Ezek. 16. 57. The Philistins also had invaded the cities of the low country g That part of Judah which was towards the Sea and towards the Philistins Land and of the south of Judah h Of which see Ios. 15. 21. and had taken Beth-shemesh and Ajalon and Gederoth and Socho with the †Heb. daughters villages thereof and Timnah with the †Heb. daughters villages thereof Gimzo also and the villages thereof and they dwelt there 19 For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel for * Exod. 32. â—…5 he made Judah naked i Taking away their Ornament and their Defence and Strength to wit their Treasures which he sent to the Assyrian to no purpose their Frontier Towns and other strong Holds which by his Folly and Wickedness were lost their Religion and the Divine Protection which was their great and onely firm Security which by his Sins he forfeited See the Notes on Exod. 32. 25. and transgressed fore against the LORD 20 And * 2 Kin. 25. 2â—… Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came unto him and distressed him k Or straitned him by robbing him of his Treasures but strengthened him not l A most Emphatical Expression for though he weakned his present Enemy the Syrian as is related 2 King 16. 9. yet really and all things considered he did not strengthen Ahaz and his Kingdom but rather weaken them for by the removing the Syrian who though a Troublesom Neighbour was a kind of Bulwark to him as to many other Enemies he smoothed the way for himself a far more Dangerous and Mischievous Enemy as appears by his Invasion of Judah in the very next Kings Reign 21 For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD and out of the house of the king and of the princes and gave it unto the king of Assyria but he helped him not l A most Emphatical Expression for though he weakned his present Enemy the Syrian as is related 2 King 16. 9. yet really and all things considered he did not strengthen Ahaz and his Kingdom but rather weaken them for by the removing the Syrian who though a Troublesom Neighbour was a kind of Bulwark to him as to many other Enemies he smoothed the way for himself a far more Dangerous and Mischievous Enemy as appears by his Invasion of Judah in the very next Kings Reign 22 And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD This is that king Ahaz m That Monster and Reproach of Mankind that unteachable and incorrigible Prince whom even grievous Afflictions made worse which commonly make Men better This is he whose name deserves to be remembred and detested for ever Or King Ahaz was the same no Changeling not a whit better by all the Methods which God used with him 23 For he sacrificed unto the gods of †Heb. 〈◊〉 Damascus which smote him n Or which had smitten him formerly i. e. had enabled their Worshippers the Syrians to smite him as he fondly imagined which yet he saw confuted having now found by experience that they could not save them from the Assyâ—…ian Power and he said Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them therefore will I sacrifice to them that they may help me But they were the ruine of him and of all Israel 24 And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem 25 And in every several city of Judah he made high places ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to burn incense unto other gods and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers 26 Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways first and last behold they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel 27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city even in Jerusalem but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XXIX 1 HEzekiah * 2 Kin. 18. 〈◊〉 began to reign when he was five and twenty years old and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem and his mothers name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD according to all that David his father had done 3 He in the first year of his reign in the first month opened the doors of the
for a prey as it is expressed Ier. 38. 2. look not behind thee y Like one that grieves either for the loss of thy pleasant habitation or vast estate or for those cursed miscreants justly devoted to this destruction And this command though given to Lot alone yet was directed also to his companions to whom doubtless he imparted it as is evident both from all the other commands which equally concern all and from the following event See Matth. 24. 18. Lake 9. 62. neither stay thou in all the plain escape to the mountain lest thou be consumed 18 And Lot said unto them * i. e. Unto one of them as is manifest from the following words Oh not so my LORD 19 Behold now thy servant hath found grace in thy sight and thou hast magnified thy mercy which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life and I cannot escape to the mountain z Because of the infirmity of my age and the fainting of my spirits Thus he sheweth an unworthy and unreasonable distrust of Gods Power and Goodness which he had now experienced and acknowledged lest some evil take me and I die 20 Behold now this City is near to flee unto and it is a little one a Therefore as its inhabitants so its sins are fewer and it will not be an eminent example of thy vengeance as the other places will be O let me escape thither is it not a little one and my soul shall live 21 And he said unto him see I have accepted †Heb. thy face thee b Heb. I have lift up thy countenance i. e. granted thy request The manner of the expression possibly may be taken from the custom of the Eastern parts where petitioners used not to fall upon their knees as we do but to prostrate themselves with their face to the ground and the person to whom they addressed themselves in token of his favourable acceptance of their petitions commanded them to be lifted up concerning this thing that I will not overthrow this City for the which thou hast spoken 22 Haste thee escape thither for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither c Because of Gods decree and promise to save thee from the general destruction therefore the name of the City was called Zoar. 23 The sun was †Heb. goâ—… forth risen upon the Earth d This phrase may note either the time of the day when this was done or rather the nature and quality of the day that the Sun appeared and shone forth that morning in great lustre and glory Which is well noted as a very considerable circumstance of the History and a great aggravation of their ruine which came when they least expected it when Lot entered into Zoar. 24. Then * Deut. 29. 23. Isa. 13. 19. Jer. 50. 40. Ez. 16. 49. Hos. 11. 8. Amos 4. 11. Luke 17. 29. 2 Pet. 2. 6. Jude 7. the * See Jud. 5. 20. 2 Chron. 7. 1. Ezek. 11. 24. LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrha e And the Neighbouring Cities Admah and Zeboim as appears from Deut. 29. 23. Ier. 49. 18. Hos. 11. 8. brimstone and fire f Brimstone is added to the fire either to conveigh and carry down the fire which in it self is light and apt to ascend or to increase it Isa. 30. 33. or to represent the noysomness of their lusts from the LORD g i. e. From himself The noun put for the pronoun as Gen. 1. 27. 2 Chron. 7. 2. But here it is emphatically so expressed Either 1. To signifie that it proceeded not from natural causes but from the immediate hand of God Or 2. To note the plurality of persons in the Godhead God the Son who now appeared upon the Earth rained from God his Father in Heaven both concurring in this act as indeed all outward actions are common to all the persons of the Trinity out of Heaven 25 And he overthrew those Cities and all the plain h To wit where these Cities and their Territories lay called the plain of Iordan Gen. 13. 10. all which then became and to this day continues to be a filthy Lake called the Dead-Sea because no Fish lives in it and all the inhabitants of the Cities and that which grew upon the ground 26 But his wife looked back i Through curiosity or unbelief or desire of what she left or from all these causes from behind him k i. e. From behind her Husband whom she followed Which circumstance seems to be mentioned as the reason of this presumption because she could do it without her Husbands observation or reproof to which she had a greater regard than to the all-seeing eye of God and she ‖ i. e. Her body by a very common Synecdoche became a * Luke 17. 3â—… pillar of Salt l Either metaphorically i. e. a perpetual durable pillar as an Everlasting Covenant is called a pillar of Salt Numb 18. 19. or properly for there is a kind of Metallick Salt which resists the Rain and is hard enough for Buildings as Pliny Solinus and others Witness And that Salt was here mixed with Brimstone may be gathered from Deut. 29. 23. Adde to this that Iosephus Antiq 1. 12. Affirms that this pillar remained in his time And the like is witnessed by others after him 27. And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he * Chap. 18. 22. stood before the LORD 28. And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrha and toward all the Land of the plain and beheld and lo the smoak of the Countrey went up as the smoak of a furnace 29 And it came to pass when God destroyed the Cities of the plain that God remembred Abraham m Either 1. The promise made to Abraham Gen. 12. 3. Or 2. The prayer made by Abraham Gen. 18. who doubtless in his prayers for Sodom would not forget Lot though his prayer for him be not there mentioned And hereby it is insinuated that Lot though he was a righteous man and should be saved eternally yet deserved to perish temporally with those wicked people to whom he associated himself meerly for worldly advantages and should have done so if Abraham had not hindred it by his prayers and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the Cities in the which Lot dwelt 30 And Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountain and his two daughters with him for he feared to dwell in Zoar n Lest he should either suffer from them or with them perceiving now that though it was a little City yet there was more wickedness in it than he imagined and he dwelt in a cave he and his two daughters 31 And the first-born said unto the younger Our father is old and there is not a man in the earth o Either 1. In the whole Earth For they thought the same deluge of
and procurement him †Heb. â—…cate a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites p i. e. Out of the true Original which was carefully kept by the Priests in the Sanctuary Deut. 31. 26. 2 King 22. 8. partly that it might be a true and perfect copy and partly that it might have the greater authority and influence upon him coming to him as from the hand and presence of God 19 And * Jos. 1. â—… it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life q i. e. Diligently and constantly neither the greatness of his place nor the weight and multitude of his business shall excuse or hinder him that he may learn to fear the LORD his God to keep all the words of this law and these statutes to do them 20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren r He intimates that the Scriptures diligently read and studied are a powerful and probable means to keep him humble because they shew him that though a king he is subject to an higher Monarch to whom he must give an account of all his administrations and actions and receive from him his sentence and doom agreeable to their quality which is sufficient to abate the pride of the haughtiest person in the world if he duly consider it and that he turn not aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left to the end that he may prolong his dayes in his kingdom he and his children in the midst of Israel CHAP. XVIII 1 THE priests the Levites and all the tribe of Levi * Num. 1â—… 〈◊〉 Chap. 10. â—… shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel they * 1 Cor. 9. 〈◊〉 shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire a By which phrase we here manifestly see that he means not burnt-offerings which were wholly consumed by fire and no part of them eaten by the Priests but other Sacrifices whereof part was offered to the Lord by fire and part was allotted to the Priests for their food and his inheritance b i. e. The Lords portion or inheritance which God had reserved to himself as Tithes and first Fruits and other oblations distinct from those which were made by fire and so these two branches make up the whole of that which belonged to God and was by him given to the Levites 2 Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren the LORD c i. e. The Lords part and right as was now said is their inheritance as he hath said unto them 3 And this shall be the priests due from the people from them that offer a sacrifice d To wit a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving or a Peace-Offering as appears from Levit. 7. 31 33. which is oft times called simply a Sacrifice as Exod. 18. 12. Levit. 17. 5 8. Numb 15. 3 Deut. 12. 27. whether it be ox or sheep and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the maw e Qu. How doth this agree with other Texts in which the shoulder and the breast and those parts onely are the Priests due not the cheeks and maw Answ. 1. Who shall tie Gods hands what if he now makes an addition and enlargeth the Priests commons Nothing more usual than for one Scripture to supply what is lacking in another and for a latter Law of God to add to a former 2. The Breast may be here omitted because it is comprehended under the Shoulder to which it is commonly joyned and with which it was waved before the Lord. 3. The Hebrew word here rendred Maw or Stomach which was reckoned among dainties by the Antients is not to my remembrance used elsewhere and therefore it may have another signification and some render it the breast others take it for the uppermost part of the stomach which lies under the breast 4 The * Num. 18. 12 24. first fruit also of thy corn of thy wine and of thy oil and the first of the fleece of thy sheep shalt thou give him 5 For * Exod. 28. 1. Num. 3. 10. the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes to stand to minister in the Name of the LORD f i. e. Either by Authority and Commission from him or for his Honour Worship or Service him and his sons for ever 6 And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel where he sojourned and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall chuse g Either for any private occasions or to sojourn there for a season or rather with full purpose to fix his abode and to spend his whole time and strength in the service of God as appears by the sale of his patrimony mentioned v. 8. It seems probable that the several Priests were to come from their Cities to the Temple by turns before Davids time and it is certain they did so after it But if any of them were not contented with this seldom attendance upon God in his Tabernacle or Temple and desired more intirely and constantly to devote himself to Gods service there he was permitted so to do because this was an eminent act of piety joyned with self-denyal to part with those great conveniencies which he could and did enjoy in the City of his possession and to oblige himself to more constant and laborious work about the Sacrifices c. 7 Then he shall minister in the Name of the LORD his God as all his brethren the Levites do which stand there before the LORD 8 They shall have like portions h To wit with their Brethren who were in actual ministration as they share with them in the work so shall they also in the incouragements to eat beside †Heb. his sales by the fathers that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony i Though he have an estate whereby he may subsist raised by the sale of his House in his City and his Cattel and other moveables yet you shall not upon this ground either deny or diminish their part of your maintenance The reason of this Law was partly because he that waited on the Altar ought to live by the Altar and partly because it was fit he should keep his money wherewith he might redeem what he sold if afterwards he saw occasion for it Heb. Besides his sales by the fathers i. e. Of that which came to him by his Fathers or according to his Fathers or his Fathers house and these words may be joyned not with the word immediately foregoing but with the former part of the verse the next word coming in by a kind of parenthesis in this manner and order Besides that which cometh by the sale of their goods they shall havelike portions to eat to what their Brethren have each of them eating according to
A just punishment of their obstinate refusal of peace offered 14 But the women and the little ones p Excused by their sex or age as not involved in the guilt nor being likely to revenge their quarrel and * Josh. 8. 2. the cattel and all that is in the city even all the spoil thereof shalt thou †Heb. spoil take unto thy self and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies which the LORD thy God hath given thee 15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee which are not of the cities of these nations 16 But * Num. 33. 5â—… chap. 7. 1 2. of the cities of these people which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth q Heb. no soul i. e. no man as that word is oft used Compare Ios. 10. 40. with 11. 14. For the beasts some few excepted as being under a special curse were given them for a prey 17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them namely the Hittites and the Amorites the Canaanites and the Perizzites the Hivites and the Jebusites as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee 18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations which they have done unto their gods so should ye sin against the LORD your God 19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time in making war against it to take it thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof r To wit the fruit trees as appears from the following words Which is to be understood of a general destruction of them not of the cutting down of some few of them as the conveniency of the siege might require by forcing an ax against them for thou mayest eat of them and thou shalt not cut them down ‖ Or for O man the tree of the field is to be imployed in the siege for the tree of the field is mans life s i. e. The sustenance or support of his life as life is taken Deut. 24. 6. But this place may be otherwise translated as it is in the Margent of our English Bibles For O man the Hebrew letter He being here the note of a vocative case as it is Psal. 9. 7. the tree or trees the singular number for the plural as is common of the field is or ought as the Hebrew Lamed is used Esth. 9. 1. Psal. 62. 10. to be employed in the siege or as it is in the Hebrew to go before thy face i. e. to make fences for thy security in the siege The trees of the field I here understand not in its general signification of all trees including fruit-bearing trees as that phrase is commonly used but in its more special and distinct signification for unfruitful trees as it is taken Isa. 55. 1 2. or such as grow onely in open fields such as are elsewhere called the trees of the wood 1 Chron. 16. 33. Isa. 7. 2. or the trees of the forest Cant. 2. 3. Isa. 10. 19. which are opposed to the trees of the gardens Gen. 3. 2 8. Eccl. 2. 5. Ezek. 31. 9. as the flower of the field Psal. 103. 15. Isa. 40. 6. and the lilies of the field Mat. 6. 28. are opposed to those that grow in Gardens and are preserved and cultivated by the gardeners art and care And so it is a very proper argument to disswade from the destroying of fruit-trees because the wild and unfruitful trees were sufficient for the use of the siege And this sence fitly agrees with the following words where the concession or grant which here is delivered in more ambiguous terms of the tree of the field is repeated and explained concerning the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat †Heb. to go from before thee to imploy them in the siege 20 Onely the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat thou shalt destroy and cut them down and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee until †Heb. it come down it be subdued CHAP. XXI 1 IF one be found slain in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it lying in the field a Or in the city or any place onely the field is named as the place where such murders are most commonly committed and most easily concealed and it be not known who hath slain him 2 Then thy elders and thy judges b Those of thy Elders who are Judges for the latter word explains and restrains the former the Judges or rulers of all the neighbouring cities who were all concerned in this enquiry shall come forth and they shall measure c Unless it be evident and confessed which city is hearest for then measuring was superfluous unto the cities which are round about him that is slain 3 And it shall be that the city which is next unto the slain man even the elders of that city shall take an heifer which hath not been wrought with and which hath not drawn in the yoke d A fit vicegerent and representative of the muderer in whose stead it was kild who by this act hath shewn himself to be a son of Belial who would not bear the yoke of Gods law A type also of Christ who was obliged to no work and under no yoke but what he had voluntarily taken upon himself 4 And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley which is neither eared nor sowen e Partly to represent the hard and unprofitable and untutoured heart of the murderer and partly that such a desert and horrid place might beget an horrour of murder and of the murderer and shall strike off the heifers neck f To shew what they would and should have done to the murderer if they had found him there in the valley 5 And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near g Both to direct them in all the circumstances of action and to see that the law was observed and to bless them in Gods name by praying for them and absolving or pronouncing them guiltless in this matter for * chap. 10. â—… them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto him and to bless in the Name of the LORD and * chap. 17. 8. 9. by their †Heb. 〈◊〉 â—… word shall every controversie h Not absolutely all manner of controversies that could possibly arise as if their word were to determine whether there were a God or providence or no whether God should be worshipped and his commands observed or no whether Moses was a true Prophet or an impostour whether Apostate and Idolatrous Israelites should be punished or no which is apparently absurd and ridiculous but every such controversie as might arise about the matter here spoken of nothing being more usual than to understand universal expressions in a limited sence and indeed
and Bizjothjah 29 Baalah and lim and Azem 30 And Eltolad and Chesil and Hormah 31 And Ziklag and Madmannah and Sansannah 32 And Lebaoth and Shilhim and Ain and Rimmon all the cities are twenty and nine r Obj. Here are 37 or 38 Cities named before how then are they only reckoned 29 Ans. There were only 29 of them which either 1. Properly belonged to Iudah the rest fell to Simeons Lot or 2. Were Cities properly so called i. e. walled Cities or such as had Villages under them as it here follows the rest being great but unwalled Towns or such as had no Villages under them with their villages 33 And in the vale Eshtaol and Zoreah and Ashnah 34 And Zanoah and Engannim Tappuah and Enam 35 Jarmuth and Adullam Socoh and Azekah 36 And Sharaim and Adithaim and Gederah * Or or and Gederothaim fourteen cities s Obj. There are 15 numbred Ans. Either one of them was no City strictly called or Gederah and Gederothaim is put for Gederah or Gederothaim so called possibly because the City was double as there want not instances of one City divided into two parts called the old and the new City So the conjunction and is put for the disjunctive or whereof examples have been given before with their villages 37 Zenan and Hedashah and Migdal-gad 38 And Dilean and Mizpeh and Joktheel 39 Lachish and Bozkath and Eglon 40 And Cabbon and Lahmas and Kithlish 41 And Gederoth Beth-dagon and Naamah and Makkedah sixteen cities with their villages 42 Libnah t Heb. Libnah See Ios. 10. 29. and Ether and Ashan 43 And Jiphta and Ashnah and Nezib 44 And Keilah and Achzib and Mareshah nine cities with their villages 45 Ekron u Here and in the following Verses are contained all the Cities of the Philistines among which are Gath and Askelon which peradventure are here omitted because they were not at this time places of such Power and Eminency as afterwards they were but were the Daughters of some of these following Cities though afterwards the Daughter might overtop the Mother as is usual with her †Towns x Heb. Her Daughters i. e. lesser Cities or great Towns subject to Ekrons Jurisdiction and her villages ‡ Heb. Daughters Numb 21. 25. y i. e. Lesser Towns or Hamlets 46 From Ekron even unto the sea all that lay †near Ashdod with their villages ‡ Heb. by the place of 47 Ashdod with her †towns and her villages Gaza with her * Heb. Daughters * Heb. Daughters towns and her villages unto the river of Egypt and the great sea and the border thereof z i. e. The Sea-Coast and all other Cities Towns and Villages upon it 48 ¶ And in the mountains a i. e. In the higher grounds called Mountains or Hills in comparison of the Sea-Coast Shamir and Jattir and Socoh 49 And Dannah and Kirjath-sannah which is Debir b Which also is called Kiriath-sepher above v. 15. So this City had three Names 50 And Anab and Eshâ—…emoh and Anim 51 And Goshen c See Ios. 10. 41. and Holon and Giloh eleven cities with their villages 52 Arab and Dumah and Eshean 53 And * Janum and Beth-tappuah and 〈◊〉 Janus Aphekah 54 And Humtah and * Chap. 14. 15. Kirjath-arba which is Hebron and Zior nine cities with their villages 55 Maon d Of which see 1 Sam. 23. 25. and 25. 2. Carmel e Nabals Country 1 Sam. 25. and Ziph f Which gave its name to the Neighbouring Mountain 1 Sam. 26. 1. and Juttah 56 And Jezreel and Jokdeam and Zanoah 57 Cain Gibeah and Timnah ten cities with their villages 58 Halhul Bethzur and Gedor 59 And Maarath and Beth-anoth and Eltekon six cities with their villages 60 Kirjath-baal which is Kirjath-jearim and Rabbah two cities with their villages 61 ¶ In the wilderness g So the Hebrews call places either uninhabited by men or having but few Inhabitants Beth-arabah Middin and Secaâ—…ah 62 And Nibshan and the city of salt h So called either from the Salt Sea which was near it or from the Salt which was made in it or about it and Engedi six cities with their villages 63 As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jeruâ—…em i For though Ierusalem was in part taken by Ioshua before this yet the upper and stronger part of it called Zion was still kept by the Iebusites even until Davids time and it seems from thence they descended to the lower Town called Ierusalem and took it so that the Israelites were forced to win it a second time yea and a third time also for afterwards it was possessed by the Iebusites Iudg. 19. 11. 2 Sam. 5. 6 7. the children of Judah could not drive them out k Namely because of their unbelief as Christ could do no mighty work because of the peoples unbelief Mark 6. 5 6. Mat. 13. 58. and because of their Sloth and Cowardise and Wickedness whereby they forfeited Gods help and then they must needs be imporent but this inability was wilful and brought upon them by themselves but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem l The same things which are here said of the children of Iudah are said of the Benjamites Iudg. 1. 21. Hence ariseth a question To which of the Tribes Ierusalem belonged whether to Benjamin as is gathered from Gen. 49. 27. Deut. 33. 12. Ier. 6. 1. or to Iudah as is implied here and Psal. 78. 68 69. Some think that being in the Borders of both it was common to both and promiscuously inhabited by both and it is certain that after the Captivity it was possessed by both Neh. 11. 4. But for the present though it did belong to Benjamin yet the Children of Iudah being possibly very active in the first taking of it by Ioshua as they certainly were after his Death Iudg. 1. 8. they might thereby get some right to share with the Benjamites in the Possession of it It seems most probable that part of it and indeed the greatest part and main body of it stood in the Tribe of Benjamin and hence this is mentioned in the List of their Cities and not in Iudah's List and part of it stood in Iudah's share even Mount Moriah on which the Temple was built and Mount Sion when it was taken from the Iebusites unto this day m When this Book was written whether in Ioshuah's Life and Old Age which continued many years after the taking of Ierusalem or after his Death when this Clause was added here and elsewhere in this Book by some other man of God which must needs be done before Davids time when the Iebusites were quite expelled and their Fort taken CHAP. XVI AND the lot of the children of Joseph a i. e. Of Ephraim and the half Tribe of Manasseh which are here put together in one not because they had but one Lot for
and took possession of their Cities and Land Or 3. When the whole Land of the ten Tribes whereof Dan was one was Conquered and the People carried Captive by the Assyrian 2 King 17. 6 23. which is called by way of Eminency the Captivity 1 Chron. 5. 22. But against this it is Objected That it is not probable that this Idolatry should continue so long in such a publick place and manner or that David and Solomon would suffer it Ans. It is not said that the graven Image was there so long for that is restrained to a shorter date even to the continuance of the Ark in Shiloh v. 31. which was removed thence 1 Sam. 4. But only that Ionathan's posterity were Priests to this Tribe or Family of Dan which they might be under all the changes even till the Assyrian Captivity sometimes more openly and allowedly sometimes more cunningly sometimes more secretly sometimes in one way of Superstition or Idolatry and sometimes in another and in and after Ieroboam's time in the Worship of the Calves for which service though he did make Priests of the meanest of the People 1 King 12. 31. yet that was not by choice but out of necessity because the Priests and Levites generally forsook him 2 Chron. 11. 13 14. and therefore when he could engage any of the Priests or Levites in that service he was doubtless very glad of them to gain reputation to his Impious and absurd device 31 And they set them up Micah's graven image which he made all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh CHAP. XIX AND it came to pass in those days a Of which see on Iudg. 17. 1. â—… and 〈…〉 when there was no king in Israel that there was a certain Levite â—…journing on the side b Heb. in the sides i. e. in one of the sides as Verse 18. of mount Ephraim who â—…k to him ‡ Heb. a woman a â—…bine or a wâ—…e a concubine a concubine c Heb. a Wiâ—…e a Concubine i. e. such a Concubine as was also his Wife as appears from v. 3 4 5 7 9 26 27. and Iudg. 20. 4. See of these Gen. 22. 24. and 25. 1. out of Bethlehem-Judah 2 And his concubine played the whore against him d i. e. Against her Faith given to him or to his wrong or with him i. e. in his House or whilest she lived with him which is opposed to her going away which here follows and went away from him e Either for fear of his severe rebukes or punishment or because her heart was alienated from him unto her fathers house to Bethlehem-Judah and was there ‖ Or a year and four months ‡ Days for months four whole months f Heb. some days to wit four months or a year so days commonly signifie and four months wherein not only she sinned but her Father by some indulgence and connivence at her Sin and neglect of just endeavours for her reconciliation to her Husband the ill effects whereof he speedily felt in the loss of his Daughter in so dreadful a manner 3 And her husband arose and went after her to speak ‡ Heb. to her heart friendly unto her g Or to speak to her heart i. e. kindly and comfortably as that phrase is taken Gen. 50. 21. Hos. 2. 14. to offer her pardon and reconciliation and restitution to her former state and to bring her again h To wit to his own House having his servant with him and a couple of asses t Partly for himself or his Wife to ride upon as there was occasion and partly for carrying their Provision as appears from v. 19 and she brought him into her fathers house and when the father of the damsel saw him he rejoiced to meet him k Hoping the breach would be made up by this means 4 And his father in law the damsels father retained him and he abode with him three days so they did eat and drink and lodged there 5 ¶ And it came to pass on the fourth day when they arose early in the morning that he rose up to depart and the damsels father said unto his son in law ‡ Heb. strength en Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread and afterward go your way 6 And they sate down and did eat and drink both of them together for the damsels father had said unto the man Be content I pray thee and tarry all night and let thine heart ‡ Heb. bâ—… good be merry 7 And when the man rose up to depart his father in law urged him therefore he lodged there again 8 And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart and the damsels father said Comfort thine heart I pray thee And they tarried ‡ Heb. till the day declined until afternoon and they did eat both of them 9 And when the man rose up to depart he and his concubine and his servant his father in law the damsels father said unto him Behold now the day ‡ Heb. is weak draweth towards evening I pray you tarry all night behold ‡ Heb. it is the pitching time of the day the day groweth to an end l lodg here that thine heart may be merry and to morrow get ye early on your way that thou mayest go ‡ Hebr. to thy tent home l Heb. It is the encamping time of the day i. e. the Evening when Armies having marched in the day begin to pitch their Camp or when the Sun that makes the day begins to encamp himself and go toward rest so it is a Poetical expression taken from hence That the Sun when he sets seems to vulgar eyes to go to rest 10 But the man would not tarry that night but he rose up and departed and came ‡ Hebr. to over against Jebus over against Jebus which is Jerusalem and there were with him two asses sadled his concubine also was with him 11 And when they were by Jebus the day was far spent and the servant said unto his master Come I pray thee and let us turn in unto this city of the Jebusites and lodg in it 12 And his master said unto him We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger m i. e. Of a strange Nation which the Canaanites posses for though the City Ierusalem had been taken by Caleb Iudg. 1. yet the strong Fort of Zion was still in their hands 2 Sam. 5. 6 7. whence it is likely they did much molest and afterwords by Gods permission and for the punishment of their Sin drive out the Israelites who dwelt there that is not of the children of Israel we will pass over to Gibeah 13 And he said unto his servant Come and let us draw near to one of these places to lodg all night in Gibeah or in Ramah n Both which places lay in Benjamin's Portion a little Northward from
For Pharaoh king of Eggpt had gone up and taken Gezer a Not now but long before this time and presently after the Marriage of his Daughter as is most probable and it is here mentioned onely as the occasion of Solomon's Building it Possibly the Canaanites of this place had been guilty of some Hainous Crime and because Solomon thought not fit to destroy them himself he desired Pharaoh to do it for him or Pharaoh might offer his Service therein for his Daughters advantage and burnt it with fire and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the City and given it for a present unto his daughter Solomons wife 17 And Solomon built Gezer and Beth-horon the nether b In Benjamin Ios. 18. 13 14. and Bethoron the upper which is added 2 Chron. 8. 5. a City in the Tribe of Ephraim Ios. 16. 5. possibly bordering upon Benjamin and â—…igh unto the lower Bethoron which alone may be here mentioned either because it was the more famous place or be cause it needed more reparations 18 And Baalath c In the Tribe of Dan Ios 19. 40 44. and Tadmor d Supposed to be called Tamar Ezek. 47. 19. in the wilderness in the land e This Clause may belong either first to all the places above-mentioned which are here declared to be in the Land of Canaan But so that Clause may seem superfluous for none would easily think that he would Build much out of his own Land Or rather Secondly To Tadmor which otherwise being in that Wilderness which was the border of the Land might have been presumed to have been out of the Land 19 And all the cities of store f To lay up Arms and Ammunition for War and Corn or other Provisions against a time of scarcity See Exod. 1. 11. that Solomon had and cities for his charets and cities for his horsemen and ‡ Heb. the desire of Solomon which he desired that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon g Either in the Mountain of Lebanon which being the Border of his Land he might Build some Forts or a Frontier City in it Or in the House of the Forest of Lebanon of which see chap. 7. 2. and in all the land of his dominion 20 And all the people that were left of the Amorites Hittites Perizzites Hivites and Jebusites which were not of the children of Israel 21 Their children * Judg. 1. 21 27 29. that were left after them in the land whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bond-service h He used them as Bond-men and imposed Burdens and Bodily Labours upon them See 2 Chron. 2. 18. Hence some think they are called Solomon's servants Ezra 2. 55 58. Quest. Why did not Solomon destroy them as God had commanded when now it was fully in his power to do so Ans. First The command of destroying them Deut. 7. 2. did chiefly if not onely concern that Generation of Canaanites who lived in or near the time of the Israelites entring into Canaan Secondly That Command seems not to be Absolute and Universal but conditional and with some exception for those who should submit to them and embrace the True Religion as may be gathered both from Ios. 11. 19. and from the History of the Gibeonites Ios. 9. whom Ioshua did not sin in sparing when he had Sworn to do so and Saul did sin in indeavouring to destroy them But if Gods Command had been Absolute the Oaths of Ioshua and of the Princes could not have obliged them nor dispensed with such a Command unto this day 22 But of the children of Israel did Solomon * Lev. 25. 39. make no bond-men but they were men of war and his servants and his princes and his captains and rulers of his charets and his horsemen 23 These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomons work five hundred and fifty i Obj. They were onely 250 in 2 Chron. 8. 10. Ans. First Those might be Officers of another sort for they are not said to be over the work as these are but onely over the people Secondly The 250 were Israelites who are therefore distinctly mentioned in that Book where many things are more exactly noted than in the former and the other 300 were strangers who therefore are neglected in that more accurate account Or Thirdly There was but 250 at one time which is noted there and 250 at another time for it is apparent they did their work by turns and the other 50 either were Superior to all the rest or rather were a reserve to supply the place of any of the 500 when there was occasion which might frequently happen And so this was an act not unbecoming Solomon's Wisdom to make provision for Emergencies which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work 24 ¶ But * 2 Chr. 8. 11. Pharaohs daughter came up out of the city of David unto * Chap. 7. 8. her house which Solomon had built for her then did he build Millo 25 ¶ And three times in a year k i. e. At the three Solemn Feasts Which is not said exclusively as is evident both from 2 Chron. 8. 13. and from the express and oft-repeated Commands of God to offer at other times which it is absurd to think that Solomon not yet fallen into sin should so wickedly and scandalously neglect but because then he did it more Solemnly and more costlily and more publickly whereby it might be presumed that he did so at all other appointed times did Solomon offer burnt-offerings and peace-offerings upon the altar which he built unto the LORD and he burnt incense ‡ Heb. upon it upon the altar that was before the LORD so he finished the house l Or so he perfected the house to wit by applying it to the use for which it was made in which the perfection of such things consists Or the house may be put Metonymically for the Work or Service of the House as it is elsewhere commonly used for the things or persons in the House Or the words may be and are rendred thus After that for so the Hebrew Vau oft signifies as Isa. 37. 9 36. Hos. 1. 11. Zech. 12. 2. he finished the house i. e. From the time of the finishing of the House until this time he continued to do so 26 ¶ And * 2 Chr. 8. 17. king Solomon made a navy of ships m Not now in the order in which it is placed in the History but in the beginning of his Reign as appears because the Almug-trees which he used in this Work were brought in this Navy from Ophir chap. 10 11 12. 2 Chron. 9. 10 11. which was a three Years Voyage there ver 22. For Ophir and Tharsis were either the same place or one near to another in Ezion-Geber which is beside Eloth n on the ‡
when he was in distress and going to fight with Ieroboam 2 Chron. 13. though afterwards he did not perform his Vows nor bring in what he had Devoted whether because he was prevented by Death or because he afterwards relapsed to Idolatry as may seem probable from the 12 Verse of this Chapter and the things which himself had dedicated into the house of the LORD silver and gold and vessels 16 ¶ And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days u So long as they two Lived and Reigned together Which is not so to be understood as if there were a solemn and declared War continuing all that time for Asa was quiet in a great measure for his first ten years 2 Chr. 14. 1. till the Israelites had recovered themselves from that dreadful blow given them by Abijam 2 Chron. 13. and Baasha began to Reign in Asa's third Year but so that there were many private and particular Hostilities practised among them in which sense the same Phrase is used chap. 14. 30. 17 And 2 Chr. 16. 1. Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah x Perceiving Asa's great success of which see 2 Chron. 14 and 15. and the defection of many of his own Subjects to him upon that occasion 2 Chron. 15. 9. he began to bestir himself and commenceth a War against him and built y i. e. Repaired and Fortified Ramah z A City of Benjamin which either belonged to the Kingdom of Israel from the division as some other places of that Tribe are supposed to have done of which see on 1 King 11. 13. or belonged to Iudah but was now Invaded and taken by Baasha and Fortified that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah a Therefore he chose this place because it was in the way from his Kingdom to Ierusalem and as some add in or near the straits of the Mountains where they could easily discover and hinder all Passengers that way 18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left b These poor remainders which either Shishak had left at that time chap. 14. 26. or Abijam or Asa or others both of Israel and Iudah had dedicated which probably was not inconsiderable because Asa had got great spoils from Zerah 2 Chron. 14. and he and his numerous and prosperous People did at this time express a great Zeal for the House and Worship of God in the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the kings house and delivered them into the hand of his servants and king Asa sent them to * 2 Chr. 16. 2. Benhadad c Wherein he committed three great faults amongst many others First he Alienated things Consecrated to God without necessity Secondly He did this out of Carnal fear and distrust of that God whose Power and Goodness he had lately experienced Thirdly He did this for an ill intent to hire him to the breach of his League and Covenant with Baasha v. 19. and to take away part of that Land which by Right and the special Gift of God belonged to the Israelites the son of Tabrimon the son of Hezion king of Syria that dwelt at Damascus saying 19 There is a league between me and thee and between my father and thy father d Whereby it appears that albeit he was an adversary to Israel all Solomon's days chap. 11. 25. yet after the division of the Kingdoms of Israel and Iudah he was in League with both of them either because his designs lay upon the enlargement of his Empire other ways or rather because he thought it his Wisdom and Interest to leave them to themselves to undo one another by their intestine Wars and so to prepare the way to his Conquest of both whereas his Invading of either of them might have made up the breach and forced them to unite against their common Enemy And therefore as soon as he was free from this fear and one of them needed and earnestly desired his help against the other he gladly embraced the opportunity behold I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel that he may ‡ Heb. go up depart from me e That being called to defend himself he may be forced to depart from my Territories 20 So Ben-hadad hearkned unto king Asa and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel and smote Ijon and Dan and Abel-beth-maachah and all Cinneroth f The Northern parts of Baasha's Kingdom which were nearest to his own Kingdom of Damascus and most remote from those parts where Baasha was now employed which were in the most Southern parts of his Dominions with all the land of Naphtali 21 And it came to pass when Baasha heard thereof that he left off building of Ramah and dwelt in Tirzah g Now the Royal City of Israel See chap. 14. 17. There he abode to defend his own Kingdoms and durst not return to oppose Asa lest the Syrian King should make a second and worse Invasion So Asa met with success in his ungodly course as on the other side good men sometimes meet with disappointment in a good cause and course So there is no judging of Causes by Events 22 Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah none was ‡ Heb. free exempted All sorts of Persons were obliged to come except those who were disenabled by age or infirmity or absence or by the publick service of the King and Kingdom in other places and they took away the stones of Ramah and the timber thereof wherewith Baasha had builded and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah h i. e. Repaired and strengthned them for they were built before See Ier. 41. 9. Quest. Why did he not rather perfect the Fortifications of Ramah which Baasha had begun Ans. Because Baasha might have returned and recovered it afterwards and he thought it most convenient that there should be no City nor Fort in that place 23 The rest of all the acts of Asa and all his might and all that he did and the cities which he built are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah Nevertheless i Notwithstanding the great things which he had done and the glory and prosperity which he enjoyed he felt the effects of humane infirmity and of his own sins of which see 2 Chron. 16. 12 13. in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet 24 And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father and * 2 Chr. 1â—… â—… Matth. 1. 8. called Joâ—…phat Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead 25 ¶ And Nadab the son of Jeroboam ‡ Heb. reiâ—…d began to reign over Israel in the
king of Judah the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah at Beth-shemesh and came to Jerusalem x Commanding entrance in Amaziah's name and with his consent which he durst not deny and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim y Which led to Ephraim unto the corner-gate four hundred cubits z Which was done partly in scorn and contempt and partly that he might re-enter and re-take it if they should attempt to renew the War 14 And he took all the gold and silver and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD and in the treasures of the kings house and hostages a To assure their peaceable carriage towards him and returned to Samaria b He did not keep Ierusalem nor seek to gain the possession and dominion of that Kingdom partly because he thought he could not keep it considering the difficulty he found in keeping his own from such potent and near Enemies as the Syrians were and the great affection which 〈◊〉 Iudah bare to David's House and partly because God so inclined his heart that he might make good his promue to David and his Family 15 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did and his might and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead 17 ¶ And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years 18 And the rest of the acts of Amaziah are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah 19 Now * 2 Chr. 25 27. they i. e. The People or the Princes and chief men among them possibly those whose Sons he had delivered up as Hostages to Iehoash with the connivence if not approbation of the People as appears because the desigâ—… was carried on openly and steddily and irresistibly as the following words shew made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish c A strong City in Iudah towards the Philistines Of which see Ios. 10. 31. and 15. 39. 2 King 19. â—… but they sent after him d Either secret Murderers or rather bands of Soldiers for this Rebellion was carried on by strong hand and open force Compare 2 King 12. 20. and 15. 10 15. to Lachish and slew him there 20 And they brought him on horses e Or with horses to wit in a Chariot and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David 21 ¶ And all the people of Judah took * Chap. 15. 13. 2 Chron. 26. 1. he is called Uzziah Azariah which was sixteen years old and made him king in stead of his father Amaziah f Which they did either in opposition to the conspirators or to shew their affection to the House of David and that their quarrel was onely personal against Amaziah whom they looked upon as the Author of all their late Calamites This Azariah is called Uzziah 2 King 15. 30. 2 Chron. 26. 1. both names signifying the same thing for substance that Gods help and this Gods strength 22 He built Elath g i. e. Repaired and Fortified it for it was built before Deut. 2. 8. and restored it to Judah h From whom it had revolted with the rest of Edom in which Land this place was upon the Red-Sea after that the king i i. e. His Father Amaziah who did not perfect his Conquest of Edom but left some work for his Son slept with his fathers 23 ¶ In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria and reigned forty and one years 24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin 25 He restored the coast of Israel from the entring of Haâ—…nath k Which was the Northern border of the Kingdom of Israel Numb 13. 21. and 34. 8. unto the sea of the plain l i. e. Unto the dead Sea which once was a goodly plain Gen. 13. 10. which was their Southern border according to the word of the LORD God of Israel which he spake by the hand of his servant * Matth. 22. 39 40. called Jonas Jonah m Or Ionas one of the small Prophets though this Prophecy of his be not Recorded there and thereâ—…re it is remembred here the son of Amittai the prophet which was of Gath-Hepher 26 For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel that it was very bitter n Whereby he was moved to pity and help them though they were an unworthy people for there was not any shut up nor any left o See of this Phrase on Deut. 32. 36. 1 King 14. 10. and 21. 21. nor any helper for Israel 27 And the LORD said not o i. e. Not yet he had not yet declared this as afterwards he did by the succeeding Prophets though not in those words See Hos. 1. 5 6 9. that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash 28 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did and his might how he warred and how he recovered Damascus and Hamath which belonged to Judah ‡ For Israel p These were Cities of Syria but were taken from the Syrians by David and Solomon 2 Sam. 8. 6. 2 Chron. 8. 3. and probably by them incorporated with and added to the possessions of their own Tribe to which from that time they belonged but afterwards they were re-taken by the Syrians and were now recovered by this Ieroboam are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers even with the kings of Israel and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XV. IN the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel a Quest. How can this be true seeing Amaziah the Father of this Azariah lived onely till the 15th Year of Ieroboam's Reign chap. 14. 2 23 Ans. This might be either First Because Ieroboam was made King by and Reigned with his Father eleven or twelve Years and afterwards Reigned alone and so there is a twofold beginning of his Kingdom by the former this was his 27 Year and by the later his 15th Year Or Secondly Because there was an inter-Reign for eleven or twelve Years in the Kingdom of Iudah either through the prevalency of that Faction which cut off Amaziah the Father and kept the Son out of his Kingdom or because Azariah was
may be rendred thus I will put a Spirit within him so that he shall hear a rumour and return c. For by Spirit is many times understood an Imagination or Inclination or Affection in which sense we read of the Spirit of fear 2 Tim. 1. 7. Of the Spirit of jealousie Numb 5. 14. Of the Spirit of slumber Rom. 11. 8. Or a Spirit against for so the Hebrew Position Beth is oft used as hath been noted before him Of whom this Word is elsewhere used as Iudg. 9. 23. 1 Sam. 16. 14 23. 1 King 22. 23. as it is also given to Man's Soul Iob 12. 10. Eccles. 12. 7. which is a Spiritual Substance as the Angels are And this Interpretation seems most agreeable to the design of this Verse which is in brief to represent all the Judgments of God which were to befall him and which are related in the following History and therefore all the other Particulars being contained in the following Branches of this Verse the tidings of Tirhakah ver 9. in these words he shall hear a rumour his returning to his own Land and being slain there ver 36 37. in the next words it seems most probable That the chiefest of all the Judgments to wit the Destruction of 185 thousand Soldiers in one night ver 35. is not omitted here but expressed in the first branch of the Verse and the Spirit here is the same thing which is here called an Angel this latter Word being there used to limit and explain the former which otherwise was of a doubtful signification and he shall hear a rumour and shall return to his own land and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land 8 ¶ So Rab-shakeh returned i To the King to give him an account of the Treaty and to advise with him what was further to be done leaving behind him the Army under the other Commanders mentioned Chap. 18. 17. as is most probable from the other threatning Message here following which would have been very unsuitable if his Siege had been raised and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish k Not being able to take it 9 And when he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia l Heb. of Chush i. e. Either 1. of Arabia as that Word is most commonly meant of which see the notes and especially my Latin Synopsis upon Numb 12. 1. Or rather 2. Of Ethiopia beyond Egypt Nor was there any need that he should force his Passage through Egypt which is objected against this Opinion by a very Learned Man because the Egyptians against whom this Sennacherib Warred as Heathen Historians Herodotus and Berosus relate and the Ethiopians were Confederates in this Expedition as Iosephus expresly affirms who lived above 1600 Years nearer the time when this was done than we and therefore was more likely to understand it Behold he is come out to fight against thee he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah saying 10 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah saying Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee saying Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria 11 Behold thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly and shalt thou be delivered m No certainly never expect it such questions oft imply a denial as Gen. 18. 17. 12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed as Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the children of Eden which were in Thelasar n Several places about or beyond Euphrates See Gen. 11. 31. Ezek. 27. 23. 13 Where is the king o Either 1. Their god whom he here calls their King because they looked upon him as their Protector and Governour which Kings are or should be to their People Or rather 2. Their King properly so called And as before he compared their gods with the God of Ierusalem so now he compares their kings with King Hezekiah and by both intends to perswade them that neither their God nor their King was able to save them out of his Hand of Hamath and the king of Arpad and the king of the city of Sepharvaim of Henah and Ivah p Of which see the notes on Chap. 18. 34. 14 ¶ And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers and read it And Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD q i. e. Into the Court of the Temple for further he might not enter and spread it before the LORD r i. e. Before the Ark or Temple which â—…e did not to acquaint God but to strengthen his own Faith and quicken himself to Prayer 15 And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said O LORD God of Israel * 1 Sam. 4. 4. which dwellest between the cherubims thou art the God even thou alone of all the kingdoms of the earth thou hast made heaven and earth 16 LORD bow down thine ear and hear open LORD thine eyes and see and hear the words of Sennacherib which hath sent him s i. e. The Messenger who brought this Railing Letter ver 14. Or Rabshakeh who was easily understood out of the former Chapter although he would not do him the honour to name him or sent it to wit This Letter to reproach the living God 17 Of a truth LORD the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands 18 And have ‡ Heb. given cast their gods into the fire for they were no gods but the work of mens hands wood and stone therefore they have destroyed them 19 Now therefore O LORD our God I beseech thee save thou us out of his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God even thou onely 20 ¶ Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah saying Thus saith the LORD God of Israel That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard t i. e. Accepted it and will answer it A common Synecdoche 21 This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning him The virgin u So he calls Zion or Ierusalem partly because she was pure in good measure from that gross Idolatry wherewith other people were defiled which is called Spiritual Whoredom partly to signifie that God would defend her from that Rape which Sennacherib intended to commit upon her with no less Care and Zeal than Parents do their Virgin Daughters from those who seek to Force and Deflour them and partly to intimate That as she had not yet been Forced and taken by her Barbarous Enemies so she should still retain her Virginity in spight of his Attempts against her the daughter of Zion x i. e. The People of Zion i. e. as it follows of Ierusalem so called Synecdochically from the Mountain and City of Zion which was an eminent part
of it Cities and Countries are oft called Mothers as 2 Sam. 20. 19. and their Inhabitants Daughters as Numb 21. 25. Iosh. 17. 16. Iudg. 1. 27. Psal. 45. 13. and 137. 8. hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee y Laughed at all thy proud and impotent Threatnings This is a Gesture of Contempt and Derision of which see Psal. 22. 7. and 44. 13. Ier. 18. 16. Matt. 27. 39. 22 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice z By Rabshakeh who cryed with a loud voice Chap. 18. 28. and lift up thine eyes on high a A Gesture of Pride and Scornfulness Pro. 21. 4. even against the holy One of Israel b Not against man but against the Holy God who will not suffer thy Impious Blasphemies to go unpunished and against the holy one of Israel who hath a special relation and kindness to Israel having as it were set himself apart for them and set them apart for himself as being at this time the God of the Iews onely and not the God of the Gentiles whom as yet he suffered to walk in their own evil ways Act. 14. 16. And therefore he will Plead their Cause against thee 23 By ‡ Heb. By the hand of c. thy messengers c So thou hast advanced thy very Servants above me thou hast reproached the LORD and hast said With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains d I have brought up my very Chariots to those Mountains which were thought inaccessible by my Army to the sides of Lebanon e An high Hill famous for Cedars and Fir-trees here following and will cut down ‡ Heb. the tallness c. the tall cedars thereof and the choice fir-trees thereof f This may be understood either 1. Mystically I will destroy the Princes and Nobles of Iudah which are sometimes compared to cedars c. Or their strongest Cities Or rather 2. Literally I will cut down the Trees that hinder my March and plain and prepare the way for all my Numerous Army and Chariots And by this one Instance he intimates That nothing should stand in his way no not the highest and strongest Places and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders g i. e. Those Towns and Cities which he calls Lodgings in way of Contempt which are in his utmost Borders and most remote from me I am come into the Land of Canaan at one Border Lebanon and I resolve to March on to the other extreme Border and so to Destroy the whole Countrey from one Border to another the borders of a Land being oft put for the whole Land within its Borders as Exod. 8. 2. Psal. 74. 17. and 147. 14. Isa. 54. 12. Or as it is in the Hebrew into the lodging of his border for which in the Parallel place Isa. 37. 24. it is into the height of his border And so this may be understood of Ierusalem which it is not probable that in all his brags he would omit and against which his chief Design now lay which he here calleth a lodging for its contemptible smallness if compared with his great and vast City of Niniveh or as it is in Isa. 37. the height for its Two famous Mountains Zion and Moriah or for the Mountains which were round about Ierusalem Psal. 125. 2. and he adds of his border because this City was in the Border of Iudah as being part of it in the Tribe of Benjamin and near the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes which was now in the Assyrians hands and into the ‖ Or the forest and his fruitful field forest of his Carmel h i. e. The Forest of Mount Carmel which may seem to be another Inaccessible Place like Lebanon Or into his forest and his fruitful field For Carmel though properly it was a pleasant and fruitful Mountain in the Tribe of Issachar of which see Iosh. 12. 22. yet it is oft used to signifie any fruitful place as is manifest from Isa. 10. 18. and 16. 10. Ier. 2. 7. And thus all the parts of the Land are here enumerated the Mountains the Cities the Woods and the Fruitful Fields Or his fruitful forest to wit Ierusalem which is thought by many Interpreters to be called a Forest Ier. 21. 14. Ezek 20. 46. a name which agrees well enough to Cities where Buildings are very numerous and close and high like Trees in a Forest And if Ierusalem might be called a Forest it might well be called Hezekiah's Carmel or Fruitful Place because his Chief Strength and Treasure and Fruit was now in it and this last Word may seem to be added here to intimate That this was not like other Forests unfruitful and barren And so both this and the foregoing words are understood of the same place even of Ierusalem the last Branch being joyned to the former by way of Apposition into the lodging of his border the forest of his Carmel or his fruitful Forest there being no more words in the Hebrew Text. 24 I have digged and drank strange waters i Such as were never discovered nor used by others And therefore all thy indeavours to deprive me of Water for my Army 2 Chron. 32. 3. are Idle and Fruitless and * Deut. 11 1â—… with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of ‖ Or fenced besieged places k And as I can furnish my Army with Water digged out of the Earth by their Labour and my Art so I can deprive my Enemies of their Water and can dry up their rivers and that with the sole of my feet i. e. With the March of my Vast and Numerous Army who will easily do this either by Marching thorough them and each carrying part away with them or by Drinking every one a little of them or by their Pains making many new Channels and deriving the Waters of the River into them as Cyrus dried up Euphrates and thereby took Babylon 25 ‖ Or Hast thou not heard how I have made it long ago and formed it of ancient times should I now bring it to be laid waste and fenced cities to be ruinous heaps Hast thou not heard long ago how I have done it and of ancient times that I have formed it l Hast thou not long since learned that which some of thy Philosophers could and did teach thee That there is a Supreme and Powerful God by whose Decree and Providence all these Wars and Calamities were sent and ordered whose meer Instrument thou art so that thou hast no cause for these vain Boastings This Work is mine more than thine Or as it is in the Margent of our Bibles Hast thou not heard that a Particle oft understood I have made i. e. Constituted or Purchased or Adorned for all these ways is this Hebrew Verb used
he the rather presseth upon him because the state of his Kingdom required it for it is plain that Hezekiah had not as yet any Son Manasseh his Heir and Successor not being born till three Years after this time by comparing this chap. 20. 6. with chap. 21. 1. for thou shalt die and not live c According to the course of Nature and of thy Disease which is mortal in its kind and will be so in effect if God doth not miraculously prevent it Such threatnings though absolutely expressed have oft times secret conditions which God reserves in his own Breast See Ionah 3. 4. 2 Thâ—…n he turned his face to the wall d Either because the Temple lay that way or rather that by turning his Face from the company he might intimate his desire of privacy and so might with more freedom and fervency pour out his Soul to God and prayed unto the LORD saying 3 I beseech thee O LORD remember now how I have walked before thee in truth e i. e. Sincerely with an honest mind as the following words explain it I have in some measure humane frailty excepted kept the condition which thou didst require 1 King 8. 25. and therefore do humbly beg of thee that the Promise made to David and to his Posterity upon that condition may not fail in my Person for as yet thou hast not given me a Son See on ver 1. I am not conscious to my self of any gross exorbitancies in the course of my life for which thou usest to shorten mens days and cut off my life in thy displeasure which by this sharp Message thou threatnest to do and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight and Hezekiah wept ‡ Heb. with a great weeping sore f Partly for that horror of death which is and was common to men especially in the times of the Old Testament when the Grace of God in Christ was not so fully manifested as now it is and principally for the distracted and miserable condition in which the Church and State were then likely to be left through the uncertainty of the Succession to the Crown and the great proneness of the People to backslide to their false worship and evil practises which he easily perceived and which he knew would bring far worse Calamities upon them if he were removed as afterwards it came to pass 4 And it came to pass afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle ‖ Or citâ—… court g To wit of the Kings Palace of which see on 1 King 7. 8. Or into the middle city as it is in the Hebrew For some observe that there were three Cities or three parts of this City one called the city of David in Sion another 〈◊〉 led Iebus or Salem and a third which was betwixt these two parts and united them all into one City called Ierusalem This is noted to shew Gods great readiness to hear the sincere and fervent prayers of his Children that the word of the LORD came to him saying 5 Turn again and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people Thus saith the LORD the God of David thy father h I am mindful of my Promise made to David and his House and will make it good in thy Person I have heard thy prayer I have seen thy tears behold I will heal thee on the third day i Which shews that the cure was Miraculous thou shalt go up into the house of the LORD k To give me Solemn Praise for this Mercy Which proves the perfection of the cure 6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years l Beyond what thou dost expect and beyond what thou wouldst do if I should leave thee to the force of thy Disease and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria m This is added either first Because he might otherwise fear the Assyrians return to this City from which he was so shamefully repulsed Or Secondly Because this sickness happened before that great slaughter chap. 19. 35. Of which see the Notes on ver 1. and * Chap. 19. 34. I will defend this city for mine own sake n To vindicate my Glory against that insolent Blasphemer and for my servant Davids sake 7 And Isaiah said Take a lump of figs o Though the deliverance was certainly Promised yet means must be used and those suitable for this hath naturally a power of ripening and softning Boils or Sores though that power was altogether insufficient to produce so sudden and so compleat a Cure And they took and laid it on the boil Which seems to have been a Plague-sore and he recovered 8 ¶ And Hezekiah said p Or rather had said for it is evident this was said before his recovery though his recovery be mentioned before it such transpositions being frequent in Scripture unto Isaiah What shall be the sign q He asketh a sign not because he distrusted it but for the strengthning of his Faith which otherwise might be shaken by the greatness of his danger and by the contradiction between this and his former Message Compare Iudg. 6. 17 37 39. Isa. 7. 11. that the LORD will heal me and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day 9 And Isaiah said This sign shalt thou have of the LORD that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go back ten degrees 10 And Hezekiah answered It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees r To wit in an instant for that course or motion of the Sun is natural for the kind of it though miraculous for the swiftness of it but the other would be both ways miraculous nay but let the shadow return backward ten degrees 11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD s Being moved by Gods Spirits first to offer him this sign and then to pray for it and * Isa. 38. 8. he brought the shadow ten degrees backward t Quest. 1. What were these degrees Ans. Lines in the Dial but whether each of these Lines or Degrees noted an hour or half an hour or a quarter of an hour is uncertain and not very considerable in this case Quest. 2. What was it that went down Ans. Either First The Shadow alone went back without the Sun For God could so dispose of the Light of the Sun by interposing Clouds or other things so that the Shadow should fall onely upon those Lines and in that manner as God directed it And whereas the sun is said to have gone down that may be spoken according to appearance as other passages of Scripture are understood as when the Moon is called one of the great lights Gen. 1. though it be less than some of the Stars and when the sun is said to go down Jer. 15.
it not good if peace and truth be in my days k Which he speaks not as if he were careless and unconcerned for his Posterity which neither the common inclinations and affections of Nature in all Men nor that singular Piety and Charity which was eminent and manifest in Hezekiah can suffer us to believe or for the Church and People of God for whose welfare he was so solicitous and industrious in the whole course of his Life but because it was a singular favour that this Judgment did not immediately follow his sin the cause of it but was suspended for a longer time 20 ¶ And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and all his might and how he made a pool and a conduit and brought water into the city are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah 21 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XXI MAnasseh * â—… 〈◊〉 33. 1. was twelve years old when he began to reign and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem a In which time the Years of his Imprisonment are comprehended 2 Chron. 33. 11. and his mothers name was Hephzi-bah 2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD b Partly by the instigation of the wicked Princes of Iudah who in Hezekiah's time were secret Enemies to his Reformation and now when their Fetters were knock't off by Hezekiah's death break forth into open Hostility against it and corrupt the Kings tender years with their wicked counsel and principally by his own vicious inclination after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel 3 For he built up again the high places * 〈◊〉 18. 4. which Hezekiah his father had destroyed and he reared â—…p altars for Baal and made a grove as * 1 〈◊〉 16. 33 did Ahab king of Israel and worshipped all the host of heaven c The Stars which the Gentiles had transformed into gods See on Deut. 4. 19. and served them 4 And * 〈◊〉 32. 34. he built altars in the house of the LORD d i. e. In the Temple its self in the Holy-place because this is distinguished from the courts of the house ver 5. of which the LORD said * 2 Sam. 7. 13. 1 〈◊〉 8. 29. 〈◊〉 9. 3. In Jerusalem will I put my Name e That place I have peculiarly Consecrated to my Worship and Honour which made it the greater Injustice and Impiety and Sacriledge to Alienate it from God and to Dedicate it or any part of it especially the Temple to the service of Idols whom God abhorreth 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts f The one of the Priests the other of the People 1 King 6. 36. of the house of the LORD 6 And * Lev. 18. 2â—… and 2â—… â—… he made his son pass through the fire g Of which see the Notes on Lev. 18. 21. and 2 King 16. 3. and observed times h i. e. Lucky or unlucky days or seasons for the dispatch of businesses according to the superstitious practise of the Heathens See Esth. 3. 7. See also Lev. 19. 26. Deut. 18. 10 11. and used inchantments and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to anger 7 And he set a graven image of the grove i Either First The Image of that Baal which was worshipped in the Grove Or Secondly A representation of the Grove as may seem by comparing chap. 23. 6. Or Thirdly The Graven Image of Asherah a god or goddess so called possibly the same called elsewhere Ashtaroth See Iudg. 6. 25 28. 2 King 23. 6. 2 Chron. 15. 16. that he had made in the house of which the LORD said to David and to Solomon his son * 2 Saâ—… â—… 1â—… 1 King â—… 〈◊〉 and 9. 3. Chap. 23. 27 Psal. 1â—… 13. In this house and in Jerusalem which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel will I put my Name for ever 8 Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land k They shall no more be carried Captives into a strange Land as it had happened before which I gave their fathers onely if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them 9 But they hearkened not and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel l Partly because they were not contented with those Idols which the Canaanites worshipped but either themselves invented or they borrowed from other Nations many new Idols and kinds of Idolatry and partly because as their light was far more clear their obligations to God infinitely higher and their helps and antidotes against Idolatry much stronger than the Canaanites had so their sins though the same in kind were unspeakably worse in respect of these dreadful aggravations 10 ¶ And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets saying 11 * Jer. 15. 4. Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites m i. e. The Canaanitish Nations all so called from one eminent part of them See on Gen. 15. 16. did which were before him and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols n By his Example Encouragement Counsel Authority and Command 12 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel Behold I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah that whosoever heareth of it both * 1 Sam. 3. 11. his ears shall tingle o By the great commotion which such terrible reports shall cause in the hearts and heads of the hearers See on 1 Sam. 3. 11. Ier. 19. 3. 13 And I * Isa. 34. 11. will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria p She shall have the same measure and lot i. e. the same Judgments which Samaria had The line is oft put for ones lot or portion as Psal. 16. 6. 2 Cor. 10. 16. because mens portions or possessions used to be measured by Lines Psal. 78. 55. Amos 7. 17. Or it is a Metaphor from workmen who mark out by Lines what parts of the Building they would have thrown down and what they would have stand See Isa. 34. 11. Lam. 2. 8. Amos 7. 7 8. Zech. 1. 16. Or it is an allusion to that fact of David who destroyed the Moabites by a measuring Line 2 Sam. 8. 2. ‡ Heb. over the House of Manasseh and the plummet of the house of Ahab and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish ‡ Heb he wipeth and turneth it upon the face thereof wiping it and turning it upside down q As men do with a
elsewhere Or 3. because ordinarily there was but one of each used at a time for those uses with the lamps thereof * 〈◊〉 â—… 21. to burn every evening t And from Evening to Morning continually Lev. 24. 2 3. for which End one Candlestick was sufficient and it is very improbable that all the Candlesticks were used every night for we keep the charge of the LORD our God u This he saith though he was an ungodly King either because he flattered himself and fancied that his keeping up the External Worship of God would make full satisfaction for the Errors of his Life Or that he might hereby encourage his own Souldiers and convince or terrifie his Enemies but ye have forsaken him 12 And behold God himself is with us †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for our captain and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you x Upon the sounding whereof God hath solemnly promised to â—…ssist his People Numb 10. 9. O children of Israel * 〈◊〉 â—…9 fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers y You have not onely us for your Enemies but God even the God whom your Fathers honoured and served to their own great Comfort and Benefit for ye shall not prosper 13 But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them z Whilest Abijah was discoursing Jeroboam takes the Advantage of it to lay an Ambush so they were before Judah and the ambushment was behind them 14 And when Judah looked back behold the battel was before and behind and they cried unto the LORD and the priests sounded with the trumpets 15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout and as the men of Judah shouted it came to pass that God smote a By strengthning the Hearts and Hands of the Men of Judah and taking away the Spirits and Power of their Enemies and it may be by some extraordinary Assistance Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah 16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah and God delivered them into their hand 17 And Abijah and his people slew them with a very great slaughter so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand b chosen men A â—…ast Number but it hath been oft observed and recorded by sacred and profane 〈◊〉 that in 〈◊〉 ansient Tiâ—…es there were very numerous Armie and oft times very great 〈◊〉 and if this Slaughter was 〈◊〉 than ordinary there is nothing strange nor incredible 〈◊〉 the Almighty God foâ—…ght 〈◊〉 the Israelites 18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time and the children of Judah prevailed because they relyed upon the LORD c They put their Trust in him and conâ—…idently expected Help from him which is a Disposition of heart that God prizeth and taketh kindly See 2 King 18. 5. 2 Chron. 20. 20. Psal. 22. 4. 〈◊〉 3. 28. God of their fathers 19 And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam and took cities from him Beth-el d Which Jeroboam recovered afterwards as appears by the course of the History though it be not paâ—…ticularly mentioned which is the case of many other considerable things And in the mean time it is very probable that when Jeroboams Host was discomfited and he expected that Abijah would pursâ—…e his Victory he removed the Golden Calf from Beth-el which lay near Abijahs Kingdom to some safer Place with the towns thereoâ—… and Jeshanah with the towns thereof and Ephraim e A City so called possibly the same which is mentioned Ioh. 11. 54. or that which is called Ophra Iudg. 8. 27. with the towns thereof 20 Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah and the LORD strook him f i. e. Jeroboam as appears from the contrary â—…ondition of Abijah described in the next verse Him God might strike either with vexation and horror of Mind or with some painful and lingring but incurable Disease like that of Jehoram which tormented him two years together and at last killed him 2 Chroâ—… 21. 19. and he died g Not presently but a year or two after this time 21 But Abijah waxed mighty and married fourteen wives and begat twenty and two sons and sixteen daughters h Not now after this Victory for he died presently after it but in the whole time of his Life before he was King and afterward 22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah and his ways and his sayings are written in the ‖ Or commentary story of the prophet * Ch. 12. 15. Iddo CHAP. XIV 1 SO Abijah slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city of David and * 1 Kin 15. 8 c. Asa his son reigned in his stead in his days the land was quiet ten years a i. e. There was no open War either by Baasha or others onely there were secret Grudges and private Hostilities between his and Baasha's Subjects 1 King 15. 16. 2 And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD b Of this and the next verse see on 1 King 15. 11 12. his God 3 For he took away the altars of the strange gods and the high places and brake down the †Heb. statdeâ—… images and cut down the groves 4 And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers c By his Royal Edicts he required them to worship God and him onely and to do the law and the commandment d i. e. To practise all which the Laws of Moses required of them 5 Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the †Heb. sun-images images and the kingdom was quiet before him 6 And he built fenced cities in Judah for the land had rest and he had no war in those years because the LORD had given him rest 7 Therefore he said unto Judah Let us build these cities and make about them walls and towers gates and bars while the land is yet before us d i. e. In out Power as that Phrase is oft used See on Gen. 13. 9. because we have sought the LORD our God we have sought him and he hath given us rest on every side so they built and prospered 8 And Asa had an army of men e Which as it seems he had now gathered together upon the Information of Zerahs Design against him that bare targets and spears out of Judah three hundred thousand and out of Benjamin that bare shâ—…elds and drew bows two hundred and fourscore thousand all these were mighty men of valour 9 * Ch. 16. 3. And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian f Or the Arabian as the Hebrew word Cush is commonly used as hath been noted before These being much nearer to Asa than the Ethiopians who also could not have come to Asa but thorough Egypt which probably the King of Egypt would not permit him to do with an
Ierusalem as it is called ch 12. 28. And they are thus called because they or their Parents either were born or now did or formerly had dwelt in those parts whence they came to Ierusalem when the service of the Temple required it 23 After him repaired Benjamin and Hashub over against their house after him repaired Azariah the son of Maasejah the son of Ananiah by his house 24 After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another piece from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall even unto the corner 25 Palal the son of Uzai over against the turning of the wall f In a part of the Wall which jutted out as the tower here following did and therefore was opposite to or over against that turning and the tower g Or even the tower which lieth out from the kings high house h Either from the Royal Palace or from some other smaller House which the King formerly built there either for prospect or for defence that was by the * Jer. 32. 2. 33. 1. 37. 21. court of the prison i A place oft mentioned of which see Ier. 32. 2. 38. 7 13. after him Pedajah the son of Parosh 26 Moreover the Nethinims dwell in * 2 Chr. 27. 3. ‖ Or the tower Ophel k Or who dwelt in Ophel for this seems to be onely a description of the persons whose work follows unto the place over against * Ch. 8. 3. 12. 37. the water-gate l So called because by that Gate Water was brought in either by the People for the use of that part of the City or rather by these Nethinims who were Gibeonites for the uses of the Temple for which they were drawers of Water Jos. 9. 21. toward the east and the tower that lieth out 27 After them the Tekoites m The same spoken of before v. 5. who having dispatched their first share sooner than their Brethren had done theirs freely offered their help to supply the defects of others who as it seems neglected that part of the work which had been committed to them And this their double diligence is noted both for the greater shame of their Nobles who would not do any part of it v. 5. and for their own greater honour who were so far from being corrupted by the bad Example of their Nobles that they were rather quickened and enflamed to greater Zeal and Industry in this publick and pious work repaired another piece over against the great tower that lieth out even unto the wall of Ophel 28 From above * 2 Kin. 11. 16. Jer. 31. 40. the horse-gate n Not that belonging to the Kings Palace 2 Chr. 23. 15. but one of the Gates of the City so called either because nigh unto that were many Stables for Horses or because the Horses commonly went out that way to their watering place repaired the priests every one over against his house 29 After them repaired Zadock the son of Immer over against his house after him repaired also Shemajah the son of Shechaniah the keeper of the east-gate o To wit of the City or of the Temple which being the chief Gate was committed to his particular Care and Custody 30 After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph another piece after him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber p Or chambers the singular number for the plural 31 After him repaired Malchiah the gold-smiths son unto the place of the Nethinims and of the merchants over against the gate Miphkad and to the ‖ Or corner chamber going up of the corner 32 And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep-gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants CHAP. IV. 1 BUt it came to pass that when * Ch. 2. 10. Sanballat heard that we built the wall he was wroth and took great indignation and mocked the Jews a Pretending contempt in his words when he had grief in his Heart 2 And he spake before his brethren b Tobiah v. 3. and Geshem ch 2. 19. and others whom he calls his brethren because of their conjunction with him in office and interest and the army of Samaria c Whom he designed hereby to incense against them or at least to understand their minds herein and said What do these feeble Jews will they †Heb. leave to themselves fortifie themselves will they sacrifice will they make an end in a day d Do they intend to begin and finish the work and keep the feast of dedication by sacrifice all in one day for if they spend any long time about it they cannot think that we and the rest of their Neighbours will suffer them to do it Thus he persuaded himself and his companions that their attempt was ridiculous and this mistake kept him from giving them any disturbance till it was too late So God infaruated him to his own grief and shame and to the advantage of his people will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish e Will they pick up their broken stones out of the ruines and patch them together for other materials they want which are burnt f i. e. Which stones were burnt and broken or consumed to powder to wit by the Chaldeans when they took the City See on ch 1. 3. 3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him and he said even that which they build if a fox go up g He mentions the Foxes because they were very numerous in those parts and because in the late desolations the Foxes did walk in the Mount and City of Zion Lamen 5. 18. wherewith he seems to upbraid them he shall even break down their stone-wall h It is so low that a Fox can easily get to the top of it and so weak and done so hastily and carelesly that the least thrust will tumble it down 4 Hear O our God for we are †Heb. despite despised and turn their reproach upon their own head i Let them be really as contemptible as they represent us to be This and the following requests may seem harsh but they were both just as being directed against such malicious inveterate and implacable enemies to God and to his People and necessary for the vindication and defence of Gods Honour and Worship and People and give them for a prey in the land of captivity k let them be removed from our Neighbourhood and carried into Captivity and there let them find no favour but further severity Or give them for a prey to their enemies and let these carry them into the land of captivity 5 And * Psal. 109. 14. 15. cover not their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee l Let their wickedness be in thy sight so as to bring down deserved judgments upon them that
more necessary because their times were now to be measured not by the years of their Kings as formerly but by their High-Priests Jojakim also begat Eliashib h Of whom see Nehem. 3. 1. 13. 4 5. and Eliashib begat Jojada 11 And Jojada begat Jonathan and Jonathan begat Jaddua i Generally supposed to be the same man who was High-Priest in the days of Alexander the Great as Iosephus mentions whence a great difficulty ariseth how Nehemiah could mention this man who seems not to have been High-Priest till many years after Nehemiah's death But it seems not necessary that this Iaddua should be the same Person for he might be the Father of that Iaddua both being called by the same name Or if he were the same the blessing of a very long Life might be given to this great and excellent Governour as it was to Ezra that famous Scribe as was noted on v. 1. and that for the very same reason He might also live to see Iaddua though not to see him High-Priest which might be many years after Or this passage might be put into this Book by some sacred or inspired Pen-man there being some though but few such passages in the foregoing Books of Scripture which were added by succeeding men of God in after times 12 And in the days of Jojakim were priests k As their Fathers were Priests in the days of Ioshua so in the days of Iojakim the son of Ioshua the sons of those persons executed the Priesthood in their Fathers steads some of their Fathers probably being yet living and many of them now dead the chief of the fathers of Serajah Merajah of Jeremiah Hananiah 13 Of Ezra Meshullam of Amariah Jehohanan 14 Of Melicu Jonathan of Shebaniah Joseph 15 Of Harim Adna of Merajath Helkai 16 Of Iddo Zechariah of Ginnethon Meshullam 17 Of Abijah Zichri of Miniamin of Moadiah Piltai 18 Of Bilgah Shammua of Shemajah Jehohanan 19 And of Jojarib Mattenai of Jedajah Uzzi 20 Of Sallai Kallai of Amok Eber 21 Of Hilkia Hashabiah of Jedaja Nethaneel 22 The Levites in the days of Eliashib Jojada and Johanan and Jaddua were recorded chief of the fathers also the priests to the reign of Darius l Either Darius Codomannus and then what was said concerning Iaddua v. 11. must be in part repeated and applied here or Darius Nothus and so this Iaddua might be Father to him who was in the days of Darius Codomannus and of Alexander the Great the Persian 23 The sons of Levi the chief of the fathers were written in the Book of the * 〈◊〉 â—… 14. â—… chronicles m i. e. In the publick Annals or Registers in which the Genealogies of the several Families were set down by the Jews with great exactness as all persons agree even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib 24 And the chief of the Levites Hashabiah Sherebiah and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel with their brethren over against them to praise and to give thanks * 〈◊〉 â—… â—… â—… according to the commandment of David the man of God ward over against ward n Of which see on v. 9. 25 Mattaniah and Bakbukiah Obadiah Meshullam Talmon Akkub were porters keeping the ward at the ‖ 〈…〉 thresholds of the gates o To wit of the Temple their watching-place being close by the Thresholds of the Gates as it now is 26 These were in the days of Jojakim the son of Jeshua the son of Jozadak and in the days of Nehemiah the governour and of Ezra the priest the scribe 27 And at the dedication of the wall p And of the gates which are mentioned v. 30. and of the City itself within the Gates which is here dedicated to God and to his Honour and Service not only upon a general account by which we ought to devote our selves and all that is ours to God but upon a more special ground because this was a place which God himself had chosen and sanctified by his Temple and gracious presence and therefore did of right belong to him whence it is oft called the holy City as hath been observed before And they restored to God by this dedication withal imploring the Presence and Favour and Blessing of God to this City by solemn Prayers and Praises and Sacrifices wherewith this Dedication was accompanied See Deut. 20. 5. 1 Kin. 8. 63. Ezr. 6. 17. Psal. 30. title of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places q To which they were now retired after that great and general Assembly ch 8 9 10. to bring them to Jerusalem to keep the dedication with gladness both with thanksgivings and with singing with cymbals psalteries and with harps 28 And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem and from the villages of Netophathi 29 Also from the house of Gilgal and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth for the singers had built them villages round about Jerusalem r That they might be near at hand for the service of God and of his House 30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves and purified the people and the gates and the wall s Partly by sprinkling the water of Purification upon them by which the Tabernacle and sacred Utensils were purified Num. 8. and partly by solemn Prayers and Sacrifices 31 Then I brought up the princes of Judah t And half of the people with them as it is expressed afterwards v. 38. upon the wall u For the Wall was broad and strong and so ordered that Men might conveniently walk upon it as at this day it is in many Cities and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks whereof one went on the right hand x Towards the South and East upon the wall toward * Ch. 2. 13. 3. 13. the dung-gate 32 And after them went Hoshajah and half of the princes of Judah 33 And Azariah Ezra y Not the Scribe as is evident from v. 36. but another Ezra and Meshullam 34 Judah and Benjamin and Shemajah and Jeremiah 35 And certain of the priests sons * Num. 10. 2. with trumpets namely Zechariah the son of Jonathan the son of Shemajah the son of Mattaniah the son of Michajah the son of Zaccur the son of Asaph 36 And his brethren Shemajah and Azareel Milalai Gilalai Maai Nethaneel and Judah Hanani with * 1 Chr. 23. 5. the musical instruments of David the man of God and Ezra the scribe before them 37 And at * Ch. 2. 14. â—… 15. the fountain-gate which was over-against them they went up by * Ch. 3. 15. the stairs of the city of David z By which they went up to the hill of Sion and City of David at the going up of the wall above the house of David even unto * Ch. 3. 26. 8. 1 3 16. the
of his Church he hath prepared t Or established by his immutable Purpose and his irrevocable Promise his throne for judgment 8. And * Psal. 96. 13. 98. 9. he shall judg the world u Not you onely but all the Enemies of his People and all the Men of the World in righteousness he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness 9. * Psal. 3â—… 39. 46. 1. 91. 2. The LORD also will be †Heb. At high place a refuge for the oppressed x God will not only judg the World at the last day and then give Sentence for his People against their Enemies but even at present he will give them his Protection a refuge in †Gr. 〈◊〉 times †Heb. Is trouble So Gr. of trouble 10. And they that know y i. e. That thoroughly understand and duly consider thy name z i. e. Thy Nature and Perfections thy infinite Power and Wisdom and Faithfulness and Goodness which make a Person a most fit and proper Object for Trust. The name of God is most frequently put for God as he hath manifested himself in his Word and Works as Deut. 28. 58. Psal. 7. 17. and 20. 1. Prov. 18. 10. c. will put their trust in thee for thou LORD hast not forsaken a The experience of thy Faithfulness to thy People in all Ages is a just ground for their Confidence them that seek thee b i. e. That seek Help and Relief from thee by fervent Prayer mixed with Faith or trust in God as is expressed in the former Clause 11. Sing praises to the LORD which dwelleth in Zion c Whose special and gracious Presence is there for there was the Ark at this time declare among the people d i. e. To the heathen Nations that they also may be brought to the Knowledg and Worship of the true God his doings 12. * Gen. 9. 5. When he maketh inquisition for blood e Heb. Bloods The bloodshed or murder of his innocent and holy ones which though he may connive at for a season yet he will certainly call the Authors of it to a very severe Account and avenge it upon them he remembreth them f Either 1. The Humble as it follows or the Oppressed v. 9. That trust in him and seek to him v. 10. Whom he seemed to have forgotten Or 2. The bloods last mentioned for that Noun and this Pronoun are both of the masculine Gender and then remembring is put for revenging or punishing as it is Deut. 25. 17 19. Neâ—… 6. 14. Ier. 14. 10. and 44. 21. and oft elsewhere he forgetteth not the cry of the ‖ Or Afflicted humble g Or â—…eek as this word which is used also Zech. 9. 9. is Translated Mat. 21. 5. Who do not and cannot and will not avenge themselves but commit their Cause to me as the God to whom Vengeance belongeth Or afflicted or oppressed ones 13. Have mercy upon me O LORD consider my trouble h To wit Compassionately and effectually so as to bring me out of it which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liâ—…test me up from the gates of death i From the Brink or Mouth of the Grave into which I was dropping being as near Death as a Man is to the City that is come to the very Gates of it And so the Phrase is used Psal. 107. 18. Isa. 38. 10. and in other Authors of whom see my Latin Synopsis Gates elsewhere signify Power and Policy because the Gates of Cities were places both of Counsel and Strength but the Gates of Death are never so taken in Scripture 14. That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates k i. e. In the great Assemblies which were usually in the Gates Comp. Prov. 31. 31. Isa. 3. 26. These Gates he elegantly opposeth to the former and declareth that if he be brought off them he will go into these of the daughter of Zion l Either 1. Of Ierusalem so called also Isâ—… 1. 8. Zech. 9. 9. Because at this time it was subject to Zion which at this time was the seat of the Kings Palace and of the Ark. For Cities or Towns belonging or subject unto any Metropolis are commonly called its Daughters as Ios. 15. 45. 2. Chron. â—…3 19. Psal. 48. 11. As the chief Cities are called Mothers as 2. Sam. 20. 19. Gal. 4. 26. Or 2. Of the People who live in or belong to or meet together for civil and religious Matters in Zion For Cities are as it were Mothers to their People giving them Birth and Breeding and therefore the People are commonly called their Daughters So the Name of the Daughter of Egypt Ier. 46. 11. and of Edom Lam. 4. 21 22. and of Tyre Psal. 45. 12. and of Babel Psal. 137. 8. and of Ierusalem Lam. 2. 13 15. Mich. 4. 8. Are put for the People of those places I will rejoyce m To wit with spiritual Joy and Thanksgiving else it were no fit Motive to be used to God in Prayer in thy salvation 15. * 〈◊〉 7. 15. 〈◊〉 6. 〈◊〉 22. 8. The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made n Fallen into that Destruction which they designed to bring upon us in the net which they hid is their own foot taken 16. The LORD is known o Or hath mads himself known or famous even among his Enemies by his most wiâ—…e Counsels and wonderful Works by the judgment which he executeth p Upon the Wicked as it followeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands * 〈◊〉 92. 3. Higgaion q This is either a musical Term or a Note of Attention a kind of behold intimating that the Matter deserves deep and frequent Meditation or Consideration as the word signifies Selah 17. The wicked shall be turned into hell r Either 1. Into the Grave which is oft called Schâ—…ol into which they are said to be turned or to return because they were made of or taken out of the Dust Eccles. 12. 7. Or 2. Into the place of eternal Perdition which also is sometimes called Schâ—…ol as Prov. 15. 24. and elsewhere For he seems to speak here of those Punishments which are peculiar to the Wicked whereas the Grave is common to good and bad And as v. 8. He seems to speak of the last and general Judgment of all the World so this Verse may be understood of the general Punishment of all Persons and Nations consequent upon it And into this place wicked Men may be said to be turned back or to return either 1. Because it is their own proper place Act. 1. 25. to which they belong and from which they have their Original and their wicked Qualities as being of their Father the Devil Iohn 8. 44. In which respect the Locusts who are by all Interpreters understood to be living Men are said
true Iacobites or Israelites who cannot conveniently be said to seek the Face of Iacob i. e. Their own And the Phrase of seeking the Face of Iacob or of the Church is no where used in Scripture Or as it is in the Margent O God of Iacob But that seems to be too large a Supplement Or this is Iacob the Pronoun this being easily understood out of the beginning of the Verse Or the Generation which may in the same manner be supplied of Iacob Iacob being here put not for the Person but for the posterity of Iacob as it is Gen. 49. 7. Numb 23. 7. 10. 23. Deut. 32. 9. Psal. 14. 7. or for the Church or people of God which is oft called Iacob or Israel as Isa. 14. 1. and 41. 8. and 44. 1 5 21. c. So the Sence is this and this only is the true Iacob or Israel or Church of God and all others are so only in Name and Title although they be descended lineally from him Or in Iacob the Particle in being here understood as it is in Psal. 2. 12. and 17. 12. and in many other places So the Sence of the place is this is the true Generation of them that seek God's Face in Iacob i. e. Either in Iacobs Land or Sanctuary the only place where God was to be sought Or among the Iacobites or Israelites By which he insinuates what is expressed Rom. 9. 6. that all are not Israel that are of Israel and that all were not Israelites indeed that were sprung from Iacob but only those of them who were such as he described v. 4. Comp. Ioâ—… 1. 47. Rom. 228 29. and the King of glory t The question was put Who shall ascend into God's Hill and Holy place v. 3. To which Answer hath been given and the Persons described v. 4 5 6. But because there still were impediments in the way and there were Gates and Doors to this Holy place to shut out those who would ascend thither therefore he poetically speaks to those Gates to open and let in the King of Glory who would make way for his Subjects and followers Here is a Representation of a Triumphant entrance of a King into his Royal City and Palace for which the Gates use to be enlarged or at least Wide opened He speaks here of the Gates and Doors Either 1 Of his Royal City of Sion through which the Ark was at this time to be brought to the Tabernacle which David had built for it called Everlasting Either from the solidity and durableness of the Matter or from David's Desires and Hopes that God would make them such in some sort because he loved the Gates of Sion Psal. 87. 2 Or rather 2. Of the Temple which by Faith and the Spirit of Prophecy he beheld as already built and accordingly addresseth his Speech to it whose Doors he calls Everlasting not so much because they were made of strong and durable Materials as in Opposition of those of the Tabernacle which were removed from place to place whereas the Temple and it's Doors were constantly fixed in one place and if the sins of Israel did not hinder â—…were to abide there for ever i. e. As long as the Mosaical dispensation was to last or until the coming of the Messias as that Phrase is very commonly taken in the Old Testament These Gates he bids liâ—…t up their Heads or Tops either by allusion to those Gates which have a Portcullis at the top of them which may be let down or taken up and accordingly makes the Entrance either higher and lower Or that by this figurative Address to the Gates he might signifie the Duty of the People to make their Gates higher and Wider to give their King a more Magnificent entrance But though this be the litteral Sence of the place yet there is also a Mystical Sence of it and that too designed by the Holy Ghost And as the Temple was undoubtedly a Type of Christ and of his Church and of Heaven it self so this place may also contain a Representation Either of Christ s entrance into his Church or into the Hearts of his faithful People who are here Commanded to set open their Hearts and Souls which are not unfitly called everlasting Doors for his Reception Or of his Ascension into Heaven where the Saints or Angels are poetically introduced as preparing the way and opening the Heavenly Gates to receive their Lord and King returning to his Royal Habitation with Triumph and Glory Comp. Psal. 47. 5. and 68. 25. Act. 2. 33. Eph. 4. 8. shall come in t The glorious King Ieâ—…ovah who dwelt in the Temple and between the Cherubims Or the Messias the King of Israel and of his Church called the King Or Lord of Glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. Iam. â—… 1. both for that Glory which is Inherent in him and that which is purchased by him for his Members 8. Who is the King of glory u This seems to be a Prolepsis or removal of an Objection You will say What is the cause of this imperious Call and why or for whom must those Gates be opened in so solemn and Extraordinary a manner the LORD strong and mighty the LORD mighty in battel x This contains an Answer to the question He is no ordinary Person no meaner and no other than Iehovah who hath given so many Proofs of his Almightiness who hath subdued all his Enemies and is now returned in Triumph Here is in this and the foregoing Verse a sacred Dialogue between several Persons And some suppose that the Sacred Musitians which attended upon the Service of the Ark and Tabernacle and were doubtless employed in this Solemnity 2 Sam. 6. â—… were divided into two Quires whereof one spake the former and the other the latter Verse 9. Lift up your heads O ye gates even lift them up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in y The same Verse is repeated again Partly to shame and awaken the Dulness of mankind who are so hardly brought to a serious Preparation for such Solemnities and Partly to signifie the great worth and importance of the Matter contained under these Expressions 10. Who is this King of glory the LORD of host z Under whose Command are all the Hosts of Heaven and Earth Angels and Men and all other Creatures he is the King of glory Selah PSAL. XXV The ARGUMENT This Psalm seems to have been Composed when David was under some straights and pressures when his outward afflictions were accompanied with inward â—…horrors of Conscience for his sins by which he had forfeited God's favour and procured these Calamities to himself A Psalm of David 1. UNto thee O LORD do I * Psal. 143. 8. lift up my soul a i. e. I direct my Desires and Prayers which are expressed by this Phrase Psal. 24. 4. Ier. 22. 27. Lam. 3. 41. with hope or Expectation of a gracious Answer which also it implies
by such Metaphors as Ier. 51. 25. Hagg. 2. 21 22. Revel 6. 14. 3. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled d Though the Sea be very Tempestuous and it's Waters by which a multitude of People is oft signified as Revel 17. 1. 1â—… Rage to wit against us as appears from the following Verses though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof e Though its Raging Waves assault mighty Princes and Kingdoms and make them shake and be ready to fall down Selah 4. There is a river the streams whereof f He either speaks of or at least alludes to the River of Kidron 2 Sam. 15. 23. Ioh. 18. 1. and it 's two streams or Rivolets following from it Giâ—…one and Siloah 2 Chron. 32. 30. Isa. 8. 6. which being small and Contemptible or still or gentle Waters are not unfitly opposed to the vast and unruly Waters of the Sea He insinuates the weak Condition of God's Church as to outward advantages that they had not one Sea to oppose to another but onely aâ—… small River which though in it self despicable yet was sufficient to Refresh and defend them in spight of all their Enemies And as the Sea and â—…aters thereof v. 2 3. are to be understood Metaphorically as all agree so also in all Probability are this River and Streams Which therefore may design the gracious Presence and Assistance and Blessing of the Lord which is very frequently described under the Name of waters as Isa. 11. 9. and 12. 3. Zech. 14. 8. c. or the Lord himself who is expresly said to be unto the City of Zion for it's defence a place of broad Rivers and Streams Isa. 33. 20 21. which probably alludes to this Text or at least explains it shall make glad g i. e. Shall not barely defend it from utter Ruin but preserve it from Danger and give great occasion for Rejoycing and Thanksgiving the city of God h i. e. Zion or Ierusalem so called also Psal. 48. 1. Isa. 60. 14. the holy place of the tabernacles i i. e. Of the Tabernacle the plural Number for the singular as Psal. 43. 3. The place where God's holy Tabernacle is settled of the most High 5. God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved God shall help her †Heb. 〈◊〉 the Morning appeareth and that right early k Heb. as soon as the Morning appeareth i. e. Speedily after a short Night of affliction Comp. Psal. 30. 5. and seasonably when the Danger is greatest and the Enemies prepare to make the Assault which is commonly done in the Morning 6. The heathen raged l To wit against God and against his People the kingdoms were moved he uttered his voyce l Either he thundred Or he spake to them in his Wrath as is said Psal. 2. 5. the earth melted m The Inhabitants of the Earth who were combined against Zion were dispirited and consumed 7. The LORD of hosts is with us the God of Jacob is †Heb an high place for us our refuge Selah 8. * Psal. 66. 5. Come behold the works of the LORD ‖ Or who hath made Desolations what desolations he hath made in the earth n i. e. Among those People of the Earth who were Neighbouring and Vexatious to God's People and therefore were cut off by David and their Lands and Cities in great part wasted 9. He maketh wars to cease o He hath ended our Wars and settled us in a firm and well-grounded Peace unto the end of the earth p Or. of this Land to wit of Israel From one end of it to the other * Psal. 76. 3. he breaketh the bow and cuteth the spear in sunder he burneth the Chariot in the fire q He speaks of the Bows and Spears and Chariots of their Enemies for he preserved those which belonged to his People 10. Be still r He speaks Either 1. To the Israelites be still i. e. Do you henceforth silently and quietly wait upon me without Fear or Dissidence Or rather 2. To the Heathen who had Raged v. 6. and therefore now he seasonably admonisheth them to be still and to stir no more against God's people and know thâ—…t I am God s The onely True and Almighty God and your God's are but dumb and impotent Idols I will be exalted t i. e. I will make my self Glorious by my great and wonderful Works among the hâ—… I will be exalted in the earth 11. The LORD of hosts â—…ith us the God of Jacob is our refuge Selah PSAL. XLVII The ARGUMENT This Psalm may seem to have been Composed upon the occasion of that great Solemnity of carrying the Ark from the House of Obed-Edom into the City of Zion of which sâ—…e 2 Sam. 6. and 1 Chro. 13. and 16. But as Zion was a Type of the Church and the Ark a Type of Christ â—…o this hath a further reference even to Christ's â—…scension into Heaven and as Consequent thereunto to the spreading of his Kingdom in all the Parts and Nations of the World Which is the chief Scope and Design of the Psalmist or at least of the Holy Ghost in this Psalm as will plainly appear from the Words and Matter of it To the chief musician a Psalm ‖ Or of for the sons of Korah 1. O Clap your hands all ye people a Either 1. All the Tribes of Israel For the several Tribes are sometimes called several People See Iudg. 5. 14. Ezek. 2. 3. Act. 4. 27. Or 2. All Nations not onely Iews but Gentiles for all of them either had or might have Benefit by the Ark upon their Addresses to God there and especially by Christ and his Ascension shout unto God b In the Worship and unto the Glory of the God of Israel with the voyce of triumph 2. For the LORD most high is terrible c Or is most high in himself above all God's which Conjunction is oft understood Teâ—…rible to all his Enemies be is a great King over all the earth d The universal Monarch of the whole World and not of onely Israel 3. He shall subdue e Or lâ—…ad like Sheep Or â—…ring into the Fold as divers render the Word by Comparing Isa. 5. 17. Mich. 2. 12. He seems to speak of such a Subjugation of them as was for the good of the People subdued because this is Matter of Rejoyâ—…ing to them v. 1. Which is true both of those People whom David subdued who thereby had Opportunities Obligations and Encouragements to own and Worship the true God which was the onely way to their true and lasting Happiness and especially of those Gentiles who were subdued to Christ by the preaching of the Gospel the people under us f The Gentile-Converts were in some sort brought under the Iews because they were subjected to Christ and to his Apostles and to the primitive
8. and all 〈◊〉 shall 〈◊〉 their Hâ—…s for joy as it is v. 1. for the shields of the earth x Either 1. The protection of the People of all the Earth Or rather 2. Their Princes or Rulers who are fitly called Shields Hâ—…se 4. 18. because by their Office they are or should be the common Parents and Protectors of all their People to defend them from all Oppression and Injuries These saith he are the â—…rds i. e. At his disposal or subject to his Dominion both as to their Hearts and Kingdomâ—… And so this is here Conveniently added as the Reason of that great and improbable Event sorâ—… told in the foregoing Words that the Princes of the People which of all others were most lofty and wilful and incorrigible should joyn and subject themselves to the Lord and to his Church belong unto God he is greatly exalted y By this means God shall be greatly Glorified and appear to be far above all the Princes of the World and above all other Gods PSAL. XLVIII THE ARGUMENT This Psalm was Composed upon the Occasion of some eminent Deliverance vouchsafed by God to the City of Jerusalem from some potent Enemy and dâ—…eadful Danger Either that in Johoshaphat's time 2 Chron. 20. or that under Hezekiah 2 Kings 18. and 19. In both which times they were Holy Prophets by some of whom this Psalm might be made A song and Psalm a Of which see on Psal. 30. which hath the same Title for the sons of Korah ‖ Or of 1 GReat is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God b In Ierusalem which he hath chosen for his dwelling Place in the mountain of his holiness c i. e. In his holy Mountain either Zion where the Ark and Tabâ—…rnacle was Or rather Moriah where the Temple now was Although both of them are supposed by some to be but one Mountain having two Tops and it is certain that both are frequently called by one Name to wit Zion 2. * Psal. 50. 2. Ezek. 20. 6. Dan. 8. 9. 11. 16. Beautiful for situation the joy of the whole earth d Ierusalem may be so called here as it is also Lament 2. 15. not actually as if all People did rejoyce in it or for it but Fundamentally or Causally because here was very great cause or ground of rejoycing for the Gentile World if they had understood themselves or their true Interest Because here God was graciously present and ready to hear and Answer the just Desires and Prayers not onely of the Israelites but of any stranger of what Nation soever according to Soâ—…mon's Prayer 1 Kings 8. 41. c. and here the Gentiles might find that God whom like blind Men they groped for as the Greek Phrase implies Act. 17. 27. and here they might be informed of the Nature and Properties as also of the Mind and Will of the Almighty and everlasting God of which they were so grossly Ignorant and of that Messias who was the Dâ—…sire of and Consequently matter of great Joy unto all Nations Hagg. 2. 7. and 2. Prophetically because the â—…ful Doctrine of the Gospel was to go from thence unto all Nations of which see Iâ—…a 2. 2 3. Mich. 4. 1 2. yet these Words may be and are by others rendred and understood thus the Ioy of the or this for here is an Emphatical Article whole Land is mount Zion on the sides of the north e i. e. Which is on the Northern part of Ierusalem But because Iosephus and some others affirm thâ—…t Mount Zion stood Southward from Ierusalem this Clause possibly may be added to signifie that Zion is not here to be understood strictly and Properly for that Mountain or part of the Mountain so called but for that other Mountain or part of the same Mountain upon which the Temple was built which was strictly called Moriah but is here called Zion because that Name was far better known in Scripture as being oft put for the Temple as Psal. 137. 3. Isa. 18. 7. Ier. 51. 10. Lam. 5. 18. and for the whole City and for the Church of God in a multitude of places of Scripture * Math. 5. 35. the city of the great king f i. e. The City of God as it was now called v. 1. who justly calls himself a great King Mal. 1. 14. as being King of Kings and Lord of Lords Revel 19. 16. 3. God is known in her palaces g To his People by sensible and long Experience and to all neighbouring Nations by their own Observation for a refuge h i. e. In the Habitations or to the Inhabitants of that City Possibly he may here point at the Kings Palace and the Temple which was the Palace of the King of Heaven which two Palaces God did in a singular manner Protect and by Protecting them he Protectâ—…d the whole City and People i Uader whose shadow we are more safe and secure than other Cities are with their great Rivers and impregnable Fortifications 4. For lo the kings i Either those Kings Consederate against Iohoâ—…haphat 2 Chron. 20. or tâ—…e Assyrian Princes whom they Vain-Gloriously called Kings Iâ—…a 10. 8. were assembled they passed by k In their March towards Ierusalem Or they pasâ—… away i. e. Departed without the Success which they desired and Considently expected together 5. They saw it l Thâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 look upon it but not come into it nor shoot an 〈◊〉 tâ—…re nor cast a Bank against it as is said upon this or the like Occasion 2 Kings 19. 32. and so they marvelled m Not so much at the structure or strength of the City as at the wonderful Works wrought by God on their behalf they were troubled and hasted away n See 2 Kings 19. 35. 6. Fear took hold upon them there and pain o Partly at the Tidings of Tirhakah's coming against them 2 Kings 19. 9. and Partly for that Terrible slaughter of their Army there v. 35. as of a woman in travail 7. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east-wind p This is not reported as a Matter of Fact for we Read of no Ships in those Expeditions to which this Psalm relates nor did any Ships come near Ierusalem because that was aâ—… a great Distance from the Sea and from any navigable River running into the Sea but onely added by way of Illustration oâ—… Allusion The Sence is Thou didst no less violently anâ—… suddenly destroy these Proud and Raging Enemies of Ierusalem than sometimes thou destroyest the Ships at Sea with a fierce and Vehement Wind such as the Eastern Winds were in those Parts Exod. 14 21. Iob. 27. 21. Ier. 18. 17. Ezek. 27. 26. The Words are and may be rendred thus Thou diast break them as such Ellipsis of the Pronoun and of the note of similitude being very frequent as I have again and again shewed the Ships of the
Men which Antiently used to be Written in Catalogues out of which the Names of those who died were blotted Or rather 2. Of eternal Life as both Iewish and Christian Interpreters commonly understand it Which agrees best 1. To the use of this Phrase in Scripture For in this Sence men are said to be â—…ritten in the Book Dan. 12. 1. or in God's Book Exod. 32. 32. Or in the Book of Life Phil. 4. 3. â—…el 3. 5. and 13. 8. and 17. 8. and 20. 12. and 21. last 2. To the last Clause of the Verse which explains it of that Book wherein none but the Righteous are written whereas this Life and that attended with Health and Prosperity is Promiscuously given to and taken from good and bad Men. 3. To the quality of the Persons of whom this is said which are the Malicious Enemies of God and of his People and the Murderers of the Lord of Glory who shall be punished with eternal Death In this Book Men may be said to be written Either 1. In Reality by God's Election or Predestination Or 2. In Appearance when a Man is called by God to the Profession and Practice of the true Religion and into Covenant with himself and Professeth to Comply with it and so is written in the writing of the House of Israel which is said of all that are in the Assembly of God's People Ezek. 13 â—… and so seems to others and it may be to himself to be Really written in the Book of Life And when a Man renounceth this Profession and Religion he may be said to be 〈◊〉 out of that Book because his Apostacy makes it Evident that he was not written in it as he seemed to be For this is a known and approved Rule for the understanding of many Texts of Scripture that things are oft said to be done when they onely seem to be done and are not Really done as he is said to find his Life Mat. 10. 39. who falsly imagined that he did find it when in Truth he lost it and to have Mat. 13. 12. who onely seemed to have as it is explained in the Parallel place Luk. 8. 1â—… and to Live Rom. 7. â—… when he vainly Conceited himself to be alive And in like manner Men may be said to be written in or blotted out of this Book when they seem to be so by the Course of their Lives and Actions But that this blotting out is not meant Properly and Positively is clear from the last Branch of this Verse which after the manner of these Books expounds the former wherein this doubtful Phrase is explained by one which is Evident and unquestionable even by his not being written in it For it is impossible that a Mans name should be Properly blotted out of that Book in which it was never written The Sence of the Verse seems to be this Let their Wickedness be so notorious and the Tokens of God's wrath upon them so manifest that all Men may discern that they are blotted out that is that they never were written in the Book of Life in which the Righteous are written and not be written with the righteous e i. e. In that Book of Life in which all righteous or holy Persons and onely they are written whereby it may appear that whatsoever shew or Profession they once made yet they neither are nor were truly righteous Persons 29. But I am poor and sorrowful let thy salvation O God set me up on high f Out of the reach of mine Enemies Or liâ—…t me out of the deep Waters and the Mire in which I was sinking v. 14. 30 I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnifie him with thanks-giving 31 * Psal. 50. 13. 14. 23. This also shall please the LORD better than an oxe or bullock g This sincere and hearâ—…y Sacrifice of Praise is and shall be more grateful to God than the most Glorious legal Sacrifices For so such moral Services ever were 1 Sam. 15. 22. Hosâ—… 6 6. and such Sacrifices shall be accepted when those Legal ones shall be abolished that hath horns and hoofs h This is added as a Description and Commendation of the Sacrifice or Bullock which he supposeth to be of the best sort both tender and Mature as it is when the Horns bud forth and the Hoofs grow hard 32 * Psal. 34. 2. The ‖ Or 〈◊〉 humble shall see this and be glad i Those pious Persons who are grieved for my Calamities shall have occasion to Rejoyce and they will heartily Rejoyce in my Deliverance and Exaltation and your heart shall live k Or be Revived to wit with Joy which were dejected and in a manner Dead with Sorrow Compare Gen. 45. 27. Psal. 22. 26. and 109. 21. that seek God 33 For the LORD heareth the poor and despiseth not his prisoners l Those who are in Prison or any Straits and Afflictions for his sake which is my Case v. 7. 34 Let the heaven and earth m Either 1 Angels and Men. Or rather 2. The Heaven and Earth themselves as in the next Branch the Seas and every thing that moveth â—…erein All which by an usual Figure he invites to praise God aâ—…â—…e doth elsewhere because they all give men occasion to praise God praise him the seas and every thing that †Heb. 〈◊〉 Câ—… moveth therein 35 For God will save Sion n The City of Sion or Ierusalem and his Church and People which are frequently expressed under that Title and build the cities of Judah that they o The humble and Poâ—…r v. 32 33. or his Servants as is explained in the following Verse may dwell there p In the literal Canaan for a long time and in the Heavenly Canaan for ever and have it in possession 36 * Psal. 102. 23. The seed also of his servants shall inherit it q Their posterity shall flourish after them and partake of the same Happiness with them and they that love his name shall dwell therein PSAL. LXX To the chief musician a Psalm of David to bring to remembrance The Contents of this Psalm are almost all to be found Psal. 40. 13. c. Nor is it strange that they are here repeated because the same or like Occasions were oft repeated and David's returning Distresses might well make him sometimes repeat the same Words And as these things were joyned with many other passages in Psal. 40. so they are distinctly repeated as a Form of Prayer which himself or others might use in such a Condition What is necessary for the understanding of this Psalm The Reader may find in the Notes on Psal. 40. 1 MAke hast * â—…al 40. 13. 〈◊〉 â—… 71. 12. O God to deliver me make hast †Heb. to my 〈◊〉 to help me O LORD 2 * 〈◊〉 35. 4. â—…â—…1 13. Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul let them be turned
in the next verse by this description of them him or them that hated peace although David sought peace with them v. 7. And so he speaks either 1. of the Philistins among whom he sojourned for a time But he did not seek peace with them but sought their ruine as the event shewed not did they wage war against him whilst he lived peaceably among them Or rather 2. the Courtiers and Souldiers of Saul and the generality of the Israelites who to curry favour with Saul sought Davids ruine and that many times by treachery and pretences of friendship of which he oft complains in this Book whom as he elsewhere calls Heathen as Psal. 9. 5 59. 5. it is not strange if he compare them here to the savage Arabians And amongst such persons David was oft forced to sojourn in Sauls time and with them he sought peace by all ways possible but they hated peace and the more he pursued peace the more eagerly did they prosecute the war as it here follows 6 My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace 7 I am ‖ 〈◊〉 a man of 〈◊〉 for peace but when I speak they are for war PSAL. CXXI A song of degrees The matter of this Psalm sufficiently sheweth that the Psalmist was conflicting with great difficulties and oppositions and looking hither and thither for help as men in such cases use to do and then turning his eyes to God and his Providence and encouraging himself by Gods promises made to his people 1 ‖ Or shall I lift up mine eyes to the hills whence should my help come I Will lift up mine eyes unto the * Psal. 87. 1. 133. 3. hills a Either to Sion and Moriah which are called the holy mountains Psal. 87. 1. or rather 2. to the hills in general whereof there were many in the land of Canaan and upon which the forces which he hoped would come to his aid might be seen at a great distance from whence cometh b Or may come Heb. will come my help 2 * Psal. 124. 8. My help cometh from the LORD c From God alone and therefore to him alone will I turn mine eyes which made heaven and earth 3 He will not suffer thy foot d He speaketh as it were from God to himself but withal to the encouragement of his followers and of all good men to be moved e To wit so as to fall into mischief he that keepeth thee will not slumber f Will not overlook nor neglect any thing which is necessary for thy preservation 4 Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep 5 The LORD is thy keeper the LORD is thy shade g Both to refresh thee and keep thee from the burning heat of the Sun as it is expressed in the next verse and to protect thee by his power from all thine enemies for which reason God is oft called a shadow in Scripture upon thy right hand h Partly to uphold thy right hand which is the chief instrument of action and partly to defend thee in that place where thine enemies oppose thee of which see on Psal. 109. 6. And compare Psal. 16. 8. 109. 31. 6 The sun shall not smite thee i With excessive heat by day nor the moon k With that cold and moisture which comes into the air by it and with it Intemperate heats and colds are the two springs of many diseases He alludes both to the condition of Souldiers or Travellers who are exposed to the open air by day and by night and also to the cloudy Pillar which defended the Israelites both by day and by night The sence is He shall protect thee from all evils both by day and night by night 7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in l Shall guard and assist thee in all thy expeditions and affairs and actions either at home or abroad So this phrase is used Numb 27. 17. Deut. 28. 6. from this time forth and even for evermore PSAL. CXXII A song of degrees of David This Psalm seems to have been written by David for the use of the people when they came up to Ierusalem to the solemn Feasts 1 I Was glad when they said unto me Let us go a Exhorting one another to it as Deut. 33. 19. Or we will go The sence is It delighted me much to hear that the people who had so long lived in the neglect or contempt of Gods worship were now ready and forward in it into the house of the LORD 2 Our feet †Heb. were standing So Gr. shall stand b Thither we shall come and there we shall make our abode during the times of solemn worship within thy gates O Jerusalem c In that City where the Ark is now fixed We shall wander no more from place to place as the Ark was removed 3 Jerusalem is built as a city that is * See 2 Sam. 5. 9. compact together d Partly in its buildings which are not dispersed as they are in Villages nor divided into two Cities as it was before but united and enlarged 1 Chron. 11. 7 8. and principally in its Government and Religion which was distinct and opposite before David took the Fort of Zion from the Iebusites 4 * Exod. 23. 17. Deut. 16. 16. Whither the tribes e Not some few pious people of each Tribe as in Sauls time and under the Judges but whole Tribes nor onely one or two of the Tribes as it was during the late Civil Wars but all the twelve Tribes go up the tribes of the LORD e Whom God hath chosen to be his people and whom he hath invited and required to resort thither unto the testimony of Israel f Unto the Ark which is oft called the Testimony as Exod. 16. 34. Levit. 16. 13. 24. 3. Numb 17. 4. and more fully the Ark of the Testimony as Exod. 26. 33 34. and elsewhere because of the Tables of the Covenant laid up in it which are called Gods Testimony and the Tables of the Testimony as Exod. 25. 16. 31. 18 c. And this may well be called the Testimony of or to Israel because it was given by God to them and for their good Or by or according to the Testimony of Israel i. e. Gods command given to Israel which may be alledged here as the reason which moved them to this journey to give thanks unto the name of the LORD g To worship God this one eminent part and action thereof being put for all the rest 5 For h This is added as another reason inviting and obliging them to go up to Ierusalem and as another commendation of this City there †Heb. Do sit are set thrones of judgment i The supreme Courts of Justice for
great work 2 How he sware unto the LORD and vowed c He made a solemn vow and confirmed it with an oath Which he undoubtedly did although no mention be made of it 2 Sam. 7. Thus many historical passages which were omitted in their proper places are afterwards recorded upon other occasions of which examples have been formerly noted unto the mighty God of Jacob d Of Israel Iacob and Israel are frequently put for their posterity as hath been frequently observed 3 Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house nor go up to my bed e This and the following clauses are not to be understood strictly and properly as if he would never come into his house or bed till this was done which is confuted by the history 2 Sam. 11. 2. but figuratively as an hyperbolical expression such as are usual both in Scripture and in all other Authors to signifie his passionate desire of doing this work which was so earnest that neither his house nor bed nor sleep could give him any content till this work was done or in some forwardness 4 I will not give sleep to mine eyes or slumber to mine eye-lids 5 Until I find out a place for the LORD f Either 1. until I can understand from God what place he hath chosen for his house to be built in Or rather 2. until I have fitted or raised an house in which the Ark may be put an habitation as this is explained both in the next clause and in v. 7. and Act. 7. 46. For this and not the former was the matter both of Davids desire and of Gods answer delivered by Nathan 2 Sam. 7. †Heb. habitations an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. 6 Loe we have heard of it g Of the place or habitation for the Lord last mentioned at Ephratah h Either 1. in Bethlehem which is called Ephratah Gen. 35. 19. 48. 7. Mich. 5. 2. So the sence is either this We heard a rumour at Bethlehem among Davids relations that the Ark should be removed to a new place and that David had pitched upon it or this We heard that Bethlehem would be the place for it because it was the City of David Or rather 2. in the Tribe of Ephraim which was called also Ephratah or Ephrathah as is manifest because the men of Ephraim were called Ephrathites as Iudg. 1â—… 5. in the Hebrew Text though in the English it be Ephraimite So Ieroboam is called an Ephrathite 1 Kings 11. 26. So the sence is We heard it from our fathers that the ancient place of it was Shiloh which was in the land of Ephraim Whereby he covertly intimates that God rejected and forsook that place and chose not the tribe of Ephraim as it is said Psal. 78. 67. that so he might make way for Zion which was the place chosen by God for it as it follows here v. 13. we found it i Afterwards we found it elsewhere in the fields of the wood k i. e. In a field or in one of the fields of the wood for that little spot of ground in which the Tabernacle or Temple was built was not likely to be in several fields Thus Iepthah was buried in the cities of Gilead Iudg. 12. 7. i. e. in one of them This is meant either 1. of the Mount Moriah which might possibly be called the field of the wood as being anciently a place full of wood Gen. 22. 13. or of the threshing-floor of Araunah of which see 2 Sam. 24. 28. which before the building of the Temple is said to have been a woody place Or rather 2. of Kiriath-jearim which signifies a city of woods in the field or territory whereof the Ark was seated for twenty years as we read 1 Sam. 7. 1 2. And from this place it was removed to Zion 2 Sam. 6. 1 c. 7 We will go l Seeing the Ark is now fixed in a certain place we will go to it more generally and constantly than formerly we did into his tabernacles m Into his Tabernacle or Temple the Plural number put for the Singular as Psal. 43. 3. 46. 4 c. * Psal. 99. 5. we will worship at his footstool n Either the Temple or rather the Ark so called 1 Chron. 28. 2. Lament 2. 1. because God is oft said to sit between the Cherubims which were above the Ark. 8 * Num. 10. 35. 2 Chr. 6. 41 42. Arise o i. e. Arise and come One word put for two as Gen. 43. 33. marvelled i. e. marvelled looking one at another and v. 34. he took messes i. e. he took and sent messes as our Translation renders it And this word is very proper in this place because it was to be used by Gods appointment when the Ark was to be removed from one place to another Numb 10. 35. as now it was from the Tabernacle in Zion to the Temple in Moriah upon which occasion this and the two following verses were used by Solomon 2 Chron. 6. 41 42. O LORD into thy rest p Into thy resting place the Temple so called Isa. 66. 1. where thou hast now a fixed habitation thou and the ark of thy strength q The seat of thy powerful and glorious presence from whence thou dost put â—…orth and manifest thy strength on the behalf of thy people when they desire and need it 9 Let thy priests be cloathed with * Ver. 16. righteousness r Not onely with those outward Sacerdotal garments of glory and beauty which thou hast appointed for them but especially with those inward ornaments of righteousness and true holiness that so their persons and services may be accepted by thee both for themselves and for all thy people and they may be cloathed with salvation as it is expressed here below v. 16. and 2 Chron. 6. 41. which is the effect or consequent of the former clothing and let thy saints shout for joy s Let all thy people have cause of rejoycing in the tokens of thy goodness which they eminently had at the dedication of the Temple as is noted 1 Kings 8. 66. 10 For thy servant Davids sake t In regard of thy singular kindness and promises vouchsafed to David as this is explained in the following verses And this verse makes it more than probable that David was not the Penman of this Pslam who never used to beg mercies from God for his own sake but constantly for his names sake and for the sake of his truth mercy goodness or righteousness as will be evident to any one that reads this Book turn not away the face u Cast me not out of thy presence do not reject or deny my request as this phrase is expounded 1 Kings 2. 16. of thine anointed x Of me whom thou hast anointed to be King over thy people He speaks of himself in the third person as
the same Violence and Cruelty and Injustice that Thieves use * Ezek. 22. 12. 〈◊〉 4. 18. 〈◊〉 3. 11. every one loveth gifts g i. e. Bribes given to pervert Justice which are severely forbidden Deut. 10. 17. 27. 25. and followeth after rewards h Pursuing them with all eagerness and by all means possible they * Jer. 5. 28. 〈◊〉 7. 10. judge not the fatherless neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them i They are so far from doing them Justice that they will not so much as give them a fair Hearing of their Cause because they cannot make their way to them by Gifts 24 Therefore saith the Lord the LORD of hosts the mighty One of Israel Ah * Deut. 28. 63. I will ease me k Heb. I will comfort my self ease my Mind and satisfie my Justice by taking vengeance as the next Clause explains this The same Expression is used in the same sense Ezek. 5. 13. of mine adversaries l Of the Israelites who though they have called themselves my Children and Friends yet by their Temper and Carriage towards me have shewed themselves to be mine Enemies and avenge me of mine enemies 25 And I will turn my hand upon thee m To chastise thee again which God threatned that he would not do v. 5. but now promiseth that he will do it not in fury or so as utterly to destroy them but in mercy and with moderation so as to purge them as it here follows and †Heb. accordâ—…ng to pureâ—… * Jer. 6. 29. â—… 9. 7. Mal. 〈◊〉 purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin n I will purge out of thee and destroy those wicked Men that are incorrigible and infectious to others and for those of you that are curable I will by my Word and by the Furnace of Affliction purge out all that Hypocrisie and Corruption that yet remains in you and requires so sharp a Cure 26 And I will restore thy judges o I will give thee such Princes and Magistrates as at the first p Heb. As thou hadst in the beginning either 1. of thy Common-wealth such as Moses and Ioshua or 2. of thy Kingdom such as David and thy counsellers q Thy Princes shall have and hearken to wise and faithful Counsellors which is a singular Blessing to a Prince and People as at the beginning afterward * Zech. 8. â—… thou shalt be called q To wit justly and truly thou shalt be such for to be called is oft put for to be as Isa. 4. 3. 61. 6. Mat. 5. 9. The city of righteousness the faithful city 27 Zion r The Iews that live in or near Zion and worship God in Zion shall be redeemed s Shall be delivered from all their Enemies and Calamities with judgment t Or by judgment i. by Gods righteous Judgment purging out those wicked and incorrigible Iews who by their Sins hindred the Deliverance of the People and punishing and destroying their unmerciful Enemies who kept them in cruel Bondage as he did to the Babylonians whereby he made the way open for their deliverance and ‖ Or they that return of her her converts u Heb. her returners those of them who shall come out of Captivity into their own Land with righteousness x Or by righteousness i. e. either by my Faithfulness in keeping my Promise of delivering them after seventy years or by my Goodness for both these come under the name of righteousness in Scripture-use 28 And y Or rather But as that Particle is oft used for here is a manifest opposition the * Job 31. 3. Psal. 1. 6. 5. 6. 73. 27. 92. 9. 104. 35. †Heb. breaking destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together z Though I will deliver my People from the Babylonish Captivity yet those of them who shall still go on in their wickedness shall not have the benefit of that Mercy but are reserved for a more dreadful and total destruction and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed 29 For they shall be ashamed a Not with an ingenuous and penitential shame for the Sin but with an involuntary and penal shame for the disappointment of their hopes which they had in their Idols of the ‖ Or gods Chap. 57. 5. â—…r idols oaks which ye have desired b Which after the manner of the Heathen you have consecrated to Idolatrous Uses that under them you might worship your Idols as they did Ezek. 6. 13. Hos. 4. 13. See also Isa. 57. 5. Ier. 2. 20. 3. 6. and ye shall be confounded for the gardens c In which as well as in the Groves they committed Idolatry of which we read Isa. 65. 3. 66. 17. that ye have chosen d To wit for the Place of your Worship which is opposed to the Place which God had chosen and appointed for his Worship 30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth and as a garden that hath no water e As you have sinned under the Oaks and in Gardens so you shall be made like unto Oaks and Gardens not when they are green and flourishing but when they wither and decay 31 And the strong f Either 1. your Idols which you think to be strong and able to defend you as appears by your Confidence in them or 2. the strongest Persons among you who think to secure themselves against the threatned danger by their Wealth or Power or Wisdom and much more they that are weak and helpless shall be as tow g Shall be as suddenly and easily consumed by my Judgments as Tow is by Fire ‖ Or and his work and the maker of it h The Maker of the Idol who can neither save himself nor his Workmanship Or his work either all that he doth or can do or that which he hath done his wicked course of Life shall bring him to ruine as a spark and they shall both burn together and none shall quench them CHAP. II. THe word a Or the matter or thing as this Hebrew word commonly signifies the Prophecy or Vision that I saiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem 2 And b Or Now as this Particle is rendred 1 Sam. 9. 1. Ezra 1. 1. c. * Mic. 4. 1 c. it shall come to pass in the last days c In the Times of the Messias or the Gospel as the generality both of Jewish and Christian Writers understand it and as may further appear both from the use of this Phrase in this sence Ier. 48. 47. 49. 39. Ezek. 38. 8 16. Dan. 10. 14. Hos. 3. 5. Act. 2. 17. Heb. 1. 2. 1 Ioh. 2. 18. and from the Conversion of the Gentiles here promised which was not to be till that time
sent or come to enquire concerning the State of Zion in that day when not onely the Philistins but even the Iews themselves shall fall by the hands of one and the same Enemy Nation is put collectively for nations as gate and city for gates and cities in the foregoing Verse That * Psal. 87. 1 5. 102. 16. the LORD hath founded Zion and * Zeph. 3. 12. Zech. 11. 11. the poor of his people shall ‖ Or betake themselves unto it trust in it a They shall give them this answer That although Zion at present be in a very distressed and deplorable condition and seems to be forsaken by her Cod yet she stands upon a firm Foundation and God who first founded her will again restore and establish her and his poor despised People shall resort to her as to a strong and sure Refuge CHAP. XV. * Ezek. 25. 8. Amos 2. 1. THe burden of Moab a A Prophecy of the Destruction of the Moabites the inveterate and implacable Enemies of the Iews begun by the Assyrian and finished by the Babylonian Emperours Because in the night b Or in a night suddenly and unexpectedly for Men sleep securely in the Night and therefore the Evils which then overtake them are most terrible to them Ar c The chief City of Moab Numb 21. 28. Deut. 2. 9. of Moab is laid waste and ‖ Or cut off brought to silence d Or rather is cut off as the Word oft signifies as Ier. 47. 5. Hos. 10. 9 15. and elsewhere because in the night Kir e Another eminent City of Moab called more largely and fully Kir-heres and Kir-Haresheth Isa. 16. 7 11. Ier. 48. 31 36. of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence 2 He is gone up to Bajith f Which signifies an house It is supposed to be the Name of a Place so called from some eminent House or Temple of their Idols which was in it It is called more fully Beth-baal-meon that is The house of Baals habitation Ios. 13. 17. and to Dibon g Another City of Moab as is manifest from Ier. 48. 18 22. where also was their other eminent High places To these two Places they used to resort in case of great Difficulties and Troubles the high places to weep h To offer their Supplications with Tears to their Idols for help Moab shall howl over Nebo and over Medeba i Two considerable Cities anciently belonging to the Moabites from whom they were taken by the Amorites and from them by the Israelites and possessed by the Reubenites Numb 21. 30. 32. 3 38. but were as it seems recovered by the Moabites in whose hands they now were as is evident for Nebo Ier. 48. 1 22. and for Medeba from this Text. * Jer. 47. 5. 48. 37 38. Ezek. 7. 18. on all their heads shall be baldness and every beard cut off k The Hair of their Heads and Beards which was their Ornament was shaved as was usual in great Mournings as hath been oft observed upon diâ—…ers preceding Texts See on Levit. 19. 27 28. 21. 5. 3 In their streets they shall gird themselves with sack-cloth l This was another Practice of Mourners on the tops of their houses m Which were made flat Deut. 22. 8. to which men used to go up either to walk or to cry to God in Heaven or to Men for Help and in their streets n Publickly without shame whereas in ordinary Sorrows men are wont to seek secret Places for their Mourning every one shall howl †Heb. descending into weeping or coming down with weeping weeping abundantly 4 And Heshbon shall cry and Elealeh o Two other Moabitish Cities of which see Numb 21. 25 26. 32. 3. 37. their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz p Another City in the utmost Borders of Moah Numb 21. 23. called also Iahazah Ios. 21. 36. therefore the armed souldiers q Who should be and use to be the most couragious of Moab shall cry out his life shall be grievous unto him r The Moabites shall generally long for death to free themselves from those dreadful Calamities which they perceive unavoidably coming upon them 5 My heart shall cry out for Moab s Their Destruction approaching is so dreadful that although they are a most vile Nation and by their implacable Enmity against God and his People do abundantly deserve it yet the Respect which I have to Humane Nature fills me with Horrour at the very thoughts of it Compare Isa. 16. 11. ‖ Or to the borders thereof even to Zoar as an heisâ—…r his fugitives t Or his bars as others render it and as this Word is frequently taken as Exod. 26. 26 27. Psal. 107 16. c. whereby he may understand their valiant Men or their Princes and Rulers who as they are called the shields of the earth Psal. 47. 9. because like Shields they do or should defend their People so for the same reason they may be called bars because Bars are the Strength of the Gates of Cities or Castles and therefore are mentioned as such Psal. 147. 13. Prov. 18. 19. Ier. 51. 30. shall flee unto Zoar u Or shall cry unto Zoar either shall cry as they go along the way even till they come to Zoar or shall cry so as they may be heard to Zoar which may easily be understood out of the foregoing Verse Zoar was a Town bordering upon Moab of which see â—…en 19. 20 21 22. Deut. 34. 3. an * Heb. breaking heifer of three years old x Which some understand of the City of Zoar so called for her Strength and Wantonness But such a Description of Zoar seems very improper and impertinent in this place The Words therefore are to be translated here as they are by our Translators Ier. 48. 34. as an heifer of three years old and so they belong to their Cry and signifie that it is strong and loud like that of such an Heifer for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry y He signifies that the Cry should be universal in all Places where they come and reaching from one side of the Country to another Of Luhith see Ier. 48. 4 5. of †Jer 48. 5. 34. destruction z Such a Cry as men send forth when they are just falling into the Pit of Destruction 6 For the waters a Either 1. properly they shall be dried up or 2. figuratively the Waterish Grounds as waters seem to be taken Eccles. 11. 1. Isa. 32. 20. These being very fruitful are commonly most inhabited and cultivated but now they also and much more the dry and barren Grounds shall be desolate and without Inhabitant of Nimrim shall be †Heb. desolations desolate for the hay is
mentioned 1. that she was drunk with the cup of Gods Wrath v. 17. 2. that she had none to support or comfort her in that condition Or 2. Those which here follow which although they be expressed in four words yet they may fitly be reduced to two things the desolation or devastation of the Land and the destruction of the People by Famine Sword So Famine and Sword are not named as new evils but only as the particular ways or means of bringing the destruction there mentioned and the words may be thus rendred desolation and destruction even this Hebrew particle being oft taken expositively whereof many instances have been given famine or by famine and sword Or two may be put indefinitely for many as double is put for abundantly more Iob 11. 6. Isa. 40. 2. 61. 7. Zech. 9 12. elsewhere †Heb. â—…appened are come unto thee who shall be sorry for thee desolation and †Heb. breaking destruction and the famine and the sword by whom shall I comfort thee f I cannot find any man who is able to comfort and relieve thee 20 * â—…am 2. 11. 12. Thy sons have fainted g they lie h Dead by Famine or the Sword of the Enemy at the head of all the streets i Where men enter in or go out of the streets where the Enemy found them either opposing their entrance or running out of them to make an escape as a wild bull in a net k Those of them who are not slaâ—… are struggling for Life and although they murmur at God and fight with Men yet they cannot prevail or escape they are full of the fury of the LORD the rebuke of thy God f They are so far from being able to comfort thee as was said v. 18. that they themselves faint away for want of comfort and through Famine 21 Therefore hear now this thou afflicted and * Ch. 29. 9. drunken but not with wine l But with the cup of Gods fury mentioned above v. 17. 22 Thus â—…aith thy Lord the LORD and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people m Who though he hath fought against thee is now reconciled to thee and will maintain thy cause against all thine adversaries Behold I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling even the dregs of the cup of my fury thou shalt no more drink it again 23 But * Jer. 25. 26 2â—… I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee which * Pâ—… 66. 11. have said to thy soul Bow down that we may go over n Lie down upon the ground that we may trample upon thee as Conquerors used to do upon their conquered Enemies See Ios. 10. 24. Psal. 110. 1. and thou hast laid thy body as the ground and as the street to them that went over CHAP. LII 1 * Ch. 51. 17. AWake awake put on thy strength a God biddeth his Church do that which she intreated him to do ch 51. 9. And because Gods word is operative and effectual and his sayings are doings this is a prediction and promise what she should do that she should awake or arise out of her low estate and be strong and courageous O Zion put on thy beautiful garments b Thy sorrows shall be ended and thou shalt be advanced into a most glorious and blessed condition O Jerusalem the holy city c O my Church which is every where called by the name of Zion or Ierusalem for henceforth there shall no more come into thee d Either to molest thee or to associate themselves with thee or to defile or corrupt thee the uncircumcised e Heathens or Infidels who are commonly called uncircumcised and the unclean f Nor any others who though they be circumcised as the Jews generally were are unclean in any thing Whereby he intimates that there should be a greater purity and Reformation in the Church than formerly there had been which was eminently accomplished in the Church and Kingdom of Christ. 2 Shake thy self from the dust g In which thou hast lain as a Prisoner or â—…ate as a mourner arise and sit down h Upon thy Throne Or sit up as this word is rendred Gen. 27. 19. O Jerusalem loose thy self from the bands of thy neck i The yoke of thy captivity shall be taken off from thee It is a Metaphor from Beasts that have the yoke fastened by bands to their necks O captive daughter of Zion 3 For thus saith the LORD * Ps. 44. 12. Ch. 45. 13. Jer. 15. 13. ye have sold your selves k By your sins into the hands of the Chaldeans for nought l Without any price or valuable consideration paid by them either to you or to me your Lord and owner and ye shall be redeemed without money m Without paying any ransom 4 For thus â—…aith the Lord GOD My people went down aforetime into * Gen. 46. 6. Egypt to sojourn there n Where they had protection and sustenance and therefore owed subjection to the King of Egypt And yet when he oppressed them I punished him severely and delivered them out of his hands Which is easily understood from the following words and o Or but for here is an opposition made between these two cases * Jer. 50. 17. the Assyrian p The King of Babylon who is called the King of Assyria 2 Kin. 23. 29. compared with ch 24. 7. as also the Persian Emperour is called Ezra 6. 22. because it was one and the same Empire which was possessed first by the Assyrians then by the Babylonians and afterwards by the Persians oppressed them without cause q Without any such ground or color by meer force invading their Land and carrying them away into Captivity For although it be said that God gave this Land and People into his hand 2 Chr. 36. 17. by his Counsel and Providence yet that was neither known to nor regarded by the King of Babylon nor was it a good and lawful Title Gods Word and not his Providence being the rule by which Mens rights are determined otherwise a Robber hath a right to my purse which he cannot take from me upon the high-way without Gods Providence 5 Now therefore what have I here r Heb. What to me here The sense is either 1. What do I here Why do I sit still here and not to go to Babylon to punish the Babylonians and to deliver my People Or 2. What honour have I by suffering this injury to be done to my People saith the LORD that my people is taken away s Were carried away Captive by the Babylonians for nought t Without any provocation or pretence of right See before on v. 3. they that rule over them u Who by their Office are obliged to deal justly and tenderly with their subjects make
clause unto thee and all they that despise thee shall * Rev. 3. 9. bow themselves down at the soles g This notes that great degree of Submission that eveâ—… despisers and enemies shall yield to the Church prostrating themselves as humble suppliants See Chap. 49. 23. or rather to Christ the head King and Husband of the Church of thy feet and they shall call thee The city h They shall give her that honourable title or acknowledge her to be so and so called both from the Love that God had for her and from the Temple of God that was in her of the LORD the Zion of the holy One of Israel 15 Whereas thou hast been forsaken i Both of God i. e. As to outward appearance and of her inhabitants being upon the matter depopulated and hated k Either slighted and neglected or suffering actual miseries and Slaughters thus was she dealt with Lam. 1. 2. so that no man went through thee l Thy streets were left desolate I will make thee an eternal excellency m The Abstract is put here for the Concrete whereby the Hebrews are wont to express the superlative degree and in this happy estate we find the Church Zech. 2. per toâ—… and 9. 9. c. Which refers to the coming of Christ and it is said to be Eternal i. e. For a great while it being an hyperbolical expression frequent with the Hebrews who express a long time by eternity a joy of many generations n The Churches happiness should be the rejoicing and comfort of succeeding generations she would be the matter of their great rejoicing a Metonymy of the Object 16 * Chap. 49. 23. 61. 6. Thou shalt also suck o A Metaphor taken from Children sucking nourishment from the breast the sense is that the Church should draw or drain the wealth of Nations and the riches and power of Kings and what ever is most excellent and that it should come freely and affectionately as milk flows from the breast of the Mother the same thing intended Chap. 49. 23. and in the foregoing verses the milk of the Gentiles and shalt suck the breast of kings and thou shalt know p i. e. Experience it knowing is often put for an experimental knowing that * Chap. 43. 3. I the LORD am thy saviour and thy redeemer the mighty One of Jacob q Styled so either with reference to Iacob's Person he being the first that gave God this title Gen. 49. 24. or with reference to Iacobs posterity viz. the Jews These things will certainly be accomplished for he is the mighty God and so able and the God of Iacob so obliged by Covenant and Relation 17 For brass I will bring gold r Here is the effect of the former promise thy poverty shall be turned to riches all things shall be altered for the best an allusion to the days of Solomon when gold was as brass thus on the Contrary when they change for the worse in the state it useth to be expressed by the like Metapâ—…ors Ch. 1. 21 22 23. and for iron I will bring silver and for wood brass and for stones iron I will also make thy officers peace s i. e. Loving Meâ—…k and Peaceable the Abstract put for the Concrete as is usual whether you understand it of Under-officers they shall be Officers of peace or of Governours thou shalt have a peaceable Government as was made good to them under Ezra Nehemiah Zoroâ—…abel and such like and thine exactours righteousness t Most righteous as before peace for peaceable the Church is not freed from Taxes and paiments that is given by Christ and Peter unto Caesar but it shall be without oppression and grinding no more then is necessary and not exacted rigorously though all these were made good in their return out of Babylon yet doth it more properly relate to the meliorating of the Church under the Gospel wherein instead of carnal Ceremonies she had Spiritual Ordinances which is the scope of the Apostle Heb. 9. and larger measures of the holy Spirit and should have such Officers as would speak peace to the Consciences by discovering the compleat and perfect righteousness of him who fulfilled all righteousness 18 Violence u That this and what follows must necessarily be understood of the Church Triumphant though there only it will be compleat I see no necessity neither will I obtrude my Judgment but leave it to the judicious as being more proper in a Comment none to ofter violence to this quiet state thou shalt attain to either within thee to oppress by Injustice Rapine or Fraud or without thee by hostiâ—… invasions and this the Prophet mentions as the effect of good Officers in the former verse shall no more be heard in thy land wasting nor destruction within thy borders x no havock made among thy people but thou shalt call * Chap. 26. 1. thy walls salvation y They shall be safe and able to defend thee thou shalt be as safe as salvation it self can make thee when a thing is said in Scripture to be called so it often signifies as much as to be so Ch. 26. 1. 47. 1. and 56. 7. and it intimates as much as that God will be salvation to his Church when they shall be without Gates and Walls he will be their safety and the matter of their praise see Isa. 26. 1. and God's care of his Church is the matter of that exhortation to praise him Psa. 147. and thy gates praise z A double Metonymy viz. of the Effect as salvation will cause praise and of the Adjunct as it is worthy of praise so that within or upon thy Gates and Walls thou shalt sing praises 19 * Rev 21 23. 22. 5. The sun shall be no more thy light a These shall not be at all esteemed in comparison of the Spiritual light of the Church and this is laid down as the 〈◊〉 of the Churches comfort as the former was for her safety so that God will not only be a shield but a Sun to her Psa. 84. 11. â—…ot â—…at they shall not have the Sun and Moon among them but that the light of the godly as such should principally consist in what is â—…tual by day neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light b Christ shall scatter all darkness and ignorance enlightning thee with the doctrines of the Gospel and graces of his Spirit and this shall be Everlasting not wax and wane and sufâ—…r â—…lipses and settings as the Sun and Moon do but it shall be conâ—…ant without shadow of change no night which will be undoubtedly truâ—… of the Church in Heaven whatever it will be or how near soever it will come to it here which I presume will bear its analogy and * Zech. 2. 5. thy God
u Or yet there is none i. â—… Few Psa. 14. 3. they are not to be discerned among the multitude that calleth x Such as call upon thee as they ought 〈◊〉 Iacob and Moâ—…es and David c. did which often prevents the 〈◊〉 of a state or kingdom it points out the universal Apostacy of the â—…ast times of the Jewish state for which they were cut off upon thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee y Either to stay thee from departing from us see Lâ—…k 24. 28 29. or to fetch thee back when departed Ier. 12. 7. or it is an Allegorical allusion to one struck down and still smitten but never stirs to lay hold on the arm that smites him ch 27. 5. it notes their great sâ—…oathfulness and carelesness and some refer it to their lukewarmness and dead heartedness relying upon their priviledges before they went into 〈◊〉 and so a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their approaching Judgments for z Or 〈◊〉 so the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iob 5. 21. Psa. 75. 2. thou hast hid thy face from us and hast †Heb. 〈◊〉 consumed us a Or mâ—…lted our sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fire of thy wrath that we are melted with it because of our iniquities b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our iniquities i. e. Either in the place of our iniquities the land wherein they were Committed or into the hands of our iniquities to be punished by them and as it were 〈◊〉 or melted down or our strength exhausted by them as wax before the fire Lev. 26. 39. Ezek. 33. 10. or as we translate it our iniquities being the procuring cause of it 8 But now O LORD thou art our Father c An argument or pathetical plea for pity or notwithstanding all this thou art our Father both by Creation and by Adoption therefore pity us thy Children * Ch. 29. 16. 4â—… 9. 〈◊〉 1â—… 6. Rom. 9. 20 21. we are the clay d A Metonymy of the matter clay for the vessels made of clay Or we are clay pointing at our Original matter Or it may relate to their state that God framed into a Body Civil and Ecclesiastical out of a confused multitude they plead at the same time their own frailty why they would be pitied and God's Covenant-interest in them why he should pity them and thou our potter and we all are the work of thy hand e Another argument of the same nature with the former Psal. 138. 8. not onely as men but as a Body of men made thy peculiar People 9 Be not * Psal. 79. 8. wroth very sore O LORD neither remember iniquity for ever f viz. Thou hast been angry with us a long time be not so for ever but deal with us as may best consist with a Father's bowels It hath reference boâ—…h â—…o Quantity and Time that it might not be very great noâ—… of long durance See on Psal. 79. 8. behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people g Thy peculiar People Chap. 63 19. Another argument to back the former Petition Psal. 28. 9. Though we are very bad in our selves and very badly handled by our Enemies thou sufferest in our sufferings for thou hast no people in Covâ—…nant but us and wilt thou noâ—… leave thy self a People in the world 10 Thy holy cities h Either Sion and 〈◊〉 being thâ—… Cities they instance in q. d. Thy holy Cities viz. Sâ—…on and 〈◊〉 Or rather other Cities also in the Land of 〈◊〉 besides those two called Hâ—…ly Either 1. Because they were built upon God's â—…nheritance Chap. 63 17. Or 2. Because they were inhabited by the Iâ—…ws who were an holy People Deu. 7. 6. Daâ—… 12. 7. Or 3. Because God had his Synagogues in them Psal. 74. 8. For all which reasons also they are called Thy Cities are a wilderness Zion is a wilderness Jerusalem a desolation i Utterly waâ—…t not onâ—…ly the ordinary Cities but even Ierusâ—…lem and Sion themselves the one called the upper 〈◊〉 or the City of David because it was built upon Mount Sion the other the 〈◊〉 City because it lay under the Hill of Sion in the Valley he particularizeth Sion and 〈◊〉 though he had mentioned the other Cities before because the chiefest of the Cities it being usual notwithstanding the mentioning of generals in which all the particulars or individuals are included to name the particular again as and from the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Psal. 18. title 11 Our holy and our beautiful house k The Temple Châ—…p 6â—… 7. q. a. Not onely our Cities and our Principal Cities but 〈◊〉 our 〈◊〉 which we thought sacred and inviolable in which we have gloriâ—…d because it was Thinâ—… and our Father's and Ours the place where thy holy service was performed and thy Glory and Presence was 〈◊〉 where our fathers l Not 〈◊〉 to mention themselves they had beâ—…n so every way abominable but their 〈◊〉 praised thee is burnt up with fire and all our pleasant things are m The King's 〈◊〉 and the houses of the Nobles and other pâ—…ces of State and Magnificence 2 King 25. 9. Lam. 1. 7 10. Or their Syâ—…agogues Or those stately pieces about the Temple laid wast 12 Wilt thou refrain thy self for these things n viz That are done by the 〈◊〉 do none of these things move thee to take vengeâ—…nce on them O LORD Wilt thou hold thy peace o Wilt thou be as one that regards not Wilt thou be still and suffer them and afflict us very sore p See vers 9. For these our sins or for these our sufferings shall we feel the smart of it that have done no such things but have been sufferers under the Babylonians to which God answers in the next Chapter CHAP. LXV 1 I * Rom. â—… 24 25 26. 10. 20. Eph. 2. 12 13. am sought a The word signifies properly a diligent enquiry in things relating to God 2 Chr. 14. 4. Psal. 34. 4. Ier 37. 7. I am diligently enquired of by them of them that asked not for me b That in times before made no enquiry after me as the Gentiles and not being without God in the world Eph. 2. 12. as seeking may more strictly relate to Prayer as the word is used Isa. 55. 6. so this word translated asked may also be so taken and is so 1. Sam 1. 20. 1 Sam. 22. 13. but possibly it is better interpreted more generally I am found c Yea I was found of them before they sought me those who formerly did not seek me now seek me but they were found of me before they sought me I prevented them by my Grace sending my Son to preach pâ—…ace to those that were afar off Eph. 2. 17. and my Apostles to intreat them to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. 20. and my Spirit to convince the woâ—…ld of Sin Righteousness and Iudgment Joh. 16. 8. of them that sought